Reflection on first 4 weeks - assignment for Duke

After spending four weeks in Mexico, I feel like I have already experienced so much through the Encuentro trip and during our time at language school in Cuernavaca - all of this before I had any real notion of what the work experience would be like in the church. As noted in orientation and other conversations throughout the trip, this experience has been about learning and participating in the culture and committing to understand the ways of the people. Considering these goals of the trip, I believe I have grown immensely in only a short time. Our two groups have seen so many parts of Mexico, including many towns in different parts of the country - where the geography, climate, people, and culture vary tremendously. This has been good for me, reminding me that while the way of life in Mexico appears to be different to our way of living on the surface, we still live very similar lives in the U.S. These similarities between the Mexican and American ways of life are what I want to focus on in this reflection.

There types of people in Mexico are similar to those in the U.S.: there are rich and poor; those with nice homes and those who are homeless; those with jobs and those who have not worked in years; those who have children but don’t want them and those who would give anything to have them; there are people who are generous, giving everything they have, and there are others who have so much and give nothing; there are hardworking individuals and those who are lazy; those who are clean and well-groomed and those who are not; and finally, there are many nice, welcoming people, as well as those who clearly display their irritation about your presence in their country. All of these groups of people within the Mexican culture share many similarities with Americans, but the group of youth within the church is one group that never seems to change no matter where you visit.

At the end of the fourth week of our trip, we left Cuernavaca for Tulyehualco for an event with the youth at the church where we will be serving. When we arrived, we realized it was a special gathering of youth throughout the Southeastern District of the Methodist Church of Mexico. The service started about 7:45 pm with a contemporary Christian band leading the music. We sang and worshipped with the sermon immediately following. Sonia preached to the youth about making smart decisions in their lives, including how to select the “right” kinds of friends. It was a powerful message - even to someone who only understood about one third of it. We concluded the main time of worship by sharing a meal together. I sat with a brother and sister from another Methodist Church in the downtown part of Mexico City. We tried to talk over the shouts and screams coming from the table next to us - those kids who were so excited to sit with two other American seminary students. Shouting, screaming, cheering, chanting, talking, and worshipping were all part of the experience with these youth in Mexico, and these are the same experiences I have been a part of with youth in the United States. To me, it was not about being Mexican or American - it was about being able to identify with a young person in the church. So, for a few moments early in our arrival at Tulyehualco, the language barrier seemed to disappear during our interactions with the Mexican youth.

In addition to my time with the youth and encounters with other people, I have come to recognize that in most cases Mexicans seek the same things as Americans - they want to live happy, fulfilled lives with their families and friends, while working and making a living to support themselves and their families. They want to know that there is a God that loves and cares for them, often seeking spiritual support from others in their lives - family, friends, pastors, and church members. They want to know that they are doing the best they can with what they have been given. All of these sentiments seem to be typical about life in general in Mexico.

Like Americans, Mexicans also experience trials and tribulations that prevent them from accomplishing their goals of happiness and fulfillment. I have observed these trials and tribulations everywhere we have visited, yet somehow I also have always seen a side of faith, hope, and love in the hearts and minds of the Mexican people. I observed faith from Roselia - a woman from the church in Tulyehualco. We visited with her on Tuesday morning, listening to her share about her life and the life of her family. She alone has experienced enough heartache and suffering to question the meaning behind it all. From her battle with terminal cancer to a debilitating fall that left her unable to walk without her canes, she still worried about her faith. Within her family, her son - who was a former alcoholic and drug addict - accepted Christ and changed his ways, allowing God to work in and through him. Through this experience with her son, as well as through her own experiences with her health, Roselia found her faith tested. However, she too followed in the way of her son, opening herself to a new relationship in Christ and becoming a part of the Methodist Church in Tulyehualco. Before, she had been a practicing Catholic, yet not truly understanding her relationship with God. It was now different for her. Although, she was tested throughout these experiences, she attributed her ability to persevere to that faith which she had found in her new relationship with Christ. Ultimately, Roselia’s story was not about living an American or a Mexican way of life - it was about living a Christian way of life. This encounter filled another gap in my understanding that it is not about Mexican and American differences, but that we are one people in Christ.

As for hope, I have witnessed and heard many amazing stories along this journey - from Diego in Huitzapula who is struggling to regain his strength and ability to walk to the members of the Methodist Church and mission sites in Huitzapula who are hoping and praying that someday soon they will have the financial resources to rebuild their sanctuary and other physical worship spaces that were destroyed by natural disasters. However, the story that touched me the most is a story that likely sounds familiar within American culture. It is about a father, Damian, who works at least two jobs (and sometimes three) to support his family and the medical bills they have accumulated as a result of multiple surgeries for both of his two children. This rare and serious birth defect was likely attributed to complications during his wife’s pregnancies with both children. The surgeries were and continue to be necessary for functionality of the mouth, as well as appearance of the mouth and lips. It broke my heart to hear how children, precious and innocent, have encountered such traumatic experiences. For Damian, there is no question about what to do - his goal is to work as hard as he possibly can for his family. It is because of this father’s hope to give Jonathan and Camila - Victoria’s (our host mother in Cuernavaca) grandchildren - all that he can to ensure that his children have the very best that life has to offer them. Any loving father who is committed to his children - whether Mexican or American - would do just as Damian has done.

Finally, love - it takes shape in many different ways and forms. For me, where I saw and felt love the most was through my interactions with the children of this country, but most especially those at the orphanage we visited in Cuernavaca - a trip we took while studying Spanish at the language school. This was an unexpected blessing for me as I was able to witness the excitement in the eyes of those children upon our arrival and during our time there. For those old enough to understand, a visit from loving and caring people provides them with a few moments in which they can take their minds off the situations surrounding their family lives. I don't know how often other groups visit them to cook, play or just hang out, but they seemed to be happy to see us and we felt the same way. We were happy to receive them in the way they came to us - timid and shy or running toward us as fast as possible. They wanted to feel the touch and love from other human beings, just like the little children in the Gospel according to Mark. These children came to Jesus and he took them into his arms, laid hands on them, and blessed them. Just like the children in Huitzapula, these kids were starving for love and attention and for one brief moment of their lives we were able to provide that need. It was not about being American or Mexican - it was about loving the children as Jesus loved the children.

It is obvious that the way of life between Mexicans and Americans may appear differently on the surface, but I believe that deep down within us we are all the same - we are one people, striving for the same kinds of things in our lives. I also believe that it is this message that we, as pastors, need to reflect upon and convey to our churches in the United States. It is our responsibility as pastors, but more importantly as Christians to help others understand these similarities between us.