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!

Moving, NSO, Road Trips, Fundraising and other Mischief

I know it's been a while since my last post, most likely a direct result of my crazy life. I promise to fix that as soon as my life develops a routine, most likely once I arrive in Mexico City. Since my last update, I have:

- Attended Seminar with my Mary Kay sisters in Dallas, Texas

- Moved four separate times

- Lived with my dear friend, Brandy, for three weeks

- Started my college memories scrapbook

- Lived with my beloved mentor, Shiloh, for a week

- Helped out with InterVarsity's New Student Outreach

- Met a freshman who doesn't believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven, yet was willing to engage in conversation with me for over an hour on two separate occasions and seems interested to learn more!

- Said goodbye to dozens of beloved friends from InterVarsity, Pioneers, and Living Hope

- Driven cross-country from College Station, TX, to Frankenmuth, MI, over three days

Needless to say, I've been a little busy over the past several weeks and I'm now less than three weeks away from to Mexico!

The biggest project I've had over the past several weeks has been fundraising. Sadly, I have not been as faithful as I should have been to track people down, find correct addresses and get letters out, yet even so, God has proven himself faithful! At this point, I have $810 confirmed in my account and am waiting expectantly to ensure that I reach $2400 in my account by the end of the day, today, September 1st. Needless to say, this will be my project for today. If there is one thing I know from the numerous times God has called me to work on fundraising over the past year and a half, it is that God provides. Even so, that does not stop me from asking for your prayers.

I am thankful for the many who have already taken the step to respond faithfully and partner with me in the ministry God has for me and look forward to partnering with others!

Check out my missions Bio at www.lam.org/donate and click on Short-term Missionaries on the left side. I expect it to go up sometime today.

While I'm Waiting

Howdy y’all!

I know it has been a while since my last post. It has been a busy month for me. I spent a week in Florida with my family, helping my little brother move out of his apartment, celebrating his graduation, and exploring the Orlando area, including two days at Universal Studios. Needless to say, I am very proud of Jason!

Since I returned to College Station, I have been busy working my business as an independent contractor, doing mystery shops and audits of stores, mostly in the Bryan/College Station area. I am also looking forward to working my business as a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant. I gave my first party over the weekend, which was very exciting! I have also been making arrangements to store my furniture and belongings here in Texas, as I intend to return to Texas next August or September. I have been very blessed to find a place locally where I could store a few larger pieces in a place where they would also be a blessing, as well as a place in Houston where I can store the rest at a very reasonable cost.

On a slightly more serious note, I would like to ask for your prayers. My allergies have been acting up horribly for the past few weeks. I even had a bout of allergy-induced pink eye for a day or two, and am having some trouble sleeping. Please pray for patience with my allergies and for good rest. Also, pray for patience, because I am still waiting to hear from Latin America Missions. Although I have called them, I have yet to actually connect with a human being, which means that my Mexico fundraising is at a stand-still until further notice. Pray that I would be obedient to God’s call while I am waiting on him.

As I continue to be without a formal job, my financial status is still shaky at best. While God is providing in amazing ways, I am still considerably behind where I would like to be right now. My parents have asked that I not sell my car for two reasons – first, I will not be able to find a five year old car with only 42,000 miles (adjusted to the end of summer), with a complete history and consistent maintenance within the price range of what I would be able to get for it currently; and second because I would lose over 20 years of history by canceling my insurance. So I ask that you would pray that God would provide the money to pay off my car and pay the insurance while I am gone. I am only $1400 away from owning my car free and clear, and my insurance agent is giving me a great deal for maintaining my insurance, and my awesome insurance history, for only $30 a month while I am in Mexico. So, in total, I am in need of $1730 for my car.

In order to pay for my car and insurance, I am running a sale on my Mary Kay website – 10% off anything this week! When you place your order, put “CAR” in the notes section and I’ll give you 10% off of some amazing products! Check it out – www.marykay.com/nicoledietzel

I want to leave you with the song that has become my motto for this crazy, stressful season:

I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord – “While I’m Waiting” by John Waller

Love and blessings!

Nicole

Mary Kay: A Perfect Fit

At this point, you are probably aware that I have made a, seemingly, outrageous choice... To start a business as a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant four months before I leave for Mexico City on missions. If you didn't think I was crazy, you probably thought that either Mary Kay products are too expensive or they aren't right for you. Honestly, if I hadn't found Mary Kay exactly when I did, I would be saying the same things. Here's why I see it differently:

First, I realized just how important skin care really is. Most of you were not aware of my first skin cancer scare. In May, I found a mole on my abdomen that was abnormally shaped and discolored. Knowing that I am a poster child for risk factors of skin cancer, I was concerned and had it removed by a doctor. Thankfully, it was benign this time, but this experience really made me consider what it means to take care of my body, my personal temple of God. Mary Kay's products allow me to take care of my skin, working to prevent more damage and undo the damage I've already done through years of blistering sunburns.

Second, I had just finished a class entitled Images of Women. It was a sociology class to finish up my Certificate of Gender Studies and fulfill my writing intensive course requirement, but it transformed the way I look at the world and made me 1000% (yes, that's intentional) more aware of the messages that we, as women, are receiving every day from advertisements, movies, TV shows, magazine covers, commercials and every other source of media. Across the board, these media sources send us one message: Beautiful is exceptionally thin, exceptionally tall and white. If you don't believe me, check out the documentary Killing Us Softly 4. As a Psychology major, I've also seen the realities of what happens when we, as people, hold ourselves to standards we can't keep... Psychological issues like depression and eating disorders are very real outcomes of the lies the media tells us. Mary Kay provides a fabulous opportunity for me to speak truth to women - that each of us is beautiful just because God says we are beautiful - while providing them with practical tools to care for their skin and thus feel more beautiful!

Third, Mary Kay products work! I would never sell a product I did not believe in. I have been using the MK TimeWise Miracle Set for a month now and not only are my Mary Kay sisters noticing a difference in my skin, but so are my friends! I'm not trying to brag on myself, but I have pretty good skin, free of blemishes and discoloration naturally, but even my good skin is seeing improvement! I didn't know my skin could get any better, but it has!

Fourth, Mary Kay is a job that does not need to end just because I leave the country in September. I can continue to serve my clients and bring in income while I am in Mexico. I mean, those pesky bills (student loans, car loan and car insurance) won't stop just because I left the country, so why should my job and income stop? And, in the future, I will be able to take my business with me when I leave the country for ministry, thereby enabling me to pay my own way with my ministry, much like the Apostle Paul, who literally made tents to earn his living, rather than being a burden on people like you.

Finally, and most importantly, Mary Kay gives me the opportunity to minister while I work! Not only am I ministering by speaking truth to women and giving them practical ways to feel and embrace that truth, but every time I tell my Mary Kay story, I have the opportunity to present the work that God is doing, sharing my testimony and the reality that all of my profits support my ministry in Mexico.

The five reasons I've mentioned are the main reasons why I chose to be a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, both this summer and when I return from Mexico in August of 2011. When I made that choice, I had no idea just how much I would love being "A Mary Kay Lady," but really, what a blessing it is to love my job, minister now through my job, and fund my future ministry through the income I get from my job!

Ladies, if you are in or near College Station this summer, is there any reason why you and I can't partner together to give your friends a night of pampering, so that both you and your guests feel beautiful, while at the same time supporting my ministry in Mexico? And if you aren't quite so close by, check out my website: www.marykay.com/nicoledietzel.

Why Mexico?

I'm actually surprised I haven't gotten this question more often, because even I never saw myself going to Mexico for a year, at least not in the near future. And the reality is that it wasn't all that long ago when I thought Mexico was the last place I would ever go, for ministry or otherwise. And learning Spanish? Who am I kidding! It would only take a few individuals - David Nickodemus, Zach Grafe, Hannah Childress, Ashley Morgan - to prove just how much I hated the Spanish language just a few years ago..

So why am I going to the one place I thought I would never go for ministry? Why am I learning the one language I truly hated? Have I lost my mind?!?!

NO! God has completely transformed my heart, mind and desires!

I know there are some of you that I haven't had heart to heart conversations with in two, three, or four years or more. So, here's a brief summary of how God has transformed me since I became a believer in July 2006.

In August 2006, I moved to Texas and got involved with InterVarsity - by God's great mercy! Within a month, I had found a local ministry to pour my life into, Pioneers Friday Church. Four months later, I attended Urbana 06, one of the largest missions conferences ever, and felt God lay on my heart a call to world missions. In March of 2007, God called me to spend my Spring Break in Monterrey(translated: Mount of the King), Mexico, which opened my heart to the idea of Mexico. That fall, I stepped into leadership with Pioneers Friday Church, teaching four and five year olds. The next spring, I did not have the option of returning to Mexico, so I did a state-side mission trip to St. Louis, MO. In my two year absence, I allowed my heart to close and harden toward Mexico, thinking "I've already done that."

In November of 2008, God called me to explore a slightly longer term project, in the form of Student Training in Missions (STiM) through InterVarsity, so I applied and was accepted. In December, I found out the project I was assigned to was none other than Latin America Mission's Spearhead program in Mexico City, Mexico, despite the fact that I desperately wanted to return to Europe. Despite my fears and uncertainties and stubbornness, God told me to "Just trust and go." In March of 2009, I was allowed to return to Mexico for the first time since my previous Spring Break trip, this time heading to Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, again with InterVarsity. This second Spring Break trip was difficult for me, because it was very much a construction project, with a considerable amount of heavy labor, hauling around concrete and cinder blocks to build a roof for the Sunday School building of Puerto de Salvacion (Door of Salvation) church in Merida. God re-opened my heart for Mexico sometime during the course of the week I was there, and he called me to truly trust him.

In June of 2009, I boarded a plane bound for Mexico City, my first time to truly live in a city of more than 100,000 people (try 23.4 million! That's 251 times the size of College Station! And 5030 times the size of Frankenmuth, the tiny city in Michigan where I was born and raised!) During the two months I was there, God called me to step out in obedience to his will and to trust that he was doing something that I could not see, to trust that the seeds I was planting would sprout and grow long after I left. That August, I returned to Texas A&M with no clue what God was teaching me or what good I had done for the kingdom, with one exception - Christopher Manuel. For those of you with Facebook, you can find a picture of Christopher when you visit my profile... He's the beautiful young man in my profile picture and he became a believer during my seventh week in Mexico, after two weeks of EBV (VBS). Anyway, I came home knowing I had loved my time in Mexico but with no clue what God had done, because whatever it was, he wasn't done with it yet. I also had no intention of returning to Mexico long-term, at least, not for the foreseeable future. I intended to go on staff with InterVarsity and move to Arkansas. I also thought I'd at least be dating by now... God had other plans. He shut those two doors, the second in September and the first in November of 2009, leaving me hurt, confused and downright dizzy...

Urbana 2009 reignited my passion for missions and for languages, particularly worshiping God in other languages and I made a commitment to spend at least two years of my life in cross-cultural missions, but I confess that I still thought that would be when I went on staff with InterVarsity, at some later date, despite spending several hours wandering through Global Connexions, the area Urbana set aside for mission agencies and training programs to set up booths and talk to Urbana attendees. I was intent on going to graduate school or finding an odd job around College Station for a year or two...

In March, God opened the door for me to return to Mexico for the fourth time, although it was to be my first true return trip, as I returned to Merida, Yucatan, and was able to reconnect with people that I met the previous spring. What I didn't understand was the weird feeling of coming home that I experienced all week long, despite the fact that my "best friend" on the trip was Joey, a guy from the University of Texas Pan American, located in McAllen, TX, whom I had served with the last time I was in the Yucatan, followed by our two wonderful staff members, Sara Sher (Texas Tech) and Nick Dombrowski (UTPA). After a week of quiet leadership and internal leadership conflicts, I returned to the States wanting desperately to return to Mexico, but fully convinced that I had not explored every option and that, while I wanted to go to Mexico, God probably had something else planned for me, but I had no clue how to find out what that was... Well, that lasted about a month.

In April, God finally told me "Nicole, enough is enough. 'You WHO KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT, you people who have my law in your hearts, do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified of their insults. (Isaiah 51:7)'" Of course, on the way to this verse, I passed by Isaiah 52:7, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion 'Your God reigns!'" For those of you unfamiliar with Mexican geography, Mexico City lies in a valley, literally built over a lake, 7,800 feet above sea-level, between the Eastern and Western Sierra Madre mountains, such that the city is literally surrounded by mountains, and the outskirts of city's enormous population are literally climbing the sides of those mountains.

That was it. I knew where I needed to go. And where I needed to go was Mexico City.