where did November go?
So I realized that I gave y'all a "sneak peek" of my mountain weekend, and then I never followed up and told you what we did! I am so sorry I left you hanging; I know you have all been waiting with baited breath. Anyways...I will try not to write a lot and bore you, but I have so much to tell you all!
Tanya invited me to visit her friend Abraham, who is a pastor in the Sierra of a Tarahumara (native Mexican Indian) church. Basically the weekend was amazing. Our adventure began early Saturday morning, and we made our way to the mountains. The drive was incredible, and the further away we ventured from Chihuahua, the more lavish and grand was the scenery before us. Once we arrived to Guachochi, our time consisted of unpacking, cooking, eating, and then visiting with members from Abraham's church. The home which we visited was teeny tiny, and the family had no gas or electricity, but rather a wood-burning stove for heat and two small candles for light. I was completely humbled to be welcomed into their lives, if only for a short time. And I confess I mentally reevaluated my "needs" and "wants." There are plenty of things I think I "need" that I really just want. The time of singing, prayer, and fellowship with these believers was so sweet. They offered us their best; they were cooking dinner, which consisted of meat and potatoes, and they allowed us to eat first. At one point, I counted how many people were in the small kitchen/den area, and there were twenty-two of us crammed into a very small space. But the funny thing is that it didn't feel tight. It felt just right. And get this: once we walked out of their home, it had gotten dark, and this suburban girl saw the biggest host of stars in the sky to date. It was honestly breathtaking...how great is our God?
On Sunday, we took a little mini-hike to an amazingly beautiful viewpoint of a canyon. It was incredible. I honestly have no words that will do it justice. Once again, we had such a sweet time there talking about the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord and admiring His beautiful creation. Once we made it back down, we went to church and were able to see some of the people with whom we had visited the night before. It was wonderful to see all of them again and also to hear about what the Lord is doing in their lives. After cooking and eating again, we took a little walk and then came back to have dinner with the most darling family. After they left, the rest of the night was full of laughter (and on my part, snorting) and games, sweet fellowship, and silliness.
On Monday, we had the day off from school and work because of a Mexican holiday, so we decided to go where the wind carried us as we took our time heading back to Chihuahua. These activities included taking the long way home through a touristy mountain town named Creel, renting a boat on a lake, and eating deliciously wonderful Mennonite pizza in Cuauhtémoc, a town about an hour or so from home sweet Chihuahua. Honestly, I cannot say I've had such a wonderfully restoring and refreshing weekend in quite some time. The weekend was such a blessing in so many ways. I am so grateful to Tanya for allowing me to be a part of her circle of wonderful friends and get to know her as not only my roommate but my dear friend and sister in Christ. I would not have gone on this trip if the Lord had not brought us together. Praise Him for knowing exactly what we need and giving to us out of His great abundance exactly when we need it.
Tanya invited me to visit her friend Abraham, who is a pastor in the Sierra of a Tarahumara (native Mexican Indian) church. Basically the weekend was amazing. Our adventure began early Saturday morning, and we made our way to the mountains. The drive was incredible, and the further away we ventured from Chihuahua, the more lavish and grand was the scenery before us. Once we arrived to Guachochi, our time consisted of unpacking, cooking, eating, and then visiting with members from Abraham's church. The home which we visited was teeny tiny, and the family had no gas or electricity, but rather a wood-burning stove for heat and two small candles for light. I was completely humbled to be welcomed into their lives, if only for a short time. And I confess I mentally reevaluated my "needs" and "wants." There are plenty of things I think I "need" that I really just want. The time of singing, prayer, and fellowship with these believers was so sweet. They offered us their best; they were cooking dinner, which consisted of meat and potatoes, and they allowed us to eat first. At one point, I counted how many people were in the small kitchen/den area, and there were twenty-two of us crammed into a very small space. But the funny thing is that it didn't feel tight. It felt just right. And get this: once we walked out of their home, it had gotten dark, and this suburban girl saw the biggest host of stars in the sky to date. It was honestly breathtaking...how great is our God?
On Sunday, we took a little mini-hike to an amazingly beautiful viewpoint of a canyon. It was incredible. I honestly have no words that will do it justice. Once again, we had such a sweet time there talking about the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord and admiring His beautiful creation. Once we made it back down, we went to church and were able to see some of the people with whom we had visited the night before. It was wonderful to see all of them again and also to hear about what the Lord is doing in their lives. After cooking and eating again, we took a little walk and then came back to have dinner with the most darling family. After they left, the rest of the night was full of laughter (and on my part, snorting) and games, sweet fellowship, and silliness.
On Monday, we had the day off from school and work because of a Mexican holiday, so we decided to go where the wind carried us as we took our time heading back to Chihuahua. These activities included taking the long way home through a touristy mountain town named Creel, renting a boat on a lake, and eating deliciously wonderful Mennonite pizza in Cuauhtémoc, a town about an hour or so from home sweet Chihuahua. Honestly, I cannot say I've had such a wonderfully restoring and refreshing weekend in quite some time. The weekend was such a blessing in so many ways. I am so grateful to Tanya for allowing me to be a part of her circle of wonderful friends and get to know her as not only my roommate but my dear friend and sister in Christ. I would not have gone on this trip if the Lord had not brought us together. Praise Him for knowing exactly what we need and giving to us out of His great abundance exactly when we need it.
Chillin'. On a lake. In a boat. Doesn't get much better.