Reflections on Mexico (When I Fell In Love)

On my journal cover I made there is a sentence that says "When I Fell In Love". Each journal that I have I feel there is a word or sentence that defines the experiences written about in the journal. This sentence, for this time is "When I Fell In Love".
In going to Mexico in March I told God that I wanted to get back on track and grow stronger in my relationship with Him. The last two weeks I was in Mexico were challenging. I got a great group to work with the third week. They were from Canada, so much fun to be with, amazingly musical and ready for just about anything. (Even learning a skit and then performing it for the kids. They didn't speak Spanish and that was what language the skit was in. They did a great job.) I was again the translator for this team. I was tested greatly in translating during my time in Mexico this year and I hope I learned from the experience. With this team I was able to experience a small soup kitchen run by a woman who has a very big heart. The woman runs the kitchen with her own money as well as donations from the local government when the government gets around to giving out food. A frustrating part of Mexican government sometimes. Her family does not have much but God has provided greatly. I was so touched by her heart for the 25 children she feeds daily. She has the heart of God for the poor!
One of my favourite YWAM speakers, Phil Cunningham, spoke week three. He spoke on passion and purpose. The part that grabbed my attention was when Phil said "if you are passionate about Jesus, you need to be reading your Bible and talking to Jesus. It's not enough for you to be around passionate people but you have to act it out as well." I realized I haven't been living out my love/passion for Jesus, the person who I have given my heart to. My marriage to Jesus has been dead and I killed it. Thankfully Jesus is loving and ever willing to give me second chances. I need that! I am falling back in love with Jesus and it is a wonderful feeling.
The fourth week I was not with a team. I spent a lot of time being sick with food poisoning. The week I spent sick was a very hard week. The majority of our staff was sick. I learned the joy and peace of God during that week as I struggled through being sick as well as speaking Spanish and translating in sessions for our Mexican students. God talked to me in the time I was quiet and laying sick in my bed. He told me that I was not the person I was last year at this time. I also learned that I am in Wisconsin for this time and for a purpose.
Coming home mid-April, I felt a strong need to continue to rebuild my relationship with Jesus. I need a stronger, firm foundation for the next step in life. Our theme for this year was RE:ACT. The question posed by our speakers for the students was "how are you going to RE:ACT to what Jesus has done?" This question I posed to myself. There is a call on my life and on yours. One to do ministry (love others) wherever you are at. To love someone and share that love with them. Give them dignity and let them know they are loved. That is the challenge to RE:ACT.