If you bake it, they will come...

So first of all, I really want to thank all of you for your support (this whole past year, this past month, and this past week...). Your encouraging words have been a blessing. Thank you for your sincerity, thank you for your love, thank you for your prayers.

I have made a commitment to being honest in what I write to all of you, and I think this is important because I want to give an accurate and honest picture of what it is like to be here, specifically through the lens through which I see it. I have explained to my sisters on various occasions that sometimes, I'm reluctant to share some of the harder things because I don't want people to worry or to think that I am miserable here. But I DO want to share the hard stuff because, just like the good stuff, it is part of the experience. So, as I share, good and bad, it is not indicative necessarily of how life is in general at the time of the post.

That being said, thanks again for all your support and love in response to my last post. For me, it's scary to be vulnerable like that and share what's actually going on in my heart... so it was encouraging to receive encouragement and not panic.

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I've always heard so many sayings about feeding people and making them happy--"The quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach"and "An army runs on its stomach"...

I'm adding to that repertoire this quote: "If you bake it, they will come."

Here in Mexico, Casey and I are finding that food is one of the easiest ways to connect with people and "break the ice". The women here really don't bake, and whenever we make something, they are sure to tell us that they don't know how to bake. So when we make cookies, or muffins with the overripe bananas we have, or Mom's specialty carrot cake, the people here are VERY excited about the novel culinary experience of baked desserts!

So Casey and I go to many events armed with cookies or muffins. It is a great way to approach people (offering them something yummy and sweet), and then talking to them if they seem like they want to chat. And now people know that we bake, so they just show up and expect cookies or fun pastries. So, Mom, apparently all those times I made a mess in your kitchen, "playing Betty Crocker", were not a waste... :) And, Thatcher, you can be very jealous that I have already make two batches of the chocolate chip cookies for the people here, and they are enjoying them very much. :)

It has been a fun way to work our way into their hearts and be able to serve them. It has been a little scary, just because the preferred tastes here in Mexico are different than ours in the US. So when I make something, watching people take the first bite and waiting for a reaction is a little nerve-wracking! So far, the reactions have been positive... and they keep coming back to eat our food, so it must not be terrible.

Last night we hosted our first family for dessert and coffee. Pastors Francisco and Isaii and their families came over for Mom's Carrot Cake, Casey's peanutbutter cookies, and coffee. It was a great way to hang out with them and get to know them better. We chatted about a wide spectrum of things, from football, baseball, to how a pastor needs to dedicate himself to ministry to see his church grow.

Casey and I are often struck by how cool Pastor Francisco is, and how that coolness can sometimes be intimidating. He's a great pastor with an amazing heart and vision for his church. It's funny how when you respect someone so much and admire them from what you know and have seen of them, you wind up being nervous to approach them and talk to them. I'm glad we got over this with Francisco, because by NOT talking to him, we're missing out on a great relationship!

So it was nice to finally sit down and talk to him about his church, his experiences, his passions, where he feels God calling him, but to also just talk about silly things like the Mets and the Yankees and the 49ers and the Eagles.

So we shall continue to bake and invite people over. It is rewarding and quite fun... I never thought doing missions would put my baking to the test like this... :o)