Mexico City: Our hearts go out. . .

Photo by Emily Brown: beautifully humble friend of mine.

I write this in the middle of the night when the city is the quietest.. but alas a am interrupted by the screeching fire siren that makes me wonder if it is going to rescue a face or name that I know, have prayed for, or stared into the eyes of. The 'still' small towners, that see a persons life behind the sound of a siren, are here in this Goliath of a lonely city.

“Are you ready to be less than a mere drop in the bucket - to be so totally insignificant that no one remembers you even if they think of those you served? Are you willing to give and be poured out until you are used up and exhausted - not seeking to be ministered to, but to minister?" -Oswald Chambers, recently quoted by Sidra, a very good friend of mine also on outreach but in a different region of the world. Rom 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Niki (Australia) who herself has
an amazing life story of redemption:
 Staffing the CRS at YWAM Perth.

While many of us were painting (previous posts)... a few of us have been going into the city. Its really interesting what God will do with you if you make yourself available. Even more interesting in what he limits you from doing.

LEFT and BELOW are some pictures of some youth around the ages 17-25, that our team met on the street over the last few days. Matt didnt get a chance to get to know them because he, being the gentleman-sweet-heart that he is, walked a someone in the team home that was sick. I on the other hand was back leading the painting crews for the last several days... I would have loved to meet them.

Meanwhile... our team shared and listened in this group of young people described as studded, pierced, and tattooed. (If you know me well you know I have a soft-creative spot in my heart for these attributes.) While they shared, the group passed around bottles of alcohol, and a working glove. Apparently there was nothing special about this glove but a tissue inside of it soaked in aerosol glue which when placed in front of the nose provides a "high". This is medically called 'huffing'. 

They called themselves "punks", but shelly and I
called them "artistas" (artists) because
they could make the most creative
flowers out of a coca-cola can. "Muy Bonita!"

Many people have a different opinion about drugs and the people that do them... Our heart is to see the person behind the ruff exterior and smell of turpentine. Our team just loved on them and they were positively responsive at all the attention... like someone actually cared that they were hurting themselves for a temporary 'fix', and telling them about a 'fix' that would never be temporary.

We have spent a great deal of time in prayer for these guys. Will you continue to pray with us that they would be able and willing to have an abundant life? Off the streets where they all claimed they lived, and away from the temporary highs that will never full-fill them. We are praying that until those changes happen that God would keep them safe and whole.

* * *

Other Thoughts this week via our Facebook status:


AUG 21 worked with my team all day training young adults in Mexico City -- how to do an 'open air' all day(About 20 showed up), then painted on into the night... whoah... dude! -Tired!!


AUG 22 went to church this morning... even though I couldn't understand the words for most of the 3 hours, it was nice to reflect on the week ... More painting later, after meetings, writing up some testimonies...


AUG 25 Whoah... Broken... Im soo broken.. tired. the "day off" is just not long enough by the end of outreach... dang-it for being physically tired, emotionally tired, and spiritually tired... haha 2 1/2 weeks left.

This was posted after I had found out that the girl walking out of our gate carrying a stolen mat (our neighbors dogs),  was homeless and about 9 months pregnant. It broke my heart as we entered into intercession that evening. We dont have all the answers, or training for every single unexpected circumstance... but if I was to do nothing more than pray...yeah it still broke me in two.


Everyday we see a miracle or healed life in some minor way or another -a "drop in the bucket" compared to the gargantuan magnitude of need in this city... sometime we see one pass us by. We miss a chance, do-to  the lack of a translator (because they dont live with us), due to lack of facilities to refer people to, mostly for me though - due to shock.

AUG 26 Several of the people on our team today went scouting to find more contacts (Local Churches and Leaders) and ways to bring different communities together. Amazing time... while another team stayed back and painted some more... yeah! thats right mmmmmore painting -S.


AUG 27 Wal-mart trip for half the team (groceries- for 10), and more painting for the other half... YAY!! -S


AUG 28 Got to meet the fabulous kids/students at the 'School for the Deaf' today. Amazing! They were celebrating a year in progress/anniversary... lots of pictures taken, and lots of signing "thank you", and "gracias". Mexican signing is different then American.. crazy huh? And we're only 1/2 way through the day.


AUG 29 . . .then we find a young homeless girl 'high' on our doorstep. Whoah!!  

Christina, who showed up at our gate with a bottle of tequila in her blouse and huffing tissue in her hand, we led to a shelter where trained people could help her after we prayed for her and encouraged her about her value.

Pray that she would know that she is beautiful, not a failure, and her life is worth living. As we understood she was saying in our broken-understanding of Spanish.. words that she kept on saying over and over. We happened to have a friend that was nearby that spoke Portuguese which is close to Mexican Spanish.

Also pray for us- as many members on our team wanted to adopt her into our home because our hearts ached for her story. This is where the line is drawn, just as it is when a we are sick and we have to go to a doctor. We have to go to someone that is more equipped then ourselves to carry the responsibility. Pray that the people she is helped by not only help her find help out of her 'huffing' and alcohol addictions but the root of those addictions. 

 So all and all the last few weeks are coming to a close and we are growing very tired.. Thank you for all of your time, investment, and prayers. All much appreciated,.. because as we know that we are in this big city joining with local leaders and churches in the communities we have had a big task before us. We know we have not been alone.

Steph and Matt

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Featured Christian Artist:  Why not... I've decided that since this blog is mostly written by me (Steph) and semi-written by Matt, I need to have some of my featured artists be musicians! Oh yeah!
 
First official band to receive such an honor: Temper trap, a band that has unconventional roots to YWAM. And is actually REALLY good to listen to. (and the videos not so bad either)


 
 
 
 
We are currently listening to: John Piper "Adoption: The Heart of the Gospel."

Mexico City: More Photos!

A beautiful bush outside the School.
It rains alot this time of year in Mexico City. At least once a day; sometimes misting
5 minutes sometimes down pouring for several hours. Because the streets are so grungy and gritty,
the reflective puddles and still-dripping trees spring a feeling of 'new life' all over.
This IS a beautiful city....

Getting there... Painting murals as a team at the Deaf School.

Matt Julia... the newbie from Arizona. I told him if I could tell the world one thing
about himself to put on our blog what would it be?

Answer: "I just woke up, my brains not workn'... just say what ever you want to say because.." (mumbles) 

Other Snippets from this week:

Shelly: the leader of our team. Leader, meaning she does our budget (pictured here),
communicates with locals and translators on behalf of our team, and many other things that
just keep us on task of the over-all big picture. Many new people can find the schedule a
little grueling after a while, or having a budget done 'for you' a little over managing... but after
doing this for a few weeks - we are all happy and privileged to have such a chill
and easy-going leader like Shelly.  She does her 'job', and generally makes our 'job' much easier!

Mexican Money: Peso's.... Looks like alot but its not. 

Mexico City: This week - Painting at a School for the Deaf

So we were met by Linda, who didnt speak Spanish... or really any verbal language as her 'first' language. She was a sweet and beautiful woman whos deafness was only noticable only by her often slurred speech. It was really cool to talk to her...for most of us was mostly hand signals, lip reading, and some greatly enuncated English. This was a huge contrast, concidering everyone outside our team mostly speaks Spanish. I still caught myself saying 'si'(yes) or 'gracias' (thanks)... even though I didnt have to.

She -you could tell from her expression- was incredibly passionate and excited for us to help out with what looked like a HUGE project.

We were led past the plain entrance way and through two large doors. Linda showed us around, quickly pointing to the bright and colorful walls all around us, as her voice echoed through what used to be an old warehouse... It was amazing to see so much color on the inside of this plain cement building. Every doorway was painted to look more homey and grandure that it was. There was already much time and investment put into this place.... and to bring 5-7 of us at a time made it that much more of  blessing.

We, with paintbrushes in our hands, and intructions on our hearts from Linda... went at it.

The First project was finishing the boys bathroom... or bano here in Mexico, but called 'toilet' by the Aussies with us.

These were the results, with all of there projected beauty, faux animation, and badly lighted photography:

Obviously from the movie "Cars".

I worked on this one with Renata (Brazil), a girl from the MediaReach DTS team.

Mator -my favorate character- Started by Michelle (Australia), and Chun (S. Korea). Finished by Me and Shelly (USA).

Started by Matt Julia (a newbie to our team from the USA, non-YWAM), finished by Renata.

Meanwhile THIS is the project just starting in another room:

Ji Eun (S. Korea),  on her first hour of the day doing the 'sand' in the 'Aquarium Room'. 
Looks like its going to be a class room.

Luke (UK) also from the Media Reach DTS and Shelly (USA)...can she ever stop smiling??

* * *

Also this past week er so...

Matt and I had a great day together...
Its nice when one lives with 10 other people to just
get some time alone for a few hours.
THIS was a good day... and I wanted to capture it
with a picture of our 2 happy sodas sitting
beside each other...

Matt with his new New Jersey buddy who he met in the park when
we did ministry there with a youth group we met just the week before..
He spent some time in Joy-sy lurn'n english.

Matt doing the "box skit".... in the middle of traffic
 in a little market er ally-way area. This is my favorate
 randition of it to date. It drew a crowd of like, 30!
In a period of 5 minutes.

Matt speaking at an outreach Seminar  and doing a fantastic job too!!.
Aaron, on the right, was our translator of the day. After a while
we have all learned to enunciate and articulate our communication.
Aaron is very good at working past our mumbles.
Amazing guy.

A little girl whos portrait I drew. Its nice when we dont have a
translator 'right there' its  easy to just give a very personal gift
that says "you are valuable and beautiful."

Most of us 'relax' on our day off.... Matt takes cheap transit 2
hours out of the city to go hiking in the mountains with some
of our best Mexican friends. These guys hang out with us every
day during ministry AND still want to be with us on our day off !!
Good friends: Pako, Elisama, and Jaziel (pronounced Ah-zeal)

This stray's collar was choking her.... I am so glad that we found her when we did.