My Week in Mexico

I have not posted anything in a while. I wanted to post something about Mexico but the words weren't really coming to me. Not the ones I really wanted to attempt to express the magnitude of this trip. This trip was amazing and a completly new experience from 7 years ago when I went. God definately had a new purpose for me this time around. If I could sum up the week in a few words besides, "It was amazing" it would be "God is moving in Monterrey"

I was going to do a blurb for each day but I thought that would get a little boring to my readers. Of course it was exciting to me I was there. So I will high light the high points. We worked at 2 children's homes. Casa Hogar del Norte (CHDN) and El Retiro Juvenil (ERJ). I had been to these 2 before and I was so excited to see the counter top in the kitchen at ERJ. I helped build this concrete/tiled one after removing a crummy wood one 7 years ago. To see the completed project in use made me smile. We also took the kids from ERJ ice skating one day. It was so cute, some of the kids had never been and they don't get to do stuff like that very often so it was a fun experience to share with them.

CHDN has younger kids than the other homes on average. It is the only one that takes babies. They are always the ones we want to stuff in our suit cases and bring home with us. I helped build bookshelves for the new library that they are making for the kids.

But the best experience of them all was Cadereyta. Cadereyta was an impoverished neighborhood near Monterrey. I have never been touched so much by a place and by the people in it than while I was there one evening and then the next day to work. We went to a church there, just a plain concrete building, no paint, just a few small banners with scripture and some wooden benches to sit on. No distractions, no video games for the teens to play before the service, no cafe tables to congregate at. It was a night just for worship. I spent the first bit of time just observing, I didn't know any of the songs since they were in Spanish. What I observed were people passionate about the God that they serve, if they weren't walking with God they were passionate about seeking Him and passionate about praising Him in that moment. The Holy Spirit filled that place. The genuineness of the worship and the people there just tugged at my heart. Why you ask? Well I will tell you. First of all these people have next to nothing and they were in there on their knees raising their hands and praising God with all that was in them. They could have said that night "what has God done for me, why does he deserve my praise, I bring home $5 a day to a shack and sleep in the dirt" but that night they chose to Worship God and let Him fill them with the Holy Spirit, they stood their broken and wanted nothing more than to be with Jesus. This made me angry, not what they were doing but the comparison of what happens at home in the "American Dream" of a life. We go to our fancy church buildings, we take a shower and put on nice clothes before we go, we worship for 15-20 minutes and stand their with our arms crossed, some don't even sing. We are distracted about what nice restaurant we are going to for dinner after wards or who we might hang out with, we think about work on monday at our cushy jobs, we might be tired from the night or day before and just want to go home and sleep. What the crap people!!?!?!?! The people of Cadereyta put all their troubles aside (legit troubles, like how am I going to feed my kids) and praise God with 100% of all they have within them for hours because literally that is all they have in this world, they go dirty and smelly and yet if someone did that here we would judge them for it. But God loves the dirty and the smelly and loves their genuine heart. He is their only hope and they know that and they rely on Him for everything. After observing I had the opportunity to pray for a girl who lived in this place, I laid my hands on her and prayed for her and it is a moment I will never forget.

Over all I was really convicted, I felt a giant slap on my face every day. I sit at home in my nice apartment and I have a fridge full of food and a furnace in the winter, a shower, a bed to sleep in. And those are more of what we might consider necessities. That's not including, my TV, my computer, my phone etc. the list goes on. And yet I feel slighted because I am getting payed by unemployment (more than $5 a day, mind you) and not by a job. What the blast. None of that freaking matters, our life is only a vapor, stuff can't go with us when we die and God always provides.

So, now that you have ready my story, I would like to ask you to pray for the people of Cadereyta because they need prayer, the kids need prayer. Their only hope is Jesus. Pray that they would rely on Him and continue to rely on Him. Pray that seeds would continue to be planted in their hearts. Pray that God would always provide for them and for the Church that only stands because people have faith. When I go again I pray that church is busting at the seams with the people of Cadereyta giving their lives to Jesus Christ.

Thanks for reading.

Potato and Cheese Stuffed Chilis

This recipe was a fun one to try, it was not diet approved for me but did have some health benefits and was super yummy.It's pretty authentic Mexican. People don't consider potato Mexican because they don't have anything potato typically at Mexican Restaurants. However, Mexican's use it a lot and typically mix it in with the meat that they use for a taco or burrito etc.
So here goes.
3 large Anaheim or Poblano peppers or 6ish small sweet peppers (i used sweet peppers this time because the store I went to didn't have poblanos but I do know I have seen them before at other stores.1 1/2 C chopped sweet potatoes or potatoes (i did half and half and kept them separate because I wanted to try both.
1-3 TBSP of milk
1/3 C finely chopped green onion

2 teaspoons of Chili powder1 clove garlic minced1/2 C shredded asadero, queso quesadilla, Chihuahua or monterey jack cheese (most of these cheeses can't be found at your average store and the "mexican blend" supposedly has a mix of some of these however it is NOTHING like cheese in mexico sorry Kraft but that being said it will taste good in this recipe
1 egg white beaten
salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350. Lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds and membranes.In a saucepan cook peppers in boiling water for about 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain well.

In another saucepan cook potatoes for about 15 minutes in boiling lightly salted water. Drain, mash potatoes adding milk 1 table spoon at a time until mixture is fluffy. Stir in green onions, chili powder and garlic. Stir in 1/4 cup of shredded cheese and egg white.Spoon potato into peppers. Place peppers close together in the prepared baking dish. Bake covered for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle tops with remaining cheese. Eat and enjoy....

So many changes in my life keep happening

I believe music is very powerful in many ways. It can heal, make us remember, make us forget, change our perspective of time, bring us joy, and move us to tears. I have found all of these to be true as musician.

In the Summer of 2008 I was at a very low time in my life, I was depressed, I was not myself, I was seeing a counselor, I was learning how to adjust to things I didn't even realize I needed to adjust too. I wasn't singing anymore which is a true passion of mine and brings me immense joy. I found a chorus called Gem City, it was group of women who shared my same passion, it was a style of music that is so often forgotten that I grew to love in High School thanks to my inspirational director that spoiled me on quality chorus' and what good singing in a choir truly was. Through Gem City and the power of music, I got a little of myself back, even when I didn't feel like going because I was depressed I stuck it out and once I was there I was smiling. Jean Barford is truly one of the greatest directors I have ever worked with and probably ever will work with. She is the Ninja of Barbershop Harmony. I love Barbershop, I love Gem City and I love Jean Barford.

She has decided that it is time after 40 years to retire. I respect her decision but it makes me so very sad and I feel a little cheated that I only had the privilege of working with her for not even 2 years. I am at a low part in my life again although I have more support now than I did back when I joined I am so sad and beside myself that what helped me find me again may be no longer when I feel I need it most. I am so thankful I was able to go to Nashville with the chorus because if I hadn't I would have never been able to go to an international with the Gem City Chorus under the direction of Jean Barford. Some reading this don't understand how big of a deal this is but we were a family and so are the Sweet Adelines and they have been a big part of my life these last 2 years.

That is all.

19 Days and Counting

I leave for Mexico in 19 days and I couldn't be more excited about it. I get to eat real Mexican food, hang with some cool kids, feed the hungry, stand beside the broken. I must go!

Pray for our team!

In other news I didn't get that job I wanted and Trevor will hopefully hear some good news about his current career endeavors this week.