Welcome to 2010! I can hardly believe that we are entering a new decade. Time flies. Things are off and running here in Hermosillo. We enjoyed time with family over the Christmas holidays, but we are glad to be home and back to work. Our partners did a good job in our absence and for that, we are grateful.
The changes at IMB continue. The arrival of 2010 has brought a new round of administrative changes, mainly in the area of funding. We are in a “wait and see” mode as the financial gurus get a new electronic reimbursement system up and running. In summary, it appears 2010 will be the year “to do more, with less” as we’re experiencing budget cuts, reduced personnel,…and even salary and benefit cuts. On the personal front, Donna and I are tightening our belts a bit, cutting out some things that we really don’t need. Among others, we’ve pledged to eat out less in 2010. No big sacrifice there.
Our church plant in Las Lomas is going pretty well. We’ve been meeting in the open air for several months now and lately have suffered due to cool weather. It seems that the folks from Hermosillo will sit through 100 degree weather, but don’t let the temps drop below the 80s. They vote with their feet, saying it’s too cold to sit outside for any length of time. (All the while, Donna and I are enjoying the weather in short-sleeved shirts and dreading the return of triple-digit heat.) Our prayer is that God will lead us to a suitable location soon.
In Villas del Sur, the news is not as good. We have struggled to develop leaders or even develop commitment among the adults. The kids are still coming by the droves….they are so hungry for love and attention. Most of the families in the area seem to be “surviving”. That’s about all we can say. Donna remarked that when she asked the kids what they got for Christmas, many said “Nothing.” While we understand that Christmas presents are not essential items, I think most of us expect to give or receive something, allbeit something modest. Our plans for 2010 include some new strategies for Villas as well as much prayer.
The big news items for us right now are violence and water.
Our team members in other cities are facing some of the most violent conditions in the world due to the war on drugs. In Juárez, for example, the death toll was 191 deaths per 100,000 during 2009, making it statistically the most violent city in the world. For those of you from Louisiana, Juárez surpassed New Orleans, according to the news report! That’s comforting to know, isn’t it? Our leaders are studying the situation and we’ve already taken some steps to protect our missionaries who live and work there.
In Hermosillo, the big news item is water. We’ve had a scarcity of water for years now, and the previous mayoral administrations have put band-aids on the problem. One mayor bought water rights from the farmers and constructed wells and pipelines to bring water in from the aquifer west of the city. That seems to be running dry. The next mayor constructed a dam along the Sonora River and created a new, larger reservoir. The problem is that it’s not raining anywhere east of here, so the lake isn’t being replenished. Back in December, the city began water rationing by going from 24 hour a day service to only 16 hours per day. That caused some chaos as the water mains were put through cycles of pressure/no pressure. Leaks sprang up all over the city. I am not sure if they saved much water! Now, the announcement is that we are going from 16 hour a day service to only 8 hours per day. At our house, we have a water storage tank on the roof that holds enough water for a day or two. What should happen is that our tank will fill during the eight hours of service, and then gravity will draw the water into the house when the city service is turned off. We still have water, although the pressure is greatly reduced. Donna and I joke that we can only do one “water function” at a time. Don’t try to turn on a faucet in the kitchen if someone is showering. Don’t expect the washing machine to fill up in less that about 2 hours. (And if you wash more than one load, the storage tank will be depleted.) Such is missionary life in another country. ….
On another note, I have been amazed several times this week. First, the renewal notice came for our vehicle license plates. This normally means going to the office and standing in line for hours, only to be told you need to go home and get more documents. Beleive me, it’s frustrating. This year, however, there was an option to renew online. I went to the webpage, verified the data, and entered my credit card payment information. About three days later, a courier knocked on our door, hand delivering the renewal stickers. Is this Mexico?
Yesterday I was out and about in the city. After making several stops, I went to the car to start home and it wouldn’t crank. For some reason after six faithful years of service, the battery was dead. Anyway, I got some guys to give me a jump start and finally got the car going. I attempted to give the guys a tip…and they wouldn’t accept it. I drove on over to the auto parts store, bought a battery, and the young man installed it for me. I tried to tip him, and he refused the tip. Twice in one day? This is Mexico, where most everyone has their hand out for a tip. What’s up with that?
Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers for us.
