This week in a nutshell

Hey guys!
This week FLEW by!! It was crazy! Sunday we went to a ropes course with our group as a team building thing. They did the "Leap of Faith". Basically, you climb up  a large tree, crawl on one of the branches, stand up, then leap to a trapeze hanging from another branch! (They were harnessed and safe, of course!)
Then we came back and had a party with over 500 people on campus!! Every children's home we serve was here. It was so cool! We all were wearing the same shirt, so it was just this sea of orange. The guy who bought all of the shirts for all of us said it was so we can all feel like one giant family of God's children. I thought that was pretty cool! We ate really good food, hung out, and kids gave their testimony about all God has done in their lives. It was really cool!
That's also where I met Wendy and Lidia's mom! She's so young! I'm kinda bummed, because a friend of mine took a picture of all of us on her camera, but lost her camera before I got the picture on my computer. :( It's ok though, I'll still remember her!
I got really sick Tuesday night and all day Wednesday. :( No, I didn't drink the water!! One of the American's that came with one of the groups brought cooties with them! A bunch of us got really yucky. :P It was only one night/day thank God!! I got so dehydrated I couldn't get out of the bed for a little bit. :P Go figure, I come to Mexico and catch AMERICAN cooties! lol
Thursday we had this HUGE soccer game! The kids from one of our children's home came to this neat soccer stadium one of the groups rented out for us, and we had such a great time. Chaotic, but really fun!
Then Friday we had our intern outing!! (Pictures to come!!) I had a blast!! I'm gonna try to post a separate post of just pictures right now. Cross your fingers!

FINALLY!! :)

Hey guys!!
I'm so glad to finally get to post again. These past few days have been CRAZY! Even my day off flew by- and the internet didn't work for DAYS here. No bueno.

So, let's see..

I went to Rio III last week! It's my favorite place. Just a quick explanation- "Rio" is Spanish for river- and the Spanish government allows the homeless to create homes, essentially out of garbage, since they don't have government housing here.

We took the group on a walk as we explained a little about the hurricane that hit last year, and what kind of damage that created for the Rio community. As we were walking, a dead chicken was laying on the ground amongst the piles of rotten food and garbage. It breaks my heart. I just can't even fathom not knowing when my next meal was going to be, or when if ever I would be able to clothe my children.
It was SO cool to see all has done for a small church in the Rio though! I honestly didn't recognize it! It had DOUBLED in size!! I'm not even exaggerating! I'm hoping to get to go back next week to take pictures!

I'm rather disappointed in myself!! I have barely taken any pictures!! It's quite different as an intern. There's SO much to do! I love it- it's so rewarding and exciting! But it also leaves little time to take any pics!

We had a GIGANTE FIESTA (giant party!) yesterday!! It was AWESOME! Each year there is a group that comes, and the man who leads the group brings T-shirts for EVERYONE, and pays to have this huge celebration. EVERY children's home we serve came to the back-to-back campus for the party! We had a huge tent set up, the kids got to see this neat program with costumed characters. And we all got to eat these steak (very expensive in Mexico) tacos with homemade pico de gallo and guacamole on them!!! It was so awesome.
The BEST part?! I got to meet the mother of the girls I sponsor!!

I realize this may not make sense- so let me explain as best as I can.

In Mexico, a parent does not need to sign over rights in order to drop a child off at a children's home. If a parent is no longer able to provide for a child, they are able to take them to a Casa Hogar. Wendy and Lidia's mom visits them about once very two weeks or so. I was finally able to meet her. I got a Spanish speaker to come over and try to explain how I was connected to her girls, but I'm not quite sure she understood. She was also very young. It seemed as if she really just didn't know what to do with the girls- if they cried or wanted to be held or anything. I'm really happy to know her, and to be able to put a face on who I am praying for. A friend here took a picture of the four of us, so I'm hoping to get it off her camera tonight! :)

Today's my day off, so it's laundry time! :) I'm hoping to get to go to Pollo Loco tonight with everyone- just have to hitch a ride with someone who's also going here.

I miss y'all and can't wait to hear from everyone when I get back! I honestly can't believe it'll only be 11 days until I get back! How weird!! To be honest I don't feel ready to go yet!!

The kids in Rio III singing to us! I cried, of course!! :) A girl (not in this picture, because she was attached to me!) recognized me!! She also kept asking over and over "are you coming back?" When are you coming back?" I can't wait to see her again. :)

This is me and my friend Kathy Couch! She took me to get ice cream!! We split that GIGANTIC banana split and STILL couldn't finish it! I had such a great time getting to hang out and talk with her!! She is a remarkable woman!!

I think this little fellah's name is Arturo. He was the sweetest. :) He got this tiny little scratch on the bottom of his foot, and asked me to pour water on it (from the pool) to make it better. So, I sat there for about a half an hour, pouring handfuls of water on his little boo-boo. Then, it hit me. This kid probably never gets that kind of attention. You've gotta be bleeding to the point of possible death to get serious one-on-one like that at a children's home! So, of course, I started crying for the 1,000th time this trip. :) There are roughly 8 children per encargata (caregiver)-actually probably even more... and as much as they would love to spend individual time with each child- they just can't. Makes me so sad...

Thanks for reading my ramblings guys! :)

My day off :)

Hey guys!
So it's my day off! I'm hoping this'll actually work and I'll be able to get some pics up from this week!! :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok...so no luck. The internet here is SOOO sketchy. :P I'll have to try again after worship tonight.

This week has been pretty great! We only had one group- so it was nice and non-hectic. :) Next week we have three groups, so hopefully we've gotten the hang of it all!

I'm gonna ask y'all to pray for me. Whether or not you believe in God/Jesus, He'll still hear you if you pray, so do it. :)

Ever since I've gotten here I feel like I've been goin through what Jesus peeps call a "spiritual attack". I've been REALLY insecure, and just feeling really inadequate and useless. In my head I understand that's not true- and that God has me here for a very specific purpose. I know that there's no reason to be insecure. It's like these thoughts just creep into my head, and I have to fight against them. So- please pray. :)

That aside, I really love it here. :) So far I've used a drill, a tamper, a hammer, shovel- all kinds of stuff!! It's pretty exciting! The staff here has a really awesome mindset about teaching. They could get all the projects done MUCH faster if they just did it themselves. But they all are under the same "Give a man a fish- he eats for a day. Teach him how to fish- he eats for a lifetime" kinda mentality. And even though Todd had to show me like SIX times how to use the drill... he never once showed frustration. :)

We had a kid in the Hope program speak last night. (The Hope program was started because they were finding that once the kids got too old to live in the children's homes, they had no where to go and were falling into prostitution, and drugs simply because they had no place else to go. Plus, school after seventh grade (I think) has to be paid for. The Hope program brings these students onto campus to live with host parents. The see a functional Christian relationship, and get to be a part of a family. Pretty cool stuff!!) It was just so cool to see how God has taken something that started off so awful, and turn his story into something so beautiful. There are so many stories like that here- it just gives a person so much hope.

One thing this place is definitely teaching me is that with prayer and patience- God comes through. Every time. And it's neat hearing people's stories... While they're in their story they are so overwhelmed and hurting, then God comes through in SUCH a huge way.

I feel like I have 1,000 things to say- and can't manage to get anything out clearly. :) Forgive me, please. :)

I'm gonna go check my laundry, and maybe nap. :)

Love and miss you guys!! :) My Facebook e-mail works, if you wanna shoot me a hello!!

Grrrrrrrr :)

Ok, so I FINALLY get a chance to write on my blog and share pictures I got of MY GIIIIIIIRLS!!!!! AND the internet is working! All systems go, right?! Nope!! lol
"Blogger" is updating something, and will not let me upload the pictures.

BUT- I did get to see my girls. :) I was so excited! I didn't even know what to do! I mean, I wanted to run to them screaming "TE AMO!!!!" ('I LOVE YOU!!!) But they'd most likely run screaming. :)
Wendy is doing so much better! Laughing, smiling, even dancing! So cool. And Lidia's doing excellent! She went through a really rough patch where she was so angry.... :( But she was smiling and playing when I saw her! I'm so happy I got to see them!

We also went the the Caderyeta yesterday. It's kind of like the Rio- a homeless area. I cry everytime... :( We helped clean up, and I held it together! I was doing fine! lol Then we went to a church there in the Caderyeta. I later found out the pastor of that church has a salary of $50 a MONTH! :( yikes.
One of the things that really was cool was their worship and prayer. Their worship sounded like one giant hour long song!! It was cool! I didn't know the words, but it sounded awesome. And their prayer- they all pray at once- out loud! It was awesome. And to see how passionate these people were... really encouraging.

So I even made it partway through THAT without crying! Then- a man dragged in two really drunk men. It kinda blew my mind. I didn't really know what to think. :( It made me really sad. :(

Today we went to Imperio De Amor (Empire of love- how cool is that?!) One of the children's homes. We worked on leveling the ground so we could pour concrete tomorrow, then played soccer and basketball with the kids. :) I actually played!! It was fun! I was awful, but it was so fun!!

I really like the group we have now! It was cool, cause we only have one this first week. (We usually have 4-5) It was a nice way to be eased into it all. Most days I still have no idea what I'm doing... but God's been working it out! Most nights I come home completely filthy and exhausted. I wake up around 6am and go to bed about 11pm everyday. I have never felt so happy or fulfilled or excited to wake up. :) I truly feel like I am where I belong. It's like breathing a sigh of relief. :)

Well peeps, I'm wiped out, and am comes REALLY early! I'll try again to post pictures tomorrow! I wish I could've posted some tonight! I have so much to show you!

This I mean to keep telling you-
We can't flush toilet paper where we stay- we have to throw it in a trash can cause the septic system can't handle it.
We can't drink the water where we're staying
I had the bright red hotdogs!! (Salchichas-I got a picture this time!!)

Night night folks! :)

Groups are coming! :)

This morning the internet is actually working! I am so sorry I am not posting lots of pictures everyday and posting everyday. Trust me- I try!! :) I wake up 2 hours early every morning, come down to where we can actually get the internet- and give it a shot. :) So it's not due to lack of effort, I promise! :)

This is my house! :) Well- the girl interns and summer nannies (for the staff people here with kids) all stay in the top part. I LOVE it! :) 12 people in two rooms- and ONE BATHROOM! :) We make it work though- only God knows how!

This is Molly (left) and Sara (right) running through the sprinklers yesterday after a LONG day of cleaning and organizing the bodega! (Spanish for tool shed thingy)

This morning we cleaned and prepared for the groups- now we're just waiting for them to get here!! :) I can't wait! Then we get to go to Casa Hogar Douglas, WHERE MY GIRLIES ARE!!!!!!!!! I am SOOOOO excited!! I'll try to get a picture of me with them today to show how they've grown!

I have to admit- the first day I was here, I felt totally lost. I actually woke up and freaked for a second, thinking, "Oh my word... what have I done?!" Then I had a little cry, lol, then I prayed. And I'll tell you what- it's RARE that I pray and then BOOM! God answers right away and just changes my feelings for me. But that's what happened. Instantly after praying, I just felt this peace... this calm. Knowing I'm where God wants me is enough. :) And later that day, as I was walking around campus I remember thinking, "God- I LOVE it here!!" So cool.

Alrighty peeps- it's time for lunch, then GROUPS!! :)

I hope everyone is doing well- know I am praying for y'all and miss y'all!

Cleaning

So today was a hard labor day. :) We basically cleaned the whole campus to get ready for the groups that come, starting Saturday. Seriously... We worked our behinds off!! :)
Most of my day was spent in the Bodega (Boh-Day-Gah). It was their tool shed, and DESPERATELY needed organizing. We had fun. :)
It, surprisingly, isn't too too hot. Don't get me wrong, after about 15 minutes outside my clothes are soaking wet, but I'm not hating life as I thought I would be. Mama Fry, one of the summer workers here said I'd sweat like a crazy person for two weeks, then be fine. :) I hope she's right!! lol

I wanted to post pictures, because we saw this HUGE rhino-beetle thing!!

 It was awesome (and dead). I took a picture of that, and some of my new friends down here! But apparently the internet isn't as reliable as I thought, so the pictures may be a little less often than I had originally hoped. :( I'll post as many as I can on good internet days!! :)
I think I'm gonna do a one picture- little story a day thing. :)

Dinner's here!! We're having awesome Mexican food!! Tostadas!! YUM!!!
None of the other pics had time to download....it seriously takes like an hour! If I have any free time tonight I'll try to post some more! :)

Finally here!! :)

Hey guys!!

After waking up at 3am, draggin my parents to the airport with me, a layover in Dallas-Ft. Worth, I made it! :) (Everything went even better than expected!! :))

I'm completely exhausted, and didn't take to many exciting pictures. I'll try to post some tomorrow morning. The one thing I wanted to make sure I said (other than I'm safe!)- There's a Sesame Place!!!! :) We drove by it on the way home from the airport! I tried to take a picture, but we were too fast. :)

Anyway just wanted to let y'all know i made it here safe and sound. :) We are not allowed to leave campus at any time unless going with the group to an assigned activity, there's a guard outside our gated/walled campus at night, and I am VERY safe! :) So stop worrying!!

Wanted to say hi and I love you to my momma and dad! I'm so happy y'all could take me to the airport, and say goodbye. :) I miss you already and love you SOO much! Thanks for everything you do to support me.

Ok, muuuuuuust rest.

Miss y'all already! :)

What did I forget? :)

Ok, at Cory's suggestion, I'm going to type my lists on here. One reason is so I can have them on here if I go again, and also so y'all can proofread it and tell me what I'm missing. :) (Don't laugh at me- I have them organized by what bag I'm taking them in!)

Purse/Backpack

-passport/money/ID (in wallet)

-camera

-phone

-laptop

-medicine:

     -dramamine

     -pepto tabs

     -tylenol/ibuprofen

     -allergy meds

     -immodium

     -Emergen-C

     -5 hr energy

-snacks

     -granola bars

     -trail mix

     -pretzels/chips

     -candy

     -crystal light

-bible

-book to read

-journal & pencil/pen

-sudoku/word find

-neck pillow

-sunglasses

-shout wipes

-Tide-to-Go

Carry-on

-1 outfit:

     -socks

     -underwear/bra

     -pants

     -shirt

-travel toiletries:

     -shampoo

     -body wash

     -face wash

     -comb

     -deodorant

     -toothbrush

     -toothpaste

-first aid kit

-snacks

Suitcase

-shoes/slippers/flip-flops

-socks

-underwear

-bras

-pants/capris/jeans

-shirts/undershirts

-bathing suits

-jammie pants/shirts

-dresses (?)

-sweatshirt

-rain jacket

-bandanas

-shampoo

-body wash

-face wash

-scrubbie

-proactive

-hair paste

-comb

-deodorant

-body spray

-make-up

-moisturizer

-toothbrush

-toothpaste

-hand sanitizer

-wet wipes

-sunscreen (body and face)

-bug spray (100% deet)

-razors

-contacts

-contact solution

-glasses

-tweezers

-Q-tips

-Tide-to-Go

-"girl stuff"

-Emergen-C

-allergy meds

-Pepto (liquid)

-Midnights

-tylenol

-alieve

-immodium

-band-aids

-aloe

-ear plugs

-eye cover (I'm a light sleeper)

-camera/phone/laptop chargers

-flashlight (for when you need to pee at night)

-bed sheets/pillow case

-towels/washcloths

-small bag (to take while off-campus)

-trash bags (for dirty clothes)

Help me out! :) I still feel like I'm missing something! 

Now you all can see first hand how anal I am about my packing lists, AND how much I over-pack! 

Awesomeness :)

If anyone wanted to know, this is why I'm going to Mexico. Absolutely beautiful. :)

At least I started!

Ok, so I'm STILL not packed! BUT... I did start...

The monsters in my closet... :)

Started my little piles! :) Surprisingly smaller than I expected! (So far...)

I mean, c'mon! I'm only packing like 6 pairs of pants! I usually pack more for a weekend trip! (Just ask my friends :)) Packing this light makes me freak out a little, I'm not gonna lie. :)

I've decided that instead of saying, "I'm going to pack TODAY." that I'm going to give myself little baby goals. Pack my clothes first, electronics, then medicines (Pepto is my best friend!), then toiletries.

The thought of packing overwhelms me to the point of just shutting down and taking a nap, so I figure the one-task-at-a-time deal might work out a little better. I still have to write a finalized version of "the list." :)

Wish me luck!

Plans

I'm gonna tell y'all right up front... this post has little (if anything) to do with me going to Mexico...just a few thoughts that have been swimmin' around my head that I wanna remember. :)


My friend Jontae and I were talking tonight, and it got me thinking a lot about plans. When I was younger (....so much younger than todaaaay- sorry, I had to! lol) I had a lot of plans. According to my plans, I was to finish high school, go to college where I would meet the man of my dreams, get my degree, become a teacher, get married, and have some babies. (The number went back and forth as to how many children I would have- it all depended on whether or not I had a good day working at the daycare. Good day=5 or more kids, bad day=1.) My plan was to be married by 21, first kid at 23. All of my ducks were in a row. :)

Obviously, that did not happen. I remember when I decided to stop taking college classes. I was terrified! My little plan was slowly unraveling... and I didn't have my little ducks in a row anymore! Then my 21st birthday came, with no fella to celebrate with. Scary! Then came my 23. No degree, no dude, AND no babies! (not sayin' I wanted the kids minus the fella, don't get me wrong here!) I remember thinking, "This isn't how it was supposed to work out! This is NOT the plan!"


Then I look at where I am now. No kids, no fella, still no degree. It's so easy to look at life when plans don't go the way you intended and think, "This is AWFUL! My plan was SO much better!" That's what I was thinking about tonight. I could easily look at my life and cry, "God, this stinks!" Then I take a look at GOD'S plan. Would I have the relationship I have with my parents if I moved out (and actually stayed out ;)) when I was 18? No way! Would I be as close to my friends if I had moved away (and stayed away)? Nope. Would I be 10 days away from going on a trip that will rock my world? Probably not. 


The more I think about my plans, the more I realize that God's really got this whole life of mine under control. :) It may seem scary, crazy, and not "normal" from my point of view, but the closer I get with God, the more I realize His plan is SO much better than mine! 


I sometimes try to force my plan on God. I forced a relationship to go on YEARS after it's sell-by date simply because it was around the age I was looking to get married. I spent a LOT of money on classes towards a degree when I knew God was trying to scoot me in another direction. When His plan looked too scary, or too "weird" I went along kicking and screaming with mine, regardless of how unhappy I was, just because it was "the plan." 


I'm not saying that planning is bad. That you shouldn't be responsible, or that you should be reckless. I'm just saying that planning is great, as long as you keep your plans open to move you wherever you feel God lead. 


Here's what I look like on paper:
25y single female, living with her parents. No college degree, no significant job experience, no trade skills. Barely making it paycheck to paycheck, with no higher paying job prospect in sight. No potential husband, no boyfriend, hasn't even dated in roughly 5 years. 


Not so hot, huh? You know what though? I would put my life up against any big-wig millionaire, with their 2.5 children and white picket fence. I may not have your job, money, or fancy resume, but I've got more love than I deserve, family who supports me no matter how insane my decisions seem, friends that I wouldn't trade the world for, and I job I look forward to going to with co-workers I actually enjoy spending time with.


I may not look great on paper, but I wouldn't trade God's plan for mine even if I had the choice. :)

Blessings!

You guys may think I'm bein' a little too Jesus-freaky here, but I swear God and I had a chat in Kmart! No, He didn't speak to me in a burning bush in the outdoor section, but I swear I yammered on, and He listened!

I'm a firm believer that God does care about your life. Even the little details- like searching all over God's green earth for a flippin' pair of capris! And because of that, I pray. Sometimes it's just idle chatter, ("God, I could really use green lights all the way to work- I'm cuttin' it close here!") sometimes it's serious stuff, sometimes it's just cause I need to talk and He's the only one there to hear me rant!

I often take it for granted that God listens to me. I talk without expecting Him to listen, ask without expecting Him to answer... I basically just talk. Sometimes because it makes me seem less crazy than if I were talking to myself! :)

Anyway, back to my God moment in Kmart! So I've been on the capri hunt for a bit now, trying to find a few decent pairs (or even one pair!) for an equally decent price. I'm sorry, but I'm just not spending $20 on a pair of pants I'm probably going to ruin working in Mexico!

So I pull into Kmart's parking lot, as a desperate last resort after trying Walmart, Target, thrift stores, blah blah blah, to no avail. As I put the car in park, I simply let out a little exasperated prayer; "Help me out God- it's crunch time and I'm BROKE! They kinda frown on us walking around without pants on in Mexico, and I can't think of any other options."

I went in, fully expecting to yet again not find a single pair of capris, but instead I hit the MOTHER LOAD!! I'm not even exaggerating, I walked into that fitting room with about 15 pairs of capris and 10 shirts!  I was so excited! And to make it even better, some of them actually FIT! I couldn't believe it. Here's what I ended up with:

How cool is that?! 

And that's kind of where it hit me: I pray without expecting God's going to do anything about it. I asked God to help me, and was surprised when He did! That's not cool. I know it may seem like I'm over-spiritualizing things, but it really showed me a little bit about myself.

Same thing happened with my MacBook! I had spent a WHILE working a lot of overtime and saving big time to pay for a MacBook. I finally saved the desired amount, but I really felt God nudging me to use that money to pay for my trip, instead of asking people to sponsor me like last time. I reluctantly agreed, sighed, and said goodbye to my MacBook. :( 

I remember praying, "God, this isn't something I need. But I REALLY want it. Can you make it happen?" And He did! My parents were really generous, and I had a surprise alteration to my tax return which covered almost the whole thing. 

So here I am, typing on a computer I totally don't deserve, getting ready to pack clothes I shouldn't have been able to afford, to go on a trip I am totally unworthy to go on. I'm not being down on myself here people, I'm just explaining how cool it is that God still chooses to bless me, even though I'm a mess. :) it's pretty cool, if ya ask me. 

One thing I've realized with this whole blog thing: I'm really wordy. If I'm going to write this blog, and expect people to actually READ it, I'm going to have to be a tad more concise. :) Bear with me! 

I'm hoping that once I get to Mexico, this will become more of a picture blog; a place where I post some pictures from the day, and the main part of my writing will just involve explaining what the pictures are. As of right now, I can only take so many pictures of my wardrobe, and will hopefully (SOON!) have a before/after picture of my first empty, then full suitcase!! (Nope, STILL haven't started. :P) 

Laundry time! (which hopefully= start packing time!)

12 days!

No, I have not started packing yet- don't judge me! lol


I find I work best under pressure... (That right there would be the famous excuse from many-a-procrastinator.) 


To be honest... it's still kind of surreal to me that I get to do this. :) It blows my mind when I get some huge prayers answered. Especially when the answer I get is, "Yes!" God answers me in huge ways much more often than I deserve, and yet I am always completely shocked when He blesses me big time.


I can't even begin to imagine how it's going to be there. I mean, I have an idea, from when I was there in September...but this feels SO much different! I'm so excited to see the people and kids from last time, and meet some new faces. I think it's good to not know what to expect. No expectations means you're not disappointed!


We got an e-mail describing a few jobs we will be asked to do, and to give them a "top three" of the jobs I would most enjoy. Here's what I picked (in the order I picked them:


1. Photographer- How cool would that be?! I'm trying not to get my hopes up; I bet a lot of people requested that job!
2. Crafts- Organizing the crafts and stocking the craft boxes brought to the children's homes. Also very cool, I love crafts!
3. Food duty- I'd really like this, because you interact a lot with the groups, packing lunches and preparing meals. (At least ours did!) 


I'm trying to be open to where God has me, and not be disappointed if for some reason I don't get any of those jobs. I mean, hey! I'll be in MEXICO!! :)


I've been thinkin' a lot about my two girlies down there, Wendy and Lidia:

This is Wendy on the first day I met her. :) Cuteness! I was feeling totally lost, and very unhelpful, when she ran up to me and grabbed my leg. Just like that, all my worries of "Will I be good enough?" and feelings of uselessness just went out the window!! God continued to use this little one the entire time I was there in little ways that spoke to me in BIG ways!

This is her sister, Lidia. :) She's the other little girl I sponsor. She plays tough, doesn't take any grief from anyone, and is such a little protector of Wendy. While I was there, she was the ONLY one who could make Wendy smile. (That is, of course, until we brought the girls to the pool!) She's a tough cookie, and when you make her smile, it makes your whole day!


I'm really eager to see them! I've seen a few pictures since I first met them, and it's amazing how quick they grow up! Also, they had JUST arrived at the children's home a few days prior to us arriving. Wendy didn't speak at all, cried all the time, and Lidia was SO guarded! I hope this time around they're more adjusted, and that they know how much we all love them! :)


It's becoming more real, even as I'm typing this, that I will be in Mexico in 12 days... I think God helps me forget that I'm doing this to help me not completely freak out before I go!


I'd like to say, "Well, I've gotta go start packing!" but that'd be a big fat lie. :) Hopefully I'll get the majority of my packing done Sunday. That's my plan, anyway. :) I've messaged three different people repeatedly with a thousand different questions, and God love 'em they patiently answer each one! What to pack, how much money to bring, yadda yadda yadda! I kinda wish I had someone to bounce ideas off of that's also going, someone to freak out with! :) So instead, I'll just bug to doo-doo out of the other interns and the people who are already there!


I haven't gotten into full-blown freak out mode yet, so that's good. :) I'll let ya know when that happens!

Testing Testing 1 2 3... :)

So I'm giving this whole blog thing a shot. :)

I figure while I'm in Mexico, some people may want to know what I'm doing, where I am, that I'm alive, etc. ;)

So here goes:
I'm on my 5th draft of my packing list. :/ Last night, I realized my trip is two weeks away, and I haven't even BEGUN to pack!! (Begun? Began? Either way...You get the picture...) I've sorted the list by what type of item it is (ie. clothes, toiletries, electronics), what bag it goes in (suitcase, carry-on, purse), and then a joint list of what bag it goes in AND what type of item it is. :)

No doubt, I will forget something. I'm just hoping it's something less important. (I don't really know what will qualify as "less important"-snacks maybe?) Knowing my luck, it'll be something a little more than less important. And so, I make lists. And lists....and lists.... :) All in hopes that, the more lists I make, the less likely it is that I go to Mexico for a month and forget to pack underwear.

Honestly, I feel a tad unprepared for the trip in general. I didn't learn NEARLY as much Spanish as I intended before leaving, hadn't contacted the other people that are also interning, etc etc. It's all good though, because I remember feeling the same way before I went in September, and that trip was UH-MAZE-ING! :) I suppose procrastinating sometimes is beneficial- at least it is to my prayer life! I tend to pray A LOT more when last-minute frantically trying to get ready. Also, you tend to have to rely on God more when it's two days before your trip, you have no money, and still haven't found any capris to wear. (Haven't been there personally, but I'm feeling as if I might... :)) This may be me just justifying my procrastination....ok it is DEFINITELY me justifying my procrastination, but still! I do completely believe God is going to work in some huge ways during this trip. I can't wait to see what He has in store!

Thanks for taking this journey with me!