Friday, July 22, 2011

Summer in Huejotzingo

For a month and a half we've virtually been without internet.  Today we finally have everything properly installed and can make contact with the rest of the world.

Since school ended, we've had our share of adventures.  First, the weekend after PCS ended, Abraham graduated from the seminary.  He still has to take a semester of Greek and two 4-day classes, but other than those, he is finished.

The following Saturday night, Abraham suffered a sudden intense attack of pain.  We still didn't know any of our neighbors, and we didn't know how to get to the hospital.  Fortunately, Abraham felt a little relief walking, so we set out in the misty night to walk to the Red Cross station seven blocks from our house.  In the ambulance, the attendant asked if we had a doctor and where we wanted to go.  He warned us that there probably was no doctor in the Huejotzingo hospital, because it was a Saturday night.  I asked to go where there was a doctor.

Long story short, the ambulance took us to a small privately owned hospital.  The doctor diagnosed appendicitis, but said the surgeon couldn’t come until the next morning.  The nurse hooked Abraham up to an I.V. with strong antibiotics, and the wait began.  On Sunday morning, the doctor said that surgery was necessary, so at 11 a.m. Abraham went in for his first surgery ever.  Again at the doctor’s insistence, we stayed at the hospital until Thursday, although Abraham recuperated quickly.  Through friends and family, God provided the money to pay the bill, since in Mexico the bill must be paid in full on leaving the hospital.

A few weeks later a team from the mission Uncharted Waters came for a three-day sports and evangelism camp in Huejotzingo.  Unfortunately, their coming coincided with terrible weather and almost non-stop rain for the whole time.  We had a very different camp from what they normally provide.  Instead of crowds of young children, the only people in attendance were junior high or older.  Most of the time we played soccer and invited the on-lookers to play, but after some intervals we stopped the games and the team taught Bible stories and other related stories.  Abraham took turns with two other translators.

Once school ended for the Huejotzingo kids, we began classes in our house.  Abraham is tutoring general subjects for the kids who are struggling in school, I teach English and drawing, Six teaches sewing, and Ken offers drawing, guitar, and piano.  We hope to use the classes as outreach and to get to know more people in our neighborhood.

Next week Abraham and I are in charge of games for the VBS at Dios es Amor.  The second week of August will be the VBS in Huejotzingo.

Please pray for us as we continue to work here.  Pray that we stay healthy, pray as we present the gospel in an area hostile to change, and pray that we have wisdom.  Thank you for your support.