So this week I am coming home, for a short while at least.  I want to keep this brief, because other than emotional goodbyes and several moments of 20-something introspection worthy of a John Mayer song, I don't really have anything to tell you for this week.  That'll have to wait until I'm not borrowing someone's laptop at South Padre Island.  In other words, when I get home. 

I cannot wait to get home, run my medical and logistical errands, and go to the dentist (I think I have like, 4 to 6 cavities that  I can see right now...thank you Mexican water).  But at the same time, this chapter is closing.  Another short one opens (New Orleans) and after that, another  (school for a year at Eastern again if I can work that out).

God has been so good this year.  But we'll save that for later :).  Take care everyone, and God bless you!

In the event that some of you don't get my newsletter, here is a copy of the letter I am sending out via e-mail.  Lots o' readin' :).  Have a great week! 

Dear Friends and Family,     

            As time has flown by and I've come to realize that I have less than month left of my mission, it occurred to me that I have only sent one update for the entire trip down here, and that update did not make it to everyone's computer, regrettably.  However, before my trip ends I would like to sum up a few of the things that have gone on since January, for those who may not have been able to read my blog. 

            As many of you know, there was a very big change in the FYM Mexico program in the month of February.  Our pastor, Bob, had some personal issues that had to be taken care of, and our leadership was turned over to Naomi, our FYM leader.  We took a debriefing trip to South Padre, Texas, and moved from the church we were staying in for a while to the Adventures in Missions Gateway in Matamoros, from where they lead many of their short-term projects in Mexico.  Since the end of February, we have been living in a new house in Matamoros, in a much nicer neighborhood, compared to the colonia in which we had been living before.  It was a God-sent comfort to live in a new neighborhood that was a safe place for a new start.  Since we lost five of our team members in the uprooting, and one leader about a month ago due to other personal issues, we now are a smaller team.  However, I think the change given each of us a chance to be vulnerable, to really embrace humility toward one another, to unify our team better, and to depend on Jesus for our strength, due to the fact that we have had to take on more responsibilities - the leaders especially!

            Thanks to God's work through those in charge of our program, however, our ministry was able to return to normal.  Although some groups had to merge (I joined with the Granjas group since two of our group members left for colonia Estrella), we have still been able to visit the same folks as before.  Since February, I have seen God begin to restore broken hearts and start a new church in Estrella with many of Castillo del Rey's old members.  God blessed the people of Matamoros by bringing a pastor from San Fernando to them, as well as bringing Pastor Pedro (who had lived with us earlier and was sick) back to Matamoros to continue his Bible study in Granjas.  The Lord has brought an abandoned flock, so to speak, into his arms and nurtured them despite the circumstances.  In my colonia ministry this year, I have seen him repair marriages, provide houses, heal sicknesses, lift up spirits, change hearts, break the strongholds of addictions, bridge culture gaps, and even answer specific prayer.  The other night, a virtually penniless deported family approached us looking for a place to stay for the night.  Not knowing where to lead them and having no shelter to offer, we directed them to Castillo in Estrella for more answers.  Thanks to the colonia's compassionate efforts, the entire family found a place to rent!  They had, by the way, been walking around the area for more than 10 hours that day with a family of six (two of which were twins younger than three years old).  I have full confidence that these people will carry on God's will without us here.  In fact, to quote a fellow teammate, the fact that He doesn't depend on our influence points to how small we are -- even better, to how big He is!

            The internships that we have been carrying out are truly a labor of love for me.  Prison women are sometimes difficult to get to know, or at the very least, communicate with, but God has blessed that ministry with curious minds and broken hearts - yes, broken hearts.  Just like patients in a hospital, prison inmates are often living in what they feel are the lowest moments of their lives.  Some feel restless, angry, depressed and  hopeless.   Some are just waiting out the time until they see the outside of the gate again.  In many of my talks with some of these women, I try to point out to them that these trials and tribulations can indeed be the perfect opportunity to seek answers, to get to know the Jesus that loves them so adamantly and tenderly and knocks gently at their door.  I've enjoyed seeing some women turn to the Word and develop a curiosity for what God has to show them.  Some women in the prison who have already accepted Christ as their savior have really shared their hearts with me during this time.  One of these particular women is very dear to my heart, Marta.  In these last few visits I was touched by the Lord's work in the area of vulnerability; she finally was able to open up about the resentment she held against her mother and ask me for prayer over the matter.  One thing that has really yanked on my heart strings, though, is the desperation of these women, who depend on visitors to bring them supplies for their needs.  Marta, for example, has no visitors, and thanks to God's provision with groups that have come in for short trips and donated supplies, we have been able to help her out with diapers and other necessities for her one-year-old, Lionel.  With the purchase of a few paint supplies, God's also enabled me to help her set up a way to earn a small living through painting ceramic molds and selling them.   Overall, the prison ministry has been a blessing in many ways: God has allowed me to minister to his sheep, lost or not lost; he's provided curious hearts to teach, broken hearts to pray for, and life stories to listen to; sometimes he just uses simple humor to help us bond with them (my internship partner, Timi, has fallen victim to the oblivious use of a few Mexican swearwords).

            In addition to these ministry opportunities, the FYM team has had several experiences with leadership and project support, from a college group in Canada, to a high school youth group from Birmingham, Alabama, to a large group from Marietta, Georgia that built 19 houses.  In addition to house building, these groups have come with open hearts and have delved into other ministry on their trips, such as house visits, random acts of kindness, vacation Bible school (kids' youth groups), and prayer walks.  I had the privilege of leading and translating several of these ministry activities.  Translating in itself has been a blast and a great way to surrender my gifts to service, whether through medical clinic visits or house dedications.  I actually translated a conversation in which four people in one family accepted Christ after receiving their new house…one man had tears in his eyes! 

            God is beautiful and never ceases to amaze me, no matter where I am at.  He has even called me to visit another place near to my heart this summer: New Orleans!  Two weeks after getting home on May 15^th, I will be heading off again for a trip from May 31^st to August 4^th, where I will be working with AIM as a project facilitator who helps organize and run week-long summer projects in NOLA.  I'll be working with three other girls (one lives in Spokane - who knew?), a couple leading the project, and a worship leader I met earlier this year.  I am anxious and excited, but I know God will provide the strength I need for this project, as well as the means for transportation and all the other necessities. 

            Thank you for taking the time to read this long overdue (meaning that it is both long and overdue) letter.  Your moral and financial support has meant so much to me and confirms how faithful God is to those who put their trust in Him.   One thing I would like to ask is if you all wouldn't mind keeping a few things in your prayers.  In addition to praise for the ways God has worked in the colonias, I would ask that you please pray for strong male leadership in these neighborhoods, as well as pray against the stronghold of addiction and abuse in some of the families there.  As far as the internships go, please pray against the influence of the satanic cult following of Santa Muerte (see my blogs for further explanation or my earlier letter), and for restless hearts to turn to God for answers instead of drugs. 

            Thank you all again for your generosity in many areas of my life, but even more for your investment in the people of Matamoros.  I know that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13), and your support for me shows me that you care about these people and His heart for them.  God bless you all, and have a wonderful week!  Remember: He loves you!

As we are wrapping up our ministry in the colonias and in our internships, nostalgia is starting to flood my head, as well as reminders of God's great blessings during the year.  Rather than rewrite what I wrote in my update, I will post the update letter I am sending out in an e-mail to many of you. 

It will be hard to leave behind so many inside jokes, powerful moments and precious relationships, but they will definitely be recorded in many annals (such as photo albums, blogs, letters, facebook threads, etc.).  I will be leaving only two weeks after getting home, so please pray that everything I have to get lined-up will get lined up in the 15 days I have at home (I have about 20 things to do in those 15 days!). 

Where am I going?  N'AWLINS!  Or New Orleans, if that didn't make any sense.  I'm going to be a project facilitator for an Adventures in Missions summer project team. What that basically consists of is six weeks of helping with logistics and planning, as well as ministry coaching or leading for six different week-long project groups in K-City.  I have no idea what ward I will be in, but I imagine it will be a little like the ward I was in for a week-long project in March of 2006, six months after Katrina. 

I am way in over my head I think, but I will be working with three other girls and a couple that is leading the project, so I'm not alone.  I am super excited, a little stressed because of time constraints, and a little sad because I am ending an "era", so to speak - the FYM era. 

God has shown me so many wonderful things this week and during the whole mission in general.  I will sincerely miss some of the women in the prison.  The "memory" type of nostalgia, not just the "miss you so much" sentence on a postcard.  I treasure especially the relationship I have with my discipler Rita, our cook, who is one of the most amazing women I've met.  She wants to start a church here in Matamoros and be a colonia missionary here.  I am praying for God's provision for her dream to serve him in that way. 

Thank you all for reading my missionary blog.  Hopefully I'll be able to start another one while in New Orleans to tell of the great happenings there.  If I don't write another blog before I leave, until then, vaya con Dios!  May God grant you the peace of Jesus in your heart this week (oh, what a feelin'!).

At home a baby shower typically consists of a dozen squealing women ooing and gooing over baby names, playing absurd games involving potatoes, and fumigating the room with estrogen.  The immature 20-something supportive single/loser (that is typing this blog) in me usually starts choking on the fumes while trying to dodge the "Are you getting married soon" question.

But the shower that we had last week for Laura, a mom-to-be that we know in Estrella, was way different and an absolute privilege to attend, because it wasn't just some giggly diaper fest for a glowing lady dressed in pastels (pardon the sardonic honesty - my attitude will probably change when I'm married and pregnant). 

First of all, this is the 16-year-old wife of a 20-year-old who lives with his parents.  She is a new Christian, her husband is currently trying to stay clean and sober as well as keep a job, and she had virtually nothing for when the baby arrives.  She had one outfit and a sleeper outfit (it's a blanket and pajamas in one), along with a few other extra essentials, if I recall correctly. 

Jenny and Lauren in my colonia (W.O.W.) group felt led to throw a baby shower -- literally shower her with some of the necessities of which she couldn't afford a lot right now.  After we ate some snacks, some of the other FYMs and I brought in the gifts and gave them to Laura (among the which were a stroller, a carrier, some toys, clothing, and the necessaries such as diapers, wipes, tons of bottles, and pacifiers). 

Laura is definitely a woman of composure, but I could tell that God spoke to her that day as her face lit up.  To most women in the society I live in, these few extra "freebies" are a nice gesture and are graciously accepted with a few extra oos and goos.  To women like Laura who didn't see it coming, it's answered prayer and they don't know how to react except to repeatedly express thanks. 

My point in this story is not to say that we are super-awesome, need-meeting missionaries who bless people like it's going out of style.  Rather, God is always presenting us with opportunities to bless others and show His love to them through little things like this.  God is a great provider, and when he provides for us, we should share that blessing with others.  

I want to commend my fellow teammates for obeying that nudge - it was so great to see Jesus' love in them display itself in such a beautiful act of service. 

Well, that's all for now.  A little end-note announcement:  I'll be in New Orleans for six weeks in the beginning of June for summer projects!  More on that later.  May Jesus' presence and peace be on your heart this week. 

Vaya con Dios!

This week was the week of biggest project that Matamoros sees every year.  With over 200 high school students, and up to a hundred extras (workers, translators, leaders, and chaperones), the place was a zoo.  But it was awesome. 

I decided to journal the four days I was a ministry coach, so this blog is rather long.  Whenever you get a chance, take the time to read it.  Some pretty awesome stuff happened. 

God brought people to us that needed his love this week -- I'll just set it up with that.    

Day 1:

Today I was originally assigned to lead a group of folks through a neighborhood around the house-building sites in an activity we call Random Acts of Kindness.  This activity is basically one where the group takes yard tools around the colonia and looks around to see if they can help out with a manual task (such as cleaning a field or someone's yard for them) or a social need, such as playing with children whose parents are busy with chores.  Due to a little bit of confusion and misplacement of translators, I ended up playing taxi for some groups and leaders in one of the vans for the first hour, but I was able to help out a group at site 2 on the last leg of their activity.  We started cleanup on a neighborhood soccer field before they had to break for lunch and Vacation Bible School preparation.  From there, as lack of organization mandated, I became a translator for the medical clinic at site two and translated doctor consults (with my very limited vocabulary of the human body) for more than two hours.  The nurses and doctor that worked on this team were incredibly dedicated and made sure that, through me, everyone knew their medicine instructions and that they were getting treated correctly.  This was such a blessing since so many people have gone without the proper treatment in that area.  One mother who had symptoms of bronchitis brought her son who was developing pneumonia.  This child, still breast feeding, was given allergy medicine and a weak antibiotic a week ago, which only made it worse.  They had no idea his bronchitis was so bad.  Imagine what a proper exam can do.   It gave me a chance to see how greatly people can be impacted through the body of Christ simply by meeting a greatly felt need.

The first day was nothing like what I expected.  Yes, I expected the unexpected, but I never expected I would start driving like a Mexican, become the community driver, and translate for a medical clinic and write prescription notes in Spanish.  Since I didn't have any particular assigned role in the leadership of this project, I am mainly designated a translator and a ministry coach.  This basically means that, since I don't have an "official" role like "site leader" or "ministry leader," I am given more opportunities to jump around.  You could label me a "gopher," but I prefer to think of it as starting with a blank slate every day and having God write on it what he wants me to do.  I'm excited for the following days and will continue to pray for more surprises and blessings for the team that is here.

Day 2:

Today I drove a van like a semi-Mexican woman to site 2, where I then prayed with my ministry group for a water and snack handout activity called Living Water.  From there, one girl in the group suggested we backtrack to a park on the way to the site.  From site 2, I managed to figure out a short cut and navigate through the city to the park in less than 20 minutes (it took a little longer to get back since I had to find the site again from scratch, with the help of my group, of course).  At the park we had some amazing conversations that were definitely an answer to prayer.  One construction worker among a group that we saw there, René, was so hungry for God that I think he was on the verge of accepting Christ as his savior.  He told me how he came up to Matamoros from El Salvador, leaving family and everything, so he could work and visit his brother in Houston.  Unfortunately, because of legal papers and money, he cannot visit his brother, so he is very lonely and thirsty for a little hope in his life right now.  We gave him a Bible to read, and I let him know that I would be praying for him.  I hope to talk more about God's love with him in the weeks to come.  Please pray for him when you get the chance.

The rest of the afternoon I basically helped translate at a construction site at site 2.  The group left early so that the students could get a chance to explore the Juarez Market downtown. 

Today was very much a God-led day, full of answered prayers, protection (Matamoros driving!) and great team rapport.  Despite the craziness, I'm starting to enjoy this project a lot more than I thought I would ;).

Day 3: 

Today I led two ATL (ask the Lord) prayer exercises where both teams that I led sat silent and let the Lord just speak into their hearts.  The concept of not talking to God, but rather with him in a Q and A session was a little foreign to them, so it was not surprising that a few of the individuals in both groups struggled with what to expect and the awkwardness of sitting and waiting.  As a facilitator I made sure to stress that they shouldn't discard anything they feel, see, hear, etc., and that the goal of this exercise was to be still before God and open our hearts to him.  Although a few weren't very confident about the process, what I saw in both groups was that many of their thoughts and what they felt in that time coincided and were confirmed.  In the first group, actually, I myself saw a random image of a nail being attached to a wall.  I thought it probably meant that we should help out the rest of the teams that were lagging behind in house construction, and when I got back with the group, they confirmed that as part of what they felt was being said to them.  We spent the majority of the time helping out House 11 with their walls.  A couple girls in that group and I visited some neighborhood children at a house nearby so that the students in this group could see what it's like to just chill with Mexican kids and provide them with the attention and love they crave.  The second group and I felt a very similar calling that afternoon.  During their visit to a street they had frequented that week, they interacted with a few children that were left home alone while their mother was at work.  On our way back, we prayed for God's provision for a house for a woman that lived on that street (we weren't able to build her a house since they had already planned out the houses and there were only two more days of building left).

Today I had felt both stripped of dignity and in need of that same dignity so that I could lead others in ministry.  There were several moments where I had to appear like I had it together where I was absolutely clueless.  And that's where God came in and blessed our footsteps and the words we spoke.  He is always faithful and so amazing.

Day 4: 

The last day of the project consisted of another "living water" activity and another ATL exercise.  The first group went very well.  Upon my suggestion, we returned to the park that I went to with another group a couple days earlier.  A few of the students were able to witness to the locals there and meet them where they were at that day - one girl who was taking Spanish in high school led a soul to Jesus in Spanish all by herself (and the great thing about it was that same person had wanted to talk to us as we were leaving the other day)!  I talked again to René with another girl who shared a really touching testimony with him.  He is reading the Bible and is so hungry for God's love that you can see it on his face.  I know he wants to feel this joy so badly, but something is holding him back.  Please pray for healing on his heart - my heart goes out to him, because for a long while my own hurt was holding me back from God.  I was depressed and I can sympathize with this guy.  I really am glad God has led me to talk to him, because the greatest thrill I get out of this trip is meeting people where they're at.  I feel that God has continued to pour out his love on me so that I could show people like René that there is hope.

Upon returning to the site, we went to a dedication of one of the houses, where the group leader I was with, with my translation, led four people to Christ in that family.  When they received the groups gifts (some hygiene products, food, and linens) and the shelter we provided (granted that it is only a wooden house with a cement floor, so it is very temporary), we prayed for them.  As we were all standing in the circle, I noticed Jose (one of the men in the family who very graciously offered a hand here and there) looked like he was wiping back tears.  What a powerful moment.

The afternoon continued with another ATL exercise that started out a little awry since I was delayed by the dedication and lunch in my arrival to the other site.  The adult leader for that group had felt led to buy a table and a bassinet for two different families, so she had to run an errand to the store while we were on our trip.  When she met up with us later, we had decided to regroup and pray again since they had to start without me, but we instead decided to visit her two houses first.  The women that received her table was very grateful for our help, since she and her daughter and mother were abandoned by the man of the house (the husband of the daughter).  The other family had an 11-day-old baby that they were worried would be bitten by the rats in her sleep, so the bassinet we brought to them was a safer setup than her earlier sleeping arrangements.  We prayed for the husband of that family to find work as well, since the two times he had to take his wife to the hospital made him late for work and he was fired as a result of too many late slips. 

Today was a trying but rewarding day, and around every corner you could see God's amazing work.  I would like to say that I'm never surprised by how great he is, but that would be lying.

I was utterly amazed by God this week and how much he empowered us all to walk in obedience.  

I am as of right now hoping to work on a similar project in New Orleans for 6 weeks.  Give me more of this stuff!

This week was a relatively uneventful week, apart from a visit from a teammate's mom (she was really sweet) and a couple little miracles here and there. 

One involved a house being built for a lady we know in Granjas, Mari, who couldn't get the landlord's permission nor get the church that had reneged on the building to start it up.  We literally went there two days after we prayed for God's provision for a way for her to have a solid home (not the dump scraps of wood over dirt that she lives in now) and there the foundation was, along with the cement ready to be poured by the church that promised her a house. 

Another blessing was that she had also been sick that week, and was able to get free medication from a doctor that had mercy on her when he saw that she couldn't afford simple medication and was barely able to care for her children in that state.  She is now healthy and awaiting her new house, which will have an actual floor, a roof to keep her dry and windows.  God is wicked-sick (that's a good thing if you surf). 

Isn't it amazing, though, how we whine over not having enough storage space, not having updated technology for our home office, having to share a room with a sibling or roommate, or not living near water?  Just a thought.

Anyway, we're headed to the AIM Gateway in Reynosa again for projects with another high school group, this time much bigger than before.  We have to be there a week early for setup because there will be a very large gaggle of these silly little geese (that one's for you, Jason).  300 little muchachos, or at least 250 muchachos and 50 translators, from what I hear, plus AIM staff/FYMers.  I'm excited to be part of this, but I know our group will probably just need prayer (please pray for us!) for patience and understanding, with each other, and more than likely with the kiddos.  I feel old…they're already kiddos to me.  

Oh, wait, I am old!  By the time you all read this, I will be 24 years young (March 30^th).  The first birthday in Mexico.  The last?  I hope not. 

I hope you have a b-e-a-utiful week and that someone pulls an April Fool prank on you.  That way you know you're loved.  Oh, and yeah, God is enamored with you too.  Don't forget that!

I unfortunately only have five minutes to do this blog, but in that time I will attempt to sum up some of the events of this week.

Most of what we did with the high school group from Birmingham, Alabama this week had to do with children and families.  From Monday through Thursday, we had vacation Bible school for children in the neighborhood of Solidaridad at two different churches.  Usually combined with that was construction at two different house sites, as well as colonia visits, where we walked through the neighborhood and met with people at their houses. 

At the end of the week, we did a couple of exercises where we asked the Lord (ATL) about what we should do that day.  Through that exercise, we got to minister to a man about his addiction to tobacco, something that killed his own father (by heart attack) and had been the cause of death for a grandparent of one of the high-schoolers.  We basically approached that visit simply by waiting in prayer and going off of what we saw, which always is exciting for me, because what the Lord reveals in prayer never ceases to amaze me, especially in large groups.

On Thursday, we visited some of the FYM internship sites and gave the participants a taste of what it's like to work as an FYM in Mexico.  The assignment on Thursday was a pleasant surprise for me since I got to visit some of my girls at the prison, which I thought wouldn't happen until next week.

I think my favorite part of this week was just working with a group of kids (they're about 14-18) who have their hearts set after Jesus and who are ready and willing, despite typical maturity obstacles that come with adolescence.  If I were where they are now at my age, I can only imagine how much I would have done by now (but that's not important ;) ).  I was pleasantly surprised by this group, by their generosity (they gave away their skirts and replaced a hammock that they broke!), and by the Lord's provision in our ministry this week.  I really hope the next group (300 kids!) goes as well.

Thanks to all that are reading...hopefully I'll be more detailed on our happenings this week next time I blog.  God bless y'all :D.

Before I start this blog, I must say to me kin and to me mother and father, Top o' the Mornin'.  Happy Saint Patrick's Day to ye.

So far the projects are going well...aside from toilets leaking in the girls' bathroom, hyper singing on the buses (I secretly kind of like that) and translating left and right (I can never get sincrely tired of that). 

Today I helped some of the Alabama group walk through colonia Solidaridad in Matamoros and meet some folks there.  We met some very friendly and kind-hearted auto shop owners who indulged us in conversation about life, work, and chickens they raise for cock-fighting (that's popular here).  We also hung out with some energetic kids in the colonia until lunch, and met a grandmother whose daughter is getting baptized Easter Sunday.  After lunch there was a semi-crazy Vacation Bible School session that we invited neighborhood kids too.  We managed to keep them entertained, for the most part.  We'll see if that continues as successful as it did today when we go back tomorrow.

I wanted to add something on here that I forgot to add a week ago when we were still in our new "digs" in Matamoros.  I guess I'll call it a song, but I wrote it after reading 1 John 1, which talks about walking in the light and confessing our sins to our loving father who is just and forgives us (specifically verses 6 through 10).  Anyway, I got a little emotional thinking about his grace and how unworthy my unfaithful heart feels about that sometimes.  So here's the poem/song (forewarning: for some reason I felt limited to three syllables per line).

LOVE DEVINE

Love devine,

I am thine.

But why me?

Cannot see.

Heart so cold,

Mind so bold,

Why waste grace

In this place?

Friendship true

When with you

Show your face --

Need your grace.

Please forgive;

Let me live

In your light,

Not by sight.

Jesus Christ

Paid the price.

Thank you Lord

For your word.

"You are King,"

I shall sing.

I am thine,

Love devine.

That's all for now...and one wee thing:  "May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rains fall soft upon your fields...and until we meet again, may God hold you in His hand."

God be with ye, lads and lasses.