What are the greatest challenges for you as a missionary?
The most obvious would be adjusting to the cultural differences. It is quite easy to fall into the trap of comparing cultures. This results in saying that one culture is better or worse than the other. I want to avoid criticizing something just because it is different. I also don’t want to alienate myself from my original culture. I also need to evaluate weather a certain aspect of culture is something I should accept and adapt to, or if it is not Biblical, and I need to have the courage to stand out against it. I don’t want to abandon all my personality and cultural traits and simply mimic what I see others doing here. However I don’t want to resist everything that is done here and hold on too tightly to irrelevant things of my past. Haven grown up in the church, I have a lot of experience with different programs, leadership styles, etc. A major challenge for me when I first arrived was to not be overly critical of this church. My gut reaction was to say, at my church, we did this; and it works a lot better than what you’re doing. I had to take a step back and convince myself that things work a lot differently here. And knowing when to chalk something up to a cultural difference and when to offer constructive criticism requires wisdom beyond my reach. Another challenge that is not as obvious (but is the number one reason why missionaries leave the field), is other missionaries. For me, it is even more difficult, because most missionaries go as a team with others from their home country. However, I am working with a team of missionaries from a different country. So I have to balance my culture with their culture and with the culture of the locals. It can get complicated and frustrating. I have only been here for about three months, so most things are still new and exciting. That makes it easy to overlook the frustrating parts. However, I imagine all those “little things” will start to add up in the future. One thing that was an unexpected challenge was the language barrier. Prior to my arrival I was very comfortable with my Spanish, and didn’t expect it to be much of an inhibitor. What surprised me were the accents of my host family and the leaders of the church. They are all from Honduras, and although they also speak Spanish; they have a very different dialect.
A missionary’s life is also full of many paradoxes. I am miss my family, friends, and church; but am so happy with my new friends, family, and church. When I’m in Mexico I feel like I fit in better in the USA, when I’m in the USA I feel like I fit in better in Mexico. I’m not a typical Mexican, but I’m not a typical American.
So basically the challenges are balance, and living with many paradoxes.

What do you think your strengths are while you do ministry in Mexico?
Flexibility, openness, unbiased/new opinions, youthful energy, and just the fact that I am American (and therefore different) is a great outreach tool. It immediately gives me an excuse to talk to strangers, and always provides a topic for conversations (where are you from, why are you here, how do you like Mexico, etc).

What are your main weaknesses as you serve?
A lack of knowledge of cultural norms, leading to a spirit of timidity (things “everyone” just knows: like the appropriate/socially acceptable responses, mannerisms, and attitudes). I sometimes feel like more of an observer than a participant; and Satan attempts to use this foothold to plant seeds of depression.