:: Come on Board :: Mexico Trip - Construction

I love my friends!

I have the worlds best friends! They are so supportive! Yesterday I spoke twice at Foothills Alliance and my girlfriends gave up an evening to be with me and support me. I am so thankful that I have them. Tomorrow is my accreditation interview and our pre-appointment interview, its 2 hours long!!!! It will be nice to have it over with then its time to get those lists going of what next!! Have a great day and if you think of us tomorrow please pray for our interview that we will have clarity and we would be able to communicate what is in our hearts.

love Sandra!

:: Our Journey from Sandra's Perspective ::

After our interview last January it became clear that God was giving us obvious guidance once again as to what we needed to do next. We had come this far not really having a clear sense of where we were called to go. But after speaking to the interviewer, he asked us what we believed our gifts were and what we felt called to do. We knew an answer to that question very clearly, we love people.

My heart is to see women come to a life changing relationship with the Lord, and to see women who already know him grow to deeper levels and experience new freedom and passion and purpose in their life. We were next asked if we would pray about Latin America, as our gifts and the needs in Mexico City seem to be a good fit for us. So we began to pray and ask God to clearly direct us.

Next we spoke with Paul and Cindy Enns, the Field Directors in Mexico, and before we knew it, we were being invited to come to Mexico City and meet the team out there and see the ministry first hand.

Well we have only been back a little under two months today and we have seen and experienced so much that its hard to know what to share with you. Mexico city is such a different culture than what I have seen in Canada. Mexico is 1/10 the size of Canada but Mexico City alone has 30 million people, we were told that an average of 1000 people a day make their home in Mexico City. As a result I learned some interesting facts about Mexico City. The traffic is indescribable … it is also the kidnapping capital of the world and you are also supposed to avoid the police when ever possible. Now that’s not too comforting…

My first few days there were overwhelming as I wanted to see exactly what God had called me to see in Mexico and experience…. but instead I found myself trying to get over the obstacle of seeing the danger and poverty and the spiritual darkness that encompasses the City and its people. I began to feel anxious and wondered how these missionaries feel safe here?

Later that evening, still overwhelmed with the idea that we were in Mexico City…I had some time alone and I just cried out to God, and asked Him boldly to speak to me because I needed to hear very clearly from Him in order to see why He had asked us to come to Mexico City.

I asked, I begged, I told God that I needed to hear from Him now because I knew I could not handle being there if it were on my own. I opened my bible to where I had been reading in the book of Daniel and there in my “women’s Devotional Bible” was a story entitled “Bold Service” The whole story was about serving God boldly in spite of fear. I think the best way to share how clearly the Lord spoke to me on this journey, is to read you parts of what I read.

“No matter what painful experience we undergo we must continue to pursue servant hood in a manner reflecting the boldness of Christ. To bear witness against injustice, inhumanity and other aspects of our brokenness in a darkened world.

Boldness is an all or nothing phenomenon. For bold servants have grown in their relationship enough to take risks in spite of fear. Acknowledging the specific ways the Lord wants them to serve; bold Disciples of Christ opt for decisive rather than hesitant thoughts and for daring rather than timid actions. Boldness erases the limits we allow fear to place on our ability to serve.

With boldness we not only see but act from the belief that everyone we meet is our brother and sister in the family of God. Deserving of respect, of dignity of compassion of giving. With boldness the unwanted and unloved become wanted and loved by us. With boldness we refuse to hesitate for fear that we may offend, that we may be in danger.

Having surrendered ourselves to God we dare to become Christ’s “slaves to all” by letting God use us boldly in Christian service.

After reading this I felt God speak to me, filling me with His presence. Where I felt anxiety I now began to feel God’s peace and where I felt uncertainty I now began to feel God’s direction leading me. The message was so clear that it was a turning point for the rest of my time there.
The ministry in Mexico City is quite new as they are still trying to figure out the best way to love and serve the people in this country.

I have decided that everything that distracts me from the joy of serving Jesus in Mexico is bottled down to my lack of trust and faith that God is aware of what my family needs. How can I trust God to be capable of saving me from an eternity and life of darkness but think that he is unaware of my earthly needs? I will continue to remind myself of promises like Luke 18:28-30 that says, I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.” It seems pretty simple when you look at God’s scorecard, He never fails and never changes and will never forsake me.

If the doors keep opening we will be leaving this August for Costa Rica to begin one year of language study and then we will be in Mexico City August 2008. I am totally aware of my need for your prayers as I continue on this journey to where the Lord is taking me. And I am thankful for each of you who would like to partner with us through prayer as we enter this new phase of our lives Thank you and God Bless you all.

:: Tortilla Soup Recipe ::

We had this for the first time in Mexico and it quicly has turned into my new favourite soup and appie.

Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS

4 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded

2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

4 (10 inch) flour tortillas

1 tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Combine the chicken broth, green chilies, tomatoes with green chilies,

onion, and garlic in a soup pot. Add the shredded chicken. Bring to a boil,

stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-35 minutes.

Add the lime juice, cilantro, cayenne, and cumin. Simmer for 10-15 minutes

longer.

Cut the tortillas into 1/2 x 2-inch strips. Fry in hot olive oil in skillet

until golden brown; drain on paper towels.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with shredded Monterey Jack cheese and

the tortilla strips.