Viva la Mexico

HOLA MIS AMIGOS Y FAMILIA!

First off, I apologize for the delay in blog posts. I realize it has been about a month since my last post. I feel very bad and to make up for it I'll try to make this post very detailed about our past two weeks here in Mexico!

We arrived in San Diego on July 1, about two weeks ago. Our first stop was the YWAM base in Tijuana where we stayed for one week. First impressions of TJ: cold, and the base was incredibly comfortable! The beds were unbelievable and the shower was the best I've had in months! I am so thankful for the week we spent in TJ because I really believe God decided to bless us before our journey really began.

While in Tijuana we did a few different things. One of our main focuses was the red light district. I find it incredibly difficult to explain the blatant display of prostitution and evil in this area of the city. Despite prostitution being illegal in Mexico, it is 'tolerated' in this area of TJ. I recall walking down one particular street and on either side seeing girl after girl after girl lined up, totaling about 30-45 prostitutes on one city block! And there, getting his shoes shined in the middle of the block was a local police officer. However, when the city is so overrun with corruption and a lack of morality, what can we truly expect them to do? Arrest every prostitute he sees? That would cause an indescribable amount of trouble and not help the situation. We walked around the RLD four times, always staying in small groups of 2-3 people. This area is extremely dangerous and I want to assure you all we took every precaution! This picture is of one of the prostitutes I had a chance to talk with. Her name is Rosaria and had been in TJ for about two months. It was such a blessing that she was willing to talk to me let alone allow me to take a picture of her. I rarely pulled out my camera due to the amount of pimps in the area that become extremely agitated and threatening when they see suspicious activity. So praise the Lord for breakthrough!

One of the hardest things to witness in the RLD was the ages of some of the girls. We witnessed some girls on the street as young as 12-14 years old. Please continue praying for the hearts of these girls that they know that the Lord loves them and He has a much greater plan in mind for them than this and that the pain they are experiencing is NOT from God but from the enemy!

Another opportunity we had in TJ was documenting Homes for Hope. This is a ministry run through YWAM that builds homes for people in need, similar to Habitat for Humanity which I know many of you are familiar with. This was an amazing opportunity to see God in the difficult places and interact with some local people. We took photos for two days and documented the entire process of a house going up. I absolutely loved these days as we had a chance to play with the kids, play some futbol [soccer :) ], and witness the bonds that a genuine love can form despite language barriers that may exist. Here are some shots of some kids and people participating in the build.

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to share my story with a youth group at a church in San Diego. This was such a blessing to be honest and raw with some students and to just tell them what has happened in my life and how God has brought me through some very difficult times. Pray that God gives us more opportunities to share His love through us and the strength and obedience to capitalize on the opportunities He gives!

That Sunday was our last day in Tijuana as we began our trek towards Mexico City on Monday. God has been incredibly faithful and good to us as he provided everything we needed for this long and somewhat dangerous journey! In all, it took us four days to travel from TJ to Ciudad de Mexico [Mexico City]. Some may hear four days and feel sorry for us but it was a great time for our team. Yes at some points it was incredibly difficult and strenuous on our attitudes and patience but God is good! We stopped in the cities of Caborca, Mazatlan, Guadalajara, and finally arrived in el Ciudad last night. God has opened my eyes to this country and shown me the beauty of this nation that I had no idea existed! I am so thankful we have been able to drive by van throughout the country because we are able to see and experience SO much more. The northern part of Mexico is incredibly hot and is a desert but is beautiful all the same. The landscape was absolutely gorgeous and we witnessed what had to be one of the two most gorgeous sunsets I have ever seen on Tuesday night. The central part of Mexico is luscious, green, and very mountainous. At times I completely forgot I was in Mexico because my first judgments of Mexico were all based on first impressions which were not fair nor accurate.

I wish I could share all the intimate moments I've had with the Lord so far but that would just take too much space and time :) The best times I've experienced the Lord are at night when the four men of our group come together and prayer. We prayer for each other, the team, the women of our team, issues God places on our hearts, the cities, and just experience and love God. Most nights last approximately 20 minutes or so but every once in a while we truly experience the Holy Spirit. For example, last night we were planning on just praying really quick but it turned into a full on encounter with the Holy Spirit and continuous prayer for over two hours. These are the moments I cherish and remember. Please pray that God shows Himself to us in these ways continuously and that we continually seek after Him!

Today is our first day in Mexico City and we have it as a day off to rest and regroup from the four day journey we just experienced. I am not sure the details of what we will be doing here but I know God has big plans! I believe it is no coincidence that we had an amazing time with God last night as our first night here in the city. God has huge plans and pray that He reveals those to us!

Thank you for your continual support and prayer. I am forever grateful for your commitments to this journey that God has taken me on the past few months. Please pray for patience and unity in our team and that the sole thing we seek is the Lord. When we seek to know Him more and worship Him daily, everything will be done in accordance to His will. I love you all, miss you and can't wait to share these experiences with you in person!

Dios te bendiga!

[God bless you]