Mexico City Mission Trip Day 4

Monday, August 10, 2009

VBS started today. Everyone was excited about that. Normally we start with very few children and it builds throughout the week. This year we started with a bang. 53 children showed up on the first day. How exciting that that many children will be hearing about the love Jesus has for them this week. We pray that the number will increase day by day.

Everything went smooth today. All the teachers were ready to teach the Bible to the children; the m missions tract was good; and even recreation and refreshments were smooth. We have such a good team! Thank you God for the servant mentality you have given this team.

Since today was our only evening off we planned to go shopping and to Restaurante Ar-royo, the world’s largest single Mexican restaurant, with seating for 2,200 patrons. It has musical stages, wandering mariachi and jarocho bands, and a mechanical bull. It also contains its own bullring. We were pretty excited about this until we realized we were not able to drive. In Mexico City the government introduced a program, Hoy No Circula, which bans most drivers from using their vehicles one weekday per week, based on the last digit of the vehicle’s license plate. For example, vehicles with a license plate ending in 5 or 6 may not be used on Monday. The last digit of the van is 5 so we were unable to drive anywhere. Our options were to just stay at the church all evening or to use Lynn’s car along with two taxis and choose one of the two activities. We decided to get the taxis and go shopping.

Everyone, except me, seemed to have a good time shopping. I was praying diligently for the group to choose to go to the restaurant, but we were in the garage which is located in the basement of the church so God couldn’t hear my prayer. We left for the Ciudadela in Lynn’s car and the two taxis. During the trip there, these crazy Southside people were sticking cameras out the window taking pictures of each other and anything else that looked interesting. Upon arriving, the group decided to stay in that shopping area for two and half hours. At that point, I realized that God was punishing me. I looked for an op-portunity to leave the group, get by myself, and seek the face of God in order to repent of this grievous sin for which I was being punished. I had no idea what it was, but I knew it must be terrible in order to receive this kind of punishment. Since two of the people wanting to go shopping were my offspring, I felt a parental responsibility to stay with them, therefore repentance would have to come later. As we were walking and looking and walking and looking and walking and paying I realized that this really was not pu-nishment, this was just life on a mission trip. I recalled God’s love for me and that re-minded me that He would never do something like this to me. He loves me too much. He sent Jesus so I would not have to be punished like this, no matter what the sin. Why was I here then? The LADIES! They had assumed control of this trip. What was I thinking? I could have sitting in the middle of a nice restaurant sipping strained pineapples (the Spanish words are pina coloda—virgin of course) while listening to a mariachi band. So I quickly realized this was not punishment, but stupidity on my part. I’m the pastor. I can make executive decisions. I could have told them what we were going to do. Whatever! I live with three ladies, my wife, a 18 year old and a 17 year old. I am supposed to be in charge there too, but I know how that goes. Better to just sit back and endure a few hours of misery than have seven women mad at me for the rest of the trip. Then I thought about Lynn who has to do this ten to twelve times each summer. I am sure all the groups that visit here to help in the work want to shop. How does he do this? He, being much more experienced with this kind of thing, brought study materials and remained in his vehicle the entire time. He had several hours of study time. If I were him, I would rename my care “The Word.” That way he could brag to me and the rest of his friends, “I spent over three and half hours in the Word today.” We would be very impressed.

Anyway, we made it back safe and sound. For some reason the taxi ride home was only one half the rate as the ride there; exact route in reverse, but yet half the cost. Odd, but welcome to Mexico City.

We had sandwiches for supper upon our return. Yes, you heard right. We travel 1150 miles one way to Mexico and eat sandwiches. I could still be sipping strained pineapples and eating authentic Mexican food but I am eating a jamon and queso sandwich. Pray for me. Ask the Lord to help me keep my theology straight and not slip back into the thought that He is punishing me.