Day 9 - Mexico Take II

Hey all,
I don't know if any of you will actually be reading this, since it's summertime and everyone has something else to do, but I figured I would keep anyone up to date if they were interested.

It's day 9 here in Cholula. I got here on the 11th at 9pm. I took the Estrella Roja from Mexico City to Puebla. It wasn't too bad, although I had slept so much on the planes that I didn't really get to sleep on the bus. I got to see Liz that night (she left the next morning really early). That night I slept about 12 hours, it was insane. I was tired!!! Then the next morning I saw my friend Pedro, which was awesome! We ate breakfast (4 tacos for 10 pesos = less than 1 dollar) and got some juice at the new burrito place, which was fantastic. The juice doesn't have sugar in it! yay! And it's the best juice ever!! Strawberry Orange! It's so good! Half a liter for 14 pesos, which is a little more than a dollar! I love Mexico! Can you tell?

I've been doing pretty well on my diet so far, just eating meals and hardly ever snacking! I'm proud of myself, because I think I've actually lost weight, which is a very different outcome from the last time I was here (hi +12, I don't like you).

Anyway, basically when I got here it was the week of rest for the staff that I joined because the semester had JUST finished and pretty much all the students cleared off the campus. Next week (Monday) classes start again for summer school, and it varies from 5 to 7 weeks of classes. (Although it's funny, a bunch of people decided not to do summer classes because it would be during the world cup and they didn't want to have to choose schoolwork over soccer - gotta love mexico, right?) Anyway, so a bunch of people will be returning to campus this weekend, but since last weekend it has been a ghost town, like seriously, it's hilarious! I have been able to go to church and see my friends and pastor and everyone, which has been truly wonderful! I also had the opportunity to spend more time than ever with the staff of the ministry I am interning at. This is also great.

This past week and a half has just been really awesome for me because I have gotten to sit down and actually to think about everything that has happened over the past 6 months. There are a lot of unresolved issues that I have been trying to cope with and understand, and so this time has been really helpful to me so that I can actually do that. It also is so wonderful to have people around with whom I can talk and communicate (I'm mostly referring to the Americans who are around all the time with me - the ones I work for, but Mexicans too, although a lot of my friends are gone for now).

Something that has been a real blessing to me is to see how a ministry works. As many years as I have been in ministry I have never been so blessed by a ministry that lives what they believe. The people at El pozo (elpozopuebla.org or for English speakers www.cmf.org - campus ministries) really know what they believe and strive to live it! I have not been part of a ministry that really wanted me to read my Bible everyday and if I didn't then I should not be ministering. I know that that sounds horrible, but I'm serious. This is really how it should be, and I'm so glad to have found somewhere where that's actually true. Same thing with my church here. I know how tired my pastor and his family are, but they read their Bibles and do their devotions regardless. Because they know in the morning when they get up they won't have anything to give unless they have been given their daily portion.

I am re-learning to be a Christian here, and to be a minister of the gospel. There have been multiple days where it's just been like, I feel like Becca - getting so excited about the gospel that I'm almost giggly and giddy all day long! I got so excited about the book of Mark the other day that Courtney (staff member) was just sort of confused on how to respond to me, like, that's cool, but wow, why'd you turn into such a girl?

I have been really, quite, blessed so far by this time to relax, do some reading, chill in the beautiful 80 degree weather, etc. It's just absolutely wonderful to see God like this everyday in everyone!

Thanks so much for supporting me, and praying for me!

I pray God's blessings upon all of you!!!

Love and God Bless,

Nora