My last week in Mexico, i'll try and sum it up.

  For our last week in Mexico our last project was planning our own outreach. With no help from our leaders on where to go, what to do, who to call, so basically our leaders were of no help to us. We planned the whole week ourselves, made our own contacts and found our own way of transportation. We had a budget and that budget was $155 per person for one whole week. So for our group that added up to be $930 total for 6 girls to live off for one week. This included food, gas, lodging, and we had planned on doing VBS so it included all the supplies we would need for that. Plus extra room in case of an emergence, if we wanted to eat out one night we would have to budget that, so on and so forth. It was basically a practice week to prepare us for life in Africa, because in Africa it is going to be the exact same thing. We get a budgeted amount of money each week and we live off that.

            More on our week though. As a team we decided to go to this little Ejito (which in Spanish means farm community) called LaPalangana. One of the girls on my team, her name is Alison. She has been to LaPalangana a few times on mission trips with her church so she already knew who to contact in order to make this happen. So Alison called our contact person, her name is Hope and we began planning out our week. Many of the girls really felt led to work with the kids and do a VBS type thing but Kathleen and I felt lead more to work with the women in the community.  So we began planning for the women and the other 4 girls on my team began planning a VBS.

                    So we get to LaPalangana and get settled in to our little and I mean little room for the week. We talk with the Pastor Fernando and his wife Rosalia about the week and what it looks like. We were going to be doing 2 days of VBS and LaPalangana, Sunday and Monday. Then Tuesday through Thursday we would go to another Colonial that was just starting up closer into the city here. Perfect, not exactly what we had planned but we knew God would be in it so we had to begin laying down our plans and waiting on Gods. So Sunday after church we had VBS with the kids and played with them, our lesson was from Daniel and it was Daniel and the lions din. We wanted to talk to them about trusting God. Then that afternoon we went out to the other Colonial we would be going to later in the week and let people know we would be coming and invite them to join us. Well in my group was Nadia, Kathleen, the Pastors wife Rosalia and two of her children. We talked to a few nice people who listened to us and said they would come but we also encountered some really random and funny and freaky things. At one house there was this small little closet that almost looked like an outhouse. But when we got closer we realized it was an alter and there were pictures up of this evil demonic looking things almost like a grim reaper or something and flowers set up all around it. We asked Rosalia what it was and she said that this Mexico and more in South Mexico it is very common for which's and devil type worshiping. So that was just a little freaky to see but the people we talked to were nice and they didn't slam a door in out face. Then we came to one house and Rosalia was trying to get the women's attention to speak with them but the men were not having it. I can't speak Spanish so I am not sure exactly what he said but as we walked away Rosalia wiped the dirt from her shoes as it says to do in Luke 9:5 "if people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them." And that is exactly what she did, it was probably my favorite part of the whole day. Then we encountered two lesbians, and woman who had a dog that had blue spots on him running around like crazy while her cat was tied up to a tree, it was a very eventful day.

The rest of the week went as planned though at least as far as VBS in concerned. We had a lot of fun with the kids and we taught them about trusting God through Daniel, about listening to God and about having courage. We did not get to work with the women as much as we had wanted to except on Thursday night Alison gave a mini sermon and we were able to pray with all of the women who were there which was so wonderful. Our hearts were so burdened all week for the women and you could just feel a very heavy spirit in that place but we had to respect the pastor and work more with the VBS because that is what they had planned a really wanted. But God opened up opportunities for us to be able to work with the women and pray with Rosalia. She is such a warrior in that community especially for the women. She just pours out her heart to them and she poured it out to us as well. You can see God through her passion when she sings to him and her smile that lights up the room. She herself was such an inspiration to our team and she treated us very well. Thursday she cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner for us (talk about putting on some weight). We had tortillas at every meal and it was all so good. Most people I am sure think I hardly get to eat and that I am probably losing weight but trust me when I tell you they are taking good care of me here. We are usually complaining because we have so much to eat.

                    We also had a lot of van trouble this week. On Monday we drove into the states to pick up a few things for VBS. We got into town around 11:30 we split into two groups and we decided to meet back at the van at 12. Well we got back at 12 got loaded in put the key in turned the key and nothing happened, not even a tiny noise was made. GREAT !! The van would not start, so after Nadia Tara and I tried for 5 minutes to get the hood opened this lady came to help us. She said it was really funny to watch us for a few minutes but once we couldn't open the hood it was just sad and she felt she needed to help us. She looked under the hood for a few minutes, tapped a few things and poured some water on the battery but nothing worked. Then a nice big man with a nice big black truck came and jumped our van off. So we headed back to LaPalangana for VBS. Well Tuesday we jump in the van we are loaded in all 6 of us and 14 other people from the church pile into our 11 passenger van to go do VBS in the other Colonial we turn the key and what do you know...nothing happened AGAIN. So we have to track the pastor down because he had already left, we find him he comes back takes out our battery and replaces it with another old battery that was sitting in the neighbor's yard. The van starts we all pile in and we leave for VBS. After VBS we drop all the people off drive back into the states buy a brand new battery for our van and have a great dinner at IHop (we felt we needed a treat). This was not the first encounter we had with van trouble. On Saturday when we left we didn't even make it across the border before the van we had started stalling out on us so we got through and pulled off at a gas station to wait for a leader to come and switch out vans with us.

We loved all of our van troubles though, it was a great experience and it really taught us that we need to be prepared for anything in Uganda because we have to take care of things ourselves. Sadly we won't have mommy and daddy with us, and I have tried really hard to find a way for my mommy to come with me.

 But that was a lot of our week in LaPalangana again so much went on and God did many things there with us and through us. He sent us angels who could speak both English and Spanish so we had a translator for most of the week, he protected us and he laid heavy burdens on our heart for the community of LaPlangana.

        Thank you for reading I am sorry it was so long but I want you to be able to know all about what is going on here with me.

I love you very much and I pray God is working in your lives...

 I love you all!!!