Mexico

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go with a missionary family across the border into Mexico to celebrate a little church's 9th anniversary with them. As we crossed the border, Colleen and I immediately felt like we were in Guatemala. The roads, the buildings, the people. Everything reminded us of the place that has captured our hearts. We went from the highway to little dirt roads, full of bumps and potholes, and finally arrived at the church. As I looked down this dirt road littered with trash, with little tattered houses and buildings, painted bright and vibrant colors, my heart was at rest. Though most would probably just see the trash and dirt. I saw beauty. I know that these places are filled with tragedy and poverty, but they are also filled with people with beautiful hearts. Maybe its not the "prettiest" place or the safest place. But Jesus was definitely there and at work in the hearts of those people. The people of that culture have just completely taken my heart and I love them so much. They might not have nice things, but they are so filled with joy. Being with them was so refreshing. Speaking Spanish and getting to know these lovely people was a great reminder of what I am working towards. It gets hard sometimes to remember what we are working towards in this school, but that night was a refreshing night that reminded me.
The evening was wonderful. We sang worship songs, prayed, listened to multiple people share, then had a sermon. It was long(and slightly draining trying to remember all my Spanish!) but I loved it. The guitar sounded like it had never been tuned, but it didn't really matter because the people would have been singing off key from it anyways. And though it makes me cringe at times to hear it, I remember that they are joyfully singing to our Savior and He loves it so why should I judge it. Afterwards we then ate a wonderful little meal together. Chicken, rice, tortillas...the usual. :) It was a wonderful time of fellowship and we got to know a few of the people in the church. The pastor's family really stood out to me though. They were just such genuine people and I loved getting to know them. I hope to go back and visit them sometime.
And finally the time came to leave. As we were driving back and returning home, it felt surreal. That we could get in our car and drive for 15 minutes and be in a whole different place. It felt like a different world. Yet the only thing that separates us is a little river and some fences. It just felt so crazy. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to go there and be reminded of what I'm working towards.