Merry Christmas from the Whalens

This Christmas season has been very different for us than in years past, but good nonetheless. We finished our second level of Spanish school last week and both passed our final exams with flying colors (praise the Lord!). This has been a blessed week for us. My sweet, creative husband built a rack for us to hang up our bags, which has made our little concrete house feel more like a home. We have two strands of Christmas lights up and George Winston’s “December” playing in the background. And instead of playing in the snow or drinking hot cocoa, we’ve been napping in our hammock and eating star-fruit.

The thing that stands out the most to me about this week is the hospitality of the people here. Keep in mind that the folks in this area are always hospitable, but this is the first week we’ve really had the time to drink it in. Relationships are held at a much greater esteem than tasks, and no one calls before coming over. The unspoken rule is that if the door is open, you are welcome to come, and you will almost always be handed something to drink and maybe a meal. Initially, this was hard to get used to. It is very un-American. But… I have really grown to love it.

Last night I was making caramel popcorn in the oven and getting ready to watch a Christmas movie. Travis was off in Rio Grande buying bus tickets for the trip we’re taking tonight. As I was pulling the caramel popcorn out of the oven, a neighbor and her daughter walked up to the porch. They brought a bag of fresh star-fruit for us from their tree. My first thought was, sad to say, I hope they don’t stay too long ‘cause I want to watch my Christmas movie. Thankfully, my second thought was, Wait a second. This is what it’s all about. So we sat down on our porch, ate caramel popcorn together, and had a wonderful conversation. I was blessed and convicted by this.

My hope is to give more freely and to serve more joyfully than I have in the past. Without skipping a beat, the people here will lay aside whatever they are doing just to have a conversation with me. And isn’t that how Jesus was as He walked on this earth? He stopped to talk with people, to look into their eyes, to know them, to touch them, to call them by name. Are there people in your life with whom you’re too busy to spend time? Do you know your neighbors? It’s amazing how just inviting someone over for a meal or a cup of coffee can pave the way for friendship and, ultimately, for a more meaningful life.

For me, it can be easy to think of things like hospitality, serving, and friendship during this time of year. The true challenge comes after the holidays when, perhaps, the need to be more loving and giving isn’t so obvious.  When I’m not reading a second-page story of a homeless man freezing to death under a bridge, I forget the plight of humanity, my neighbor, but the need is still there. Everyone was created for a relationship with Christ and with other people. This is a need all year-round. When I worked at a nursing home, there were many elderly people who only received a visit from their family at Christmas time. Well, what about January and March and August? Who will visit them then?

We pray that our friends and family back home and across the world will have a blessed and joyful Christmas. We know that some of you have recently experienced loss or heartache. Please know that Jesus is the true Healer and Comforter. He gives us strength as we keep our eyes steadfast on Him. From our family to yours have a Merry Christmas! 

Almost halftime

We have officially been in Cacalote, Oaxaca, Mexico for three months. We are a mere three weeks away from completing half of the Spanish language program. Before arriving, we had many ideas of what it would be like and how our Spanish would progress during our time here. I thought we would be fluent by the time we left Mexico. I have a much different view now on what that means. We certainly speak more Spanish than previously, but it will be years before either of us speaks fluently. A humbling thought, to say the least.

Our language learning is often frustrating, sometimes discouraging, and occasionally rewarding. We have to daily remind each other why we are here and Who led us to this place far from home. God has placed in both of us a heart to share His love with the world. We truly believe He paved the way and brought us to Mexico. He gave each of us a mutual desire to be here and He provided the finances. As far as what’s next, there are still a lot of unknowns, maybe even more than when we started. We know that if we continue striving and working hard at this, it will be worth it. Whether learning Spanish will help us build relationships with people in the Rogue Valley or to raise our children (should the Lord bless us with children) in a bilingual home or to serve the Lord in a Spanish speaking country.

Isn’t that how much of life is? Sometimes we can’t see two feet in front of us but we keep our eyes on the end goal, knowing it will be worth it. We keep our eyes steadfast on Jesus, knowing that what we do and how we live now has the potential to impact eternity. We can’t give up just because it’s hard or uncomfortable or not what we were expecting.

Running often reminds me of this truth. Lately, I have been running on the beach, just before the sun sets into the Pacific Ocean. It is such a vivid reminder of how God calls us to keep running, even when our legs ache and our lungs burn. To keep running, even when it feels like no one else got the memo. To keep running, even when we’re tired and worn out and bored with life. To keep running, even when the humidity is at one-hundred percent yet it won’t rain and the heat won’t lessen. One day all this will fade away and we will be face to face with our Maker.

Oh how I look forward to that day! In the meantime, I will keep seeking to know Him more, striving to love others well, and studying my Spanish verbs. Which way do you find yourself running these days? The end goal makes all the difference. Not all roads are created equally. 

Growing Pains

In Mexico, one can nearly sit and watch things grow. A wonderful example of this is the almond tree in our front yard which is only 14 months old, yet it is 10 inches thick and producing fruit. A papaya tree produces fruit only 4 months after it has been planted. This is an amazing place where any indigenous seed could be a tree only months later, but all of this beauty has a price…

Tropical places have more than just beautiful plant life. For one, the tropics are warm. Really warm. Eighty to 100ish degrees warm. I know what many of you are thinking; you’re thinking that 80 degrees doesn’t sound so bad, and you would be right. But let’s remember that we’re still in the tropics, so that 80 degrees is coupled with 70 to 95 percent humidity. This means that even if you are sitting and watching the trees grow, you will still be producing streams of sweat that will be running off your exhausted body. I feel I’ve been adapting quite well, but my wonderful wife, Bri, has been feeling very wiped out, overheated, and dehydrated for much of our time here. She’s getting used to the climate, but it’s just taking her a bit longer.

Then there’s the bug diversity. For the most part, I like bugs; they have a purpose, a job to do, and they do it well. We’ve been watching a lot of National Geographic Live in our house. One day it’s a hoard of ants dragging a cockroach up our wall. The next day we’ll stare at the geckoes fighting over a moth next to the light bulb until we experience nighttime blindness. All of this is great fun, but then there are those other “bugs”. I don’t believe that mosquitoes have a classic function like bugs do, and I mostly refuse to believe that they are bugs at all. No, mosquitoes are actually the spawn of Satan, a horrible blight on humanity, and yes, I wish all of them a slow and agonizing death by magnifying glass.

Outside of the climate related issues there are so many other things that can easily break a person down. I won’t likely ever enjoy the town’s loudspeakers that advertise various things, in the most obnoxious voice you can image, at 6 am, 10:30 pm and anytime in between, but I am finally past being upset about it. It is what it is. These are just people trying to make a living for their families; unfortunately they are making that living at about 100 decibels as telemarketers that you can’t hang-up on. I wish I was joking, but the dog howls in agony from his auditory beating every time the woman starts screaming into the microphone.

Speaking of the completely undisciplined dogs, yes, they do bark in the middle of the night for hours without ceasing. These dogs do, however, bark for a reason. Sometimes they bark because they see a stranger walking into a house that’s several blocks away from their own domain. At this point they alert the entire dog community that this person had the audacity to walk into his own home. They may have also just spotted a particularly menacing grasshopper, or perhaps even their own tails have caught their attention. You never know which life threatening situation might set them off, but I can tell you that a slingshot is an incredible training tool. Animal cookies are given for good behaviors, and rocks at high speeds are given for undesirable behaviors, and I have to say… it’s working beautifully.

Everything in this place takes much longer than it would in the States, and yet, we actually have more time than we used to. Our classes oftentimes make us wonder why on earth we are here in the first place, but then our quiz and test scores come in smelling like roses. Well ok, mine come in smelling a bit like roses that need their water changed, but there is still a sweetness about it.

All of this to say, things grow well in places like Mexico. If one is not careful, weeds can easily grow just as well as delicious fruit. This is a simple, age-old parallel to our own lives. I could, with the greatest of ease, grow malice in my heart toward my many dislikes in life or I can grow character. That brings us back to those horrible mosquitoes. Please understand me when I say this - I HATE MOSQUITOES with every morsel of my being, but (I will surely regret saying this) they do serve a purpose. These pests, like all pests, give way to opportunity, opportunity to develop my patience, increase my tolerance to the uncomfortable, and form me, sometimes violently, into the character of Christ. I will never tell you that I enjoy the process, but much like those test scores, I rather like the outcome. 

This is the day that the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

A few of the many things we are thankful for…

1.       An effective, efficient water filter and inexpensive jugs of filtered water

2.       Fresh, local, free-range chicken for 50 pesos per kilo which is around $1.50USD per pound

3.       Amazing Spanish instructors who love the Lord, put up with our American sarcasm, and are excellent teachers

4.       New friends who are quickly becoming a family

5.       A mosquito net over our bed that keeps the majority of mosquitoes and spiders out (and so far keeps all scorpions out)

6.       A spinner that gets out most of the water from the laundry we wash by hand

7.       An internet connection. It may be off and on at times, but we are so thankful to have the ability to stay connected with our friends and families at home

8.       Lots of fresh, exotic fruits. Many that we had never heard of before

9.       The finances and freedom to be here, studying Spanish

10.   The friendly, welcoming nature of Oaxacans here in Cacalote

11.   Our nephew, Austin, will arrive next week!

12.   A wonderful care package from Bri’s mom

13.   The recent marriage of Bri’s beloved sister

14.   Our Friday night Bible study with fellow Spanish students

15.   Moments of God revealing Himself to us in His creation  - breathtaking sunrises, cacophonies of birds, coconut trees on every corner, fireflies at night

16.   A greater understanding of Spanish each and every day

17.   A beloved couple expecting their first baby!

18.   Toasted coconut tostadas. Mmmmm…

19.   Two ceiling fans and a box fan! Thank You, Lord for a little relief from the humidity!

20. Two bicycles!

Corn syrup for babies!

The idea of the weak and poor being preyed upon is as old as dirt, I suppose. This hit home for us recently as we perused a local grocery store. We came upon a bottle of Karo corn syrup. It was labeled as baby food and promised to aid in easy digestion. The back of the bottle gave directions for how to properly mix it in your baby’s bottle.  This is appalling. An American based company, preying upon mothers who don’t know the difference. I’m sure the people who buy this product (and similar products) are buying it with good intentions. With the thought, “this will help my baby grow.” And I’m sure the companies selling the products are doing whatever they can to make another penny.

I saw this in Africa, as well. Infant formula companies advertising to African mothers, convincing them store-bought formula was better for their babies than mother’s milk. As a result, many mothers stopped breastfeeding and began feeding their infants formula. However, formula is expensive and they couldn't afford to give their babies the recommended amount. They started adding more water than the direction called for. Meanwhile, infant formula companies were making more and more money while more and more African babies suffered from malnutrition.

These things are mild compared to many other injustices in our world. War ravaged lands. Child slaves. Abused women. Starving people groups. And the list goes on.

These examples serve as reminders to us about a few things. First, they remind us that we live in a corrupt, often unjust world. However, the Bible tells us that our struggles are not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (check out Ephesians 6). It can be difficult (but important) to remember, that our enemy is not the president of a corrupt government, our enemy is not the CEO of Monsanto, and our enemy is not the rich man who exploits the poor. Satan is our enemy.

Second, these examples remind us that our God is bigger. God looks down from heaven and He sees everything that goes on. But vengeance belongs to Him and in His timing. It’s not our job. In the finiteness (is that a word?) of my being I can cry out and say, “Lord, why don’t you do something now? Why do you wait?” But who am I? I am made out of mere dust. Will I offer advice to the Creator of the Universe? I strongly believe that He is not ignoring pain and suffering and injustice in the world. Just because I do not see or understand His answer, does not mean that He is not answering.

Lastly, all of this reminds us how this life is temporary. In light of eternity, even the worst that could happen to us on earth, will fade away in light of God’s glory. One day there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Revelation 21:3-4 “…Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

While we anxiously wait for that day to arrive, I do not believe we’re supposed to have an apathetic attitude towards injustice and suffering in the world. God calls us to defend the helpless, to aid the orphans and widows, to give to those in need, etc. But when it seems as though the world is in a downward spiral, with evil increasing daily, remember these truths. Our hope comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. What a dying, hurting world needs is to know the love of Jesus so they too can have every tear wiped away one day.

Friendships

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man (or woman) with a heart must be in want of a friend. How awesome is it that God created us for relationship? Relationship with Him, relationship with each other. We've been enjoying building relationships with people in our new community. Our fellow classmates are a group of unique, creative, God-loving people from the U.S and Canada. We love going through this sometimes painful, often rewarding process with them. Sometimes it feels so random that we're all in this place together but we know it's not random. God orchestrates our lives and our circumstances. No detail is out of His grasp. What a crazy, amazing thought.

Each day we learn more and more Spanish. This opens the door of communication and we can actually have conversations with Mexicans now. The conversations are still broken and rudimentary, but we're able to go beyond phrases like, "How old are you?" "How many siblings do you have?" "What's your name?" Just this week we have been learning how to speak in past tenses. I didn't say "past tense" because, as it turns out, there are 14 tenses in Spanish. That's a hard concept to wrap my brain around.

We attend the church across the street from our house. Many of the songs are familiar to us. The sermon is still over our heads but we are able to pick out more and more words each week. We've been holding a low-key Bible study at our house on Friday evenings. It's been encouraging and refreshing for us to fellowship in our own language. Which is a wonderful reminder about why we are here. To be able to share the Lord and our lives with people in their own language is such a powerful thing. It's powerful for us to read the Word in English just as it is powerful for Spanish-speakers to read it in Spanish. Please pray that the Lord will give us the aptitude to learn this language and learn it well.

From Cacalote

Saturday, August 31, 2013

We arrived safely in Cacalotepec (or Catalote, as the locals call it) on Sunday, August 25^th. After 3 long layovers, 2 cancelled flights, and my (Brianna) birthday spent napping on the Mexico City airport floor, we were very glad to arrive. Our little two-room house is indeed rustic but we have been working to make it feel like home. Our bathroom and shower are in a building outside so just yesterday we made a little brick path to it. There are plenty of bugs in our house but so far nothing too terrifying. However, the mosquitoes enjoy feasting on our sweet, American flesh.

We put our gas stove/oven outside on the porch in an attempt to keep our house a little cooler while we cook. I’ve always wanted an outdoor kitchen so this is a dream come true. We do have a little fridge and are so thankful for this. It even has a tiny freezer with one ice cube tray! It’s the little things in life…

Cacalote is about four by six blocks. Yet it has 3 or 4 little stores, a produce stand, and a taco restaurant. The beach is less than a mile away and we can hear the waves as we fall asleep. It feels like we are in the middle of nowhere but there are several larger towns nearby.

It has been such a joy to meet so many wonderful people in the last week. The locals are extremely friendly and gracious with us as we stumble through the few Spanish phrases we know. There are 16 other students who will be studying Spanish with us and around 200 students at the connected Bible college. We are very excited to start classes on Monday!

There is such a peace that comes with being where God has called you to be. And the wonderful thing is that wherever we are in life, He has something for us. Whatever our circumstances (good or bad), our geographic location, our financial situation, He wants to work in and through us. In yesterday’s tidbit from “My Utmost for His Highest,” Oswald Chambers touched on this. It was a good reminder of where our focus should be. It shouldn’t be “how useful am I here?” He said, “It is the work that God does through us that counts, not what we do for Him.” So whether we are in Mexico or Medford, if our eyes are fixed upon Jesus, He will take care of the rest.

First World Problems

The issues we're currently facing reflect how incredibly blessed, pampered, and even gluttonous  we really are. First, we have an overwhelming abundance of great friends and family. It's been challenging to give quality, intimate time to so many friends and so much family. With all the first steps, weddings, births and perhaps even funerals that may take place in our absence, it's easy to feel a bit down or even mournful when we consider all that we'll miss in this coming year. We've not even boarded the plane and we're already excited to get back and catch up on all that will happen.

Next is the attack of Americanism... we have a lot of stuff... too much stuff. I, Travis, love gadgets and other things that I'll likely never again use in this lifetime. There, I said it. We have a 10 x 10 storage unit that is meticulously packed floor to ceiling with all the things we won't be bringing. The things that "are going" may have gotten a bit out of control. I'm guessing that not every family packs a pressure cuff and stethoscope, though both are useful. If I were a betting man, I may also wager that most families aren't taking an 80 foot slackline (picture tightrope walking) or a honing stone for sharpening machetes, but we are! We thoughtfully considered leaving our laptop (especially when we thought it was dead) because there's something that both of us find really appealing about living more primitively. That nanosecond has passed, however, and as soon as I finish this post I'll likely give my laptop a hug and whisper sweet nothings into its microphone.

Last, we need to organize our finances so that everything is getting paid on time when we're gone. Many people have asked if we need help raising support for all of this, and we don't. All of it is covered so far. For those who have offered, we're asking them to find a missionary that they can follow and support prayerfully and financially. You will be blessed by the connection and so will they. The Lord has provided for us far beyond what either of us could ever deserve and we want to use it responsibly while furthering His kingdom. If long term, overseas ministry is in our future, then I'm sure God will provide diligent supporters at that time, and thank you to all who have asked and offered.

It should now be clear that the issues we face are first world problems. If you ever lament about having a slow internet connection or that you had to eat leftovers two nights in a row, You Are Blessed. Be thankful.

Preparing to leave

Getting ready to leave for Cacalotepec, Oaxaca, Mexico to learn Spanish! We board the plane and fly into our new life in less than two weeks. It’s a bittersweet time as we put our life into boxes, say good-bye to loved ones, and look ahead to where God is leading us. We've sold our cars and received typhoid and hepatitis vaccinations. Travis passed his state boards for massage and Bri had her last night at work. 

We don’t know much about where we will live except it’s inexpensive, less than a mile from a beach, within walking distance to school, and has an outhouse and shower in the yard. We’re looking forward to a more simple life. A life of washing our laundry by hand, walking or biking to get around town, and, we’re assuming, eating lots of beans and rice. We feel so blessed to have this opportunity and blessed that God has provided so abundantly for us.