Mexico

I can now say that I've traveled to another country, even it if is just to mexico (but this was deep in the heart of mexico so it counts more I think). This past week I was blessed to be able to go on a mission trip with 5 of my youthand 5 adults to Hidaldo Del Manto Mexico (El Manto for short) to do a dental clinic and nurses clinic for the residents in this village. I've never had a more frustrating yet more fulfilling time. Here's what i learned from my week there.

1) Language barriers suck, but you can, with any luck, find ways to communicate around them. I screened patients in espanol from this health screening sheet that was bilingual--praise God. (My espanol is muy mal--spanish 1 was a mucho grande long time ago), I did ok asking questions, but when they didn't understand or when they tried to further explain, I was lost and got easily frustrated. By the end of the week, I found it easier to converse.

2) Gratitude overflows and people want to share theirs even when they have nothing. The people in El Manto had no money, no jobs, but they opened their homes to us and fed us... oh it was soooo good--that was the way they showed gratitude--even though they had nothing.

3) Our leftovers were their first pickings. We only took our excess and left behind what we didn't need, but it was like a precious commodity to them.

4) I sat in a catholic cathedral in durango (the city we flew out of) and realized that God is present in all times and in all countries and that there is beauty being able to sit in the silence and presence of God and listen to his people worship in a language you can't understand.


~~~~

I learned a lot more and saw a lot more and grew more than I expected so talk to me about it and I'll tell you :)


~~~~

Now it seems that I'm waiting for April for more than one reason.. and i'm not sure what to do with it. Not only am I waiting on my future, but I have the possibility on waiting on someone else's as well. Here's to the month of April.

Have a great evening folks! I'm gonna go sleep off mexico