Cancun, Trip #5, May 2025
Musings and Challenges…
Preaching in Cancun from Acts 18…
“After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.” (Acts 18:1, ESV)
I prepared one message for the four venues I would be visiting, hopefully with a few distinctive emphases for each.
What a time to be alive! To be among the first to hear the news of the recently crucified and resurrected Savior… to be touched by the likes of Paul, Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos… to feel the underlying humility that bound those strong-willed, visionary pioneers together… for the most worthy cause on earth.
Paul worked his way to Rome where he would die for his faith… Apollos walked through opening doors with his recently tweaked faith… Priscila and Aquila kept opening their home to their church family—in quiet, steadfast faith.
This time, I was privileged to be with our church family near Rancho Viejo. It is situated north of the city proper, an area that has been growing rapidly for years. It is not far from the ferry at Punta Sam that carries people to Isla Mujeres—part of the beautiful imagery of life on the “Turquoise Coast of Mexico”.
Idyllic, right?
Nope…
Everything changes as soon as you deboard the ferry and take the road south, back through town, and back to your safe, all-inclusive hotel. The road west skirts the city and takes you back south unless you plan on the 4-hour drive west to the city of Mérida.
This is the more “un-scenic” route. Not far from Rancho Viejo is Cancun’s old landfill… acres and acres of land turned into mounds of garbage, massive enough to be called hills. After years of stuffing too much garbage there, they covered it over, fenced it off, and moved on to bigger and better spaces. Now, it´s surrounded by housing projects. And, as demand and deprivation escalate, so does the number of people who have invaded the old landfill. It’s a desperate attempt to lay claim to a piece of something they can call their own. The really lucky ones find a spot close enough to the fenceline to splice into some electricity on the other side.
People don’t do this for fun. People do this because they have no choices.
Back at Rancho Viejo, We have a faithful group of believers—hardworking, committed to family, and committed to their church family as well. They consider themselves to be centrally located for the people who attend. This is their meeting place. The man leading the praise time is legally blind, but you might not catch on if you were just here for the song service. As is their custom, they have a thanksgiving time after the singing. They will take turns standing up to share what they are thankful to God for this week. It turns out to be quite a lot.
The spacious open area outside their meeting hall is being prepared for construction. Eventually, they hope the whole section can be walled in and roofed. Here, that means cement block, rebar, and concrete. I asked about where they were at with the funding. I also asked Pastor Jaime, since this was one of their outreach projects. The response did not surprise me. It’s the same as from the beginning: “We’ve got this Greg. The Lord will provide. We would never burden our missionary with this.”
I feel a sermon brewing on The Principles of Indigenous Missions. I think it’s an especially important subject for Americans who need to learn to shed their American-ness if they intend to come alongside people in other cultural and political settings.
Let’s joyfully surrender our lives to the kind of boots-on-the-ground, long-term commitment that Kingdom work requires… and that the people we are among deserve.
Breakfast at La Orgánica is always grand…
Jeremy took me to see our special friend, Delia… soon to be 93 yrs. old.
Mother’s Day… I posted this on Facebook with, “We grilled for over 100 people. Facebook’s translation for Spanish readers: “We grilled over 100 people.” (Sometimes prepositions matter!)
Andrea, Elías, Greg & his grandson Mathias at Alamos church
“For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.” (1Th 2:19-20, ESV)