Confession Time

Hi, my name is Emily. ("Hi Emily")



and I am addicted to work. (APPLAUSE)

I've been learning a little bit about myself the last couple of weeks. Mostly that I take on more than I can handle. That I will do anything to not let things fail and make my life and work look pretty.

So I've been re-checking my priorities. Let me share them with you.

Love
Galatians 5:6b says, "The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself through love." I have realized that sometimes I become so focused on the task at hand that I forget that my job is to love people first and foremost. So I'm switching my priorities so I'm freed up to love people and students more than finishing the next task at hand.

Rest
Now that I can admit my 'issues', I can start learning to rest. So I'm setting up some boundaries. I am going to observe the Sabbath, enjoy my evenings in community, sleep, work out and find valued time with the Lord.

I started that resting and relaxing in Cancun a couple of weeks ago with my friend Kathryn and my parents. It was a great time.




I mean who couldn't relax after looking at this for 4 days?

Christianity these days...

I don't want to be luke warm...in anything really. I don't want to sit on a fence or confuse people by my words or actions. Especially in my faith.

I went to a student meeting this past weekend. It was great. In just 4 months, students are leading meetings and ministries without a ton of help from staff. It was impressive but I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the way we as Christians tend to separate ourselves from everyone else. We use a different language, take our kids to different schools, listen to a radio station that only plays music that is wholesome and uplifting…the list goes on and on. And honestly as those things were probably put into place to help us Christians grow closer to Jesus, what I really think it has done is make the chasm of us v.s. them a bridge that I wouldn’t even want to cross. I just don’t think we are very approachable. God calls me to live not of the world but I think that Jesus would have gone to a New Kids concert or out to a bar to watch the Pumas play futbol or maybe even have voted for Obama. I think our legalism in trying to boil down our faith in ways that we as humans can micromanage it has made faith something not adventurous and life changing but just one of those things that people “fall into” to supposedly make their lives better. I don’t want to be lukewarm by any means. I just want to be someone that is approachable to understand and know in the context of me knowing Jesus. Is that too much to ask?

Some Random thoughts

I find myself walking down the street here or on transportation and thinking about something and say to myself, 'I should really "blog" this' and then never get around to it. So I'll just catch you up with some of my thoughts now....

The girls and I went to see Mary & Me last night. Cute movie and well done however it left me feeling like I never want a dog cause they are ton of work and I don't know if I want kids either cause they seem like even more work. I cried a couple of times (a couple of things hit close to my heart) and I laughed out loud.

There has been some rare days in Mexico. Now I don't know exactly what I mean when I say rare but I'll try to explain. I was coming back on a bus to the city on Friday night and I was engrossed in a book (we'll get to that later) and I look up and around and for a minute the book had taken me to another world and I forgot that I lived in a foreign country. It was surreal and weird. I heard the horns honking and rain was falling down as Mexicans scurried around trying to find transport to get them home on a late Friday night. I thought...'what had happened in my life that I really would be living in another country?' and then I thought about how Jesus had radically changed my life and nothing was off limits when that happens. Yesterday was rare too cause I saw a woman carrying a poodle down the street like a baby. That was no small dog either and I saw a grown man relieving himself on the street. I quickly moved past him.

I made a sacrifice yesterday. I threw away a pair of beloved pajama pants. They were purchased from a Wal-Mart in South Bend, IN in July 1999. That was a good summer. I ran around with a crowd that I worked at Target with. It was the closest I have ever gotten to being truly rebellious. Anyways, the pants had been through everything with me and it was starting to show...so much that my roommate called them my wedding pants because strips of fabric just followed behind me when I walked. They were not attractive and probably at least 2 sizes too big. Me and the pants had a private good bye near the dumpster in my building.

I just finished the book "The Shack" last night. This the book that I got lost in when I was riding the bus. It was really good. Makes you think about life and faith in a completely different way. Doesn't mean it's all doctrinally sound but still good. Check out this link to hear more: http://theshackbook.com/

Back Home.

Back in Mexico

I must admit my time at home was really good but quick. I flew in to Chicago on December 22 with bronchitis and hit the ground running. My sister Amy and I shopped our faces off, I got to see a ton of close friends and supporters of my ministry, spent time with my family for Christmas, and saw Wicked on Broadway. And that was all in 5 days. :) I slept a little while I was home too.

Two sweet friends that lived and worked on the same team with me in Mexico were willing to commit to a road trip from South Bend to Denver, CO. It was such a fun way to catch up.

It was a blast to see friends from Colorado as well. The conference in Denver was great. Jesus worked in my heart and I enjoyed connecting with staff too.

I'm back in Mexico City now. Starting work back today with training some new volunteers in the city. The teams from last semester starts again on Jan 12.

Here are some things you can be praying for:

• wisdom, direction and clarity for our long term ministry
• that I would set good boundaries and not be a workaholic :)
• for sweet time with my friends here in Mexico
• that I would connect deeply to the heart of God and experience the Gospel daily

Happenings in the last couple of weeks...

I've been bad at updating you all on life. So I'll give a quick overview of the last couple of weeks.

We hosted a great Thanksgiving once again for all of our friends...

As you can see, Caitlin couldn't miss another pavo party in Mexico so she came on back.

That weekend, me with some of the staff girls went exploring in Taxco.


And then the following week, we were able to see the "New Kids on the Block" when they came to town. This was by far a highlight of my time here.

(l-r) Sandra, Angie, Me, Kathy and Katie
(l-r) Danny, Donny, Joey, Jordan, Jon

Please note five of them and five of us...this was not a coincidence!

And just last week, I went to my friend Jessica's house for the women's christmas dinner from her church. Here is a picture of Jess and I.
I made it home by 2:00 am. It was a fun party :)

Last Saturday night, we had our final student meeting where at least 50 students showed up. We were not expecting that many...or we would have gotten a bigger place. Not a bad problem to have.

So that has been me the last couple of weeks. I'll be home on the 22nd for a few days to celebrate Christmas for my family. I hope you have fun celebrating Jesus as well!

Lost Items

The other day I lost my Bible. Now, I don't lose a lot of things and it drives me crazy when I can't find something. I looked all over on Monday morning before needing to leave for a meeting. My dear friend Caitlin is here visiting and she was sleeping in my room when I was searching. I left for the meeting feeling disappointed about not knowing where my favorite brown bible was. I have a couple others but this was the one that has the marks all over it and I feel at home when I read it.

Coming back Monday, it was still on my mind even though I successfully read another Bible. When I finally found it, I literally jumped up with joy and ran in and told my roommate.

It reminds me when the woman loses the coin.

"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neigbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Luke 15:8-10

Have I told you how much I love this woman?

I've been thinking about how much I like my sister Amy. She's my best friend, my biggest fan and biggest confidant.

Just recently she was awarded "Teacher of the Year" at Kennedy where she teaches. So proud of this lady. Thought you should celebrate with me!

Celebrating my Birthday in Mexico!

If you have known me longer than ten minutes, you know that I like to celebrate my birth. I turned 27 years old on November 5 and had my third birthday fiesta tonight. I thought I should share some pictures from previous ones.


Experiencing the Mexican mordida tradition. This is when the one celebrating takes a "bite" out of the cake and their friends smash their face in the cake. I got double "mordida'ed" this year.

My roommate Angie as we celebrated in Acapulco at a conference.


And yes, I got yet another version of one of my favorite games called Mall Madness but the girls on my team bought me "Vamos de Compras" the game in Spanish! Here are my friends playing with me. Daniela and I won!

Last week when visiting the Museum of Anthropology, I was asked to give my feedback of why people should visit Mexico City. Of course I asked the guy to send me the video when they were done.

Let me know what you think. Do you want to come to Mexico City? :)

Transitions are still a way of life here in Mexico. We are continually saying good-bye and welcoming new people.

Kat who served the last two years with Enfoque Mexico left just a few weeks ago. We gathered to throw her a "despedida" that she had no idea about.

And even though we are just finishing October, we are already planning for new arrivals in January. We have 5 new American staff who will be joining our team.

As we talk about the teams, here are some things that you can be praying for:

- team unity; we have 5 missional teams here in the city and pray that the enemy would not try to divide teams due to conflict or not believing the best in each other.

- Passion Ministries follow up; we are continueing to meet with students who came to Passion Oct 7 and 8. Pray that we would see movements start all over the city.

- balance between rest and work-->that the entire team would embrace both and trust Jesus for ministry.

- Pray for me that my heart would be renewed over and over again and I would desperately chase after God's plan for my days not my own.

Thanks for praying!

Remember this face?

This is Main. We met a year ago when I went to visit her campus in Pachuca (which is outside of Mexico City). This weekend at Passion, Main came running up to me and says, "Emily do you remember me? I'm Main from Pachuca!" And of course I remember her...going to Pachuca was one of the highlights of my fall semester. I loved the students there and their creativity to share the Gospel with their friends. Main and Javo said that they have a new group of students that want to grow in their faith. So now they are working with the former group and the new group...launching movements in Pachuca.

What a sweet blessing it was to see Main. I can't wait to go back to Pachuca and meet the new students.

That This Generation of Students....

I hear these words and (once again) it sends my heart beating quickly. Standing at Passion Mexico City this weekend was a sobering for me because sadly I am no longer in "this" generation of students. My generation has passed.

My prayers for this university generation in Mexico is:
- they would not just have an emotional experience with Jesus Christ but that they would know him and would be wrecked to move in the direction of changing the world because of that experience.
- that students would know that faith is more than a list of do's and don't's
- that the universities would be awakened to the glory of Jesus and their peers would be the carriers of that light.

Christy Nockels sang on the tour and Jesus met me in the middle of these words.

Heal my heart and make it clean

Open up my eyes to the things unseen

Show me how to love

Like you have loved me

Break my heart for what breaks yours

Everything I am For Your kingdom's cause

As I walk from earth into eternity

What a sweet refresher of how good Jesus is.

Celebrating another Mexican Independence

A year ago I spent Mexican Independence Day at Six Flags Mexico City and then went to Centro Coyoacan. It was a great night but this year's Independence topped it.

Some friends came from Puebla, Mexico and we went to the Zocalo this year to celebrate. Covered with bubbles and surrounded by my favorite people, I heard Calderon yell "Viva Mexico!" as the people shouted back "Viva!" And we watched as fireworks exploded into the sky from all directions. After that, we went back and had a dance party. I fell into bed about 3:30 exhausted but thankful for another fun independence.

Here are some pictures...

My new roommate Angie and I in our new apartment before heading out.

The group and I in the Zocalo after being covered in bubbles and enjoying the evening.

Starting Fresh

Sometimes I think I'm still in school. Because so much changes in my life in the month of August. Working with college students has that effect on me.

We are starting again in ministry. There are new faces...a lot more faces actually plus new apartments, new neighborhoods and a new role. Sometimes change scares me. I like consistency in my life but I love it when I figure out how to make things even work better than before. So here I am starting again. I wanted you to be a part of it with me.

I went to briefing last week to meet up with the new Americans coming on our team. While I was there, I had the opportunity to be the emcee for the week. What a new and fun experience.

I'm going to be honest. I came back to the States for a conference last night and I have been glued to the television since then watching the Olympics. I have always been a fan. I'm not sure exactly why. I root for the USA but it's not because I am this great patriotic but because these athletes have worked so hard and have given up so much for the pursuit of what I think is the greatest sports competition ever.

I just watched the swimming 4x100 men's relay where they not only won the gold but came back from behind and quieted the talks of a rival team. I was literally screaming with them in my hotel room.

I just wish they would have put baton twirling in it a long time ago. That is way more than a sport than clay shooting.

I wish they all could be California girls...

We just had a really sweet group from San Diego come down and spend a week doing ministry with us for two weeks. They came through a college group at a church. I love watching groups come and believe God for big things, move in faith and have extreme flexibility.

I had such a sweet time getting to know the group of 11. These are the girls and I above when we went to the state of Mexico to serve in a local church. (L-R) Summer, Crystal, Me, Diane and Jenni.

Safe travels today friends!

My dear friend Andrea left Mexico City today. She and I have been on STINT (a Short Term International trip) for the last year. I never thought that I would find such sweet community with her.

I'm so honored to be a part of her life. We've gotten to grow together this year. I've watched her struggle through hard things and she has sat beside me as I grew with Jesus.

I often talk about how God uses people in my life to change and mold me. Andrea has definetely been one of those persons.

Her ministry and life has left an impact in the lives of college students. Andrea made her life count this year in Mexico. In the process, she too has been changed. It's funny how those things work.

Even though today is bittersweet, I eagerly anticipate the next group that comes to Mexico City. Not only our we engaged in a mission and vision that is much grander than ourselves but we participate in this vision with people from all different backgrounds and stories.

Good-Byes

I'm not so good at good-byes. I have said a lot this summer. Some to people that I won't see this side of heaven and others for a while.

I spent 5 weeks with some pretty cool people in Florida going to cultural training. We had some really fun times and built some sweet community but we are all following God's call to take the gospel to the nations so the chances of me of running into my new sweet friends is highly unlikely.

That's the funny thing about community. We live life in a way that's real and vulnerable and with purpose and I think that is what makes good-byes so hard. I don't want those things to end. I remember being on a summer missions opportunity for 10 weeks one summer and having a hard time choosing to even show up to say goodbye to my best friends of the summer. I just thought it would be easier to just leave.

My friend Betsy wrote a song about how she hates goodbyes too. Here are some of my favorite words of it.

If I could have anything, I'd have control

cause I don't like change and I hate to let go

hate watching cars drive away

with not enough reason to stay

On the same path still but now I feel lost.

When I said hello I did not know the cost

but I know it now, I feel it now.

Tell me you'll see me tomorrow

that way I don't have to cry.

If we keep pretending it's not really ending

I hate the word "good-bye".

Yes, it's hard but I totally believe that it's worth it. I've said "adios" to some cool people in my life and I'm looking forward to much more "hellos".

I arrived back in Mexico yesterday. It's strange that Mexico is home. I missed it and my house and the food. It's good to be home.

I was feeling suffocated yesterday. We are living in these condos kind of in the boonies in Kissimmee, FL. Not really the boonies but we don't have enough cars to go wherever I want. So it makes Americans feel trapped when they can't do what they want to do. So I freaked out yesterday morning and my friend and I decided to figure out the Lynx bus system that goes all over Kissimmee and Orlando area.

We waited for our first bus for an hour...in the heat of Florida. I think I sweated off 2 pounds. Then we got on the bus and took a big loop because we got on the one going east instead of west. We met some great people including some latin men that my friend winked at and Tony a cook at Chili's who rides the bus because he got a DUI. Tony was extremely helpful telling us that the mall we were going to wasn't so stellar. So we switched buses and went to Barnes and Noble.

It's hard to describe the freedom that I felt when I got on the bus. I think mostly because I didn't have to rely on anyone or be back at a certain time. I could be me--slightly neurotic at times with my sweet friend. We spent some really good time with Jesus in a coffee shop and began the trip back.

Riding the Lynx bus around Orlando area was probably one of the funnest days here. Just wanted to share what a typical Saturday is like here in Florida.

On the Move...

I'm in Orlando, FL again for cross cultural training before going back to Mexico in July. Training has been interesting and I'm learning some new things as well.

My mom and sister came to visit last week. Here is a picture of me with them and my dear friend. She and I interned in Colorado before I left for Mexico. It's been really fun spending the summer with her.