Back in Merida

I arrived in Merida, Mexico, on the 3rd of this month and began teaching The Epistles of Paul and Homilética IV the next day. Nancy joined me ten days later and will be here for half my time—grandchildren duties prevents more. But the grandchildren and family will be coming to visit for a few days in just over a week, which will be great.
The class I am teaching on Paul has 18 students and is the largest I have ever had. As such it presents some interesting challenges. My Spanish seems to be holding up, but responding to questions, which are hard to hear in the particular room I have for class, is always difficult. I probably am answering questions the students are not actually asking, but they are gracious enough and seem to be attentive. I am experimenting with different media, primarily Powerpoint, and have eliminated most paper. My goal is to give the students something that will keep them from constantly having to write furiously to keep notes on something that I could have (and now have) provided to them in writing. I upload the lessons onto memory sticks that each of the students has, and then we go through the lessons together. It seems to work, but only because every student either has a laptop with them in class or easy access outside class time. When you think of Mexico remember that—the country is very far along on the tech trail.
My sojourns to Mexico are timed to fit in with the school year at the seminary, but also they just happen to come at a time when the winter weather is worst in the north and the sun is shining brightly, but not furiously, here. This time, though, the cold in the north is making it across the Gulf and people are suffering. I mean suffering as the temperature drops into the 60s at night and only goes up to 80 in the daytime (only 3 or 4 days in the 90s so far). Such frigid conditions mean people are walking around with coats, hats, scarves and whatever they have to keep warm. I have to chuckle at it all, when it is below freezing in Greensboro, but as none of the homes has heat (never needed) it does feel at times like a bit of a chill even to me.
I get out on my bicycle almost every day, which makes for a good change from preparing lessons, presentations and web entries (lessons are on line at wacklescp.blogspot.com). The roads are not trafficked where I am so an hour of riding makes for a very good breather. And even though I have now passed my 66th birthday I am still able to make the journey in pretty good time and shape. There is hope yet!
Last weekend Nancy and I went to a village about an hour outside of Merida. We were guests of a couple who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in the typical Mayan Christian way. There was first of all a church service, and our host, Dave Legters, participated as the officiating pastor. During the service all 8 of the children of the couple were introduced, and the Christian commitment and active church participation of each was noted. After the service we adjourned to the home of the couple where we and about a hundred others were fed a turkey based kind of soup with tortillas, typical of the area, and some mariachi music. The table we sat at was set under a thatched roof, while most were out in the open, on dirt and rocks and under trees. It was a wonderful time.
It is of such things that we are blessed here in Mexico. As I meet students, some of whom I have taught before, go to villages, am invited to preach in small and larger places, and experience the faith of this people I am challenged. In many ways they have much less than we do, but in some ways they have more. And they have the same Lord, the same church, and the same hopes. What a blessing!