Since yesterday was exams and the weekends are busy with people, we decided to take the day off today and head off to the Mexico City zoo downtown in Chapultepec Park (Click for pictures). It was really fun, and Nathan had a great time looking at all the animals. They have pretty much every animal you can think of. They also have McDonald’s dessert stands. I had never seen that before, but they have them at the zoo.
There’s a cool art exhibit going on here, too, called the cow parade. There are a bunch of fiberglass cows that they have put up all over the city, especially downtown (Click for more pictures). They have been sponsored by different companies and designed by different artists. I was hoping to get to see it, and today after the zoo, we got to see a bunch of them.
We also ate lunch at Hard Rock cafe, which I like a lot, but never get the opportunity to eat there because it’s downtown. So, it was a good day with animals, art, and good food. Of course, the best part of the whole day was getting to spend time with Janell and Nathan.
Check out the “Vaca of Independence” and the “Paris Hilton Cow.”
Today was the day of reckoning for my youth ministry students. The Final Exam for Programs in Youth Ministry 1, a class on planning and administration of events for youth ministry. They all did fairly well. Now, I just have to grade their projects, and we’ll know their grades for the class.
The final project is difficult. It’s time-consuming. It makes you lose your will to live. But, since it’s beneficial for ministry training, they do it. They had to plan a yearly activity calendar, choose 10 activities, and give me details as though they were really planning these activities. They also have to turn in a yearly budget. The way the seminary is set up, they only had like 2 weeks to do most difficult part, but they are still alive.
Last night, I waited around for someone to show up for a meeting, and they didn’t. I’m getting used to that, and I’m learning that sometimes it’s necessary to confirm a meeting multiple times.
I just got back from a 4 hour meeting with Salomon. We were planning a one-day conference that is taking place in April as well as talking through details of the Leadership Workshop in Guadalajara in May. We also had a pretty good talk about youth ministry in general and specifically the youth ministry at PIB Satelite. Overall, it was a good meeting, even though it was long.
Earlier today, I went to the seminary to work in the morning. After chapel, I came home, and we took Nathan to the doctor for a follow-up visit from when he was sick. The doctor examined him and said that he is all better, but he gave us a prescription for an anti-respiratory infection medicine. We went to Costco, and it cost like $35 US, the most any medicine has ever cost us before. It was surprising because medicine here is generally cheap.
Tomorrow is the last day of class of the quarter, and we’ll be having an exam on Thursday. I had told the students that there would be no exam if they all turned in their papers on time, but none of them did, so there will be an exam on Thursday. Fun for them!
We had a good picture taken of us at Xochimilco a few weeks ago, so we made it into a prayer card. We had them printed today, and they’ll be in the mail to our newsletter mailing list soon. If you’re not on the list but want to be, let us know.
Today, I spoke at MCCA chapel early in the morning. Then, I went to the seminary for a little while, and later, we went to Rene and his wife’s house for lunch. Huberto went with us, and we had a good time with them. Rene has been a good friend, and he drives the bus for all of our groups. He’ll be driving for us when the group comes in March, too.
Here’s the preview explanation of one of the trips on our list of necessary trips this year: May 5-8 � Leadership Conference in Guadalajara
This will be the first of 2 national student leadership conferences this year sponsored by the National Baptist Youth Union (UNBJ) of the Mexican Baptist Convention. We are expecting approximately 100 young people from the north of the country to attend this conference, and with the theme being, �What is Youth Ministry,� we have been working to develop the curriculum which will center around ministry relationships.
As far as youth ministry training goes, two of my youth ministry majors have also been involved in the planning and preparation for this workshop. They will be traveling with me to Guadalajara, and they will each be teaching a workshop, obtaining first-hand training experience as they teach some of what they have been taught throughout their time at the seminary. They are considered experts, and this has been a great opportunity for them to teach and think through youth ministry. It is also a good promotional and networking opportunity for the seminary�s youth ministry program.
Do you want to help support this trip? Email us.
