I am now halfway through the 4th week here in Mexico, halfway through my time here at Casa Hogar Alegre. It is absolutely insane how fast time is going by this trip. But I am so grateful for that because I know our days are filled with purpose and making the most of every minute we have here. A typical day for me looks like this:

• 8-9am Group/individual devotion and worship time

• 9-10am Life skills class taught by our leaders or mentors here

• 10am-12pm Class time for college or courses

• 12-1:45pm Lunch and free time

• 2-5pm Ministry (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday- Coffee ministry, Wednesday, Friday- Orphanage ministry)

• 5-6pm Cleaning and free time

• 6-8pm Dinner and team time

• 8-9pm Free time/bedtime

We also have the opportunity to go to church on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and I have the privilege of helping lead worship on Thursdays! It's been a blessing to be able to get on a keyboard and do what I love which is leading others into the presence of God through music. There have been so many cool opportunities here and I feel like each day brings something exciting. Through the local church we've been doing worship with, we've had practices and gotten to know some really cool people who have even come and visited the orphanage a few times. We've decided that as an incentive for the kids to participate in English ministry, we are going to throw them a little fiesta/carnival with bounce houses, carnival games, prize stations, and they are so excited for it. We have gotten to explore some of Chiapas culture and attractions, visiting the Sumidero Canyon, San Cristobal, caves, and the Tuxtla town square. But more importantly than all that, I feel like there's already been a lot of growth in me even in these past 4 weeks.

Something new we've implemented this trip is team time, so essentially at some point every single day, 7 of us girls get together to do bible studies, to do check-ins, to have time for conversation, fun, prayer, growth, and Godly fellowship. It has been such a blessing and something I look forward to every day now. We each have different roles within the team and I am our "leader." It has been a bit of a learning curve, but I've been leaning on the Lord constantly for wisdom on how to lead and cultivate the community that He has in store for us, and it's been really cool how God has been moving. Each day I pray and ask God what He wants us to do and He shows up every single time. Whether He gives me a question to ask the girls like "How do you connect with God the most" and then we get talking and encouraging one another that God does speak and is moving, and encouring each other in the authority that God has given us to combat the lies of the enemy, or even if we have a fun night where we have treats, chit chat, laugh together, and just learn how to love one anotehr better, each time God is moving and it has encouraged me a lot recently. It has also been almost relief in the midst of the chaos of classes, ministry, everyday tasks, and all the other aspects of living on the mission field.

Part of this trip is education focused which is really cool and has been awesome for setting us all up well for the future, but it can also become almost a distraction or stressor. A week or two ago I started using every class time to try and figure out what to do next after this trip ended, but I went from spending just class time on that to then thinking about it during lunch, and then talking about the futrue with friends after that, then thinking about it during minisrty, then stressing about not hearing any direction from God about my future, and then talking about it more with friends after dinner. It was this constant almost anxiety on my mind that I didn't even realize I was allowing to take root. So I talked with one of my closest friends Macy, and we realized we had to let it go and put it back in God's hands. She mentioned that by focusing constantly on the future we weren't able to be fully in the present and aware of all God is doing now, on this trip He has called us to for a purpose. So I had to have a mindset shift and this past week has been so much more peaceful and I have been able to be present in what God has here far more than I was before. I've been able to love these kids at Casa Hogar more than I thought I would. My heart breaks for what they have gone through and the injustice they have experienced in life at such a young age, but through God breaking my heart for these kids I have had more capacity to love them and model Christ's love.

Through all of this, there is the constant reminder for me to lean on God. To be obedient to what He is calling me to, to trust that His way is better than my own, and to keep Him first place in my life.

Prayer requests:

Healing for sickness, a good chunk of my team isn't feeling great and we only have a limited time here at the orphanege so we want to be fully healthy and able to do all that God has for us druing our time here!

The kids, these kids have gone through a lot so prayer for restoration in their lives and that they would be open to the love of Jesus we are sharing with them.

That my team would all be present and able to walk hand in hand with God through our time here, not rushing ahead of what we are in now.

Here are some pics from the last weeks!