MEXIICO ICITY

STEVE & PAULETTE EVERROAD

Bernardo Coiito 25

CTO. Diplomaticos
Cludad Satellte 53100 Edo. de Mexico
MEXICO

August 1985

Things are DIFFERENT in Mexico

Climate, culture,

atmosphere, language, and lifestyle make Mexico City a charming and challenging place
to live. But Life in
Mexico Is not like

at least four phases in adjusting to living in Mexico as noted by Lou

Orumshel ler.

First comes the "wide-

eyed and wonderful"

"back home"^whatever

that might bel

different! 11

It is

period of enchantment. Moving to Mexico is a

great adventure with

Mexico is often referred to as a land

the expectations of having Spanish down pat in a couple of months,

failing to realize that

of contrasts, and It is

exactly that. In this country a fifteenthcentury farming culture exists side by side
with a twentieth

learning a second language as an adult 1s a long, difficul t

Janet visits

us from

Indiana this sumoer.

process!

How well we

remember this phrase!

century Industrial culture which presents major contradictory

social factors in

Phase two is "disap pointment." The

Initial excitement fades with the

everyday l1fe--so
visible!

discovery of the sometimes overwhelming

inconveniences, inefficiencies, and
frustrations that are a

Mexico is open-air
markets and chic

boutiques; quiet peasants and harried urbanites; crumbling haciendas and plush resort hotels; smiling shopkeepers and
sad-eyed beggars. Mexico is baroque

big part of daily 1 ife in Mexico City. This

Teresa, Steve, Rosarlo,

Jaquin, and Claudia of Bible Study.

phase can be ongoing!

"Cynicism" is phase three! By this stage,
the foreign missionary can basically give up
on Mexico; he Is sure

cathedrals and soaring skyscrapers, creaking

donkey carts and roaring bulldozers.

nothing will ever

change and get better. Learning Spanish and growing into the culture may be abandoned by this point

Such divergent and complex cultural scenes

have had a tremendous

Impact upon our 1ives.

Newcomers (missionaries)

generally pass through

and many times he'll prepare to return home; and, yes, with God's blessings.

Mexicanas Bambi and

He1d1!

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP

Steve shops In Mobile

street market In

Bible Study - two

Teresas and Rosaria

Bible Study - Rosario,

Arturo and Luis.

SateMte.

from Spain.

The fourth phase is "adjustment to happiness"1 These foreign resident

missionaries in Mexico

We are continuing to
find our Mexican

have realistically appraised the

differences in Mexican

experience rich, interesting, and never, never, dull. Things in Mexico City are not necessarily always bad, but they sure are very
different! PRAY that we will

life, and have accepted

those differences as

part of 1iving in a city of over 18 million people that need Christ

as Lord and Savior.

recognize and under

stand these various

Bible Study - Jorge and

Carmen and Rosario.

stages of culture
shock. And that we

The somewhat adjusted

missionary doesn't
necessarily like everything in Mexico, nor agree with how everything is done.
Often far from it, but
thev don't dwell on the

continue to give our best shots to trying to work through the times

OUR PRAYER NEEDS

of physical, mental, or
emotional stress,

1.

That our greatest

happiness will come in

adjustments to what is
new and different in Mexico.

always depending more

upon God than ourselves to succeed as the

months and years come

things they don't like. They accept the bad with the good, and thrive on what is good
in the lives in

and gol
Jesus les contesto:

2.

That our Bible

"--Lo qac.

impO'i'Lblz

study participants move into greater in-depth study of Biblical

truths.

Mexico.
the USA!

And, of

course, they still love

So, successful living in Mexico (or any foreign country with
another culture and

pa/Lo. Zo-i hombA.2^ po^^bZe. pcua P^o-6."

...San Lucas 18:27

In His love.

3. That our family's furlough plans from Mexico to USA (1986) go smoothly and safely!

language) requires an open mind, a sense of humor, a spiritually

mature commitment and

Steve and Paulette

attitude, a determi nation to know, under stand, and communicate w.i.th one's Mexican

neighbors, and a lot of grit:

8/85
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MEXIICO ICITY

STEVE & PAULETTE EVERROAD

New Temporary Address
Effective Now:

CMF P.O. Box 26306

Indianapolis, IN 46226

A
November 1985

TIME

FOR

EVERYTHING

"ThoAZ a timz ioK zvzAjjthing, and a ioA. zvQAy acJ:A,\}iX.y andzx

kza\}<Ln..," as revealed

right away while we are

experiencing "reverse
cultural shock." We

So, we invite you to PRAY with us to protect

these major blocks of

in the third chapter of

Ecclesiastes (NIV).
FACING OUR FURLOUGH TIME

deeply desire to renew friendships and share

what God has been doing

time as we try to facilitate our furlough

in 1986.

through us, but we don't

really want to go to any meetings just yet. And
on and on these confused emotions build as we

EARTHQUAKE ENDURANCE TIME

"A XUmz to 6e boAn and a tJjm to dit,.. a turn to ttoA down and a timt to buxXd... a tUmt to 'tzoAck and a tUmi. to

For us, there was a time

to be sent in 1982, And

now, in 1986, a time to return after four years

.i-o_Mex-ico-. -Yes, our

furlough time for 1986

is here.

face our furlough time. We want you to know the "mixed bag" of feelings we will be carrying with us, initially, as we
return to the States.

givt tip" apply to

recent times in Mexico

Perhaps, as someone recently suggested, this

time could be best

City following the killer quakes of September.

Our family and other CMF
Mexico team members have

described as "The Agony and Ecstacy of Planning a Furlough," because preparing to disengage
from Mexico, while

all given personal time and goods to many of the

thousands of Mexicans

planning to reenter the

United States, does

trigger some significant

mixed feelings.

CUUTbRE SHOCKT

that endure hardships. They are without jobs, living in tents, in the streets and in alberques
(shelters). Tina worked
with a volunteer student

We can hardly wait to be

with our families in the

U.S.A., but we will miss

our friends in Mexico.
We look forward to

group digging out concrete rock trying to

In addition, we are working on our
itineraries for 1986 as
rescue new-born babies in the downtown Juarez

visiting our supporting

churches, while our field experiences are
still fresh in our

Hospital.

Heath, Bambi

we structure our usage

of time. While on

and Heidi collected clothes from our

furlough, a significant
chunk of our schedule

neighbors for an
alberque close to our

minds; but in a

different way, we don't

want to face demands

will be spent with you in reporting and sharing

time. We will need

personal time with our

families and some

educational time, when

we can further equip

ourselves.

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP

Our CMF Mexico team project Involves setting up "home industries," costing a projected $10,000 dollars, for several victim families with the hope and intent of starting Bible Studies to advance His Kingdom in Mexico City.
Pray for us in these times that we will be able to build, to gather, to embrace, to heal, to love to mend, to speak, and to plant because "7 know

that zvQAything God doo^ mJil (Lffukuui

(Ecclesiastes 3:14).

MANDATES FOR MINISTRY TIME

During this fall season, we have been given the time

to teach God's plan of salvation to our weekly Bible Study group,

to preach in a Covenant and a Union (Presbyterian) Church as Paulette sang in one, to offer help to a Mexican neighbor friend who was moving his office

equipment from a badly damaged downtown building to another building

location, and

to assist a Baptist missionary friend's family, after he was

shot and killed by criminals six blocks from our home.

We have been at the task of "redeeming the time" in Mexico City.

"...Tfie/ie ^ nothing bzttZA ioA a man than to znjoy hl6 woaJz,.." (Ecclesiastes 3:22) and there is "a ^ouuon ioA avoAy acJxv^uty undoA (lenven" to God's honor and glory.
Prayerfully yours.

Steve & Paulette

PRAYER PRIORITIES

...Special year-end financial girts to eliminate a lyut) oudgex derlcit.

...Safe travel before Christmas to States for our furlough year.
...A solid transition for our children to new schools and friends.

...A house to rent and a good used car to lease for our family.

11/85
PRINTED. PREPARED AND MAILED BY:

Nonprofit Organization
U. S. Pottage
PAID
Pernfiit No. 2975

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP

P.O. BOX 26306,5664 CAITO DRIVE. INDIANAPOLIS. INDIANA 46226

Indianapolis. Indiana

610102030406 MISSION SERVICES

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

EOirORIAL D5PT P 0 BOX 2427

KNOXVILLE

TN

37901