Crazy life of an intern in Juarez.

What a wild ride so far. We have been living in El Paso instead of Juarez for a few weeks now and man has it sucked up my time! we spend at least two hours in the border line trying to get back 'home' after our ministry days, we don't have internet at the church which means another twenty minutes driving to the cafe with free wifi.. we love Kinley's House in El Paso. I promise this isn't me whining about it. The fact that I sound entitled to free internet and an easy life is not intended. That's not the intention, merely to point out that my posts will be less often until we can love on the church secretary a bit and acquire the network code :)

Ministry stuff has been going great! I am loving my work and the blessing of seeing the same group of women day after day. I am building some great deep frienships with women in the area. This weekend we are going to a Quincenera for one of the girls at the church Becky and I go to and we will be staying at Vero's house after. The next morning we work at the children's comedor so it will be a busy morning!! I can't believe it is already this far into November!

We had an amazing Halloween experience as a team. I suggested to the others that we do can-drive trick or treating, so we all dressed up nice and hilarious and went out in our neighborhood. We collected about a box and a half of canned food to bring over to some of the families we know in Juarez. What a blessing to give the food directly to families we know NEED the can of beans, salsa, or soup. And the smiles on their faces mean so much! Its a lot different giving it to a soup kitchen, or a food bank, you don't always know who's getting it on a personal level.

This week I went to the orthopedic doctor. I needed to get my shoulder checked out. I disclocated it really bad this summer and haven't had it checked out since I was in Oklahoma. They are making me get an MRI and the doc says surgery is probable. Pray for me that this will be an easy surgery and recovery. Its hard to not use an entire limb! I am grateful for relief though, I have been hurting a good amount recently.

Blessings!!

If you are interested in supporting me.. please email me at phyllischill@gmail.com! I am no where near my goal! I have about $250 pledged and need close to $4000. I would love to hear from you and share more about my experiences here in Juarez/El Paso with Greaterworks!!

Great Love.

I love this community. Thank you God for the blessing of getting to know the people of our community at site one, their abounding love that comes straight from you and nowhere else. We praise you for the protection and hope you give us in each hug, prayer, smile and piece of wisdom.

I feel like I am stuck in neutral.

We are no longer living at the house in Juarez indefinitely as far as the greaterworks year goes. For now we are staying at Grandview Church in El Paso in these weird bunk rooms they are letting us use. It is a little weird. I don't know how I really feel about it. I mean I say that because I feel so disconnected from Mexico. We only go for ministry and then we come back. It is this weird "visiting" type feeling. I already miss the feeling of living IN mexico. It is weird how quickly you can begin to feel at home somewhere. I miss our roach/mosquito house with the crazy high bunk bed, cracked windows, water that turned off atleast once a week, dogs hanging out on our porch, smells like pollution all the time house. It was home already. But not anymore. I hope I can start to make this feel like home too. I won't lie I am having a rough week regarding energy. There have been a lot of changes and a lot to process. I have needed a lot of alone time and a lot of reading nad escaping to not go insane. Thats how I handle things I guess. God is good though.. he is pulling and pulling on me to get closer to him, to depend on him and his hands to guide the way.

Due to unforeseen and currently unmentionable events...

I am in El Paso.. for the third day. Yikes..

I can't give a way too many details but I'll try to atleast explain the basics..

We have had some issues with security at our house in Juarez. Apparently people (including the bad ones) know we live there (15th year here.. a bit obvious), know we have access to a plethora of trucks, computers, money belongings, passports, and that we are American (thus easy gleaming white targets.. well I am anyway.. the others can pull off the brownness better..)

SO.. after a certain unpleasant even occurs.. which I will relate as soon as we decide what the limitations and necessities are of the situation.. we had to stay in el paso for a few days only to go back to get our house locks changed (keys were taken in said event) and to pick up personal items. Becky and I had been in El Paso after a relaxing day of studying in the midst of a movie when we got the call. "stay in El Paso.. we'll meet at the econolodge and figure it out from there"

SO here we are. Its Monday.. I would typically be headed to the Costura to work with Peggy, Lynn and the ladies today.. but it is not so.

Possibilities:
We might not live at the site one house anymore
We might move to another site OR into El Paso

Opinions:
I hate that we would have to move from site one on many selfish notes such as the fact that we just got settled, and it is walking distance to 3 out of 4 of my ministries
I do think it has been unsafe for us in the sense that people know we are there and that we "have" more than most, plus we don't have anywhere to pull our cars in so we have to park at the bottom of a hill and walk up.. not safe.
I don't like the idea of moving out of Juarez.. BUT I feel comfortable enough in El Paso now with the bus system that it wouldn't be horrendous to walk across and catch a bus (not the juarez buses.. thats not a good choice)

Anyway.. we'll see what happens.

La Costura ... Mondays at Women with Hope

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..