Bienvenido from Mexico! These past few days have been filled with new friends, new experiences (Nikki Smith and I ate cactus for breakfast the other day), and God´s presence. His Spirit is moving here in Mexico City and I´m so excited to be here to witness it all, to see Him alive in the hearts of these people. To recognize that we serve the God of all languages.

For the past few days, I´ve been part of a team teaching English classes to some of the people in the community. Many of the participants are children. They are full of energy and laughter. Joy. It´s been a lot of fun learning how to connect in ways that might not always involve language. It´s interesting how much you can say when two people speak very little of the same language.

There´s one gentleman named Rene that has been coming to English classes all week. Since travelling to Texas regularly for work, he can speak a good amount of English and just wanted practice his pronunciation and conversational abilities. On Monday, our conversation was a conglomeration of US pop culture and knowledge. He began by asking us questions based on what he knew of America- John Calvin, Lee Iococa, blue cheese, the Ford Mustang, the Presidential election, and greenhouse farming. As Jaime and I continued talking to him throughout the hour, we learned that the language lesson was so much more than an instructional- through conversation, we were able to share our lives with him as well.

Right before he left, Rene asked us if we “could feel the joy”. After a minute or two, Jaime and I both realized that he was referencing an old Coke commercial, and actually meant to ask if we were happy and having a good time here in Mexico. But the question stuck with me. Am I making a conscious effort each day to feel and harness the joy that I know because of Christ? So often we all get so caught up with what we’re lacking in life, that we forget to recognize that Christ is more than enough to satisfy. Despite disappointments, discomfort or even boredom, Christ lives in me. And that should be all that I need to give me the joy that Rene was talking about.I know this. You probably do as well. But I want to live it. I want my joy to be contagious in every circumstance, here in Mexico and as I continue walking through life. One could do worse than asking this question every morning.