Training.....

On last Saturday, Monday and Today, we have been compiling and comparing using this book above called Discovering Your Ministry Identity, and the Birkman method.

A while ago Julie and I had completed these processes and received training and lovely colourful books that explained what team styles, organisational styles, and gifts we had, from how we answered questions about ourselves and how others saw us. We took the books, had our explainations and they really gave us insight into the type of people we thought we are and how others see us. Su Berkley (OMS Manchester) guided us through this process, and really helped us to see areas in which we are most effective, and other areas in which we need people beside us.

Apparently (now only apparently) Jonny likes to talk. You can decide if that's accurate of not! Julie is the careful planner, who likes to be in the background pulling the strings. Guess that kinda makes me her little talktive puppet!

The fun part was when we came together as a field team, and saw how we all could work together for the glory of God. It was fantastic to see how we could work with people, interact with people, when to include people, when to, and how to encourage each other. It is very easy to pigeon hole someone because we think we have them figured out, or to think that everyone needs encouraged!

We really feel drained by the training, but Gail & Deam Davis (OMS HQ) really facilitated this time, and God really came to teach us that regardless of the questions, the charts, and the little coloured boxes, He has created us all individual. He has formed us for a purpose, to glorify and uphold His son, Jesus.

A friend recently sent me a plan for his Sunday School class, and he summed up exactly what encourages us so much in our work, and we hope it does as you also labour for Him. It's simple, but it's all that needs to be said.

God doesn't need us, but He chooses to use us.

Mexican Culture

Last week we bit the bullet and asked a couple from the church out for dinner! In our first week at church we were introduced to them and their names are Benjamin and Gretal, and they have a gorgeous little girl! For the first weeks chat we could've crawled under a big rock as our Spanish was so bad that they hardly understood a word we were saying, and we stood in silence a lot of the time. But they were so lovely that we said to them we would practice our Spanish and then take them out for dinner!

So last week after church we took them out for a meal and they said they would show us some of Mexico City. Excellent! The Lord was really in that day as we were with them for over 6 hours and although it was tricky to explain somethings (Benjamin asked me to explain the history of Northern Ireland - Where would I start!) and much confusion, we had a fantastic time. We went for tacos, then for some ice cream, then they took us to Polanco(?) to a huge park, and we saw lots of cool Mexican dances, and then we went to go to the zoo but it was closed!

We then decided to go to the Mexican anthropoligical museum (I spelt that 4 times, I hope it's right!) which was really informative about Mexican culture.

We are having them to our next week and will put pictures of them on our blog as we said we would, to show people back home of our new friends!

Here are some pictures of the dancers we seen, and us in the museum!

Independence Day

On Saturday we celebrated Mexican Independence Day!

It was probably the most amazing party that we've ever been to, and it was great to see all the UNIFAM churches attending, and also dressing up!

We helped with the decorations and people had made such an effort to turn the Seminary into a total Mexican experience.

There was so much to do and all the money raised went to help fund the Seminary, and the work of God there. We had so much food it was unreal, and plenty of games, including one that ended up with Julie and I temporarily in prison (don't worry everyone it was only a game. We can see the headlines now!)

There were fireworks and dancing, and plenty of Mexican singing. But the most important thing was the Independence "el grito" (the shout of Independence) All the people shouted Viva Mexico! But they also shouted "Viva Christo" to help us remember that Christ died to give us true independence from sin.

We also found three Mexicans who you may recognise!

Carrubbers.....

We heard about this place from Andrew & Carol, and it seemed a cool place in Edinburgh! But this past week we have had a team here from Carrubbers and they are a fantastic bunch. We have worked together with the other missionaries to help with the Independence Party; we ate about 10 baguettes of garlic bread; and they (well me one time) have defeated Mexicans at football twice!

There are 8 of the guys, 4 girls, 4 guys, and of all different ages. It has been a pleasure to meet them and also to have some craic with them! Here they are below with Andrew & Carol:

(Left to right, bottom then top)

Andrew, Matthew, Mark, Cameron, Sue, LJ, Jonny, Rachel, Sarah, and Carol

Mexico....

We were very fortunate to be invited along last Friday to a new Mall opened up not far from our house. We went with the team from Carrubbers in Edinburgh, and Andrew, Carol, Robin & Margaret.

It was excellent to see the shops and reminded us of home a little bit, however the best thing about the place was the view, as you could see over a large area of Mexico City, even if it was really still a small peek at the whole city.

Bet you don't views like this in Fairhill!! (Hey!)

Our Family.....

We have been so blessed with spending time with our new missionary family in Mexico, since we're been here. We went out last Thursday for Colleen's birthday to a little Taco place near to our house. They have wonderful tacos, however they have a wonderful(ly hot!) selection of sauces!

We have enclosed a photo of our wee family, except for Robin Efing, who is hiding behind someone! We'll have pictures of individuals in the next while and have a bit more about them.

(left to right) Andrew, Julie, Jonny, Christian, Margaret, Colleen, Robin Mac, Maddy, Gary & Carol.

Sweet sweet music.....

Yesterday on our day off, we decided to travel into the centre of Mexico City with Gary to see if we could get Jonny a guitar. We went armed with a map courtesy of Margaret & Robin, and also some directions from Andrew & Carol.

Firstly we have to say that public transport in Mexico is fantastic, even if it is absolutely insane. For example, on our way home we had a bus with lovely comfy seats that didn't appear to be secured to the floor; a lady selling ice cream on the bus; and finally a fully costumed clown who was getting a ride home!

When we got into town the first thing we noticed were the people - no joking, we must have seen 10,000 people in town. There were people traffic jams everywhere. We also walked down a street for about 500yrds which is now known as "Chicken Street." Every shop on that street sold chickens. They were not in fridges but in the street, and every part (including the heads!) were in little piles for people to buy!

We walked round a few shops and there were a few good guitars but nothing that jumped out at us. Feeling dejected and ready to go home warm and tired, Gary suggested crossing the road for one last shop. The shop was really nice and they had a few guitars - but there was one amazing guitar. It is a Takamine guitar (this won't mean much to anyone, in fact it doesn't really mean much to me, but I've heard people who play guitar talk about them!) and when the lady told me the price I nearly collapsed! I knew that these guitars cost a bit of money, and when we did our wee calculation for money, it was very cheap, so cheap that we made her check the price again!

So we got it, walked with the box past all the thousands of people, jumped on the tube, onto another crazy bus, and arrived home, happy at a job well done!

DIY Disaster!

When we got our curtains, we had a look at the window on which they were to go and saw little plaster marks. So on closer inspection we noticed that the person who owns the house had plastered over the previous rawl plugs - result! Or so we thought. So rather than drill new holes with the drill we borrowed (Thanks Andrew & Carol!) Jonny began to screw the shiny new screws into the wall. The curtain pole went up and it was an excellent job (if I do say so myself!)

Jonny's grandfather is a master joiner, but unfortunately the trait mustn't run in the family! While sitting writing an e-mail one day there was quite a shout, and Julie ran into the living room to see me under two curtains and a curtain pole, and a bump on my head!

Obviously humbled by my DIY experience I decided to bypass the shortcut and drill proper holes, put in new plugs and the job was a success - for now at least.

Hopefully the curtains as you see below will stay up for at least a few weeks this time!

Our house.....a home!

Again due to the fantastic bunch of missionaries and so many lovely people back home and their gifts - our house is slowly turning into a home.

Tonight, one of the missionaries, Margaret, brought round some more things from our house. Hay cosas nuevas (I have new things!) We now have a cupboard for dining room stuff (name?); we have a TV stand to take the place of our old polystyrene one; we have two bedside cabinets; and finally a study desk.

We have been burdened recently to be happy in the work of God, and we have realised, and have been led in our quiet times to what is important, and what Christ felt was important. Christ was the ultimate people person, and to share Christ and to be like Christ, we must be "people" people.

It's why we are spending so much time learning the language, as a big part of being with people, is being able to talk to people. So when I am in class with the other students, and Julie is being tutored by Tanya (a non-Christian), please pray for us, that we will pick up the language and be able to use it effectively.

Also please pray, as we do, that we will all be focused "people" people.

This gift we received from a lady at home, has now taken pride of place in our hall and is the first thing we see when we enter our wee house. It really reminds us everyday of His faithfulness to us, and how we are to serve Him.

Weird and Wonderful Mexico

When we got to Mexico there were a few things we noticed straight away that completely dumbfounded us.

At the minute we may as well be on a beach in Portstewart as it rains all the time - so much for me bring all my shorts!

We were in church today and it was about 15 degrees and I was in my shirt sleeves - and there were people wearing full length zipped up coats! We asked one lady why and she said it was freezing!!

Last week we travelled to school everyday and on Wednesday (Miercoles - sorry but we have to practice!) Gary's teacher asked did we see the big torch in the road for the Mexico City marathon. Apparently we had driven past this 40ft tall torch for three days and never saw it! Does anyone have the number of a good Mexican optician?

Language School

The beginning!! This was it our first offical day at language school. It was a painful experience of trying to remember how rubbish school used to be, only with the added bonus of not wearing a polyester school jumper!

This is our little school, we are in a class with three other people and we have two teachers. Our teachers are Anna Rosa, a lovely little Mexican lady who always asks us about church, and Hugo (pronounced oo-go) who is an amazing teacher and we always have a laugh in class with him.

Our classmates are Edit, and Hyun Gi who are two Korean's people living in Mexico; and Josh, a guy from London who's mum was from Londonderry.

Our classes are from 9am to 2pm and are pretty intensive. We learn grammar for the first half (cue relearning what nouns, verbs, and adjectives arae again, plus about a squillian new words.) In the afternoon we have Hugo (oo-go remember) for conversation. We have to learn the alphabet, numbers, days of the week, colours, food etc. It is a lot of work and it is quite difficult for Julie, as she is Dyslexic. She is fantastic except the pressure of the continuous questions and reading we have to do. She is going to leave me in level zero for two more weeks, and she will study with a personal tutor to give her a boost, then rejoin level one with me. We did, and then didn't realise how important language is, especially as it is one of the main ways for us to share Christ with people, now we do. Please pray for us, especially Julie as we get stuck into our studies, and that we will both be able to jabber away very soon.

We also have found a nice little coffee shop down the street where we have break etc. We use this time to chat to Gary, who is at school with us (in level 2) and also catch up on the football results! (Spot us trying to translate the words we don't know!)