Mexico Ministry Musings
November 2011
Greetings from Puebla and the Instituto Biblico Peregrino! Well, it feels like a wild ride. The school semester started at the end of August, and I think we are just now getting to catch our breath. Having the students on campus full time and having the responsibilities of all the school administration that goes with that is a new experience for us. Class prep and teaching,
meal planning, shopping and cooking, as well as other day-to-day things whether academic, administrative, accounting, and other duties keep us busy morning to night, even on weekends. I find it really hard to get a breather. This does not count taking Amanda to and from school every day which Arnulfo added up the other day, combined with other school errands, has us one of us in the car at least an hour every day. Arnulfo is still pastoring a local church and I am teaching a women’s Bible study during the week as well. Holy cow! I’m thinking of an old song that says, “don’t get around much anymore” but I’m thinking of it in reference to being on the computer – don’t get on the computer much anymore unless it’s directly related to class-prep.
On the good side of all this, it’s a totally different experience of having the students here all the time. While costly, I am convinced it’s an important part of their preparation for ministry. For our third year students, this is their first year on campus full-time and both we and they notice what a difference it is. And you know what, it’s definitely not all pleasant! Ha! Roommate differences of opinion, cooking and dishwashing partners and other chore sharing, all is really different when it’s all the time and not just for a few days at a time. 
One of the projects we've been working on for a while is a new water cistern for the student dining area. The new cistern is up and running at the Bible school! This may not sound impressive to you, but if you've not had enough water to cook or do dishes, and spending extra money on paper plates for months, you would really appreciate it! Students have been digging that hole for some time now and the tank is installed, as well as the plumbing to hook it up to the roof tank and the electrical connection to pump water up. Was a big to-do! Hurray for running water! Almost everybody helped dig the hole for the cistern, but the girls are just along to snoop.
Dave Burgess and Joe from Fountain City Wesleyan were here working on the Bible School this fall. This is Dave's seventh trip! WE named a room after him! Thanks, Dave and Joe!
I am reminded of the Proverb that says “as iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another”. You know how that iron gets sharpened? Friction! Abrasion! There’s a “polishing” and “sandpapering” effect to community life. Thomas de Kempis has a great chapter on that in his Imitation of Christ (which the students are all reading this 
semester for Spiritual Formation class). Arnulfo and I both note that these third year students seem less farther along in their formation than other generations, and I think it is precisely that lack of having to deal so intensely with their colleagues on a daily basis over the mundane aspects of life during their first two years of Bible school. We are constantly telling our students that their ministries are all about people – dealing with people – people at all different stages of their spiritual walk, different levels of spiritual maturity, people who disagree with them about how to “do church.” Nice people. Grumpy people. Tired overworked people. Sinful people. Some well-meaning but misguided people. And some of their own church members are going to be – gasp – hard-to-love people.
They indeed need a sound theology, a deep understanding of all of the Bible, good rules of interpretation, and other things that they study in class every day. And we’re working on that. But the Apostle Paul said, in so many words, you can have the best ministry tools in the
world, but if you don’t have love, it’s just a bunch of noise. Jesus boiled everything down to “Love God and love people”. That’s what their ministry is gonna be all about – showing people God’s love. And you actually learn more about that with your roommate that takes too long in the bathroom or doesn’t do his share of the dishes than sitting in my Spiritual Formation class.
And hey, God is working on all of us here for all of those things. Please keep us in your prayers for lots of stamina and energy, lots of grace, lots of mercy, and to grow deeply in God’s love, so we can grow into being those disciples that Jesus said men would recognize as such by the love we have for one another. A very huge prayer request also is regarding the fact that there is much that I NEED to get done, that does NOT all get done. Please pray to be able to handle all of the varied responsibilities at the school, as well as at the church, at home, and other areas of life.
Thank you so much for praying and giving to enable us to be here participate in God’s work to make His changing love known to the Mexican people!
Love in Christ, Nicky, Arnulfo, Amanda and Daniela Sofia
Check out the Facebook page of the Instituto Biblico Peregrino for more pictures. Arnulfo also tends to put pics up more frequently on his Facebook page (Arnulfo Purata Salido) and check out the Bible school’s website at http://www.ibpmexico.com
New mailing address at the Bible School is:
Avenida México-Puebla #104
Cuautlancingo, Puebla CP 72700
México
Phone: 011-52- 222- 226 -9806
Bob Gray has put together a website in Spanish for the Association of Wesleyan schools if you would like to see 
it -- www.teamwesley.org