Princess Diaries

To start things off, our team was expecting big things. Ok, I know, that sounds somewhat presumptuous but we serve a big God who does amazing things. Our team and the people down at the House of Cornelius (the place where teams stay, also known as HOC) had been through a rollercoaster of a pre-trip. The nice thing about this was that since the staff down at HOC had been expecting us earlier, they started praying for us earlier. Then when the trip was postponed, they got to pray even longer. ☺ So, when our team arrived at HOC at around 11:30 pm after a day-long bus ride, everyone was filled with the excitement of what was to come.

Two highlights that happened over the week were good weather and unusually smooth border crossings. The weather all week (except for a few dust storms) was perfectly balmy and uneventful. This was a nice change from previous trips where the weather was unbearably hot or pouring rain and allowed us to be able to minister all day without having to take breaks due to the heat. The border crossings were even more amazing. Getting into Mexico with a bus loaded with supplies and people is no small feat. The border guards don’t like us because they fear that we’ll hurt their economy by giving hungry orphans a meal, a coat, and sometimes a craft. But, despite the fact that we were bringing even more supplies than usual because of the increased lack of food and resources, the longest we ever stayed at a border was about 10-15 minutes. In fact, one day as a few people from the bus got out to do the paper-checking and long-chat routine with the guards, one of the guards saw them and said, “have a nice day”. The people from our team were a bit confused but we the guard again said “have a nice day”, they understood and within seconds we were on our way. As far as we know, this has never happened in the missions group history! Praise God!

Another personal highlight for me was connecting with kids. Usually on these trips, I’m not the kind of person who is totally involved with the kids who stay at the places we visit. I’m more of a lunch-serving, craft-setting-up, organizational girl. So, as you can imagine, it was such a blessing to really be able to hang out with kids this time. When we went to the orphanage, I got to connect with a little girl (about 4 years old) named Daniella or Dani for short. She was kind of shy but super cute and we spent about an hour just tossing a football and giggling and playing. It made me realize that these kids just need attention! Just a simple hug or a smile can mean the world to a child. Once, after I had finished doing face paint for a little girl who was very shy and had a sad look behind her eyes, I decided to just give her a hug. At first she tensed up for a second, but then she just melted and sat in my arms. I didn’t even know this little girl and yet by simply giving her a hug, God had allowed me to make her day.

When we went to the Agua Viva Elderly Men’s Home, God gave me another experience that will stay with me forever. After some girls from the team and I had finish singing worship songs in the chapel for all the men, someone from the team pulled me aside and brought me to the hall where the men stay. Sitting there was an old man in a wheel chair and a couple people from our team including a wonderful, Godly translator named Elvia. They explained to me that the man in the wheelchair’s name was Orelio and he couldn’t leave the room because the dust would trigger his intense asthma. So, then we sang a song for him called “Breathe”. Some of you have probably heard this song. It talks about God being our air and our daily bread. This was especially relevant because of Orelio’s breathing problems. Then Orelio told us his story….and it was amazing! When he was younger he had been on a boat, which had shipwrecked and left him in the ocean for 17 hours. He became very sick from this incident, which ended up causing his asthma. Now, he lives in a dorm with about 10 other men. These men do not all live a Godly life and Orelio told us that he struggled with having to sit there and listen to them talk profanely because he can’t leave the room. But, despite the fact that this man is wheelchair-bound, has intense asthma, and lives with these men, he still praises God. He ministers to the men around him and is a living witness to them. This really inspired me to live for God even when your situation is less than ideal and those around you don’t share your beliefs. Orelio’s story will stick in my mind forever!

On the last day in Mexico, we visited a battered women and children’s shelter. The first thing that we noticed when we walked into the cement building was how cold it was! These women live in a building that is freezing at best and always have to wear a coat, if they are fortunate enough to have one. When we walked into the room with the women, they were all quiet and sat with their kids. I noticed one lady in particular who had two young kids and a look in her eyes that spoke of hardship and defeat. I ended up sitting with her and the kids at lunchtime. All the men and boys from our team served lunch to all the ladies. This was a change for them as most likely the men they had known had hurt them or been abusive emotionally and physically. You see, in Mexico, unlike in America, it is normal and even expected that you, as a female or a child, will be abused most of your life. So, because this is a norm, women usually don’t leave their situation unless it is beyond-belief-unbearable. When I realized this, I started to understand where these women were coming from and I felt deep compassion for the tired, timid mother who sat next to me.

All through lunch I played with the little girl, who’s name was Jenifer. We ended up being inseparable the whole rest of the day. She even followed the bus as far as she could when we left. Her sweet smile and the innocence of her spirit was so touching. But, the best part of that day came right before we left…I was taking some last-minute pictures when I spied the mom that I had sat next to. She was sitting with the other women and laughing! Yes, she was laughing and her whole fact was lit up with joy! The sad look that had been there not 2 hours ago was gone and replaced by an inexpressible joy. I quickly snapped a picture to treasure forever. Whenever I look at that picture it reminds me of one of the main purposes of our team’s ministry: to be a refreshment to those who live in a spiritual desert. I truly saw this come to life when I played with Dani, or sat and listened to Orelio’s story, or when I took a picture of the beautiful, joyful face of a woman who had been through so much, and yet still smiled.

So, as much as I’d like to drop everything, sell the house, and move to a missions area, I’ve realized one thing: sometimes, being a missionary simply means being a refreshment to those around you who need some spiritual water to nourish the wilting plant of the life that they’re living; and the simple act of smiling and letting someone know that you care can be the best way to do just that.