Moving into Winter!

Well, we are moving towards winter, even if many folks don't realize that in Monterrey, Mexico, we DO have winter.  Last year, we had almost a week that didn't see temps ABOVE freezing!!  But, with the cold weather comes some of the best times of the year--Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's!  But, before I touch on those, let me catch you all up on life since September!

Classes at the seminary go great!  Jeanne is beginning to wrap-up her Introduction to Public Speaking course--the students have had a great time, and Jeanne has seen the introverted and shy become more comfortable speakers and the extroverted and uncontrolled become calmer and more focused.  My classes have gone well, also.  I stepped out of my areas of expertise by teaching Introduction to Ethics this semester--I have learned as much or more than the students!  We have tackled some serious ethical issues...and I have seen my students really grow in areas of critical thinking.  My Comparative Theology course has been a joy.  My students are mainly third and fourth year students, so we've had wonderful, deep and sometimes heated discussions...but they've loved it, grown and are thinking in new directions.  Perhaps the course that has been the most fun is the Church Planting seminar series that I gave for 10 weeks.  This was attended primarily by laity...and they brought all their questions and experiences.  During this course, I was able to visit with Miguel and Pati at their new church plant, and with Abel at his young adult gathering.  These folks are energetic, visionary...and willing to try new approaches to church planting.

Jon with the Comparative Theology students...

At the Instituto Laurens, Jeanne continues to teach English--grammar, writing and reading.  One of her new projects this semester has been her "book club."  She has a small group of students that now come to the house every other week to discuss a novel they are reading in common.  Through this book-club, she is able to enter their lives in wonderful ways, and slowly but surely is communicating the Good News of God with these students.  I continue to teach in Laurens' Teachers' College in the afternoons, and I'm developing a good rapport with these future teachers.  They are finding in me someone with different values and a different worldview...and this is leading to questions and discussions that are opening the door to spiritual and faith issues.  It is so much fun!!

Jeanne with her Book Club...

You are probably quite aware of the situation in Monterrey--the violence continues and affects the world here.  We continue to rebuild after the amazing destruction from Hurricane Alex in July.  On top of that, the world economic crises affects companies and work situations.  The people have a growing sense of fear...and more than ever seek direction and hope and meaning.  Having a chance to be here at this time in history is a true gift...that we can have a part in bringing hope and healing to this world of hurt, fear and loss.

And, that brings us to Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.  Of course, Thanksgiving we love because it stops us from all the going and running and doing, and calls us to give thanks to God for His many blessings, to give thanks for the friends and family that we have around us praying for us and encouraging us.  Christmas...well, that's the reason for it all!  God became human and lived among us!!  (And, there are the gifts, songs and foods of the season as well...!)  And, New Year's--not the mid-night party, not watching the ball fall in New York.  No, I love New Year's because it's a reminder that we can always start over, start anew.  It's a time to do things differently, to make new plans, to dream new dreams.  It's an annual "do-over."  Of course, every morning we arise is a do-over as well...and I thank God each day that I have a chance to do differently, do better.

Well, this is a little long...but thank you for reading.  We'd love to hear from you!!  Leave a comment...drop an e-mail (herrinmission@gmail.com)...and we'll stay in touch!  God bless you all!!!

New Semester at the Seminary!

The John Wesley Seminary got off to at GREAT start this semester!  We have new students from all across the country of Mexico--from our state of Nuevo León, Sonora, Puebla,...even as far south as Chiapas!  With this cross-section of Mexico, we have a wonderful diversity of experiences and perspectives.  Should make for a wonderful year of studies, growth and fellowship.

Here are some scenes from the first weeks of school...:

Pre-Semester Retreat with New and some Returning Students

Jon leading a study on "Unity in the Body of Christ"

Jon assumes his "dean-ly" duties at the opening worship service at the seminary.

The students and teachers are ready to begin their new semester!

A New Direction in Life...

Many of you have already been down this new road we tread.  You've already sent off or left your son or daughter at college.  Well, it's a new path for us...and it has been hard.  While we are not really physically THAT far from our Jesse (some nine to ten hours by car), there is a border separating us...she seems a whole world away!  Yet, we are surviving...even if we do have a hard day now and again.

Letting our baby go??  Well, when we sit back to think, we realize that, in fact, we spend the whole first 18 years of their lives raising them to be independent, self-sufficient...I guess you could say, "adults."  But, that didn't necessarily make it any easier for us when we left Jesse at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.

We have been able to be in contact with her via e-mail and Facebook, but that is not the same for this family that spent so many hours sitting around the table, hanging out as a family.  But, this is the world we live in, and we're going to get used to it.  If you have experience and any good wisdom to share with us, feel free to leave us a comment!!

Pray for us, please...for all of us...as we get used to this new phase of life.

Here's the last picture of the whole Herrin Family...the day we left Jesse at college.  We look forward to when we are all together again at Christmas.

 

A Wonderful Visit!

Over 6,000 miles, seven states, and a lot of wonderful people later, we are now back in Monterrey...and life in ministry goes on!  We do thank you all so much--those of you who housed us, helped us, met with us or even simply prayed for us--thank you so much for your love and your encouragement during our too-brief "home visit."

We did get to spend time with family in Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky...and after two years being away, that was great.  We got to eat our favorite foods, float down a mountain river, and just do "nothing" for a bit with our family.  And, that was just what the doctor ordered.

Then, we were able to meet with wonderful friends and churches and others who have walked beside us over the years.  And, we got to make some new friends around the South.  We are so blessed to have so many friends!  Here are some of the folks we got to spend time with:

Coosa UMC - Blairsville, GA

Devereux UMC - Devereux, GA

Poplar Springs Baptist Church - Webb, AL

Calhoun First UMC - Calhoun, GA (Here presenting Jesse with a scholarship for college!)

Winslette Chapel UMC - Newton, AL

We are so, so grateful to you all for your love, your support and your encouragement.  Thank you for the grand welcome, for the time you gave to us.  We go forward in ministry here with greater confidence know that you are praying for us and walking with us...spiritually!  May the Lord bless you all, in every way...!

Hurricane Alex...DISASTER!

When the reports came in that a hurricane had passed through the lower part of the Gulf of Mexico and was making landfall east of Monterrey, we imagined that there would be some left over winds and a good drenching of rain by the time it made its way inland to where we were.  Little did we know what was coming to Monterrey.

Monterrey, a city of some 6,000,000 people, serves as a major conduit for US/Mexico commerce.  In fact, a tour of the city will reveal that companies and corporations from around the world--Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, China, Korea...just to name a few--make their home in Monterrey.  The main "interstate" for the eastern part of Mexico runs through Monterrey as well, making it a transportation hub for much of Mexico.  When something happens to Monterrey--which produces some 60% for the nations GNP according so some estimates--it happens to all of Mexico.

On Thursday, July 2nd, Hurricane Alex arrived in Monterrey.  Thankfully, the winds were all but gone, however, he was still full of water.  In just 30 hours, the city received more rain that it usually receives in a year.  And, as the city is not used to a lot of rain, the drainage system is not the best.  The resulting deluge of rains swelled the dry river beds to capacity and beyond, taking out many bridges, erasing the two many high-ways through the city, flooding homes and businesses, taking our power and water...and leaving the city a disaster. 

Due to a planned and necessary leave, we left the city on the Tuesday after the storm.  At the time of our leaving, power had returned to most of the city, but many areas were still without water, including our own area of Santa Catarina.  We estimate a year or two for the repair of the highways and bridges.  In this time of desperation and seeming hopelessness, we pray that the Church will be a light in the darkness, a voice of hope and renewal.  Even more, we hope the Church will be there alongside for the rebuilding and reconstruction of this city.

 The Santa Catarina River the day before it crested.  It rose another 8-10 feet!

Once a road...now a river...

 One of many bridges washed out in the storm.

Rocks, river stones and silt just washed out of the mountains and down in the city.

Many roads became rivers...and the destruction was amazing.

You will find more photos on our FaceBook accounts in the days to come.  We're in transit right now, so we're updating accounts and blogs as we are able.  Please pray for Monterrey...and that the Church will be a voice of hope and a hand of help.

God is Good--A New Direction in Ministry!

God is good, and His Grace incomparable. The Lord has confirmed our call to ministry and missions time and again through the passing years...and He has done so yet again. This week, the John Wesley Methodist Seminary named Jon as Academic Dean of the seminary! We give thanks to God for this incredible opportunity as God has once again "enlarged our borders" of ministry, and we give thanks to God for the great confidence that the leadership of the seminary and the Eastern Annual Conference of the Methodist Church of Mexico has placed in Jon. We ask for your prayers--that we will continue to serve with grace and love, and that Jon can provide the guidance, stability and leadership so important in this position.

We give thanks yet again this day for all of you who support this ministry through your prayers and your gifts. Again, the Lord has decided to multiply the bread and fish...in that your gifts and prayers for our ministry now affect and touch even more lives--the more than 300 students at the Seminary! God is good...and His Grace is incomparable!

 

L-R: Former Director, Pastor Antonio Aguiña, Jon and New Director, Rev. Marco Antonio Martinez

...And Back Again!

I know, I know...SOO confusing!!  When will we just stay in one place...virtually speaking.  Well, there were things we wanted to do with this blog, but couldn't do.  Now, Google has made it easy to do what we wanted to do in the beginning, so we're BACK to this page! 

Thank you for your patience...and we hope to never move again!! ha, ha... (Virtually speaking!)

More later...