Rainy Season and the Emerging Picture

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven..." — Ecclesiastes 3:1

Life as a missionary moves through many seasons. There are seasons filled with planning, preparation, travel logistics, meetings, and ministry activities. Sometimes it feels as though we move in a continual cycle of caring, serving, preparing, and beginning again. Then, every so often, everything grows quiet for a moment.

This month has felt much like the weather in Puebla. We have transitioned from the warm, dry days of late winter into hot and humid afternoons filled with rain. Some storms arrive with thunder and lightning-- usually leaving us without power for a day or so. Others bring only the gentle aroma of wet earth and the steady rhythm of raindrops dancing on rooftops.

As I watch the rain fall, I am reminded that God works in seasons too. There is a time to prepare the soil, a time to plant, a time to nurture, and eventually a time to harvest. Right now, it feels as though we are in a season of sowing.

One weekend, we tackled an overgrown garden near our home. Years ago it was productive and well-loved, but the property had sat vacant for nearly a decade. The soil needed attention. The weeds needed clearing. The garden needed hope.  As we worked, I couldn't help but think about how often God does the same thing in our lives. Before new growth can come; He prepares the ground.

With the rainy season beginning, we planted a small salsa garden along with herbs, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, and other vegetables. I love our small garden, complete with a gate to keep the goats out!   If all goes well, the coming months will produce an abundant harvest. Here at the ranch, summer temperatures often climb above 100 degrees before afternoon rains arrive. Yet somehow, in the midst of that intense cycle of heat and rain, life flourishes.

Here's a pic of our xerioscape garden!

Also, we learned about picking moringa from staff member Lesley--both an edible and herbal plant that helps lower blood pressure! (It is an important crop for our Community Health Promoters!), and is a great alternative to traditional medicine!

 

At the Puebla office, another picture is slowly emerging. On an old patio table, we have been creating a mosaic using pieces of broken tile and ceramic. Bit by bit, fragments of colorful Talavera pottery are being arranged into something beautiful and useful. At first glance, the pieces seem random.

Yet as each one finds its place, a larger design begins to emerge. The mosaic has become a powerful image of our missionary journey.

Some days feel like scattered pieces—Spanish lessons, ministry meetings, the labyrinth, travel, new friendships, livestock projects, health initiatives, and countless small moments of learning. It is not always easy to see how everything fits together. Yet God sees the completed picture long before we do.

Much like seedlings emerging from freshly planted fields, we are beginning to see signs of growth. Our Spanish continues to improve. We recently completed six additional weeks of language study. Fluency remains a journey, but we are understanding more every day. Now comes the challenge of speaking with confidence!

We haven't been able to spend as much time at the ranch because of our daily classes, so we are especially grateful for the opportunity to spend more time here in the coming weeks. The ranch continues to provide opportunities for learning and experimentation. This month I explored the sulfur-rich mud near the natural springs on the property as we consider whether it might be developed into a future natural farm product.

We're also excited to introduce Jedidiah, our new ram! Thanks to the generosity of so many supporters, we have expanded our livestock program and look forward to the next generation of animals that will help strengthen the ranch's agricultural ministry. We treated the goat herd to some new enrichment toys and they loved them!

We are also piecing together our plans for the labyrinth.  The land has been cleared.  Here’s just one snapshot of things to come!  The chalk and string outlines have begun!

Not all growth happens in gardens and livestock programs, however. Sometimes God invites us into growth that is far more personal.  For me, that growth has involved continuing therapy for my lifelong fear of snakes. This month I reached another milestone when Pat and I visited a reptile center filled with many of the species found throughout southern Mexico. While I was comfortable viewing them behind glass, touching several snake skins felt like climbing a mountain.  Everything in me wanted to run away. Instead, I stayed.  It took some time, but I finally touched them. 

Another highlight this month was a surprise trip to the United States to celebrate Mother's Day with my mom.  She was really SURPRISED and I forgot to take pics!).  Then I was off to the United Women in Faith Assembly in Indianapolis.

It was an incredibly powerful gathering, and I was blessed to share with many women about opportunities to serve alongside us in Mexico through mission teams and partnership.

Closer to home, we celebrated Cinco de Mayo here in Puebla, where the holiday carries special significance. While it is often misunderstood in the United States, in Puebla it commemorates the Battle of Puebla and the courage and resilience of the Mexican people. Participating in local celebrations helped us appreciate this history even more deeply.

We finally made it to the largest mercado in Puebla, a bustling maze of vendors, colors, aromas, and activity. The market is famous for offering some of the freshest and most affordable produce in the region, and it quickly became apparent why so many locals shop there. We enthusiastically filled our bags with fruits and vegetables, only to discover 3 days later that two people can consume only so much produce before it begins to spoil!

As we wandered through the meat section, I found myself caught between appreciation and compassion.  The downside was the lamb section, where several adorable sheep heads seemed to be making direct eye contact with me while I contemplated purchasing smoked leg of lamb.

We also continue to discover the beauty of everyday life in Mexico—from exploring Puebla's enormous central market and experimenting with homemade yogurt cultures (compliments of Pat's Spanish teacher) to hiking near the

Popocatépetl Volcano, visiting a sunflower farm, and cheering alongside thousands of soccer fans at an international FIFA match between Mexico and Ghana. That game and the people is definitely one for the memory books! 

The area surrounding the stadium was an event unto itself. The soccer stadium shares a large entertainment complex with a baseball stadium and concert venue, and all three were hosting activities that evening.

Everywhere we looked there were families, vendors, musicians, fans in team jerseys, and people simply enjoying a night out. We spent almost as much time people-watching as we did watching the match! After the match, we joined the crowds gathered around food carts and treated ourselves to a traditional cemita. If you've never had one, imagine a sandwich that has been taken to the next level. Built on a sesame-seeded roll that has a 6-inch diameter, a cemita is typically piled high with meat, avocado, quesillo (a stringy Oaxaca cheese), onions, and the herb pápalo, chipotle peppers, and breaded chicken milanesa. They are enormous, messy, and absolutely delicious!!

Perhaps one of our favorite moments was hosting our first rooftop potluck with fellow expatriates and immigrants. Around shared food, stories, and laughter, we found something every missionary hopes for: community. (I was such a chatty-cathy I forgot to take pics).

As we look back on this month, rain and mosaics seem to capture it best. The rain reminds us that God is faithfully nourishing seeds we cannot yet fully see. The mosaic and labyrinth remind us that even the broken and seemingly unrelated pieces of life can become part of something beautiful in His hands.

We do not yet know what the finished picture will look like. We cannot see the full harvest that God is preparing. But we trust the Master Gardener.  For now, we will keep planting, keep arranging the pieces, and keep following wherever Christ leads—confident that in His perfect time, the picture will emerge and the harvest will come.

Thank you for journeying with us!  We appreciate the prayers!