Another layer...GONE!

Hey there sweet friends! As I sit here with coffee in hand and an open conversation with our Sweet Abba, I'm trying to muster up the words to describe the missions trip I was just on. I'm trying to figure out how to help you see what God is up to in Mazatlan Mexico, and to help you see what He did in me. I'm gunna be honest here, I don't think there are enough or even the right words to even begin to describe how I saw and experienced God at work. I'll try my best, but somehow I just know it won't do it justice. While in Mazatlan we had the opportunity to visit and serve at three different children homes and two different villages that are very much poverty stricken. We did everything between knocking a cement wall down, yard work, painting buildings, to building a home and playing with children from each location. I will tell you I have never worked so hard or sweated so much in my life! Each place we visited was unique in its purpose and needs and each so full of hope. Hearing the stories of how some of those children came to be in the homes was heart wrenching, but to hear and see the unique heart beat of each location was beautiful and such a blessing. The homes we visited consisted of a special needs, an all girls who have been rescued from horrible abuse, and a girls home who are trying to further their education in a family atmosphere. While visiting each location we had the blessing of being able to get a tour and at the same time pray over each room. I would say this was one of my favorite things to do as I love to pray, but also because it helped us understand the vision for each home. The people of Back2Back have such a heart for the community of Mazatlan and are doing all they can to help break the cycle that leads to broken families and children having to live in these homes. As I mentioned before I had never worked so hard in my life until this trip (my muscles still hurt) but more importantly, I don't think I have ever seen or experienced God at work so much in such a short amount of time. We had the opportunity to see the hope, love, and safety these homes provide for the children, and we were able to see God's handiwork woven all throughout it. Not only did we get the blessing of seeing how God is shinning His bright light in such a dark area, but we were able to be apart of it. We literally were able to be His hands and feet to the children and for those who serve the children on a daily bases. We were able to start and finish some work projects and love on the kids all at the same time. BUT, as much as I thought God was sending us to be the blessing He was actually sending us to be blessed. I had a lot of amazing God moments, but I think I will stick to sharing only two (you can ask me for more if you would like)! God moment #1 begins with a person. See, I was put into the smallest of our three groups and put with leaders I didn't know, and I was a little nervous about that. As I look back on the trip I couldn't be more thankful for the group I was apart of and for the leaders God chose for me. The wife of the amazing leader duo quickly became a dear friend and someone God used in mighty ways to speak truth and love into me during some of the hardest times of the trip. God used her to open my eyes to some of what He was teaching me while there. He used her to teach me that its okay to cry, to show and go through emotion and to not be ashamed of that. He used her words to speak tenderly to my heart as He asked me to trust Him with the deepest emotional parts of my heart. He took two people who hardly knew each other and put them together for a greater purpose, for healing. He created a sweet friendship that I will forever be grateful for. God moment #2 would have to be how God used our trip to the Floreser home(the all girls home). This was the home I was most wanting to visit, but was not expecting God to use it in the ways He did. With each room we visited, story heard, and girl I came in contact with I felt God breaking me in ways I had never been broken before. I felt like He was giving me a little glimpse of the pain and tears He went through for each girl and in reality for me. I felt like for a short while He let me see these girls and myself through His eyes. I saw brokenness, abuse un-imaginable, fake smiles, layers of hurt, and yet at the same time I saw hope, grace, forgiveness, love, redemption, beauty, and Him holding it all in the palm of His hands. I saw what He was doing for each girl, and I saw what He has and is doing for me. There for a short bit I felt like I had the weight of their wolds on my shoulders and yet, by the end of the night (and a long conversation with that new friend I was telling you about) I felt a hundred pounds lighter. God peeled yet another layer off this daughter of His and it feels so refreshing! As Joyce Meyer would say"I'm may not be where I want to be, but thank God I'm not where I used to be!" I am beyond thankful for where God has taken me from and where He is leading me to, all I can do is enjoy the journey and be used as much as possible along the way. So there ya have it, or at least some of it! I hope this gave you a little glimpse into what God is doing in Mazatlan and in my heart. Thank you all so much for the prayers while we were gone, pretty sure they were answered!