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sorry about the delay in the next post. traveling and holidays have kept me quite busy. nonetheless...here we go

so the next 2 questions that were asked were: what affected you the most? and what are you taking with you? luckily, those two answers coincide.

one day in at the market in Saltillo, between General Cepeda and Monterey, we were relaxing in the central plaza. there were bags upon bags of stuff, most of which were items to donate, sitting outside. as we felt like the ugliest of americans, 3 gentlemen in authentic cowboy attire sat on a wall next to us. we felt compelled to strike up a conversation with them (i think to prove we weren't the greediest and coldest people on earth). as my friend sean offered the us and our new friends cokes we began to exlpain why we were in Mexico. after we had divulged our purpose for being in Mexico and our trip to Saltillo i confessed, "this is my first time in Mexico" in broken spanish. now, this guy MAYBE knew my name, but he certainly didn't know me, and i didn't know him. but he said without skipping a beat:

now, at first, i thought, "oh how nice. 'welcome home.'" but, at second glace, and a with better knowledge of the language, this really means




this hit me like a ton of bricks. this man who knew little to nothing about me did not regard this place where he lived, grew up, works, has family and could claim ownership of as anything but my house. i couldn't believe it. we live in a place where we are afraid to open our front door. where we avoid the homeless like the plague. where human life is cast aside without a second glace. and this man, without hesitation, made me aware that whatever was "his" belonged to everyone. that anyone is welcome. and that it comes without price. this was the message of the people of Mexico. "welcome! I don't know you, but that won't stop me from loving you!" from the cities to the streets, from the churches to the houses, from the old to the young, this was the message proclaimed without second thought.

and this is what i leave with. a new idea of what love and hospitality means. a new idea of giving from poverty. a new sense of hope in people and what we are capable of. i pray that i am able to emulate the kind of radical hospitality i experienced in Mexico. i pray that i may welcome others, not to my home, but to their home. what a beautiful experience. it has truly made for a different kind of holy days.

i pray that you have a blessed holiday season and a joyful 2009. please pray for the people of Mexico, especially, General Cepeda, that showed us so much love and kindness. i will be praying for you. God bless.

Posted by adam at 11:36 PM Comments