left my heart in mexico

arrived in San Diego

the gorgeous view while driving

our van

my bed for the week

new friend

darling baby

adorable sisters

riding in the bed of a pick up

steps down to the ocean

with my ann at the beach

gorgeous day

The pacific ocean was gorgeous...and freezing!!!

this little one gave me the bracelet i'm wearing

some of the littles at vbs

the most fabulous tacos

my court

one of my favorite families

darling

precious

more tacos!

driving home through the mountains

My trip to Mexico was the most amazing experience. The people, the food, the ocean; I want to go back!! We had quite a bit of free time and fun but my favorite part was the ministry.
We were able to help out in many areas: work at the church (painting, leveling out dirt, mixing cement...), prayer/outreach in the community, vacation bible school, and translation ministry. I enjoyed every one of them! But the prayer/outreach ministry may have been my favorite, Although it came with difficulty (we were lead through different "neighborhoods" by a Mexican church member who didn't speak a word in English!) it was incredibly eye opening!

 First of all, the way these people live is astonishing. Dirt floors, no indoor plumbing, no electricity, dirty cloths, not a lot of food, and the smell!!! not to mention flies everywhere! (we went to a pretty poor part of Mexico). Despite the poverty these people are in they are so welcoming, so friendly, and so eager for you to pray for them.

 It is so culturally different from America. I mean no one here wants you to come to their door and pray for them, but the Mexican people invite you in, bring their family together, and are excited for you to pray for them (sometimes it was a very emotional experience).

I learned so much from this trip and my eyes were opened to a whole new world! One thing in particular I took away form this experience was these people don't have too little, we have too much. Us Americans think "these third world countries need more! They need sanitation, more clothes, a tv, a better house, and just more stuff in general, when in reality they need Jesus and if they have Him they have it all.

While in Mexico I think I was the happiest I had ever been because my focus was on the right thing. Then I come back to America and though I was thankful and content with everything while in Mexico, the pressures of materialism and "I need more" all come back the moment you cross the border. Honestly it would be so much easier for me to live in Mexico because I would have to trust God for everything and my focus would be on Him and others so much more of the time. But God placed me here, the land of opportunity, the land of luxury, the land of "its okay to be lazy" and "nothings ever good enough", the land of my mission field and the land of yours.

God is the same God no matter what country I'm in and my purpose is the same no matter where I am.