What to say about life in this small ejido outside of Matamoros that I currently call home?  It is so much different than Ohio.  This culture is slower, more laid back.  People really know their neighbors.  The goat that sometimes wonders the property belongs elsewhere, but doesn't care.  He also believes he is a chicken and always stays with them.  Stray dogs, well all dogs here stray so...  Cousins are everywhere!  Now, when I think Mexico volatile weather, super hot, cold, rainy, sunflowers come to mind.  I am in a community of Jesus lovers and people lovers who are so dedicated, vulnerable, and honest, and it is all new to me, but I love it.

Anyways, let me tell you a little about what we have been doing so far.   For the first two and a half days of our stay here (after we unpacked and such), we were not speaking with anyone but God.  Solitude.  I know this doesn't sound like ministry, but it was our time of transition, a spiritual discipline that is necessary for all Christians in order to rely fully on God and not people.   

 

Later in the week, we began ministering in our family groups (my team is Uganda 1) to a specific family in the surrounding community.  The family we are visiting frequently consists of two children, mother, and father.  However, the father does not return home until after we leave, so we haven't had contact with him yet.  The lady of the house, and caretaker of the children and chores is Gris, pronounced Greece.  She speaks no ingles, lo siento.  Like us, she is young, 24 years old.  Sadly, she is quite lonely living only around her husband's family, so I believe even with my group's limited Spanish that she enjoys our company.

 

We also visited a children's home outside of Matamoros the other day, and yet again the language barrier meant very little to them.  People just need love.

 

I know that is a short update because I have been gone for over a week, but I would like to tell you of something important that I believe our team has claimed a recent victory over.  Spiritual warfare.  It is a very real thing, and it has been playing out in the physical realm for us this week.  We have had migraines, nightmares, restlessness, allergic reactions, infections.  There are just to many things going on to call them coincidences, and so our prayer this week is against those forces we cannot see, but have known to be real in our lives as of late.

 

Ephesians 6:12  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers, over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

 

I love you all and thank you for getting me to this amazing place, and these amazing people.  More to come soon, we are busy most of the time but today was different because the Tag and a couple other leaders were at the hospital with our dear friend, so I took another shower!  Slightly pointless here, you just sweat all the time.