TORTILLAS

On Thursday evening Allyson, one of the missionaries here, took us to her friends house. I'd like to share this experience with you because it was one of those experiences that I will NEVER forget. Since I don't know how to spell her name I'm just going to write Hermana.

Hermana spent her entire day cleaning her very tiny house for us. She painted, she covered all the furniture and rearranged all of her things. She spent hours preparing the food that we would eat. Hermana lives in a very small house, well at least what I would consider small. She lives there with her husband, five kids, daughter-in-law and grandchild.

We began the evening by helping prepare some of the food. I had the please of helping put together the Sopes which were absolutely delicious. After we ate the main meal we were given a lesson in making tortillas. Hermana's husband, Chato, said every young woman needs to know how to make tortillas if she lives in Mexico. So I now know how to make homemade tortillas. After this Hermana made quesadillas and shared her testimony upon my request. We then topped off the night with flan.

I'm sad to report that I did not talk much this evening. It was a hard situation because there were six of us and her and her family. We didn't really interact to much which made me sad. But what I will remember from this experience are the words Hermana spoke to me. As she hugged and kissed me goodbye she told me that she loved me and that I was welcome anytime at her home. What generosity! What hospitality! What love! This woman doesn't even know me and yet because she has the love of God in her she showers me with everything she has to offer. As we departed they yelled after us to come back. They told us they were blessed by our presence.

As we drove home, I was at a loss of what to think. I don't know how I'll be able to return to the states and live contently when I know what is here in Ensenada. I don't know why I am in Mexico, but I am hoping that as time goes by God will make all the puzzle pieces fit. I'm hoping that he will reveal what my time here this summer meant, it's significance. I'm overwhelmed by the love and presence of God I sense here. And that is all I have to say!


Here are the tortillas we made. I ate my first one so then I had to make a second one. I think I did quite well considering it was my first time. I'm looking forward to experimenting with making tortillas when I get home.

Sadly, I don't think taco bell will satisfy my craving for Mexican food any more.

San Felipe!!!

During the first week of training one of our jobs was to create a San Felipe. Every Wednesday night we have a special dinner and this years theme is "Break San Felipe Style." This dinner is to raise funds for the Missions Training Institute at Agua Viva. We play fun games and then we listen to the director of MTI speak. We finish off the evening by praying over the new seminary building that is being built. This seminary is for Mexican natives to come and receive training in ministry so that they will be successful in their hometowns and ethnic groups.

These are some of my closest friends at Agua Viva. Steffie, Liz 2, Liz 1 and Allyson. We usually have lots of fun at San Felipe. One of the best things about San Felipe is seeing the American groups reactions. San Felipe is a real place and it's a little over 200 km south of where we're at. We always tell the groups that we're going to San Felipe and many times they actually think that we're going to the real thing. They are required to wear beach attire and then we have a bus that takes them to the special location. I've heard that our San Felipe is actually better than the real thing!

Here are the girls and I just playing around.


This last Wednesday was the 4th of July so as we awaited the arrival of the group we hung out in the hammocks and practiced singing patriotic songs. Here's a picture of me trying to stay in the hammock and not on the ground!

I'm Happy! =)

After a very long and exhausting week last week I would like to let you all know that I am Happy! I have not been the best at keeping you all updated and so many of you were unaware of the difficulties I have faced here. I haven't shared much with anyone but I would like you to all know that I am content where I am at and I feel that God has me here for a reason.

I have definitely been challenged and led down some paths in which I was blind to. But now that I have moved past being frustrated with the new challenges and I've embraced them I am experiencing happiness! I've been faced with the reality and necessity of change but most importantly I've discovered that it is not I who makes the changes but that it is "God who works in [me] to will and to act according to his good purpose" ( Philippians 2:13).

New Friends & New Memories...

This is Liz 1 & Me. We found crazy sunglasses on First Street so we decided to get them. Mine are hot pink and she has crazy orange ones.



This is the Summer Staff at the Beach. From left: Me, Liz 1, Liz 2 & Steffie. Steffie is the newest addition. This is before Liz 2 and Steffie almost died!


So the other night I was introduced to Paz-ookie! And I love it! It's a giant cookie that is not entirely cooked covered with vanilla icecream. The catch is, everyone has to eat from the same pan!


Here's Me, Melissa and Becky digging in! We like to have fun on our off time! =)

Yay! I Can Navigate!

So this is the Mexican Flag. BUT..... It's not just the flag it IS the LARGEST Flag in ALL of Mexico. It's really pretty because it's right near the bay.

This is the Summer Staff standing underneath of it. From bottom: Liz 1, Liz 2, Me & Steffie.














This is a picture we took at the Beach. This past Sunday we went to the beach. I watched two of the Summer Staff get saved by a young Mexican life guard. What a story! I had just gone to look for the girls to tell them I wanted to head back to camp when I discovered I couldn't find them. Last I had seen they were waist deep jumping waves. Anyhow I began to panic and I told Liz 1, "Oh no, where are they? This is NOT good." She said, "Oh, look..... there goes a lifeguard looks like they are okay." THat didn't settle well with me. I began praying and asking God to keep them safe. Luckily, no one was injured or hurt but they were saved by a Mexican lifeguard, Ha!




This is Ensenada at night! It's beautiful! Much prettier than during the day, I think! And the best part of all, is that I'm fairly confident in navigating Ensenada. Yay for me!

My Week with BAY HILLS

Last week I worked with a Youth Group from California. We worked on a solar house in the morning at RAV and then we did a Sports Ministry in the afternoon.

The first afternoon we began with 7 children and ended with 15. The second day we had around 25 kids and by the last day our numbers were close to a hundred. By Wednesday we would see kids flocking to the soccer field to join our camp. I had the wonderful opportunity to just walk all around the neighborhood inviting kids to join.

This is a picture that I took in the evening after a church service. We worked with a local church in the area.

On Thursday afternoon there were hundreds of Mexicans of all ages swarming the soccer field because usually the American groups give away free things and this happened to be the day in which we were giving out soccer balls, jersey's and cleats. My job on this day was to be security. So I was set at the far entrance of the soccer field and I had to monitor who came and went making sure no soccer balls disappeared. Well, there were some older men sitting up on the hill sending kids down to steal balls and the next think I knew there were clusters of dirt being thrown down at me. I really didn't mind, I just didn't want to get hit in the head with one. So I had the group leader, Eddie, who was well over 6ft and 300 pounds come guard. They stopped throwing rocks at me!
Later I was sent to guard another entrance. I encountered similar problems only with teenage boys. This day was so frustrating to me. It was the first day in which I truly felt like I was not 100% safe and where I felt like I was treated differently because I am white. I was so frustrated with how I was treated, but I really think that God used this experience to teach me something. He taught me that I really am on the mission field and that my security rests in him not 300 pound men!


This is a picture of the neighborhood we were serving. I took this picture from the soccer field. Between the neighborhood and soccer field there was this huge space filled with garbage and what not. The soccer field is visible from every part of the neighborhood.

This is Becky, my favorite Group Coordinator at Agua Viva. I had the pleasure of working with her. She is a missionary here and will remain at Agua Viva for another 2 years.


This is us just being silly waiting for the service to begin. The girl on the far right was one of the group members. We called her Elmo.

I usually attend a service during the week and I attend youth group on Saturdays and then the regular service on Sundays.


This is Me, Becky, & Vasti. We worked together in translating for our group. Vasti was our main translator.


Overall, I had a really good experience this week. It was a hard week in that I think I finally "hit the wall" but I believe that it was a crucial week to my overall experience. I learned that there are many who are not Christians and that MEXICO is a mission field just like any other place!