We arrived in Mexico City (CDMX) a little over two weeks ago! Thank you to everyone who saw our posts on Facebook and Instagram and have been praying for us. Your prayers are sustaining us!
We praise God for going before us and taking care of all our needs during our day of travel. This was our first time flying with our dog, Buddy, who wasn’t all too sure he liked it but did well. We had all the necessary paperwork for him to get the needed approval from vet check office at the airport in CDMX. That process went smoother than anticipated. The kids did great too! It’s been a while since they have flown but they traveled like seasoned travelers and adapted well to the required precautions needed while flying during the pandemic. We, Peter & Sarah, are thankful for their eagerness and ability to lift and carry the many suitcases (2 per person) that we brought with us. With only being able to bring two checked bags per person we all had to thoughtfully and carefully decide what we wanted to bring.
Sarah and her love of capturing God’s beautiful creation took this picture of the sun rising over the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountain Range.
Our two weeks in CDMX has been quiet yet filled with daily errands (one or two of us going out at a time following the necessary precautions) to purchase items to set up our house, exchange money, sign our rental agreement as well as other requirements around that, etc. We are slowly acclimating and getting our feet under us and beginning to learn the ins & outs of Mexican culture and how to navigate the city all while being attentive to the needs, struggles and victories of each one of us. It is only the beginning of our transition. The training we received six years ago taught us that it takes on average three years to fully feel adjusted to the new place. Some moments the culture shock is felt more than at other moments which is normal. Daily afternoon naps/rest are needed as we are physically adjusting to a much higher elevation (7,500 feet above sea level) and are mentally more tired with readjusting to doing life in Spanish again and in a new city. In some ways we feel like we are relearning Spanish as the Costa Rican colloquialisms are different than Mexico’s. Thankfully we are understanding them and picking them up quickly! Your continued prayers for strength, endurance (mental & physical), spiritual growth and maturation, safety, health, acclimation to our new surroundings, and God’s provision for our needs are greatly appreciated. We ask specifically for prayers around the house we are trying to rent. It is a much slower process than we would like for it to be. We initially thought we’d be in our temporary housing for a week, but it looks like we will be staying in it for almost three weeks. As of today, the hopeful plan is to move in this Thursday! 🙏🙏🙏
Nathaniel, Elianna & Samuel in the back patio of our temporary housing. We are blessed to have this little outdoor space where they can throw the football around. Buddy enjoys hanging out with them there too.
Since our temporary housing is on the Seminary’s campus, Peter has been taking advantage of the convenience of its proximity to begin to get his office space set up. Which includes finding a space for the 100+ books we managed to make space for in our luggage. Peter will use these books for the classes he teaches and for his doctorate program. He is enjoying having a quiet space to go work on the classes he is teaching online and get other necessary work accomplished.
As we are settling into life in Mexico, we are beginning to notice some things and are praying about how to respond. For example, one of Peter’s collogues shared about how in the city alone the Baptists have lost 40 pastors with another 20+ losses outside of the city. This is leaving 60+ widows without income or housing. There are about 20 pastors who lost their spouse but are able to keep working and stay in their housing. The Baptists are meeting and praying about how to respond and so are we. In the short run, if you would like to give a special offering to help these pastors, send it to IM and in the memo write Specifics – McCurdy. Please email us that you sent money in to help the widows so we can direct the money in the correct way.
Thank you for journeying with us through prayer, financial support, love and in spirit.
Love In Christ,
Sarah, Peter & kids
International Ministries Global Servants to Mexico