Mexico-Reflection

Hey, guys. Sorry I took so long to post this. Here's something I wrote awhile back about my Mexico trip. WARNING: Long read....
Nature

Melding shades of pink and peach and purple cover the sky as the clearest and brightest sun I’ve ever seen peeks over the horizon…just like in The Lion King. Lol. White and gray clouds are scattered over the soft blue sky. The soft lines of water that fill them are so different from the huge, puffy clumps of clouds that fill the humid sky in Tennessee. Bright green leaves and dark trunks make the small forests of trees that fill Mexico, as compared to the spastic sticks of trees that exist here. The birds are different, too. An exotic squeal bursts forth from the voices of birds in Mexico, which is new to me from the melody the birds that I know sing. At night, you can see thousands of twinkling stars. Some are small and faint; others are big and bright. They all just dance around a deep black sky for you. A milky moon filled with craters, small and large, smiles down at you in the night—a silent, comforting companion. I can’t believe it’s over. Arguably the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

Miracles

As for miracles, this trip has abounded with the greatness and the presence of G-d. On the way to Del Rio, Texas, I was sick with allergies. As I’m decently confident I was catching Strep Throat, the people in the van prayed for me, and by the grace of G-d, I was healed by the time we were at the Ehlers’ home. I was fine for the rest of the week, with the exception of a rough coughing fit one night.
Another day, one of the girls had been reading about some miracles in Luke, so she prayed to G-d that He would heal some people on the trip. In the same day, although she had been drinking more than enough water, she became dehydrated and started to faint. We sat her down and poured some water into her mouth. The Pastor immediately came over to her, placed his hand firmly on her head, and began praying with confidence in the L-rd for strength and healing, as his wife took my water bottle and poured water on the girl’s head. After about a minute, the girl, who had been pale and weak, jumped up off the ground, the color returned to her face, and by the mercy of G-d began walking quickly up a steep hill. Of course, we made her continue drinking her water, but it was still an amazing experience.
On the same day, G-d did three obviously amazing things (I say obviously because there were many great things done in the day), although I only encountered one of them. In my group, while I and another girl were in another room, a lady had told the rest of my group that her child, who looked about 5 or 6, had not been able to walk. After my group prayed over the child, she stood up and began walking! Praise be to G-d! At the same time, I and another girl were in another room. While I was playing with a few children who had wondered into the sanctuary, I glanced over at the other girl, only to see her praying strongly through G-d over the pastor’s wife, I believe she was. Once I saw her, G-d’s presence began shooting throughout my body like electricity. The girl was shaking her head back and forth as she prayed, frequently making exclamations about the strength of G-d’s presence. We could both feel it so amazingly. I thought she was going to collapse she was so moved by the Spirit.
In the other group, another amazing thing happened that we heard about later that day. Apparently, two of the girls had an awful feeling all morning that something was spiritually wrong where they were going. They walked around for awhile doing door-to-door ministry, asking for prayer requests and inviting people to VBS. In one of the houses, a little girl was shaking. They did the usual stop by, invite, pray gig, then began moving on to the next house. But one of the girls felt strongly that she needed to go back to the home and told one of the youth leaders. So she went back and prayed over the girl. She felt a burning through her body, the girl stopped shaking, and everyone’s sure that an evil demon had left the girl.

Other Stuff

On the way to Del Rio, Texas, where we were staying, we had several opportunities to pray with some people at fast food restaurants. During the trip, two women were saved, and MANY seeds were planted. I finally forgave myself for the awful things I’ve done in the past year and some other things, as well as many others in my group. I bonded with the whole group, but I became really close to two people. I’d call them my brother and sister, probably. On the way to Texas/Mexico, me and one of the guys kept people up with discussions over the Bible, and on the way back, with pillow fights and randomly bursting into hysterical laughter—usually for no apparent reason.

EDIT: I can’t believe that in all that I wrote I left out a very important detail to my trip. All I can assume is that I thought about it so much, it escaped my mind at the early hour I wrote this. While we were in Mexico, I saw a shy little girl, 5 years old, clinging to her mama. We had music playing loudly, so, smiling, I inched my way forward to her. “Bailar?” (to dance), I asked her. Cautiously, she glanced at her mother, but she reluctantly allowed me to take her hand as I swirled her around and around to the beat of the music. She didn’t smile, just stared directly into my eyes with her huge, gorgeous dark brown eyes. Her long, black, wavy hair moved with her petite, perfect little body when she moved. Later, during the Bible story skit, she sat in my lap, her tiny, precious body fitting too perfectly with my longer, bonier body, her fingers laced delicately into mine. Like half of the children, she didn’t focus through most of the skit, but she looked up at my unfamiliar blue eyes frequently, silent, foreign thoughts probing through me, causing my heart to thud at something that felt like a lack of oxygen, only much more anxious to taste its sweetness. I noticed the jagged little scar above her right eyebrow and had to wonder where it came from. Probably the same place as the dirt caked on the bottom of her feet and the oil concentrated into her black hair. Probably the same place as most children. She’d been playing too hard and fell. But still, I wanted to know what she was thinking. I wanted to feel what she felt. My sweet little Mexican baby Cecilia, I love her so much, and I pray I won’t forget to pray for her, and ask for her when I leave for Mexico again. I pray that she’ll be on my mind daily, unlike my little South Carolina baby for whom I never understood her name. I pray to remember them both—always.

Mexico, Here I Come!

After a month of continuous babysitting, fundraisers, shopping, praying, and discussion, the time is drawing nearer when I leave with my group of new friends and brothers and sister in Christ for Mexico to share Christ's love with people of a different culture. We have two more drama practices/sessions before we leave on Saturday at four in the morning. We're driving there. 24 hour trip, baby. That means about 25-30 people, the majority of those teenagers, hyped up on J-sus, chocolate, and LOTS of caffeine. Oooh, yeah.... We're all so excited it's starting to spread. A few of the girls in my group were just talking about G-d and the trip at a Sonic when their waitress came up to them. They asked if she wanted to pray with them and she said, "Sure, I've never had anyone pray with me before." The next day, the girls went back and she had told ALL of her co-workers about them! It's such a blessing that G-d used them and they were able to pray with some of the other people. As they put it, "There's a revival starting down at the Sonic." With all these crazy stories we've had lately, we're beginning to feel a random teenage revival down here in the South, and we're ready to share it with Mexico! I ask that y'all will keep us in your prayers and that G-d will soften the hearts of the Mexicans towards Him.

Thanks!
Lilly

Mexico Vs. Boot Camp

For those of you whom I have not yet told, I will be able to go to both the "Boot Camp" (aka leadership training camp) AND the Mexico Trip!!! I've been praying so much lately, as have many others, for G-d's will to be done in my decision rather than what I wish to do. After praying for an answer the other night, I read my Bible for what seemed forever, searching for an answer, hoping I would find it through reading. First I read in John. There was the story of J-sus washing his disciples' feet, much talk of preaching and teaching G-d's Word, and also sharing G-d's love with everyone. By this point I was sure that I was going to Mexico. However, I felt led to read parts of Proverbs. I glanced through several chapters, reading the highlights and underlines. Most of them were about "gaining knowledge and understanding" and training for G-d's will. Obviously, I was left with much confusion over where I should go. A couple days later I received a SECOND letter from the camp in which I had been accepted. My mother and I assumed they had just accidentally sent me two. A few days ago we realized that it was for the SECOND camp!! We were still unsure of whether they had made a mistake or not, so we e-mailed them. Monday it was confirmed that I HAVE been accepted into the second training camp. But get this: I was never supposed to be accepted into the first camp. It wasn't recorded anywhere! My mother and I had been praying for a clear path of G-d's Will and we feel as though this is our "big hint" from G-d. Now we are trusting that G-d will take care of the expenses, and we are just thankful for G-d's Will to be clear to us.