Saturday, July 4, 2009

a breath of Beauty.

Have you ever seen something so beautiful and exhilerating that it makes you want to cry in delight? This week we went with a team from Orange City (yes, it blows my mind that orange citian people find their way out to here, Croc, Mexico!), and we went to Mantecanas... probably the most lovely of lovliest places I have been to. To be honest, I had been tired already the first day (tuesday) the team had arrived. I snuck little naps in before and after VBS, and prayed for the week to go fast. When the group of 8 dutch people from OC announced they were going to go do the river hike up Montecanas, I knew that that would put me over my limit and probably be anything but enjoyable.

I was wrong.

So, this place called montecanas... take a 2 hour drive from Croc all the way through Monterrey, the beautiful city life all around you, and then, as the business slowly dwindles and bumpy roads become bumpier (there are no smooth roads in MX), you start to twist and curve and bump and slide down and up the mountains. A river starts to grow on the side, promising an adventure that is soon to come later on ;)
Finally we arive to the base, where we get out and start to hike up the river. This includes rock climbing, skipping around on rocks, and full immersion in the water at times when the paths dissapear. after 2 hours of hiking and swiming and climbing up waterfalls, the rocks dissapear and the river gets deep. It is then swimming up curent and climbing up more waterfalls.

3 hours into it, you come to the most beautiful thing ive seen. A cave; the river running through it and reaching its deepest parts. It's a long cave, so it gets dark and you can't see or touch the bottom. water drips from the top. the temperature drops. I don't think i've ever been so cold in Mexico. and so you make your way through the cave, until you get to another waterfall, climb up it, and then climb up ANOTHEr huge waterfall, and then get to the part where i couldn't get up. Sorry, but my arms can not pull me up this 20 foot waterfall. But it was all so beautiful. Im sure I saw hundreds of butterflies, tadpoles, frogs, and lizards. The water became such a wonderful turquoise the deeper it got on the way up. AHHH... and to think we might return next week because we have the week off :)

So yes, our time spent with the team from the OC was fun and in the end, refreshing. although my body is sore, and i have realized i have muscles that I never knew I had!And now we get the whole weeek off. I'm very tired, so it's good. We will most likely go up into the mountains, where it is cooler and we can stop sweating for a bit. Sounds energizing already! But really, all has been well. Again, God is steady, and always sends spiritual rain when neeeded. I only have 4 more weeks here, and know i will miss it greatly. My relationships with the locals are becoming so wonderful and beautiful. Not only is my spanish growing, but my love for the people here. I'm seeing that relationships are the main vessels to impact a person. My question to the Holy Spirit is how can I let him lead me more in my conversations and time spent here. I want to bear much fruit.

Thanks for your faithful prayers. They are ever so needed! PLease continue to pray:

~week of rest (i need this so much. we are all pretty tired from the teams, the heat, and energy spent on relationships.)
~ upcoming team of 40 people! that they would be free to "flex and flow" (most famous quote here in Mx)
~ that I would learn what it means to be in FULL comunion with the Holy Spirit, and to let him guide me.

I love you all! I'm expecting to go on coffee dates with all of you after the summer, so make sure to remember all of the amazing and beautiful things of your summer and how God stretched and changed and challenged you :)

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