2008 already!

It's hard for me to believe that the year 2008 has already started. Seems like yesterday I was graduating from high school, but that was 2000! It seems like yesterday I came to Mexico for the first time on a short-term mission trip, but that was 2003...now five years ago. It really seems like yesterday that I left my home in Pennsylvania and made the drive to begin a missionary life in Mexico City, but now that was already one year ago. I thank God this new year for the things he has done in my life in the past decade. Somtimes in the mundane day to day grind of life, we loose track of all that God is doing and has done. I just want to take the space here to thank Him for how he faithfully and constantly works in my life. I pray that this year I let him mold me even more into the person He desires me to be.

I haven't updated for quite awhile, as I was out of my house and away from my computer during Christmas time. This being my first Christmas away from home, I tried to keep myself very occupied with little time to think or miss things from back home. Of course there were still moments that I wished I was there and memories came to mind of Christmases past. The morning of December 25 I talked to my family, grandparents and brother Aaron and it was just wonderful to hear the excitement in their voices as they had just opened their presents and were getting ready to eat breakfast. I could picture in my head the scene there, and even smell the breakfast cooking! I found myself that morning in the living room of my Mexican family, as we all lamented how full we still felt from the previous night's midnight Christmas feast. Although Christmas has proven to be so different in Mexico, I am glad I was here.

Christmas in Mexico (December 24) was celebrated with my Mexican family, the Gomez family. We had a huge dinner at midnight of more meats and foods than I have ever seen in one single meal. The 25th we ate the leftovers all day with family and friends who came by the house. We went shopping to a market for fun, as there is no traffic or hardly any people out those days.

New Year's I spent feeling very sick. I helped make the meal and by the time I was putting my lasagna in the oven, I felt awful. I came down with a severe head cold/flu bug which to this very moment still has me in bed. I spent New Year's night on the couch under piles of blankets, doing everything to try and get rid of a high fever. My mexican mom even rubbed vinegar on my feet, which I guess was supposed to take away the fever. I didn't really have much desire of ringing in the New Year, but I did stay awake long enough to see the ball drop in NYC, which would have been 11:00 pm here in Mexico.

I've spent the past week recovering from being sick, although I am still feeling nearly as sick today as I did the 31st.

January 5th was the night of the three kings, and January 6th the day long celebration of the three kings (the wisemen who came to bring gifts to Jesus). We had a big meal, ate Rosca bread (a round bread wreath with little baby Jesus figurines hidden inside its dough), and just rested.

Half of my teammates were away in the USA for Christmas and also the pastor of the mother church. Pretty much everything here came to a halt for two weeks and is just this week getting back into the normal grind and routine. I spent a lot of time, well the majority of my time, with my Mexican family. I drove to San Luis Potosi on the 20th to pick up and bring home (to Mexico City) my friend and their son Kurt. He had not been home since October, but had three weeks of vacation to spend with us here in Mexico City. Just this morning at 4 am I dropped him off to make the trek back to San Luis, a state to the north, where he is ministering full time at a Christian camp. Pray for him as the months ahead involve tons of planning and preparation for the summer camp season. Lots to do!

I am also excited to announce that my home church, First Baptist of Grove City, is for sure coming to Mexico as a church on a short-term missions trip. I will be busy planning with them through this year, in anticipation of their visit from July 26-August 4 2008. We are hoping for a group of 15 to commit to coming. Pray with me for the preparation both here and on their side and that God would use this trip to call some into missions and to change the lives of many both Mexicans and the team that comes.

My prayer for the beginning of this year is that God gives me direction in which ministries to take on full time and be plugged into. There are many, many options and my time of viewing and getting to know the many churches is coming to a close. I am praying for godly wisdom in choosing where to work and minister. I am also praying that I surrender each area and desire in my life to God and that He gives me only what He sees fit for me, and that He uses me in the way he sees fit. I also am praying that if there be things, situations, people, or plans that I have in my life that are not what God wants, that he remove them or help me to see to choose that which is God's best for me.

Oh...I almost forgot to mention...January 5th I celebrated my one-year anniversary of arriving in Mexico! I can only thank God that he has carried me through this year and helped me and never abandoned me!