Juquila: Week 1

As of today, I have been in Juquila, Mexico for over a week! Overall, I am so thankful that God has brought me here and surrounded me with such amazing people! Before I came, I was worried about being alone since I'm in an apartment by myself, but since being here, I have been eating "comida" (big meal around 4pm) with a family here and hanging out with them as well as the family that lives in the apartment below mine. I've gotten to play fútbol, volleyball, basketball and rummikub, go shopping in the local "tiendas" for cookware, plates, food, and various things, go to a local church, and visit the homes of local families, all while speaking Spanish. I've gotten to eat Mexican food-- including a cactus and a salsa made with ants and try some Peruvian food as well!

Thank you everyone for your support of this ministry. It's been amazing to witness how God is using the teachers here to reach the local community. They are sharing the Gospel with their neighbors and relying on God for everything. In the midst of poverty and idolatry, the light of Christ is shining and people are coming to know Jesus! School starts on Wednesday, and students come to class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for half of the days.

Please pray:

-that God would anoint us for this ministry and the Holy Spirit would speak and love through us

-that God would speak to our students and that they would respond to His call

-that God would provide for the needs of our school, our families, and our community, especially for the families who are struggling financially

-for a couple people to experience a breakthrough of light, hope, and peace and to find solid friends who can encourage them in the Lord

-for the families that have decided to study the Bible with the staff but have not yet accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior

-for the 5 kids that will be living with the family downstairs during the week to attend our school and for God's guidance as to how I can best serve them 

-for my physical and mental health as I navigate my new life here

A Mototaxi

My Bedroom

Welcome to my Classroom!

My first church service in Juquila!

My first "elote" (street corn) with Sam and Tito

Me and my neighbor, Fé 

The beautiful view

May you experience the peace and presence of Jesus this week!

-Heather

Espere por favor

Recently, my mom and I were checking out at Publix, and I changed the card reader into Spanish. When she inserted the card, the screen said, “Espere por favor”, which means, “Please wait.” Being the teacher that I am, I tried to teach the word to my mom and explained that esperar has two meanings in Spanish -- to wait and to hope. I find it interesting that Isaiah 40:31 can be translated either as “those who wait” or “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” The Hebrew word qavah is used figuratively here, meaning “to wait, or to look for with eager expectation.” Waiting here holds a positive view of the future with a hope that is secure. Waiting on the Lord is an act of faith-- trusting that God will do what He has promised even when you cannot see it.

Unfortunately, waiting does not generally appeal to us in our instant society. We try to avoid waiting at all costs. Microwave meals, flash passes, and instant entertainment at our fingertips keep us from the sensation of waiting. Until we don’t have a choice. That was me. I’ve had a dream of being a missionary and teaching in a small school since I was in middle school, if not before. In a sense, I’ve been waiting for years and years and years for this opportunity to teach in Mexico and share the Gospel. Since I went to Costa Rica in 2015, I’ve been waiting to go back to Latin America for a longer period of time as a missionary. When I wasn’t able to travel to Colombia in college or study abroad in Costa Rica or do an international internship, there was more waiting.

Eventually, I accepted that God could call me to missions in the United States. There are many immigrants who live here and I looked into a program where I would get a master’s degree and teach in the inner city. I made it all the way to selection weekend and then, I was denied. At that point, I hadn’t even heard of Global Education Ministries. But soon enough, the door opened right up-- all that I had waited and hoped for all these years. God knew all along where I needed to go. He was preparing my heart, my body, and my mind for this task. The call was a call to esperar and hold onto esperanza (hope) in Christ. I have to esperar in the little things, like a cancelled flight, and in the big things, like the brokenness of my mind and body and those of so many others. I must continue to wait and hope for God’s complete restoration of all things. My charge to us today is this: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). Espere por favor.

 

source: Facebook.com