WOW! What a great trip it was! I've put off posting so long since we've been back because I haven't really known how to put my feelings and thought into words.  From even before we left, I could see God' hand in everything.  My husband's work has been VERY slow right now, and for the month of December, he had been only working 2-3 days per week.  That made paying for the trip a little frightening to me, as our finances got tighter and tighter.  In fact, a few days before we left I began thinking we weren't going to have any cash in our pockets on the trip to purchase a soda for the kids or anything.  However, the last couple of days before we left, God provided some financial support from some unexpected places, and really made everything OK! What a blessing!!

The trip started with a 30+ hour busride to Eagle Pass, TX.  The bus ride was definately not the most comfortable thing in the world, and trying to sleep in the tiny bus seat was definately a chore.  However, we had great conversation and fellowship, shared a devotion before each stop (approx every four hours) and had a nice time getting to know some of the people on the way down. 

When we arrived in Mexico, it all felt a little surreal.  We got to our hotel rooms, which were much nicer than I expected, and I quickly showered, but we were all piled on to this small red bus that our church had donated in the past, to go to a pastor's house for dinner.  It's a small bus that reads "La Gran Comision" and has a sign that says "seats 12" but the 12 is x-d out and it says "36"  So, you can imagine how many people were packed into each seat, standing, etc.  In fact at one point during the week, we had 38+ the driver on there (it was all the kids mission to see if we could 'break the record of 36'  LOL, and we DID!)   

Once we arrived at the pastor's house, we were fed something that looked like swiss steak, some pinkish colored rice and some beans with hot dogs.  The rule is that you have to eat what you are given, and that it would be insulting to throw anything away.  The food wasn't bad, just not quite what we are used to, and the meat was served with bones in the sauce, and grizzle. However, some of the men on our team really helped out by finishing everyone's plates for them.  Roger and I traded and I ate his rice and beans and he ate my meat.  I asked a fellow teammate (who happens to be a fairly famous youth speaker, who travels the world speaking to youth and women, and goes on this trip every year) what we were eating.  She said "we never ask.  It gives the prayer "bless this food to our bodies" a whole new meaning.  She said it may be beef, goat, or something like that.  At this point, some of the kids were playing around kicking this empty Gatorade bottle.  Well, the bottle came over and hit me in the neck.  It hurt, but not that much.  However I started crying and didn't feel like I could stop.  I was still talking to this woman ( Tiffany Thompson ) She really comforted me and said she cried her whole first mission trip.  She said she was so worried the first year they came to Mexico, and she was so careful not to eat anything, not to drink the water, etc.  She said her kids ate whatever, drank the water, etc and SHE is the one who got sick.  She said she really felt like God was saying "Don't you trust me with your children?  I love them more than you do" And she went on to say that I may be having so many feelings, worries, emotions, etc and even though I may not know what to pray to God for specifically, the Holy Spirit would intercede on my behalf, and that even my tears would be counted as prayer.  So, that really set the tone for the week, and brought me great comfort. 

During the week, we started each day with devotion time consisting of worship, and people from our team sharing what God was doing in their hearts.  It was so inspiring to see God reaching each person at their level.  One of the things I shared toward the end of the week was what I had learned so far.  Last summer, one of the ladies at our church shared with me that she tries to hold everything with an open hand, because it's all God's anyways.  Well, in our safety driven culture I don't feel like I do that very well at home.  I try to hold on to everything so tightly and am wrapped up in my security.  However, due to the nature of the trip, the travel conditions (38 people on a bus that seats12), the people we were witnessing to, etc, it didn't feel like you COULD hold everything with a closed hand.  Another friend of mine, who is a missionary in the Sahara Desert once made the analogy that if you pick up a palmful of sand, and examine it in your hand with your palm open you can see it so clearly and hang on to it.  However, once you close your hand to try to hold on to it, it all starts to slip thru your fingers.  That's me, at home...trying to hold on to everything so tight, while it really is slipping away.  I learned that I let fear dominate so much of my life, and that I don't trust God as much as I should.  However, in Mexico, it felt different.  We HAD to trust God, we HAD to hold everything loosely! I got a glimpse of how that tastes, and it was so sweet.  It's something I want to hold on to, and not forget now that we're home. 

The team also did the Everything, by Lifehouse drama.  Our daughter Morgan played the main girl.  We did the skit several times at different churches, in the "park", etc.  The skit had soooo much impact.  It really brought tears to so many eyes! You can see the original skit here,

however, the people who did it in Mexico did it for the Sr. High youth group on Wed. night, and will do it again at a weekend service.  They also may do it at one of Tiffany Thompson's speaking events, and even at Lifest this year!

I didn't want to come home.  I honestly could have stayed so much longer.  Each day was a reminder that this is what life is about.  It felt so right to just have each day be focused on sharing God's love with people, being His hands and feet.  It wasn't until about the third of fourth day that I was brought back to reality that this wasn't my home, my every day life, and that this wouldn't last forever.  It was the best way our family could have celebrated Christmas. 

I want to write more on what we did over the week, but wanted to share my feelings about it first, while that was still fresh in my mind.  I also have a bunch of pictures that I want to upload.  It was so beautiful there, at the base of the mountains, with the beautiful sunsets, palm trees, etc. 

Thanks to all who were praying! Your prayers were felt and MUCH appreciated!