A day in the life of RenovArte Café

6:35am. Alarm sounds. Snooze. Wake up. Out of bed. Getting ready. Car. Romi to school. First visit to RenovArte – turn on the espresso machine. Home. Shower. Supermarket. Supplies. 10:00am. Arrive at RenovArte. Open doors. Tables. Pray. Clean. Devotion time. Ready…

This is how a normal day starts in our ministry at RenovArte Café, making disciples of Jesus Christ amongst uni students.

On an average day, Denise comes in for her cappuccino at around 10:30am and if she’s sleepy, it comes with a double shot of espresso. Normally, Denise stays around for a while to chat with us or sits down and talks with Sandy until her next class. Conversations range from last night’s dreams and design projects to personal problems and family stories. We have had the opportunity to share our stories with Denise including how Jesus has changed our lives. Just yesterday Denise wrote us a message in facebook saying thanking us for our friendship and saying she can’t face the day without us. God is at work.

Later, Toño comes in with his friends Sajid, Victor and Hugo. These guys study Psychology here at the uni of Queretaro. We always sit and chat for a while about all that is going on. On the first day he visited the café, Toño asked me why I came to Mexico. I told him that God had changed my life and that I have a new life and a new hope in Jesus Christ. I shared with him that this was such good news that I wanted to share it with everyone and that my heart beats for young people to know Jesus – not in a religious way, but a personal, relevant and organic way. It seems that every time he and his friends visit, they ask me more about why I’m here, why I chose to be a missionary and why all missionaries play musical instruments!!! (Yesterday Toño told me that he has several Christian friends and they all play instruments or sing. I told him that it’s a prerequisite. Joking.)

Marissa and Ere pass by in the afternoon before their first class at 4pm. Sandy takes a few minutes to talk with Marissa and listen to what’s going on in her life. Ere helps us out preparing coffee and we eat together.

In the afternoon, Ramses arrives, a few minutes late, but bursting with energy. He puts on his apron and asks “what do you need me to do?” Once a week we take a decent time out from work to chat about what’s going on in our lives and dive into the word of God, exploring what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

This is RenovArte. RenovArte is all about seeing young lives transformed by faith in Jesus Christ and helping them grow as disciples that impact their world. There are many more stories to share and new stories that start every day. Journey with us to see God at work in the lives of young adults in Mexico.

Cafe progress

Hi all,

I know it's been a long time since we last updated and much has been happening. The reason for no updates has been our level of busyness - we're flat out!

Here are some recent photos of the constuction process - we're underway and with the pedal to the metal to get things ready. We haven't got a definite opening date because there's still many things to get done, but we are aiming for the last week of October or the first week of November.



God has been good to us and we have been given the coffee machine, grinder and coffee bar along with a few other items from the old Global Grounds café. We are managing the budget to try and fit out the café in the coolest way possible to make it an attractive hang-out for uni students.

We would love you to get excited about this ministry project and pray specifically that God would help us every step of the way in the cafe setup and opening to make an impact for the kingdom of God. Our goal is to make disciples and on the way to make some great coffee. Satan does not like it when God's people rise up to share the good news of Jesus and we have had some challenges along the way. Please pray for God's protection and strength each day as we seek to be and make disciples through all that we do, including the setup of the cafe.

We can't wait to share more of this exciting ministry project with you, so stay tuned!

We're back!

We arrived back in Queretaro late Tuesday night again tired after more travel but excited to be home and see Sandy's side of the family. Sandy's parents took us out to eat tacos - our favourite Mexican food and they were delicious! We got straight back into things as Phil had an urgent ministry task to do on Wednesday and Sandy lots of support to give in getting groceries and starting to tidy up the house. We have been busy unpacking but we are very excited about the next phase of our ministry here. We visited the uni on Wednesday and saw lots of young people who need to hear about Jesus.

God bless guys, we'll be in touch soon!

Ready to go

Hi all,

It's late, we're tired and the cases are still open with things popping in and out. We are very excited to be travelling to Australia tomorrow and can't wait to be on our way! Please pray for us as we travel over the next 48 hours and arrive in Melbourne on Tuesday morning at about 8am. We will be flying from Mexico to LA and then to Melbourne. Please pray for our health as we've all been down with a cold and also that God would protect and guide us every step of the journey.

Our desire is to be a blessing to those around us and to bless others in our trip to Australia.

Take care and see you soon!

Phil and Sandy

The Soccer World Cup... a link to the good news

Last week we started sharing some great little booklets that have been produced by a youth ministry here in Mexico with students in the UAQ university. The booklets contain a plan of all the soccer matches during the world cup in South Africa and also the good news of Jesus with a testimony of a famous soccer player.


We have been inviting these students to our weekly outreach Bible study in the university. Please pray that God would prepare the hearts of these young people as we share a message of hope with them and that God would grow our Search group in line with His will.

Hasta luego!!

God is working

Hey all,

Just a quick update to let you know that yesterday we had six uni students in our group La Busqueda UAQ (The Search). Yesterday we talked about some of the questions that the young people had and also about the revolutionary identity of Jesus Christ - the only one who can save.

It was good to see some new faces including Nyelli and Carla, and see some familiar faces return with Ere, David, Ana and Marta.

Praise God for what He is doing in our university ministry.

Coming back to earth

Hi everyone... thanks for your patience! I'm coming back to earth after getting married, going on our honeymoon and setting up house. We are settling into a routine now and trying to make the most of every day.


At present our efforts are focussed on sharing with uni students at the main university in Querétaro, the University Autonomous of Querétaro. Please keep praying for these students and particularly for our Thursday afternoon The Search group.

More to come, with photos!

The Proposal

The time had come and all was ready. I had prayed about it, thought about it, had the ring and I was ready! My sister and her husband were with us and very excited about what was about to happen…

I took Sandy out for a romantic dinner that I had organised for the two of us. Sandy thought we were going to the restaurant, but we took a shortcut which took us to a lookout with a waiter, table and red roses waiting. We sat down to a lovely dinner and enjoyed chatting about how God had brought us together, some funny and candid moments we have shared and our dreams for the future. Sandy was enjoying herself, but had no idea what was to come…

After we had enjoyed main course, we stood up to enjoy the view. The background music playing was by Luis Miguel and Sandy started singing the first song and proceeded to tell me it was a song dedicated to a woman that he was no longer with, hmmm, I let that song pass by. The next song started and Sandy said “This song is beautiful!” so I thought, “This is the moment!”
I felt the ring in my pocket and started to pull it out as I got down on bended knee. The breath escaped from Sandy’s lungs as she gasped with surprise. “Sandra García Estrada, ¿te casarías conmigo?” (“Sandra Garcia Estrada, will you marry me?”)

“¡¡¡SI!!!” (“YES!!!!!”)

I put the ring on her finger and I couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as I gave her a big hug! We enjoyed dessert and tea and coffee as a newly engaged couple. We asked our waiter to take some photos for us to capture the moment (sorry, the proposal photos are a re-enactment, that’s why I have a goofy smile and I’m looking at the camera whilst I put the ring on her finger.) It was an amazingly special time and a celebration shared with my sister and her husband visiting from Australia.

Wahooo!!! We’re engaged!!! That’s Lord for your love, grace and faithfulness!!!

Thanks all for your support, congratulations and prayers. We still don’t have all the details for the wedding as we are praying for God’s timing and direction. We would value your prayers as we take this important step of faith and as we seek to glorify God in our decisions and our future together.

20 June Video update from Costa Rica

I hope you enjoy this video update!

Back to school

Today I had my first day of a one month intensive Spanish course here in Costa Rica. My aim is to take my now fluent Spanish to the next level. I am currently at a level where I can understand pretty much everything that people say to me, apart from technical terms or local idiosyncracies, and can be easily understood by those that hear me. I particularly want to work on my accent and correct some aspects of my grammar. Even though lots of people tell me that I speak very good Spanish for the amount of time I've been in Mexico, I still have a long way to go in terms of improving, refining, expanding my vocubulary and starting to speak more correctly and eloquently.

Today, we started with an orientation session and a written and oral exam. There are about 18 of us in the intensive course and everyone else is from the US. I'm proudly flying the flag for Australia and have had lots of questions about the good old Land Downunder.

The Spanish Language Institute is one of the largest in Latin America and caters primarily for missionaries heading out to serve in Spanish-speaking countries in the region. In our first classes today, we did some revision on past-tense verbs in grammar class and then two hours of conversation. I am struggling to get my brain back into gear to learn grammar in classroom-style repetition but I think it will be helpful. The conversation class was interesting, but I'm praying that somehow I can find the way to make it push me because I'm used to conversation all-day, every day in Spanish on a variety of subjects.

Please continue to pray for my time here in Costa Rica, I'm enjoying it and wanting to make the most of every opportunity that God gives me to learn, grow and serve Him. Please also pray for the Costa Rican family that I am staying with for this month that I reflect Jesus and point them towards His saving grace.

Over and out... Phil

Growth, Equipping and Service in Costa Rica

Hey all, I'm going to take the time over the next few days to get up to date with some blogging and communications. I'm currently staying with Woody and Su Roland (International Teams Regional Directors) in Costa Rica! Why, you say?

I'm here in Costa Rica for a period of around three months to spend some time serving the regional team here in terms of crisis and security plans (which was my job for 5-6 years prior to joining International Teams), spending some time taking my Spanish to the next level and also getting trained and equipped with the SonLife team with a focus on being and making disciples of Jesus Christ.

I am particularly excited about the opportunity to grow in my personal relationship with Jesus as I study the life of Jesus as a basis for making disciples. We have a massive need for deep, intense, biblical discipleship amongst young people in the ministry in Queretaro, so I'm very privileged to have the opportunity to be here for this time of training so that I can put it into practice in Mexico.

Here is a quick video about the SonLife ministry here in Costa Rica...



I have a growing album of photos of my experience here in Costa Rica. Click here to see them!

Arrived in Canada

Hey all,

Just a quick one to say that I'm having an amazing time with my parents. It's been refreshing to spent time catching up, sharing Mexican life and culture and just seeing them again!

We've just arrived for a week in Canada where we will be catching up with some friends and seeing Regent Bible College.

Photos to come...

I've moved!

Ok... so I'm still here in Queretaro, Mexico, but I've moved house. I've had a fantastic nine months living with Yola, Ruben and during the holidays, Alex, but now it came time to move house. Alex has finished his studies in music and worship in Monterrey and has come back to Queretaro and another family member is going to stay with Yola.
So... after much prayer and waiting on God, he provided a place that is excellent and provides exactly for my needs. In my new place I have a great balance of care and independence. I now live with a Señora, an older lady who is the mother of the family I stayed with in 2006. It's a big house and she rents out some of the rooms so I live here with her, another doctor called Pablo and another doctor and his wife who live in the bungalow.
The Señora prepares my meals for me and has a lovely manner of looking after me. I feel very blessed to be so well looked after and that God has provided for me just what I need.

If you would like my new address, please email me or check my next newsletter for the details.

My truck!

God is huge in his grace and provision... and he has allowed me to buy a HUGE car to get around and to carry the young people for activities and after our student group. I bought a 9 seater, Chevrolet Suburban 1997 with my savings and it is BIG! I have been super-excited to have it, but it also needs a few repairs which have been a bit of a stress... it has something going on with the transmission that we didn't find before I bought it (I had a mechanic mate check it over) that is costing me a bit to repair.
As they say in Mexico... mi Suburban es tu Suburban! (hehe well actually, it's "mi casa es tu casa", but you could sleep in this baby!)

Way behind!

Hey all... I haven't died, disappeared or got a tropical disease... I'm still here. Just got a lot of things that I'm juggling right now. Thanks for your prayers and emails, I appreciate keeping in contact! Soon, I'm going to give you all an update on what's been happening... here is what you can expect:

• A song that God allowed me to write with a friend to express our pastor's journey
• Passion Mexico City - wow! how amazing is our God!
• Yes, I'm feeling better... but still laying off the tacos ahhh!
• Lots planned for uni students here in Queretaro

In the middle of all that is going on, I have a distinct peace in Jesus that He has everything in control and is looking after the busyness of life here. He has a purpose and a plan for me here and he is showing me how much is mercies are new EVERY morning and His faithfulness is MASSIVE!

Ok... going to help one of the young people paint their apartment... see ya soon!

Busy

Hey all,

I haven't forgotten my blog, just pretty busy keeping up with things at the moment. Passion Mexico City is in 9 days and getting ready for that is keeping me very busy and a little stressed trying to get everything under control with logistics (I think I am the ideas person and need someone around me who is really good at organising events). The IT Adviser in me made a cool spreadsheet to work out the costs though... Matt O'Keefe would be proud...
Got a cool God story to share about the weekend, but will have to wait for the moment. Been a bit sick in the stomach over the weekend and until Monday but feeling better now.

Will keep in touch!

Thank God it's Friday

Phew – thank God it’s Friday! Last Friday I finished up full-time Spanish school (going to class every day) and this week has been my first week with a schedule consistent with the rest of the team. A few updates on activities… last Saturday I went to a water park in Tarimoro, Guanajuato for our first catch up with our single guys community group. It was a lot of fun and I got to play with my camera’s waterproofness a bit which was cool!

Phil, Lalo, Charlio, Pepe and Olmo

We are planning to start running a drama production every few weeks at our church for kids and I happen to be one of the actors (also in Spanish!). One of the ladies at our church works as a drama teacher and met Arturo who is an actor and drama student through her work. Arturo is helping us out with the drama production by acting and providing drama coaching for all of us. On Sunday night several of us went along to a production of Mamma Mia (in Spanish!) in which Arturo was acting. It was a lot of fun seeing the production prepared by students doing a drama intensive. They prepared the whole thing in only 8 days, but it was very professional! I was a little confused as first because the main character changed actresses a couple of times (to allow everyone to be involved and to accommodate different voice ranges I found out later!) but apart from that I understood what was going on. The songs are quite funny when they are sung in Spanish because they are a bit of a mix between English and Spanish e.g. money, money, money, un poco mas dinero…

Then to an update on my work here… This week has been great! We have been working as a team in the church office during the day and have spent a lot of time this week seeking God for the way forward, planning and dreaming. It’s been so fantastic to have all the team together going through this process and seeing the opportunities for the future.

Our conversations this week have centred around our vision and mission for the team here and indeed those of the church. Our church’s vision is “to guide people to a growing relationship with Jesus Christ”. Our team’s goal in our interaction with the uni students group is to make disciples and train and equip leaders. I love it when I have the opportunity to share my life with others, to support and serve them and to see them grow and develop their God-given potential. We are looking at how we can best equip the young people to have an intimate relationship with God, to have close relationships with their own community and to have a fantastic influence outside their community.

This week I’ve also been able to wrestle with some of my doubts and reservations about our approach to mission and ministry and have spent some time chatting with Martin, our pastor and team leader, which has been super-helpful. We ARE on the same page, and are both dreaming of a missional church that is distinctively Mexican and introduces people to Jesus in a way that is relevant to the culture around us. It’s been a time of growth for me as I’ve had to work through the issues of contextualisation (putting the message in terms that make sense in a different culture – same message, different presentation), being missional (and for me that means crossing multiple cultural boundaries (Australia/Australian Christian/Mexican Christian/Mexican/Mexican young people) because we are seeing in this post-Christendom era that presenting the good news of Jesus means being missional and crossing cultural boundaries even in your “own” culture), receiving and sharing vision and much more. All that training, Perspectives and reading I've been doing is coming in handy.

So yes, watch this space… lots is happening and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead! God is definitely working and with God, life’s an adventure!

The wild brumby runs free... an update on the past month

I’ve been busy! Sorry that I haven’t been very active in updating my blog – I hope to work on that! It’s been great to receive emails and remain in contact with friends and family back in Australia. I’ve also been excited to hear news and updates from other friends who are leaving to work in other countries - God is faithful and keeps on providing the resources again and again for his love to spread around the world!

The last month has been full of more new experiences, challenges and fun times. I took the following picture that describes my life at present when I was feeling a little bit arty or something.

1. The bible – God’s word has been my guide and sustains me in my relationship with God
2. The Cross of Christ – that’s the reason I’m here – the cross of Jesus Christ has changed history and gives us the opportunity to have a restored relationship with the Creator God and to discover a full and meaningful life now and forever
3. 501 Spanish Verbs – yes, there are many more than 501 but I’m still learning and speaking Spanish. I’ve been really excited that I can now converse pretty comfortably in Spanish and my Mexican brother told me (in Spanish) “you’re speaking really well, a lot more clearly and rapidly than before – it’s good!”
4. I took the photo in Mexico… i.e. I’m in Mexico

Earlier in the month, we had a break from our youth ministry for about a week and I had the opportunity to head to the beach for four days! YAY! Being close to the beach is one thing I really miss about Australia so this was a real treat. I went to a beach called San Blas which is in a state called Nayarit on the west coast of Mexico. It was about 7-8 hours drive from Queretaro on a freeway with lots of toll gantries! We passed Guadalajara and Tepic on the way as well as seeing signs to the town of Tequila (that’s really where Tequila comes from!).
San Blas was great – very quiet (tranquilo) and not full of foreigners (apart from me!). We ate on the beach, listened to some roaming musicians for the birthday of one of our friends and played AFL footy on the beach! I managed to go for a surf even though the waves were a bit small.

Me, Alma Rosa and Sarahí

Yes!!!! The Wild Brumbies continue to run free!!!

Some authentic Mexican tunes!

Footy on the beach - they're not bad... I'm gonna start and AFL development squad...

Amidst all the fun, I have actually been doing something! We have started working as a team to form the way forward for our ministry. It’s helped a lot to have the team working together at the church to improve our communication and sense of community. At present we are working hard to build up a strong group of young Christians and involve them in reaching others.
We’ve had various activities in the church that I’ve been involved in and guess what… one of the other team members has blogged about that so I’m going to link to that to save me some time! You’ll see some photos of Conectate and Universitarios. I helped to run games at Conectate (a day to connect with a community group in the church) and also I’m a leader in the uni students group. Click here to go to Jessica’s blog post…

I’ve made some cool new friends like Bruno who I have been catching up with over the past few weeks. I’ve also been catching up with some young people from the church and I’ve made some friends with whom I can play music which is really awesome.

My real passion here is to see young people encounter Jesus in an authentic and relevant way, see their lives transformed by God’s power and invite others to meet Jesus. It’s so cool for me when I see young people who are passionate about God and who live out what it means to be a follower of Jesus in way that is truly relevant in their life (fully Mexican, in all areas of their life). This is how I long to be – not simply a missionary whose job it is to share the gospel of Jesus, but a radical disciple of Jesus who lives in Mexico and invites others to come and meet Jesus in their context and culture.

Global Grounds has moved!

It as been a big month of change for the ministry to university students here in Queretaro. Over the past months, the team has been grappling with some difficult decisions. The rent and other costs for the Global Grounds café location have been very high and the income (from sales and donors) insufficient to sustain operations. We made the difficult decision to relocate the café to the church premises to assist financially as well as to refocus the ministry and seek God for the best and most effective student ministry possible. Global Grounds has been an amazing space to hang out, build relationships, drink coffee and explore faith in Jesus Christ. We want to continue to create spaces where we can engage with young people, make disciples and equip leaders for the kingdom of God.

In the new café location, we have created a new, relevant space for young people to enjoy that is well connected with the church community. We are also taking a fresh look at how we reach out to young people with the message of Jesus Christ in relevant, authentic ways and make disciples who will be leaders for the kingdom of God here in Mexico and around the world.This time of refocus and change is challenging, however, I can see amazing opportunities for God to work through this change and help us build a strong, effective and sustainable ministry with uni students.

Video update

Here is a quick video update too! Wow - so many updates, so little time!