Five Years and A Day

Time and again the Scriptures call us to remember, to call to mind what God has done in the past. Just yesterday we crossed over the five-year threshold of our time here in Mexico, and I thought it would be good to take time to remember what God has done in those five years – good for ourselves and, I pray, good for you dear reader. 

Five years ago, on April 10, 2019, we stepped off Canadian soil (i.e. the carpet of YVR airport) and boarded a United Airlines flight to Houston, Texas. The strange feelings of take-off and air pressure change were not that unlike the strange feeling of leaving the life you know to live in a different country and take up a task you are not sure you have the strength or know-how to do. A thousand different thoughts swirled in our minds – from nervous worry to hopeful excitement. 

When we finally landed in Queretaro at the end of the day we were taxied to our Airbnb by Duane in an old Pan de Vida van. We didn’t have a home, a vehicle, or much of an idea of how to go about starting a ministry. But we did have friends to help us, a bit of faith and a big God. 

Our first ten months were dedicated to getting ourselves oriented, finding a house and furniture to fill it with, purchasing a van (thanks Jeremy!), and taking Spanish classes. We put off questions of what our ministry would look like and focused on language and cultural acquisition, praying that God would open doors at His appointed times. 

As the March due date for our fourth child approached (click here to read that story), so did news of the Covid-19 virus. At the time we didn’t know how much life was about to change, and there were also many times during the “Covid years” when we wondered about God’s plan for us in Mexico. Empty streets, closed doors, and mask mandates became the new norm and all our plans for an internship and a ministry were thrown out the proverbial window. 

But, as we reminded ourselves many times during Covid, God didn’t have to rip up His plans. He had already taken Covid into account long before we knew about it, and looking back we can see how God used that time to bless us and make us a blessing. We were blessed with more time to learn Spanish which was still limited after close to a year, and we were able to be a blessing to others by bringing food parcels to needy neighbourhoods and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with them. 

Delivering the food parcels gave us the opportunity to see different parts of the city and to begin to put our language and cultural training into practice. A bible study was started with a family we met through the food parcels, and while it didn’t last, we enjoyed opening the Scriptures with people who viewed the Bible as a good luck charm. 

In one particular neighbourhood we felt there was an open door and we even began planning an event there with the help of some local ladies, but Covid was still hanging around like an unwelcome guest and threw a wrench into our plans once again. 

As Covid and its entourage were finally being shown the exit doors, we made the decision to relocate to a neighbourhood closer to Pan de Vida, where we were volunteering part-time and attending church. The neighbourhood we were in was already served by a Presbyterian church, and we wanted to focus our energies on one particular area, instead of many. 

One of the ways God led us to Santa Barbara was by providing a house to rent – a house owned by Pan de Vida. Not long after that we were also able to find a small space to rent and use as our outreach centre. Pieces were falling into place. 

Thus, after three years living in the city, in a neat and tidy neighbourhood, we packed up our belongings and started over in a neighbourhood that was not quite as neat and tidy, but which has its own beauty if you look hard enough. 

Santa Barbara is a close-knit community with a small-town predictability and we have come to appreciate the regular sights and sounds and persons of the place – the tardy roosters, the cactus berries, that one guy who always greets us in English. As outsiders, we are easily recognizable and at times people will feel more comfortable coming to us with a problem. At the same time, establishing trust and connection has been more challenging, and many are suspicious of a “Christian” church.

One way we seek to become known in the community and build trust is through different outreach activities. Through English classes, sports nights, and kids clubs we have attempted to make it clear that we care about the people, want to serve, and want them to know the Gospel. 

Not everything has worked well and much of our work is trial and error. We try something and see if it works. If it doesn’t, we put it on hold, focus our energies elsewhere, and keep praying. One major disappointment was getting a women’s bible study going, only for it to fizzle and eventually end. Sitting in an empty living room waiting for people who are not going to show up is hard. 

Despite the setbacks, little by little we do see our web of contacts expanding and there is incremental growth in interest. A few people are at least open to the idea of a bible study; some send their kids to our outreach activities; and others have offered help or encouragement. 

On occasion we’ve been able to comfort an elderly mom who lost her son, give biblical counsel for a dad struggling with alcoholism, or sit with someone in the depths of depression. These encounters do not necessarily lead to the fruit of conversion or growth in Sunday attendance, but surely they are part of what God calls us to. 

During our time in Santa Barbara we have also been able to connect with several youth who grew up in Pan de Vida. One lives in our neighbourhood and a few others close by. Part of our vision continues to be fostering relationships with youth within the children’s homes and being available to them once they leave. To that end we continue to attend church at Pan de Vida, help out at Sunday School, and teach English to the high school students. 

Recently, we had the opportunity to assist a family who wanted their kids to be admitted into a children’s home. We were able to help facilitate the process and rescue five young kids from an unsafe home situation. That particular story is far from over, but it has opened our eyes to the need around us and we are praying for wisdom and guidance as to how we might be able to address the need. 

So, have we thrown up our hands in frustration at times? Certainly. Have we felt the rejection of people who don’t want to talk to us because of our religion? Yes. Have we cried when someone we thought was open to the gospel, closes up their heart? That too. 

At the same time, we have experienced the goodness of God. Over and over again we see Him at work in our lives and our ministry, even if at times we are not sure what He is up to. 

We feel blessed to be part of the Christian community in Queretaro and to feel so much support from other Christians and churches. We feel blessed to be able to tell stories about Jesus with kids who do not know them. We feel blessed to open the Bible with a young man eager to study the Word of God. We feel blessed to be asked to pray for a family mourning the loss of a loved one. We feel blessed to be able to enter into a family’s chaotic life and speak words of truth and hope. 

At times it can be difficult to discern when God is opening a door or when he is closing it. Questions remain about the exact direction and focus of our ministry here and what will happen another five years down the road. But we firmly believe that if we are faithful to the daily task God puts before us, He will take care of the rest. That has certainly been the case for our first five years, and it is good to remember that. 

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Prayer Items

• Pray for the Holy Spirit to soften hearts and open blind eyes, that the good news of Jesus might be accepted and lead to transformed lives.
• Pray for wisdom and direction for Mission in Mexico
• Pray for more labourers for the field and for an ordained missionary to join us.

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