thanksgiving in mexico
mexico is a country with lots of influence from the united states. it’s nearly impossible for 2 countries to touch without having some sort of impact on each other, whether we’re talking about culture, immigration, or trade. i can go buy a pig’s head in the cholula market and then walk to starbucks for a peppermint mocha. many days my lunch decision comes down to the little lady selling tacos from a basket or subway. i can buy groceries at costco or from a roadside stand.
el pozo, however, is every day becoming more and more mexican. despite having american parents, this ministry is no longer defined by its staff but much more so by the students it serves. our mission statement specifically mentions being culturally relevant. despite the fact that every UDLA student has to pass an incredibly difficult test of english as a foreign language, we teach, worship, and minister in spanish because we want el pozo to be by mexicans, for mexicans.
but one day a year, we are unashamedly “gringos” and share with our students a tradition that means so much to those of us who grew up in the united states. thanksgiving has yet to cross the rio bravo (or as you might know it, the rio grande) and become a part of mexican culture, but it’s become an anticipated ministry event at el pozo. last year we had about 200 people eating thanksgiving lunch with us, 50 of whom came from a local orphanage whom we serve as a local ministry opportunity for our students. this year, however, we decided to separate the 2 events and focus on thanksgiving with our students and have a christmas party with the kids from the orphanage (this upcoming friday!). so we planned for 120-150 people and as usual, cooked all day on wednesday and thursday to make sure this mega thanksgiving feast was ready.
this is what we thought it would look like
so the students started to arrive. and they didn’t stop. we started serving food at 2:15pm, and at 3:15pm the line was still 40 people long. portions had to get smaller (but shouldn’t they always on thanksgiving?) but every single one of the 230 people that showed up to celebrate thanksgiving with el pozo ate turkey, dressing, green beans, mixed vegetables, and pineapple casserole and washed it down with some sweet tea (unless they opted for the agua de jamaica, a mexican drink made from hibiscus flowers).
and this is what it did look like
elsa stood up to ask God to bless the food and to tell our students how thankful we are for this year we’ve had at el pozo. we’re thankful that we’ve not only made it through drastic staff changes, a building project, another year of a struggling economy which for so many has meant a struggling support base, the graduation of a strong generation of student leaders, and a not-so-stellar year for mexico, but we have thrived. our ministry is growing. it is reaching people who have no relationship with God and no concept of the love and grace that is theirs through jesus christ. God is using the least likely of suspects to further His kingdom here in cholula, from the el pozo staff to the new students who weren’t looking for God but have found Him in a green house right next to campus.
as i was carrying casseroles from our kitchen out to the serving line, each time i pushed my way through the crowd, tears would come to my eyes because in the quietness of the kitchen the weight of the miracle that was happening out in the new building would hit me. not only a huge ministry event, not only the food going much further than it should have (loaves and fish, anyone?), but the individuals that were represented by each of the 230 plates of food.
baruk, a freshman, said, “i’m thankful for the staff here. they’ve accepted me just as i am since the beginning.” luis thanked baruk for inviting him to el pozo, and said “i guess i’m still new here, but i feel like i belong because i’ve been accepted and loved.” and i’m thankful for those 2 and their 228 friends who brought me to tears on thursday by showing their gratitude for el pozo.
luis is in the black shirt and baruk is to his right, with more of their freshman friends gaby, sammy, and andres
and i too am grateful for el pozo. i’m grateful to have a job that i not only love, but one where i can see God working every single day. i’d be crazy to doubt His love or His power…it would be like doubting the blue sky or the huge mountains i see each day. i’m grateful for the incredible staff i am privileged to work with and for the people that have come before us. for friends and family that love me beyond belief and across thousands of miles and from right here in puebla. for the end of a semester and for dreaming big for the next one. for being able to spend my favorite holiday at work and for it not to have mattered one bit.
and i’m grateful for you. thanks for reading and for caring and for praying and supporting and for making el pozo what it is.
much love – kami
ps – for more pictures and even video of thursday’s craziness, check out “el pozo” on facebook or become a fan of “Globalscope-Mexico”.
and with thanksgiving over and as you can see by the coffee cup in my hand...christmas is here!
