Time Flying By
I have been in Brownsville for almost three weeks now, and it hardly seems possible. The summer is simply flying by. I have managed to keep myself fairly occupied and I find I am really enjoying mixing between all sorts of ages and groups in the church, definitely seeing many apects of it.

Suprisingly, I do little work directly with the pastor. It does feel nice, however, to be trusted to create and organize things in a congregation where I have been so recently welcomed. As I spend more and more time in this congregation I see more and more that is different from my home congregation, which has been a great experience to understand a different way of doing church. Things small, even down to the way potlucks are carried out. :)

Another interesting dynamic is the church being situated in the location that it is. Of course, there is a very large Latin@ population here, which is traditionally catholic or otherwise. The "Mennonite culture" that I am accostomed to in Goshen is completley absent here in the community. The understanding, even, of what it means to be Mennonite varies, as it does anywhere else within MC USA. It makes for wonderful learning experiences, however, as I see what biases I have been raised with and as I continually think of the broader church and what it means to be a global Mennonite church, or even a continental one.

The youth group and I are preparing for a trip to San Jose which I am positive will be both rewarding and stretching for everyone on the trip. We are very much looking forward to it. The day to day continues to be enjoyable and challenging. I am certainly enjoying my stay here at Brownsville, three weeks in.
Posted at 17:22 #

A Hot Beginning
So-Brownsville, Texas. I've been here almost two weeks now and the time is already beginning to fly.

The church I am working with is Iglesia Menonita del Cordero. The church has about 120 members and one pastor, Rigoberto Negron, who is originally from Puerto Rico, but has been pastoring this congregation for over 10 years.

The experience thus far has been great. Because Brownsville is so close to the border, the majority of the church (and city, in fact) are hispanic. The different culture brings a very different face to church, and I am learning a lot in that. My academic faith and organized ideas about church are definitely being challenged as I am pushed here to be much more charasmatic. Already I can see that we (myself and the church) are learning from one another.

Upon arrival, I discovered a very laid-back pastor in his approach to church work. Thus, I fell into place quickly and easily, although with somewhat little to do at the beginning. Furthermore, there are not worship leaders or music leaders in the sense that I (and many churches in the North) know them. Church just kind of "happens without a very organized approach, as I am used to. For example, at my church at home we meet together during the week to talk about the Sunday morning service and such, but that does not happen here. God is definitely moving in church, however, its just a different way to do church.

...with that in mind, however, I have little required of me in terms of church work for Sunday mornings. Thus, I have created some work for myself. There is a homeless shelter across the road, which I volunteer at one day a week, and I also spend one day a week in the shop behind the church with the maintenance guy, a retired member of the church, doing odd jobs around the church. I lead a Sunday School class and attend meetings on Wednesday nights, and I am part of a cell/small group. I have begun to get to know many of the members, and have started to do visitation to elderly and sick people's homes on tuesday mornings with some of the women of the church. And lastly, I am an assistant youth sponsor with the high-school aged group of youth. Although I had at the beginning not wanted this to be a youth pastor experience, I am finding that it is one place where there is a lot of need in this congregation-- kids that have some deep needs and problems. Thus, I've started to take them out one-on-one for conversation and support, and I can tell already that we will both grow emmensely from that experience.

The members of the congregation are wonderful. They speak spanish slowly so I can understand, and a few of the families have kind of adopted me, as I am living alone in a small apartment on church property. I feel like I'm starting to end the beginning stages and am beginning to feel at home here with this new congregation and people for the summer. I can see that it is going to be an extremely rewarding summer.

Posted at 17:28 #