Along the Way...: Laredo

I had the most amazing Spring Break this year. I'm incredibly lucky to have Christmas, summer, and Spring break off with my job. It made it really easy for me to be able to attend a mission trip with my church. We went to Laredo for 7 days and helped out a church plant there. Here are 2 emails that I sent out to my prayer team before and after the trip.....

Laredo 2013 Mission Team

Games with the Awana's kiddos

Hello all!

It's hard to believe that it's come up this quickly, but I leave for Laredo in 2 days! My emotions have been all over the place lately. It seems like they change daily! :) I've had some nervousness and worry, but the past couple of days I've felt pretty confident. But now as I sit to write this, I'm suddenly overcome with anxiousness. My fingers are shaking as I'm typing!
I want you to know that I am so thankful for each one of you that has committed to having me, my team, and the people of Laredo in your prayers. It is so comforting to know that we are being prayed over and thought of. Thank you also to those of you that donated money for my trip. I am completely covered and was also able to roll some of my donations over to my teammates. You guys are such a blessing to me.
There have been many preparations leading up to the trip. Trainings, meetings, shopping trips, and quiet times. Our team started our fast and devotions last Saturday. We were asked to give up something that ate up a large amount of our time. I initially chose Facebook, because it seems like I fill most of my idle time with it. In my mind, I kept telling myself, oh this will be easy! I could just get on Instagram or Pinterest instead! Well, that's not the point.... it shouldn't be "easy." So I gave up all of my iPhone apps.... Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and the games. It's been quite eye opening for me with just how much time I would spend "messing around" on my phone. I've been filling that time now with prayers, meditations, and devotions.
I wanted to share with you, my Prayer Team, some specific things to pray on for me.
1. Our safety. We will not be crossing the border, and I am not too worried about this, but the prayers won't hurt!
2. That God would go before us and prepare the hearts and minds of those we'll be speaking to. We know that WE are not able to save anyone. We are just hoping to share the good news with others and have their hearts opened by God.
3. Danny and Ruston. Pray that they stay busy and entertained, so that they don't have too much time to miss me! :)
4. The many family members helping out with Ruston. I am so lucky to have so many people to help out with Ruston. Please pray for each of them and their safety and awareness while keeping Ruston. I know I should not worry about this, but the devil is most definitely planting negative thoughts in my mind.
5. My anxiousness. Pray that I am able to get over the nervousness of this new situation. Pray that I am able to calm my mind and allow God to speak through me. Pray for my worry over Ruston and the things going on at home.
Thank you again for the thoughts and prayers!

Prayer stations set up inside the church

There was time for a little fun back at the hotel. :)

Prayer walking at a site the church hopes to purchase

Mexican candy

My stinkin' AWESOME roommates!

Hello, again! I've gotten to talk to most of you, but I just wanted to send a little note to you and thank you again for all of your support for my trip. I've been holding off on sending this, because I thought my church was going to post our testimonies online for you to listen to.

The trip was absolutely amazing and something that I can not wait to do again. We spent a good deal of time at the church plant that we were assisting. We would all meet there 1st thing each morning and worship, then meet back there during the evenings.

We did a lot of door to door work. We passed out invitations to the events we would be putting on later in the week. Sometimes that was all we were able to do, other times we were able to share the gospel with them. The majority of the people we visited were Spanish speaking, but we had translators with us that were fantastic. Most of them were the children that attended the church.

Our biggest struggle was with some of the Catholic church members thinking we were trying to convert them from Catholicism. It was hard to explain that it doesn't matter what religion you are. What matters is that you have a personal relationship with Jesus and know that He is the only way to get to Heaven. Nothing we do here will ever "earn" our spot in Heaven. We will never be good enough to "pay our own way!"

We also did a lot of prayer walking. We prayed over 2 different parks and the children/families there. We went to the border and prayed over the area. We also went to a building that the church is hoping to purchase to set up a permanent home for themselves. Right now they are renting a space in a shopping center.

Our last night there, we put on a big outreach event at a local park. We had popcorn, snowcones, made balloon animals, did some face painting, and had a gospel presentation. Our team also performed a drama about the formation of man, the temptation we face, and how our sin traps us and leads us further away from God.

The drama was such an emotional presentation. I cried like a baby when they performed it in the park. Getting the drama together was such a battle. I tell you one thing, Satan did not want it happening! Jamie was the original lead role. She ended up really sick, so I was the 2nd person to play the role. On my second day of practice, I injured my elbow and was unable to participate. (I spent the next morning in minor emergency getting x-rays! No worries, just a contusion. Still can't straighten it all the way, but I have a 30 day prescription of an anti-inflammatory and hopefully all will be well soon!) So Tahia took over as our 3rd lead. She ended up sick the next day as well! Luckily, she was able to rest and then perform at the park. Here is the link for the performance, I hope you'll take the time to watch it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgXQi8d-7co&safe=active

While we were there to help others and share the news with uninformed ears, I was surprised to find that I was also being challenged in my faith. We were asking some very direct, tough questions to the people we met. I found myself questioning my own responses and salvation.

I was baptized into the Baptist church when I was little, probably 9. But I did it with the rest of my family, just to join the church. There was no understanding of what it meant and no desire to follow a new path. I've struggled with this recently, because our Pastor has spoken several times about how baptism should happen post-conversion, and act as a symbol of your commitment to a new way of life. Without this physical symbol, I've let myself be taunted by Satan's whispers of not actually being saved. I really struggled during part of the trip to be confident in sharing salvation with others when I wasn't even sure I was saved myself!

I was able to share my concerns and fears with my Pastor on the trip and we had some very meaningful and uplifting conversations. I'm happy to share with those of you that don't already know, that I will be getting baptized this weekend! I'd love for you to come and celebrate with me.... It will be this Sunday, right at 11:00. I'm sure we'll go to lunch after, if you'd like to join us. Let me know if I'll be seeing you there!!