No te cansas?

I've been doing exercises in the mornings here at the Segundo Piso since we got back from our Christmas holiday. For us as Americans, this is totally normal, expected even. However, for many Mexicans, the concept of doing exercise is very foreign.

One of the parts of my work-out is running up and down the stairs to our apartment as fast as I can in one minute increments. There have been a few times that the young boys next door have caught my eye as I'm huffing it up the stairs. I smile and wave, and they wave back, very amused at the sight before them. After seeing the boys, and realizing that we can see almost all that our neighbors do from our windows, it hit me that most people who live in the surrounding houses probably take note of a lot of what we do as well. I figured people wouldn't give too much thought to what we do, but I was proven wrong the other day as I ran into the convenience store next door to buy garbanzo beans for humus.

I ran into the store, greeted the owner, grabbed the beans, and then walked over to pay. As I'm taking out the money to pay, the owner tells me in a very curious voice that she sees me exercising, running up and down the stairs. I smile at her and tell her that it is indeed me she sees. I didn't put much weight in the comment, but then she continues to express her confusion and surprise. She asks me if I get tired, "No te cansas de subir y bajar asi?" I tell her that's kind of the point of exercises... to tire yourself out and make yourself stronger. She seemed very confused that I would do that to myself. She then proceeds to tell me that when she walks up a flight of stairs that her heart pounds and she gets terribly out of breath. I gave her a sympathetic look, and she told me that everytime she watches me, she tells her son that she should probably do the same.

The whole situation made me laugh. For one, you usually don't think about the fact that at any given moment, there could be a lot of people watching you do things. Just because you can't see them, doesn't mean they can't see you--especially when you're outside. Second, the fact that the concept of exercise was so strange to this woman made me think of what all the other neighbors must think, and all those who can see me from the highway as they drive by -- "What is that crazy gringa doing running up and down the stairs? Man, does she ever look tired!"

Now I wonder what they think of our jumprope clothesline... and the blindingly green curtains hung in our windows...

Perhaps I'll invite the neighbor to work out with me one day. It could be fun. I wonder if she'd do it. :o)

I fought the MICRO...

Down here in Baja, they call their public transportation "micro" or "camioneta". The term I've heard most often is "micro", and that's what I've been calling it.

What's so funny about the micro is that they tear through the streets of Zorrillo, Maneadero, and Ensenada as if they were all taxi-drivers from NYC that were kicked out because they drive too wildly. Driving in Mexico is a fun adventure because you are constantly battling the micro, hoping not to be cut off, throwing your fists up in righteous anger when you are, and always avoiding the right hand lane because of the paradas continuas (continuous stops) the micro makes. We have a claim between us interns: "I fought the micro.... and WON!!" Everytime we pull out onto the highway, we pull out onto the battlefield--us vs. the micro. When you can successfully get from point A to point B without the micro cutting you off or making you want to lay on your horn, you have won... this is a great triumph.

Aside from the joys of sharing the road with these crazy short-busses (they are literally re-painted short buses like most school districts use), it is an entirely separate experience to board one and take the ride into Ensenada.

Today, Casey and I rode the micro into town to check out the Christian bookstore and pick up some groceries. It was not my first time on the micro, nor will it be my last ride, but today I was especially struck by the uniqueness of a micro-ride in Mexico. It all started as our micro tore down the hill to where we were standing to catch it. As we signaled for him to stop and pick us up, he barely slowed down as he pulled off the road and I literally jumped back, thinking he wasn't going to stop in time to not hit me! I've never heard any stories of micros hitting people, so it seems as though they have a good track record... but MAN! The driver laughed at me as I got on because he knew exactly what had gone through my mind as he pulled over--apparently I can't hide my emotions well.

We continue to tear down the "highway" in the same fashion as before we boarded. I hung onto the seat in front of me and shot Casey amused glances as we whipped all over the road. As we approached Ensenada, we pulled over to pick up a passenger and a vendor hops on board briefly to sell the driver some juice., which he proceeds to share with the passenger who just boarded. Casey and I looked at one another, smiled, and said, "Only in Mexico!"

It turns out the passenger wound up being the driver's girlfriend. I know this because as we got off, so did she, and as I'm standing behind her, ready to hop off, she leans over and plants a BIG wet one on the driver... Granted, I've never lived in a city, so public transportation has not been a huge part of my life up until this point, but even so, in all my travels, I have not yet seen a like situation.

All in all, it was a very entertaining ride. I love the micro... there really is nothing like it.

January Pics...

Classic Rossy... always causing trouble :o)
Faustino and Tomasa, my pastores. They're a very cute couple. They really love each other and it is fun to watch them together.
Rick made us carnitas (pork chop-ish things). We put them in tacos. They were really good.
Sammy and Leyda. They aren't pastors per se, but they work with the ministry. I really appreciate them and spending time with them. They are really special people.
Because of all the rain we had before and over Christmas, everything is GREEN now. When I look out into the hills behind our back porch, I see GREEN. It actually reminds me of Ireland because of all the rolling hills and green. Pretty funny.
Abby and Moriah -- Rick and Tammie's girls were being goofy. They are so much fun.

It was January 12, 2009 and I was on the beach. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this young lady was laying comfortably on the beach in the middle of January. I just wanted to rub that in... yep... haha

Left to Right -- Casey (Co-intern), Me, Michelle (Visitor) -- Sa-weet day at the beach.

Teaching English at the Boys' Home. We're working on the preposition "on" and the pronoun "it".... tons of fun.

The gang. What's really cool is that we stay after class and hang out with the guys. We play basketball, volleyball, and today we played dominoes. They play way differently than we do... but we caught on after a while. Always fun to learn something new! -- You've gotta love Daniel (2nd from the top left). He never smiles in pictures because he has dimples and he HATES them. They look so cute... but i guess that's the last thing a "tough" 15 year-old mexican guy wants. Gotta love him...

I <3 Leadership Development

Call it beginner's enthusiasm, call it naivete, call it the JOY of the LORD, but I am so excited about developing leaders in Camino de Cristo. I've been working there for almost 2 months now (but with a 3 week break due to travels and groups) and I've been praying that we would be able to begin training up someone from the congregation to lead the children. I've been leading the kids myself and loving every minute, but I see the danger of my always doing it--when I leave, the church and the children will be no better off than before I came.

Today, however, marked an exciting beginning. Hermana Cuquita joined me for Children's Worship during today so she could begin getting an idea of how to do it herself (aka the beginning of leadership training!). She expressed lack of confidence in her ability and knowledge about teaching children, but she has a willing heart, and with God's mercy, the rest will come with time. :)

We have a meeting on Wednesday of this week to plan for next Sunday and to talk through how we want to work with the kids together. Hopefully this will become a regular thing and as we build her up as the new children's leader, we can build a good relationship between the two of us as well. I'm really excited to see how God unfolds this!

Please be praying for our meeting on Wednesday. Please be praying for Cuquita as God builds in to her. Please pray for me as I tread new grounds of leadership development while still wading through cultural and linguistic differences. Pray that we would be of one mind, one heart, and one spirit.

Dec/Jan Newsletter

As we jump into 2009, I am so excited to be able to continue to share with you all about what God has been doing here in Ensenada! He is GOOD and it has been a great adventure to work alongside Him!

Since last time...

The end of November brought quite a few short term groups from California. With these groups, we hosted food and clothing distributions at the churches. Also with these groups, we distributed Christmas Shoeboxes to the children in the communities we serve.

We have continued teaching English at the Boys' Home (Centro de Restauración). As we continue to build relationships with the youth there, it becomes more and more rewarding. Teaching English is harder than I originally thought it would be, but I'm really enjoying it and using my education degree!

I got to go home for a 10-day break over Christmas. It was a great blessing to get to hug family and friends, and share with people I love.

We hosted a New Year's Eve party at the Second Floor (my current place of residence) for all the churches we serve. It was nice to have all the churches together for food, fun, and FIREWORKS! :) It's legal in Mexico.

Looking ahead...

As we move into January, we will be moving out of the Second Floor and into a house. In our stead, a Youth Center will be taking residence here. We are still in the beginning stages of working out details, but are hoping to have it up and running soon. Casey, Sarah, and I eagerly anticipate working in the Youth Center, building relationships with the youth, and giving them a safe and fun place to hang out.

We are hoping to offer our support to a local ministry, Gabriel House, that ministers to disabled children. We have been given a lot of freedom as to how we support them, but one of their main needs is for people to come spend time with the children and do activities with them and alleviate some of the work for the staff as they are understaffed.

At Camino de Cristo, the church with which I work directly, we are working through plans to better reach the community. As Tomasa, Faustino's wife, preached this Sunday, we are called to be a light in the darkness and the church wants to have an impact on the community.

Snapshot!

Last week there was a group in from North Carolina. On Thursday we went to Camino de Cristo for the mid-week service. The service started as normal, but in the middle of worship, a family walked in, walked straight to the pulpit, and asked for prayer for their baby who had been burnt badly earlier that morning. Everything was stopped and we all prayed for the baby.

The family stayed the rest of the service and it was an amazing testimony to the faith they have and the trust they have in God.

In all of this, I was left with a great impression of God's great love for us, his children. The pastor from North Carolina had prepared a sermon out of the scripture in Mark 9:24 when the father of the sick boy exclaimed, "I do believe, help my unbelief!" to Jesus after being challenged to believe that Jesus could heal him.

It was clear that God had this family in mind when He put this scripture and message on the pastor's heart. It was striking how the scripture paralleled the experience of the family and God gave the pastor words of challenge, comfort, and encouragement for the family.

I loved seeing God work out the details of how He wanted to shower His love on them amidst this difficult experience.

---

Prayer is FUEL

Your prayers are the absolute best thing you can offer! God listens and promises to answer our prayers. So please, join with me in prayer for:

• Camino de Cristo (Way of Christ), that they would hear God's voice clearly as He calls them out into their community to shine like lights
• Unity among our team of leaders in the ministry as we work together for God's glory
• The young men at the Boys' Home, that they would hear God's voice as He longs to make them whole again
• The Youth Center, that we would be able to work out details well, get it running, and that youth would be reached for the glory of God

On a personal note...

I've been learning a lot about how God wants us to love one another. I've known for a long time that He calls us to love, but the how in all that has remained somewhat fuzzy for me at times. God continues to show me His sacrificial love in the relationships I have and calls me to love in the same way--always putting myself last. It's a great lesson to learn, accompanied by a lot of failures on my part, and a lot of grace from everyone else. Ironically, or maybe not, the central theme is STILL, "Kourtney, it's not about you!"

The further I delve into knowing God, the more I realize how little I actually know. The further along in my walk I go, the more I realize I have a LONG way to go. But this is a great journey, and I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! It was a huge blessing to be able to touch base at home for 10 days, share in church, and be with family and friends. I look forward to hearing about how God is moving in your lives and how I can be praying for you!

love.love.love

Kourtney

Living by faith

"There are times when you choose to believe something that would normally be considered absolutely irrational. It doesn't mean that it is actually irrational, but it surely is not rational. Perhaps there is suprarationality: the reason beyond normal definitions of fact or data-based logic; something that only makes sense if you can see a bigger picture of reality. Maybe that is where faith fits in."
-William P. Young, The Shack

I read The Shack during the past few days and it was a great read. I really appreciated this passage because it seems to me to be such a clear picture of what faith is--a further development of Hebrews 11:1. We trust God, even though our eyes can't see and our brains can't comprehend the reasons behind what He tells us to do.

While I was at home, a lot of people asked me what I will be doing at the end of this year in Mexico. It is a logical and simple enough question, but each time I was asked, my anxiety about the future grew. I've thought about quite a few options, but quite simply, I really just don't know yet. I feel like I'm graduating high school or college all over again, that stage in your life when the future looms like some unknown dark cloud.

BUT-- this time it's different. God was faithful before in making my paths straight (leading me to TCNJ and then to Mexico). So this big God, who has a much bigger and better perspective on reality than I, will be faithful to direct my paths once more. I can trust in that and I don't need to worry about what lies ahead.

It's an exhilarating yet scary place to be. Not knowing the future frees me up from worrying about it, but it also requires that I relinquish all control over it. I guess that's the beauty of putting our faith in God.