Saturday, August 03, 2013

It's Not as Hot Here As You Think

This morning I went to the local Office Depot and got a bunch of orientation packets printed out for the team from our home church in PA that arrives on Monday. I've cut and pasted some excerpts below.  You can see the logo that we've been using all summer this year, our theme given the property construction that is ongoing. 

On Thursday Mayra and I trekked into Mexico City to buy t-shirts and deliver them to a friend, who is working on putting our church logo and the graphic below on the shirts.  Housing has all been arranged as well. We ALWAYS put teams in the homes of Mexican church members. Why would you ever put people in hotels? Eating and living in a different culture is most of the fun!

Here...some excerpts from the orientation manual.

Remember!
Mexico City isn’t nearly as hot as PA in August. I’m writing this at 2 p.m. and it’s 72 degrees outside. You actually may find you need a sweater or sweatshirt at times during the morning and later at night.

Don’t bring cash or travelers checks. There are many ATMs all over the place that you can withdrawal $ in pesos directly from your U.S. account. You’ll get a better exchange rate that way, too!

A Bit of Perspective
What would Wolc do with a group of 11 Mexicans that spoke broken English? Hmm…maybe we should put together a group sometime and take them up! In a sense, that’s the same as a bunch of people from the U.S. who do not speak Spanish, coming down to Mexico.

You are going to be involved in a lot of activities that are not language-intensive. Construction. Baking. Craft classes. Supporting kids club. But remember that your role is primarily supportive. We and the church are excited and very thankful for this support!

Also…sometimes people come on a missions trip, and think that just by crossing the border they somehow turn into Billy Graham! A great way to prepare for ministry here…is to do ministry where you live!

Stomach Issues
If you haven’t started eating two Peptol-bismol tablets a day, start today. This is a preventative measure that you may appreciate later on!  You should eat everything you’re offered, but remember, don’t drink the tap water!


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