Planting Seeds with English Classes

English classes have been on my mind. The two WELS Kingdom Workers that have been with us for the past year - Andrew Gerlach, in the top picture, and Derek Bartelt, in the second picture - are heading back to the United States this week. They have summer jobs lined up and in August, they'll continue their pastoral studies at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN, and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, WI.

While I'm excited to welcome in the new set of volunteers (I'll introduce them next week), I always feel a little sad when it's time to say good-bye to the ones who have been with us for some time. Certainly, we'll miss them on the field, but there's a little more to it: I always think of the fruit they won't get to see, the results of their labor that we'll witness firsthand here while they're thousands of miles away.

I'm referring to the way our English program is set up. We have volunteers come for a year and teach English classes. During this time, the pastor of the congregation where English classes are held meets the students and offers Bible studies to those who are interested. Often some sign up for more information and eventually become members.

This process can take time - months or even years. Essentially, our English teachers plant the seeds (an important task, I always tell them - you can't harvest if you don't plant). After they're gone, some of the students will get confirmed and even become active members of their congregation.

I believe Pastor Esequiel Sánchez explains this process best. Here's a note I received from him today regarding recent developments in Torreón, where Andrew and Derek taught English classes from the summer of 2009 through December. Pastor Sánchez writes:

"English classes haven’t ended in Torreón; if we approach the English program as an opportunity to meet more people and tell them about Jesus – then it hasn’t ended at all. God continues to bless us: a few weeks ago we confirmed two adults that first came to us through English classes.

Let me introduce them to you: Señora Blanca Jaime and Señor Jorge Guerrero. They have been very involved in the congregational life and ongoing projects. Señora Blanca Jaime has shown a deep interest in painting our building, and a few days ago she expressed an interest to teach Sunday School classes. Señor Jorge Guerrero, who works in the medical field, is using his free time to cut the grass at church and tend to some of the building's electrical issues. Both have shared ideas about starting a Lutheran school in Torreón*.

So English classes haven’t ended here. We still have a list of people that we are visiting, and two other former students are taking Bible Information classes. One young man, the son of one of the English students, will be confirmed next month. My plan is to send a monthly bulletin and literature to the people we have met through the English program in order to maintain contact with them."


Above: Pastor Esequiel Sánchez

Thank you Andrew and Derek for your work ethic, flexibility, patience, and love for the ministry you showed while you were here. And thank you Pastor Sánchez** for continuing to water the plants and reap the harvest in Torreón. How richly God has blessed Mexico!

* note from Rachel: starting Lutheran schools in Mexico is a project that is currently underway, though I haven't mentioned it on the blog yet. I will post more information regarding it as the project develops further. For now I'll just say that the idea gets me so excited I feel like jumping up and down!!

** Pastor Esequiel Sánchez is one of the leaders of the Mexican Lutheran Church. Check back for more information about him and his gifts in the coming weeks when I profile him for the series on Mexican pastors and seminary students we're starting here.

Upcoming Series on Mexican Pastors and Seminary Students

Pictured above are the seven Mexican pastors currently serving the Mexican Lutheran Church. In the front row, from left to right, you can see: Pastor Carlos Rosales, Pastor Israel Rodríguez, Pastor Juan José Olvera, and Pastor Eduardo Vázquez. In the back row from left to right, we have: Pastor Esequiel Sánchez, Pastor Carlos Cajas, and Pastor Alejandro Sánchez.

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, or are familiar with the Mexican Lutheran Church, you may recognize a face or name or two. In addition to these men, there are five students enrolled in the seminary program here.

During the next weeks, we're going to take an inside look at each pastor and seminary student serving in Mexico. They all have a unique story to share, and are a strong example of how God finds people from all walks of life, calls them to Him, and asks them to serve.

As a missionary wife, one of the privileges I've had is to see these pastors (and those on their way to becoming pastors) in action. They never fail to impress me with their Gospel-minded attitudes and actions. Many of them are not lifelong Christians, and most do not come from Lutheran families; yet they are laying the foundation so that the next generation can grow up in a Lutheran environment.

Join me in the coming weeks as I profile these men, beginning with the pastors. I'll post the first installment of the series next Friday. Until then, keep both the pastors and seminary students here in your prayers, asking God to guide them, bless them, and use them to bring the Gospel to more souls.

Pictured above, front row, left to right: seminarian Gerardo Aguilar, seminarian Dan Campos, Vicar Jorge Briones, seminarian Juan de León, Pastor Carlos Rosales. Back row, left to right: Pastor Esequiel Sánchez, Pastor Carlos Cajas, Pastor Juan José Olvera, Pastor Israel Rodríguez, Pastor Eduardo Vázquez. Back row, left to right: Synod President Jesús Vega, Pastor Alejandro Sánchez. Not pictured: seminarian Gonzalo Rodríguez.

Thoughts on Raising Third Culture Children

Recently Trinity has wanted to play school with me. She pulls out the students (figurines from her Mickey Mouse Clubhouse), loads them in the car (a shoe box) and takes them to school (dining room table). I am the teacher.

Trinity talks to me in English as she loads the students into the car, but as soon as they enter my classroom, she switches to Spanish. "Hola, ¿cómo estás?" Mickey Mouse says.

The first time Mickey told me “hola” I was a bit taken aback. But the longer I thought about it, the more it made sense. We recently registered Trinity in school here - she'll start in August - and every time we've visited the school with her, we've spoken to the teachers and director in Spanish. No wonder she thinks everyone talks in Spanish inside school doors.

Over the last year, I’ve had glimpses like this – small scenes that remind me of what a different environment Trinity is growing up in than the one I experienced as a child. I lived in the Midwest until I turned 19; then I headed to Mexico (which is where I’ve been ever since). Trinity has spent her first three years in Mexico; God-willing, we will stay here for at least a few more.

By the time she goes back to the U.S., Trinity will have – at the very least – first memories that take place in Mexico. She’ll be bilingual, have a different perspective regarding wealth and poverty than many in the U.S., and will probably have some Mexican culture tendencies.

Trinity is on the path toward becoming a third culture kid, often called a TCK. Here's a common definition of the term: "a third culture kid is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside their parents’ culture."

For the last year or two, the idea of TCKs has often been on my mind. I worry about issues Trinity will face now and later on in life. The situation we’re in will result in unique pros and cons for my little girls.

Let’s look at a few of those, starting with the cons:

- Feeling like she doesn’t fit in when we visit the United States. When Mike and I go back, we tend to notice the things we loved when we lived there. For Trinity, everything is just different, and not familiar to her.

- Sticking out everywhere. Trinity is to the point where she understands comments made by others here (some of the common ones we hear: "wow she is so white!" "Look at those veins you can see on her forehead!" "Why is she so shy?"). I think this attention has actually increased Trinity’s tendency to crawl into a shell in public. Wherever we go, our family draws lots of attention and comments. The girls tend to get bombarded with questions from strangers, which often puts Trinity in tears and into my arms.

- Nowhere to call home. Trinity's fluent in Spanish but she will have to work harder to keep up with her native-speaking peers in school. She will head back to the U.S. and find that even though she doesn’t stick out as much up there in a physical sense, in an emotional and cultural sense she has a much different mindset.

Whoo, well, that’s some of the cons. Fortunately, I’m not one to dwell on the negative (when does it ever get you anywhere, right?). So without further ado, let’s move on to the pros:

- The world is much more global than it was 20 years ago. In fact, in 1984 sociologist Ted Ward predicted, "TCKs are the prototype citizens of the future." I think there's some truth behind that. Think of just a few of the things during the last decades that have revolutionized the way the world runs: computers, Internet, cell phones, global phones, airplane travel for the average consumer, companies expanding internationally, etc. There are even websites now for TCKs and plenty of other resources for them (an example: www.tckid.com).

- I came to Mexico fairly young and spent the latter part of my growing years here. I think that's helped me adapt and feel at home in Mexico, while still being able to appreciate the blessings that come with U.S. citizenship. Both Mike and I work to pass this mentality on to Trinity in our daily lives.

- Trinity travels back to the United States regularly, and has a close relationship with a Lutheran cousin she has there. I think having a friend up north helps her get a feel for what the U.S. is like and what kids do there.

Missionaries who have children that have successfully dealt with TCK issues and are now thriving back in the U.S. tell me that the key to helping your kids adjust – anywhere – is to have a positive, adventurous attitude as a parent. Kids pick up on that, and this positivity can be used toward dealing with any situation small (what? There’s no water today? Oh well, we’ll build a fun fort in the living room instead of showering) or large (why does the U.S. seem so strange compared to our home in Mexico? Let's focus on how we're never strangers in Jesus' eyes, and how our true home is in heaven with Him).

All of these thoughts have led me to believe two things: first, there are certainly challenges that Trinity (and eventually Noelle) will face.

But really, most days I look at her and think, "She's going to be just fine."

More on the World Cup: Mexico Makes History

Here's a Friday newspaper from our city of León. The headline reads: Tri (referring to the Mexican soccer team) makes history!

Indeed, Mexico played against France in the World Cup on Thursday and won 2-0.

It was the first time Mexico beat France in the World Cup. It was also the first time Mexico beat a previous World Cup champion in a World Cup tournament. Talk about exciting!

Soccer stuff is all over the city. Here's a restaurant near our home that put up flags for the teams in the World Cup -

A stand on a street corner selling Mexican soccer-related things -
And it's in our home too -

Go Mexico! Here's to another week of great matches in the World Cup! *

*though I'm referring to Mexico in the World Cup here, Mike and I are also cheering for the U.S. in South Africa. We both took the morning off on Friday to watch the U.S. play Slovenia. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.

A Weekend in Monterrey

This past weekend Mike headed to Monterrey for some meetings regarding the upcoming Lutheran women's convention. The convention will be held at the church La Santa Cruz (Holy Cross) in Monterrey at the end of July. Women from around Mexico (including me!) plus four women from LWMS plan on attending. It will be the first Lutheran women's convention ever to take place in Mexico!

The meetings went well, and Mike stayed to preach on Sunday. After the service, he joined the congregation for a convivio (get together) to celebrate Father's Day. After eating a large meal (church potlucks are great here too), the congregation sang las mañanitas, a song often used for special occasions, and handed out gifts to the fathers.



We're thankful that everything is falling into place for the women's convention, and are looking forward to traveling to Monterrey at the end of July. I'll post updates and pictures from the convention then.

GOOOL!!!

Mike and our two Kingdom Worker volunteers headed to a restaurant this morning shortly before 9 a.m. Over breakfast, they joined the crowds watching Mexico play its first game in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Mexico played against South Africa and the game ended in a 1:1 draw.

I didn't go along but I heard, loud and clear, when Mexico scored its goal. Our whole neighborhood burst out in cheers.

What's fun about the World Cup Games in Mexico is that all over the country, people are pumped for it. Vendors on the street are selling World Cup recuerdos (souvenirs), the TV channels are full of fútbol talk, and many people follow the games. Most schools brought in TVs so the students could watch this morning's match.



This afternoon Trinity and I checked out the special World Cup section at the front of one of our nearby grocery stores. It had World Cup shirts, water bottles, soccer balls, and flags on display.

In a different store, I found a special snack section set up in honor of the 2010 World Cup Games. Here are a few of the things you could buy to munch on during the matches:

- Peanuts, sunflower seeds, and chips
- Dried corn husks to make tamales with
- Tamarind pods to make tamarind water
- Dried cactus leaves covered in chili powder

We'll be cheering for the U.S. tomorrow when its team plays at 1:30 p.m. CDT. And for Mexico too, in the matches it will have next week. Here's hoping for many more GOOOOOLs to come!

First Worship at Mission in León

On Sunday, we held the first service at the new mission in León!

Seminary student Dan led the liturgy and Mike preached to the 27 people in attendance (17 of these were Mexicans, plus 10 from the mission team).


Since English classes started a month ago, students have asked questions about the Lutheran church. The idea behind this service was to show how Lutheran worship is carried out and what Lutherans believe. Mike preached a basic law and Gospel sermon, highlighting the free gift of salvation that is ours through Jesus Christ.

This service went so well that another one is scheduled for Father's Day.

In addition, eight English students are currently enrolled in Bible Information classes.

Reflecting on the good turnout on Sunday, all I can say is, "Wow! God be praised." At the beginning of this year, I never pictured myself moving to León and being able to play a supportive role in starting a new mission. But looking back on how things have fallen into place, there's no other place I'd rather be right now.

So join us in giving thanks for such wonderful blessings so soon after arriving in León!

Memorial Day Barbecue

Memorial Day came and went this week in the United States. In Mexico, however, it was just another weekday.

Since we recently started English classes at the mission in León, we took advantage of the holiday to share some U.S. culture with the students. On Saturday, May 29th, more than 60 students came to enjoy a cookout at the mission.


Those that came to the party ate hamburgers, hot dogs, and other U.S. foods. It was also a good chance for the missionaries to talk to the students and get to know them better.


The Memorial Day barbecue marks the first official event held at the mission in León. Here's to many more!