“Now, tell me again why you are going back to Mexico”

Well, I bought our tickets to go back to Mexico today. September 18^th. We are all very excited to go back to Mexico City. And also apprehensive as our plans are much less firm than we would like. Neither Amanda nor I have a for-sure job. Amanda is starting her photography business when we get back and hoping to do lots of baptisms, weddings, quinceañeras, birthdays and family sessions.  Plus she will keep volunteering at the girls’ home. I will be working on getting the research I finished last year on kids in prison published in Mexico and presenting it at a few conferences. I also am working on some new project proposals but I don’t have any funding yet to stay long-term.

But the reaction to us going back has been…. mixed. Now, when we went to Mexico a year ago I had a Fulbright Fellowship, so it was easier to explain why we were going. Without a plan set in stone, it is a bit easier to question our wisdom about going back now. Most of the less-enthusiastic reactions have been from our “church” friends and family.

The one understandable reason for my family to live in Mexico and work with at-risk kids would be if we were MISSIONARIES (queue the angles’ “awww”). Sorry, we are not missionaries. At least not how you're thinking. We are not trying to start new churches, convince people to stop going to catholic church, street preaching, or translating the Bible into indigenous languages.

But we do believe that trying to live like Jesus means living outside our comfort zone. We do believe that we can learn something about our Maker by learning about and living in other cultures. We do believe that using our talents and passions to contribute to a more just society is following Jesus.

Ultimately, the decision to go back to Mexico was easy to make but also full of apprehension. I’ve had more sleepless nights thinking worrying about whether we would be able to make it in Mexico this coming year or not. While deciding to leave our house and jobs and move out to DC for law school was a big step, going back to Mexico is the biggest step of faith our family has taken. We have been praying a lot. We appreciate your prayers, positive thoughts, and words of encouragement.

Of course, it might not work out for us in Mexico and we will be back to the US looking for “real jobs” by January!