HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!

Visiting mi hermana!

This is a little bit late, but . . . . A few weekends ago, on my way home I got to visit my sister, Emily!! It was so fun to see her after over 6 months. She just moved to a new home with 2 girls she met at church. Basically she is doing great and it was a blessing to see her again. We had a great time together. One thing we did was go to the World of Coca-Cola. We took some fun pictures that are online for you to see. Thats all for now!

Stop, Alto, Pare

Argentina,









Mexico,





United States,










The three countries where I have spent the last six months. Each one has become a part of me and become home in the time I was there. It has made me learn what makes a home. Love and trust. When those two factors are present, anywhere can become home.

Now, about the stop signs. My time with YWAM Monterrey has come to an end. My life in a sense has come to a stop, just like you do at a stop sign (in most countries ;). However, you soon keep going just as I will. One other quality of a stop sign it that it is the time where you can change directions. This is one time in my life where I choose where I want to go. Now my only problem is deciding which direction to go.

Finally

Sorry I took so long to post. So I'll catch you up on the last three weeks of DTS.

The third week we were in Argentina we went to a neighborhood about and hour outside of the city, called Barrio Sacchi. We stayed at the little church there, and basically tried to help the church there be encouraged and grow. So, we did some door to door evangelism and did some kids programs. We also participated in their already established services. However, there was one thing that occurred this week that makes it a week that will always stay in my mind. There is a family living behind the church, on the property. Their son was very sick with cerebral palsy and was close to dying. A few days after we had been there, and had gotten to know the family a little bit, the mom came and knocked on our door as we were hanging out and told us that she thought her son had just died. So, we went over to her house and checked on her son and called an ambulance. It turns out her son had died. It was a very impactful time to encounter death on the other side of the world and how different people and cultures react. The parents of this boy had, for me, an amazing response. They were ministering to others and were very positive because they knew that their little boy had gone to a place free of pain and suffering to live with his best friend, Jesus. They also knew that he had fulfilled the Lord's plan for his life by being a witness to his doctors and nurses. It was a great reminder of the hope and love we have in Jesus.

The last week we were in Cordoba we stayed at the church where the YWAM Cordoba base is located. It was a time of reconnecting with some of the people we had met throughout our time in Argentina and building up the base in Cordoba. We were able to go with the staff of that base to visit a house they are thinking about buying and pray over the land. It was a nice relaxing end of our time in Argentina.

28 HOURS LATER

We arrived back in Monterrey and we able to see all of our friends again!! Like Dina, Heather, Casey, Kelly, and Levi, our other classmates. It was really fun to hear each others stories and hear how God worked in their outreaches. This week we really just relaxed, played Phase 10, and reflected on DTS. It was a great last week spending time with people

Cordoba, Che

So, it has been awhile. We got to Cordoba just fine, tired, but glad to be here. We arrived Sunday afternoon, rested, and went to church. Church here in Argentina is at night, almost always. Then on Monday we toured the city and celebrated New Years with the pastor's family. We ate good food, danced, and had fun. On Tuesday we went to a river outside of Cordoba, about an hour. Then on Wednesday we went to a youth camp/retreat. While there we mostly were there to interact with the students there. We also taught some of our dramas to them to use for evangelism. Also while we were there I met my Argentinian parents. It was a little hard to communicate well with them, but they took my under their wings and loved me and cared for me like parents. It was a true blessing. We got back on Sunday, went to church, and then rested up for the free day we had on Monday. On Monday we went downtown, did touristy shopping and then at the night we went to Laura and Luis (my Argentinian parents) house for dinner. Then Tuesday morning we went to another town about 5 hours from Cordoba called Frías. While there we were able to stay with host families. Katelyn and I stayed in the house of the pastor's parents. It was great to be in a house again, and they took such good care of us, like grandparents. It is really awesome to see that when I was missing family and that care they have God puts people in my path to fill that desire. During the week in Frías we learn the intricacy of the siesta. Every afternoon we got to rest for a few hours, which was good because we were up until 3 or 4 every night. It was a relaxing week for us. A few hours of team time in the morning and at 5 we would meet with the youth from 3 churches. We taught them different lessons 1 or 2 every day and also taught them some of our dramas. Then at 11 or so we would go to the plaza and do some dramas and play some music. Then afterwards we would hang out for a few more hours. We bonded really well and have great friendships there in Frías that we will never forget. When we left they all came to the bus station and gave us a great send off of many waves with a few tears. It has been a great two weeks, and I am looking forward to another great two weeks. I praise God for the great blessing that our time in Argentina has been. Thank you for your prayers, they are greatly appreciated.

(I have no way to put pictures online from here, so you will have to wait to see all of them until I return to Mexico on the 26th, sorry!)

Durango, me pone feliz

(Translation: Durango, it makes me happy)

Durango was great! It was such a blessing to be there and I know that God planned for us to go there it wasn't just by chance. We made such good friends there in the church. It is amazing how close you can get to people in just 12 days when you are with them almost everyday.

Now for the highlights:

Friday we had a free day. We started out playing volleyball with the youth group! Yay! Volleyball made me happy :) Then we went downtown and explored a little bit. It was great to relax and deepen friendships.

We also went to a park in the city twice. This park was special because it is SUPER decorated for Christmas. There are so many lights and they have lots of different Christmas Bible scenes. It was really fun to go have our fill of Christmas spirit of sorts.

For Christmas Eve we went to Isai's grandma's house to have dinner and then we went to Sanbourn's, a restaurant, for dessert. In Mexico they celebrate Christmas like we do New Years in the States, waiting until midnight to celebrate. So we stayed up until about one enjoying each others company.

Christmas: We went to VIPS for breakfast, a sort of IHOP type restaurant so we didn't have to cook for ourselves. Then we went to Edgar's (one of the guys from youth group) house for lunch and were surprised with all of our youth friends there. After lunch we went downtown to evangelize by telling the true meaning of Christmas and praying with the people in the main plaza. Then we just hung out with our friends from Durango. It was a strange Christmas, but still filled with friends and happiness.

Overall, we loved our time there, made great friends, and will miss them a lot. I hope you all had a very blessed Christmas and have a great new year. I leave tomorrow for Cordoba, Argentina until the 25th I think. So, for about the next 4 weeks I will be using internet cafes again. I will keep you as updated as I can.

Durango Part 1

We arrived in Durango Saturday afternoon and then had lunch at Isai's house. Then we went to youth group for the night. Sunday we went to a town about 1 hour away to do a church service in Isai's uncle's church. We did dramas and Dina preached. Then we went to a youth group party in the night. During the week we have gotten up at about 8, had breakfast and team time, and then at about 10 we would start cleaning classrooms at the church school. Then we would have lunch at 2 and have free time until 4 when we would have a time to teach dramas to the youth group and then go somewhere and present them. We usually get back to the church at about 8, have dinner, go home, and sleep.
We have been staying at a camp about 20 minutes from the church where we are working. It is basically a bathroom with a bunch of bunkbeds. It also has windows without glass. Which means that when the night gets down to the 40's it is that cold in our room. So we sleep close to each other, with as many blankets as we have, in our sleeping bags and are pretty warm.
All in all we have been having a great time here and see God blessing our work here. Everyone we have met have been very friendly and the ones we have gotten to know are very fun to be around.

Now, just in case we don't have a chance to get online before Christmas... MERRY CHRISTMAS