heading 'cross the Rio Grande

Tomorrow I'm boarding a bus for Juarez at 11 pm and will be crossing the border in Wednesday morning's wee hours to board yet another form of mass transportation in El Paso, and drift into beloved O'Hare Wednesday afternoon. 

Yup, I'm headed home. And I'm happy. 

Two more sets of exams to grade and final grades to calculate, but it shouldn't be that consuming. After that, it's all downhill. America, land of infinite comforts and conveniences, here I come!

...but that's what worries me. The part of me that loves my homeland's appeal to my every need and want that money can buy (central heating, dishwashers, drive-thru everything, Blockbuster) just has a heyday every time I return to the States. And it so easily satisfies me. 

I love those good things: soft carpet, plush down comforters, snow outside and a roaring fireplace inside, excellent food without limit, hot chocolate, Christmas treats and goodies, shining Christmas decorations, a well-equipped kitchen, and I believe those good things come from the Good Creator. 

But oh, how easy it is for these good things to come in between the Good God and my soul that so desperately needs him. 

Jesus, maintain our gaze on your inconvenient, uncomfortable Advent so our souls will be satisfied with our good Father.

Billy and Dave's Adventure in Chihuahua

Well, my friend David and I took an interesting trip to Chihuahua today to pick up our work visas. The 6 am bus trip was halfway pleasant -  a little cold on the bus, but I actually slept well and enjoyed the scenery on the way into the city. After taking a taxi to the immigration place, signing the essential paperwork, and receiving all our visa stuff, we had several hours to kill before we were to eat with our pastor's son and his recent bride at their house at 1:30. So we started walking, and found ourselves on one of the main streets. 

The city bus system in Chihuahua is funny - there are a bajillion buses, so you never have to wait long at a stop before one comes by. One passed by that said it was going to the Plaza del Sol (the big mall in Chihuahua). So we took it. It took us around the whole city, a 30 minute tour that only cost 4.50 pesos. Pretty good deal, I say. As we approached the mall, we saw (miracle of miracles) a brand-new Starbucks, just waiting to serve up a nice hot drink to a couple of hungry travelers. 

So I ordered a Chai Tea Latte and Blueberry muffin in Spanish (which was really weird), and enjoyed the nice, comfy Starbucks environment...in Mexico...weird again. Dave and I got out our book we're reading together ("To Kill A Mockingbird" - excellent read!) and read 4 chapters, killing time from 10:00 to 12:45. Then we walked to the mall and Enrique picked us up at 1:30 to go eat at his house. We enjoyed a good meal and conversation with the newlyweds, and then he dropped us off at another bus station to grab a bus back to Parral.

But this is where the plot thickens. We saw that the bus was about ready to take off, and the driver came up to us and asked us, "You going to Parral?" We gave him the affirmative, and he told us to pay on the bus. This confused me, but I thought, "Well, maybe they give out the tickets on the bus." I saw a ticket office off to the side, but the driver insisted, and David and I followed him, the both of us a little confused. He told us the amount, I paid him, but he gave us no tickets. This confused me even more. We seated ourselves, and the bus took off. Then it dawned on David that the driver had simply pocketed the money and let us on the bus. It was too late. I just contributed to a corrupt system.

During the whole trip, I felt terrible. That, and there was a stupid movie on, which made me more depressed. It's really hard for me to avoid watching movies on a bus, especially when I don't feel like reading. So I watched the dumb movie, felt like I wasted my time, and felt bad for giving the money to the driver. When we got into Parral, the driver stopped about two blocks from the bus station and made us get off the bus. I suppose that since his number of tickets and number of passengers didn't line up, he had to make us get off to make things look good for him. Looking back in 20-20 hindsight, I should have just stayed on the bus and insisted on being taken to the station to buy a ticket straight-up, but again, in the confusion, we went with the flow. That irritates me so much that I didn't have the discernment or wits about me to confront the problem then and there. ARGH.

So we got off and started walking to the apartment (it's only about a mile and a half to the bus station). I wanted to go walk to the bus station and pay for my ticket, but David convinced me that the best thing to do would be to call the bus company's service line and register a report of what happened with the company. So that's what I did. We looked up the bus number and called the company to register the incident. They're going to track down the driver and hopefully make things right. 

But this whole thing has left me feeling really yucky. Even as I type, I've got this gross feeling in my stomach that I didn't have the righteous wits about me to do something about it then and there. Perhaps because I want to be a big superhero and stop crime as it starts. That's my ego speaking. I am praying about it, asking God, "If I were really walking in the Spirit, how should I have reacted? And how do I walk in the Spirit like that?" It's really making me think about what it means to be a Spirit-filled Christ ambassador at all times and in all situations. 

giving "gracias!"

Well, Happy Thanksgiving from the other side of the Rio Grande!

Although Mexico doesn't celebrate this most excellent American holiday, the four of us strange American foreigners made sure our community knew what Thanksgiving is all about. From explaining the Pilgrim's story to my fourth graders and watching them them eagerly devour the Thanksgiving word search I gave them, to eating turkey, potatoes, and pumpkin pie with my ninth graders and the kindergartners, I took it easy on the poor kiddies today to enjoy our day of giving "gracias!"

The pictures above show the Thanksgiving presentation my ninth graders did for the kindergartners, who looked really cute as a bunch of little indians (feather headdresses were a little easier to make than pilgrim hats). At the end of the presentation I asked the little ones, "So, did we learn what Thanksgiving is all about?" A slightly misguided boy answered me by shouting, "Yeah! TURKEY!" 

This is my second Thanksgiving to spend outside the U.S.A., away from family and the familiarity of home. I love celebrating Thanksgiving. It's the end of the fall season: the trees have shed most all their leaves, and the azure sky blends beautifully with the earth's brown carpet of dead leaves. 

However, the closing of November leads to the opening of December: the eager anticipation of seeing Jack Frost's geometrical wonders on my car windshield, having foggy glasses after coming in from the cold, playing Christmas carols on my guitar, and fixing up the Christmas tree bright and merry in our well-worn, toasty living room.

But all this must be experienced and seen from afar this year, yet again. Oddly enough, I have not felt resentment or self-pity. This is probably on the top of my "gracias!" list. God has been abundantly good to keep me content where I am. I am truly thankful for the relationships he has given me here, the opportunity to teach four beautiful groups of children and young people, to be a part of his Body in a foreign land, and to learn another side of life I never would have seen before had I not come.

May we all continue to remain grateful to the good Giver.

a great opportunity to give

The following piece I wrote as a description of what is going on with my school's satellite school that we've started in a poor, crime-ridden, and neglected part of Parral called Almanceña. We're right now in the process of trying to find more people would like to provide scholarships for the students, so I wrote this piece to post on the web for those interested in providing scholarships. The cost to support a child at Instituto Las Américas Almanceña is $800 a school year, or $100 a month from October to May. If you'd be interested in seeing the Kingdom come in the lives of these kids, post a comment or shoot me an email (billy@thenyes.us). Enjoy.

“I thank God for my school, because it’s giving me the opportunity to have a different life.”

“I know that I’ve been born again…”

“I’ve learned to work well…”

“Since I’ve been a student at this school, I haven’t stolen anything or said any bad words.”

“If my child changes, then I know that our lives are going to change as well.”

  These are the words of children and parents whose lives are being changed because the coming Kingdom of God. Instituto Las Américas Almanceña started as a dream in 2003, when a few teachers from a church called Vida Abundante in Parral, Mexico began thinking about how they could bring an excellent education to high-risk kids in a low-income, neglected part of town called Almanceña.

It all started in a converted house. Bedrooms became classrooms, and were promptly filled to the max with tiny donated desks and chairs. Well-trained, loving teachers began to speak life and order to children who were accustomed to hear nothing but death and live in nothing but disorder and abuse. Kids who would have never had a chance to learn English, the key to success in today’s global society, are now learning their abc’s and 123’s in Kindergarten.

After three years, the students were crammed into their rooms like sardines. A functioning school building was needed, so one was built. The church was given some land a few blocks away and constructed a beautiful new school. In the middle of a neglected neighborhood, whose reality is filled with abuse, the cycle of poverty, drug abuse, and violence, ILAA now stands as a monument of righteousness and the lavish love of God.

Children whose futures would otherwise be destined to the mediocre cycle of poverty are now being given the opportunity to see life’s other side: the way God intended it to be. A life of love and selfless giving. A life defined by discipline and excellence. A life that respects and treasures the beauty of God’s image in every human being. In the midst of darkness, the light of Christ is beginning to shine.

           So what does this have to do with you?

 As Cornelius’ care and compassion for the poor rose before God as a pleasing aroma (and thus opened the door for the salvation for his family!), your care and compassion for these kids in Almanceña will catch God’s attention as well. Take the following story as a beautiful example:

Arturo is a kindergartner whose single mother has no money to buy him food for a lunch, so he often comes to school without a lunch. In response to this, his teacher began asking his fellow students to give him a cookie or cracker so that he would have something to eat. One day, one of his classmates asked his mom to make an extra sandwich for Arturo, and gave it to him during the lunch break. Upon seeing this, his teacher told the friend, “Thank you so much! When you give to somebody who doesn’t have what you have, God sees it and is pleased!” After hearing this, two of his other classmates standing nearby immediately offered Arturo a part of their lunch, without being asked.

Giving is joyously attractive. Therefore, we hope that you take advantage of the opportunity you now have to give in order to bring life and hope to the lives of these children, their families, and their community. 

the teacher's worst enemy

Every morning from 9:10-10:00, I have the privilege to teach English to 28 beautiful Mexican 4th graders. I have really come to enjoy this class. After dealing with a few issues regarding order and discipline, I think I have come to the point of being able to coolly conduct the class with order, with a little fun thrown in there as well. 

But, no matter what degree of order I have in the class, it can be broken in an instant. All hell breaks loose, students start to howl, cover their noses with their shirts, crinkle up their cute little faces, and begin to yell, "AWWW! SOMEBODY FARTED!"

Yeah, you've just got to give it some time. Open some windows and hope the odor leaves quickly. If there's a teacher reading this that knows a secret to regain control of a class after somebody rips a bad one, please leave me a comment. It sure would be great to know. 

i've got to get over this...

I think I have "blogging perfectionism."

Every time I think about writing on this amateur electronic publication, I get overwhelmed with the thought that everything I write here must be flawless genius. And combined with a lack of Internet access (until recently - hallelujah for an apartment with a phone line!), and a severe lack of free time, I've abandoned my poor little blog. But to start off its re-ignition, here's a little sound-bite about what's been going on in Parral lately:

1. Passion Conference in MX City: I was privileged to go with my church youth group to Passion's World Tour stop in MX City in 3-4 October. Although the 20-hour bus ride and nonstop action during the weekend caused a little sleep deprivation, I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the event. I was a volunteer, which meant I kept really busy during the whole event. I was able to practice my translation skills a lot as well. Our volunteer group leader was a girl from Brazil that spoke English quite well, but couldn't speak Spanish! So I translated for her to our group, half of which was Mexican and couldn't speak English. So that's a new favorite thing for me: translation!

2. "So, how's school?": I'm often asked this by friends (when I have the time to catch up with folks via chat, Facebook, or email), and my answer is always, "Busy!" Things have really picked up the last few weeks, and I've gotten a little behind in my plans, especially in my math class. Over half my math class failed the first grading period, which is rather alarming for a green algebra teacher. There's good reason for said failure: almost half the students are new to our school, which has an exceptionally high level of excellence for math, and these kids really had a hard adjustment coming in. Another reason is losing a whole week of school due to the flood. Also, many of the students are really quite lazy: they're failing because they don't work. So, that's been fun. But my other classes are going well: my history students are learning about WWII (my favorite period of history to teach), and my little 4th graders are in the process of earning lots of little "happy dollars" to get the chance to go to a special activity we're presenting on Friday. Oh, what fun it is to teach!

3. Parral and the Druggies: Mexico has been in the news lately for a whole lot of drug-related violence, and Parral has been no exception. A close friend of mine here was a witness to a shooting about a month ago: he saw a man empty an automatic weapon into a pickup truck and its passengers as he was walking down a relatively quiet street at twilight. The dad of one of my 4th graders was kidnapped about a month and a half ago, and showed up dead a few days later. Another one of my students' uncles was gunned down in Chihuahua 3 weeks ago. There's just a lot of violence going on here, and it doesn't help that the government and the police force are still fighting corruption within their own ranks. As much as the rest of this bloody world needs it, Mexico is in great need of God's justice. Pray that his Kingdom would come here as it is in heaven.

Well, that should serve for now. I'm off to do my Algebra lessons. 

I'm still alive.

I promise I'll write something of value soon. Just not right this instant. 

A shout out from dried-out Parral.