Youngest Pastor at Largest Church

Meet Pastor Israel Rodriguez, pictured above at the entrance to La Santa Cruz (Holy Cross) church. This congregation, located in the heart of Monterrey, is our largest in Mexico. Pastor Rodriguez is the youngest of our Mexican pastors.

How did the youngest pastor get placed with the largest congregation? I could give you the series of events that took place to bring him to Monterrey, but it would be a bit long and tiring. The bottom line is that God led him to this congregation. And, thanks be to God, it's been a great fit. Pastor Rodriguez is definitely the man for the job in this particular congregation.

Last weekend, Mike went to Monterrey to visit the pastor and congregation there. This was a very beneficial visit. Since Pastor Rodriguez is just starting out, it's helpful for him to sit down with Mike and discuss his ministry plan. It also gives Mike the opportunity to address any concerns that might come up.

On a personal note, the girls and I went along with Mike on his trip to Monterrey. It was fun for us to see Pastor Rodriguez and the members of La Santa Cruz. And we got in some good family time as well (oh, and I bought some cute shoes! What more could a girl want?)

He's a pastor, he's a missionary, he's a family man. Say hi to Mike Hartman, who currently lives in Torreon, Mexico (with me, of course!).

Today is Week Four of my Video Friday series (find previous videos here). I'm going to talk about Mike's role. He currently serves as WELS field coordinator to Mexico. What does this mean? A number of things. Let's look at them one at a time.

Overseeing the mission field
The Mexican Lutheran Church is run by a board of directors. Mike helps these men, together with five Mexican pastors, direct the church body here. He attends the annual conventions that are held, he goes to pastors' conferences, and regularly meets with the leaders on an individual basis.

He also visits the congregations all over the country (see the map). He provides counseling for the pastors. He participates in activities like pastor installations, church dedications, and seminary training.

Evangelism
Over the years, Mike has been involved in a number of outreach efforts in Mexico. He recently helped start up a new congregation, Cordero de Dios (Lamb of God) here in Torreon. He's now involved in starting up a congregation in Zaragoza Sur, an area near Torreon.

Tying it All Together
Mike helps coordinate efforts between WELS and the Mexican Lutheran church. He directs the communication between the two synods and organizes activities that involve both groups. He writes reports for WELS to help its leaders know what's going on in Mexico.

And now, here's a short clip of Mike in action. In this video, he's installing a new pastor at a congregation in Puebla.



Living with Mike has helped me gain perspective on mission work. He is great at focusing on the big picture. He's also good at making plans, and then getting up each day and working hard to carry them out.

So thanks, Mike, for all the missionary lessons you have taught me (and for marrying me, I like that part too), and stay tuned for next week's video, which will discuss the Mexico music fund. Until then, have a great, safe weekend!

Church Locations in Mexico

Wondering where our Lutheran churches in Mexico? Click here. You'll see a Google map with pointers marking the places where mission work is currently going on.

In the near future, I'll be adding pictures and more information about each congregation to the map. When it is updated, I'll let you know. In the meantime, I'm adding the map as a link on the right (look under the Learn More section).

Before I came to Mexico, I didn't realize just how big the country is. Mexico is about three times the size of Texas. It has 31 states and measures 3,283 miles from the west coast to the east coast.

We have churches spread throughout the country. This means that some of the congregations are very far (like more than 24 hours away by bus) from each other. We're working on building up small clusters of congregations in certain areas in order to build fellowship among our members and pastors.

Keep this information in mind for this week's video. On Friday, I'll be talking about Mike's role here. One of his responsbilities is to visit the various congregations marked on the map. As you can see, this is no small task. We miss him when he's on the road, but the girls and I know that his travel is important for the continued growth and prosperity of the church down here.

Check in on Friday to hear more about Mike and see him preach in Spanish!

Welcome to Week Three of our Video Friday series (find the first ones here). This week I'd like to give you a glimpse into our Sunday worship services.

One of the most-loved aspects of worship at Cordero de Dios (Lamb of God) in Torreon involves singing. On Sunday mornings, the voices of our members fill the storefront where we worship, and the sound often overflows into the street and nearby shops. I love listening to them give it their all when it's time to sing a hymn, and Trinity thoroughly enjoys it too.

Here's a short clip of Pastor Juan de Leon and his son-in-law David leading the congregation through one of the hymns. David is playing the guitar, and his wife is in back providing some accompanying music on the keyboard.

As you watch this, imagine a room full of people singing their hearts out. (The video doesn't quite capture this, but it will give you a general idea of what goes on during our worship services.)



I get choked up when I think about how much time we've spent in Mexico, how many people the Word has reached since we've been here, and how blessed I am to be able to sit beside these brothers and sisters in faith and sing praises to the one true God with them.

On that note, have a good, restful weekend, and stay tuned for next Friday's video, which will feature one of my all-time favorite people - Mike!!! We'll take an inside look at his role here on the Mexican field.

Seminary Update

We currently have four students enrolled at the Mexican Lutheran Seminary in Torreon. These men are part of a five-year program. During their years of study, the students learn the languages of the Bible (Greek and Hebrew), study the Old and New Testament in-depth, look at the history of the Lutheran church, and take many pastor-related courses (sermon writing, counseling, teaching, etc.).

Four professors teach at our seminary. Mexican pastor Esequiel Sanchez, who oversees the congregation El Redentor (Redeemer), teaches a number of classes. Professor Hector Nino, a member of one of the congregations here, teaches the students Spanish grammar. Missionary Ralph Martens (pictured above) and Missionary Larry Schlomer also teach classes.

We are very blessed to have dedicated students and teachers at the seminary. Mexican pastors are key to the future of the Lutheran Church here. They provide a strong leadership base on which the church can function and grow.

Thanks be to God for leading these men to become shepherds of his flock here. We pray for a growing enrollment at the seminary during the coming years.

Mission Team Trip to Puente de Ojuela

Welcome to Week Two of our Video Friday series (missed the first one? click here). Today I'm going to talk about a recent day trip we took with the mission team.

A couple of Mondays ago, we decided to go to Puente de Ojuela, an old silver mine about two hours from Torreon. The three missionary families here, together with our vicar, packed a lunch and headed out in the early morning (well, more like 9:30 a.m...hey, it's Mexico).

After a drive through the countryside and a couple of small towns, we reached the entrance to Puente de Ojuela. We then started up the road that would take us to the mine. This narrow, cobblestone road winds up a mountain for a couple of kilometers. It ends at the ghost town where the mine workers once lived.

We walked past the town and then stepped onto the suspension bridge to get to the mine. Built in 1898 and restored in 1991, this bridge measures just over 1,000 feet. It crosses a steep valley that separates the town from the mine. We then took a walking tour through the old silver mine, complete with early 20th century mining lamps.

All of us, including Trinity, had a great time. Here's a short clip of her after she had walked through the mine and stopped at a lookout point to rest. You can see the suspension bridge in the video, and hear the usual English/Spanish banter that goes on during these outings. Trinity is a bit dusty from the mine, but she is very content. She just finished walking almost an entire kilometer by herself and is enjoying a treat I gave her for such an accomplishment - chocolate chips! Yum...




Stay tuned for next week's video, which will feature part of our Sunday worship service. Until then, have a great weekend!

Working at the Beach

Mike just got back from a trip to the beach. This may sound like a vacation, but he was actually hard at work down there (still having a hard time believing me? I thought so. Read on...)

A small group of Americans, Mexicans, and Canadians are working on starting up a church in the Costa Maya region. These Christians have a strong love for the Gospel, and are eager to share it with others. They currently hold a bilingual Bible study on Sundays at a small restaurant in their town.

Mike went down to offer them some guidance and direction on starting up a Lutheran church. He was able to spend two days meeting with the people in Costa Maya.

It was a good trip. According to Mike, there is a lot of opportunity there. In the future, it is possible that this group will become a congregation and join the Mexican Lutheran Church here.

We admire this group's efforts and pray that God bless their work in the coming months and years.

Noise in Mexico

Quick note: I'm using this entry to kick off a new series we'll call Video Fridays. During the coming weeks, I'll include a short video to show different aspects of life and work here on...you guessed it, Fridays :). Now, back to today's scheduled post...

I recently chatted with our vicar Phil Gurgel (more on him here) about some of the unique experiences that come when you spend a year working in Mexico. One of the things mentioned was Mexico's noise factor. I found his comments interesting and asked him to share them. Here's what he says about sounds south of the border...

Before arriving here I had been living on the campus of the Seminary in Mequon, Wisconsin, which is probably one of the quietest places on Earth. I knew moving to a city was bound to be a step up.

However, here in Mexico, the noise levels are far beyond anything you'd typically find back in the States. As I write this, the neighbors across the street have their ranchero music with the tuba bass line shaking the very walls of my apartment. This is quite a common experience for me, as I have neighbors who love to blare those tuba bass lines until 2 or 3 in the morning on the weekends.

Businesses also contribute to noise levels here, since many of them sell their products from moving vehicles. Imagine an ice cream truck, you know, that truck that you'd hear maybe once a week driving through your neighborhood when you were a kid. Now imagine having about 20-40 of those ice cream trucks going through your neighborhood every day, each with a loudspeaker playing a theme song for their various products. Gorditas, tamales, bread, corn on the cob, fruits and vegetables, propane gas, brooms. If there is some way to sell it out of the back of your car, people do it, and they include a jingle to go with the product.

Prior to this year, memorizing a sermon meant going for a walk around the quiet Seminary campus. There was very little to distract me from my sermon text. Now, as I try to memorize my sermon, my head sometimes swims with all of the noise going around me, including those jingles from the vehicles passing by.

A few months ago, the sensory overload came to a head, when I spent a Saturday trying to memorize my sermon. This "memorization Saturday" happened to coincide with the Mexican festival celebrating the "Day of the Virgin". On this day, many people in the neighborhood performed a number of ritual dances right outside my apartment. In order to keep the beat for the dances, they brought a few large drums. They banged on those drums as hard and loud as they could from sun up to sun down. On top of the large drums, each of the dancers had their own shakers. Needless to say, it made memorizing my sermon a bit more challenging. Here's a short video clip I took that day...



Back to Rachel: Thanks for sharing Phil, and stay tuned for next Friday's video, which will feature one of our latest trips to Puente de Ojuela, an old mine near Torreon.

Oh Talavera, How Pretty You Are

I'm starting a new category on this blog entitled, "Things I love about Mexico." To kickstart it, I'm going to talk about one of my favorite art forms here: talavera.

Talavera is a term used to describe hand-painted pottery made in Mexico. Its origins date back to the 16th century, when Spanish artists arrived in Mexico. They brought with them the pottery wheel and a tin-based glaze. The indigenous people in Mexico already had a long history of making pottery, and they took what the Spanish brought and combined it with their own techniques. The result was beautifully hand-painted tiles and dishes. Today, this art form is known around the world as Mexican talavera.

The process of making talavera has hardly changed since the 16th century. Potters begin by mixing two types of clay together: a dark one and a light, rose-colored one. Both types come from the central state of Puebla. The clay mixture is soaked in water to improve its quality. It is then strained and the impurities are removed. This step reduces the clay's volume by about 50 percent.

Next, the potter shapes the clay by using his hands, molds, or a wheel. The pieces are left to dry for 8 to 12 weeks, and then baked in a kiln.

After that, the pottery pieces are dipped in a glaze that will give them a shiny white finish. Artists then paint different designs on each piece. Traditionally, talavera pottery has a blue-and-white pattern; over the years, however, more colors have been added. Once painted, the pieces are fired a second time. The finished items are then sold.

Talavera is produced in a number of regions in Mexico. The finest pieces come from the city of Puebla, which is just two hours from Mexico City.

During my time in Mexico, I have collected a number of pieces of talavera, and am always looking for more to add to my collection (this often happens when Mike travels down to Puebla, and brings me back surprises!! Thanks sweetie!). The picture above is part of a talavera tea set that was given to us as a wedding gift. Here are a few other pieces that I own...

This plate was a surprise gift from Mike. It hangs on my kitchen wall...


Also in the kitchen, I have a talavera piece that holds our drinking water...


And one of my all-time favorites - another surprise present from Mike...