We found the ends of the earth…

....and it is beautiful!!

“Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”  Mark 16:15

We made it back to Louisiana on Saturday night; our time in Mexico was wonderful and so blessed.  During our time in General Cepeda, the people and the places of General really started to take its place in my heart.   This was especially true especially after we heard that it would be where we would be long term starting in January.

I was constantly blown away by the beauty that surrounded us.  The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, I had no idea mountains in the desert could be so majestic.  Everywhere we traveled there were stunning mountains, and the valleys were wide and striking.  The sunsets were often golden, like nothing I have ever seen before.  The pictures we took really don’t do it justice. I don’t think I will ever get used to it!

Once a week we took a “desert day”, where we would go out in to the desert for a few hours with a lunch and our Bibles, to get away, spend time together, and to pray.  God was so good, He was constantly assuring me that He would be with us, guiding us, taking care of us, and using us to show His love to His people in here.

 

Most of all I was blown away by the beauty of the people we reached out to.  Their openness, honesty and love are so apparent.  So often I struggled to communicate to them using words, but they were always so incredibly patient with me, repeating themselves many times before I was able to understand call over someone who could interpret.  There was one woman we met while we were walking one of the ranchos, inviting people to come and pray with us.  Josh and I sat in her home for about 20 minutes trying to understand what she was telling us.  I did not catch much of what she said, but I did understand at the beginning when she said, “Sit down.”  I was able to pick out an occasional word so I could at least guess at the topic of what she was trying to say, and at the end when she laughed and kindly said, “Spanish school”.  She was right, Spanish school is definitely in our future!!  

Our Thanksgiving was unlike any Thanksgiving dinner we have ever had before.  The full time missionaries sent out a general invitation to the community of General Cepeda, inviting anyone who would like to come to the mission house for a turkey dinner.  We had a bigger turn out than in the past years, and over the course of a few hours we served well over 250 adult meals, along with at least as many children’s plates.  We started with 5 turkeys (about 18 lbs. each) and somehow with all those very full plates served we still had about a turkey and a half leftover by the end.  It was absolutely incredible.  At the end of the day we kept doing the math trying to figure out how that actually worked out.  The lesson I learned, not just on Thanksgiving but over and over again, is that if the Lord sends us to minister to someone, I can trust Him to provide whatever it is they need, whether it is food, the energy we need to fill their needs, or the words to share His Love.  It is humbling and wonderful to get a first row seat to the miracles He kept working among His people in Mexico.  

We have about a week and a half left in Louisiana before traveling north again to spend time with family and friends for the holidays.  We are really looking forward to seeing everyone, catching up, and sharing the stories of what we have seen and experienced!! 

On that note, I am going to close with a little riddle….what happens when Josh tries to change “Hasta luego” (see you later) to “Hasta Enero” (see you in January)….”Hasta huevos” (Later eggs)!!!  I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time, and I would suspect neither has our new friends and mission team members Raul, Marta, or their daughters.