When Obedience Looks Different – Doug’s Story
When I was first called to come to Mexico, I didn’t understand the whole picture of what it would take to live here. I just relied on God to deal with the unforeseen and answer prayers when we needed things taken care of that were completely out of our control.
I still remember a conversation in the kitchen back in Texas with the love of my life. I don’t even remember what sparked it — something about Tricia’s desire to go and work at the missions school — but the next thing I knew, we were talking about moving here.
My reasons were so different than hers. While I was thinking about how we could possibly survive, she had already been quietly carrying a deeper call, one that had been stirring in her heart for a long time. Her desire to come to Mexico wasn’t rooted in our finances or even the logistics. It was about people. It was about purpose. She felt called to serve, to pour into others, and to live out her faith in a new and costly way.
I didn’t fully understand that at the time, but I was focused on what we might find if we trusted God enough to say yes. And in the months that followed, I began to see what God had in store and little by little, I started to see that God had called us here for more than just survival. Even if our paths to “yes” looked different, God was working in both. He still is.
From 2020 to 2022, we pretty much ran out of money. COVID hit. We lost our cushy corporate jobs and we opened our cleaning business. It was doing great but then the economy took a turn and it began to bring in just enough to get by, with Tricia juggling a second job and eventually we were working a second business, as well. We floundered for a couple of years until it became clear — some hard decisions had to be made. We were going to have to sell our home and vehicles just to break even. We thought the house sale might help fund retirement, but God had a different plan. We didn’t get what we hoped from the sale and it didn’t sell right away like we thought it would. So we sold 90% of our belongings and got exactly what we needed to move, we landed here with just enough to start over.
I didn’t take into account how little English is spoken here. We don’t live in a tourist area. Our pueblo— a village, really — is far from wealthy, it’s really an indigenous tribal pueblo. The infrastructure has been one of the biggest adjustments.
Drinking water must be purchased in multi-gallon containers for 63 pesos each. We place a hand pump on top to access it. Tap water here isn’t safe to drink — it’s used for bathing and washing dishes only. Water gets pumped to our tank once a week. If you miss water day, you go without.
Trash is sorted by hand. Plastics, paper, metals, bags, glass, cardboard, styrofoam — all separated. Food scraps are compost. We set it out and pay 20 pesos for pickup.
Electricity? We unplug most items when not in use to save power. One surprise was that the bill only comes every two months.
Driving here is… pretty intense. Public transport is the norm: buses, tuk-tuks, small taxis. Small cars are normal, but motorcycles and scooters rule the road. European roads and roundabouts are very popular, but switching from driving on the right-hand side to the left-hand side gets to me. Parking in the cities usually means paying — and leaving your car with strangers.
But the biggest surprise of all? I’m the minority now. I don’t think about it as much as I did at first, but it’s given me a different perspective. I understand why people want to cross the border legally or illegally. I can understand why they want to cross over, given Mexico’s infrastructure, or lack of, versus the United States.
I love the slower pace of life, there’s beauty in the simplicity. Outside of the driving, life moves slower here. It’s cheaper. It’s peaceful.
Then Trish lost her full-time job due to the move and I haven’t been able to find reliable remote work yet. So we’re leaning on God. We’ve had to learn to live simply, just enough. Some weeks are better than others in our eye’s but in God’s it must look much different. We’ve had to learn that abundance is not necessary; only get what you need. We live very simply outside of our computers.
The culture shift has been huge. Learning about Hispanic culture, language and customs is very important if you plan on living here. And yes, there’s corruption here. But that’s everywhere. Some countries are more outward about it than others!
Our biggest struggle now? Finding consistent remote work to support ourselves and yet we’re grateful. Grateful for what we’ve learned. Grateful for what we’ve left behind. Grateful for what’s ahead.
– Doug
A Prayer from Doug
God, bless this house with steady finances, and bless anyone reading this who is also struggling. Keep us safe, healthy, and strong — physically, mentally, and spiritually. Give us discernment, truth, and peace. Protect your people from the warfare around us and send your angels into the unseen battles.
Let us not rely on man, but on the God within us. Help us see through your eyes and love with your heart.
Bring wisdom to those who are weary. Let your reign come here on earth as it is in heaven. Be mighty within us. Chastise, guide, and strengthen your servants. Let every breath we take reflect your name.
May all who are called rise up, in your name.
Amen.
