Many people are worried about our safety. Many people have asked if it’s safe to visit Mexico. Some people have even encouraged us to leave Mexico because of what they have seen on the news. Is Mexico as dangerous as the news channels have made it out to be?
Regardless of where you live, danger exists. Every country and every city have their own unique problems and dangers. I’m not going to write a lot about the issue of safety in Mexico, but here are a few things I’ve seen on the web lately about safety in Mexico:
Is Mexico Safe?
Is it safe to do ministry in Mexico? by Mike King – among other things, his post says, “Trying to eliminate danger from every area of our lives will lead to paralysis and missional impotence.” I like that quote.
Is It Safe? by Pura Vida – “Are we trapped here?…No… Perhaps they’re trapped here with us.” Great perspective on safety and ministry.
Rant on Crime and Going to Mexico on Between Diapers and Dishes – Interesting video post about who to associate with when you come to Mexico.
We’re confident that the place we live is safe. We are thankful for those people who worry about us. But, we have work to do, and we know that we are in the safest place we can be right now.
I came home last Saturday from a long day of training in downtown Mexico City, opened my email, and saw that one of my students had sent me a message.
It was from Kareny, a first year student in the Bachelor’s degree program at the Seminary. (Pictured in the middle with her fiance Josue and Huberto, the youth pastor of her church).
She had just come home from a youth event at her church, where she was able to see God impact the lives of various of the young people with whom she is working. She was writing us to tell us about it, and she said:
“Dennis, today I lived one of those things that make you feel that nothing else matters besides ministry. I thank God for calling me (into the ministry) and for having called you and Huberto…
Thanks, Dennis, for being here with us. Thank you for obeying your calling; God has brought many blessings to all of us because of it. Thanks to your wife for supporting you; she is an example. Thank you for being in Mexico. Thanks for having so much patience. Thanks for dedicating time to us. Thanks for understanding us. Thanks for praying praying for us. Thanks for sharing the knowledge that God has given you. Thank you for everything.
May God richly bless you, your wife, and your children.”
Receiving that message made me think of you. Without your prayer and support, we would not be here. We all play a part in what God is doing in the ministries of our students. He is doing great things both in their lives and the lives of the young people with whom they work. Thank you for praying and supporting this ministry.
For more information about how you can support our ministry and make a difference in the lives of young people in Latin America, click here.
I’ve noticed that more and more people are using cell phone technology in more places, and I’ve begun to deal with it in the classroom setting as well. It’s not uncommon for one of my students to check their cell phone for messages during class.
I’ll have to admit, sometimes it irritates me, although it doesn’t phase them. A recent survey says that baby boomers and Gen Y see the use of cell phones during meetings in different ways. I would have to agree.
Even 57 percent of Gen Y respondents think that it is “impolite” (compared to 67 percent of Baby Boomers). But the Gen Y workers surveyed can deal with it better. Only 49 percent find such behavior “distracting,” while 68 percent of Baby Boomers did. And so it goes, younger workers also tend to find such multi-tasking during meetings more productive (Gen Y: 35% versus Boomers: 20%) and efficient (Gen Y: 35%; Boomers: 17%). While Gen Xers find them to be the most unavoidable (29% versus 21% for Gen Y and 17% for Boomers).
When I whip out my iPhone during a meeting (or church service – which I’ve been known to do), I should probably consider who is with me in the meeting. If I’m with a group of my students, they won’t see it as distracting (49%) as my baby boomer friends do (68%)
So think twice the next time you’re in a meeting and you get buzzed by your phone. Will you take it out or not?
I just read these statistics from a survey done by Reforma, a local newspaper here in Mexico City, about what Mexicans think of President Barack Obama.
Two out of three Mexicans have a favorable opinion of the President of the United States, Barack Obama.
When asked, “What is your opinion of the President of the United States?”, 65% responded “very good” or “good”.
Thirteen percent said “okay.” Seven percent said “bad” or “really bad”, and 15% responded, “I don’t know.”
In the same study, 66% of the people interviewed consider that the relationship between Mexico and the United States is “very good/good”. Fifteen percent said “normal”, a 14% said “bad/very bad”. Five percent did not respond to the question.
(The survey was conducted March 28th by telephone to 850 respondents from all over Mexico and has a margin of error of +/- 3%)
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I came home last Saturday from a long day of training in downtown Mexico City, opened my email, and saw that one of my students had sent me a message.
