Day 1: Calm (ish) Before the Storm

Today (Saturday) we focused on hanging out, relaxing and becoming familiar with the city before we get down to business (no Huns).

Because we got in so late last night, Adrian (our guide) told us to sleep in and we would start at noon. So, I woke up in time for breakfast (our breakfast food is the best) and promptly decided I would rather sleep. So I woke up too late for breakfast and got ready to have a day.

Adrian picked us up (with the help of Raul and Brenda*) and took us to the Fundidora Park (a place far too cool for me to describe it with my meager wordliness (think the Riverwalk combined with a huge park, then imagine it 7 times more beautiful)). We walked around and admired the park and sat in the shade. Adrian then gave us our "official welcome" to Monterrey. This included a brief history of the church here and a summary of their vision for the future (which i will talk about some other time).

Nevermind, I'll talk about it now. Monterrey is a big enough city that they plan to multiply their church until they have one in the North, East and West to join the current one in the South. They multiply homegroups here roughly once every year. Can I say that again? Once every year. The nature of the city is such that they don't have a high turnover in leadership because, when someone graduates, why leave? The best jobs are already here.

Also, when people do leave (this is an exhortation if you want it to be), if they go somewhere where they have difficulty finding a church, they start their own. There are two or three young leaders who are working to start a homegroup that can grow into a house church that can grow into a church in the cities that they are going to for work. Talk about church planting. Anyway, I will talk more about the church here some other post.


For lunch (roughly a 3:00 pm activity), we had our first tacos here (our lunch food is the best). More of our gente aqui ate lunch with us, then joined us to hang out in the park for the afternoon. Carolina and the girls played some games (I couldn't tell what was going on) while Mario, Stephen, and I discussed our artistic tendencies and how we express our love for God through music. Ok, it was mostly Mario and Stephen. Greg and Adrian stood and talked about what I can only assume were deep spiritual matters, given the participants.

We left the park and went to Josue's (ho-sway: Joshua) grupo, where we got to see more old friends. Josue talked about sharing your faith with your friends (take opportunities, make opportunities) and invited people to join us on campus when we go to share.
Highlights from the group:
-"This is Mexico, when can kidnap whoever we want." (in regards to...yes, evangelism)
-EvangeLigar: flirt to convert (we do not endorse or recommend this, though God sometimes uses it)

After the group, we went to get some dinner (our dinner food is the best): tacos de trompo. Which, when translated means "if it tastes this good, don't ask what it is."

It is strange being here. I always knew I liked Monterrey, but I didn't realize how much my if felt like home until today. My heart has never missed it when we've gone away, but now some of me wishes I could just stay.
My heart is still in College Station though, and I don't anticipate that changing for a while. And when it does, I don't know where God will take me next, I just hope they speak Spanish and sell tacos.

Pray that we will be safe from spiritual attack in any and all forms.

* I know some dang cute dating couples. Raul and Brenda go very high on that list (especially since my cute dating couples keep getting married), but don't tell them i think so.