Mexico, Florida, and Home Again

I'm convinced that with each passing month, time seems to go faster and faster. Yes, I've been back in the States for almost a month, and am just now getting around to posting on here. Life has been crazy!

July in Mexico passed with language sessions, trips downtown to the market, helping the missionaries, and visiting old friends. Before I knew it, the time had come for me to return to the States.

I left on July 14th to meet up with my siblings and some friends in FL where my newlywed sister Katy and her husband Jason are now living. We spent about 10 days there helping them fix up the house they are staying in, going to the beach, and just hanging out and having fun. What a blessing! Here are some of the pictures:

After about 7 hours of traveling, I was warmly welcomed in Orlando by my sister, brother, best friend, brother in law, and 3 friends!!! It was such a wonderful thing after being gone for 6 weeks to come back to people who know me inside and out. I love them! This is me and Jenny.


On the escalator on the way to baggage claim



Katy and Jason's house before we got it cleaned up. The guys installed flooring, painted and primed, and fixed up the living room and dining room.


Danny and Jim hanging out the laundry. I thought it was funny so had to snap a picture of these two :)


Jenny, me, and Ryan at Sonny's BBQ which by the way is one of my favoritest restaraunts!



Me and my happily married sister, Katy on our way to the beach


We went to an ocean side restaraunt one night for dinner in time to watch a gorgeous sunset. God is so amazing to paint those colors in the sky!



The guys got a little bit too much sun on the beach :)


Jacquie, Jen, and I on the plane ride home trying to look angry which wasn't too hard since we got less than one hour of sleep the night before! :)


Now that I've been home for awhile, people have been asking me the inevitable question "When are you going back to Mexico?" The answer is, right now I don't know that the Lord will take me back there. Every year after a mission trip, it seems I go through the same old thing where I don't know what step to take next. It can be frustrating. I'm sending out applications to a few different schools so we'll see what the Lord does. For this year, I am taking classes at the community college and working about 35-40 hours a week which is SUCH a blessing. My bank account was in need of some help :)

Thanks for all your prayers and support. I still haven't gotten the team pictures yet from Mexico but when I do, I'll definitely post them. Dios les bendiga!

FL Trip

Hey All!

I admit, this blog has totally fallen by the wayside these past 2 months. In my defense, I HAVE tried to post on here but my internet is lame and won't let me so we'll see how this goes :D

As some of you know, my family and a few friends went to Key West, FL this January for an evangelistic trip/ vacation. I am gonna try to upload some of the pictures from that time.


Our first Key West sunrise. Breathtakingly gorgeous!!!


My sister Katy and her fiancee Jason enjoying the sunrise. Don't they just look in love? :D



Open air ministry on the pier with Bill Welzein.



We got to go parasailing!!!! My brother Danny screamed until I threatened to cut his ropes :D It was SO much fun!



Jenny with an iguana she caught. The iguanas were GINORMOUS in Key West. One time, I was sitting on the pier so the ocean was in front of me and on both sides of me and Cody (one of the guys on the team) came and THREW an iguana tail at me!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With nowhere to run, I flipped out because I thought it was a snake. I am so abused :D



More witnessing at Smathers beach



At the Pacific Ocean. WAHOO!!!!!! The locals thought we were crazy for swimming in (only) 70 degree water. We're hardcore New Yorkers so we were constantly in the ocean :)



My super amazing, bestest brother ever. We had so much fun at the beach in Key West!



The group at our house before we began the long trip



We traveled through 11 states during our trip. Let's just say, 10 people in a 12-passenger makes for a loooonnnngggg trip. But it was good. We got to visit friends in VA and GA and also the Creation Museum in Kentucky. It was great and I have about 8 more states to add to my "have visited" list. (My goal is to visit all 50 before I die).

As for my plans for this year, I have the opportunity to return to Chiapas this June for another 3 week trip like what I did last year which is really cool! I also am planning to stay down there for at least 6 months after the trip for language learning and helping at the orphanage down there.

Last night I was up super late thinking (and worrying) about what the next step is and how the Lord will provide. Then this morning I had to wake up at 6 to work and for my devotions, I was reading Proverbs 16. I have been reading a chapter in Proverbs everyday as it corresponds to the date. So the first verse I read was "The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord." I kinda just sat there stunned then read further and in verse 3 it says "Commit your works to the Lord and your thoughts will be established." Ok Lord, obviously You are speaking to me and it's totally amazing!!!!! So what am I supposed to do? Commit my way to the Lord. and what does He promise? That my thoughts will be established. How cool is that!

Thank you all for praying for me. Please continue to pray for my guidance and to be sensitive to what the Lord wants for me. Also for the Lord's provision. Not gonna lie, it's scary to step out in faith like this even though the Lord has proved Himself over and over again.

Blessings!