We leave for outreach in 4 days.
I have to say that I am very excited for the challenges and experiences that outreach will bring. What I want most is to be present in every moment of outreach. I believe that not having expectations for outreach is going to make it more of an adventure. If I expected anything, I believe that it is going to be indescribably awesome.
I have enjoyed so many aspects of the Lecture Phase, that I can’t imagine how great outreach will be. I do prefer being on my feet more than being in class.
My team is made up of mostly females with only two males on the team including myself. The other guy is named John and after going on an intense hiking adventure with him last Sunday, I have decided I like him haha.
Here is a picture from our hike
We got lost but thankfully we survived haha. The experience as a whole, definitely bonded us. These last weeks in Mazatlan have been sweet. The past few days, I have really been enjoying being with a lot of the guys who I have made friends with who will be going on separate outreaches. I am trying to soak up every moment since I will not be with them for the next two and half months.
I have made friends from all over the world. They all have great personalities and I have no doubt God has great things in store for their lives. I do not foresee a bitter goodbye and I am so glad I have so many memories with new friends to look back on. From going to the beach, eating late night Mexican food, playing basketball, and going on crazy adventures with my friend John,. Mazatlan has been a true Mexican experience.
Mexican culture and the Spanish language have captured my attention and imagination for a long time and I’m so glad I came to see what it was all about. Mexico is a massive country and the culture varies from state to state. Maybe one day I will get to know and explore more of this beautiful and diverse country.
Our last week of lecture was about missions and evangelism and I am looking to see what God may have for me in the next season of life and in the future. I have been praying about it am so far the only response I have received from God is not to be anxious but to wait for His reply.
Every time I catch myself thinking about different situations and worrying about what’s next, I realize that God is not worried or anxious about what is next and He already has the perfect plan. It’s almost funny to me how God is so different from us and that He already knows what’s next. I wonder if God thinks about it like blueprints or if he likes to decide more spontaneously. Maybe my mind is just too finite to understand it all anyway. Whatever the answer is, trusting God is a lot of easier than trying to figure it out myself. When thinking about this is, God’s character stands out to me a lot. He is a rock and he doesn’t change. He is with us wherever we go and whatever circumstance we are in his word remains the same. He tells us not to fear and to be courageous.
I also know that I have so much more to learn about myself that I just need to trust God along the way to guide me where I need to be. Please be praying that I will be attentive in listening to God as to what is next for me.
I would also love to share more about specifics of the outreach. I don’t know much but I know that we will be in the Dominican for a month. During our outreach, we will be in the cities of Santiago, San Cristobal, and Santo Domingo.
In case you were curious, the Dominican Republic the first place that Christopher Columbus landed on his voyage to the new world. The Dominican is located on the island of Hispaniola. The island of Hispaniola is divided into Haiti and The a Dominican with a mountain range separating the two. Before their independence, Haiti was ruled by the French and the Dominican by the Spanish. The Spanish stewarded their side of the island much better than the French. The way these two nations treated the people and land has had lasting impacts. A lot of the roots of Haitian poverty come from the way French treated the people and the land.
We will be in the Dominican for a month and in Haiti for two weeks. We have a 17-hour bus ride to Mexico City on Thursday night. Please be praying for safe and smooth travels. I look forward to sharing more soon. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Because he first loved us,
Isaac
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