| Mexico City, Mexico City Overview Photo Gallery Director Bio Journals: · Jun 26 2009 · Jul 05 2009 · Jul 06 2009 · Jul 07 2009 · Jul 14 2009 · Jul 14 2009 · Jul 16 2009 · Jul 21 2009 · Jul 22 2009 Trek 2009 Home |
The Other Side of the Street
7/6/09
We started out our time at our placement by spending a week at the staff retreat house learning theology and what the ministry is all about. We were able to learn a lot about God’s plan for the world, and the ways in which the world has been broken. We expanded our ideas of brokenness and sin from personal levels to looking at society and systems that are also filled with sin.
During orientation we had already learned how to use the metro system within the city, but the last two weeks we’ve really had a chance to see the way the bus and taxi system works.
With such dense populations in most of the communities, the traffic is usually pretty dense too. The driving here is very fast, and very stop-and-go. The immense number of speed bumps makes the transportation interesting.
Once you get into our neighborhood, the most drastic difference is that streets are unpaved, and with the amount of rain we’ve been having, the streets are filled with mud. The dynamics of the neighborhood compared with those of even a few blocks over is easy to see.
Other neighborhoods are cleaner, more lively, and have more stores and vendors. In our short stay so far we’ve noticed contrasts even between the different neighborhood families that are surprising too. Derek’s family doesn’t have running water, a water heater, or a washing machine; although these are things that we take for granted in the US, Diamante and I have been very appreciative to have these modern conveniences with our family.
We were also initially surprised by the number of dogs we see on the street. At any given time you can see more than five dogs, most of which have owners, but still live on the street.
Once we moved in with our host families, we were quickly integrated into their lives. Diamante and I are living with an older couple, Vicente and Juana. Their daughter and daughter-in-law (whose husbands are in the U.S.) and six grandchildren live nearby and spend most of their time at the house. Derek’s family lives two doors down from us. His family has three children with other family members visiting often. It’s been great for each of us to experience first-hand the value this culture places on family.
We’ve also been able to spend time with the organization's leaders in prayer, meetings and preparations. Summer English classes will start tonight, and each one of us will teach a level. Although none of us have taught ESL before, we’re excited to have the chance to start the more practical aspects of our help here.
Overall we’ve had a great time getting to know our families, the neighborhood and culture, and each other. We have been very well cared for by everyone around us. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!
Print
Email
