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I am now back in Georgia. Our team got in last night at midnight. We ended up not going to New Orleans. We had several on our team get sick and we decided that our hearts wouldn’t be in it. So we just headed home. Mexico was amazing. It was so good to get back on the field again. It was a really good reminder that there is fruit to our office work. And that is something that is easy to forget when all you do is work in the office and don’t really see the fruit. So I was very thankful for this opportunity. Plus I got to minister and play with kids. I loved it. I thought I would out-line our trip for you and provide some pictures too.

Thursday 29th Nov. Day one.

  • We left at 12am and had a very long day in the van. We were able to get some laughs in though. One of which was when Driver decided to sleep on top of the van in a sketchy gas station parking lot.
  • We were also able get our first team pictures.
  • We camped on the Louisiana/Texas border. We were all tired and were thankful to get out of the car.

                          
Friday 30th Nov. Day 2.

  • We started driving again around 9am after a stop at the local Waffle House. I’m still on sure about those.
  • We drove till about 6pm where we stopped at Tommy Wilson’s house where we switched vans (we couldn’t take the rental over the border). Then crossed over to Mexico. Made it to the FYM house by 8.

                                  
Saturday 1st Dec. Day 3

  • We did prison ministry in the morning. The prisons in Mexico are nothing like the prisons in the US. The women were free to walk around I didn’t see any guards around. There were even some kids in there one of which was a 2-week-old baby. Born there. It was hard to see the kids in there. We talked with one lady for a while. Thanks to Jill who was an amazing translator. She invited us into her cell. It was full of stuff. She even had an electric skillet that she was cooking eggs in.
  • After the prison we went back to the house and from there Driver (our RA) gave us a scavenger hunt so that we would get to see the neighborhood. We all realized that all the Spanish we learned in school was slow to come back to us.
  • After dinner was family night. We had a big bonfire. It was a little awkward at first our team was on one side and the FYMs were on the other but soon Driver and Jason (the FYMs leader) got us talking. We had a time of worship and sharing of what we have learned so far. It was really cool to hear how that Lord has been working in everyone’s lives.


Sunday 2nd Dec. Day 4

  • Sunday mornings the FYM team does WOW (Walk on Water). Where they go into the colonias (neighborhoods) and talk with and minister to people. Ashley Hall, Driver and I went with Jill to a ladies house that was very nice and talked really fast. Jill did a great job translating for us again. I loved going into the homes and just being in that culture. It reminded me a lot of Africa. They are so family oriented and laid back.
  • That evening after a trip to the mall to hang out we had church. It was all in Spanish. So I wasn’t able to follow it very well but Bob Wagg who is the pastor told us where he was going to be preaching out of so that we could read it. I ended up doing my own quiet time.

                                   
Monday 3rd Dec. Day 5.

  • This is the FYMs day off. So we went to the market and the Gateway. The gateway is where all of AIMs Mexico youth group summer trips are based. We were able to call home there to let people know that we were still alive.
  • The Market was fun but really overwhelming at first. We were the only white people there at first so every single shop keeper were coming to us trying to get us to go to their shop. Once we got use to it and some food we were set. I got back into the bartering mode and had a lot of fun. I got some neat stuff for really cheap.
  • After dinner it was discipleship time. Jessica gave her time line and we were able to pray for her. I was very thankful and impressed that she was able to do it with seven strangers there. Thanks Jess.

                                     
Tuesday 4th Dec. Day 6

  • We started the day with quiet time then teaching. Bob talked to us about Spiritual warfare. That is what they are learning about now.
  • After teaching and lunch it was WOW time again. Caleb and I went with Chad, Jenny, Erin, and Lauren to a cell group that they do in a house in one of the Colonias. It was a lot of fun. Chad, Caleb and I worked with the kids. We made Christmas cards. I was able to remember some Spanish and talk to the kids. It was fun. There was an 11-year-old girl there named Nancy who helped me with my Spanish. It was really sad to meet these kids and have to say good-bye to them all in the same night. It was hard to tell them that I wouldn’t see them again.

                                    
Wednesday 5th Dec. Day 7

  • Another teaching session in the morning. We started it with some really good worship and prayer. The team prayed for us. It was really cool. Thanks guys for the prayers.
  • After lunch we went to internships with the team. Em and I went with Chan and Abby to Esther’s house. Which is a home for kids whose parents cant take care of them or those who don’t have any. I loved this. We just played with, and read to kids all afternoon. We just loved on them and showed them that someone does care for them. They were so cute.
  • After dinner we packed up and headed back to the states.

                                  
Thursday 6th Dec. Day 8

  • We left Tommy’s where we stayed the night, at 6am and started the drive back home. For the next 2 days we drove in the car. That night we stopped in Gulfport Mississippi at a hotel and spent the night. Our team wasn’t feeling so well and decided that a good night sleep and a shower was needed. So we slept in and hit the road by noon on Friday.

Friday 7th Dec. Day 9

  • We made it home by midnight and were all thankful and happy to see our own beds.
  • I’m not sure if any of us will ever want to make that drive again but it was good to do once and add to the list of “been there done that”.

So Mexico was fun and tiring. I hope that you enjoyed that pictures.

To my team. Thanks for all the memories and for making the trip fun. I would say lets do it again but maybe we should wait a while then think about it. You guys are great and I am glad that I get to spend the year with you.