The summer of 2010 will long live in my memory as a wonderful time of visiting old freinds, making new ones and sharing the work that God is doing in Mexico.
08/25/2010
05/31/2010
REBECA
On August 9th, 2002, my dear friend Elizabeth Gaspar gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She and Jacob had been trying for some time to get pregnant. Great was my surprise when one day, while visiting Liz and Jacob at her mother´s home, Liz walked in and handed me a large envelope. "Open it", she told me with a huge smile on her face. Inside was the ultrasound of a precious baby. "And if it´s a girl", Liz said, "we´re going to call her Rebekah Meyerend." I thought my friend was joking but indeed, when a beautiful and healthy baby girl was born, she was named "Rebeca". "I can´t really call her Rebekah Meyerend," Liz told me, "but she is named for you." Great was my joy when I first saw little Rebeca and held her in my arms. I enjoyed the relationship with Liz, Jacob and Rebeca for two short years. One of the last times we spent together was a 15th of September celebration in 2005. They came out to Chalco to eat "nieves" (water ice) and visit me in my home. I was unable to accompany them that evening but I promised that "next year" I would spend the entired day witht them. By the next summer Liz was feeling ill and was diagnosed with kidney cancer. The cancer spread to her lungs and the Lord called my dear friend to His presence on August 31st, 2006. Rebeca was only two years old.
Jacob moved home with his mother and older sister and occasionally I visit and spend time with them. Yesterday was one of those rare visits. I am thankful that Rebeca is doing well and we had fun playing with her cousins. I will always miss my friend Liz but I am thankful that she left us this wonderful and beautiful child, Rebeca. I pray that she will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour and am confident that she will be as mighty and beautiful a servant for Him as was her mother, Elizabeth.
02/22/2010
As The Water Recedes...
It's been a little over two weeks since the sewage canal burst after two days of heavy rain. It flooded out about 1500 families and closed down the main highway between Mexico City and the state of Puebla, the highway that runs right through the middle of Chalco Valley. After about a week the water began to recede and the slow process of clean up has begun. Pastors Danny and Maru, along with their church, have organized much of the relief effort. I've done my part by collecting donated items and accompanying them to hand out food, clothing and water. We've focused mainly on one neighborhood, La Providencia, where we've seen little or no help from the government or other agencies. Many families lost everything and it will take a long while to replace furniture, appliances, clothing as well as rebuild some of the houses that can't be salvaged.
This woman, Lucerino, is one of the first people I met when we drove into her neighborhood. At that time she took me by the hand to show me how her house had about 3 or 4 feet of black, mucky sewage water inside. The curious part is that the house flooded from the inside as water came out of the drains. Outside there was little water. When I took this picture last week, her house was dry but she was concerned about funds to knock out the rooms that were flooded and to rebuild, as they will no longer be usable. She also asked me for another blanket, since her grandchildren were fighting over the one we gave her, and for a pair of shoes. I promised to bring both the next time I came. Many people asked for shoes, and one little girl we saw was wearing thongs and her toes were full of blisters from walking around in the contaminated, muddy water.
This elderly couple showed up two days in a row, politely asking for food and water. By now the government food kitchens were no longer operating although many people still had no way of preparing or cooking food. We prepared about 200 meals this day, all of which were gone within about two hours. Even little Yulisa, my co-worker's three year old, wanted to help. She stayed in the truck and helped me hand out the tortillas along with the plates of food.
Over the weekend, the pastors and many of their church members continued visiting the community and were able to clean out several houses. They also held a short service where Pastor Danny prayed for the people and shared a brief Bible message. The people are very open, receptive and grateful for the help and attention they've been given. It means so much to them that we go, spend time, listen, and help in practical ways. The height of the crisis has passed, but the work is only begun. We continue to seek donations and have set aside some items for when the houses are finally clean and dry and the people are in need of new, clean clothes and furniture. We plan to continue visiting and reaching out to this community, even as we return to our normal activities. It's easy to forget about the problem as the life is busy and we all have our own work to do, however God doesn't forget and with His help, we won't either. Thank you for praying, sharing and caring. Together we can make a difference in these peoples lives and help many of them know and understand the love and care of God which we only reflect in a small way.
02/09/2010
FLOODING IN VALLE DE CHALCO...
FLOODING IN VALLE DE CHALCO
February started out cold and rainy, unusual for the Mexico Valley. Cold yes, but it doesn't usually rain much in February. Last Tuesday, the 2nd, it started raining and didn't stop until Thursday afternoon. Friday morning at about 2 a.m. I was woken from a sound sleep by the phone. My heart was pounding as I answered. The voice on the other end was my coworker, Maru. "Maestra, (Teacher), estas bien (are you all right?" ) "Why yes, of course, I was sound asleep."
Maru proceeded to tell me that the sewage canal had just overflowed it's banks and since my house is a few blocks from the canal, she was worried. However all was calm and there was no sign of people or water in the streets. A little while later I began to hear the helicopters flying overhead and started praying for my neighbors.
Maru explained to me the next day that she and Pastor Danny were on their way home early Friday morning. They debated about the best way to go home and decided it would be faster to take the toll road. Just as they were headed for the tool booth, the cars in front of them started braking and backing up. In just the few minutes that it took to back up, water started pouring down the road. Thankfully, they were able to get off the highway into a side street and eventually made it home. I read later that two truck drivers were killed when a gas truck rammed into another truck. Since Friday morning a good stretch of the main highway into Chalco Valley has been flooded and the road is closed, making traffic a huge mess as people try to find alternative routes in and out of Mexico City.
Pastors Danny and Maru have done an amazing job of quickly organizing help and finding out who is in need. This morning I left early to go over to their church, now the center of one of the relief efforts, to help make sandwiches to deliver to the needy families. The flooding is kind of haphazard. One street will be flooded but the one next to it isn't. One house will be dry, but one two doors down is full of water. People are afraid to leave their homes for fear of looters. One friend told me that they were awakened about midnight by someone tapping on their window. Apparently someone was out checking on the empty houses so they could break into them.
We continued to drive around the area looking for the areas most in need. Many people said they had received no help, in spite of promises on radio and televison that all the flood victims would be attended to and that Valle de Chalco would be dry in "10 days". We're on day 5 and the highway is still under water and people are desperate for help. One lady took me by the hand into her house, and later to her neighbor's houses. Although outside these houses there apparently isn't any water, inside is a mess. This woman showed me how all the rooms but one were under about a foot of water, and that she is sleeping in that one room. The bathroom is unservicable and she wants portable bathrooms for her and her neighbors. My heart broke as I listened to her and took pictures. It seemed the help we took was so little in comparison with the overwhelming needs.
Other neighbors said how they saw a truck passing with bottles of water and went running to catch up with it, only to receive two small bottles. "Do you think this is enough water for me and my children? Please bring us water!" she begged.
I was impressed by the honesty and sincerity of the people we met today. Many refused the lunches we offered saying that they'd already been given food today and we should give it to others in need. Others told us if there were two, four, six, eight or ten people living in their homes and asked only enough lunches for those in their households. One man asked for blankets and sleeping mats as he and his family are sleeping on the roof.
One interesting fact I learned is that of the many pastors whom we know in the flooded areas, not one of them has had their home flooded. Many have come close, the corner next to them, the next street over, one block down...but none inside their homes. God is gracious in caring for His servants in a time of need.
Meantime the helicopters continue to fly overhead, bringing in government officials, checking out the water level and hopefully, figuring out a solution to this problem of an open sewage canal running the length of many miles, and weak retaining walls that can't handle the pressure of so much rain. In the end, it was the wall that broke (the same thing happened in 2000) that flooded out so many homes. Tomorrow I will take a friend with me and we will again deliver food, clothing and yes, water, to our suffering neighbors. Pastors Danny and Maru are using their contacts to meet with government and social agencies to coordinate the aid efforts to those most in need.
I trust that the next time I write, Valle de Chalco will be dried out and Lord willing, wiser about what to do in an emergency. Thank you for reading this epistle and praying for the precious people of this needy valley.
10/08/2009
Botargas, Muppetts and fun!
It's Saturday afternoon and I've rested a bit from our puppet program we held this afternoon. As usual, the crowd seemed a bit thin and I began to think it wasn't going to be worth all the effort, O you of little faith! We had some technical problems but Pastor Danny came to the rescue and we got the show going around 12:30. Vashti and team had the stage set up and the moppets went into action. They sang and dance and taught the children about honesty, kindness and over all, God’s love for each one individually. As I watched, more people and kids started arriving and we had to make a run to the church for more chairs. We held the program in front of our neighborhood market and as people came to do their shopping, they stopped by to watch for a while.
One shy little girl watched from the corner of her mother’s store, others stopped their bicycles and others rested for a while as they enjoyed the program. Near the end, Vashti asked if any of the kids were sick and several raised their hands. She had them came up and Pastor Danny prayed not only for their physical health, and that they would lead
honest, godly lives. I never did get a count of how many came, and by the end many had left already, but I know God’s word went forth and I trust many of them will come to the library not only for help with school work, but for a chance to hear more about our marvelous God.
10/07/2009
08/18/2009
SUMMER CAMP Vale y...
SUMMER CAMP
It was a bright, sunny Friday morning. The bus driver showed up at 7:00 a.m. (although he’d promised to show up at 6:00), and the kids and parents were already lining up. “Did you get the Dramamine…what if someone gets sick on the bus…did you load up the fruit…where are the puppets?” Finally we got everyone loaded up, food, dishes, tape recorder….and the 60 people were finally on our way.
Kikoten is a lovely, wooded camp. It has acres of green grass (a rarity in our community), those beautiful, life-giving trees and tons of space for running and playing. The first order of business was to divide kids and counselors into teams, choose a name and a team cheer. Names like; "Flying Eagles", "Mini-ants", "Hummingbirds" and “Tomatoes and Parsley” (even our cooks got into the team spirit!), began to fill the air with shouts of “We’re the best…we’re gonna win….hooray for the Eagles.”
Our theme this year was “Fly Higher”, based on the life of Daniel and his brave friends in the Bible. Thus the bird names! It was exciting to see the teams begin to pull together, build team spirit and work at earning points. One team in particular, The Hummingbirds, just didn’t seem to mesh. The spirit was lacking, they weren’t working together and were way behind the other teams.
The days were filled with songs, game time, Bible stories and arts & crafts. One challenge was the ball chasing, balloon eating camp dog. The first day she got hold of one of the balls and burst it. During a balloon game, it was a toss up to see who would catch the balloons first…the kids or the dog! Games of soccer, volleyball and free time in the “fantasy garden” kept the children busy and happy. Even the occasional rain did little to dampen spirits.
The highlight for me was on Saturday evening. Each team had been assigned a Bible passage to act out. They were told to use as much creativity as possible, props, acting, music or whatever ideas they had. They presented their skits to a panel of judges (our cooks plus the camp clown “Bob”). They were hilarious and certainly creative. Old grass, sticks, dress up and music filled the night. “Noah” was represented with a beard of grass and the “animals” crawled all over the floor. Which team won the competition and the promised 1,000 points? The Hummingbird team! They’d pulled togethe and did an amazing representation of Noah’s ark.
That night we had a “campfire” around the wood stove in the dining hall (it was raining again) and campers went to bed, reluctantly, to be ready for the last day.
Sunday morning dawned bright and clear, with the cooks getting a fright upon opening the dining hall and hearing noises. Lo and behold, balloon eating dog had managed to spend the night inside and eat the rest of the marshmallows! (Marshmallow eating dog?!) After breakfast it was clean up time. Then we did the awards ceremony to see which team had the best spirit, cooperation and had gained the most points. To our surprise and satisfaction, the Hummingbird team took the prize! God works in amazing ways and those who started out last indeed were first.
We returned home happy, tired, wet and rejoicing at the Lord can do when He gets us away from our daily routines and lets us enjoy a bit of His creation.
04/17/2009
My Favorite Dad
In August, my dad, Robert Arthur Meyerend, will turn 80. Imagine, 80 years of joys, heartaches, hard work, sacrifice and over all, faithful service to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. First as a pasror, then as a Sunday School and Bible teacher and lately, as a faithful prayer warrior. I will be eterrnally grateful for the wonderful heritage of faith that he and my mom have given to my brother and I.
Recently my dad faced what he says is the hardest thing he's ever had to go through. In late February he was operated on to remove a tumor that was growing on his spine. Doctors believe it had been there for some time. Thankfully the tumor was benign but he had to go through a series of 27 radiation treatments to shrink the rest of the tumor and keep it from growing back. Although it's been a rough time, he and my mom have cotinued to rely on the Lord for strength to face each day.
We are confident that he will soon regain strength and be on his feet again. Special appreciation goes to my mom, Maude Elaine who has stood by my dad through the challenges, joys and now sickness of their 57 years of marriage. Meantime, I know my parents will continue to bless and encourage many as they contineu to be a strong example of faithfulness in the joys and in the heartaches. Thank you mom and dad!
12/30/2008
Christmas in Chalco Valley
This year we decided to have some different events to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour. We started off December with an all-church decorating party to get our little building looking spiffy for the activities. "All church" turned into the pastor and his wife, Felipe and his wife and a bunch of kids. We were pleased that one of the families that had stopped coming showed up to help decorate and hasn't missed a church service yet!
The next activity was a piano and violin concert on a Sunday night. Our neighborhood is mostly made up of working class people who don't take too much interest in "cultural" events so it was good to see the church was full and even a new family came. Those doing the concert explained to the people about the different composers and compositions, turning it into a learning experience as well.
Our last event was a traditional Christmas service with plays and poems from the children and a brief Scripture meditation on John 3:16. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son..." Indeed the true meaning of Christmas! The kids did a great job and we had a full house.
So now I'm in Florida enjoying a couple weeks of sun and fun with my family. Soon I'll be back with my Mexican family to continue into 2009 "attempting great things FOR God and expecting great things FROM God." I'll finish with a fun picture of my parent's neighbor's...Christmas pig!
10/20/2008
KIKOMAR AND INDEPENDENCE DAY...
KIKOMAR AND INDEPENDENCE DAY
Here we are nearing the end of October already and I've been meaning to write about the activities of mid-September. Oh well, as the Mexicans say, "mas tiempo que vida" (more time than life). Mexican Independence Day is on September 16th. It fell on Tuesday this year meaning the kids didn't have classes until Wednesday of that week. I decided to take the week off and visit my dear friends who are developing a camp, "Kikomar", on the coast of Veracruz. The camp property is right on the beach and although the weather was cloudy and the sea rough most of the week, I enjoyed being with my friends, reading on the beach and getting to know the Castellano family better.
The Castellanos are the caretakers at the camp. A family with five children they eke out a living catching fish, selling coconuts and working odd jobs. However,their love for the Lord is evident and their faith that He will provide all their needs. Sicne the sea was a bit rough, it was good for cathcing fish and I had a great time going along with them and seeing the work in action. They have a large net which Carlos, the oldest, grabs one end and walks way out into the sea, up to his chest. The rest of hte family (since they don;t know how to swim) stay on the beach holding the oteh end of the net. After Carlos has walked a ways he begins to circle back, trapping fish in the net as he walks. The otehrs begin to pull on the net and bring it into shore. They then take out the fish and drop them into a wheelbarrow or bucket. They repeat this operation several times until they have a good number of fish.
I even got into the action and pulled out a few slimy fish of my own! The best part came later that afternoon when Carlos cleaned the fish and cooked them up in tin foil over the kitchen fire complete with garlic and onion. Delicious!
While I was there we took the children to school in the "Zorro" (fox), my friends black pick up truck. Normally Pablo, the father, takes them on his motorbike or they have to walk. I was surprised to learn that this school exists of only two rooms and three teachers. Two elementary school teachers and one junior high teacher. The teachers spend a month with each family as a way for the school board to pay for room and board.
It was a great week and just what I needed after the hectic time that preceded it. I'll close with a couple pictures of my friends dogs, Pimienta (Pepper) and Mostasa (Mustard) as well as a few pictures of Independence Day here in Chalco Valley. Thanks for your prayers.
Drop me a line when you can and "Viva Mexico! Long live Mexico!)
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