Living in Mexico
Saturday, Sept. 16th, 2006
Hello all,
Somebody here asked me, earlier this week, how long I intended to stay in Mexico. I did withdraw most of my Spanish vocabulary to say “For 25 years I lived in Canada, and now I live here. I don’t know more than this.” Thinking this way I am able to reflect on and adapt to lifestyle here. Not only is my daily routine challenged (the heat influences daily habits in a variety of ways from evening light usage to daily scheduling and sleeping strategies) but my thought habits are also influenced as I understand what are my circumstances here, my role, and the best management of my time and opportunities.
The people here are very accepting of us. I can walk down the street and feel like a natural participant in the scenery, but I can also wave or speak to someone and experience enthusiastic acceptance and mutual respect.
This is a small community (Hueyapan De Ocampo, population. 6000 [mas o menos])- near enough to city life that there is a taste of the modern city and its diversity, but perhaps nearer yet to rural life and the primitive cultures of the natives living in the hills and mountains.
We arrived on Wednesday and are working mostly on settling into this house here –cleaning and renovating. This house doesn’t meet usual Canadian standards by any means but it is surprising how unimportant that really is. People can adapt to anything, and life may even be the richer for certain limitations.
We have been rigging up an indoor water system that is fed by the town’s water system but held in a black tank on the roof (where it is warmed by the sun) and from where gravity influences the water down through the shower head, and faucets (and soon toilet too).
Dad has preached (spontaneously called upon) the last two evenings in church and the messages were inspired. My parent’s ministry here is, in my observation, effective and mature. I am glad to participate.
My primary vision for my time here is to assist and compliment my parent’s in their ministry in whatever way I can do. My conviction was that I could be a contribution to their lives here. My reasoning is that I will never regret this time with my parents; further, that they have a vision and calling that I can work to strengthen, compliment and learn from. Their ministry might be all the more fruitful through my participation; but also my experience with them might for me amount to an accumulation equal to 80 years (for example) of experience instead of, say, 50…
Practically speaking I have been learning to communicate with, understand, respect and assist my parents more than ever. So making decisions, casting vision, fulfilling vision, serving others, accomplishing tasks… that is what it has meant practically thus far. I am very thankful to God for this opportunity. I believe in their lives and influence here to be an inspired and blessed administration of hope.
I intend to maintain a couple of blogs: jwallthoughts.blogspot.com and hope-mission50.blogspot.com. The first will be more personal (though I don’t know yet how I will use it). The second blog will represent my parent’s ministry.
Internet usage here is not convenient, however, in time we may work out something more efficient.
I’ll be glad to here from any of you.
Love,
John Wall
Hello all,
Somebody here asked me, earlier this week, how long I intended to stay in Mexico. I did withdraw most of my Spanish vocabulary to say “For 25 years I lived in Canada, and now I live here. I don’t know more than this.” Thinking this way I am able to reflect on and adapt to lifestyle here. Not only is my daily routine challenged (the heat influences daily habits in a variety of ways from evening light usage to daily scheduling and sleeping strategies) but my thought habits are also influenced as I understand what are my circumstances here, my role, and the best management of my time and opportunities.
The people here are very accepting of us. I can walk down the street and feel like a natural participant in the scenery, but I can also wave or speak to someone and experience enthusiastic acceptance and mutual respect.
This is a small community (Hueyapan De Ocampo, population. 6000 [mas o menos])- near enough to city life that there is a taste of the modern city and its diversity, but perhaps nearer yet to rural life and the primitive cultures of the natives living in the hills and mountains.
We arrived on Wednesday and are working mostly on settling into this house here –cleaning and renovating. This house doesn’t meet usual Canadian standards by any means but it is surprising how unimportant that really is. People can adapt to anything, and life may even be the richer for certain limitations.
We have been rigging up an indoor water system that is fed by the town’s water system but held in a black tank on the roof (where it is warmed by the sun) and from where gravity influences the water down through the shower head, and faucets (and soon toilet too).
Dad has preached (spontaneously called upon) the last two evenings in church and the messages were inspired. My parent’s ministry here is, in my observation, effective and mature. I am glad to participate.
My primary vision for my time here is to assist and compliment my parent’s in their ministry in whatever way I can do. My conviction was that I could be a contribution to their lives here. My reasoning is that I will never regret this time with my parents; further, that they have a vision and calling that I can work to strengthen, compliment and learn from. Their ministry might be all the more fruitful through my participation; but also my experience with them might for me amount to an accumulation equal to 80 years (for example) of experience instead of, say, 50…
Practically speaking I have been learning to communicate with, understand, respect and assist my parents more than ever. So making decisions, casting vision, fulfilling vision, serving others, accomplishing tasks… that is what it has meant practically thus far. I am very thankful to God for this opportunity. I believe in their lives and influence here to be an inspired and blessed administration of hope.
I intend to maintain a couple of blogs: jwallthoughts.blogspot.com and hope-mission50.blogspot.com. The first will be more personal (though I don’t know yet how I will use it). The second blog will represent my parent’s ministry.
Internet usage here is not convenient, however, in time we may work out something more efficient.
I’ll be glad to here from any of you.
Love,
John Wall
posted by John Wall | 4:38 PM
1 Comments:
It is so good to hear of your journey and how God has brought you to Mexico. I praise God when I see people acting out in obedience and with the power of the Holy Spirit.
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