Clam Digging!

Today the group invited me to go with them out to Gaston's beach (which I had only been to once before and only inside the restaurant).  So after I finished my chores for the day (i.e. cleaning my house and washing my filthy car), I grabbed a towel and headed off to the beach with them.  As we drove up, we noticed the beach seemed to be a lot closer than Judy and Paul (Erma's daughter and son-in-law) remember it......*insert loud game show buzzer sound*  It was not the beach.  Apparently, ever since the crazy floods last February, there has been a giant stagnant "pond" sitting between the road and the beach which you have to walk about 1/4 of a mile around just to get to the beach area.  Fortunately it was a lovely day so we didn't mind the walk.  Seeing as it is January, the water was frigid, so a few of us decided to take a walk instead.  As we were walking along we noticed a few boys standing next to a pile of something.  As we approached we recognized that they were clams that the boys had just caught.  The guys with me asked me if I could see how much the boys wanted for their pile of about 40 clams or if they were even willing to sell them.  As soon as I asked the boys got these huge grins on their faces and quickly blurted out "Un dolar!"  An older, wiser clam digging boy had overheard and ran to their "rescue" to help these little guys get more than $1 for their mountain of clams (he, of course, expected his cut from the little rascals but they were not about to share in their earnings for their work).  Anyways, we negotiated and ended up with 40 more clams in our hands and 60 less pesos in our pockets.  The boys were ecstatic.  As we were negotiating, I noticed there was an older man in the water who appeared to also be digging for clams.  Once my part was done in the negotiation, I ran in the water and hastily asked this older gentleman to teach me how to find my own clams.  After about a 3 second lesson, I got the hang of it and found my very own clams!  Unfortunately some guy claiming to be the "game warden" came by, dressed in rags mind you, and told me I could not keep them because they were too small.  He showed me the size they needed to be so I throw those back and headed in again.  In less than 5 minutes I ended up with 2 of my very own (quite beefy) clams.  I was and still am very proud to say that I learned how to dig for clams today!  :-D

SUCCESS!

Success!  The orientation went really well last Monday night. The group arrived, got settled a little, and as they sat down for dinner, I began my speech.  I told them they were my guinea pigs, so a few of them come up to me after and assured me that I did well :]  Also, Erma made sure to let me know that I did a really good job and that she's glad we are doing this now.  SUCCESS!  :-D 

I've been having a lot of fun with the group.  Two of Erma's kids are in this group (Judy and Jim), so it's been really neat to get to know them better as well.  This group is so sweet, they keep inviting me over for meals and to play games with them and just to hang out.  I've also gone along with them and helped translate (which I'm not fluent, so it's not perfect, but hey it's something) for a tour of a hospital, getting some "disposible cellphones," ordering meals at restaurants, purchasing from vendors, etc.  It's definitely been a challenge, but it's been a really good experience and fun too :]

A Blanket of Sadness, But Comfort in God's Divine Workings

I regret to report that due to a family emergency Abe and Emily have been forced to cut their trip short this year and fly home to Canada this coming Monday as opposed to the original plan of April.  They are wishing that they could stay here and finish out the winter as they have done for the past five years, but we have all come to accept the importance of them going home during this time.  I am going to miss them immensely as they have been an irreplaceable support for me, a comfort to have nearby, and a diverting escape where Ted and I enjoy Canadian home cooked meals, new games, and plenty of laughs.  Even though their time with us was cut short, their presence here for these past couple months has meant so much to me and I am grateful.

Please pray that God would grant Abe, Emily and their family peace and comfort as they finish packing up and return to Canada to tend to these pending affairs.

My Newest Project

Now, I understand that I have not written on here for about 3 months.  There have been many things going on in my life those past few months, but I just didn't feel right about sharing all of them publicly.  Also, I've been really busy and haven't really had time to share anything either.  This year, I hope to get on here more and share, even if it is just a short post here and there.

My holidays were great!  I went home on December 18 for Christmas with my immediate and some of my extended family and stayed there until December 30 so that I could be in Mexico to ring in the New Year with my wonderful missionary friends, Hannah and Melissa.  On New Year's Eve, the three of us decided to recount month by month the blessings, heartaches, and pastimes of this year.  I was able to look at my life and truly see how God has brought me so far in the "growing-up" process.

Since I've been back here in Mexico, I've started a new project for this year: Group Orientations for the Erma Fennell Foundation.  Currently, we are the only ministry around here (that I know of) that does not hold an orientation with groups when they arrive.  As this occurred to me, I decided to take it upon myself to fix that.  I've gathered information from friends at other ministries and driven around town collecting information and resources to give our visitors a pleasant and informative greeting when they arrive.  In my spare time, I've also been helping prepare our facilities for guests and emailing back and forth with them, answering their questions and doing my best to help them get prepared to come down here.  I've been really excited about these orientations I'm going to be doing with groups as it will give me a chance to meet and be slightly more involved with them.  Also, I believe it will be helpful and a comfort to them as well.  The past couple of days I have been getting a tad nervous too though, as I am prone to stage fright.  Please pray that the Lord will help me over come this.

Well, it is good to be posting again.  I hope to post more often so that you all can have a better idea of what I'm to, since I'm not home to personally share with each of you.  I love you all and thank you so much for your prayers and concerns about me!

Update of the Week

Hey all!

Quite a bit has been going on these past couple of weeks.  I can't really get into any details right now, but I've been taking on more responsibilities lately.  As the weeks progress I will probably be able to fill you in on those responsibilities, but as for now, just know that I could use your prayers for extra strength and joy for each day.  One of my goals for this week is to get to bed earlier every night (I don't think I've been getting enough sleep).  Last night I went to bed at 10:30 and it looks like tonight I will be able to get to sleep around 10!  Praise the Lord!  That's almost 2 hours earlier than usual.

Anyways, have I mentioned the amazing friends I have made down here?  Over at IDT (an organization that houses groups who come to build, has church services on Thursdays and Sundays, and a school for the local missionaries' children), there is Hannah, Melissa, and Gabby.  At Welcome Home (a daycare center and organization that also facilitates house builds) are my two friends Meghan and Stevie.  The six of us quite often hang out after church at La Mision (Sunday and Wednesday nights) or on Saturdays (everyone's day off) when we have our sundry pajama days (which often include activities such as cooking, baking, watching movies, watching Glee, read alouds - we are currently reading Emma by Jane Austen, talking, playing cards, listening to relaxing music, etc.).  These girls are so great.  We all have such a good time together.  I am so grateful for the wonderful company the Lord has brought my way down here.

Well, that's enough for now.  Until next time, God bless you family and friends!!

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*

My Very First Blog

Hello family and friends!  This is my very first time to have a blog.  I am excited to start sharing on here about the new, exciting, tough, scary, fun, and challenging adventures that I have been experiencing in this period of my life.  As many of you may already know, I am currently living in Mexico.  I feel as though I can officially say "living" as this past week was my eighth month anniversary of being here.  So far this whole past year has been the hardest, but best year of my life.  I have grown and changed so much.  I have learned so much about God and about myself and how we relate to each other and in turn, how I am supposed to be relating to the world.  There have been some exciting new changes in my life recently that I am eager to share with you, but for right now, I must get some rest.