Hey Everybody! I'm back in the states now and thought I should finally get around to updating this blog that I promised all of you. I decided to tell the story of our trip through pictures and a few significant stories. I hope you enjoy.
TLACOLULA, OAXACA

Foundations for His Ministry Children's Home

Ashley and I started out our trip at this place and were blessed beyond our expectations. Looking back I would have loved to stay here for longer than the 3 days we were able, but I am glad we were able to even go. We had the immense privilege of being a part of these childrens' lives for a short time, but they will stay in my heart for a long time. The first time we met the kids we were surrounded by hugs and stayed that way until we left. It was glorious! These kids only want to love and be loved and I loved loving on them :). The first night we were there we went with the little girls (6-12) to a village called Yagay to play with the kids there, show a movie and have etole and sweet bread. This village was a very poor village and all of the people there had someone in their family in prison and to say they were living day by day is an understatement. It was fun to see the girls play with the children there, teach them games and songs that they learned in sunday school. It was a precious memory that I will take with me. You see some of these girls live at the home because they too have a family member in prison and their family can't take care of them either. They can relate to the people of Yagay.

Singing Songs at Yagay






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PUEBLA, PUEBLA
CHOLULA, PUEBLA

After the children's home we headed to Puebla to visit our friend Nelly. I love the story of Nelly and God's divine plan in her life that we had the privilege of seeing unfold this past spring. Nelly recently made a decision to follow Jesus and was baptized on easter sunday. Nelly's story started way before we met her in March; God had been working in her life and in the life of her brother for quite some time (as is how it usually is). Her brother who struggled with drugs for quite sometime until it came to a point where he needed intervention to get free from it. At that point he turned to Reto (Mexican version of teen challenge) to help him get back on his feet, but he got more than he bargained for and instead of getting free from just drugs he found total freedom in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Nelly saw a HUGE change in his life and became curious of what her brother had, so when he told her that Reto was going on a medical clinic outreach to a remote part of Mexico she jumped at the chance to go (she is a doctor). It just so happens that the GFM church planting team was on this same outreach. Rhonda (nurse on our church planting team) and Nelly became easy friends and when we were understaffed for our upcoming short-term medical clinics Rhonda called her up to see if she would be willing to go, and what Nelly didn't know then was that her decision would change her life forever. She came at a very interesting time on short-term #1, when she came into the base we were worshiping and the spirit was thick in the room and as we were worshiping downstairs, upstairs a local guy was getting baptized (can you imagine!! I'm getting giddy just thinking about it). I told the story of this guy in a previous post, but if you haven't read about this story yet you should read a couple posts down, incredible moving of the Holy Spirit. Anyway this is what she walked into that night and none of us knew that she wasn't a believer. On that outreach we realized that she hadn't made a decision quite yet and was still in a exploration phase, where she knew this is what she wanted, but wanted to make sure completely and have some of her questions answered before making such an important commitment. On that outreach pastor Enrique prophesied over Nelly not knowing that she hadn't made a commitment yet, but it was, as always with God, perfect timing for her to hear those words for her life. The next part of the story is in Nelly's words enjoy :)


"After the outreach well, something started working inside me, it was a special thing. I was amuzed of what I had lived with all you guys, it was only 1 week but it was intense; the words of Enrique... wow. I was impressed of the passion you had with God, that joy for life, for worshiping Him, for the relationship between you and Him, I learned some things talking and listening to you those days... I remember I wrote to you something about it in my first mail to all of you. And also I remember that I wanted something like that in my own life. It was a strong feeling that never stopped, but at the beginning I was a little confused. That last day Rhonda gave me a book called Face to face with God written by Bill Johnson(awesome book) Jolynne gave me a bilingual bible, and I must say that reading Face to face with God continued even more that feeling. I was rised as a catholic girl, but honestly just by name. I had been feeling a necesity of being a more spiritual person since few months ago. A week after the outreach I went back to Tlax for the baptisms of Joni and her daughters and another girl from there (can’t remember her name right now), when finally Chino and his girlfriend were baptized too. I remember that while we arrived to the lake, I asked to Rhonda a lot of things about the bible, baptisms, and being a christian; it was good, she always answered me and encouraged me. After the baptisms I went to visit you at the base. You were with the 2nd team that should go to Tida. We talked for a few minutes and I said that I was planning on going again for the Easter, in 1 week. During this time I realized that I wanted more, yes I was hungry for Him and all this became a necesity too, you know? I felt identified while reading Face to Face, someone was asking for me, for sure, along with some encouraging mails from you. I’m a doctor but I don’t wanna keep doing the same, not only give consultations or prescribe some medicine or play the role of a Psychologist when people look for you to share their problems and you try to say the best words ever to cheer them up, which is not bad, but is not enough. I wanted to go deeper, like Pastor Enrique said, maybe let God works through me. If I pray for someone would be with an unshakable faith with God and Holy Spirit as my support, not just words. A couple days before Easter Rhonda went to my home in Huajuapan to visit and meet my mom. I talked with her about that crazy, strong and unstoppable desire of being closer to God. We arrived to the base Sat night and I helped in the kitchen, I made my “cockie man” haha. Next day at the base, april 4th, while we were worshipping God I made up my mind and I thought a simple thing: Why keep waiting if you know what do u want? So I said, no more waiting, I’ll do it today. And I’m completely sure that, that day was as perfect as any day there ever was. Simple, it was Easter and I was going to be with you all. The rest of the history you know it. I know that this happened so quickly! but things happen, and maybe is not too much time since my baptism, just 1 month, although for me seems more time, but I think I've learned some great new things, I feel relief but I want more and more. I need to keep working and seeking Him. Is not easy but I'm not alone anymore. Now for me is not enough to know more things about Jesus, what I want is being known by Him, which is different. Passion!! :)"


Praise GOD!! He is AMAZING! I love Nelly's passion and her desire for her true lover, Jesus Christ! God has blessed Nelly with an incredible heart that I believe you can hear in her words and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is going to use Nelly to do some radically crazy things for him. Love you Nelly!





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GUADALAJARA, JALISCO

After Puebla we headed to Guadalajara to the Youth with a Mission base there. The base wasn't exactly in Guadalajara, but closer to Chapala which interestingly enough has the largest lake in Mexico. God's timing is perfect and He couldn't have been more dead on than his timing in having us here. Ashley and I arrived a few days before some of our other friends and helped get some rooms ready for the incoming DTS students who were coming in a few days as well. Alright now about the perfect timing story, when Ashley and I were planning this trip we decided that we wanted to visit various ministries in Mexico and we knew that we wanted to visit a YWAM base and had decided upon Guadalajara. One day we were talking with our friend Yesi about our trip and she got beyond excited about the fact that we were going to a YWAM base and told us that she had been wanting to go to a school for missions/ministry and so we invited her to come with us. She did come and the timing couldn't have been better because a school was just starting the day she arrived and all of the students spoke spanish (usually they have some english speakers and some spanish, its a bi-lingual school). Yesi was able to attend all the classes and got to know the students and staff very well and she LOVED it and didn't want to leave. The staff said that she could go home and get her stuff and come back the next week and be a part of the school if she wanted and so she left with that intention. She told me that she was 99% sure she would be back that next monday she just needed the blessing from her father, because she already had it from her mom. Unfortunately when she went home she didn't get his blessing and didn't return, but she plans on going next fall and in the mean time she is praying that God softens her dad's heart, also she has decided to support one of the students in the school that cannot pay all of her tuition. God is good!

*A little side note this year is YWAM's 50th anniversary and so Loren Cunningham (founder of YWAM) is coming to the Guadalajara base for a visit in October/November so Yesi will have the opportunity to meet him if she decides to go.






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PUERTO VALLARTA, JALISCO
Next up was Puerto Vallarta for me and Ashley. We were intending on working with an organization called Families at the Dump, but due to disappointing circumstances we only "worked" with them one day for 3 hours. The rest of our time was spent being bums, beach and otherwise. It was a good time of reflection, rest and a good way to end our time in Mexico.