A lot has happened since I last posted an update, which contributed a lot to why I haven’t been able to give another one until tonight. Also, I apologise for the lack of pictures – my phone broke back when the team was out here, and I haven’t had the chance (or the funds) to repair it yet. But I should be getting it done soon.

First off – I told you guys about the Huesos Secos conference that we were getting ready host back in late August. I wanted to post the video the church made, but for some reason the link isn’t working. But believe me – the conference was spectacular. The worship, the teachings, the decorations – everything was done in excellence, as per La Fuente standards. I was so blessed to not only be part of the audience, but to have had the opportunity to work behind the scenes with the decorations and offer suggestions to the worship team (though I wasn’t able to sing on stage with them) and just be present as a member of the church body. It went beyond my expectations – God just continues to prove His goodness and I am more than happy to give Him the glory for every good thing that happened, not only during the conference, but in the several weeks that have passed since my last update.

As you may know, I started school back in September and so far, so good. I no longer have a translator, and while it’s a bit difficult to understand the entire class (and there are good days and bad days in general), I feel like I have been able to grasp at least the concepts of the classes we are taking (which have all been phenomenal, by the way). It does get tiring, though, but last week we had an English speaking teacher, so my mind was blessed with a small break. I’m working more on my speaking skills, mostly with one of my bi-lingual roommates – Janel – but I’ve been feeling much more comfortable speaking to my non-English speaking classmates. I’m still a work in progress, but I’m excited to see how much I’ll grow by the time I come back home.

Speaking of my roommates, I live in a house with six other girls, so that has been a challenge all its own, especially for an introvert like me. Surprisingly, there has been little to no drama, and we all seem to get along just fine. Though I have grown especially fond of one in particular, Janel, and she has been helping me in a lot of ways. As I mentioned, I have been practicing my Spanish with her, but even beyond that, she has been an incredible blessing in my life. Being in a foreign country for a year is a very daunting task, obviously. And when you are laughably unable to speak the language, it’s a bit frustrating at times. Even in the States I had a hard time feeling understood, so being in Mexico and and not being able to speak/understand the language is a very uncomfortable thing for me to do. Not a bad thing, by any means, as long as I deal with it correctly. I recognise I dealt with it incorrectly in a few ways, but as I mentioned in my last couple of posts, I took some time to really draw near to God in prayer and worship, and one of my most urgent requests was for Him to send me someone who could truly understand me. It seemed as if I would have to wait it out, and though I was disappointed, I eventually realised that God was the one I was going to with my discomfort and frustration and unrest, and that that alone would be sufficient for me for the rest of the remaining year (and hopefully afterwards, as well).

If no one else understands me, God does, and that’s enough.

A couple weeks after I accepted this, my comfort came in the form of a new roommate. I wasn’t particularly happy about the new addition, since I already had four other roommates (and like I said, I am an introvert, so the thought of more people occupying my space wasn’t very comforting), but after a week or two, we hit it off and we’ve been good friends ever since. She’s a prophet, and has been very generous with her gift and has been wiling to help me through a lot of things. She has inspired me so much – seeing her use the gift God gave her so effortlessly, and seeing her willingness to be used by Him has really motivated me to draw even closer to God and be used as she is. The first night we talked, she prophesied over me and after just the first couple of sentences I was in tears. I felt something break free in me and since then, I’ve been able to hear God more clearly, and He has been using her and a couple of my other friends to speak to me as well.

In short – God has been nothing but good and generous to me in these last couple of weeks, and I am so hungry for more. I’m craving His word (both in the logos and rhema sense), and I can’t wait to see what will happen in these next couple of months.

Saludos!

It’s only been a little over a month since I’ve been back in Mexico, but this last week was something I was very much looking forward to – the team from Church in the Word came down and did some amazing work with La Fuente!

Unfortunately, I didn’t do much work with them, but I know they helped out with a few of the La Fuente extensions (including my former church in Puga), with the orphans cared for by Casa Nana (Nana’s House), and even helped a bit with the kids’ conference, Invencibles. It was great having them here, and I enjoyed being able to spend some time with my friends. They did a spectacular job out here.

Things are going well with me. Though, I feel as if I have a mild case of the stomach flu – mostly bad nausea, and the occasional inability to keep my food down. Unfortunately, it’s kept me from going to work today. It seems to be getting better, so I’m hoping I’ll be fine by morning. But other than that, things have been pretty great. I’ve had a lot of opportunities to practically apply what I’ve been working on personally, and it’s an amazing thing to see and be aware of my own growth. Even though it’s been tough, it’s been rewarding, because of how faithful God is to fulfill His promises and to complete His work in us. I am still a long way from my goal, but it’s becoming easier for me to be grateful for my trials, and while I still haven’t found a way to resolve things and forgive before I get upset, I’m getting there. I am more aware of my faults than I ever have been, but at the same time, I don’t feel weighed down by them. Instead, I see them as stepping stones, as checkpoints to pass on my journey as a missionary. I feel more free than I ever have been (as long as I remind myself to see things through the right lens).

I’m writing again too, which is exciting because Mimix had offered to write music with me, and I would hate to leave this place without having that experience. So, I’ll keep you guys updated on that, for those that are interested in my artistic endeavours, just in case something does come of it.

Vanguard will be starting in a little less than a month, and I can’t help but get excited for it. I know I have a lot more to learn, and even though I’ve been having my own private devotionals, there’s something about hearing about God’s work in others, and learning from their trials and testimonies that makes me look forward to September 13th. Also considering the fact that I’m not going in as alone as I thought (not counting the Holy Spirit, of course), a lot of my anxiety has been soothed. And even though a big part of that anxiety came from having to restart with a new group of people, I find myself not wanting to wait to know said group and their acquired wisdom from what God has taught them, and what we can gain from one another.

Long story short – I’m anxious for what’s next, but not in the negative way. In the way that leaves me wanting more from tomorrow than what I got from today – expecting more from my God, and less from people, because I know that He will always give me what I need and then some. I’m beginning to live in the knowledge that I live in His will, and frankly, I can’t find anything more exciting – more promising – than that.