Oaxaca... again!

Tomorrow (or actually today, because it is 2 am as I write this) we are going again to Oaxaca, but this time with a very different purpose in mind. There are 15 people driving down all day Sunday, and we are going to attend a church-planting conference, which is one week long. After that week, the real fun begins. The seven interns are staying in Oaxaca (which is a state of Mexico, by the way), and living in indigenous villages for the next three weeks. By ourselves. From what I understand so far, there will probably be a village for each of us, and so we will be truly separated from everything we know. Except God. The point is to learn about the culture of the Mixtec, which is the indigenous group that we will be living with. Learn their culture, learn their language, make friends, live with a family. I've done it once in this country already, although this is for a shorter time and the common language is my second one. I will not deny that I am nervous, though I am also excited. After our three weeks in the villages, we will spend one week in Mexico City with a young church there. Therefore, this is a 5-week excursion from the city I call home. Remember us in your prayers. But also rejoice, because God is going to teach us wonderful things. And don't be worried if I don't update very often in the coming month. I don't know if there will be electricity, I am fairly certain there will not be internet, and I am not bringing my computer.

And if you ever wondered, yes, I do clean up good:

Vamos a cantar

Hijo de Dios, tu eres por quien
VIVIMOS HOY!!!
Vamos a cantar, con la musica del cielo
Vamos a cantar, alegres porque escuchas
Cuando cantamos para exaltar tu nombre

I have realized two things:
God answers prayer, and God loves me.
But the cool thing is that God answers prayers in ways that we never expect. And also shows His love for us in ways we don't expect. Therefore, sometimes we miss it solely because we were not expecting it in such a format. And many times, God answers our unasked prayers. For example, at the end of my third year at Bethany I regretted not doing/having a few things during my time at Bible school. Things such as a roommate who I could actually talk to and going on road trips with my friends. But God is good, and has surprised me with many road trips throughout Mexico, and a wonderful roommate here in HADIME. Besides which, two other girls who let me sleep in their house on the weekends and are therefore more wonderful roommates. I felt cheated because I didn't really get one at Bethany during my first year like everybody else. Turns out that during my fourth year I get at least three. And another thing: never before have I felt so at home in or a part of a church as I do with my church here. Never before have I encountered God so much at church. It has always been at Bible school or at youth until now. Never before have I actually wanted to go to church as much as possible. Never before has the church made me feel so alive. Therefore, WAKE UP, church in Canada, in Saskatchewan, in the places I come from!! Why do you feel so asleep? You're not dead, I know that much, for I can feel you stirring. Wake up! to be what you were meant to be all along... ALIVE!!
Dios te ama.

Nothing is ever black and white...

...except those words I wrote on the page.

Every time I fall
It's so easy to give in again
So easy to first let go
To dance with you my friend
To forget what should be held
To know this is the story
Lacking some, remembering others
What could be forgotten
They come only in my colors
You know that they do
To go out in black and white
Answering those questions
No one remembers asking
But pleading for the answer
All the same
So please give me count one day
And forgive all those old scars
The color of the snow

Safely home

Well we made it to the border and back without too much trouble. We got stopped in Monterrey, and they threatened to tow the car a take a couple people to jail for various things, but we were sitting in the back of the car praying hard and it turned out okay. God showed His power. He works in amazing ways. I am now safe back home with a visa for another 6 months. Praise God. And thank you for praying.

Prayer request

There are 5 of us driving to the border tomorrow to renew our visas. Please pray that we will have a safe trip and that everything would work well with the renewing of the visas. Thank you.