The last 3 days have been a sweet whirlwind. This morning was my first opportunity to sit with a cup of coffee and soak it all in, in a rocking chair on our front stoop.
We lived in Costa Rica almost 5 months and barely had a conversation with a neighbor. It is an understatement to say our time here, in even just 3 days, has been a night and day experience. I didnt even start to unpack until last night. We arrived into Mexico City Thursday night around 10:30. Almost didn't make the connecting flight..had a customs back-up and we literally sprinted with our carry-ons to the gate. We were picked up by Rod, his 10 year old son Daniel and David Gomez, another missionary guy here.
We were in the astro van by 11:15 and looking for a taco stand by 11:45. Time is a very loose concept here. We were up by 8:15 the next morning for 8:30 prayer ... got there a little late, but in just enough time to receive prayer cards with facts about other countries. I prayed for China and Matt prayed for Somalia. A jumbalaya of English, Spanish and very simple sentence structures. I'm over sweating prayers though... God understands and the effort alone has to be edifying to the hearers. We were teaching English to a group of 12, by 10:30 (with an age range of 6-45). We taught in a cube sized room with a pull up door, pre made hand outs and white board. By noon, we were in a cumbi (van sized taxis that have routes through the smaller towns to larger landmarks) with Daniel as our guide, on our way to the Soriana to pick up groceries and things for the house, a cellphone with minutes...
We got back around 4, unloaded the shopping bags and were off to basketball with the community kids a few blocks away by 5:30. Matt helped a few of the men in the church with facilitating 2 hours of basketball, while I sat with Claudia and Noe, a couple whose kids were playing. We talked for majority of the time, until the sun went down.
The church anniversary was this Sunday so Saturday was a busy time. I had a handful of women in my kitchen most of the day cooking about 30lbs of meat and another 5 lbs of chile salsa for marinating. (Rosa, Iris, Chi...) I cannot even begin to paint the transpiration between women, cooking for 5 hours around a table...while the meat cooked, we house hopped, had coffee, went to the corner store for snacks, talked about marriage and the gospel (my how those two things go hand in hand). At some point, I think around 10 that evening, I choreographed a praise dance for the service the next morning.
The service is at 10. However, there were some sound and tent difficulties so, I think we probably started around 11 or something. No one cared, and when I think about it, I don't even remember feeling antsy. 45 minutes of band worship, 30 minutes of prayer, scripture readings and testimonial time. 4o minute sermon and 20 mins. of special music and dance toward the end. We brought in tables and chairs under the tent and everyone ate and listened to more worship until the cool of the early evening set in. Makes church back home feel like a 30 sec. advertising spot.
My host family from 4 summers back came to the service about midway through. The beauty is that apparently they have not been to church since the Sunday I left them in 2007. Good to see them back. Matt and I spent the rest of the evening with them. Our spot for coffee, their spot for catch-up and Quincenera videos (mi hermanitas son grande ahora!) then we went to the mall and bought icecream and all 6 of us shared a foot long subway sandwich. I don't know when we got home, but literally 5 minutes later we were in Rod's car for tacos.
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