Hola from Sunny Mexico : )

I started this post on Saturday and then my sister Jenny called and I decided to do some cleaning, so it's now Monday and I am back at it. Thankful for phone calls and catching up! I only had the pictures in the post and that was as far as I made it. It's hard to believe 2 weeks had already passed since my last blog.

Overall, things at the school are going well. I am thankful for some friends back home that donated to the school to help with finances. We have some families that aren't paying their tuition, so that has a domino affect on every thing else. If you feel led to give to the school to support with tuition and other bills, please let me know and I can get you the information to donate online. Thank you Lord for generous givers! Please be praying for God to continue to provide!

There was one day last week, I was just having a day and not feeling like I wanted to be at school. I quietly asked the Lord to change my attitude and just give me a sign that this is where I am supposed to be. After school that day, on my walk home, I saw one of the students from school and she yelled my name and gave me the biggest hug and smile. Thank you Lord for that answer to prayer!

I asked for prayers in my last post for the school emotionally as well. Due to the financial struggles, they let one teacher go. Another teacher left as her husband was in an accident, but they didn't replace her because of the financial struggles. Their work still needs to get done, so that means other teachers have more on their plate and are feeling overwhelmed. Please be praying for peace and unity in the school. I wish I knew more Spanish, so I could help teach more than just English.

Thankful for my gift of encouragement that I have been able to encourage the teachers in the work they are doing as well as pray for them. I have wrote a couple notes and brought some chocolate (chocolate makes everything better). I am able to sit with the preschoolers while they eat and have recess, so that one of the teachers can have a little work time. This gives me less work time, but I feel like this is an easy way I can help. Thank you Lord for extra time I can share with others.

Every last Friday of the month, we have a staff meeting. I am always encouraged by these meetings as they all work so well together. Even in stressful and overwhelming times, they can laugh and have a good time. Each meeting, one of the teachers plans a fun activity. Liz and I got to plan some minute to win it games and boy did they have fun. Check out the pictures! I will post some videos to my Mexico Missions Facebook Page. Thank you Lord for such a great team of teachers!

A praise report that Ricardo and Norma have started a 21 days of prayer for their marriage. Things seem to be going better, so that's good for the whole family. Please continue praying as they continue working on their marriage. Also, be praying for their daughter Michelle. Pray for peace, unity and strength in the whole house.

I forget how you often you find things out at the last minute here in Mexico : ) Thursday the 19th, I was teaching our Primary class and Rosa, the director comes in to tell me, we are leaving. I knew I was going to their house Friday after school, but had no idea I was going somewhere Thursday. I quickly showed Liz my plans for the day and off we went. I honestly wasn't entirely sure where we were going : ) I just knew I would be back in the evening as I asked Liz to ask Rosa if I needed to bring an overnight bag. Thankfully Liz is used to that and took right over for me!

We ended up picking up Hubert and Sarah and spending the day with them visiting with each other. Once we picked Hubert and Sarah up, they said we are just doing some sight seeing and hanging out. Always good to have English speaking people : ) Of course, it ended up being a great day! We stopped for breakfast and visited. Then we went to Leon to find a leather bag for Sarah's daughter. Then we went to Guanajuato to have some ice cream and see Rosa & Rafael's house. Had to stop to eat one more time on the way home. It was great to get to know Hubert and Sarah a little more. Hubert was WGM president at one time. They have done lots of traveling.

Hubert and Sarah were here along with a missions work team from Indiana. This team got many things done in just the one week they were here. One day, a few of they guys went out to the land where the school will be built and reinforced the hole for the cisterna. Check out pictures below. Thank you Lord for laborers to help with the construction of the school.

Do you have the gift of construction? Maybe you want to get a team together to come serve and help with the construction of the school? Let me know if this is something you may be interested in and I can connect you with the right people!

Friday, I was planning to go to Rosa & Rafael's for the weekend, but ended up sick in the middle of the night. It was either something I ate or I was dehydrated. Thankfully, I was able to stay home from school and slept much of the day and drank lots of liquids. I felt much better by Friday evening, but decided to just take it easy the rest of the weekend!

Saturday, we took the Christmas tree down and did a little cleaning. Then we watched Mama Mia as a family. It's always good to have family time : )

Sunday, I woke up with a terrible headache, so decided to stay home and rest while the rest of the family went to visit a nearby city. I decided to stay home from church and ended up watching Water's Edge Church Service. They have been going through a series on the Lord's Prayer and it has been so good. I memorized the Lord's prayer as a kid, but the pastor has been sharing how we can use each part of the prayer in our daily praying.

There was also a song during worship time that spoke loud to me. I am Your Beloved is the name of the song. If you haven't heard it, go to youtube or my facebook page and scroll down to January 22nd. The words that hit me were...I am your beloved, you have bought me with your blood and on Your hand You've written out my name. The one who knows me best is the one who loves me most. There's nothing I have done that could change the Father's love!

If you read my last blog, I shared about thoughts of wanting to be married and thinking if only I lost weight or hand blonde hair how things would be different. This song was such a good reminder, that I don't need a man as I have a God that loves me so much! He won't love me more if I lose weight or have blonde hair. He loves me just the way I am! Thank you Lord for this song that was just what I needed to hear!

God knows how I need several reminders, so I just have to share part of a devotion from this last week! It was titled If Only I had....some examples they gave were a skinnier body, more money, a better personality, a baby. None of those things will bring us fulfillment! We will never be satisfied when we get the if only thing as we will just replace it with another if only thing. It then encouraged me to replace the statement with God's truth. An example they gave was I no longer say "If only I have a daddy who loved me." Instead, I say Psalm 68:5 promises God is a father to the fatherless. This was very convicting for me as I have some if only I had things. Lord, fill me with your truths! Thank for for another reminder that all I need is you and your truth.

I often think If only I knew more Spanish, I could be building more relationships. Then God kindly reminds me it's about the quality, not the quantity. He also reminds me to stop being so busy wishing for things I didn't have that I miss the things I do have or the people and things He is placing right in front of me. Lord, help me to live with a grateful heart and be open to what you have for me here in Mexico.

Last Monday, I hung out with Liz after school and we ate some delicious tacos and watched a movie. This was good for both of us as our Mondays are now full of classes and no work time. We used to have an hour of work time, but the schedule got changed. It's also nice to just hang out and not be doing school work or studying, but just chilling. Thank you Lord for Liz and her friendship!

Last week, lesson plans were due, so I was busy working on those. Since coming back from break, I am trying to get back on track with using my work time at school better, so I don't have to do so much planning at home. Let's just say I am easily distracted. Pray for me to use my time wisely and to stay focused!

Liz and I went to Wal Mart to get candy and supplies for our minute to win it games. Liz had a great idea to pick up some Chinese for supper. It was delicious! We also had fun decorating the door and bulletin board at school for February : ) Crazy that January is almost over!

Please be praying for my health. I finally got over whatever I was battling in December. Saturday I woke up with tickle in my throat. Sunday, it was gone, but then I had a headache and a stuffy nose. Today I am just a little stuffy, so praying it's short lived! I think I may have been lacking in the sleep department, so going to try and get to bed at a decent time this week!

Last week, Maribel, the pastor's wife invited me to a young adult gathering on February 19th. I thought she was just inviting me to attend. I found out Sunday during the church service, I will be speaking at this gathering! The topic I am sharing on is friendship and dating! Please be praying that the Lord would show me what He wants me to share. Clearly, I am no expert at dating : )

Last Friday, Norma and I went to an evening of prayer at the church. It started at 6 and we showed up at 7:15, no big deal : ) If I was in Minnesota, I would've just ended up staying home because it had already started. They spent 3.5 hours reading scripture and praying. Of course, they asked me to pray. I prayed in English, but did start by saying I was going to pray in English because I don't know enough Spanish, but thankfully that whether I pray in English, Spanish or no matter the language, He hears and He knows and cares!

Saturday, I slept in, read my devotions, talked with Jenny, did some cleaning and chatted with parents that evening. It was nice to be home and have a chill day!

Sunday, we went to church. Of course, there were three worship songs that I was familiar with. I was also able to catch some of the message with google translate. Depending on where I am sitting, it may or may not pick words up. I saw a few kids from school and they greeted me with smiles and hugs. Thank you Lord for that reminder that I am right where you want me for this season!

I continue to be so thankful for Norma as she always takes such good care of me, but especially when I am sick. She's giving me medicine, making me tea or whatever else it may be. She gave me some chocolate this morning and afternoon : ) She knows how much I love chocolate!

I am going to close this post by sharing about my desire to be in a relationship again. I meant to share this in the last blog and forgot. So back in October or November, I may have been having a poor pity me party and decided to set up a Plenty of Fish Account (it's an online dating site). I was messaging with someone in Minnesota and we actually exchanged phone numbers, so I deleted my profile. I thought things were going well as we had planned to meet in person while I was home in December. I told a few people back home about it and asked them to join me in praying for clear direction. God, knows how I need those two by fours and one morning I went on facebook and he was tagged in a post that said he was in a relationship. Long story short, we are no longer face book friends and didn't end up meeting while I was home. Thank you Lord for that clear direction and that I didn't have to waste time meeting in person.

I share this story as I would appreciate you to join me in praying for me to be content in this single season! No matter how long the season lasts, Lord help me to be content! I remember one of the times when this gentleman and I were talking, I mentioned that we can't talk every day as I didn't want him to be a distraction with my mission here in Mexico. Apparently, the Lord knew I would be too distracted, so closed that door.

As I was home, my dear friend Margie, who is always so wise and shares her gift of faith often with me shared that she wasn't sure what to think when I had messaged her about possibly meeting this guy when I was home. She also shared she thought he would be a distraction and that I need to focus on my mission here in Mexico and work on finding a man when I come home. Margie also reminded me how much I am loved by so many people and that love doesn't come that easy to everyone. Thank you Lord for Margie and her wisdom, faith and honesty!

So all that to say, I am listening to Margie and not going back on Plenty of Fish : ) God continues to remind me how much He loves me as well as family and friends both back home and here in Mexico. Lord, continue to show me what you have for me while I am here in Mexico.

I think I shared most of these things in my blog, but praising the Lord for my relationships that continue to build here, especially with Liz, Norma and another teacher named Liz at school. The second Liz doesn't speak much English, but she tries to talk to me and we use google translate. Thank you Lord for google translate! Thank you for our team of teachers at school, donations for the school and laborers to begin construction on the school. Thank you that Ricardo and Norma are working on their marriage. Thankful for each and every person that prayers, supports and encourages me on this journey!

Keep praying for our family as Ricardo and Norma work on their marriage. Pray for the school financially, emotionally and as they are beginning construction. Pray for my health and time management. Pray for wisdom on what the Lord wants me to share on the 19th with friendship and dating.

There are just a few pictures to share from the last couple weeks. Until next time! By the way, I am laying on our roof patio here in capris and a t shirt : ) Just wanted to share that for all my Minnesota friends!

Stay warm!