mexico!!!! [i'm not dead]: iamdrpepper

iamdrpepper

mexico!!!! [i'm not dead]

Jan 04, 2006 16:55

so i went on a mission trip to Matamoras, Mexico on dec. 25 - jan. 1. it was amazing. i left on christmas at 1 to meet the mission group in Lebanon, TN. we all boarded a charter bus and drove 20 something hours only making one stop at crackerbarrel for breakfast and short stops at gas stations. we got there and put our stuff in the hotel then went to the orphanage to get to work. we ate dinner then went back to the room. i was so tired cause it was practically impossible to sleep on the bus. i ended up getting up really early the next morning. we drove to the orphanage and had a group from the chicken coop come. i played jump rope with the kids then painted their faces. it was a lot of fun. after that, we gave out food and toys and called it a day. it wasn't too bad, we only saw a few hundred people. the next days were spent at squatter's camp and the dump. we gave out so many toys. it was so amazing to see the happy looks on those kids faces. i mean, they really have nothing down there and they were happy w/ just a hug or a smile. it made me feel guilty for all the times i've complained about things i want because i already have everything i need. we saw about 3000 people at squatter's, and 100+ got saved. it was wonderful. there's already an established church at the dump, so people [who had nothing] were really praising God. they were honest there too. they wouldn't try to steal our toys or take more food than they were given. it was easy to tell by their actions that they were in love with God. i also made really good friends on this trip. i miss them all terribly right now. we ended the trip on new years eve and i ended up spending the night in Lebanon with my new friends and going home the next day after church. God really used this trip to strengthen my faith and renew my joy. i was given so many things to be greatful for and he just really gave me a renewed passion for him. i felt his spirit and it was wonderful. i saw a man healed of a bowled leg and a boy's sprained ankle healed. gah, God's just so wonderful. i could talk about him all day. he's really made me grateful for what i have. anyway, here are just some of the pictures from my trip: