2011...so far so, not too bad

Well my year started off with my trip to Mexico and let me tell you, it was absolutely amazing! God showed up in ways I never expected. So lets rewind to pre 2011 and go back to December 2010. My mom and I always go to the Lambs Farm craft show in Chicago and this year was no exception, well at least that's what we thought.

December 2, my mom, sister and my friend Carrie pile into my CR-V and head to Arlington Heights, IL. Somewhat enjoyable 3 hour drive, with few exceptions. However we get to the Arlington racetrack, where the craft show was being held, and oops, the craft show doesnt open until the 3rd! Ugh are you kidding me???? We drove this whole way for nothing??? Seriously mom don't you look at a calendar to double check dates? Well apparently not. In that instant I was soooo angry with her, how could she be so dumb? But a few minutes later, after we had all decided to head to IKEA, it dawned on me that even though this wasn't MY plan, it was God's plan.

You see I had started to doubt wether or not I could afford to go on the missions trip to Mexico. I had more money going out than I had coming in and I just didn't see how I was going to be able to swing one more thing during the month of December. I had even asked a few people to pray about it and see if I am really supposed to be going. How could this not be for me? I had wanted to go on this trip for 3 years and finally it was in January when I could go, not in December when there was no way in the world I could go. I digress. Well, my mom had given me a good chunk of money to go to the craft show with, it was money that she owed me for miscellaneous stuff. And since I wasn't going to spend it at the craft show I now had enough to pay for my passport, passport pictures and what have you. Amazing how God works!

So I applied for my passport and paid for expidited shipping to make sure it arrived before we had to leave for Mexico on January 9. My passport came on Christmas Eve, there really couldn't have been a better Christmas present. I was ecstatic, it was real, I was going to Mexico. How did I pay for the actual trip to Mexico? My grandfather gives us all checks every year for Christmas and I knew it would be enough to cover the trip, so on December 26th I wrote my check to the Vineyard and I was all set. I just had to wait for January 9.

I don't know how to explain my excitement for the trip. It wasn't like getting excited to go on vacation, it was better. I was going to be the hands and feet of Jesus, I was going to get to do His work. Or was I?

Remember those prayers I asked for? Well no one told me I wasn't supposed to go, thank God! However, the Wednesday before we were to leave, I met a friend of mine before work. She said, Oh I forgot to tell you that when I prayed for you and Mexico I heard No. (What? You didn't think to tell me this BEFORE now????) But not no you aren't going but you aren't going for the reason you think you are, why do you think you are going? I said to be the hands and feet of Jesus and meet the kids I bought shoes for, what else could I go for? My friend replied, I don't know but you aren't going for the reason you think you are. Huh, so stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

What did that mean? Why was I going to Mexico?

Sunday we all loaded into the van, 10 of us, two to a seat, for a 30 hour van ride. That sure sounded fun in the beginning! HA! Actually, it was a fun ride, as fun as 30 hours in a van can be. You really get to know the people in the van that's for sure and those other 9 people mean the world to me! We hit some snow on the way down, but when we arrived in Mission TX on Monday evening, it was sunny and beautiful. Of course, this would be the only sun we saw the entire week!

Tune in tomorrow for what happened in Mexico!