Movement!

God is doing some great things in me this week. I am learning a lot about trusting him directly. God put some things on my heart this morning that I need to explore some more, but it put into context a lot of what has been going on in my life in and outside of my greaterworks experience. For a long time I have placed a second hand trust in God. I trust people who trust God, so I assume that means I trust God.. but to be honest.. I don't know if I've ever had bedrock faith in God. Its scary to be that intimate with such a loving God. Scary to be that open. So its an exploration for the future months. It was a huge move this morning to finally feel like I am at a place where I have no alternative. No friend to trust in the "stead" of Christ himself. I am here doing the work God has called me to. I am feeding the poor like he does, I am receiving his daily bread myself. God provides in amazing ways that I hadn't seen until this morning as the sun was rising over the barrio. Ahh.. so anyway I still have a lot to process and there will be more to come. But wholeness is rushing in, and a peace I've never felt before..

I posted some pics on my other blog...

www.agiggledivine.blogspot.com

The Beginning.

Tomorrow is a beginning for me. Other than one meeting with the orphanage director in the morning I am starting my weekly schedule that will last for the year.

Monday: Spend time with Peggy and the ladies doing Costura (sewing projects)
Tuesday: Help with the kids at the women's bible study (some of the same women), work on support letters.
Wednesday: Comedor (soup kitchen) with Hermana Jenny and the other interns, bring hermana jenny back to El Paso and run errands in the states
Thursday: Work at the Orphanage (hopefully), spend time at home or with community, Team time
Friday: Spend the day in El Paso working on school stuff at UTEP library,
Saturday: Morning Kids Comedor at La Puerta, Evening Youth time with Site 2 people.
Sunday: Sleep in, Church at La Puerta, Cleaning, Church at Maranata and Fellowship time.

Its a little less daunting when I spell it out like that rather than last post.. hahah.. sorry if it is redundant :)

Friday night Carlos invited us to a concert and we showed up not sure what to expect. It was awesome! It was a street concert near Site 2 and it was a Christian show. The guys from La Puerta and Carlos' brother plus another band played. It was so much fun to see life in youth and in a Christian setting. They did a bunch of crazy fun worship songs and there was some awesome dancing and playing, lots of jumping etc. I am going to post some pics and videos later this afternoon. Hurrah!

Update: Support Letters will be out this week! To those of you expecting one sorry it took so long!

We are trying to finalize our schedules. It has been such a whirlwind exploring the city, meeting new people, and finally feeling like I am starting to build some relationships in the community as well as renew old ones from my summer a few years ago.. This week becky and I are house sitting for Jim and Peggy, missionaries, couple who works down here. I am hoping to plug in with Peggy and the ministry they started called Broken Hearts. It works with women teaching them how to do embroidery and then Peggy, in conjunction with their home church and other contacts, sell the items giving the money back to the women. It is a neat ministry not just because it helps families, but because it offers an escape for some of these women. There is a house in our community that a family moved out of but they don't want to sell it yet so they are letting Jim and Peggy use it for the ministry. Almost all day Monday, Tuesday for bible study, and a few other times a week the house is open to anyone who wants to come in and sew. Women from the community can just come to hang out, or work on their pieces. Becky and I have been working with them during hte bible study to help with the kids so the women can attend the bible study. I am going to start spending my Monday's over at the house with the women, maybe learning to sew some, and helping Peggy with some of the organizational aspects of the ministry. I am excited to learn about how it works, and build relationships with some of these women. A lot of the women go to La Puerta for church on Sunday, and others join us at the comedor to either help cook or attend the service. Becky and I are also helping with a new Kid's Comedor (soup kitchen) at La Puerta on Sunday. So I'll be pretty invested here at Site One. I am also looking to spend some time at site five with the orphanage out there, but we keep missing the director. We are all also going to start working with Site 2 as they develop a youth group, and then hang out with them Sunday nights for soccer of course. Man when I type it all out like this it seems like a lot, but really it leaves a lot of time to relax, reflect and hang out in the community.

On another note I am really starting to feel comfortable in the city again. It took me a few days for culture shock to settle in and pass.. not entirely of course but its nice to feel like I have my bearings. My biggest problem has been learning the city and border routines enough to get around without other people. I am making it a priority to learn learn learn how to get around. I don't want to get lost and then panic.. especially since landmarks don't really help yet. Turn right at the micho.. or turn left at Del Rio.. there are a billion of those.. You know the glorieta? You know 16th of Sept Street? Where it turns into a backwards one way? OR the street where they built a new speed bump? hahah.. seriously.. It will happen soon enough.. I can get to Site 2, Site 5 (I think), Jim and Peggy's, the women's bible study, La Puerta, Juanita's in El Paso and back, to S-mart/Gonzalez/Laundromat.. WOOT.

Yucks.

Sorry I haven't posted much. Things have been pretty busy, then I got the stomach bug this weekend so I have been fighting off mama mexico. yuck. I am off to church now too so I'll post later but here is a link to where my pics will be on facebook:




http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2065004&l=a4c9a&id=54600030

Bienvenidos a Juarez!

Hey guys! I am in a coffee shop in El Paso right now but we made it safely to Juarez the other day.. much to our sadness the phone/internet bill wasn't paid so our internet was down. We are here in El Paso taking care of some business things.. we should cross back into Mexico later this evening and head to a Mexican Fiesta for the 16th of September party at la Iglesia Maranata which is where I lived last time in Juarez. It has been great seeing everyone and reconnecting. i feel pretty vividly like the gringa but I am ok with it.. My roommates are awesome and I am excited for a great year! I will update more asap once we get internet up and working! Lata! Pictures coming soon!

Minneapolis... Trains Trains and oh geez.

I made it to training! I had a blast traveling all day on Saturday via train.. The first train was boring but I got a lot of reading done. The second was an absolute blast meeting lots of cool people and getting the chance to just hang out with people. I showed up in Minneapolis to see all sorts of people from my YW summer and we ofcourse had pizookie and then crashed. Sunday morning we went to an awesome church called Hope Community Church and then did Chipotle for lunch. Later that afternoon we went to training.. both Jono and Brenna are GW staff this summer too so it was nice having comrades to join with me.

SO far I am still super stoked. My teammates in Juarez are Mateo and Becky, both awesome and it should be a blast. I am so excited to get to Juarez and start living out loud. Actually I am not assuming that only starts in Mexico.. it has been a fun challenge getting to know people here and starting to take risks in relationships here. Well it is mighty late and I am ready for bed!!

Goodnight y'all!