What Brought Me to Mexico?

Erma and me doing the motions to one of our favorite songs with the kids in Rancho San Francisco.

When I ask anybody this question who lives down here, their answer is almost always "The Lord," period, end of story.  I would have to say that this is true for me as well, except I will fill you in on a few more details that I usually can get out of the people who leave me hanging with that.  In January of this year, I had just finished my credential (to be an elementary teacher) and had started looking for a job (though not as a teacher yet, I didn't feel ready to start my lifelong career at the age of 21.  I didn't want to get burned out early on in life).  Anyways, I was asked to interview at a few of the many places I applied, but beyond that nobody was interested.  Erma, a missionary to Mexico who came down from Canada 25 years ago, had invited my mother and Norm to go on a trip 3/4 of the way down Baja California.  In the past, I would periodically go with my mom and Norm to visit Erma and help with her ministry for a day or two at a time whenever I could.  When my mom told me about this trip I agreed to go if no job stuff came up (though I was very ambivalent about the whole trip).  Having no interviews or job hunting business calling my attention for the four days that the trip was planned, I decided to go last minute.

After that, I don't exactly recall what happened or how, but God touched my heart on that trip.  Mexico was where I was supposed to be.  Having no job to hold me down back home, I felt that I should be using that free time serving the Lord by serving Erma.  So before the end of the trip, I brought up the idea to my mom of me staying for a little longer (thinking maybe 3 weeks or so).  To my relief, she was thrilled.  I am so blessed to have parents who love and trust the Lord so much that they were quite content to allow their 21 year old baby girl to go down to Mexico by herself to live with mere acquaintances for an indefinite amount of time.  As you know, that indefinite "3 weeks" ended up stretching a little longer, then a little longer, then a little longer, until now I don't have any plans to leave except for "when the Lord tells me it is time to go home."

What have I been up to since I've been here?  I'm glad you asked.  My mission of being here started out serving Erma and help with her ministry however she needed.  For the past 8 months this has included things such as cleaning (the dorm, Erma's house, Tammy's house, the guest house, and the various trailers and motor homes around her property), changing beds and getting things ready for new groups coming to build houses, watering the plants all around the property, keeping the gardens clean and weed free, preparing things for outreaches (getting prizes ready, changing flannelgraphs, sorting the crayons, printing more coloring pages, creating songbooks, preparing the powered milk, consolidating peanut butter jars, etc.), going on outreaches 6 days a week (to a different city every day where we bring a Vacation Bible School type lesson and provide milk with a spoonful of peanut butter inside to each child), ministering to a nearby rehab (El Sembrador) by bringing them cake and worship sometimes at night, and driving Erma places around town and occasionally making trips with George for her to El Rosario, Ensenada, or the states for pick ups or drop offs.  Trust me, there is NEVER a dull moment in this place.

A couple months ago I was thinking about my elementary students from the classes that I student taught in and I really began to miss teaching.  I inquired with my friend, Melissa, about possibly teaching at IDT (a nearby mission that is similiar to Erma's foundation, but on a much greater scale...including a missionary school).  Unfortunately, I was a little late as they had already figured out the schedule for this year, but Melissa gave me a few other ideas to be thinking and praying about.  As I was praying for this, the Lord answered my prayer in a different direction than I expected.  When I was in the states visiting home this past month, Dawn and Andrew Bernardi, my friends from Hero Holiday (an organization that brings down students from high schools all across Canada to build houses), contacted me about potentially homeschooling their 10 year old son Anothonie.  After much prayer and discussion with my mom we decided this was definitely my answer from the Lord and I was willing and excited to take them up on their offer.  We started about 2 weeks ago and things have been going great.  I am still living at Erma's an helping her out before and after I leave to go teach.  My days now generally look like this: 8:00-8:45 help Erma, 8:45-9 drive to the Bernardi's, 9-12:30 homeschool Anthonie, 12:30-1:30 return home and eat lunch, 1:30-2:00 prepare for outreach (i.e. make milk, etc.), 2:00-4:00, 5:00, or 6:00 (depending on the day) outreach.  God has been good in providing me the strength and the joy to keep serving Him with all that is in me, but I would ask that you keep me in your prayers, that I would continue to have the strength, endurance, joy, and good health to keep this up.

So taking this teaching job on means that I have made a commitment to be down here until at least June to finish out the school year.  Here's to June! *clink*