Christmas Eve - Noche Buena

In December of 2006, we arrived in Cuernavaca on Christmas Eve with Krista and Sarah.  It was too late to learn what happens on Noche Buena.  But this year we were invited by Pastor Lorenzo and Mari Carmen Servin to their home for Christmas Cena.  As you can see in the picture, it was time for some family pictures in front of the Arbol de Navidad.

 Then it was time for a fantastic dinner perpared by the Servin ladies. Everything was delicious and especially, the dressing for the turkey.  It was a combination of ground beef, bacon, nuts, peaches, hmmm, I'm forgetting some ingredients, but wow, what a treat, a traditional Mexican dish. 

After good conversation and lots of laughter, mostly at my expense, (I just can't stop talking even when I make really funny mistakes) we went outside to watch some fireworks and just enjoyed being outside on a really quiet street on a really peaceful evening. Near midnight, we finally caught a taxi to go home and the first thing the driver said to us was, "You are going home early!"  We reminded him that we were Canadians and that we could not stay up all night.  

After arriving home, we prepared for bed with the windows open. People were lighting fireworks well into the early hours of the morning.  We closed the window and went to sleep.  Thank you Servin Family for taking us in on Christmas Eve.  We were reminded of what varioius taxi drivers had told us as we approached Christmas without family near, "When you are in Mexico, we are your family!"  

Christmas Greetings

Very Sweet Invitations

This will be our first Christmas ever with just the two of us. Daniel and Grace will be in Chicago, Krista and Jonathan in Langley, BC, and Sarah will be in Texas with the African Children's Choir. One evening Jesús (our taxi driver) after explaining their family tradition on Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) asked us what we would do for Christmas. After telling him our story, he became quiet. A moment or two later he said, "You are invited to our house Christmas Eve. We have a small house but please come." Then, a few days ago as Gary was walking to catch a taxi, he passed the propane delivery man. He recognized Gary and as they chatted he wanted to know where we would spend Christmas. After hearing our story he said, "My house is not far. If you are alone, please come." How can you NOT love people like that? Poor, humble, but unwilling to leave complete strangers alone on Christmas Eve
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What of the heart of Jesus Christ for Mexicans, Canadians, Americans and indeed the entire world. He was not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. So He came to be our Lamb, our Sacrifice, our Salvation, and our Hope. He is the Word of Life, who was with the Father and has appeared unto us. (1Jo. 1:2) I am convinced that the heart of Jesus is also stirred to see so many people spend Christmas outside of His family. May God renew our love and passion for souls and deepen our desire and resolve to make Him known.

Making Ponche and Serving at the Posada

Some Posada Pics

A Few Pics Approaching Navidad

Fruit beinging washed for Ponche tonight.

Mariachis singing to the Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12, The Day of the Virgin

Gary preaching on December 7, at Pastor Lorenzo Servin's church in Cuernavaca.

The General Hospital where we went to pass out tracts and pray for people. Kim and I plan to go back over Christmas and take a few treats.

Where do I begin?

Wow. So much has happened, and I have gotten behind. I'll start from tonight and begin to go backwards for a few posts.

Tonight, Kim and I were walking to get some coffee for the morning when we came upon our first Posada. It is a tradition that goes back to Spain I was told. For centuries the neighbors have gathered for 9 evenngs before Christmas to share ponche (a lovely drink made from a number of different fruits and sugar cane), sweets and to have the children break Piñatas. The nine evenings are to remember the journey of Mary and Joseph as they went from house to house looking for a place for Mary to give birth. So, for nine evenings our neighbors are gathering to sing, be together, share candy and Ponche. Needless to say, we didn't get coffee. We were snagged by the Dentista who is organizing the neighborhood. Tomorrow Kim and I are to make the Ponche and buy the little cookie and candy bags that everyone gets. Another neighbor will provide the Piñatas.

Last night was really cool. We took the bus down to the General Hospital and met some folks from the church. We met in the Sala de Esperanza, waiting room in the emergency department. It was full of people, inside and out and we were to give out scarfs (bufonda) and tracts and we were going to share Christ and pray with people. There were two groups there when we arrived, Christians, who had brought coffee and sandwiches for people who were waiting for loved ones to be treated, or who were at the hospital because of relatives who were admited. The gospel was preached in the waiting room and outside on the sidewalk. We were left to find people to talk and pray with and to share Christ with. It was somewhat caotic as you might imagine. Kim found a lady and began to share Christ with her. I found two fellows to chat with and to pray with. It was an absolute delight to carry the love of Christ to those precious people.
We walked part way home until we could catch a bus. It was a night to remember. Since we will not have family to spend Christmas with, we are thinking to go back to the hospital to share and pray with people. Perhaps we can take some treats.

A couple of weeks ago Gary preached his first Sunday morning in Spanish. By God's grace it went well, or so the folks said. They appreciated the message.

We continue to study and attend school this week. On Saturday we will attend our first wedding in Mexico. Next week is Christmas. We are missing our kids and family. Love to all.

I will try to catch up some more items in the next day or two. Appreciate all who pray.

Memories of the last weekend of November

Thirty days after packing our house into our "bodega" storage unit on Richmond Street, we closed November in Puebla, Mexico. The stretched weekend began last Thursday, riding the bus to Puebla with Toby and Marilyn Casteel, and concluded with a delayed bus trip back to Cuernavaca yesterday, delayed because one highway was closed for repairs and all the traffic funneled onto our road. The bus terminal in Puebla is massive, called, CAPU. You see people from many stratas of society. And according to your means, so is the bus you ride on. Some buses that pull out of CAPU, I would not want to ride. Others are luxurious, state of the art technology without equal in Canada. Enough on buses.

Over the weekend we stayed four nights in the team house called, "Tim's House". Keith and Dawn Goodling offered us turkey dinner, pumpkin pie, turkey sandwiches, and wonderful fellowship. They are members of the CrossWorld Puebla team and come from Pennsylvania. We had coffee with other members of the team and got a peak at newborn twins, sons of Danilo and Ingrid Paulk. It was great to spend some time with Ken and Diana Harer and Debbie Murphy as well. How blessed we are to have such wonderful friends.

And as an added treat, we got to sit and chat a while with Jose Manuel and Paola, Mexican leaders in Los Heroes we have known and loved for three years.

Sunday included worship at El Puente (The Bridge) with Steve and Blanche Bell followed by an awesome lunch together.

It was really cool as we walked down the street in Los Heroes in the dark, to come upon a family that Kim knew. Kim has taught the mom twice and we got to meet her husband and two daughters and chat a while.

The weekend was rich and full, and we are catching our breath as I prepare to preach this weekend. Kim is studying at home this week as well.

God is good. Thanks for your prayers and notes. Keep us up to date with what God is doing in your life. Blessings.

Gary

Patriotic Delight de Puebla

From Puebla from Kim

We thought it was time for Kim (me) to take a turn at a blog update. So here goes!

We have been so blessed to have incredible opportunities here in Mexico. We thank all of you that support us by prayer, finances, thoughts and concerns, from the bottom of our heart. We feel so privileged to be here.

Yesterday we met with the new director of FEB International here in beautiful downtown Puebla. We had a delightful Mexican comida meal together in an authentic Mexican restaurant and it is nothing like Taco Bell!!! Dan was a great encouragement to us.

We spent a delightful few hours showing Dan around the downtown of Puebla. You might recall that the first time we came to Mexico we lived in Puebla for 3 ½ months and got to know the city with our language guides from the Spanish school we attended. We love the “centro” of Puebla. The city is 475 years old and so very enchanting!

As we stood at entrance to the “gold” chapel where the ceiling and all walls are overlaid in gold, the beauty took my breath away! It is very sobering to ponder the spiritual condition of the people’s hearts. Do they have a relationship with our Saviour? They are very spiritual people, but are they trusting in their traditions for their salvation?

We are so grateful for those we meet along the way that are a blessing and an encouragement. There is a house here in Los Heroes, Puebla, which missionaries have prepared for visitors to stay in. The house is lovely and it is such a blessing to have a place to retreat to after busy days of visiting and meeting with dear friends. We appreciate the way the missionary team has made us feel so welcome.

Would you pray for Gary this week as he prepares to preach this Sunday, Dec 7 in Spanish? He will get help with his preparations, but needs our prayers! We both covet your prayers as we continue to work hard on learning this beautiful language. We need well tuned ears and well oiled tongues!

Many blessings to you and your families. Thank you to those that email us and let us know your needs and prayer requests. We are glad to partner with you in these matters of prayer. We love to hear from you.

Kim

Ahorita, estamos en Puebla

After a two hour bus ride with our friends, the Casteels, Kim and I got off the bus in Las Animas, a Zona of Puebla. After a bit of a break, we took a taxi to Los Heroes and wandered to Keith and Dawn Goodlings house where we were graciously offered a reheated and Delicious Thanksgiving Dinner, complete with Pumpkin pie and whipped cream.....did I mention the pie came with Starbucks coffee? Later we settled into Tim's house which Keith and Dawn had graciously prepared for us, complete with two Hershey Kisses on each pillow. We have a big day planned. We'll share more later. 

Empty house and pizza

What blessing it was to taxi over to our friends' house on the other side of town. The plan was to await the moving truck together and visit a while.  As we arrived Toby was on the  telephone to the movers, who were now stopped by the police on the side of the road in Mexico city.  The decision was made to come this morning to load the truck. This is so Mexico! 

After wandering around an empty house, sitting and chatting, we decided to go for pizza to Armando's, owned by a Canadian from Windsor, Ontario. It was a great opportunity to catch up with dear friends, Toby and Marilyn Casteel, to share what God has been and is doing in each of our lives. While Kim and I are just nicely into our 50's and excited about what God has before us in this decade of our lives, Toby  and Marilyn are just moving into their 60's decade. For us, they have been an inspiration and heroes at the same time. No one can count the ways God has used them in the lives of so many as they have shepherded CAM missionaries and graciously blessed CrossWorld missionaries just arriving in Mexico for language studies. 

We left Armando's last night in separate taxis, Toby and Marilyn back to a nearly empty house for one more night, and Kim and I back to the house we are renting from missionaries on home assignment.  We will be staying a while longer and Toby and Marilyn will be starting life anew in Texas.  

Do you ever have an evening that you suspect will be a treasured memory..... 

Thanks Toby and Marilyn 

Life in Cuernavaca

As I write this blog, our friends are across town awaiting the moving truck, which was supposed to arrive at 10 this morning. Apparently it broke down in Mexico City and will arrive sometime this evening. They wait in a near empty house I'm sure reflecting on the many precious memories that have been made over the last 8 or 9 years. When I am finished this blog, we will take a taxi across town to wait with them. Eventually, we hope, we will come back to our house to spend the night and then will travel together tomorrow to the city of Puebla by bus. They will carry on to the state of Veracruz for a missionary field conference and we will make our way to Los Heroes, a large housing development in this city of over 2 million people. If all goes well, we will have pumpkin pie by tomorrow evening with American friends and will celebrate with them American Thanksgiving.

This week we began formal language classes and have had a good week. Of course we have been learning new things every day since arriving and have done everything we can to saturate ourselves with Spanish, even to watching a TV program similar to American Idol. It goes for hours it seems with rapid fire Spanish, but this is a good way to tune our ears. It is interesting to understand what the distorted voice over the Walmart loudspeaker system is saying now, for the most part. And we overhear people talking and understand more of what they are saying. We praise God for the increase in comprehension and capacity to communicate.

With God's help, I will preach on December the 7th in Spanish. We plan to involve ourselves in the activities of the church and just be with the people as often as is possible. We are looking forward to a Christmas party on December 19th.

People are asking us what we will do for Christmas. This will be the first Christmas ever without any of our children around and without access to any family whatsoever. We are not feeling sorry for ourselves but rather look forward to entering into the joy of celebrating Christ's birth with friends and brothers and sisters in Christ here in Mexico. Who knows what will happen?

I should close. Your prayers for strength, stamina, agile minds and liberty in talking as well as for wisdom in relationships and in counselling and encouraging our friends here are deeply appreciated. I will write more soon.

Blessings,

Gary for the both of us.

Home in Cuernavaca

Five days ago we touched down in Mexico City, Nov. 8th. The night before we celebrated Kim's birthday with Daniel and Grace in Chicago at a good Mexican restaurant called, "On the Boarder". Our Mexicana server had family in Cuernavaca and it was a neat point of conversation.

We traveled Sunday, Nov 9th, by bus to Cuernavaca (2 hours) and took a taxi to our house from the bus terminal. We didn't know how we were going to get in because we didn't have keys, nor did we have a telephone card with which to call the man (Osvaldo) that did have the keys. Our taxi driver found the house after a little while and "coincidently" Osvaldo and his wife, Veronica, and their two children were at the house watering the lawn and cleaning up a bit of dust in the house. It was a neat "God Moment" to be welcomed by our brother and his wife, whom we knew already. After helping us get our bags into the house, and lighting the water heater and turning on the gas, we went for supper to La Tortuga for wonderful tacos al pastor, our favourities. After supper they took us to Walmart (about a 15 minute walk from our house) to buy a few groceries and then brought us home. We had a delightful time with them.

Monday, Nov 10th, Osvaldo brought his coworker by the house during lunch (2-4pm) and he cut the grass and trimmed the bushes. We set out on foot to buy a mattress cushion and some new pillows and walked back from Walmart with arms full. We got a bit lost but that only added to the fun. After work Osvaldo came by and took me to get some keys cut so we wouldn't lock ourselves out of the house.

Since then, we have been coming and going, cleaning the house, shopping and just trying to catch our breath after a very busy October. We are so grateful to be here in Mexico. Tonight we will have coffee with Pastor Lorenzo Servin and his wife, Mari Carmen. Tomorrow night, CAM missionaries and fellow Canadians will come to spend the weekend with us. Jim and Shari and their children are precious to us. They serve in a suburb of Mexico City, so we look forward to learning all about their new ministry.

We are trusting God for this season in Mexico. Please pray for our minds to be quick, our hearts to be patient, and our tongues to be loosed as we work on Spanish. It is coming.

November Newsletter

Leaving Chatham Behind

How do you leave six years of your life behind? They have been six years of incredible change in our lives. God has enriched us greatly with our time in Chatham. He has used friends, pain, adversity, triumph and overcoming, His Word and Spirit and time. I was reminded this past week of a message I preached during my closing months at Emmanuel on the life of Joseph. God's work always requires time and grace.


During our time in Chatham, God took our delight in missions and made it a reality in our lives. We have spent over 8 months of the last three years in Mexico and God brought Pastor Miguel and Gladis Mahecha into our lives to keep Spanish alive and and a love for Latin American people growing.

Over the last three years Chatham has been our place of refuge. From here we have struck out on preaching ministries, made countless new friends abroad and have added West Highland Baptist Church and Oxford Baptist Church to our list of churches we have fallen in love with. We have been amazed at who God would touch to support us in our endeavors and adventures for Him and we have been humbled by the love of many and the faithfulness of God.




I'm feeling a little sentimental as I write this entry. Until now I have not had time to feel much emotion but it seems to be catching up. Our ministry in Chatham is not finished, but our time to live there is completed. We know God's peace at being homeless and at not being sure where we will eventually live. One thing we do know for certain; God knows and he is working. We have seen his hand in the sale of our home and in divine appointments that only he could have orchestrated in the last few days and months.


For now we prepare to head to Mexico with excitement. We cannot wait to renew fellowship with our missions family there and to make new friends. Pastor Lorenzo thinks he can find something for us to do in Cuernavaca! And we look forward to visiting missionary friends in Mexcio City and Puebla as well as other cities.



We do appreciate all who uphold us in prayer. Dale and Audrey Groombridge (above) and their small group have supported us in prayer over the last three years. Two weeks ago they prayed for a buyer to act within 48 hours and our house sold less than 48 hours later. We visited with them last week to thank them for their concerted effort in prayer. It was an incredible joy to be with these wonderful friends from Emmanuel.



As we put our boat in storage for the winter and drove out of Chatham, the sun was setting and I got this picture. It is kind of fitting as God was saying, "this day is closing and so is this era in your lives".


We rejoice that his mercies are new every morning and so we move on in his grace and strength.

The LORD Reigns

Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.

Psalm 93:1,2

I cannot help but feel anxiety in the air these days. Markets are plummeting, pension funds are shrinking, governments seem helpless to stabilize an "out of control" world economy. Massive companies like GM are on the verge of bankruptcy. I find it interesting that we are so shaken by economic "shaking". It seems like God knows that we are most attached to our security and material things and that the way to get our attention is to put a hole in the bag of silver we find such security in.

I am reminded this morning of the sovereignty of God. "The nations mock" but He is still God. It is good to be reminded during times like this that our help comes from the Lord, who's throne is established from of old. God has seen economic downturns, shifts in the way the nations of the world relate to each other, and superpowers come and go. But, HE is not wringing his hands.

In a microcosmic kind of way, the world of Gary and Kim Lidstone is also changing. The "only" secure thing in our lives for the last three years has been that whenever we came home from wherever, our shelter was at 21 Villa Court, Chatham. As the Lord has brought us on the journey of the last three years, he has given us assurance that only He is our shelter and that we can uproot from Chatham and wait upon Him for further instructions.

I will say to the LORD,

"My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Ps 91:2

The Keys to our New Place

Last night the conditions were removed from the offer on our home and so we began packing and emptying our house at 21 Villa Court. This morning we rented our new house. It has two doors, both garage doors, one at the back and the other at the front. It is thirty feet long and 10 feet wide. That is bigger than some of the houses in Los Heroes, Puebla. Today we pretty much emptied the garage and tomorrow we will keep going with storage room stuff. Pastor Miguel and his daughter Melissa will help us tomorrow. Melissa stores some of her things with us and we have plenty of room in our new casa for her things.

We are becoming excited about getting back to Mexico. God is opening doors for us already. This will be an interesting sojourn without a house to think about in Canada. In essence, when we return from Mexico, we will not know where home is. We trust the Lord to make that clear to us.

Partnering with Financial Support

Dear Friends,

As the Lord leads you, you can partner with us in Mexico by sending gifts to CrossWorld at the following addresses.

We are leaving after the 31st of October and will be there at least until the end of January.

CrossWorld - Canada 1020 Matheson Blvd. E. #11Mississauga, ON L4W 4J9 Phone: 905-238-0904info.canada@crossworld.orgCrossWorld

CrossWorld USA 306 Bala AvenueP.O. Box 306Bala-Cynwyd, PA 19004 Phone: 610-667-7660info@crossworld.org

The House is Sold

Quite a 12 month period. Last September we began a four month interim ministry at West Highland Baptist Church in Hamilton. January and February (08) we did some preaching elsewhere but capitalized on a quieter schedule by finishing the lower level of our house. This was to 1. enjoy the entire house and 2. to prepare the house to sell. We finished the room just in time to list the house and leave for Mexico in March. We had a lot of interest in the house and accepted a conditional offer that later fell through. After returning from Mexico we took the house off the market but continued to dialogue with our Realtor and good friend Dale Groombridge.

In April we began six months of interim ministry in Woodstock at Oxford Baptist Church and decided to put our house back on the market later in the summer. We hoped it would sell before October so we could go to Mexico with the house sold. Finishing at Oxford at the end of September, we had three Sundays committed in October to ministry and travel, and then we were leaving for Mexico sometime during the week of October 20. Then an offer came, a really bad offer, but a purchaser that could close at the end of October. As we left for Chicago last Thursday, we dismissed another lame attempt to purchase the house by the same buyer. This week we gave her 24 - 48 hours to meet our price or we were going to leave next week for Mexico and she would not get the house. I had my doubts she would come through.

Unknown to us, a small group from Emmanuel, filled with dear friends, began to pray in earnest Wednesday night for our house to sell. Thursday the call came and after a bit of back and forth, we learned at 5 pm yesterday (Friday) that the buyer had accepted our terms. We rejoice at the wisdom and faithfulness of God. We now have two weeks to pack up and store our stuff and then leave for Mexico.

It is time to move on! The cloud is moving. Where it will lead ultimately is not our concern. That is the Lord's. And he will direct our steps. The fact is, we are more flexible now than we have ever been in our lives. Our home will be wherever the Lord has us. He will be our refuge, as He has always been. Our plan is to buy again as soon as the cloud settles. The prayer and encouragement of our friends and family are of such importance to us. We are grateful.

Gary

No Sale

Dear Friends,

Thanks so much for praying and then asking, "Did it sell?" The answer is no.

We left Friday morning for Chicago to see Sarah and the African Children's Choir at Wheaton Academy that evening and returned Thanksgiving Monday night around 2 am. During the weekend we spent one night with Sarah in a hotel and enjoyed Giordano's Pizza for supper. Daniel and Grace joined us for the concert Friday night as well as a number of Sarah's friends from her Chicago/Moody days.

Saturday night, Daniel led worship with Andy Rozier at Harvest Bible Chapel, Rowling Meadows and sang "Song of Hope" as the special music. At the end of his song, James MacDonald got up and asked for them to sing part of it again. It was powerful. We returned Sunday morning for the second service to worship again with our favorite worship leader.

We are back home in Chatham, deciding on which day to travel to Mexico next week. This Sunday, October 19th, we will visit a church that may play a role in our future. Will you pray for this weekend.

Also, our house will remain on the market while we go to Mexico. We would love for some reliable couple or single to rent it until the end of January. We have heard from our pastor in Mexico and they want to put us to for work. Excited!

Thanks for all who prayed about our house. Your emails and contacts mean so much to us. Let's stay in touch!

Grateful for you,

Gary and Kim