O Mexico!

So I can't believe it's been a month already since we were waking up to the sound of the rooster and the dry desert air... but it has. Life definitely moves faster here... and though we work diligently in the desert of Juarez there is a calmness there that can only be attributed to the presence of God... and serving him in that capacity.

What a blessing it was for me to be on the Mission field with so many TRULY special people to me... and what a cool testimony of what God can do through a small group of committed people. I was very excited this year to be travelling with my 10 year old daughter Haley, my mom, many of the JirehScope Ministries team members, and many past worship team and youth group members.

Equally rewarding was how God raised up a group, hehe, from out of 'Ware'... that's Ware, MA for those who don't know. It was amazing how fast God 'knit' us all together for his purposes. We were soon laughing, working, sharing and ministering to and with each other... and it was easy to see how God grafted us together as a 'body.'

Our ministry efforts were great. We ran three days of VBS (vacation bible school) for the 60-80+ children (and some parents) of the neighboring 'colonia.' Each day we would take the bus out to watch the children run towards the bus an gather with excitement in their eyes, eager to come. We shared the gospel in translated messages, Spanish DVD's, song and with skits involving flash paper and 18' geysers of coca-cola!.. we shared our hearts and the love of Christ in many hugs, touches, looks and prayers, and as always, it was difficult watching them leave the last day. I was proud of our teams efforts. They presented the truth and the message of faith and salvation in Christ in engaging, unique and fun ways, that definitely kept the interest of the children.

We also did a great deal of construction. Ceilings were installed in the orphanage building. Plumbing was continued and the 'swamp coolers' were made usable. We capped 60' of block wall with concrete with a small concrete bucket brigade. I estimate we dug and set around 40 posts and installed metal fencing to provide some security for a new property site as well as continuing to dig for the footer of the final concrete wall that will surround the existing Orphanage compound. ALL of this was done with the joy of the Lord being evident in the attitudes of all those involved. We began each day asking to be filled with His Spirit... and He is so faithful.

We also spent a day visiting families and dispensing food throughout the colonia. Our host, Gary Matthewson said it was the most rewarding day he has had doing 'dispensa' in that colonia yet. We prayed with people for strength, healing and to accept Christ... for wisdom for parents and obedience for children. I was blessed to see that the families in that colonia in Juarez that were doing 'well' by the standard there, were doing well BECAUSE of the works of Christ through the church. 'Casa de Cristo' is also leaving a mark for the Kingdom there... and I was moved and encouraged to see that.

Honestly I am still hearing reports of how Mexico has touched and changed and birthed things in the team members. I could go on an on, but ministry continues... August has been the FULLEST month yet for ministry and travel opportunities and has held some promise for many new doors... stay tuned for a blog on the week with the youth in Shutesbury, MA at Pinebrook Camp!!

Ever Praising the Amazing! (He is SOO worthy to be praised!)

Troy

What happens in Mexico... doesn't stay in Mexico!!!

Well, it's been a few weeks since we all returned from our Mexico Mission, and I think I might finally be at the point where I can talk about the trip without overwhelming myself with missing everyone, and wanting so badly to be back there. I still miss everyone, of course, and I definitely want to go back, but I'm back to the same old normal that life typically consists of, and I've stopped resisting that. Hopefully, at the same time, I've been able to retain what God taught me in Mexico this year. When we first got back, I didn't want to unpack, because that was acknowledging that I was home. (It was the bugs that finally made me do it... the thought that there may be tons of icky bugs, and spiders, and snakefrogs in my suitcase, waiting to be let loose in my house... :) some of you can hear me screaming right now...and you're laughing at me. It's OK, so am I.) When we first got back, I didn't want to talk about the trip to anyone who hadn't been with us... because most of the time, words can't even begin to express anything about the trip. People who aren't there don't understand exactly why you went... lots of times we ourselves don't understand why we went until we get there. People who weren't there don't remember the sunsets, the rain, the bugs, the smells, the people, the stars, the kids, the stories, the jokes. Sometimes they can't get past the pictures of mattresses on the floor, scorpions, cement showers, and bathrooms that you have to walk outside to get to! They don't understand how none of that matters at all when you see the kids laughing, or see how some of the people down there live their everyday lives. They don't understand how one trip can completely change you, refresh you, remind you that you're not alone on this earth. They don't understand how freeing it is to spend a week thinking only of other people, and nothing of yourself. They don't understand the blessing in sacrificing comfort and material amenities. They don't understand how one smile, one tear from someone who comes to know more of God's love because of you can make your day, your week, your year.

All those things make it hard to leave each year, and harder to come back to normal life. Harder to go back to work. Harder to take care of the mundane, when you've spent a week amidst miracles... This year, for me, it was harder to come back than it has been in the past. I'm not quite sure why, but it was. My first week back to work, I mostly tried not to cry each day, and kept myself busy enough that I didn't really have time to think. I was working on a project with my boss, and in talking one day about different ideas and methods, she said, "Brooke, that's a good idea. You need to go to Mexico more often!" (Clearly, I had no good ideas BEFORE Mexico!!) Seriously though, when we go away on trips like this one, people around us expect something when we come back. I had been busy hating work, and thinking about how stupid and pointless it is in the grand scheme of things, and my boss was thinking that there was something different about me. They may not understand why we go, or HOW it happens, but they expect us to be different when we return. So often, we are the last ones to see the change within ourselves. We know it happened, cause we experienced it, felt it, and believe it. But sometimes, we get stuck wondering, "Lord, where are the effects of that change?" Inside, we feel like the same old normal, doing the same old mundane things we did before we left. But if we allow Him to, God will change us whenever and whereever He can, and for some reason it's easier on trips like this. But the changes don't stay in Mexico. We will be changed in the U.S. as much as Mexico; in the office as much as the desert, in our homes as much as the dormitories. And if we'll allow Him, He will use those changes to affect the people around us. They will take notice, and they will wonder... "what is it about Mexico?" And when that happens, hopefully it's after the withdrawals, and we can speak with joy instead of sadness. Hopefully we can speak His Truth, and hopefully our emotions will compliment that Truth, and not compromise it. Hopefully, brilliant ideas about data and mailings will not be the only change that people notice about me. Hopefully, they will ask me, "How was Mexico; what's diffrent about you?" And hopefully, I'll have the words to explain it to them, exactly the way God wants them to hear it.

-brooke