In Monterrey!

Mexico has been awesome! My time here has been flying by!

The first week with the mission team went really well. On Sunday and Monday, we were working with the Covenant missionaries in Monterrey at their foundation. We held a little VBS in a local community and helped with a few work projects at the building. Monday through Thursday, we were helping with la Roca de Salvacion's outreaches into local communities. We were hauling gravel, pouring cement, and also doing a VBS with the kids in those communities. A lot of hard work, but it was well worth it to see the gratitude from everyone!

Then Friday I was able to connect with the Clausons, whom I will be with the rest of my time in Mexico. Erika and Nils are such an awesome couple and their two sons Matias (2) and Lucas (6 mo.) are adorable! It has been such a blessing to get to stay with them and get a glimpse into what their world is like!

Monterrey is such a gorgeous city! I'm used to seeing nothing but corn fields when I look outside, but there is a giant mountain right outside my window here at the Clauson's! And these mountains aren't like the Smokey Mountains in the States, but you can see three or four of them layered across each other in the horizon! I haven't had a chance to get any pics up here yet, but once I do, you'll see what I mean. I think I took more pics of mountains than people so far! I'll post more later, but for now, Dios bendiga!!!

"Mexico, Here I Come!!!"

This is my last post before I leave the country! I'll be in Monterrey, Mexico for the next six weeks! Just to recap my trip, I'll be spending the first week with the missions team from my church doing things like pouring cement, building a dropped ceiling, and helping with a VBS. Then for the next four weeks, I'll be living with Erika & Nils Clauson. They are missionaries in Monterrey and I'll be there as an extra pair of hands and a babysitter for their two sons, Matias (2) and Lucas (6 mo.). Then my last week in Mexico will be babysitting for the Covenant denomination's Mexico missionary staff retreat, which is what I did last summer. I've spent the last two days packing and trying to think of anything I've been forgetting, and I have to say that it has been pretty stressful. But I know that I have a lot of family and friends who will be thinking of me and praying for me. I fly out of O'Hare tomorrow, and I'm so excited! While in Mexico, I'm not sure how much internet access I will have, so this is probably my last post for quite a while! But I'll have plenty of pics to share when I get back! Thanks to everyone who will be thinking of me and praying for me! Monterrey, here I come! Adios, y Dios bendiga!!! :)

Awesome Concert!

Fish Fest was so awesome on Saturday!!! I had so much fun and I can't believe the tickets were free! We ended up having about six extra tickets, but we were able to give those away so it all worked out. The tickets we had were lawn tickets and we really didn't have the best view, but after the first two acts, the seats weren't filling up very well, so they let the "lawn people" get seats under the roof. We were able to get as close as row 33! The bands were all really good and the speaker was great, but the best part was definitely Steven Curtis Chapman!!! He was the last act, but it was so worth waiting for! He played a ton of songs both older and newer ("All Things New," "I Will Be Here," "The Great Adventure") and I knew every word to the songs! Every word, that is, except the words to the song he performed off of his new album that won't hit stores till September! It was a really pretty song, with the same idea as that really popular "Butterfly Kisses" song. Then as it got towards the end of the night, I realized he hadn't played "Dive" yet. But my panic was all for nothing, because "Dive" was his last song of the night! It was such a great time!






Steven playing with his sons Caleb (bass) and Will Franklin (drums)

He's such a good musician, he can do his songs solo!