Dia de los muertes

Well here is a very interesting custom that Mexicans celebrate each year. This November 1st and 2nd Mexicans come together and celebrate a day called Dia del Muerte (Day of the dead). They decorate their houses and schools with decorations of skeletons and even celebrate with pan de muerte, or Bread of the dead. Even Starbucks in MC even makes a special coffee drink called coffee of the dead. This celebration is a very difficult and complicated day to understand but can be broken down into two basic levels. The first level is that people have the day to remember their lost ones, remembering them by bringing things they liked to their grave sites, talking and singing, partying and celebrating the life they lived. Much like what we do in Canada by bringing flowers or going by "the house that grandpa used to live in," remember his laugh and stories. And then there is the second level that not everyone does but is very real in many of the small towns. They invite the spirits back from the dead to come eat and party with them. Although it is morbid on some levels, I think there is a lot to learn from our Mexican friends for there is great value in remembering our loved ones, perhaps it may even help some of us grieve and mourn in a healthier way. Of course I am not too sure about inviting spirits to eat with us or offering sacrifice to dead family.

I am trying to make a big decision I need to decide wheather I send Julia to school on Friday October 31 and not really know what that day will look like for her, as the teachers have requested a number of things for the offering that day. My heart desperately does not want to offend my new Mexican friends that I am deeply enjoying learning about and discovering more about their very interesting culture. It is not just a holiday that people celebrate but it is part of who they are. I really want to be a person who is open to learning from our new culture. I know that they have a lot to offer us. Please pray that I will have discernment and a sensitive spirit. As a new friend of mine is the administrator of the school pray that this will not affect my new friendship.

Answered prayer!

I am so excited!! Since we have arrived here in Mexico City I have been praying for a Mexican friend. I loved my Tica friends and learned so much from their lives. We have been praying specifically that I would find a friendship that I can practice my Spanish and learn about the culture and customs of Mexico. We are such funny creatures aren't we? Well it seems that God has answered this prayer, I met with my new friend this morning and we are going to start meeting once a week and speak in Spanish for an hour and an hour in English! I am so silly, on Sunday I started feeling overwhelmed thinking about everything I have to do, teaching Carmela (she is home schooled) and taking spanish and cultural courses (we get homework!) and then teaching someone english as well, I thought what is wrong with me, I am not qualified to do this? But God is so gentle with me, I am sure he just laughs and says oh Sandra is freaked out again, I better comfort her and remind her its not all about her! But I am with her, this is my work she just gets the pleasure of seeing how I work :)

Sunday night I was up at 4:00 am so why not read! I read the whole chapter 41 of Isaiah and I was so comforted and so much peace just washed over me, I went back to sleep as content as a baby laying in their mothers arms.

I took you from the ends of the earth, (from Canada to Mexico City!)
from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, 'You are my servant';
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.

10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.


How in the world do I ever forget that?
Now I am excited to meet with my friend, I am going to see her tomorrow and then on Thursday we will start meeting. Please pray for this relationship that we would be a blessing to each other and that God would use us in incredible ways, that my friend would see true love and peace in my life and that she would experience it herself as well!!!

love Sandrita
here is a picture of my baby Julia.
whatever you are going through, try not to get caught in the same trap I do, get your eyes off of you and your circumstance put them on God's power, his faithful hand that is guiding us and strengthening us. Remember when you do feel like freaking out, do not hide from Him, run to Him he loves to comfort us, just give him the chance.

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

Yup we are still having turkey for Thanksgiving today, appearantly it was not exactly easy to find a turkey but Paul managed to find one!! We will be getting together with our team today and I think I heard there will be about 25 of us! That is a full house. We have a great sense of excitement in us as we start putting our hearts and brains together and start really casting vision for what our "Del Valle Church Planting Team" will look like, we are dreaming and trying to come up with practical ways we can start moving forward with our goals and visions. We are excited about inviting our cluster churches to participate in this as well with the opportunity to start sending Short Term Teams, maybe as soon as January. These teams however are very specific we are looking for people with a heart or gift for intercessory prayer. We are anticipating the response to this request. We strongly believe that this is the place to start and also have ideas on how we can become involved in our neighborhood and find areas of need that we can serve. So as our outreach to our community opens this will open the way to different forms of team to come down and connect with us. In Spanish there is a saying PASO A PASO and it means step by step, which is what we are wanting to do one step at a time not running but walking confidently that we are being sensitive to the needs around us always remaining focused on our purpose and heart for the Mexican's.
These are some pictures of the Pyramids we visited last weekend! What amazing history.