hacer memoria...

Megan in Mexico update: January 2012

2012-01-18T18:45:00.002-08:00

This is a special edition update... it's 3 pages, but I'd encourage you to take the time to read it... it has some exciting news as well as some important ministry and support updates!

PS - If you don't think you'll make it to page 3, I would at least like to share a special financial need with you... The retreat for LAM Mexico missionaries is March 8-11. LAM has invited Armando to come as well, in order for him to get to know the LAM President, Personnel Director, Member Care Director & of course LAM’s other missionaries in Mexico. This will be so important for Armando to feel like a fellow LAM missionary, versus just the husband of one! However, I currently do not have the funds to attend myself, much less for Armando to come along. We would need an estimated $500 for the retreat itself & another $800 for transportation from Tijuana to Cuernavaca. If you feel led to give special gift to help us attend this LAM missionary retreat together, you can do so at http://www.lam.org/missionaries/megan-riggott!

PPS - Wondering who Armando is and why he'll be the husband of an LAM missionary? I told you that you should have read the update!

yes, it's true...

2012-01-18T18:19:00.003-08:00

...I'm engaged! Armando "officially" asked me to marry him at our church's anniversary celebration on December 18th. (He asked me in front of my parents over Skype that morning too... and had already given me the ring earlier that week... and had pretty much proposed the day we started dating, so... yeah, it's official now!)

We plan to be married on April 14th here in Tijuana... wedding details to follow for those of you who'd like to celebrate with us!

a few of my favorite things

2011-12-14T10:24:00.003-08:00

These are a few of my favorite things...

Mexican hot chocolate, donated peanut butter (that didn't really mix together as it should have), and pre-toasted bread... almost as good as cocoa and hard toast on this very cold morning!

Our Jesse Tree... I've wanted one since the days of the felt one at CCS, and my long-time wish finally came true when Jenna and I made them this year! The kids come over each day to read the reading and find the day's magnet to hang on the tree...

a few of my favorite things

2011-12-12T16:34:00.006-08:00

I'm always trying to come up with ways to share with you more about my life here in Tijuana... so I've decided that every once in awhile, I'll post pictures of a few of my favorite things. They are of course just that - things - and may seem like rather small details, but I hope that these posts will give you a better feel of my life here in TJ!

I hope that this can also serve as an exercise in gratitude for me, of remembering my many small blessings (Sound of Music style!):

"These are a few of my favorite things...

When the dog bites,

When the bee stings,

When I'm feeling sad,

I simply remember my favorite things,

And then I don't feel so bad..."

So without further ado, a few of my favorite things from today:

My new (to-me) rain boots! While I was in MN this past spring I spent months looking for boots just like my mom's, which I thought would be perfect for Tijuana's rainy (and thus, very muddy) season. I found nothing that was quite right. My mom finally took pity on me and gave me her boots and they have been just wonderful at keeping my feet dry and warm. Especially on days like today when I spend the morning trekking through the rain, walking through mud and puddles to take a neighborhood kid to the dentist... Thanks Mom!

My onion chopper! I'm cooking a lot more often these days, and trying to learn how to cook more Mexican food, so chopping onions is a must. I like my onions chopped very small but it seems to take me forever to do this by hand (especially because I don't have very sharp knives), so when my friend Jenna's family was getting rid of some of their kitchen things, I decided to give this device a try. It's been great! The kids have fun using it and I don't have to worry so much about they cutting a finger off while they're helping me cook. Today I used it to chop the onion for some Potato & Spinach Soup with Gouda that I'm trying out in my crockpot (another one of my favorite things!) on this chilly day... Thanks Jenna and family!

Mail in my PO box! I was by the post office today, so stopped in to check my mailbox, which is usually empty... but today there was a note from a friend from my church back in MN! It's always such a blessing to get real hand-written mail from back home... (If you want to send me some, my address is: Megan Riggott, Apartado Postal 569, Tijuana BC 22000, MEXICO.) Because, mail is definately one of my favorite things! Thanks Cathy!

2011-12-12T14:41:00.003-08:00

Want to support our children's ministry here in Tijuana but don't have any extra cash lying around?

Help me win a BluTrack racetrack for our children's ministry here in Mexico!

As you probably know, a big part of my ministry here in Tijuana is relationship-building with the neighborhood kids. That said, I'm always looking for sturdy low-maintanaince toys that encourage creativity to have on hand at home for the kiddos who are over all the time!

So head on over to Life in a Shoe where there's a bunch of ways to enter this giveaway, and if you were to win but don't want/need the prize yourself, you can donate it to us here in Tijuana!

let there be light! (and a new LAM website)

2011-11-29T17:56:00.003-08:00

So, after 3 weeks of no electricity* after my house fire, it’s back! Which means a) I can be there after 5pm without feeling like I’m in a romantic candlelit restaurant and b) I have internet again! Though it was kind of fun at times, especially cooking Thanksgiving dinner by candlelight and playing Rummykub while we waited out a storm...

In other exciting news, LAM (Latin America Mission) has a new website (still found at http://www.lam.org/) and you can now set up your recurring monthly donations online! Many of you have mentioned that this would be very helpful, so if you are someone who was considering giving monthly but haven’t done so because the process was either too complicated and/or you just keep forgetting, just head over to riggott.lam.org and click on “support this missionary” at the bottom of the page. I’m still a bit underfunded each month, so if you’re able and willing to support my ministry in Mexico through a monthly donation, I would GREATLY APPRECIATE it! Or, you can give a special gift online to help increase the balance in my ministry accounts (all gifts are tax-deductible). So please check out the new website and/or giving options, and let me know what you think!

* Do you like the rhyming title? Thanks, so do I :)

** Which, by the way, was immediately FOLLOWING the 1 week of no running water and FOLLOWED by 2 days of no water. Just in case you were confused about the order of utility issues...

Megan in Mexico update: November 2011

2011-11-09T16:52:00.001-08:00

The past week or so has been difficult...

¡feliz 1er cumple Gioner!

2011-11-03T10:30:00.002-07:00

Today is Gioner's 1st birthday! I remember very clearly the day he was born... a bright spot during a very dark and difficult time.

How much has changed in my life over the past year... and how much my Gioner has grown!

¡Te quiero mi Tolonsito!

don't [let the baby] try this at home...

2011-10-18T17:58:00.002-07:00

fue mi Jesus

2011-10-05T18:41:00.000-07:00

The kids were over at my house the other day and decided to create and rehearse a drama for church... here's the finished product!

Megan in Mexico update: September 2011

2011-09-21T19:04:00.001-07:00

This is really more of a belated August update! If you keep up with this blog, you've probably already had the chance to read about how our August children's ministry events went and see some fotos of such. If not, I invite you to CLICK HERE to take a look at this update and my recent blog posts.

IMPORTANT SUPPORT UPDATE: One other thing that I shared in this update is that I'm in great need of one-time (or regular!) donations. Due to a regular deficit (my monthly donations don't quite cover my expenses) as well as the extra expenses during the month of August, I have just about depleted all of my reserve funds in my Support account, as well as my Work Funds and Travel/Equipment accounts. If you are willing to give towards my ministry in Mexico, you can DONATE HERE. Please pray with me that God would provide for my financial needs so that I can continue this ministry here in Tijuana.

¡viva México!

2011-09-21T14:00:00.002-07:00

Fotos from el grito last week...

belated August updates: el gallito

2011-09-14T17:48:00.006-07:00

One of our many children's ministry events in August was the famous evento de las mochilas ("backpack event"). This event is put on every August by a US ministry along with a group of local Tijuana churches to distribute backpacks filled with school supplies. This was the 2nd year that we've been invited to participate.

This year the event was done carnival-style, with each church running a booth with a game. The kids went around to the booths and won tickets, which they could then use to buy food and prizes.

Our booth hosted El Gallito ("The Rooster"), a game that gets it's name from the Mexican cockfight. Balloons are tied onto each ankle, and the winner is whoever can pop all of the other person's balloons, using only one's feet. It was hilarious and a huge hit!

The kids all received new backpacks with school supplies... and by the time I'm actually posting this update are back in school! Summer has been full of fun, but I for one am glad it's over... I'm ready for cooler weather and a calmer pace for a while!

If you would be willing to help with the expenses incurred for this event (a total of $81.48 is needed), you can donate here to my WORK FUNDS... thank you!

belated August updates: WCHCMM conference

2011-09-14T17:45:00.003-07:00

During the month of August, I was blessed once again to be able to attend the West Coast Healthcare Missions and Minstry Conference in Pasadena, California. It was a much needed change-of-pace during a month full of children's ministry events!

For me, the four day conference was full of learning, networking and encouraging conversations with fellow medical missionaries. Oh, and of course the all-important CEUs (continuing education hours)! Some of my favorite plenaries and workshops included:

Neighborhood Transformation Introductory Seminar
Called to Care
When Helping Doesn't Hurt: Keys to Community Transformation
Personal Challenges in Delivering Medical Care in the Developing World
Forgiveness in Medicine and Missions
Healing from Depression: Body, Mind and Spirit
Making Tough Choices: From Med Student to Jungle Family Missions
Health Issues Faced by Hispanic Protestants

My hands-down favorites was the talk and workshop that Dr David Levy gave on forgiveness. Dr Levy is a neurosurgeon who spent his Sabbatical "traveling throughout South America teaching forgiveness and emotional/physical healing in prisons and orphanages" and who offers to pray with each of his patients. His stories and message were powerful and I'd highly recommend his book Grey Matter!

While attending the conference, I had the privilege of staying with my friend Annie (also known as Anita, Anita la Huerfanita, Anita la Bruta, etc). Anita and I met in Tijuana in 2005 when she spent several weeks here as a short-term missionary and ended up sleeping in my bedroom... So she's from Tennessee, I'm from Minnesota, we met in Tijuana, and now we reunite each year in Pasadena where she lives now! I was so blessed by the time I was able to spend with Annie... ¡gracias Anita!

If you're willing to help with the expenses incurred to attend this conference (a total of $277.90 is needed), you can donate here to my TRAV & EQUIP fund... thank you!

belated August updates: paseos al parque

2011-09-14T17:44:00.005-07:00

We've continued our church's tradition of a monthly outing to the park with the kids during summer vacation...

We load up La Paloma with a garrafon or two of mango water, blankets, my first aid kit, the kickball, the tetherball and the soccer ball... oh, the the kiddos of course... stop by the market to pick up 8 mega-sized pepperoni pizzas, and head to a quiet shady little nearby park for a few hours...

During our July and August outings, the kids were exciting to have our pastors join us (Pastor Roberto even agreed to be the goalie during the requisite soccer game, to everyone's delight!

Armando rations out the few chips that we had...

My aforementioned first aid kit always comes in handy for the inevitable bumps and scrapes... who said I'm not using my nursing skills while working in children's ministry?!?

For our August outing, we were blessed to have Katalina (a visitor from Washington) with us! The kids loved her!

Katalina was also the reigning tetherball champion... I bought our tetherball (sans pole) at the roadside market one day, and it has been a huge favorite!

So our newest tradition is the monthly soccer game; loser buys Coca-Cola for everyone. This summer's score: Armando's team 3, Megan's team 0. Oh well, there's always next summer!

Our paseos al parque have once again been a great time of relationship-building and just plain fun!

If you're willing to help with the expenses incurred with these outings (a total of $153.22 is needed), you can donate here to my WORK FUNDS... thank you!

belated August updates: VBS

2011-09-14T17:35:00.007-07:00

We started off the month of August with a week of Vacation Bible School. Just like last year, we partnered with a neighboring church to help them host their VBS.

This year I was asked to be one of the teachers. There was a class for preschoolers, another for primary school kids, one for teenagers and also a class for adults. I had the primary schoolers and there were 30+ kids in my class alone!

The littlest kiddos...

...and the big kids...

The last day was filled with singing, memory verses, prizes, food, pinatas and water fights!

It was an exhausting week, but so very worth it! If you'd like to see more pictures, there's more here.

If you would be willing to help with the expenses incurred with this VBS (a total of $286.21 is needed), you can donate here to my WORK FUNDS... thank you!

Megan in Mexico update: summer 2011

2011-07-28T22:31:00.001-07:00

If these past few SUMMER MONTHS have been busy...

...then AUGUST is shaping up to be SUPER CRAZY BUSY...

...that said, I could really use some EXTRA PRAYERS...

...throughout this upcoming month!

mopping to a holy rhythm

2011-07-21T20:30:00.003-07:00

It was the kids' and my turn to clean the church last week...

background music: Ritmo Santo (Holy Rhythm) by Los Poderosos de Jehovah

what's in a name?

2011-07-21T15:00:00.005-07:00

My given name is Megan. There's only a very select few people (that would be my grandma, one of my best friends, another friend/mentor, an old roommate, and a former co-worker) who can get away with calling me Meg. To my nieces and nephew I'm Auntie Megan, or simply Auntie. When I lived in Guatemala, Tito would illogically refer to me as Marcela. But here in Tijuana, ever since I can remember, I’ve been known as Magi. Short for Margarita, many Spanish-speakers incorrectly assume. Some bilingual friends have at times shortened it into Mags. Tonia at the home for elderly used to yell for Mago; Angela would ask for The Girl From Minnesota. For a while Giovanni called me Margara. My neighbor Don Miguel has christened me Magali – after repeated drunken inquiries as to my name, he exclaimed that he finally remembered, and his mistake has since stuck. Sometimes of the neighborhood kids accidentally call me Mamá once in awhile, while one consistently and purposefully uses Mamá Magali. Edgar the taxista always politely refers to me as Señorita Magi. Sometimes Nereida does say Megan (but usually just when she’s teasing me), while lately Ivan has preferred the Spanish pronounciation of my last name: Ree-GOAT. When I went to the junk yard to sell scrap metal the other day, they put Alisa (my middle name) on my receipt. And of course, many take the easy way out and simply go with Guera, that is, “white girl”…

mi titis y mi tolón

2011-07-14T12:57:00.004-07:00

I have the privilege of "borrowing" Gioner (and sometimes his big brother Israel) each Monday evening while their mama is at school and their grandma is at church. This past week Gioner was in a extra-super good mood (he's normally quite cheerful anyways), so I pulled out the camera...

Titis and Tolón (Israel and Gioner's nicknames) are both so special to me. They are the sons of some of my closet friends here in Tijuana; I am honored and blessed to be their "auntie."

Titis and Tolón are also sort of my way of marking my time here in TJ... God started growing Israel is his mama's belly right around the time of my first summer here 8 years ago (see this post), and Gioner just as I moved here 1.5 years ago. O sea, my relationships with those here in Tijuana commenced just as Israel's life began, just has my life as a long-term resident here started just as Gioner was conceived. So as I watch these two precious boys grow and marvel at how big they are getting, I also marvel at the length of time that God has allowed me to be a part of this community!

comedy of errors (alternate title: puras fallas)

2011-07-13T13:08:00.008-07:00

Ok, first of all I've been remiss in not sharing this good news sooner... Less than two weeks ago we finally were about to rescue La Paloma from prison (aka the impound lot)! We've already put it to good use transporting the kids to various church outings, etc. Thank you so much for your prayers!

Second of all, I must share with you all about the other night's highly humorous adventure involving La Paloma. You see, during it's three months of imprisonment, it apparently developed a short in it's wiring, causing the hazard and dome lights to remain on even when the motor is off, in turn causing the battery to lose it's charge very quickly if it's not disconnected.

The other night, Nereida had asked me if I could pick up some formula for her baby while I was out. Well, I forgot. It is yet to be determined if the fault of the following circumstances lies with me for forgetting or for Gioner for drinking milk in the first place...

Anyways, I offered to give her a ride to the nearest grocery store that stays open until 11pm (it was 10pm at this time). We piled into La Paloma along with her eight year-old son, and headed for Calimax. Except Calimax was out of the particular formula that Gioner drinks. So we decided to continue on to the pharmacy Roma, which is open all night. Except on our way their we realized we needed gas. So we pulled into the first of two gas stations on the way to the pharmacy. Except they only had premium gas and we didn't have very much cash. So we headed to the next gas station, arriving just before the truck ran out of gas completely, and put a few bucks worth into the tank. Except then La Paloma wouldn't start - that would be the aforementioned battery problem. And no one had jumper cables. What to do?

After analyzing the situation, we decided to call our friend Alberto. He answered, obviously awoken by my phone call, and I shared that Nereida and I were stranded as La Paloma had died along Fundadores (the very long boulevard on the way into downtown). Then my phone died, before I was able to give any specifics. NOW, what to do?

Nereida had no credit on her cell phone, but lucky for us, the gas stations have just begun to offer phone recharges! So we asked for a 30 pesos recharge, the smallest they had available. Except they were out of recharges. So we asked the gas station attendent if he could keep an eye on the truck while we walked the rest of the way to the pharmacy. He responded laughingly by saying that no one could steal it anyways since the battery was dead, but agreed to allow us to leave it there (not that he could do much else, anyways!). So we headed to the pharmacy, only to find out that they had neither recharges nor the needed formula available. I made a mad dash to the grocery store nearby, only to find that they had just closed. We decided to spend our limited cash supply on a 100 peso recharge card, which the pharmacy did have in stock. We put the recharge onto Nereida's phone, just in time for her phone to die too. It was getting close to midnight and we had a dead car battery and two dead phone batteries. NOW, what do do?!?

We had enough coins to use the pay phone, but neither of us knew Alberto's phone number. (And our phones are dead, remember.) Nereida did remember her mother-in-law's number so we called that and her brother-in-law promised to send her other brother-in-law to rescue us. So knowing that jumper cables were on the way, we headed back to the gas station. After being back there for a few minutes, Alberto arrived. He had been driving up and down Fundadores looking for the stranded Paloma. We attempted to call the brother-in-laws back, but the pay phone wouldn't take coins anymore. So, of course, just as Alberto got La Paloma started again, Armando arrives. But since his services were no longer needed, he gladly headed back home without being too upset at the false alarm.

Cheered that we had a working vehicle again, we then realized that we still didn't have the formula which we had come out for in the first place. Alberto agreed to accompany us downtown, as we weren't too excited about driving around that area alone in the middle of the night. The gas station attendent once again graciously allowed us to leave the truck there, and we hopped into Alberto's car. We arrived at another Roma 24-hour pharmacy on the outskirts of downtown, but they too were out of the necessary formula. We then tried an Oxxo convenience store, as Alberto insisted that they carry formula which Nereida did not believe, but they were locking the doors just as we arrived. We finally made the trek to Revolution Avenue, with it's bars and clubs that draw the night crowd and keep the stores and pharmacies open late. Deciding to take our chance at Oxxo again, the clerk there found one small can of the formula in the back. His words: "We always have anything you need - anything legal, that is. That's why we're Oxxo."

Alberto dropped us back at the gas station and we climbed back into La Paloma, arriving home just after 1am. The moral of the story? You decide:

A) Find some jumper cables for the truck.

B) Find some money to fix the truck's electrical issues.

C) Don't turn the motor off when getting gas.

D) Make sure at least 1 cell phone is charged when going out at night.

E) Wean baby Gioner off formula ASAP.

F) Try the Oxxo 5 minutes from home.

PS - We repeated a small portion of this adventure yesterday, searching for more formula as the aforementioned small can had already been consumed. We (perhaps unwisely) skipped option "F" above due to price constraints, then were debating which direction to head (after the first 3 stores failed us) in order to conserve gas. Thankfully it was daylight, we both had fully charged phones, and it only took 5 total stores and a call to brother-in-law #1 (who ended up finding a can in another neighborhood where he was working and guarding it with his life until we arrived) before the infamous formula was obtained. All this is leading me to encourage Nere to go with option "E" above...!

cholitos

2011-06-28T07:56:00.004-07:00

A few of my favorite cholitos from my neighborhood! (So far the best literal English translation of cholo that I've come up with is "gangster," but that doesn't quite capture it...) I especially like how one of them is much more interested in his ice cream than in acting tough!

In other news, I've added a new page to my blog! On this page I hope to share resources that have helped me in my life and ministry in Tijuana. I hope that these resources might also help YOU to have a better understanding of my context & that of my neighbors, so that you would better know how to pray & support us... Please check it out and let me know what you think!

http://megan-in-mexico.blogspot.com/p/learn.html (or click on the "learn" tab towards the top of the blog)

pray for prisoner: "La Paloma"

2011-06-15T23:04:00.004-07:00

Please pray that God and the authorities would "look upon us with favor" so that we can obtain the proper paperwork and get our church vehicle (known around here as La Paloma - "the dove") out of the impound lot. If we don't get it out by July 7th, we will lose the truck, but also the fee increases each day that it remains impounded. As summer vacation approaches, we especially hope to have La Paloma back for children's ministry events!

ADDENDUM: Ok, so I keep go back and forth on this. On one hand we could really use the truck especially for the kids; on the other it will mean more responsibilities for me that I'm not sure if I want or need, and while seemingly practical and necessary might take away from what my priorities truly should be (see last prayer request on PRAY page). Oh, but I'm so very fond of La Paloma, it would be so sad to lose it. Anyways, I'm ammending my prayer request to this: that God's will be done!

For more prayer requests, click here or on the PRAY tab above!

dinero and donkeys

2011-06-13T22:54:00.003-07:00

Today Nere and I took her son, along with two other twin boys from the church/neighborhood, into downtown Tijuana to go the dentist (more about that in another post). Afterwards we stopped for a breakfast of ham sandwiches. After pulling out my money to pay, I somehow became distracted and the next thing I knew, Gioner was attempting to stuff our entire cash supply into his mouth...

This in turn made me laugh so hard that I wasn't focused on guarding the sandwiches, thus I was unable to prevent him also grabbing a chunk of bread and trying to add that to the mix...

Luckily, we were able to salvage the money so that we could pay for breakfast and catch the bus home later on! We then passed the Jai Alai building, which is a famous landmark in Tijuana. We thought we should take our pictures in front of it like the tourists do...

I should also note that Gioner's donkey toy contributes to the touristy look, because another popular photo opp here in Tijuana is to have your picture taken with the zonkeys (aka donkeys that are painted to look like zebras)! And yes, I did just discover the word "zonkey" when looking for this link...

cookie monsters

2011-06-11T13:40:00.003-07:00

One of the biggest blessings since being back in Mexico is that I now have a stove with a working oven! While not a great cook, I do enjoy baking & do alright at it... & because stoves are very rare in homes here, homemade baked goods are quite a treat! Baking cookies (as well as cheesecake, birthday cake, lasagna cake, etc) has become a delicious stress-reliever for me, something fun to do with friends or the neighbor kids, & a great way to bless those around me!

PS - Dear CaRe co-workers: despite the great excitement over the cookies, I don't think anyone could truly appreciate my famous chocolate chip cookies as much as you all did... Miss you!

2011-06-10T07:05:00.001-07:00

One of my most recent projects: a no-sew baby wrap for Gioner! His mama had surgery recently and can't carry him around, so right now his adopted auntie gets the privilege!

Megan in Mexico update: May 2011

2011-06-07T10:11:00.001-07:00

"God, what do you want from me?!?" Read my May update.

estoy enamorada... i'm in love...

2011-06-06T12:21:00.004-07:00

...with a certain Gioner Asael!

(see the fotos from when Gioner was just born)

photo credit: José de Jesús, better known as Bigotes

the good & the bad

2011-05-07T22:45:00.007-07:00

***DISCLAIMER: Nana & Mom, you might not want to read this! ***

BAD: The word on the street is that while I was away from my house here in Tijuana, some neighborhood kids were climbing in through my front window.

GOOD: Someone suggested that I put a rod/pipe inside the window so it can't be slid open from the outside. I happend to find one that seemed to be exactly the right size in front of my house. It seemed to work quite well.

BAD: When I returned home tonight at 10pm, exhausted after walking 45 minutes practically all uphill and after only sleeping 4 hours last night, I realized that one of my door locks that I don't usually lock somehow got locked. Of course I didn't have the key.

BAD: I couldn't climb in through my front window as I would usually do in this situation.

GOOD: One of my friends, who happens to live just down the street, used to rob houses in Beverly Hills. He was home and came right over when I called.

GOOD: He couldn't get the lock open with a credit card, which is good because he was the one who installed the lock, supposedly to be credit-card proof.

BAD: He couldn't get the lock open with a credit card, which meant I was still locked out.

GOOD: He was able to open the front window, after jimmying the rod out. I climbed right in, delighted to finally be inside my house.

BAD: Thus far, my efforts at increased security have only suceeded to keep me out of my own house, but have failed to deter the professional thief.

GOOD: Maybe the rod will still discourage the neighborhood troublemakers from breaking and entering on a whim?

PS - I just had to share the response from my mom & grandma:

"Megan... would you prefer a Pit Bull or German Shepherd?? Think a German Sheperd may eat a little more, but could be trained for additional tasks. We plan to ship within the next 12 hours, so please advise ASAP, as we hate to make the decision without your input. Love you!!! Mom and Nana"

the 100 project: will YOU be 1?!?

2011-05-03T21:45:00.001-07:00

goal: $500/month

= 100 people giving (or increasing their monthly gift by) $5/month

PLEDGES: $500/MONTH!!!

If you're willing to be 1, please email me at rigmeg@bethel.edu!

Megan in Mexico update: April 2011

2011-04-29T05:00:00.002-07:00

Who am I to go? Read more in my April update...

my bags are packed...

2011-04-28T20:04:00.005-07:00

...I'm ready to go! Tonight is the very last night that I'll spend in my bed on the floor under the stairs at the Martindale/Polzin home, where I've been for the past 4 months:

I'm actually sad about it, as my little "bedroom" behind the couch has has become quite a refuge and place of rest for me, but I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed in Tijuana tomorrow!

He is risen!

2011-04-24T05:00:00.001-07:00

(Easter 2010 - Iglesia Luz en la Obscuridad - Tijuana, BC, Mexico)

dessert gatherings!

2011-04-05T21:20:00.007-07:00

For those of you in the Twin Cities area, I'd like to invite you to an upcoming dessert gathering! It will simply be a time for me to share about my past year and future ministry in Tijuana, for you to ask any questions that you may have, and of course to enjoy some delicious desserts!

Several of my supporters have graciously volunteered to host these gatherings, so if you'd like to connect with me before I return to Mexico, please let me know! There are several options:

Sunday, April 10th at 7pm - at the Hedstrand's home in Shoreview
Thursday, April 14th at 7pm - at the Aust's home in Bloomington
Tuesday, April 19th at 7pm - at the Knosalla's home in South Minneapolis

Because space at each of these gatherings will be somewhat limited, please RSVP by replying to this email if you'd like to come to one. (I'll get the address and directions to you at that point.) Hope to see many of you!

Megan in Mexico update: February 2011

2011-02-16T20:35:00.002-08:00

Read my February update...

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2010-11-29T22:28:00.000-08:00

My sweet sobrina Camille and her mama sent me a care package the other day. Among the many wonderful things that they included (my personal favorite being the ziploc baggie of goldfish crackers that C added), there was a bag of "Snow Powder"... The kids here are super interested in the idea that it is actually snowing these days in Minnesota, so a few of us decided to give it a try today and it was a HUGE hit!

Camila, the kids all say "gracias" for the snow!

Gioner Asael

2010-11-04T22:26:00.003-07:00

"Gioner" after his parents GIOvanni and NEReida;

"Asael" after one of David's mighty men.

Please keep Gioner, his big brother Israel, and his parents in your prayers...

Megan in Mexico update: October 2010

2010-11-02T21:36:00.001-07:00

Read about how you can pray with me in my October update...

2010-10-01T20:10:00.002-07:00

Today I was honored by a visit from not one, but THREE of my Bethel nursing professors!

THANK YOU to Maureen, Bernie and Young-Ja for a wonderful day!

¡viva México!

2010-09-16T16:09:00.001-07:00

I was issued my non-immigrant residency visa...

...just in time to celebrate Mexico's 200th birthday! ¡Viva México!

PS - They won't let you smile for these official fotos... Israel informed me that this is a very ugly picture of me!

Megan in Mexico update: August 2010

2010-09-03T14:35:00.002-07:00

This past month has been BUSY! Take a look at my August update to find out more. You can click on any of the pictures in the update to read/see more here on my blog and our church's blog! There are lots of new pictures on the blogs, so check them out!

2010-09-03T08:27:00.001-07:00

I would HIGHLY recommend that you click here to see some photos of our new monthly tradition with the kids from church!

PS - Running races with overexcited children can be dangerous, especially if they accidentally trip you. Exhibit A:

hiding His Word in our hearts

2010-09-03T07:01:00.001-07:00

Something that I've never done much of is Scripture memorization...that is, until I came here to Mexico! Now I have to (or should I say, GET to) memorize 1 verse per week for discipleship class and 5 verses per month for children's ministry. And I'm starting to meditate and memorize more on my own as well. I'm fairly sure that I now know more Scripture in Spanish now that in English! I'm learning the importance of "hiding God's Word in my heart" (Psalm 119:11 - one of the kids' memory verses) and knowing His Word is renewing my mind and reshaping my heart.

We're trying to help the kids at church with the same. After 5 months, we've now learned 25 memory verses together. These kids are incredible, the way that they can memorize! I love it when we are doing a responsive reading at church and even though it's the leaders turn to read, when we come to a verse that they've learned all of the kids just chime in! I know that they aren't always grasping the full idea of each verse, but they are storing the words away in their hearts and little by little they're making connections between God's Word and their lives...

My two favorite stories about this involve 6 year-old Israel. One day Giovanni (his dad and our pastor) was discouraged about something and feeling like it was an impossible situation. I asked Israel to remind his dad what Matthew 19:26 says and he immediately said: "With God, everything is possible!" Another time, we were at the laundrymat and Israel was trying to convince me to buy him some ice cream. He was trying to tell me that it was the kind thing to do (we had just learned about the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23) but couldn't remember the word. Finally he comes up with: "You know, the APPLES of the flesh and the APPLES of the Spirit!" So he was a little off in the wording, but he definately understood the concept! (I still didn't buy him the ice cream though...)

We're now in the midst of reviewing our 25 memory verses in preparation for the much-anticipated upcoming competition, which will be held in conjunction with the church's 1st anniversary celebration. Last Sunday, we filled 50 balloons with the citation (is that the right word?) for each memory verse and inflated them all. Then each team (boys versus girls) took turns popping the balloons and saying the verse...

It was a close game the whole way, but in the end, the victory went to the boys!

Pray for these kids, and for me, that God will continue to work in our lives through learning His Word.

a visit from Bro Joe & Betty

2010-09-03T07:00:00.006-07:00

We enjoyed a fast and furious visit from our dear friends, the Knosallas, this past weekend! Brother Joe (aka Darrell when outside of Tijuana; Giovanni dubbed him "Joe" because Darrell was too hard to say) and Betty have been a huge support to me and to our church and we appreciate them so much.

We were SO glad to have Brother Joe and Betty join us for discipleship class, pizza in the park, a Sunday church service, a convivio in their honor, and a whole lot of just eating and talking and being together...

(the grown-up gang at "pizza in the park")

(these two fellows, despite dramatic differences in their age & culture & language, are ridiculously similar!)

(Betty, an OB nurse, was able to answer many more of Nere's pregnancy questions than I, a cardiac-renal nurse, can!)

(a toast to Tacos La Villa!)

(mmm-mmm...thanks for taking us out for tacos...)

Thank you for sharing in our lives, Betty and Brother Joe!

PS - The Knosallas' church, Jacob's Well of Minneapolis MN, has recently partnered with our church to receive and receipt monetary donations! Click here for more info!

Vacation Bible School, Tijuana style!

2010-08-23T23:47:00.011-07:00

a glimpse of our week at VBS...

Before VBS had even started, we had our first injury...and realized that we didn't have so much as a bandaid with us! So we loaded up our patient into the pickup and made the trek to my apartment, where I hastily threw together a first aid kit to bring along. It received A LOT of use during the week. I actually really enjoyed dealing with blood again... This is B in our makeshift ambulance in my parking lot, after the lidocaine spray had numbed his wound and he had to fake his crying/screaming for the photo. You might also note the arm of my assistant, Giovanni, and my eager on-looker, JL!

We had decided not to host a VBS this year, because of lack of funds and space at our own church. But just a few weeks before the summer's end, we were invited to take part in this VBS which was being hosted by another church nearby. We easily outnumbered the "locals" by bringing 30+ kids/youth/young adults/moms from Pedregal Santa Julia 3rd Seccion each day. Check out our newest (and already well-used and loved) addition to our church's beloved vehicle: the cage!

The church where the VBS was held had previously been abandoned, vandalized and burned. There is a new pastor now and they're starting to hold services twice a month. Anyways, there are still no windows or doors, as you can see in this picture...so nothing could be left there at night. So we spent a good part of each day transporting chairs and tables and supplies (and leaders and kids) back and forth.

Here's Pastor Giovanni leading a game of "follow the leader." I believe this was the jumping jacks segment... This is not the first time that our pastor has been known to do something a little on the crazy side. For example...

Here are a few of our "cholos" - BA, C and J. My mom thought they were signing "I love you," but I had to break it to her that they are really trying their best to look like gangsters. They may look tough, but they're some of the sweetest 8 year-olds that I know! The two on the left (in matching shirts) are twins known around the neighborhood as "El Flaco" and "El Gordo" (literally, The Thin One and The Fat One)... These 3 have been begging me to start teaching an English class, so we're considering that possibility!

Some of my favorite girls - E, P, L and A. This must have been post-piñata because they all have confetti in their hair!

JL, BA, C, J and I (with M in the background). I can't think of anything else to say for this photo, except that I have no idea why C has a stuffed penguin on his shoulder. Interesting...

On the last day, the host church brought a generator and we brought our instruments and worship band. It was such a joy to see the youth/young adults from our church get involved in helping at VBS during the week. Here's 16 year-old Jorge on drums with 12 year-old E (our usual drummer) looking on, Giovanni playing guitar, 15 year-old I and 18 year-old M singing back-up vocals...and C looking on...

Unlike VBS in the States (as I'm familiar with it at least), teenagers and young adults and moms (and babies) were also welcome to come. We had our own adult class while the kids were in their classes. It was a really nice change for Nereida and I not to have plan lessons, but instead to be on the receiving end.

Here's yet another of my patients - D with his buddy A. I think this was the last injuries of the week. These cuts and scrapes were mostly caused by falls onto the cement/rocky ground during wild and crazy games of tag and cops-and-robbers before and after the actual VBS. If I were to guess, I would say that our group of children were the ones to instigate most of the craziness.

This is me breaking the piñata stick before any of the kids had even had a chance at it. Thankfully we had a back-up stick...

And this is me demonstrating the unfortunate result of my excessive strength!

The piñata...a must-have for any mexican fiesta, including the last day of VBS...

...and the mad scramble for candy as the piñata breaks open!

Here we have a few more "cholos" - BG, O#1, O#2 and J.

Meet M and JL... The first picture I took of the two of them, M looks really angry at me and JL looked really scared of me. It was pretty funny, actually. But here they look much more like their normal smiling selves.

And lastly, G with a bunch of girls - D, P, E, A and H.

please pray with us

2010-08-13T15:17:00.000-07:00

Please join us in praying for the 2 families in our neighborhood who lost loved ones yesterday:

"I" and his family as his cousin committed suicide
the family of "M," who passed away due to complications after emergency surgery

Pray that as a church we would be able to come alongside these families to support them in these difficult days. Pray that we could share and that they would seek comfort from God in their grief (except for "I," no one from either family attends church regularly).

Megan in Mexico update: July 2010

2010-08-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

Read my July 2010 update about how God has been calling us as a church (and me in my own life) to re-arrange our priorities and put first things first...

PS - I'll be updating the prayer requests on this blog at least weekly (find out more about how you can join me in prayer by clicking the link "PRAY" above!)

la playa

2010-07-16T22:58:00.003-07:00

Today's high temperature here in Tijuana was 91 degrees, which beat the previous record (87 degrees) for July 16th! And since staying inside with the AC on full blast isn't an option, what better way to cool down than in the ocean?!?

So we all piled into the pickup truck (that would be 17 of us, ages 10 weeks to 73 years!) and headed to la playa...

Even as close as we are to the ocean, it's been years since I've been to Tijuana's beaches. But today was definately the day to go!

musical chairs

2010-07-12T21:57:00.034-07:00

We took a day to just play during Sunday school last week...

(And the winner was...Brayan Giovanni!)

Please pray for these kids... There are quite a few from the neighborhood who are coming to church regularly now, many of them who are in very tough family situations and who come to church alone without their parents. Pray for Nereida and I as we seek to teach and disciple and just love on them. Pray for wisdom about how to best reach both the older and younger kids, as we don't have enough leaders yet to split into 2 separate classes (Nere teaches on Wednesdays and I teach on Sundays, so we can each stay in the service once a week). And pray that we'd continue to have fun!

¡felicidades graduados!

2010-06-28T21:04:00.005-07:00

It's graduation week here in Tijuana! It sort of reminds me of high school gradution open house weekends, where you would go from one to another to yet another...only here the festivities center around kindergarten and elementary school graduation.

Out of those in our church "family" alone, we celebrated:

1 kindergarten graduation
4 elementary school graduations
1 middle school graduation
1 high school graduation

It's a little tricky because every single elementary school has there graduation ceremonies on the same day. It is, however, slightly helpful that some kids go to school in the morning shift and others in the afternoon. But we wanted to show our support for these kids (and their families) who have worked hard to make it to this day!

We began on Friday by heading over to Edgar's graduation...

We then caught the end of Ahmber's graduation ceremony, then spent some time at her home, where we had some extremely delicious tamales (I am proud to say that I ate 4 plus part of a sweet tamale for dessert!)

That was the end of the day's festivities for some, but I then met up with a family who are long-time friends of mine here and went back to the same elementary school for Oscar's graduation ceremony...

(one of the traditions of the elementary school graduation ceremony here is that the 6th grade graduates dance the waltz)

(Oscar is the 3rd of 5 brothers to graduate from elementary school, but the 1st who is continuing on to middle school!)

We had a small respite over the weekend, then began again today with Israel's kindergarten graduation (which was followed by a celebration lunch at Burger King, per the graduate's request)...

(the proud graduate)

(Israel with his buddy who lives on the same street)

(the brothers/cousins)

¡Felicidades graduados!

Megan in Mexico update: June 2010

2010-06-26T11:22:00.002-07:00

TO DO: dwell in the land & feed on His faithfulness

(read my June 2010 update)

la parábola del hijo pródigo

2010-06-21T10:29:00.002-07:00

The kids at Iglesia Luz en la Obscuridad worked hard this past week preparing a special surprise for our Father's Day service: a dramatic rendition of the parable of the Prodigal Son. So without further ado, we present for your viewing pleasure our cinema debut!

this is how we roll...

2010-06-08T20:36:00.005-07:00

Just another trip through our local grocery store...

Yes, that is our pastor.

Yes, he actually rode around like that.

Yes, we are pretty cool.

No, we did not get kicked out of the store.

Megan in Mexico update: May 2010

2010-05-29T11:10:00.005-07:00

Find out what's been happening and how you can pray in my May update...

this doesn't look like Mexico...

2010-05-29T11:00:00.002-07:00

I figured that I could make my confession now that I'm safely on the Mexico side of the border again... Yes, I was in MN for a "top-secret" trip, for a rountine thyroid cancer check and to meet my newest nephew/god-son, Levi! Besides many doctor's appointments, I spent most of my time playing with my niece Camille and cuddling little Levi...it was absolutely wonderful! It was also SO hard to say goodbye as I returned to Tijuana and the first few days back here were rough, but I'm settling back into the rhythm of life here again...

Go here to see more really cute pictures of my sobrinitos!

i love you, little Levi!

2010-05-02T17:54:00.003-07:00

Welcome to the world, Levi Thomas! I am blessed beyond measure to call you my "nephew" and god-son...

I love you so much already, little Levi!

PS - See more fotos of Levi on his mommy's blog!

Megan in Mexico update: April 2010

2010-04-28T11:58:00.005-07:00

"Out of the mud and mire..."

CLICK HERE to read about God's redeeming work in our lives, our church & community!

PS - Check out the videos of these "new songs" by clicking here!

dia del niño!

2010-04-27T17:49:00.006-07:00

We had a GREAT time celebrating Dia del Niño (Children's Day) at our church the other day!

A few months ago, we were averaging about 0.5 kids at a service - that being the pastor's son who would usually be sleeping for about half of the time...this past Sunday, there were almost 70 kids there!

In the words of Giovanni (our pastor, who was in our church building during the recent Easter earthquake): "our church was shaking once again...this time, because we had almost 70 children and more than 30 adults dancing for God!"

(Yes, that's our pastor playing the guitar...yes, the one in the orange clown costume...)

Check out fotos of our celebration by clicking here!

One thing that we've been focusing on over the past few months has been our children's ministry program, because we believe that these kids are the future of our church and our community! If you're interested in donating towards our children's ministry, check out our supply wish list here (we're especially in need of arts & crafts supplies) or our books/videos wishlist here. Most of all, we ask for your prayers as we love on and disciple these amazing kids!

unexpected Sabbath

2010-04-22T22:31:00.003-07:00

I'm thankful for the unexpected opportunity that I had to spend my Sabbath with one of my favorite families here in Tijuana!

(foto 1: Genesis Ruby, foto 2: Marta y Sarai, foto 3: Yolanda, foto 4: Jose Enrique)

language school

2010-04-21T13:32:00.004-07:00

At the LAM Mexico retreat last month, I was asked several times by other missionaries whether I'd gone to language school. The answer was no, I came straight to Tijuana without passing through a formal language school. Upon further reflection, however, I'd like to ammend my answer: I'm currently enrolled in at least 5 language "classes." Take a look at my course catalouge...

Pronounciacion and Grammer, taught by 5 year-old Israel, along with a variety of other contributors. He is the strictest teacher that I have, by far. No error in pronounciacion or grammer, however small, escapes his ears. He insists that I repeat words syllable by syllable until I have it exactly right. And if I had a peso for every time that I heard him say "No Magi, you don't say it like that...you say it like this..." I probably wouldn't need your generous financial support!
Mexican "Dichos" (Sayings), taught mainly by Giovanni and Alberto. This is one of my more advanced classes, as it involves more that just understanding the words, but also the cultural meaning behind them. This class has helped me tremendously in advancing my conversational skills. Some of my most-incorporated sayings thus far include: El que mucho abarca, poco aprieta (loosely translated: he who tries to do too much ends up not doing anything well), Vive con Andrés un mes y verás quien es ("live with Andres for a month and you'll see who he really is"), and Cuando Dios dice "a comer," hasta del cielo llueven chicharrones (literally "when God says 'time to eat,' pork rinds will rain down even from heaven"...which is equal, more or less, to the "where God guides, He provides").
Films and Readings, which incorporates mainly old black-and-white comedies such as Capulina and Cantinflas, as well as a variety of childrens' books. The films portion has served both to build up my Spanish vocabulary, as well as increase my knowledge of Mexican history and culture. Israel can often be found quoting and/or acting out various parts of aforementioned films, supplementing this learning experience. Reading the childrens' books aloud both contributes greatly to both my vocabulary as well as complementing the lessons learned in my Pronounciacion class (especially if I'm reading to Israel!).
Spanish Swear Words (aka, What One Should NOT Say), taught by Pelayo while I did his wound care. I'm actually no longer enrolled in this particular class, as we came to the point where he no longer screamed swear words at me for a half-hour straight. But, the repetition served me well and while he never provided the direct translations, I certainly came away with the general understanding of what NOT to say.
Tijuanese/Mexican Slang, taught through a cooperative effort of many of my friends here. This is where I've learned la neta que (the truth is that) my past formal language study actually taught me the wrong way to communicate many things if I want to have any real credibility here!

"...normal language acquisition is a social activity, not an academic activity. The isolation of the foreigner in a language school does little to communicate positively in the community" (Language Learning IS Communication IS Ministry! by Thomas & Elizabeth Brewster)

"Indeed, if we do no more than engage in the process of language learning we will have communicated more of the essentials of the Gospel than if we devote ourselves to any other task I can think of" (Charles H. Kraft, missionary anthropologist).

2010-04-13T12:10:00.001-07:00

I just completed a long and ardous bathroom remodeling project...

Exhibit A: I converted an old metal hanger into a combination hand towel/washcloth holder.

Exhibit B: I changed the roceta (aka porcelain mount thing-a-ma-jig, my electrician skills don't extend into English, apparently) for the light so I don't have to brush my teeth in the dark anymore...and I even managed to do it without electrocuting myself!

an Easter to remember!

2010-04-05T20:36:00.012-07:00

Well, my first Easter in Mexico yesterday was my most memorable of all thus far...!

It began the afternoon before with the preparation of the menudo, which we finally put on the stove to cook around 11pm. I myself made it to bed around midnight, but since I had the advantage of being the first to shower, the others got even less sleep. When my alarm went off a few hours later at 3:30am, I headed into the kitchen where my glasses immediately fogged up. I could hear what sounding like water dripping from the ceiling, which confused me because the roof there doesn't leak and besides it hadn't been raining. Being that I couldn't see much of anything and that I was still half asleep, I figured there must be a completely logical explanation...it took me few moments, but once I wiped my glasses off, I realized what it was: the ceiling was raining menudo. Yes, you read that right. All of the vapor from the simmering pots had risen to the ceiling and condensed...and was now it was dripping back down onto the floor, down the walls, onto the table, into shoes, etc. I joked that it was pretty much my worst nightmare, since menudo is probably my absolute least favorite Mexican food, and now it was on every surface of the room and raining down all around me! Ugh.

We then headed down the road to open up the church. Upon arriving, we found an unfamiliar pick-up parked outside with a man slumped over in the driver's seat. As he didn't move when knocking on the truck window, the police were called. And called again (apparently they come sooner if they receive multiple calls from multiple numbers). Finally they arrived and it was discovered that he was alive, just very intoxicated. In the meantime, while we waited for them to arrive, we discovered a cat, who was in fact dead, on the floor of the church just inside the door. That was disposed of and we began our church's first ever Easter service. It was my turn to teach the kids' class during the sermon, and we had fun making empty tombs ("He is not here, He is risen!")...

Then the menudo-fest began, complete with some Vico C background music. Afterwards, some of us hung around for an impromptu concert, including the debut piano performance of 22-month-old Luis Angel (accompanied by Geovanny on the guitar)!

(I have a video of this but it doesn't seem to want to upload...maybe later...)

Then we headed back to the house, cleaned the menudo off the walls and ceiling, and crawled back into our beds for a much-needed nap! So that was our Easter excitement...

Oh wait, and then there was the earthquake.

Nereida and I had just woken up from our nap when it started. "Do you feel that shaking?" she asked me. "Um, I think so" I replied. Once I noticed the cement floor/walls visibly moving back and forth, I was a bit more certain. When we realized it wasn't going to stop anytime soon and people started yelling to each other to get out, we grabbed 5-year-old Israel and headed up the stairs to the street, where most of the whole neighborhood was gathered. Geovanny had been in the church building when it began and, thinking we were still asleep, was running down the road to wake us up.

Thankfully, by the end of it all, everything was still standing. The neighborhood is in a canyon with houses built rather haphazardly on the sides of the hill, so it was by the grace of God that no homes were seriously damaged. However, the already-questionable wall that holds up our 2nd story church sanctuary is quite a bit worse and we're worried that with too many people upstairs it might collapse.

Thank the Lord it was Easter and we held our service at 5am instead of the normal 4pm time (the earthquake hit at 3:40pm, when most of us would be upstairs in the church building)!

We will probably have to suspend services or hold them outside, weather permitting, until we can get the wall fixed. Please pray with us that God would provide the $570 needed for the materials for these repairs, not only to be able to hold services inside again, but also to have a classroom for the kids' class in the room below (right now we're holding classes in the adjoining kitchen). It needed to be done anyways, and we'd already gotten quotes on prices for the wood and such, but now it's a bit more urgent!

We've continued to feel some aftershocks but nothing like the first earthquake. Prayers for continued safety are much appreciated, as well as for those in the Mexicali area where it was the worst.

So, THAT was our Easter. It was definately a day to remember...

church/children's ministry wish list!

2010-04-01T21:03:00.004-07:00

For those of you who are interested in donating items for our church/children's ministry, I've created a wish list on amazon.com...

http://amzn.com/w/39WYG01XNO7X8

You can have it shipped right to me (Megan Riggott, c/o Saracoffs, 173 Whitney St, Chula Vista CA 91910) and even better, the shipping is FREE for orders over $25!

Megan in Mexico update: March 2010

2010-03-26T22:46:00.003-07:00

"There's no place like home..."

depa: mi casa es tu casa

2010-03-26T22:20:00.010-07:00

Join me on a tour of my depa...!
(depa = departamento = apartment)

El Real de Jibarito 1...my building is on the left
(notice the ocean/islands in the background...Tijuana may not be the most beautiful place, but I sure have a great view!)

I'm on the left on the 2nd floor (with the tinfoil in the window)

my main living area (photo taken from the doorway)

my new used sofa which folds out into an extra bed...come visit!

my absolute favorite piece of furniture: my bookcase!

my kitchen (sans much food at the moment, unfortunately)

room-off-the-kitchen with water heater (yay!), pila (which is clogged), and fridge (which wouldn't fit in the kitchen)...

the granola bars are for Pelayo and the ChocoKrispis for me!

sink outside of bathroom (notice my birthday present from Aaron!)

my bathroom, obviously...

my cozy little bedroom

(I don't know what I'd do without my wonderfully warm blankets!)

the spare room / donation storage room / still-a-giant-mess room

I am SO blessed to have found this great departamento in a perfect location (across the street from the Asilo where I work and within walking distance of church/friends and right on main taxi/bus route)! Come visit sometime...mi casa es tu casa!

2010-03-17T05:52:00.000-07:00

On retreat...pray for rest!

pain control 101: distraction in the form of food

2010-03-13T18:16:00.005-08:00

I just added another item to my donation "wish list": granola bars! Giving this fellow something to munch on while I'm doing his wound care is the only thing that seems to keep him from screaming/swearing at me non-stop...and while protein drinks lessen the outbursts, granola bars keep him completely content! Enough to debride down to the tendon today...ok, probably too much information for most of you... But the point is that it works SO much better than the lidocaine spray!

Keep praying for wisdom, strength and patience for me in my work at El Refugio... And pray for peace, relief and healing for this fellow!

PS - Here's a foto of me in the newly organized "wound care room"...

PPS - For those of you who are medically inclined and/or don't have a weak stomach, here are some of the wounds I've been treating. Recommendations are welcome! Really though, click at your own risk...not recommended for the general public...

my inaugural visitors!

2010-03-12T19:13:00.003-08:00

I was so glad to have my grandparents as my first visitors to my new home in Tijuana! They were with friends in California and took a little detour into Mexico for a day and a night...

waiting for them on the Mexico side of the border:

visiting Alberto at his work:

a few more of the Gutierrez gang:

at the Asilo:

hanging out at my place after some comida china:

before heading back to the border:

Love you, Nana and Boppa! Thanks for braving Tijuana's less-than-stellar reputation to come see for yourselves!

there shall be no more pain...

2010-03-09T22:38:00.002-08:00

Manuela went home to Jesus this past Saturday; I found out today just in time to stop by her velorio tonight. She was one of the few ancianos that I knew from back in 2005 and is also one that I've spent a lot of time with recently as I was treating her wound (she had cancer) and her many various aches and pains. I will miss Manuela but am so glad that she's now where she won't hurt anymore...

"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;
there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.
There shall be no more pain,
for the former things have passed away."

2010-03-04T09:34:00.003-08:00

Two years ago today, God gave me the most precious gift:

my "niece" and god-daughter, Camilsita...

How I wish that I could be there to celebrate with you today, Camilikins! You are one of God's greatest blessings in my life.

I miss you so much, baby girl who's now becoming a big girl...

And I love you more than I could ever say...

Happy birthday Camille! Love, Auntie

Megan in Mexico update: February 2010

2010-02-23T19:19:00.002-08:00

my vision and my prayer...

paseo al parque

2010-02-19T22:22:00.001-08:00

It's been a full week and I was grateful for my dia de descanso yesterday! Here's a few fotos of our paseo al parque...

(Geovanny trying to explain to me what's wrong with their truck...something about the starter and a "fry wheel"?)

As you can tell, it's been a bit warmer! There are rumors of rain all night, but none so far yet...

PS - I take that back. It just started to rain. I'm glad I'm just going down and across the (paved) street to the Asilo tomorrow instead of having to walk all the way down the (dirt) road to Carretas...!

a few ancianos

2010-02-19T21:00:00.000-08:00

A few of the folks at El Refugio whose wounds I'm caring for...

Please pray for them...and for wisdom for me!

happy birthday to me!

2010-02-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today marks both 26 years of life and 3 weeks of living in Mexico!

(This was from exactly 1 month ago, a combined goodbye and early birthday dinner with Camille's family...with the famous Martindale chocolate birthday cake!)

rain, rain, go away...

2010-02-13T21:17:00.002-08:00

Actually, it's not actually raining right now...but it has been, on and off...but I just figured out how to get these fotos off my cel to share with you all, sorry they're a bit blurry...

Exhibit A: el lago famoso de la Plaza Civica, a.k.a. the street I normally walk down to get to my friends' house and/or church

Exhibit B: arco iris during a break in the rain last weekend

first full day at El Refugio

2010-02-13T18:12:00.000-08:00

Today was my first full day at El Refugio (aka the Asilo). I spent most of my 8 hours doing wound care (aka curaciones) on 10 of the elderly residents there, plus bonus foot care for each of them! As far as the more interesting cases of those of you who are medically inclined: I've encountered one exposed metal rod, one wound that needed to be debrided, another that I just couldn't debride for lack of anesthetic and lots of screaming on the resident's part, and one case of what I'm pretty sure are shingles. Next week there will definately be some photos being sent to my skin team friends at HCMC! Otherwise, just lots of really dry skin and overgrown toenails. I've also started to connect with some of the groups that come regularly or will be coming, especially those who are helping with medical care. When I bring my camera next week for the wound photo shoot, I'll try to get some non-gory photos to post here for the rest of you!

PS - For those of you who would like to donate supplies (or money towards supplies), please see the post below for a list and/or instructions on how to designate funds!

wish list!

2010-02-13T18:01:00.030-08:00

Here's a list of current supplies needed for our church/children's ministry...I'll try to keep this updated for those of you who would like to donate any of these items! The starred items are what we need most right now!

Items can be mailed to me at: Megan Riggott, c/o Saracoffs, 173 Whitney St, Chula Vista CA 91910. Depending on shipping costs, etc, it may be more cost effective to donate money to purchase needed items here (see below). If you live in the San Diego area, email me to arrange the "hand-off"!

If you're interested in donating Bibles/books/movies/etc for our church/children's ministry, I've created a wish list on amazon.com (http://amzn.com/w/39WYG01XNO7X8). You can have them shipped right to me and orders over $25 have free shipping!

You can also donate money for supplies by going to riggott.lam.org - click my name at the bottom of the page, then choose the "work funds" category (instead of "support") if you'd like your gift to go towards purchasing needed supplies for my ministries.

children's ministry needs:

children's movies (ie Bible stories) in Spanish ***
various arts & crafts supplies ***
crayons/markers/etc
colored/construction paper ***
tissue paper & wrapping paper (used is ok!)
Mod Podge
small prizes (especially for boys ages 8-12) ***
childrens' Bibles in Spanish (Version Reina-Valera)

general church needs:

GIANT PRINT Spanish Bibles (Version Reina-Valera) ***
folding chairs
folding tables
Spanish Bibles (Version Reina-Valera)

community health ministry needs:

FreeStyle Lite test strips
lancets
medical gloves (size medium or large)
dressing & wound care supplies

(updated 12 July 2010)

variety of updates with lots of fotos

2010-02-10T17:03:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I started my work at the Asilo… So far, I’m meeting lots of new ancianos/volunteers and reconnecting with those that I knew from before and trying to remember 90+ names and literally being chased when passing out sweet bread and being told by many elderly men that I have beautiful eyes (and by one that I have beautiful teeth!) and trying to figure out my role there and feeling a little overwhelmed/inadequate and and wishing I’d been on the skin team at the hospital after seeing all of wound care that I’m going to be doing, etc etc etc! Your prayers are much appreciated!

On another note, I had a great time this past weekend with my friends Geovanny and Nereida and Israel! Some of the highlights:

making peanut butter cookies, lasagna and garlic bread in my new used gas stove, not to mention the adventure of finding all of the necessary ingredients here (in the truck with the dead battery and no windows so the rain comes in)…by now I’m getting pretty good at lighting the pilot light for the oven!

Israel trying out some new hairstyles on Nereida and I…this is only one of many...

worshipping together at our tiny no-name church that meets in Geovanny’s mom’s kitchen

playing “cup” games with the sobrinitos (I taught them one from camp…and Nere taught us some kind of musical chairs sort of game where you’re out if you’re left without a cup at the end of the song) and laughing like crazy

just doing life together!

And lastly, it’s COLD here! Especially inside, at night, and in my empty apartment! I’ve started wearing my winter hat whenever I’m at home in the evenings, and of course I always wear my long underwear at night! Usually I have 2 pairs of socks, 2 layers on the bottom and 3-6 layers on top… I keep joking that I want to go back to MN where it’s not so cold! Last night I figured out that I could warm my hands up while I boiled water for tea…

That’s all for now...

long overdue update!

2010-02-05T10:47:00.002-08:00

I’ve been in Mexico now for only a week and a half, but there is so much to share with you! It has been a time full of re-connecting with dear friends, settling into life here in Mexico, remembering my Spanish, learning so much, and beginning to figure out my rhythm of ministry and life here…

One of the big updates is that I now have an apartment here in Tijuana! For many reasons, I decided to look for a place of my own sooner rather than later. With the help of friends here, we found an apartment in the same complex where the family I was staying with lives. It’s right across the street from the Asilo where I’ll be working, and is within walking distance to the homes of most of my other friends in Mexico as well as the church that I’ve become involved with. It’s been a gift to have a space of my own: where I can start to unpack and feel as though I’m actually living here in Mexico and not simply visiting, where I can rest and be alone when I need that, and to where I can invite friends and family! I’ve learned so much about life here in Tijuana through the process of finding and furnishing my apartment, and it’s provided some great opportunities to ask for help from friends and neighbors.

I’ll take some more pictures of my apartment later to share with you, but for now you can see a bit of it in the background of these. My dear friend Nereida came over with her son Israel to help me clean my kitchen when I moved in and we took a break to take some fotos…

We’ve figured out a tentative schedule for my work at the Asilo and a few other local ministries, and I’ll begin to spend time at those places next week. Up until now and until then however, I am so thankful for the gift of time to simply BE with people here. Please pray with me that this ministry of presence can continue to be my priority even once I begin my official “work” here…

“More and more the desire grows in me simply to walk around, to greet people, to enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simply ministry of presence; still it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for [some] progress. But I wonder more and more if the first things shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them… The greatest news of all is that God is with His people, that He is truly present. What greater ministry can be practiced than a ministry that reflects this divine presence?” (Henri Nouwen, ¡Gracias!)

Hasta luego,

PS - Below you’ll find the next episode of “the adventures of Auntie and Pink Kitty” with a few more fotos...

adventures of Auntie & Pink Kitty - episode 2

2010-02-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

This is my friend Israel! He is 5 years old. He and his mommy came to visit me at my new apartment here in Mexico. He and Pink Kitty played together for a long time! I think they will be good friends.

Israel speaks Spanish. In Spanish, Pink Kitty’s name is Gatito Rosito. Israel is teaching Auntie and Pink Kitty lots of Spanish words, and we are teaching Israel some words in English. Some of his favorite words in English so far are “cat” and “dog” and “yellow”!

Auntie and Pink Kitty are having lots of fun with our friends here in Mexico, but we miss you a lot! We love you!

Megan (FINALLY) in Mexico!

2010-01-27T22:35:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to let you all know that, yes, I am finally in Mexico! I crossed the border into Tijuana on Monday. A few prayer requests:

for my heath: I'm still battling a bad head/chest cold, but it seems to be improving poco a poco...
for my living situation: I'm currently staying with a great family whom I've known for 7 years, but it's a bit crowded with 8 of us in a small 2-bedroom apartment...there are a few possibilities for longer-term living situations for me, so pray that God will provide the right place at the right time!
that I'd take advantage of these days before I start working to re-connect with people here

I'll write more (plus fotos) later on...

adventures of Auntie & Pink Kitty - episode 1

2010-01-24T10:00:00.001-08:00

This is for my almost-2-year-old sobrinita and god-daughter, Camille, who gave me "Pink Kitty" to bring with me to Mexico. But I thought it would be fun to also share it on my blog so that other younger friends can follow along on our adventures as well...

* * *

Yesterday Auntie and Pink Kitty flew in an airplane! Tomorrow they are going to a place called Mexico.

Auntie took a nap on the plane and ate some yummy pretzels. Pink Kitty liked looking out the window as they flew through the clouds. Pink Kitty and Auntie waved at all of their friends down on the ground...did you see any airplanes in the sky?

Auntie and Pink Kitty miss all of their friends, but they are excited for their adventures in Mexico!

Megan in Mexico update: January 2010

2010-01-20T05:27:00.003-08:00

I've said my goodbyes to those in Minnesota, am currently in Miami, and will soon continue on to Mexico!

Read my latest "Megan in Mexico update" for more about what I'm doing here in Miami, my prayer requests, my prayer, and my new (temporary) mailing address in Mexico...

Please continue to pray for me in these days of transition...

the final countdown: tomorrow...

2010-01-17T21:23:00.000-08:00

By the time that most of you are reading this, it will probably already be the day of my departure! And it's almost midnight anyways. But, as I am still awake with last-minute packing, I still consider it to be tomorrow. On Monday morning I'll leave Minnesota and fly to Miami where the Latin America Mission office is located; I'll be there until Thursday when I'll fly to San Diego (with a layover in New York...yes, that's 3 corners of the country in 1 day!) and then cross the border into Mexico sometime this coming weekend. I can't believe that the day is finally here...!

Oh, and of note: I'm now at 100% of my financial support and every day of my prayer calender is full! Thank you!!!

So there's the last update from Minnesota...more later from Miami and Mexico!

the final countdown: 4 days...

2010-01-14T06:39:00.001-08:00

...until my departure date on Monday, January 18th!

Sorry that I missed yesterday's episode of this final countdown for any of you obsessive daily blog readers... I was too busy spending the day with one of my most favorite people:

Here's the latest update:

MONTHLY FINANCIAL SUPPORT: 99.45% of my monthly support has been pledged! Woo-hoo! I'm now only about $14/month away from being fully supported!

MONTHLY PRAYER TEAM: We have every single day of the month filled, and then some! But if you still want to commit to praying, pick a date and let me know! I'll take all the prayer I can get! (See the lower part of the right sidebar of this blog for the list...)

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your prayers, encouragement, and financial support!

Pray in these last few days that I would get the rest of my packing, errands and to-do list done...and most of all that I'd be able to spend good time with those here that I love and we'd be able to say goodbye well.

a few fotos of farewell fiestas

2010-01-12T07:05:00.011-08:00

This blog has been lacking fotos lately! Here's a few from some recent "farewell fiestas"...

dinner with some of the [present & former] Lakeview crew:

("mordida!")

hanging out with "the girls" in my apartment one last time:

my goodbye open-house (more fotos to come soon!):

(me with my big brother & oldest niece, Grace)

(some of my biggest fans & favorite people!)

the final countdown: 6 days...

2010-01-12T06:55:00.004-08:00

...until my departure date on Monday, January 18th!

MONTHLY FINANCIAL SUPPORT UPDATE: still at 97.4%, need $65/month more to be fully supported...

MONTHLY PRAYER TEAM UPDATE: each and every day of the month is filled! thank you to those who've committed to pray! if you'd still like to pick a date, go ahead and let me know...i'm ok with more than 1 pray'er per day :)

the final countdown: 7 days...

2010-01-11T06:12:00.004-08:00

Only 1 week until my departure date! On Monday, January 18th: I'll leave Minnesota and fly to Miami for a few days at the Latin America Mission offices. Then, on to Tijuana!

MONTHLY FINANCIAL SUPPORT: I'm now at 97.4% of my full monthly support! Thank you for those of you who pledged to support me monthly at my open house. I now need only $65/month to be fully supported before I go! We are SO close! If you've recently sent or will be sending a pledge card or EFT form to LAM, please let me know too so I can update this countdown :)

MONTHLY PRAYER TEAM: Much thanks to all of you who have committed to pray once a month, there are now only 3 days to pray that aren't covered: the 9th, 16th and 19th. If you're willing to commit to praying for me and my ministry on one of these days, please let me know! If there's another day that would be easier for you to remember (ie a birthday or anniversary date), that's ok too...I'll take more than one person praying each day!

Please pray for me during the intensity (both the busyness and the emotion of saying goodbye) of this final week... Thank you!

the final countdown: 8 days...

2010-01-10T07:32:00.005-08:00

...until my departure date!

Thank you to all of you who came to my goodbye open house yesterday! It was such a blessing to see each of you if only for a little bit. I felt so loved and encouraged by your presence...thank you!

MONTHLY FINANCIAL SUPPORT: I'm now at 96.2% of my full monthly support! Thank you for those of you who pledged yesterday to support me monthly. I'm now short only $95/month!

MONTHLY PRAYER TEAM: Thanks to all of you who have committed to pray once a month, there are now only 4 days that aren't covered: the 9th, 16th, 19th, and 29th (what's with all the 9's?!?). If you're willing to commit to praying on one of these days, please let me know! If there's another day that would be easier for you to remember (ie a birthday or anniversary date), that's ok too...I'll take more than one person praying each day!

the final countdown: 9 days...

2010-01-08T22:01:00.003-08:00

The final countdown: 9 days until my departure date!

GOODBYE OPEN HOUSE TODAY! Come anytime between 1-5pm. At the old Edgewater Emmanuel church building (5144 13th Ave S Minneapolis MN 55417). Hope to see you there!

MONTHLY FINANCIAL SUPPORT: I'm still at 94.2% of my full monthly support and in need of $145/month.

MONTHLY PRAYER TEAM: Thanks to all of you who committed yesterday to pray for me and my ministry once a month! I'm still in need of 12 monthly pray'ers...here are the open dates! Let me know if you're willing to pray!

5 -
9 -
16 -
19 -
21 -
24 -
25 -
27 -
28 -
29 -
30 -
31 -

the final countdown: 10 days...

2010-01-08T05:45:00.006-08:00

The final countdown: 10 days until my departure date!

GOODBYE OPEN HOUSE: If you're in the area, I'd love to see you before I go! Please join us for a goodbye open house this Saturday (January 9th). Come anytime from 1-5pm. Anyone is welcome (spouse, kids, friends, random people off the street...)! It will be in the community room at the old Edgewater Emmanuel church building (5144 13th Ave S Minneapolis MN 55417). Hope to see you there!

It would be amazing to be fully supported (both in monthly financial support and in prayer each day) before I leave in 10 days! Pray with me that God would provide in this! Here's how you can help:

MONTHLY FINANCIAL SUPPORT: Because a few supporters had to withdraw their support due to economic trouble or personal situations, I'm now at 94.2% of my full monthly support. I'm in need of $145/month. Please prayerfully consider whether you might partner with me by making a monthly pledge (or increasing your current monthly gift); just $5-10 would bring me closer to my full support! Please fill out a pledge card and/or EFT automatic deduction form...and as I won't see those for awhile, you can let me know too :)

MONTHLY PRAYER TEAM: I would love to leave knowing that I'm being prayed for each and every day of the year! I'm still in need of 19 monthly pray-ers, so if you'd like to join my monthly prayer team by committing to pray one day each month, please let me know by emailing me at rigmeg@bethel.edu or leaving a comment here! You can find the open days below...

I will be updating this "final countdown" with the financial/prayer support needs each day until I go. We still have 10 days to reach my full support! Thank you for all of your support thus far! I am encouraged and comforted to know that as I go to Mexico soon, I do not go alone...

MONTHLY PRAYER TEAM:
1 - Mary G
2 -
3 - Sheena L
4 - John & Mary Ann A, Marilyn H
5 -
6 -
7 -
8 -
9 -
10 -
11 - Tracy T
12 -
13 - Dawn F, Rochelle T
14 -
15 - Hannah K
16 -
17 - Dorothy N
18 - Darrell K
19 -
20 - Donna H
21 -
22 - Kathryn H, Roland H
23 - Juanita R
24 -
25 -
26 - Judy H, Heather W
27 -
28 -
29 -
30 -
31 -

DESPEDIDA (Goodbye Open House)

2010-01-06T05:30:00.000-08:00

Here's your chance to say adios to Megan before she leaves for Tijuana for the next 2+ years!

WHO: anyone is welcome to come!

WHAT: goodbye open house for Megan

WHEN: Saturday, January 9th from 1-5pm (come anytime)
WHERE: Edgewater Emmanuel church building (in the basement), 5144 13th Ave S Minneapolis MN 55417

a day in the life of preparing to go!

2010-01-05T21:00:00.004-08:00

Apply for driver's license with "new" (read: fake) MN address - check!
Obtain medical clearance from doctor to leave the country - check!
Deposit the random $100 bill found while packing apartment - check!
Buy long underwear for the persistant chill of January in TJ - check!
Etc etc etc - check!

Am SO looking forward to tomorrow when the #1 item on my to-do list is to hang out with Camille & her mommy...

(s)inging in the new year

2009-12-30T16:57:00.004-08:00

"What a joy it was to celebrate the new year with both old and new friends here in Mexico! We began and one of the chruches and then at 11pm headed to the "Asilo" (the home for elderly) where we brought in the new year with hot chocolate, deep friend tortillas, and hymns sung to Pastor Chuy's accordian. At midnight there were hugs and shouts of '¡feliz año nuevo!' As I gave and received hugs from ancianos (elderly), volunteers and children, I could only thank God for this opportunity to be with these people once again."

One thing that stands out in my mind from that New Year's Eve 5 years ago was a song that someone kept playing over and over again, that said "gloria a Dios/yo puedo decir/que hasta aqui me has ayudo Jehovah": glory to God because I can certainly say that He has helped me up until now! Each new year I can still say the same...

2009-12-25T10:01:00.001-08:00

“No one can celebrate a genuine Christmas without being truly poor. The self-sufficient, the proud, those who, because they have everything, look down on others, those who have no need even of God - for them there will be no Christmas… Only the poor, the hungry, those who need someone to come on their behalf, will have that someone. That someone is God, Emmanuel, God-With-Us.” (Óscar Romero)

Come Emmanuel!

pair o' ducks*

2009-12-23T15:53:00.009-08:00

The events of yesterday (spending the day with Camilikins) and today (receiving fotos and a letter in the mail from my friends in Mexico) remind me all too much of what leaving MN for TJ will mean...

the YEAH duck: I'll get to hang out with him more often...

the YUCK duck: I won't get to hang out with her as often...

* a.k.a. "paradox" (that is, "a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth"), à la MTI kids program

Megan in Mexico update: December 2009

2009-12-21T10:40:00.014-08:00

Click here for my December update!

You'll read in this update that I'm asking for people who would be willing to pray for me on one day a month throughout the entire year (for example, the 15th of each month). I'd love to go to Mexico knowing that I'm being prayed for each and every day! Let me know if you'd be willing to pray and to which date you're committing!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas celebrating the gift of "God-With-Us"!

2009-12-18T21:00:00.001-08:00

I just had to share: I found a few more monthly pledge cards as I was going through my mail so I'm now 96% of my monthly support (just $100/month short of full support)! Thank you God!

I'm back from Colorado and in just 1 month will be leaving for Mexico! Pray for me in this transition, especially that I would be able to say goodbye well...

finally some photos!

2009-12-13T17:55:00.009-08:00

Finally I've found some photos to share with you all from my time here in Colorado! Despite what it looks like, we are actually in training sessions for the majority of the day...but that doesn't make for very exciting pictures. Enjoy!

We've spent a lot of time hiking on the trails around the training center. It's beautiful here!

One of our first nights here there was $1 bowling nearby...

Last weekend a group of us went to Garden of the Gods...

Some of us offered a babysitting night on Saturday so that the parents could get out by themselves. We had 11 kids ranging in ages from 10 months to 12 years old!

Our time here has gone so fast and I can't believe that we have less than a week left!

the countdown is REALLY on!

2009-12-09T19:28:00.005-08:00

- 91% of my monthly support pledged
- 39 days left until my departure date
- $225/month left to raise before I go

Will you be one of the last 9%?!?

PS - I can't update my monthly support graph from here because I don't have my own computer...so this will have to do for now!

PPS - I'll try to get some photos from here at MTI to post soon!