Arrival!

I am so glad to announce that I have arrived in Mexico City and am safe and well! I arrived at 10:00, after a short flight from Houston, and was soon welcomed to Mexico and began meeting my teammates. My day ended with dinner at Wendy's house - tostadas! - and returning to my current host family's home to prepare for tomorrow's new adventure.

I am currently staying with a couple whose daughter and her husband, Paul & Nydia Johnson, direct the Spearhead and YearOut programs that I have been/am a part of. Tomorrow will begin our orientation retreat and on Saturday I will move in with my host family, who will play double duty as my pastor and pastora, in Xochimilco (pronounced So-chee-milk-o). I will be serving, alongside my host family, with a small Pentacostal church located, literally, on the side of a mountain. And when I say small, I'm talking approximately 30 members. I will be serving with their Jovenés (hoe-ven-ace) ministry, which typically comprises of individuals from 12 years through "unmarried singles," which could extend up to 40 years of age! I may also be helping plant a women's ministry. I may also be serving with one or more of my church's mission locations. We are also continuing to work out the details of potentially serving with Compa at one of the smaller college campuses, in or near Xochimilco. On top of that, I will definitely be taking Spanish classes three times a week, working one on one with my Spanish teacher, Diana (Dee-anna) and meeting with my YearOut team twice a week.

I could not be happier to be here in Mexico! As you can see, my schedule is already filling up fast, which exactly how I want it! I can't wait to see what all God has planned for me, here, as I discover new ways to bring Him glory!

Hasta Luego!

Travel Leg 1

Howdy y'all!

I just wanted to send a brief update from the home of the beautiful Prisca.

Praise God! I have arrived in Houston and have completed 2 of 3 flights, despite coming down with a cold on Friday evening. I am also presently writing out "Thank You" notes, either while in the air or during my layovers, so if I am aware of your donation (either because you have said something or I have received confirmation of your gift via LAM) AND have your address, expect to receive a note from me shortly. If either of those statements is not true, please do not be offended! When I receive my next statement from LAM, I will receive either or both and will send you a card as soon as possible.

Another praise! God is coming through for me in HUGE ways! I am presently aware of donations or pledged donations totalling $6000, which is 43% of my budget for the year! And I know that I am not aware of many donations yet. Even so, if you are still considering giving, PLEASE send me your address so I can send you a letter!

Fundraising Goal Cleared!

Praise God! With a little more than a week to go in my final preparations for Mexico, I have finally cleared my first fundraising goal! Thank you to all who helped me reach my first goal and will help me continue to reach my goals!

My current balance is $2800, $400 over what I needed for official clearance to buy my airline ticket! Which means that I have finally bought a plane ticket, flying Flint, MI; to Cleveland, OH; to Houston, TX, where I'll have an overnight layover; and finally to Mexico City, Mexico. Even so, my financial needs for the year are by no means met. Please pray and consider helping support me reach my total goal of $14,400.

In the mean time, I am busy enjoying life in "Michigan's Little Bavaria", Frankenmuth, a rare treat, living in Texas most of the year. Since I've been home, I've enjoyed shopping at two local malls, visiting my grandparents for game night, tasting wines at St. Julian Winery in downtown Frankenmuth, attending Sunday services at Frankenmuth Bible Church, and wandering my favorite festival of all time, Frankenmuth Auto Fest! Imagine a town of less than 5,000 suddenly hosting 2,300 registered classic and custom cars, which, of course, leaves out the 500+ unregistered classics roaming downtown. Then you add the people, and by that I mean LOTS of people. Friday night's opening events, Crackle Fest and "Big Block" party, shut down a full mile of Main Street, also known as M-83, a Michigan highway, to line classics up on both sides of our little four-lane street for an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 spectators, with bands playing everything from Oldies to Polka - and no, I'm really not kidding, Frankenmuth is also home to at least half a dozen polka bands... and local businesses open street-side tents and hold specials on chicken, bratwursts, sausages, and Little Bavaria's drink of choice, beer. Oh, and did I mention Frankenmuth's delicious food? Although I've skipped the two largest restaurants in town, and all restaurants famous for their chicken, I have truly enjoyed Frankenmuth's other hidden jewels, the Frankenmuth Brewery and DaVinci's. I think what I have enjoyed the most, though, has been the countless encouraging conversations I have had with family, old friends, new friends, family friends, and complete strangers, who have responded with scripture, offers of prayer, and encouragement. Even while "working" on a mystery shop, I was blessed by a store employee responding with 1 John 4:4 when I mentioned my upcoming trip!

I will also soon be leaving for Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula, or "U.P." to Michigan natives, on Sunday afternoon. To the best of my knowledge, my parents and I and family friends, Sam & Debbie Nolan, will be exploring Tahquamenon Falls State Park and generally finding other mischief up in the U.P. and northern Lower Peninsula. For my engineers, we will also be crossing a "Modern Marvel," the Mighty Mac. The Mackinac Bridge is suspended over five miles to connect the U.P. to the Lower Peninsula and symbolically divides Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. And yes, I do realize the irony of traveling to prepare for more travel, but hey, travel is a way of life in my family.

This will probably be my last state-side update, as I will return from the U.P. on Sunday, September 19th, celebrate Christmas with family that day, pack and fly out the following afternoon. I will be sure to update as soon as possible when I arrive!

God bless!