M E X I C O

ahhh...beautifulll.
weekend recap: Headed out to Oak Glen (Yucaipa) for the Mexico thanksgiving break leaders retreat. (For those of you who don't know, I'm helping lead a team down to mexicali this thanksgiving to do community service projects and share the gospel!) When we arrived at the camp...that fresh mountain air was exactly what I needed. crisp. refreshing. clean. We spent the weekend familiarizing ourselves with the other leaders (there was about 50 of us) and let me tell you...I was so incredibly encouraged by the amaaaazing people leading teams to Mexico this November. wow.

More specifically...my team (Team Stephen..named after the first martyr) is an RAD group.
Let me just give you a brief description: there is lauren our team leader. Shes a sophomore from Portland who is so mature for her age, so confident in leading and has such a giving heart. There's Eric, a freshman who is just the most precious thing ever. He's from Montana...a PK...and a music major..too cute. Then there's Kelsey, sophomore missionary kid who grew up in Kenya and just moved to the states for college. Then..there's Jeff who is chinese and from Walnut, he has crazy dreams like me and is pumped to go to urbana this year. Then..there's Katelyn (roommate) who i am so so stoked to serve with. And lastly, there is precious Claire who is (no joke) 4'10 and the cutest thing ever. She is a missionary kid from Mexico...speaks fluent spanish and will be our translator. PTL.

basically...the Lord has once again..put me on an amazing team and I am just blown away by his grace and provision. The funny thing is...I was concerned with what I would be doing this semester. Get a job? intern somewhere? be involved on campus? I was so concerned with "filling my schedule" that I was searching for things that weren't from the Lord. I was trying to fill my calendar because that is what was safe to me, what sounded good when people asked me about my semester, what I thought was necessary. NOPE. Then God shows up and tells me to shut up and listen...breaks me away from my comfort zone of "alpha leader"..."RA"...throws me in a house with Anna (roommate) who happens to be the head of Mexico Outreach...and here I am going to do community service in Mexico in a month.

unreal.
Let's just say that the Lord knows what He's doing and I dont. hahaa.
Our team in preparing to spend thanksgiving break doing laborious, unglamorous, work in Mexico with the hope that our Jesus would be glorified through our actions and that the people we serve will see Him through us. Pray for direction through the planning process...pray for fundraising support..pray for our hearts to be that of the lowest servant..pray against the enemies attacks on our teams..pray for safety...radical love...and that people would come to meet their savior!

amen.