missionaryMAC

Pictures taken during Holy Week! A few random ones, then the foot-washing ceremony at our Maundy Thursday Service, then Santisima Trinidad's annual baptism/first communion celebration on Easter Sunday! Chris and I got to be "fairy godparents!" Rosy and Pastor Martinez arrived ON TIME to Thursday's staff meeting, the first one I have been to for a long time because of servant events and being out of town. I promise you this picture is not faked! Freddy frequently jumps onto the bathroom counter, but Thursday night he decided to get cozy! Pastor Ruiz helped re-enact Jesus washing the disciples' feet at San Pablo's Maundy Thursday service, just as Jesus did 2000 years earlier on the same night. The 12 disciples! Baptism 1 out of 5. Listening intently to whatever Pepe was saying. The service took place before a packed house. One of those baptized was this woman, and there was a teenaged boy too. Ruby getting ready to take her first communion. I had to laugh becaus...

Chris and I got back from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on Monday afternoon. All in all, it was successful trip, albeit it a slightly different experience than I had expected. Everyone up there was super-excited to see us, but was also super-busy with exams, out-of-town conferences, and the like and therefore unavailable to host us or even come hang out and show us around. I felt a little bit like a burden even though the pastor who coordinated most of our trip kept insisting that we weren't. We wound up staying at a hotel, where we even got snowed in for an entire day! My first reaction was to wish I had my computer so I could have been working on my Statement of Doctrinal Belief or translating, but once I got over the fact that I simply did not have it with me, it was nice to relax some. The two reasons why were in Canada in the first place were both homeruns, I think. First, we spent a few hours on Friday at Concordia Lutheran Seminary. We gave a presentation to the student body at...

My camera died on Sunday before I left for Canada :( I know, not very good timing. It had a good, long life though, so its time had come. I figure I got it sometime in 2005, but I can't pinpoint exactly when. If a picture's worth a thousand words, it took an encyclopedia's worth! I wasn't going to rush out a buy a new one, but after some online searching, I found one that I liked, and it was on sale at Best Buy. So I bought it the Tuesday night before we left! It was a much more stressful experience than I had envisioned, but long story short I got it at the Wal-Mart that's right by the mission, using their price-match guarantee and the ad from Best Buy. I would have preferred silver but I didn't have that kind of time! It's this one: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Sony+-+Cyber-shot+16.2-Megapixel+Digital+Camera+-+Black/2061086.p?id=1218307908007&skuId=2061086 Pictures from north of the border soon! I'll give you a hint: I got to use the "Snow...

Here is the video I promised in my blog about Messiah Lutheran Church in Lakeville, MN's 1-day VBS at Sin Paredes. I thought it was a little odd to be playing Christmas music in March (especially with Gozo al Mundo on repeat!), but the choreographed dance with posters and everything was soooo cool! Until next time, blessings!

That's me! Ever since their last dental clinic in May 2010 , Harold Schmidt from Lodi, CA, and his friend Dr. Gary Kanemura have nicknamed me the "Super Syringe Filler." The pair recently drove the 1200 miles to El Paso for the 3rd time, and again set up shop at Iglesia Luterana San Lucas in Anapra, Mexico. I did indeed fill syringes for them, but don't let the title fool you; I also ran the autoclave and filled cups with mouthwash and water for each patient to rinse with when his or her appointment had come to an end. We showed up at the church on Thursday and were greeted by no electricity! The dental chair (which I learned was donated by a member of Harold and Gary's church) was powered by an extension cord that ran across the street to Panchis's house but they hadn't planned on the 6 other small appliances that needed to be plugged in. We improvised by connecting just one additional extension cord and a couple spread plugs, switching the c...

That's exactly what I did all last week...with Campus Lutheran Church from Columbia, MO! The group was composed of the pastor's family + 2 students from Mizzou's campus ministry, the driving force behind the trip. They had originally planned on going to Guatemala I think, but when that fell through they thought of YLM, having been here a couple of times in the past. I'm glad they did--several of my friends went to Mizzou so I had met the pastor and his family before, but didn't know them well. We had a fun week working on, well, flooring! Three projects were lined up: 1) Pouring a cement floor in the existing structure at the Hinojosa compound, which St. Paul, Mt. Prospect generously donated the funding for. 2) Tiling the last of the dorm rooms in YLM building #12, room F. 3) Tiling the new addition at the Hinojosa compound, built the week before by St. Paul, Mt. Prospect. You can be sure all 3 were met with flying colors, although the majority of my pictures relate...