On arrival I was met by Mark Legters, David (Bito) and Jean’s son, and, with bike in box in the back, was driven in his pickup to the Legters’ home—my home for the next 2 ½ months.
On arrival I settled into the corner room which has been set aside for my lengthy visits. The next day, Sunday, after working on some of my classes I had lunch with Antonio and Ruth, and their four month old Jonatan. The little one is healthy and happy, and just about half the weight of my four month old grandson, Jacques. It was delightful to catch up with Antonio, who had been a trainee in Shoreline, and to hear how he has been serving God since he left us—and with some of the gifts he honed while in our midst.
Sunday evening was spent working on details of my class—while watching the SuperBowl and listening to the Spanish broadcast announcers. Need I say that, despite the sad ending, it was a great game? That evening, actually early a.m. Monday, Dave and Jean arrived back from taking their daughter Debbie to the airport in Cancun, so the morning began with our breakfast together. After finishing, and after a bit more final preparation, I walked the 100 yards from the house to the seminary and met for the first time with my class.
I am teaching Las Epístolas Paulinas (The Letters of Paul) to second year students, and also Homiletica IV (Preaching IV) to the fourth year students. On meeting the class for the first time I was impressed with their maturity and eagerness. There are 12 in the Epistles class, 10 men and 2 women, and for the first time I find several students taking notes with laptops. The seminary is now wired for wireless internet, another new thing, and I have been told that it may be possible to do the second half of my class (after the Easter break) via the internet. I need to explore that option as I probably will not return for the rest of the semester since the nine weeks from now to the break is about as long as I can commit to being here.
While the economic situation world-wide has and will have an impact on this part of Mexico, what I see so far would indicate that the impact is not profound. Yesterday I went into one of the local malls to get a SIM card for my phone, and it was crowded. The parking lot was full and the stores were teeming with people, most of whom had something in hand that they had purchased. The seminary has experienced some loss of support from the United States, but it has never had what it has needed and things seem to get along. It saddens me when I hear that someone or some church has cut back on mission giving, particularly when the cut back is done in order to maintain something that is not really needed at home.
A fair amount of what we hear about Mexico in the US media has a negative slant. Particularly the impact of drugs and drug cartels on the culture. It is a sad fact of life here that there is more violence connected with drug dealing than ever before, but the Wall Street Journal last week had a very insightful comment on that phenomenon. First, it said that the root cause was the government´s courageous effort to curtail the power of the drug cartels. Second, it added that if the current rate of homicide in Mexico continues to climb it may eventually reach as high a level as that of—Louisana. Ah, the perspective that world awareness gives…
So, for the next 9 weeks my life will revolve around two classes at a seminary in Mexico. It is an investment in the future of the church here, and one which I am most grateful to be able to make. Nancy will be joining me in a couple days, and during her month here will offer English classes through Antonio´s church and one or two schools in the area. That also is an investment in the future, and one which she is most grateful to be able to make. In both cases we find satisfaction and joy in the words of Jesus which Paul quoted to the elders at Ephesus, Hay más dicha en dar que en recibir—which, of course, means It is more blessed to give than to receive… A small saying but one which could not be more true…
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