Méjico: El Viaje Comienza
On Sunday, there was an interest meeting after church for an upcoming mission trip. The destination: Mexico. I have gone on this trip before and I would go back in a heartbeat. The trip lasts eight days in the first weeks of January. It spans Friday to Friday, said days being used for travel. The remaining six days have incredibly powerful purposes:
- Spending time with kids in an orphanage in Poza Rica
- Throwing Christmas parties for everyone in the orphanage, orphans and staff
- Purchasing enough supplies to sustain the orphanage for six months
- Going to a local trash dump and providing food, clothing, supplies, and ministry to families living therein.
- Helping out around the orphanage in any way possible
I was able to go in January of 2013. I can say with confidence that that trip changed me. You never really realize how much we take for granted in first world countries. The water in third world countries isn't clean and is unsafe for foreigners. In a typical home in America, one person can have around twice as many articles of clothing than a person in a third world country. In America, we're so used to being spoiled. If we're out of a job, we have welfare. If we're out of a home, we've got shelters and government-owned homes. If we run out of food, we're provided with food stamps, soup kitchens, and food banks so we can eat. In a third world country, the picture is different. If you're out of a job, good luck finding another one. If you're homeless, you do the best you can on the streets or find refuge in a trash dump. If you're out of food, you're not sure where your next meal will come from, if you're even getting a next meal.
So, on Sunday, I was presented with a question: Do I go back or do I stay? My answer: I'm going back.
So, with this update, I announce to everyone who reads this that I am going to Mexico in January of 2015!
Of course, it isn't as easy as making a public declaration. I have the HUGE task in front of me that is raising $2,000. So to do this, I have written fundraising letters that I will be beginning to send out in the near future. Plus, once summer rolls around, I will be applying for a part-time job so I can make some money towards my trip. It's not going to be easy at all, but I know it's possible. It's just got to be surrendered to God.
So, I've got this long, nine-month road ahead of me. I can't wait to get on it. In Spanish, you say, El viaje comienza. In English, The journey begins.
-Isaac D.
Let's Start at the Start
First off, thank your so much for taking the time to look at this blog! Yeah, you could have easily overlooked this, but you took time out of your day to read a verbose introduction. I appreciate that and people who put up with my wordiness and scatterbrain thoughts in general.
So, what is this blog even about?
This blog of my way to keep up with giving updates about mission trips I'm involved in and life as it happens. For a taste of what I'm about and like to talk about, I love volunteering, performance arts, and missions work, domestic and abroad.
When do you update this thing?
I can't say that I update on a regular basis. Usually, I'll update once I've completed an important part of a process, something big happens, or if I just have something to say. It would be pretty boring to read a weekly blog with almost every post being something to the effect of "Nothing interesting or missions-related happened this week." I would rather write a few sporadic blog posts with meaning over a copious amount of regular blog posts that tend to be ho-hum at best.
This isn't the first official blog post. It's more like that preface you're obligated to read in the beginning of every novel you read for an English course. The first official blog post is directly above this one.
So, I Hope you enjoy reading this blog and I hope you have a blessed-like-crazy kind of a day!
-Isaac D.
