Beeping horns are constantly heard no matter where you are in Mexico City. It is a background noise that soon becomes just part of the atmosphere like birds chirping or the wind blowing. Most bus horns are a part of a song, or are blown in a rhythm that is unique to that bus driver. If people do not have horns on their car they push the panic button on their car alarms when sitting in traffic.

Another noise almost synonemous with the beeping is barking dogs. Street dogs are everywhere. Some of them have owners who feed them and some of them don’t. A lot of them are hurt or missing limbs, shaggy, smelly, and not good company. Fights break out during the night between packs and also if there are any cats around. 

A man runs up and down the streets in front of the trash tuck ringing a loud bell to let everyone know to put their trash out on the street to be picked up. When the truck gets to your house the men yell “basura” until yo come out and pay them a tip. There is no charge for trash pick-up, and the men are very satisfied with 3 or 4 pesos equal to about $0.20 USD.

Everyone is living close together, and houses often share walls. Our neighbor has a phone that speaks in English whenever she gets a call and we can hear it at our house. Our neighbor also has a baby whose bedroom shares a wall with ours and we hear when her baby wakes up.

“Alegrias!” A man dressed in white carries a tray of fried shells filled with frothy white cream made out of egg whites and “alegrias” (which means happys) a crunchy snack that has honey between two layers of paper thin, bright colored cookie.

Every person who sells or buys has a chant or whistle that they use to distinguish themselves from everyone else. For example: all of the gas trucks beep their horns and yell “gas”, but some trucks beep twice, some beep two short and one long, and some beep only once. The water trucks also beep their horns but they yell “agua Ciel” or “agua EPura” instead. 

A man in a tarp covered truck drives up and down our street talking through a megaphone which is wired to a speaker system on top of his truck. He is buying old scrap metal and any kind of iron, and spells out his offers in a rhythmic chant that can be heard miles away. He must have family in the business because almost everywhere we go in this area there are trucks with the same chant.

There is a indoor market that resembles a flea market down the hill from our house. Sellers set up a booth and sell: shoes, frapuchinos for $1 USD, whole pigs, chicken feet, cereal, eggs, and just about anything else you can imagine. It is set up in sections: meat section, ready-to-eat-food section, dried goods section, and so on. Walking through is always an experience… A lady stuffs cheese under our noses and tells us to taste it and that it is a good price. Some little boys are yelling out that their fruit is fresh and I should take some. Every booth that you pass someone asks you what you will take from them and starts telling you everything that they have. The smell through the meat section is overwhelming. Goat, sheep, and cow intestines are stretched out across wooden counters, pig heads are hung from the top of booths for display, stomach lining is piled behind sheets of glass with ice underneath, flies are everywhere, and men and boys are chopping up all kinds of meats while they yell at you to buy what they have. 

Openair market ”Tianguis” is held in our area every Thursday and Sunday. It takes up a whole street, andall of the traffic has to go around. Colorful tarps are set up in the morning and taken down at night. There is a narrow aisle between booths on one side and booths on the other side and people walk through from tarp to tarp. Food, fish, clothes, shoes, hair accessories, makeup, and bags are just a few items that can be found there every week. 

There are also Sams, Office Depots, Chinese Buffets, KFCs, McDonalds, Dominos Pizzas, and tons of Walmarts in Mexico City, making the culture a mix of tradition and modernization that lives side by side. None of it seems to clash. The same people who go to the market to buy meat, will buy their office supplies at Office Depot and eat fast food at KFC on the weekends. Standing on the outside it is a mess ofhalf modernized people, who are trying to catch up to the American world; but living on the inside it becomes what defines them as Mexican.

Culture is just a part of every day life.

The mechanic that is fixing our car has told us for about two weeks that the car would be ready on a day and then when we go it isn’t ready. This is part of their culture. Everything is better tomorrow. He is a man of tomorrow, and has told us that our car will be ready tomorrow so many times that we just know that means not yet!

Spanish learning is coming pretty well. They tell me that if people are laughing at me then I am doing good, because that means I am practicing! The people here are very friendly and nice, and pretty much anyone will listen to you anytime. They aren’t rushed or don’t have time to listen like people in the States, and so giving out tracts or sharing the gospel is enjoyable. I am practicing lots and being laughed at, but enjoying what I am learning about the people here and their language.

We have some neighbors who are Jehovah Witness, and they have already come by our house twice. They know that we are Christians and are constantly knocking all the doors in our community. It is sad because all they do is give people a vaccination against the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray that God would open up hearts and free people from this deception.

We are grateful for all of the prayers that have gone up for us, but ask that you would pray earnestly for the souls of these people. The devil has them in bondage from all sides, and he is against us being here. We can feel the darkness around us, and need more prayer warriors who will fight with us for the souls of Mexico City.

Ryan is now 26 weeks and everything is going well! We are so grateful for another little boy in our family! Thank you all for your prayers as we raise our children to honor and love the Lord.

I feel as though my heart is overwhelmed this evening for Mexico City, Mexico. To be honest with you, I have a heavy heart for this world that is so lost around us with people who need the Savior in their lives!

I am stirred as I hear reports coming from the states that Mexico is a closed door now because of the danger that a few missionaries have been part of during the past few years. It was said by one man that we should maybe just pull out of Mexico until things change and get better. I must be honest with you and say that when I hear something like that, it hurts my heart. There are now over 110 million people in the Country of Mexico. There are over 25 million in Mexico City and this city is growing everyday by 2,000 people either by new burns or new residence.

So I must ask the question… Is it time to let 110 million people go to hell? You may be saying, well brother Jonathan we did not say that! Maybe not, but the result of not sending more missionaries to Mexico is allowing these dear souls to spend eternity in hell.

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose”  ~ Jim Elliot

These words from missionary Jim Elliot ring deep in my soul as I ponder what that really means.  I know that missionaries are leaving at a very high rate from Mexico, but I cannot help but to ask each of you a question… Are you willing to come to Mexico if GOD called you today?

I would now like to address the main question that most churches and Pastors have for missionaries to Mexico.

The question is:
I have seen on television that Mexico is a really bad place to go right now. Are you guys going to be Ok living there?

I would like to answer your question with a very honest before God answer.

Primarily, my family is called to Mexico and we are following the Lord as He leads us. Also, we do not live in danger here in Mexico City, Mexico. Yes, we need God’s grace everyday of our lives, but we are not living in fear of what might, or could happen. We do not see things all the time like the media presents it on the televisions of America. Please keep in mind that all you are seeing is the bad things that happen here in Mexico. How about all the times that are not dangerous and how about all the great things that God is still doing here in the Country of Mexico? For those of you that let the media shape what you think about things, let me ask you another question. If you were to look up the bad things that are happening in America what would you say? My guess is that you would say the same thing about America that I’m saying about Mexico. Let someone drive downtown New York, or Philadelphia and I can tell you that those places will have the same type problems that we have here.

I guess my challenge to you is, please don’t judge 110 million people based on American media. Now before you go and say that Jonathan Anderson said there was no violence in Mexico, let me make myself clear. Yes, there are killings and yes people are robbing from stores and houses get robbed. But, is that not a result of a sin nature that goes all the way back to Genesis? Is that not something that should motivate us to reach these people instead of motivate us to remove all the missionaries? Yes my family comes first and I will do everything to protect my family, but there is far to much talk that is going around in America that says everything about Mexico is negative and bringing a fear upon men that is not Biblical. The next time you have a missionary to Mexico come to your church, try not to let the first question be about the violence that you are seeing on the tube. I believe that God is still calling men and families to Mexico, but we best be careful when it comes to down grading the will of God to a set of reasons. I know that this is long and I have shared my heart, but please all I ask is that you try to be open to the fact that if Mexico was really that dangerous, we would not be able to be here right now. The reality of it is, we are here and I drive around Mexico City everyday of my life. I do not feel that we are in danger and the only reason that I bring this subject of danger up is because of what I am hearing from churches in America and the American media.

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28

We are excited to say that we are living in the center of God’s will and the peace of God is present in our family.

We have some good news to share with everyone. Last week Rebekah had a sonogram and found out that we are expecting another little boy! His name is Ryan Elliot Anderson, and he is healthy and growing fast! Rebekah is now 22 weeks, and he will be born around July 12th.

Victor hasn’t missed a beat, and is starting to walk on his own. He loves his new house and all of his new friends.
Also, Victor will have his first birthday on April 4th!

He is guiding us as we pray about the date that we are going to leave in January, a house in Mexico City, a car in Mexico City, and packing here. Thank you all for your prayers as we finish up these last two meetings on Sunday morning and Sunday night. Please pray for Rebekah and the new baby and for safety as we travel. Also pray for wisdom as we are making lots of decisions right now concerning leaving and our trip.

A praise is that we have a lawyer in Mexico City, (who was referred by another missionary), who is going to be helping us get all of our paperwork done for Religious Visas when we arrive. Please pray that all of this goes smoothly and works out well.

Thank you for your prayers and support this past month! We are thrilled to say that God is providing for all our needs and we still plan on leaving for the field in January!
New supporters
We have seen 4 new supporters take us on in the last two weeks and we still have some more churches to visit through December! We are trusting God to bring in the remaining support as we prepare to make our move to Mexico City.
Going home
God is preparing our hearts for this next step in so many ways, and it almost seems that we are getting ready to go home. I have been talking to missionaries that are on the field already and they talk about how their mission field has become home to them. We look forward to the coming days when we can say that Mexico City is our home!
Join with us in prayer
We are asking God’s people to take upon themselves the burden that God has for the Mexican people. We know that in order for you to have the burden, you must pray and ask God to show you how He sees the people there. You will need to get in God’s Word and see the compassion that Jesus had and still has for the lost! Will you join with us in praying for God to do something that is impossible with man, but very possible with God? (Matthew 19:26)
Answer to your prayers
We are currently attending a conference in Milton, FL and I was able to preach to the Christian school on Thursday morning. There were five young people that were taken out because they had questions about salvation. I was told that five got saved and two got assurance of salvation! Sunday morning Rebekah and I were able to lead two young people to the Lord each! I had two young guys and she had two young ladies. Praise the Lord for fruit from our labors while on deputation!
God showing up
It seems that we keep running into people that are hungry for God to show up in their lives! One young man that I talked to tonight is preparing to be a pastor and we talked for over an hour about dying to self and wanting to see revival! Our family knows that the only way that Mexico City can be reached is that the Holy Spirit shows up and changes lives. Would you pray with us about this?

For God’s glory,

Jonathan, Rebekah, and, Victor Anderson
Missionaries to Mexico City, Mexico
Website: WinMexicoForChrist.com

Keep praying as we get closer to January and get on a one way flight! Destination: Mexico City!

Let me show you what I mean, our home church just had their mission conference this month and the Lord was working. The Monday after the conference the Lord truly started working in a man’s life. God started speaking to him through an article that he read in the Focus on the Field magazine that was pleading for more workers to answer the call to help in the MWBM Print Shop. The Holy Spirit worked on him throughout the morning until he broke and in tears surrendered to the call of God. This man is my Dad, and he is now starting deputation to become a missionary at the MWBM Print Shop. It is all the working of the Spirit, he is just depending on God and obeying.

God is teaching me so much in this area of yielding to the Spirit. Everything has a counterpart that imitates what the Lord desires to accomplish through the Spirit. The preaching of His Word can be done without Spirit dependence, but there will be no lasting work. Preaching outside of the power of the Spirit produces guilt that leads people to make promises that they hope they can keep, only to fail miserably in their own strength. Preaching through the guidance and power of the Spirit leads to conviction that the Spirit uses to produce God-dependence and real, lasting change. Everything that we know of in a church can be done without the Spirit. We fake it real good! In fact, Imitation God is so popular that many people do not know how to identify it; but once you have experienced the real working of the Spirit it is easy to pick it out. Without the power of the Spirit, there will be no work done in Mexico City. We can’t do anything to please the Lord: our attempts at standards, holiness, fruit of the Spirit, soul-winning, discipleship, ministry, etc. are all failures without the power of the Spirit.

You see, without faith (complete God-dependence) it is impossible to please Him. In our flesh dwelleth no good thing. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. There is none righteous, no not one! We must only cast ourselves completely on God, depending on Him to fulfill His promise and work His righteousness in us. Abide in me and I in you. It is only through abiding that we produce fruit. It isn’t our fruit, but the Spirit’s. We must stop trying to imitate God’s work, and simply depend on Him to work.

God is teaching us how to obey the Spirit in every area of our lives. It is easier just to do what we already know should be done and go on in the strength of the flesh, but there will be no real power behind it without the Spirit. The ministries of man are powerless. The moving and ministry of the Spirit is what changes lives. We go in dependence on God and His Spirit to do the work. We can do nothing alone.

May I urge you to obey the Spirit in everything. Do not grieve or quench Him. As Christians, He is the Life of Christ in us. Do not settle with the imitation of what God wants to accomplish in your life. Depend fully and only on the Spirit of God to live the life of Christ in you, and see what He will do.