This evening the first group of the year arrived at the RTC (regional training center). They are from Texas and will be working with one of our sister Churches here in Autlan. There is five adults and four teenagers on the trip. We are excited to get to know them throughout the week. They have been coming to Autlan for several years now, but this is our first time meeting them since we have only been running the RTC since August. Please pray for this group as they reach into the hearts of the people here in Autlan this week. They are all incredibly nice people, and I know God can use them in many ways during their time here.
This summer is going to be one of many joys and new experiences for me. I will be meeting people from all over the United States as they come here to stay at the RTC and work in Autlan this summer. I am excited to see all the things that God does both in the peoples lives that come on the trip, and in the lives of the people that the groups reach out to in their time here. I am excited to meet and develop friendships with the people that come here and have a passion for sharing the love of Christ with the people in Mexico like I do.
Please pray for our upcoming busy, eventful, God-serving filled summer ahead of us. I know that God will do great things through the people that come here with their hearts open and ready to serve their Savior. I can't wait to see what He has in store for us this year, and the years to come as we continue to tell the world about His love.
God Bless, Jessica
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Salem Trip!!
In nine days, on March 20th, my mom, Brent, Dane and I are taking a trip to Salem!! We are all super excited. My mom and brothers will be in Salem for two weeks (until April 3rd), and I will stay in Salem a little while longer, and return home on April 20th. We are all going to be sad to leave my Dad, Morgan, Christian, and Mackenzie, but we are looking forward to seeing our friends and family in Oregon. I will post updates and pictures from our trip throughout the month. See you soon!!
La Roca
This last Saturday my mom and I had our first shift solo at La Roca. Lulis, Ady, and Elizabeth do a Bible study at La Roca on Saturday afternoons, so they need someone to cover the kitchen so they aren't interrupted throughout their study time. Andy was doing this shift since August, but our Sunday night shift was conflicting with youth group, so we traded with him.
On Saturday afternoons it usually isn't that busy, just a few tables come in during the two hours we have our shift. It was fun making the drinks and stuff, and it's good practice f
or me too, because normally I help with odd jobs and wait on tables. I've had some experience making drinks, but Ady is always there to help me with any questions I have. I had to look at the recipe book a few times, but it was fun. :)
Saturday was also Lulis's last day working at La Roca. She is four months pregnant, and decided to be done working for now. We had become good friends, and she is so sweet. I am sad that she isn't working at La Roca anymore. I will still see her every Saturday when she comes for the Bible study, so that will be nice. She says that she will come and visit us at La Roca often. Her sister, Ady still works there, and her sister-in-law took her place working at La Roca, so we will still get to see her a lot. Lulis is not a Christian, but has been around Christians every day the past year or so that she has worked at La Roca. She is coming to a Bible study, like I mentioned above, but she has not yet made the choice to surrender her life to Christ. Please pray for her, that should would accept Christ as her Savior.
In Photo: Lulis (left) Me (center) and Ady (right)
On Saturday afternoons it usually isn't that busy, just a few tables come in during the two hours we have our shift. It was fun making the drinks and stuff, and it's good practice f
or me too, because normally I help with odd jobs and wait on tables. I've had some experience making drinks, but Ady is always there to help me with any questions I have. I had to look at the recipe book a few times, but it was fun. :)Saturday was also Lulis's last day working at La Roca. She is four months pregnant, and decided to be done working for now. We had become good friends, and she is so sweet. I am sad that she isn't working at La Roca anymore. I will still see her every Saturday when she comes for the Bible study, so that will be nice. She says that she will come and visit us at La Roca often. Her sister, Ady still works there, and her sister-in-law took her place working at La Roca, so we will still get to see her a lot. Lulis is not a Christian, but has been around Christians every day the past year or so that she has worked at La Roca. She is coming to a Bible study, like I mentioned above, but she has not yet made the choice to surrender her life to Christ. Please pray for her, that should would accept Christ as her Savior.
In Photo: Lulis (left) Me (center) and Ady (right)
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Parade Time
Every February Autlan has a ten day event called Carnaval. All the streets downtown are closed during these ten days and are filled with puestos (stands) selling everything from tacos to sombreros. There are all kinds of events and traditions that go on during these ten days. To begin Carnaval each year they have a big parade all through downtown. This year, my dance team followed a float doing one of our dance routines in the parade. We danced for over two hours! It was so much fun! I couldn't believe how many people were there...it was crazy. Here are a few videos my dad took. I am the one in the very front in the center. :)
Our Float:
Our Float:
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Opportunities to Serve
Last weekend my family and I took a trip to Guadalajara to get our passports renewed, as well as do a few other things.
We were in Walmart one afternoon, and Morgan and Dane had to use the Restroom. I walked to the front of the store with them and waited right outside the entry way to the bathroom. As I was waiting there, two older men, probably about eighty years old, walked out of the bathroom, meeting who I am assuming was one of their wives, a few feet away from where I was standing. The lady was about the same age as the two men, and she was in a wheelchair. She as well, needed to use the restroom, so one of the men pushed her chair over by the entry way of the women's bathroom. There was a long hallway to the bathroom, and the old man went as far as he could, trying to push her chair for her with out entering, to get her to where she could walk the rest of the way to the stall. His feet got to the end of the line, and they weren't even half way down the hall. They were talking among themselves and the man said that she could walk a little bit, but it was still too far. I knew from the beginning as I watched the poor old man with his feet at the very edge of the line crossing into the women's bathroom, just trying to help his wife, that I should offer my help. But for some reason I held back. I'm not sure why, but I did. Once they realized that she couldn't make it down the hall, they decided to leave. As soon as they passed by me, a huge wave of guilt came crashing down over me.
I am constantly asking God to give me ways to serve, to be a light in the world and make a difference for Him. Then when he gave me the opportunity, and I could feel the Holy Spirit telling me that it was my time to make a difference, I hesitated. No, helping a 80 year old lady into the bathroom probably won't make her become a Christian, but even little things make a difference in peoples lives, sometimes even more than the big things.
The rest of the day that old lady was on my mind. It really made me think about how I should respond to the opportunities God gives me to serve other people, and most of all, to serve Him. I know that I made a mistake by not offering to help her, but I know God forgives me. I hope that I get to see that woman in Heaven some day. God has really taught me a lot from that situation. I am already eagerly waiting for the next opportunity He gives me to serve others, to share His love with the people in this world. I know what I am going to do next time, I'm not going to make the same mistake I did before.
Colossians 4:2-5
Serving my King, Jess
We were in Walmart one afternoon, and Morgan and Dane had to use the Restroom. I walked to the front of the store with them and waited right outside the entry way to the bathroom. As I was waiting there, two older men, probably about eighty years old, walked out of the bathroom, meeting who I am assuming was one of their wives, a few feet away from where I was standing. The lady was about the same age as the two men, and she was in a wheelchair. She as well, needed to use the restroom, so one of the men pushed her chair over by the entry way of the women's bathroom. There was a long hallway to the bathroom, and the old man went as far as he could, trying to push her chair for her with out entering, to get her to where she could walk the rest of the way to the stall. His feet got to the end of the line, and they weren't even half way down the hall. They were talking among themselves and the man said that she could walk a little bit, but it was still too far. I knew from the beginning as I watched the poor old man with his feet at the very edge of the line crossing into the women's bathroom, just trying to help his wife, that I should offer my help. But for some reason I held back. I'm not sure why, but I did. Once they realized that she couldn't make it down the hall, they decided to leave. As soon as they passed by me, a huge wave of guilt came crashing down over me.
I am constantly asking God to give me ways to serve, to be a light in the world and make a difference for Him. Then when he gave me the opportunity, and I could feel the Holy Spirit telling me that it was my time to make a difference, I hesitated. No, helping a 80 year old lady into the bathroom probably won't make her become a Christian, but even little things make a difference in peoples lives, sometimes even more than the big things.
The rest of the day that old lady was on my mind. It really made me think about how I should respond to the opportunities God gives me to serve other people, and most of all, to serve Him. I know that I made a mistake by not offering to help her, but I know God forgives me. I hope that I get to see that woman in Heaven some day. God has really taught me a lot from that situation. I am already eagerly waiting for the next opportunity He gives me to serve others, to share His love with the people in this world. I know what I am going to do next time, I'm not going to make the same mistake I did before.
Colossians 4:2-5
Serving my King, Jess
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