Answers came in two different forms: Our hosts in Mexico City, and a book. I was nervous about staying with a host family in Mexico City. Would they have hot water? A bed? Internet? I was more concerned about maintaining the lifestyle that I was accustomed to than appreciating the generosity of strangers opening their home to me. These apprehensions melted away when Shannan and I met our host family. Horlando and Consuelo greeted us eagerly, smiles overtaking their faces. They introduced us to their son and daughter (whose name was also Naomi!) and insisted on carrying our heavy backpacks to their house. During the two days that we stayed with them, they treated us like genuine members of the family. To them, it didn´t matter that we fumbled our way through conversations or that we were only staying with them temporarily. They continued to ask us questions and told us over and over again, “This is your home.” They loved us so completely and genuinely that when we left it felt like I was saying goodbye to people I had known for years. Where was God? Here, with people who loved like Jesus.

My second answer came from the book, Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. I have been reading (devouring) it this week, and I came across a paragraph that took me by the shoulders and shook me, hard.

“I think every conscious person, every person who is awake to the functioning principles within his reality, has a moment where he stops blaming the problems in the world on group think, on humanity and authority, and starts to face himself. The problem is not out there; the problem is the needy beast of a thing that lives in my chest.”

Where is the Church? Where is God? Here, in me. I was so busy questioning and blaming others, expecting others to change things and be better, do better, that I eliminated myself completely from the equation. Where are you, Naomi? I have been asking myself during the last couple of days. What are you going to do?
I can´t ignore poverty here. It´s everywhere, and it has faces, names. It has stories and feelings, hopes and wishes. And now, it has me, accepting responsibility and asking what I can do.

-Naomi Scoville

We apologize for the apparent silence from the summer Mexico Cross-Cultural, but if I speak for myself, I can say: I’m having an awesome time!  While many of us have had our difficulties: extreme flight delays (and arriving to Puebla at 4:00 in the morning), getting lost in a large city with no cell service, struggling with a language that many of us only have a basic knowledge in, personality issues with conversation partners, and adjusting to some cultural differences, we have also had several exciting times.

Already we have spent two weeks here in beautiful Puebla studying intensive Spanish at the Spanish Institute of Puebla.  Antonio, the director, is a sweet man and always extremely helpful with understanding the language and culture of Puebla.  The institute has been wonderful to us, including taking us on a field trip to Cholula to see the pyramids and some churches.  We also have made friends from all over the world here at the institute including a diplomat from Northern Ireland and a human resource manager from Germany.  Our professors are great, and I have observed a good many of us taking large strides in our language skills. Plus, one of the coolest things happening right now in Puebla is the International Cultural Festival including free theater shows, concerts, and original art from all around the world.

While most of the students on the Mexico cross-cultural are staying with Mexican host families, I have the opportunity to be staying with some friends of mine.  My dad met Keith and Debbie Myers at a West Virginia American Baptist conference and eventually, our church came to become supporters for Keith and Debbie when they decided to become missionaries in Mexico.  Keith and Debbie have two teenage children, Boyden and Bailie who I am growing to view more and more like my true brother and sister.  While we do speak English in the house, I have had the opportunity to travel to the mountains of Oaxaca to one of their churches that they work with.

Right now, Keith and Debbie are working on a chicken project and helping several communities become a self-sustaining community while spreading the love of Christ.  I experienced a whole different world in Oaxaca from the city of Puebla.  While I am still getting a few things mixed up (for example, one of the pastors in Oaxaca asked me “¿Como te llames?” (What is your name?) and I said, “No gracias.”), I feel more confident with myself, the language, and traveling “beyond the margins,” as Profe puts it.

-MaKayla Baker