Hangin' with the Folks...

Early October brought less rain, busy schedules, ministry like mad, & a vist from Mom & Dad Vincent. We were so excited to have them come & visit. Our hope was that they would walk away knowing a little more about what we do, the faces of whom we love & serve everyday, & that they would experience a little bit of Mexico while they were here. Needless to say, they definitely experienced a "little" bit of Mexico.

The first night they arrived we took them to the youth center. They were immediately greeted with walls of graffiti, unpleasant smells, stray dogs, & a madhouse of people on the streets...all things I LOVE about crossing over into Arenales. We stayed for a short time where they were able to meet some of our favorite kids, learn some of our favorite songs, & just hang out. Then we took them for some yummy tacos at one of our favorite taco stands, Los Altenos. Dad started out the night with plain old bistec tacos, but by the end he was willig to garnish it with some grilled onions. Good job Dad!

The next day we took them to El Centro where they could see some of the history of Guadalajara. We also did some shopping at the HUGE market, San Juan de Dios. All was well. But the true Mexico experience was about to begin...

When we arrived back at the house that afternoon, I noticed that our power meter had been ripped off & was completely gone from the outside of our house. We were...powerless. This started off the weeklong adventure of no power, endless trips to CFE (the power company), numerous unpleasant conversations with our landlord, & S-T-R-E-S-S. Yes, I was stressed. Why did all this stuff have to happen the week Mom & Dad were here? Any other week & that would have been great. And on top of that, they were both starting to get stomach issues. Yep, the real Mexico experience.

All of my plans were thwarted & I was starting to feel hopeless that they would leave actually having enjoyed their visit, but even more, knowing more about why we love being here. But that last night, it all came together. Everyone was feeling well enough to visit some last minute ministry sites & take some final pictures. It was during this time that God opened all of our hearts, helped us see & experience things we will never understand, & recognize the overpouring of God's blessings in our own lives.

We all gained a global perspective in that short 45 minute car ride. Even Matt & I saw "new" things, even though we see these things everyday. And that was all I could really ask for.

All in all, it still was awesome having them here. We definitely shared life & our little bit of Mexico...right here from our own livingroom.