Posted by Posted in adventures, do hard things, faith, God, gospel and outreach, Living for God, Mexico, missions, Rancho3M

When God Says No

I read “Do Hard Things” two or three times. Yes, it is that good. Our youth pastor preached a series about doing hard things. The idea changed my teen years.

The last time I read the book (a month ago maybe?) I felt like God had a hard thing for me to do. What was it?

Then I realized it. Doing hard things isn’t always planning an outreach or fundraiser, saving someones life or even diligently doing chores at home. Somethimes a hard thing is just to say yes when God says no.

I recently had this experience.

I had the oppurtunity to go down to Mexico for a week to serve at the Rancho3M orphanage in November. In fact a week from now I would be in Mexico.

Now if you really know me you know that serving down there is the highlight of my summer and that I really have a heart for that ministy. Oh and I love all the kids down there to pieces.

I REALLY wanted to go.

But God shut the door.

I was disappointed although I didn’t show it outwardly. I missed it down there. And that is when I realized that I have to say Yes to God even when He says No to something I desperately want to do.

His plan is always better. Isn’t it? We don’t always know why He gives us that answer. Sometimes we see it after and sometime we don’t. We just have to leave it up to Him.

Priscilla

Posted by Posted in adventures, gospel and outreach, Home, journal entries, Living for God, memorys, Mexico, missions, Rancho3M

Journal Entries- Mission Trip to Mexico- Day 8

So here is my last installment of journal entries from Mexico. Hope you enjoy!

Our last day there we had a prolonged devotion at breakast and we sang “10,000 Reasons” as a group.

After our breakfast, we packed up the vans and cleaned the dorms and kitchen.

Some of us ran to the Mexican convenience store and got Mexican coke and authentic Mexican candy. It was spicy, sweet, tangy and sour all in one. How does that happen?

Next, the kids got up and we spent the rest of the morning hanging out with them. I played some last soccer with Chuy, Manuel and Aline.

Soon, the call came to pack up in the vans and then well there was lots of hugs and more hugs and even more hugs and goodbyes. Goodbyes are so hard.

The rest is history, I guess. Drive out of the Ranch trying not to cry. Go to the airport. Unpack the vans and say goodbye to the team you worked alongside all week and split up to get to our flights.

We arrived at our gate, and took a flight to Dallas TX and then after a layover we flew to Charlotte, NC. I am not a city girl, but I must say it was pretty to see all the ligts of Charlotte, since we landed at night.

I said goodbye to the team I had flown with (yeah, this was a day of goodbyes) and went down the escalator to see my family.

I saw William and Dad first, they were at the bottom of the esalator and then farther back there was Mom, Celia, Jace and surprise! my best friend Abigail!

And now there were hello and welcome back hugs for once.

We dropped Abigail back off at her house and went home. To bed.

It was an amazing experience and I can’t wait to do it again! (hopefully)

your one and only,
Priscilla

Posted by Posted in adventures, gospel and outreach, journal entries, Living for God, memorys, Mexico, missions, Rancho3M

Journal Entries- Mission Trip to Mexico- Day 7

The week is coming to end. It is sad for some, exciting for some but the whole team is tired. But today is not a day of rest, it is finishing project day. There is a shed to finish, curtains to make, and trees to plant. We did not stain today but instead used the time to help finish projects.

At first, I helped with the curtain crew, doing the dreaded task of turning the sewing from inside out to right side out. After that, there wasn’t much more I could do so I moved to helping the tree planting team. I helped with that most of the day.

Planting trees in Mexico is not just sticking the tree in the ground. You have to mix up a special recipe of dirt which includes manure, ash and straw. Then you have to put equal amounts of the dirt mixture and water in the holes before putting the tree in. Once the tree is in, you fill in the hole with water and the dirt mixture. Then you build a type of wall around it with dirt and then you flood the inside. Then you rake around the wall to make it look nice. 🙂

We planted pistachio trees and I hope to see them growing strong when I go next year. 🙂

We took a break from planting for a quick lunch and then went straight back to work. We planted around 50 trees that day.

I had to leave mid afternoon to help with games. We did the same games as on Thursday and Daniel translated for us again.

After games, I planted trees again until dinner. After dinner, we served ice cream to the kids and gave them paracord bracelets that our team had made in our spare time.

Then our team took a hike to the “cross”, which is basically a cross erected onto a mountain near the Ranch. You can hike up to it and watch the sunrise or sunset. We stayed up for the sunset. The older kids came with us and we had a blast.

When we came back, the teens from our team and the Ranch played hide and seek in the dark.

After a while, we went inside and got into bed.

It was a long hard day of work but we had a LOT of fun! Serving the Lord is the best! 🙂

I can’t believe that tomorrow we leave. 🙁 Lots of the kids don’t want me to go. One of my little friends said “No, you are staying with me” and another kid wanted to have me pack him in my backpack. Sniff…sniff, I miss them.

your one and only,
Priscilla

Posted by Posted in adventures, gospel and outreach, journal entries, Living for God, memorys, Mexico, missions, Rancho3M

Journal Entries- Mission Trip to Mexico- Day 6

Another beautiful sunrise and devotion filled early morning. After breakfast, we got to work.

So today, Lauren and I were the only one who were staining. We both got a lot done though. This would be our last day of helping with that as you will find out tomorrow. But that is okay because other teams throughout the summer would be able to finish the project. Lauren had lunch duty so I cleaned up everything before heading in for lunch.

That afternoon, after siesta, I went and set up for games with Mikayla. Today we played a ladder/number race game and a game called Steal the Bacon. Daniel, missionary kid at Rancho3M translated today.

We stopped work and games a little early today so we could get ready for the staff dinner. We put on “Sunday clothes” (skirts and nicer shirts) and hung out with the kids until dinner was ready. I got one of the older girls to braid my hair. They LOVE doing hair! It was really pretty.

Before the staff dinner, I tried to call my family, but it was pretty stormy and the connection wasn’t the best so I couldn’t talk for long.

At the staff dinner, we had an authentic Mexican meal, including chili reino, Mexican rice, mole (I think that was what it was called), enchiladas, and peach cobbler for desert (peach cobbler provided by the Americans 🙂 ). It was really good. After dinner, Pancho and Valeria shared their testimonies. SO touching. There were several generations of Rancho3M staff there, which was pretty cool to see.

After that, we went back to our dorms, showered and went to bed. That night I knew, that I would miss Rancho3M terribly. I do.

Well, stay updated to catch the last two days of my trip and a sneak peek of what a school day looks like for us. Since we have started school, you should see regular posts, so stay tuned for more!

Your one and only,
Priscilla

Posted by Posted in adventures, gospel and outreach, journal entries, memorys, Mexico, missions, Rancho3M

Journal Entries- Mission Trip to Mexico- Day 5

So when I woke up this morning, I don’t think it would be humanly possible to imagine the fun I had today! Lots of days are like that for me. 🙂

Pretty regular morning this morning, we had breakfast and got to work staining. Right next to where we were staining some of the guys were building a storage room off of an office. It was really cool to see the progress they made, day by day.

Today though, I got a special treat. Santiago, a very cute staff child, still too young for school, followed me around and would hide behind brick walls and play peek-a-boo. He hung out around us all during the morning, until we went in for lunch. When Mikayla and I were setting up for games he was with us playing with chalk. I got to chat with him in Spanish all morning!

Also, this morning, Lauren brought us some authentic Mexican food to try. She wouldn’t tell us what it was until after we ate it. I ate it and found out what it was. Pig skin.

Over lunch, our team thought it would be fun to have a water fight with the kids and the afternoon work crew would ambush them. So that afternoon during siesta, some of the other teens/college students of the group and me of course helped fill the water balloons.

We filled about 1500! There were three huge coolers of them! We all had blisters on our hands from tying them all! By then the kids were out of school and it was quite a big job to keep them from getting into it right then!

For games that day we played with balloons. We had some games planned to do with them but the games involved popping the balloons and the kids grew rather…. attached. 🙂 Instead they carefully untied the balloons and filled them with water and dumped them… on us. Today I was the “translator” of the group again.

After a while, the kids doing crafts came out and we played a big game of Shipwreck or 4 Corners. Whatever you want to call it.

During this time the work crew had gone and gotten water balloons and then went out to the sombrero and proceeded to ambush the kids!

Well after this, we brought the rest of the water balloons out and had fun throwing those around. The water balloons evolved into buckets which somehow turned into hoses and basically, everyone got wet! I was soaked, muddy (I had slipped in a mud puddle), and had a skinned knee (from slipping). It was pretty fun.

After washing up and hanging out with the kids some more, we went into dinner and then we played our USA vs. MEX soccer game.

I played midfield. They won, like usual. 4-1 But hey! We scored and they didn’t score more than 5! I would say Victory for us. I actually got the ball a few times and I didn’t kick anyone by accident. Good game!

By now, as you can imagine, I was tired and proceeded to go to bed. Ahhhh! Good night!

Your one and only, 🙂
Priscilla