2023.11. Merida News Letter

Greeting!!!! Finally, I can greet you in Merida!!!!!! 

Last year, after one year of decision to move to Merida, we finally came here!!! 

Until the last day, my kids took exams and soccer class and then after the weekends, all of sudden, they became 3rd graders and 6th graders. 

The first obstacles that we had faced was Sam's problem. He didn't like the school that he had moved and didn't talk to anyone (even to the teachers) for two months and after we've found the house, I found the small school called "schoolhouse" This house is basically homeschooling house and Sam had decided to move the school to here. It was even bigger chanllenged for me than the decision of moving to Merida. I had never thought about the homeschooling system. and it was such a tiny school. But there, Sam is talking, eating with friends and laughing... so... I couldn't help to moving him there... 

 

So... right now... we need your strong prayer for Sam that he would like here little by little and not paying too much attention playing games with friends in Costa Rica. 

Fighting with hottness of Merida, buying car, changing address and getting driver's license... so many things had to be solved, and we had been through all these things.. and finally, we could feel that we are pretty much stable... At that moment, we've got a news from Mission department of Cru. 

They asked us if we could receive two women STINTers (Short Term Internship). They were supposed to go to other country but had to change the country and they wanted to come to Mexico. We were so surprised because it just had been little more than a month that we had moved here... We don't even know about here well, and we don't even have any idea how to start the ministry... Would we be able to receive them? We were questioning. 

Probably, God didn't want us to be alone, and also wanted to stretch our faith... so... now they are here!!!!!! 
We had told them, we are not ready anything to receive them, but if they still want to come and stretch their faith together, and pioneering this city together, they can come. Maybe their faith is greater than ours, they are now staying AirBnB and visiting campus together, getting numbers from anywhere to contact, taking Spanish Classes. 

The second week after they had arrived, National Director of Mexico and HR Director had visited Merida to welcome us. We could hear their expectation and we were so grateful for this. So, now, we are 6 of us!!!!! please pray for our teamwork and good start from here. 

from Left, Hanna, Vania (HR Director), David (National Director), Daniela, Evelyn (Stinters)

New Vision - Merida 

We are dreaming God's vision in Merida. Of course we are involved in campus team, so we are going to open the campus ministry in Merida, but along with that, we want to make Merida into the city of mission training where all the Cru students or leaders could come from all over the Latin America. We also wants to receive students from US or Korea so that we could make multi cultural environment, so that we can learn from each other. To start this, first we would need "Training Center" where students could stay and learn. Please pray for our wisdom to find a perfect place (house) to start the training center. 

 

Family Story 

After trying different churches around the Merida, we could find Spanish speaking Baptist church. This church has been only one year, and is growing so fast. When I went there for the first time, I could have hope to see the growth of this church. 

I'm meeting many different people here. It is much easier to become a friend each other. Mexicans are getting friend just after Hola, so I could see many Mexicans, Americans, and even Koreans more than San Jose. As I meet many differnt kinds of people, I could hear various type of stories and I could learn more about the Merida. I always limited my boundary of ministry into university, but here in Merida, I want to see many different people and want to impact my faith to different types of people. 

Sam had been in schoolhouse already 3 weeks. He likes there but only problem is he comes back home at 12:30... 12:30... What can I do after that with this 6 grader guy????? Please pray for me how I can guide him to manage his time wisely. 

Nathan is adapting in new school perfectly from the first day. Oneday, I could meet all the moms in his class, and I found out that almost 2/3 of the kids were just had moved from other city in Mexico or other country. I was really amazed with the fact that many people had came from Ciudad de Mexico for the better security, freedom, and stability. When I thought about moving to Merida, I really really didn't want to because of the heat. This is the city that I really wanted to avoid to come to live and I really had loved the weather of Mexico City... I really couldn't understand it... Later, I kinda realized that for me, Merida was the city that God had pushed me to come, but some other people Merida is the city that they came because they liked it!!!!! and chose to come. So maybe Merida is not the city that is known for heat but certainly, there are so many good things that I can't see because of the heat. And I could thank God for sending me the city that has so many good things. Now, I will start the journey to explore the Merida and find the reason that God is sending me here. 

Even though we had experience that had lived in Mexico before, and we already had been here in Latin America almost for 10 years, Merida made us realize we still have lots of things to learn. Especially, Yucatan has very unique culture in Mexico (Like Texas in US). My family is still learning and growing in this City, Merida. Please pray for my family, visit us!!!!! 

Thank you!!! 

 

Special Schedule 

November, 25 - the first Cru Connection Meeting in Merida

December, 4-8 - Cru Mexico Ministry Planning Meeting (Puebla) 

January 15th - Feburary 2nd - Short term mission team from Seoul (2 Staffs, 14 students)

 

To support my family 

https://give.cru.org/2846643

 

Sung Jae Lee & Hanna Yoo

 

Sung Jae Lee & Hanna Yoo