Middle School Playground Spats

This situation that is happening between us and Mexico (see post USA vs. Mexico), seems to me to be a really public and dramatic playground spat.

Mexico, "They want to have homos in the church. Grosss!!"

PC(USA), "OMG, like, get over yourselves! We already have women, what's the BIG DEAL?"

Mexico, "But, women have cooties! We can't let them be pastors!"

PC(USA), "Do what you want, you don't have to play on the swings with us."

Mexico, "FINE! We won't even be on the same PLAYGROUND! How do ya like them apples?"


I have mixed feelings about the Mexico decision, for a variety of reasons. First off, I think it was incredibly childish, rushed, and overall foolish. What kind of message are we sending to God's people if we can't get along over some really basic issues? For the record, the INMP, Mexican National Presbyterian Church, wasn't even voting about the issues of openly gay pastors. That wasn't even on the table.

Secondly, there is the question of what now?

The directory of PC(USA) World Mission has already said that he can't encourage mission groups coming down and participating in the bi-national ministries in Mexico, one of which is Frontera de Cristo.

On the one hand, I really would like FDC to continue strong, and move forward with the others projects that we have that don't really involve the groups. And I'd love to help.

On the other hand...I'm ready to be home. I don't have groups at the moment, so my days feel kinda wasteful (though I've been attending meetings and babysitting a lot, so I still work all day), and simply wouldn't mind calling it a job well done and exiting gracefully.

Though, that leaves the question of what I should do when I do finally relocate to Iowa. Any job suggestions?

A brief interview

I did this description a while ago...I would assume in March. The only real idea of time I have is sitting in my arms during the interview :)

You're a Racist

Disclaimer: in reading through my posts that got written, but never published, this was one of them. This group visited Frontera de Cristo in late July/early August.

This title is not something that people would generally like said to them, especially not when a person of another race is within hearing distance.

I certainly wanted to say it to a Customs official though.

Over the last 2 days I hosted a group that came to visit Frontera de Cristo, and upon arriving we had schedule changes, and decided to take a quick walk over the border to shop for a few minutes in Mexico.

After a 45 minute romp around the shopping street and the ice cream shop at the plaza, we headed back to the port of entry, to cross on foot across to Douglas. I went first, allowing the 8 members of the group to see what crossing through the pedestrian entry was like, and waited for each one to be let through by customs officials. While the officials asked me a couple irritating questions ('Why were you all standing out front in a group?') Duh...we are one.

I watched as the 2 men of our group passed through without a single problem, and hardly any questions asked. The customs officials simply swiped their passport, asked where they were coming from and what they were doing in Mexico, and then let them through. Soon after a couple more members had passed, the 2 Latino women in our group also presented their passports, each to an individual agent.

I watched in disgust as the customs agent automatically spoke Spanish to Isabel (name used with permission), assuming that she couldn't speak English (which she does). Then he badgered her with questions, looking through every page of her passport, asking why she was in Mexico, what she was doing there, what she was bringing back into the United States, and finally asking what she had in her bag. When she responded 'Nothing', the agent requested to see inside her belongings. She willingly put the backpack on the inspection table, and the customs agent rifled through her bag, taking things out, putting them out on the table, and after what seemed to be every other item, asking her why she had carried each of those items. 

After he seemed satisfied digging through her personal belongings, he left them out on the table, and told her she was free to pass.


Now we are up to date....Present day.

Perhaps these agents just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Perhaps they assume that the only people trying to cross illegally into the United States at the Douglas Port of Entry are Mexicans, and for that reason, keep an eye out for allll Latinos (which are easily 99 % of the people who cross through there daily).

If that's the case, I should have brought the Polish dude, who came through our Migrant resource center, over to say hi.

USA v. Mexico

This is just really sad.

World Mission responds to ending of partnership by Mexican Presbyterian Church

5 months more

Not the most creative title, but there it is. I have been working roughly 60 hours a week for the past couple of months, so the end in sight is helpful.

That's also my reason for hardly ever blogging.

However, last weekend I had a free half-day, and spent it selling a car. Here's the video. I call it Tucson Transformers :)