Monday 31 March 2014

back after a week!

Just got back from a week of being, well all over Mexico.

The week began with the Missionary Kids camp in Amealco. I took a bus there, missed the one I had intended to take by about a minute. I got to wait nine hours in terminal two for the next one to leave. BUT, It was a great four days. The kids had a blast, the speakers were great... and I love camp! =0) I was able to be the youth girls counselor. Such a great group of girls!

And nothing says a great night game like sardines in a giant field, underneath the millions of stars you don't normally see in the city AND random cows.


Then off to Puebla for a women's retreat. Good times were had by all!


I love traveling and doing things but there really is no place like home!

Getting ready for a few things coming up...
-Friday and Saturday I am taking two youth to the Youth Specialties conference in Mexico City (long days 6am leave the house and back around 11pm both days!)
-Sunday is our 4th anniversary celebration for the Jesus Maria Church
- Next Thursday is the closing ceremony for the community center
- Next Saturday is the third annual Easter Egg Hunt!



oh and this will eventually be my new prayer card ;)







Sunday 23 March 2014

First Sunday in the New Property!

Today was a monumental day for the church here in Jesus Maria. After years of dreaming, planning, and praying for a place to call our own... we got to meet there for the very first time.

There were testimonies, LOTS of new faces, great worship and good eats after! 

Thank you to all who have prayed for our little church... please continue! As we have the funds we will continue to add on (we are meeting where the classrooms will eventually be). We are excited to start phase two but rejoice in what has already come! 

We celebrate four years as a church on the 28th of this month (our service will be April 6th).










 We even have space for the kids!



And these are our new security features ;)




Saturday 22 March 2014

church property update!

Tomorrow I hope to update after we have our very first service at our new property, but today we had a little work morning.

So here are a few pics. You can visit Rods Blog for more information about the second phase.






Friday 14 March 2014

Loneliness

**Before I wrote this, i questioned if i should. I don't 
intend to be negative. I love living in Mexico. I would't trade it for the world. 
But you know, im human. And maybe my experiences 
will make someone else not feel ..... alone?**

I think that loneliness is maybe one of the biggest things missionaries face (maybe more so in the single missionaries).  You tend to feel some sort of isolation and it is almost avoidable when you move away from your home country.

I think loneliness, at least for me, has phases. Each phase a little different.

--When you first get to a new country, unless you know the language... you don't understand the languages going on around you. It is a weird feeling. You can't, at some point, help but wonder WHAT you are doing there.

--There are times when you have friends from your new country, you still don't feel like you completely fit (Go figure right, my skin isn't even the right color... let alone my home culture). It doesn't matter how much you love to learn about the culture it is still different.

--There are times when you want nothing to eat EXCEPT something from a restaurant from your home town. But, i do have to admit, this doesn't happen often to me. Have you ever eaten Mexican food. SO good!

--There are times when you realize nearly every person around you is married. Are they still your friends? YES! But, you feel like you are interrupting their family time when you go over.

--The times when you go BACK to the country you are from and things are different. You still have the same friends... but your life has moved on and so has theirs.

I could go on... there are probably a million examples of time when you (or at least I have) feel a little lonely. My first two years, I was fortunate. I had a friend, an american friend. It was truly a gift from God that Tiffany and I got along so well. We did all ministry stuff together, were there for each other through the ups and downs, learned a lot about the culture together, traveled near and far together. A companion. We are still great friends but now (at least for now) we live in different countries.

Because I can speak the language (mostly), have a friends base here (i live in a great community of people), and I know how to get around... I know that I will be taken care of. I know if i have any issue any one of the ladies would drop everything to help me.

There are still times of feeling completely alone.

There is that want to have someone who understands where you come from, the same stage of life, someone to share the experiences/travels with and someone who is navigating the culture with you. For most missionaries... thats a spouse. But for the single missionary... sometimes it is something that does not exist.

I really don't want to do three things.
1. down play the role of a single missionary. I can do SO much more then I would be able to do if I was married with a family.
2. I don't want you to think I (or single missionaries) am always lonely. Because the truth is that it does not hit me very often.
3. Or think I do not have people in my life, because I do. I am blessed with friends- near and far.

The last few weeks... I have felt lonely.

I rest on the fact that God is always with me. That He loves me, knows me, and hears the tears.






Wednesday 12 March 2014

quick update!

Right now we are just in the normal day to day things. Bible studies, youth group, community center classes and activities, hanging out with people and just living life here in Mexico have been the norm.   Which is good, although crazy busy, it has been good to have a "sort of" routine for a few weeks. 

We did have a few days with some Camino Global people. 

Church has been packed, and we are *maybe* meeting at the new site this next week! Awwww some space to breath! Rod put together a blog about our progress!



Youth group is going great. We are studying some apologetic type stuff normally. But last sunday we had some visitors. David, from Camino, shared from the Word. We also had a group from YWAM Mexico City come and share their stories (and a little promotion). 
I am in the middle of planning a lot of stuff with the youth (which include the interns) in the next few months, stay tuned!
We are also finishing the leader study soon, and I may be starting a new study or two in April.

And the community center has a mere few weeks left before our closing ceremony (for this block of classes). 

Also coming up...
- Easter Egg hunt
- Trip to camp for the MK retreat
-Trips
and so much more ---- I can not ruin ALL the surprises! ;)




Sunday 2 March 2014