Bienvenidos de Guanajuato!

Day 8

So after a weekend of relaxation in Mexico City, it was finally time to spread me wings and fly to the “City of the Frogs”—also known as Guanajuato. In the morning, I took a taxi all by myself from a friend’s house to the centro where I was to meet my mentor. I do not know if you caught that. I—Ariel Anib—Kansas girl—took a taxi in Mexico City (one of the largest cities in the world) by myself! Upon arriving, I was easily able to pick out my mentor, Marcos even though we had never met. I do not know if it was the glasses that might have indicated that he worked with engineers all day OR the fact that he kept smiling at me in a knowing way.

I quickly learned that my mentor was originally from Chicago, so I got to rest my brain and thank God for a conversation that I could understand in English. The ETN bus we took to get to Guanajuato was extremely spacious. It had a separate restroom for men and women in the back. On top of that, there was also enough for me stretch my legs all the way out.

Once upon a time…

            One of the ETAs told me that I would love Guanajuato because it is like a painting come to life. She definitely was not even close to exaggerating. After getting picked up by our two coworkerrs (Marta and Mabel), the four of us drove through Guanajuato. And I kid you not, I felt like I got thrown into Miguel Cervantes’ classic, Don Quijote (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCDRUh0jVMw)!

            Before you could say Parangaricutirimicuaro, we were getting dropped up in front of an alley. It took me no time to realize that walking up ~75 stairs would not be easy…especially with a 50 pound suitcase. My room in the house downtown was a lot better than I expected. I actually have an extra bed and a little living area. The only negative things I could say about the place were that there are about four dogs, it is in a creepy callejón (alley) and I killed five giant spiders.

            My new friend and neighbor, Mabel took me to a café called Casa Carcamanes so that I could get free wifi. It was a beautiful place to be, with good food and relaxing music. It was there that I learned that they will not kick you out. So, I accidentally kept the owner there at least 30 minutes after it was supposed to close!

Day 9

In the morning, I ventured out all by myself and found a cool place for breakfast called Tulúm. There, I made friends with a waitress named Sara Luna. She also became my first English student! She invited me back the next day for a free lunch. What a blessing! J

I will be working at a Tecnológico Superior and Mabel (even though she is on vacation) was kind enough to show me how to get there by bus. It is a pretty new school of less than 1,000 students, with four majors (Industrial Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Computer Systems Engineering and Foods Engineering). Walking into the school, I was instantly famous. Although tempted to run the other way, I walked in with my shoulders back, head held high, and a little swag in my step. The faculty there is really nice and it kinda reminded me of the Leadership Studies building at K-State. I had originally marked a preference for secondary school on my Fulbright application and after seeing rowdy boys giving piggy back rides, I quickly realized my request had been granted.

Ask and you shall receive

            Upon returning to the house from my first grocery store trip, I was introduced to Julieta, my landlord’s (Doña) daughter. The first day I found out that Julieta was Christian after a conversation with Doña. Well, immediately Julieta invited me to her church and gave me information about EVERYTHING. Apparently she is the wife of the pastor of the largest congregation (300 people) in Guanajuato! PRAISE GOD!

Day 10

            I finally got to venture out into Guanajuato and made it all the way to the Café and set up my bank account all by myself! On top of that, I went to a women’s bible study with Pastor Ramos and his wife. I had found this church on Google and what a treasure it was indeed. The lesson was over Mary Magdalene and how God forgives us with love. Everyone wrote down sins and then wrote 1 John 1:9 over it. It says “ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”. Then we all took turns shredding it. I came here naively thinking I would struggle finding a church and I now realize I am going to have to choose between two!

Today (Day 11)

            Today, I woke up bright and early. Fixed some cereal, a packed lunch, got ready, and headed to the bus stop all by myself. Standing there, I realized that I was not seeing the bus that I needed. Right as I was starting to get nervous, I heard, “blablablablaCERESOblabla.” Without hesitation, I hopped on, praying that it would be the right one. And it was! J

            I spent the day at the Tecnológico learning about teaching methods. I realized quickly that being a teacher is way harder than it looks, especially when you are learning it in a different language. I would say I left overwhelmed in the least.

            Getting off work, I had a voicemail from my friend Yujin (from Korea) saying that she was at the Guanajuato bus station and had been waiting for two hours! Due to the fact that my bus ride back to the centro took 40 minutes and I had no clue how to get the bus station…I was in a pickle! So, I sucked up my pride and asked multiple people what to do. Within 10 minutes of getting off my bus, I found another stop and a bus that said Central de autobuses.

**Ariel-1 Guanajuato- 5. I am definitely catching up.**

            Today I had a run in with a cultural difference with the Doña. I had no idea that when guests came to stay, they have to pay a small fee. Sadly, I found this out when my friend Mabel came and told me that Doña brought it up to her. Now, it makes sense since I am paying only $100 (gas and lights included). But the whole finding out through a third party? Not cool! I cleared it up though and Apologized for not having let her know in advance.

I would say that this week, I have conquered a lot. If you thought the last entry was long, I am sure you did not it make it through this week’s! With more experience will come less speculation, but here are the random things I noticed (WARNING—Not PC at all):

• ·      Saw my first transvestite
• ·      Mexican Catholic priests sound like gringos to me
• ·      There is a black saint from Perú named San Martín de Porres
• ·      When it comes to Bible Study and speaking in a university, my Spanish is that of a first grader!

Thanks for the continuous love and prayers!

Sirenita

It's a New Dawn...It's a New Day

Pre-México 2012

            So, I never thought this day would come. Finally, I could pinpoint a moment where two, seemingly paradoxical, Biblical promises proved to be true. “God will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4) and “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). My freshman year of college, the Fulbright was suggested to me by the Scholarship Advisor, Jim Hohenbary and it became a desire of my heart. As the years went on, I had to truly make that desire secondary and rest in the fact that whatever the Lord’s will was would be more than sufficient for me. Well, let me tell you how ecstatic I was to find out that I had received the Fulbright, an answer to prayer.

            Leading up to my time abroad, I was experiencing an ambivalence of emotions. Joy about being about to go to my México—my second home. Fear about the unknown. Frustration toward those who said more negative than positive toward my leaving. And Relief toward those who promised to cover me in prayer knowing that I was called to leave. Those feelings (and more) sent me off Monday, August 20.

Day 1

After no sleep, I got out of bed at 4:15am to get ready for my 7:30am flight to Mexico City for orientation. I had the privilege of being about to ride with two other Fulbright scholars, Michael and Shea, from Kansas City. With little to no problems with Customs, taxis, or flight delays, we were able to arrive to our hotel in Mexico City around 2:30pm or so. It was crazy to find that our hotel was in the middle of a mall!

In little to no time, my roommate Savi arrived as well. Savi is from New York and has awesomely curly hair (which we were sure to bond over). In less than an hour, we had formed a group of six and were laughing and joshing with one another like old buddies. We went out and visited el Centro Histórico, ate dinner, and snacked on churros y chocolate caliente. What a blessing it was to be surrounded by beautiful (and handsome) people who not only loved Latin American culture, but also had a desire to make moves toward educational equality!

Day 2

            Our morning began with a Mexican breakfast buffet in the lower floor of the hotel. We were able to meet all the English Teaching Assistants, as well as the Business Bi-national scholars.

            After listening to introductions, we spent the day learning about the program and responsibilities that we will have for the next year. We were also able to get our bank cards and first paycheck which was definitely a plus.

From “uninformed optimism” to “informed pessimism”

            So, in the evening, we had a workshop about crossing cultures. In this workshop, I realized that there are many things that my African American culture has in common with Mexican culture:

            -Speaking respectfully to elders

            -Being late

            -Greeting everyone in a room individually upon entering.

            -More personable with greetings than just a handshake (offer hug/kiss)

Although this is my 8^th time in México, I realized that there are also some things that I will struggle with culturally:

-Being able to listen and talk at the same time in Spanish. In Mexican culture, it is not rude to interrupt during discussions/conversation.

-Often Mexicans can overpromise and under-deliver in order to preserve a relationship.

-There is a value of loyalty over honesty.

-One must engage in small talk before jumping straight to business.

In order to keep from offending others, I am trying to open my mind to these new ways of interaction, but it is not going to be easy at all!

Day 3

            This day was the second of orientation and was filled with information about getting a cooperante visa, medical benefits, ETA resources, and the Mexican political system. All in all, it was a long morning AND afternoon.

Blitz, Glitz, and Ritz

            So, in the evening, we were formally invited to go to a reception hosted by Ambassador of the United States of America to México. His house was ridiculously huge and filled with all sorts of people who worked at the embassy. Perhaps I will enter the Foreign Service as a career?

            The night ended with dancing and fun with friends!

Today (Day 4)

            Today was absolutely amazing! I was able to see Teotihuacán. It absolutely amazes me to see that man is capable of build something so complex. The pyramids were impressive .

If you were able to make it all the way through this, well done. Tomorrow, I will be checking out of the hotel, staying with my friend’s boss’s family before heading out to Guanajuato Monday!

Thanks for the continuous love and prayers!

4 Years to Remember

Just finished my last final and I graduate this Saturday! Praise God for the things he has taught me. May you learn from my mistakes and triumphs!

Written: Friday, April 13, 2012-Sunday, April 15, 2012

Marathon Runner

I remember like it was yesterday, when I came to K-State in 2008
It was a brand new place, new experiences, and new freedoms.
I had a new life to live. So I put on a Wildcat identity, always dressed in my purple looking royal.
 “My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for my toil.”
Motivated by being known, the success came in drones.
One organization after another. Do more. Sleep less. I could feel my heart groan.
But I didn’t listen to the cloud of witnesses. That I had heard about.
 Because I was too busy chasin’ after things that could never amount.
Desiring to be Desired. I sought whatever attention I could acquire.
From everyone EXCEPT from the one who was willing to give it without a cost.
Among Christians I was living like the lost.
Night after night I wasted time. When my Spirit jerked, I let Him know I was fine.
 I was with people who were followers of Jesus after all. But together we were in free fall.
 Oh, but at least I don’t drink and have sex was my infamous boast.
Unlike horseshoes and Hand Grenades, with God you don’t get points for almost.
On the outside looking in, I was righteous. I went to church every Sunday without prodding from my mother. Consuming rubbish, my new hobby was to neglect my Lover.

After living in self-induced blindness my God stepped in and gave me a chance to confess.
He used mud from my past so that my eyes could see.
In that darkness he gave me a new testimony.
 I was the woman at the well. Avoiding, caught up in a lie, believing a twisted truth.
But once Christ met me, I was left mute.
The Urbana conference was my burning bush. God opened my eyes to his multicultural mission.
Missions became more than an ambition. I finally had the ammunition that I needed to make the change I had been wishin’.
Come, taste and see that the Lord is good. Could this be the Messiah?
Well, the last time I checked Jesus was not a tease.
So I decided to clothe, feed, and invite the least of these.
 Fighting poverty was no longer just a We are the World movement.
There were people dyin’ while I was figuring out who was to be sent.
 To bring the kingdom of heaven near, God lit a fire in my heart…to see every nation, tribe, and tongue come to Christ.
To say the Body is better segregated is another one of Satan’s lies!

The second half of college was much better than the first.
Not saying that I am no longer a sinner because some days I am the worst.
But now I have accepted God’s grace.
God met me where I was and all I had to do was seek his face.
 I was spurred to live a Purpose-Driven Life and a penny it did not cost.
Glory to God Jesus chose death on a cross and my debt was tossed.
Although it is hard for me not to dwell on the past,
I realized that I must become preoccupied by a new task.
I finally had to say goodbye to all those old things that I chased.
At first it was a culture shock and I did not like the taste. You see, the identity that people created for me was completely displaced.
To be no longer restricted by meetings and people with agendas, is sublime.
What a blessing you receive when you don’t micromanage the author of Time.
The truth is, Christian norms are not normal. My language is characterized by idiomatic expression, and abiding in Christ is my new obsession.
I asked the Lord to send me and he said Go.
So, I am going, for the Lord is my portion and his provision will be pouring…down on my life like rain. And in sickness or in pain, I will not be ashamed to proclaim my Adonai’s name. God is not tame, and my faith is not lame, so call me insane…for going to the Land of the Drug War.
Amidst the fighting, you will still find the poor.
I will throw everything that hinders…me from bringing the good news to sinners.
But before you shoot the messenger, you must know that my weapon could get you with one blow.
No need to push and no need to shove. For the weapon in my arsenal is unconditional love.
So Drug war, you better watch out because I come to you fully armed—Ephesians 6.
In this marathon I am running and my eyes are fixed. Even though yesterday is history and tomorrow’s a mystery, we must remember this life is but a breath in light of eternity.
Therefore, I will walk forward with open hands and no plans, for God has prepared my work in advance.

 Verses: Psalm 27, Hebrews 12, Ecclesiastes 3, Ephesians 6, Ephesians 2:10, Isaiah 6:8, 2 Timothy 1:7, John 15, Romans 12, Psalm 39:5, Revelation 7:9, John 4, and many more! In Christ, Ariel

Romanced

I thought I should post this in honor of International Women's Day!



I am so whipped.
In love. Unadulterated love.
Consumed. Burning with desire kind of love.
I am so Hooked that even a chainsaw could not disconnect.

Connected.

I am His, He is mine.
The Jack to my Rose. Romeo to this Juliet.
He is so Strong. He is not the soldier, but the whole Fortress.
Fort Knox. Me off my feet. My Protector. From all harm.
No need for mace. No alarms. Or Guns. He is real shooter.
He is my safety net. And If looks could kill, I would die a thousand deaths.


So fine.

How Handsomely beautiful is the One who has my heart.
Just one glance and my body is lit. A heavenly light fills me from head to toe.
I cannot look at Him. But I try and try and try.
He makes me weak in the knees. I can hardly speak.


So I Listen.

To my love’s still small voice. So calm, but so strong.
It sends chills down my back. How does he do it?
Like a sergeant. He is in command, but not demanding.
My attention. He asks for it. Wants it. Wants me. He, wants me.

Nobly. Royalty.

Crowned with Grace. A throne of Mercy, and cloaked in Forgiveness.
Oh how I love his Character! Not 2D. Not 3D or even 4. He is all dimensional.
Spontaneous but never changing.
Always loving. Patiently enduring. Willing, to pass his cloak to me.
If I am cold, unloving, he showers me with compassion.
A spirit like a lion and the heart of a lamb. He is mine.

My lover.

“I wanna yearn for you, I wanna burn with passion”
In His presence, my Butterflies are Eagles.
He empowers me to soar. To go places that I never thought I could.
Climb mountains I have never climbed. Cross seas that I have never seen.
Makes me feel like a woman. Miscommunications gone. Metamessages decoded.
He knows my innermost thoughts and secrets. Every pain. Every burden.
It is all on his shoulders. And it feels good. To not have to bear it alone.

I am in-Dependence.

On you, my Adonai, my Shepherd, my Jehovah Jireh.
When you call, I will answer. When you enter, I will be the Mary.
Who sits at your feet. With “undivided devotion”. Worship.
You are my inspiration. My motivation. My dedication.
That is worthy and deserving of me. All of me.
Oh Reedemer. Hosea and Boaz do not compare. No man.
Will ever find me, without finding you.
My first. And Last. Love.


Written By: Ariel Anib –February 26, 2012


**Inspired by: Revelation 2, 1 Corinthians 7 & 13, Book of Isaiah, Psalms & Song of Solomon, Shane & Shane, Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge, and more...

Charity Re-examined

"I am not a charity case"
So, this past weekend, I got the opportunity to go to Ag School which is a training program through Reach ministries. My campus ministry, Ichthus is huge on training up new Christian leaders. Little did I know that my mind would be so boggled...in a good way!


A Changed definition:
I actually learned that charity's definition has been confused with alms. Biblically, alms means the physical donation or thing that is being transferred. Acts 3:2 says, "And a man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple." 


Charity in the Bible, does not mean what dictionary.com claims. It actually means Agape love described in 1 Corinthians 13. "Charity is patient. Charity is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast..."


Exchanging the truth for a lie...
"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools ...They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen" (Romans 1:21-23,25). 


God is not telling us to keep from giving alms or donations. In fact, I know as a believer I am called to tithe with a cheerful heart (2 Cor. 9:7). However, if you find yourself in a place where you are giving money without charity (love) then it would be better for you to keep that money to yourself. 


A Higher Calling!
Those of you who wear the name Christian...God has called you to something higher than just throwing your money. If you have a compassion child, write letters to them. If you give to a large organization and you feel disconnected from their mission, consider pulling back your money. Think about ways to invest in students that have a heart for missions by sending them to serve or awesome conferences like Urbana! 


As Christians, it must be evident that we do works because of our faith, so that no one can boast in themselves. Plus, God has prepared them in advance for us to do in the first place! Take a look at the perfect example--Jesus. Jesus was active in social justice through the feeding of the 5,000 and the woman at the well. However, he made his purpose clear by talking about Bread of Life and the Living Water so that the glory may go to the Father.


Is this too hard? Well remember, you Cannot serve both God and Money (Matthew 6:24), so a choice will have to be made.




In Christ,
Ariel

Kairos--A New Beginning

Welcome to Mission Adelante!

So on Saturday, May 28, I began my internship with Mission Adelante in Kansas City, KS that will last until August 14. I flew back from Mexico May 27 pretty last, so I was tired! With Mission Adelante, I will have the opportunity to serve the Latino immigrant community by teaching English classes and sharing with them who Christ is. I have been here for almost a week now, so I will try to summarize a week of awesomeness as succintly as I can.

Moving in

SO, part of Mission Adelante's model is to move into the neighborhood where they are serving. Due to this, all the interns are staying in a dorm-like building that you used to be a hubbub for Medical Missions in the heart of KCK. There is actually a birthing center on the first floor. Unfortunately, due to lack of funding the birthing center is only open on Wednesdays. The room pictured above is mine. This is the largest room that I have ever had in my life! Random story: This past Wednesday, I had to translate for a Mexican woman and her husband that the center could no longer service pregnant women anymore.

I don't think we're in Johnson County Anymore

Our faithful leader (or the Director/Founder of Mission Adelante), Jarrett Meek, gave us a tour of our new community in this awesome bus! Everyone keep telling me to close my mouth because I was in complete shock! Growing up in Johnson County, I didn't realize that this "Little Mexico, Central/South America" existed less than 30 minutes from me! There were Panderias, Taquerias,Pastelerias, Paleterias, and more.

A Neighborhood Welcome

So, the first evening here, we got to meet some key people that are in our neighborhood. It started it out as kinda awkward, but that didn't last too long! I ran outside to play soccer with the boys and jump rope with the little girls. It was a blast! It is crazy to see how close this neighborhood is and they let us in with open arms. What a blessing this summer is going to be!

Instant Best Friends

This summer there are six interns with Mission Adelante. Jessie and Geo are working with Latino Teens. Cassie and Michelle are working with Latino Kids or Kids Adelante. Nate is working with Teens that are Bhutanese Refugees. We are all so different and from different walks of life, but we instantly clicked as a group. It is crazy how talented this men and women are, and I know they strong brothers and sisters in Christ as well. I am so excited to learn from them for the next two and a half months.

Busy Week!

Part of the internship. So, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, we wake up at 7:30AM to do a morning workout around the track at 8AM. It is important for us to take care of the temple that God gave us. After that we do devotional time as well as read from books about Christianity and Leadership. We eat lunch at work and use the afternoons for office work and contact work. Contact work is an opportunity for us to take people that we have connected with in the neighborhood out to bond and just completely show them the love of Christ.
Special Additions. Aside from that regular schedule, there are some additional things that I get to do. Mondays, I eat with my specific immigrant family. The mom's name is Erika and she has two children named Natalie and Kevin. Tuesdays, I go to killer Zumba classes with women in the community. They are awesome, but taught by an intense woman named Myesha who is Afro-Cubana. On Wednesdays, I eat with my supervisor, Jason's family. Thursdays I teach ESL classes in the evenings. Saturdays are pretty open. Sometimes, I will go to a Grandma named Marta's house to hang out. She has six grandchildren that she takes care of all day, every day in the summer. She reminds me so much of my Grandma that passed. On Sundays we are free to go to church in the morning wherever we want. In the evenings we have church at Mission Adelante in Spanish.
Thank God for Sabbath. Fridays we have our day of rest. This last Friday, I made the mistake of scheduling too much and filling it up with appointments. NEVER AGAIN!

God Speaks

I just wanted to close with what God is teaching me this week. The scripture that we read a group was John 15:1-10 and Matthew 5:1-12. God is really breaking down my pride and teaching me humility, vulnerability, and trust in Him. Commentary in my Bible really spoke to me when it said, "To be blessed is to be able to experience hope and joy, independent of outward circumstances". I used to worry about tomorrow, but God is teaching me meekness and humility by finding joy in his Providential surprises.


Can I get an Amen?

Ariel

The Quiet Game: Reloaded

Speak out without speaking

So, along with my Goodnow Hall Diversity team and second floor, I decided to do the 25 Challenge. For those of you that don't know what that is...From Sunday, April 24 at 7PM to Monday, April 25 at 8PM. I was completely silent for 25 hours. This 25 hours is to represent the 25 years that "...the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda (GoU) have been waging a war that has left nearly two million innocent civilians caught in the middle. The war in northern Uganda has been called the most neglected humanitarian emergency in the world today".

**Check out www.invisiblechildren.com for more details

My Silent Revelations

So, if I were to narrate my day, this blog post would take about twenty minutes to read...at least. Due this, I will appeal to those of you that like lists!

1. Powerful versus powerless: As soon as people learned that I was unable to talk, some took the opportunity to be mean. Many would just put words in my mouth. This is directly correlated to what those child soldiers must endure day in and day out.

2. Biggest Struggle: Surprisingly, the meaner people were, the easier it was to be silent. I refused to give in to ignorance. My biggest struggle was not being able to say thank you when people did the smallest things that normally mean so much to me (i.e. Opening the door).

3. My confession: I had to talk two times! Last night I was on duty, and I had to write my first Information report about a resident! The second time was just a complete slip up on my part. I was in the Developing Scholars Program office and one of the workers did something for me and I automatically said, "Thank ya honey!" Oops! Due to this, I had to wave harder and smile more to let people know that I didn't hate them!

4. Jesus Moment: A verse that had been on my heart all day was James 1:19, "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry". This experience truly showed me what it was like to listen wholeheartedly.

5.Highlights: Playing Catch Phrase at a social. I had to turn it into Charades. Another was realizing that a resident needed to vent. It was really nice not having the temptation to only think about what I was going to say next.


I have a "BREAK THE SILENCE" bash that I planned at 8PM, so I will end on this note. I encourage you all to have your own Silent Challenge. You'd be amazed at how much talking can be an inhibition in your relationships.

Moving Forward:
Looking ahead, I have realized that God has given me a voice for a reason. It will be my mission to speak for those who go unheard, but listen so that their needs are met and not my own.


Much <3,

Ariel