This month, I
hiked in a national park that sits at the base of the Popocatépetl (or “Popo,”
as the locals affectionately call this giant reminder that creation is both
beautiful and slightly terrifying—it is an active volcano). I joined a local
ex-Pat group for the adventure and it was beautiful. Somewhere between catching my breath and
questioning my life choices when we were ascending (the hike started at over
12,000 feet), I felt that quiet nudge: you’re stronger than you think.
In GYTTE news,
our community health promoter course wrapped up its 18-month journey in a way
that felt both sacred and joy-filled.
Pat led communion, grounding us in
purpose, while I had the honor of passing out diplomas.
Throughout the final week, we tried out our
acting and played the role of “patients,” offering our arms to be squeezed by
blood pressure cuffs.
I was very proud
of my compañera de trabajo, Ivonne, who absolutely shined—leading the class with
grace, confidence and compassion.
We also greeted the Medical Mission Team from Wesley Memorial in TN. We weren't personally able join them due to overlapping dates with Chapelwood, but we did send Community Health Promoters.
In between, we’ve had lots of planning meetings with Cata and Clara—because nothing
says “mission life” like spreadsheets, vision casting, and the occasional
existential question about snacks—like, should we serve iguana as an appetizer?
We even made iron-on GYTTE logos so we can outfit our team.
When the
Chapelwood mission team arrived, we decided to elevate our fiesta send-off
game. Enter: the piñata. Because if there’s one universal truth, it’s that
candy raining from the sky has the power to heal most things—especially fatigue
and questionable dance moves (I’ll tell you about Mexican musical chairs
another time!)
It was an awesome way to
end a week of hard work in the heat (from stuccoing a house, to clearing land
for our new labyrinth, to painting the chapel, to giving a facelift to the goat
and chicken pens—it was a glorious time had by all!
Our second legacy project will be a labyrinth
lined with medicinal plants—a place for prayer, reflection, and healing. Clearing the land has been no small task, but
I’ve gained a deep respect for the machete: part tool, part character-building
device.
Showing our
visitors around downtown Puebla was a highlight, especially when we stumbled
into the Women’s Run event—it was so cool—8,000 women marching for peace and
equality.
A highlight of this month was
a visit by Terry Henderson, the founder and visionary Global Missionary for GYTTE. His memories, his laughter, his
reflections… all of it carried a sacred weight. And in a deeply tender moment,
we helped lay his late wife’s ashes to rest in meaningful places around the
ranch. Grief and beauty intertwined in a way that only God can
orchestrate.
The purpose of his visit
was to also dedicate “Hope on Wheels” community resource and disaster response
trailer in Muriel’s memory--our first legacy contribution to GYTTE.
However, at the
ranch, for me at least, not everything was peaceful. Sam the Snake made a dramatic return. Sam
apparently sees it as his personal ministry to test my abilities to manage
anxiety. I actually saw him this time in the rafters in our bedroom—which
somehow feels worse than just finding his “I was here” calling cards of
snake skins. It made for a rough week of sleeping –I spent much of it in the
van. The problem: I screamed so loud when I saw him, I scared
him into hiding and we don’t know where he went. We also are perplexed because we thought we
had managed to seal every entry point.
The mystery continues…
On the creative
front, we’ve been working on transforming the office space into something
warmer—a living room and outdoor meeting area. Pat is painting a mural, and I’m
crafting a mosaic dining table.
We managed
a little adventure, visiting the charming town of Val'Quirico, where we
unexpectedly wandered into a Spanish festival with strolling singers.
Naturally, we rode the carousel—because adulthood
is overrated.
Our seat on the carousel was
a spinning tea cup!
From there, we
headed north to Chignahuapan to explore more of the region—chasing waterfalls,
dodging rainstorms, and enjoying the hot springs.
(The one thing we both miss is access to a
bathtub!).
We also visited a
basilica home to one of Mexico’s largest Virgin Mary sculptures, standing as a
quiet, powerful reminder: faith is both deeply personal and beautifully
communal.
Meanwhile we returned to the ranch for a long weekend.... One morning I was outside getting ready to
enjoy the sunrise, and along came with a surprise guest appearance—some
mysterious, cat-like critter casually strolling in front of the house like it
owned the place, then headed off toward the river without a care in the world.
I initially described it to Pat as an over-sized hairless cat with long legs
and an otter face. I didn’t have my camera on me, but thanks to the internet, I
can share a picture!
I found out it was
a jaguarundi—such a cool name!
I love
that it just showed up, did its thing, and disappeared like, “you’re welcome
for the wildlife sighting.”
I was
thrilled with this critter, and not Sam the Snake!
What confused me though is that all 3 dogs
were sleeping on the patio and they, nor the jaguarundi noticed each
other.
Through it
all—the hiking, the teams and health trainings, the celebrations, and jaguarundi, and the welcomed rain during dry season—I keep coming back to
this: God is present in every detail. In the laughter, in the chaos, in the
unexpected detours. Even in the moments when I’d rather be anywhere else
(like not near a snake), there is grace waiting to be noticed. Thanks for journeying with us!
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