Mexico was muy bueno!

I went to Mexico and it was so amazing. God showed up in so many unexpected ways. Let me say first off that i cried more during this trip than i have cried ever before. On the way as i was praying for those in Mexico that i would serve and would serve me i became overwhelmed with the idea of the body and Christ and how easily i had lost touch of the body of Christ and God revealed to me that he was going to do some huge things in me. He showed up the minute i was in Mexico. I joked with some of the girls that i am convinced God speaks Japanese/Spanish because i hear him clearer when i am in Mexico or Japan. Here i am unsure of what he wants me to do because i get so wrapped up in myself and technology, etc. We got to the church and the whole church was beaming with joy and clapping as we walked in they all hugged us and welcomed us to Mexico. It was overwhelming and i cried not a lot but enough. They had so much love even before they knew us and they were full of the love of Christ. We went to check out the work site and then they fed us at our "eating house" a block away. After dinner of chicken tacos a few college age guys played guitar and then handed it off to one of our guys and they took turns playing worship songs. It was great.

A few things about Mexican culture. I'm sure you've heard of "Mexican time" i love this concept. Just in case you haven't they work at their own pace. We never ate at the same time except for breakfast. We would work until we got what we wanted to get done accomplished then we'd eat lunch and sit around and enjoy each other's company and rest for 30-45min. then go back to work until we got enough done or the light was gone. Two things i will take back about their culture is that they are relational and appreciative. In church they are grateful for things such as: God providing food that week, their child no longer being sick because they don't have a doctor or even that they had the strength to walk to church. They love to be around each other they spend a lot of their time around one another and talking and investing in lives. They are also so giving, material possessions mean nothing to them. I have two great examples of this: 1) One of the girls on the trip commented on how she liked her host mom's necklace and she took it off her neck and gave it to her. She didn't think twice about it. 2) one of the girls asked for seconds and the pastor took one of the two tacos and handed it to her. When she realized what was going on she said "Oh no, i couldn't take your dinner" and he said "God gave me the gift of food and i want you to have this". She already had plenty but there was no way she was going to talk him out of it.

I am back now. Not really sure where to go from here. My heart is in Mexico and wants to be relational and to have time for people and to give up my love of material possessions. However my body is here trying to catch up on homework, seeing friends and ministries. I hope to bring some of the lessons back from Mexico and apply it here but for now i'm going to seek what God wants me to do here and try to rest it up.

Oh back to God tearing down walls...through this experience God revealed to me that he wants me to do missions. I don't know when or how but after i student teach he wants me to go into educational missions. I am so excited because i love to travel and want to do missions so badly but wanted it to be his calling on my life and not my own.

There are my scattered thoughts. still processing.
Kris

optmism...

The last few weeks have been long, hard and stretching. I have stressed out a lot, sick and slept through an alarm clock because my body is just tired and weak. This weekend i had some time to soul search and dropped two things off my plate. Well technically i dropped one and the other will be over once i get back from break. However after break i'll have some more free time that should help relieve some. Anyways the purpose of this was to share some insight into some amazing things happening in my life. I am so excited to serve in Mexico. Whenever life seems to run me down serving others is a great alternative for me. Pushing aside myself and serving another always helps me to get over myself long enough to help someone else and it gives me the feeling as if i'm doing something of value. I got a taste of this last Thursday when my apartment was filled with transfers who i served pancakes to. To serve them through the infamous pancake event got me so pumped for serving and working in Mexico. I am so excited. This is one of my highlights. I was looking through my Mexico journal from last year and got so excited when remembering what was going on a year ago. I have grown so much from that trip and am so excited to see the growth that will occur this time.

I have had two amazing things happen in the last few days and these are God telling me that he hears my crys and is carrying me during these stressful and times i am too weak to walk.

1. I nearly bawled when i heard this. My mom called and we were catching up and i asked how my little brother is. He's 12 and is like a child to me, I babysit him most of his life, coached him through hard times, etc. Well she said he's been going to church twice a week and is really excited about God and reading his bible everyday. I cannot tell you how this made me feel. I'm feeling tears coming as i write this now, just to think that someone else in my family is falling in love with Jesus is something i've been praying for since i became a Christian at 13.

2. I was in a meeting today with School of Education due to concerns for my student teaching semester. I won't go into details but i went in to the meeting fully prepared for my rough classes and that i'll be professional and successful during student teaching. I didn't have to. They told me they wanted me to be aware of their concerns and that if it doesn't work i'd have to come back to SAU. Then the one said, "Kristeen we want you to know that your semester in Japan is one of the main reasons we know you can do this. That semester you took three online classes and were extremely successful. That and your adding a psychology major when you didn't need to speaks volumes and that is why your petitions have been granted." I had a HUGE WEIGHT lifted from my shoulders. I often get frustrated and think Why am i still here, why is it taking so much longer than others. God, why did you call me to Japan and then add a minor and end up here two years longer. I got my answer...it was what i needed for God to take me to the next stage in life.

GOD IS GOOD!
Wish i could say that i am fine and everything is looking up. Things are a bit low right now but i know there is a hill coming soon. Life is a roller coaster but my goal is to get to the end and say, "What a ride!"

my day started off feeling like this:



If you do not know the story i beg you to listen to it. It is one of my favorite childrens books. So great. Here's the deal with being in a bad mood. As someone who is optimistic and usually happy i feel as though there is something wrong with me when i'm not in a good mood. I feel as though a part of me is missing but remind myself that even saints have their off days. I tend to be rude to people who cannot take a hint and see that I'm not having a good day and i feel like crap being mean but am only like that on my off days.

Things got better. My roommate and Katie cheered me up at lunch but once i got back to my apartment seeing my awaiting pile of homework, the pile of dishes and having an aching ear my mood just stayed for awhile. Later on when the dishes were done and the homework pile was dented a little Nate got online and made me laugh and that was much needed. I am saying "sayonara" to this day and feeling hopeful for tomorrow and so excited for this weekend when i get a pre-break and go to Kalamazoo for the weekend.

Oh and in ONE WEEK i head out to Mexico. I am itching to travel and am so sick of papers and discussions. I want to serve (and teach) and am tired of talking about it, i dont enjoy simply talking about something i enjoy the action after. I am so ready for this semester to be over and to be a college graduate and free from SAU :0)
However until then i'll enjoy going to Mexico and serving my Lord there!