Back In The Great State Of Texas!

Friday July, 10 2009

We are back in Texas! WAHOO! Unfortunately though we will not be home until tomorrow evening. We are at the church in McAllen for the night. You may be thinking you missed an email, but you didn't. I was too tired last night to write. With that said, let me tell you why.

We got up yesterday morning and left for the church as usual. We had the eye clinic until about 10:30 and then we started packing up. We had a few more people slip in as we were packing up, so we took care of them too. We got everything packed and then loaded up in 3 vans to head for the beach. We arrived at the beach around 12:30 and ate sandwiches that the ladies of the church had made before we left.

The water last year was nasty and no one got in it, so we expected the same this year. Wow! It was quite the opposite. The water was clear and amazing! I couldn't resist getting in, so I did! In my clothes, just the way I was. And it was so worth it! We played in the waves for about an hour, it was so great I can't express it.

Somewhere in the middle of all the fun, we held baptism. What an amazing sight! Its always great to see people being baptize, but on a beautiful sunny day at the ocean its fairly impressive. The baptismal in the church is created by mans hands, but the oceans in all their glory were fashioned directly by Gods hands. It is not something that I will soon forget!

Saturday July, 11 2009

To continue the story from yesterday, since I fell asleep writing it. After we left the beach we returned to the hotel to clean up and change and go shopping. We arrived at a local market in Tampico around 7. We spent about 2 hours walking around, shopping and eating food. I didn't see or find anything too spectacular but enjoyed the sights and sounds very much. On the square they had a band playing Spanish music. People were dancing around with each other. It was beautiful!

We woke up Friday morning and met for breakfast at a local restaurant. They had the most amazing pancakes I have ever had! After breakfast we loaded up in the van for the long trek home. The ride home was mostly uneventful. We stopped in Victoria to let brother Sammy out. He had left his truck there on the way down. His wife was coming to meet him and they were going on another mission trip.

We got a little lost, no, let's just say we took the 30 minute scenic route detour to the border. We did make it to the border though and had no problems aside from a very cute German shepherd finding some drugs in our trailer. Fortunately they had been planted by the police for training purposes. It did make things slightly more exciting though.

We went to the church in McAllen to unload our overnight luggage then excitedly drove to Golden Corral! I'm a huge Golden Corral fan to begin with, but after a week of eating beans and tortillas I was very excited. Salad and baked potato was exactly what I needed. We did a little shopping at Walmart before we headed back to the church for the night.

We left the church around 7:30 this morning and should be back in the big B around 6:00. I am very sad for the week to be over. At the same time I am very glad to be going home. I miss Eddie and my sweet fur babies.

I experienced some really amazing things this week. I saw our Lord work through the young and the old, through our team and the people of Mata Redonda. The one thing I think that touched me the most on this trip was the girl we almost left behind, Kristy. It was decided not to wait any longer for her the morning we left, but her parents ended up bringing her to meet us in McKinney. It was quite obvious she was uncomfortable and did not want to be here. She had recently accepted Jesus as her savior. Her parents are catholic, so this was all very new to her. A mission trip is exhausting and stressful for a "seasoned" Christian, but it really seemed like too much for her. You may remember that the first day of the eye clinic she was my translator. We really clicked and worked well together. Randy stole her the next day and I never got her back. Randy was examining the children and she really liked working with them. As the week went on you could see her open up. She ended up being baptized in the ocean with the Mexican people. After we left the beach we went back to the church to get the trailer and say our goodbyes. Kristy was crying, this is the moment I knew she would never be the same. Watching God transform this beautiful girl all week was worth all the work and money that went into this trip.

The events of this week bring me back to thinking about living the life of your dreams. it reminds me of a Switchfoot song. The lyrics say "Don't close your eyes. This is your life are you who you wanna be? This is your life is it everything you dreamed that it would be? When the world was younger and you had everything to loose". We have so many excuses to put off living the life of our dreams. When we are young we think we should wait till we are older, when you are established and have more money. When you get older you have a family, job, mortgage, obviously not a good time. Then you get even older and use the excuse that you have missed your time. You are never too young or too old to follow Gods calling. Nor are you ever too rich or too poor. When we are called to do something we are only expected to be obedient. It is not necessary to have all the details. When do dreams come? When you are completely surrendered to sleep. It doesn't require knowledge, hard work, planning, money or any special talents. All you have to do is let go. Can you let go and surrender, completely, to the God that gave you life? To the God that dreams for you?

For His Purpose,

Heather
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Dia Tres en Mexico

Wednesday July, 8th 2009

Wow, our last full day at the church. Tomorrow we will be leaving at 11:00 to go to the beach and have baptism and do some shopping and relaxing. When you look at what has been done here four days is an insignificant amount of time out of your life to invest in these precious people.

Right now I am in the church sanctuary where all the children have gathered to watch a puppet show. There are about 150 kids here at VBS today. Our kids would not attend such a primitive VBS. They would complain and refuse to return the next day, but these children light up! They are so excited just to get cut out paper hearts for name tags. They participate in whatever you do without question. They are certainly not perfect little angels, but much more grateful for what they get. I think everyone should consider raising their children in a poor country. How much more grateful they would be of their tremendous blessings in America.

The vision clinic was again breathtaking. We saw 211 people! That's more than twice the people we saw the first day. God has a mighty way of doing math, multiplication! He used it many times in the bible, and he still uses it today!

We are running out of so many of the higher strengths of glasses. Most of these will go for people to be able to see to read their bibles. Please pray that we will have the prescriptions we need to finish up tomorrow. If He can multiply the people He can surely multiply some eye glasses! You probably remember Kristy from the first day. She was my faithful translator whom was well trained in getting the info I needed before and during the exam. At some point yesterday she went to Randy Moores station to help him. She never returned. Randy is testing all the children and she liked working with them. So, now I'm trying to break in Leonardo. He's ok, but I miss Kristy. Thanks Randy!

In about 30 minutes VBS will be over for the week. All these precious children will go back to their homes where some of their families will not be Christians. Please pray they will be able to stay connected in some way to the church and be able to continue learning about our God. Jesus said to bring the little children to me. I am so thankful our church has been faithful in that call.

I am attaching a photo of the kitchen in the parsonage . The whole parsonage is about the size of the living room and kitchen of the Holly home. They are so proud and thankful to have it though. The cabinets and paint are new additions on this trip. As you know the kitchen is often the hub of the whole house and here that is even more so.

The sermon tonight is about being ready. Are you ready for Jesus return? The overwhelming message in this sermon is of course salvation. Are you spiritually prepared? Being on mission brings another meaning to my mind. I mentioned earlier in this email the insignificant amount of time it takes from your life to go on missions and yesterday I talked about living your dreams. You see, some day, maybe soon, Jesus is coming back. In this moment life as we have known it will end. Literally, time will stand still and all eyes will turn to Jesus. Soon after this we will stand before our Father and give an account of our life. Will you gladly give an account of the time you were given? Or will you stand in shame, remembering the dreams you never lived?

I look so forward to the day Jesus comes back. I can't wait to live in the glory of the Lord forever. Leaving behind the worries and pains of this world. I pray for that day to come soon, but at the same time, I have unfinished dreams. I have many things to account to my Father. Yet, I don't feel like I have lived my full purpose.

As I look around at the people of the church, my heart is gladened. So many of the people are wearing glasses in service tonight. They may be able to read their bible in church for the first time in years. What an amazing work I have been allowed to be a part of. Thank you Father for allowing me to be part of your dream for this church and these precious people! Do you ever get the feeling you were meant to do something? Do it! Make it happen! Joy is found in your purpose! Sacrifices will be made. Some greater than others. Some so small they may go unnoticed. All will be worth it. When you are standing in the middle of a moment and you realize your are in the middle of your dreams, you will be unable to control the joy you will feel. You will become addicted. Your life will never be the same. You will wonder why it took you so long to get there. But you knot it won't be the last time, you will do whatever it takes to be there again.

I always wanted to be a part of foreign missions. I never thought it would be a reality though. I look back now and realize that it was always part of my purpose in life to be involved with missions. It just took me a long time to believe it and live it. Now, I'm not calling everyone to be a missionary. Although I think everyone should experience it at least once in their lifetime. What I am calling you to do is to:
- Realize your purpose
- Live your dreams.
- Follow our Father wherever he leads you.

For His Purpose,

Heather
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Dia Dos en Mexico

Tuesday, July 7th 2009

Well, we have made it through our second day of vision clinic. Today of course was a little different than yesterday. We started this morning at 8:30 and worked until around 12:30. We saw around 160 people today! Amazing!

Things went much smoother today. We all had gained a rhythm yesterday and found it again easily. We began running out of some of our prescription strengths today. Unfortunately we ran out of some that were needed. In those cases, we would give them the highest power we had and if it helped we would let them have them. Twice today I had someone that I could not help at all. Their eyes were too bad. Its heartbreaking to turn people away, but we knew that would happen when we came. On the other hand, its wonderfully rewarding to see them suddenly see. Most importantly a lot of people have come to see spiritually. I don't have any exact numbers, but they are significant.

All of the things we are doing this week started as a dream. Whose dream you may ask? Gods dream. Now to whom specific he revealed it to I don't know. The original dream to be involved with this church began a couple of years ago. Two trips have been made since then and now we are on the third installment of that dream. It has taken many different dreams by many different people to get us to where we are today, but the dreams all came from the same place. Or rather the same person.

It is always so beautiful to me to see people working together to make dreams possible. People just rally together to help. They learn new things if needed. They give of their time and/or money. Sacrifice is not often associated with dreams, but few dreams are brought to reality without some degree of sacrifice. One of the greatest dreams ever, required the sacrifice of a fathers only son. The dream was that all people my have the opportunity to have eternal life.

We were created by a creative God who gave us the power to also be creative. Dreaming is a powerful way God allows us to be creative. All of your dreams put together can never come close to Gods dreams. Think of your most beautiful amazing dreams, now think what it might be like for God to dream. We are talking about the God that created the heavens and the earth out of nothing! Nothing! Often our creations are based on things we have seen, but God created from nothing! The bible says God has dreams for us. His dreams, not our dreams. How exciting! The creator of the universe has dreams for us!

When people choose to follow those dreams, something beautiful happens. What started as only a mere image in someones head has impacted an immeasurable amount of people. Both physically and spiritually. Jesus himself, during his missionary career met not only the spiritual but also the physical needs of people. In fact, it was brought to my attention this week that Jesus met the physical needs of people before he focused on their spiritual needs.

We should not try to limit our dreams to what we think is possible. Rather, our possibilities should be limited by our dreams. It has been a year since our first trip to the church here in Mata Redonde. It is so amazing to see how God has been able to take what we did and multiply it. If we are only willing to do what we are asked, he will do the rest. We can build, fix, hold VBS, pastors clinics and vision clinics, but only our Father can change their hearts. He could do it all without us, but he allows us to be a part of his dreams.

The service tonight was great. Brother Lyn conveyed the story of the prodigal son, or more importantly the loving father. It is so easy to focus on the son in this story. We focus on what he did and how he realized his mistakes and asked for forgiveness. But if you focus on how the father acts in this story you will discover the true nature of our heavenly father. He grants us the freedom to choose how we want to live. Unfortunately he does not shield us from the consequences of our actions. He does however wait patiently for us to return to him and then opens his arms and welcomes us back. He never asks us where we have been or why we strayed, he simply rejoices in our return. The saddest thing about this story is all the fellowship the son missed while he was gone. All the time he spent squandering his earthly wealth could have been invested in a relationship with his father. Precious time that can't be made up. What dreams are we missing out on by doing our own thing? Is it time to run back into his arms? How else will we be able to live the life of our dreams? Or more importantly, his dreams?

For His Purpose,

Heather
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Day Uno

We started today down by the lake, which I found out is indeed a lake and not the ocean. We had a brief meeting at 7:20 then we loaded up to go to the church.

Today was exciting. Simply put exciting. Its always exciting to do something new. Yet at the same time it can be terrifying. Ever since the opportunity of being part of the vision clinic in Mexico became a reality I have dreamed about it and looked forward to it. At the same time, this is new territory. Uncharted waters. I attended the vision clinic training, but let's face it, surgeons practice on dead people before removing their first spleen. Now, with that said, eye glasses are not life or death, but can be useless to their new owners if incorrect.

We had three examination stations set up. My interpreter was Kristy whom I had only met at the start of this trip. She was as scared and lost as I was and was of no comfort to me except for the knowledge that she wouldn't be able to tell if I was doing it wrong. Your interpreter basically administers the exam, you just change the power of the "flippers" back and forth until the person can see most clearly.

It started off kind of rough and slow. Its hard to explain to someone that both choices will probably be blurry, but one will be better and we need to know which one that is. That was Kristys battle. My battle was doing basic algebra in my head while being completely unsure of what I was doing. The basic principal I had grasped, but still lacked experience. If you don't believe God can use you effectively in anything he calls you to do, your wrong! By the time we were finished she could easily convey the instructions and I had dramatically sped up the "flipper" process.

For those of you who are completely unfamiliar with what we are doing, her is a rough explanation of the "flipper" method of eye examination. It begins with a basic eye exam with a flashlight to check for abnormalities and cataracts. Then you have these sticks or "flippers" with four lenses on the end. Each side has two lenses, a plus side and a minus side. Each flipper is a different power, 0.50, 2.00, 3.00 and 4.25. This is where the basic algebra comes into play. You use the positive and negative powers to create a whole range of positive and negative numbers. For example, you begin with the 4.25 and the 3.00. Put these together and you get either a plus or minus 1.25. From there you add the 0.50 to get a plus or minus 1.75. If this confuses you ill send you a club membership card. Not to mention the fact that it only gets more complicated from there.

The whole process as a whole is brilliant. Designed by an optometrist so that any idiot, including me, can perform an invaluable service for people who desperately need it. Created when he saw a need and realized finding doctors to fill that need was unlikely. This was a man of vision and passion. A man who saw a need and filled it.

After the vision clinic we had lunch, then a few of us came back to the hotel. That is where I am writing you from. I am sitting outside the hotel on a bench enjoying the sights and sounds of Mexico. I love to watch these people in their daily tasks. We have so many luxuries and conveniences in America, yet we are unable to simply enjoy life like they do. They gather as family and friends every day. Enjoying what they have.

The VBS group will be arriving soon. We will leave back out for the church around 6 for dinner and the nightly service. Talk about people dedicated to gathering to worship the Lord. They walk to church in the heat then cram into a small room with sweat rolling off of them and worship like they mean it. There may be a lot of sad things to see in this country, but one sweaty church service and you will know our God is here and that he reigns!

The day is now at an end. Dinner is eaten, service has been attended and showers are done. I'm renewed and ready for tomorrow. I have a room full of crazy girls being silly and rowdy. Sleep is coming soon though. Goodnight and God Bless!

For His Purpose,

Heather

Pictures- the lake by the hotel and an avocado tree outside the hotel.
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Travel Day 2 & Arrival

Well, as the day comes quickly to an end, I lay in bed ready for some real rest. Free of hard floors or bouncy vans. But, before the last few minutes of the day fades away let us turn back to the beginning.

The morning started around 5:45. We were to meet for breakfast at 6:30 and leave at 7. I got everything packed up, my teeth brushed and headed down for breakfast. But, let me spare you all the boring travel details.

We stopped to exchange money, then drove to the border. Had a few minor problems, but made it through. Thank you Father! Then we drove. And drove. And stopped to get gas and potty. Then we drove. And drove. And stopp.... You get the idea.

We arrived at the church around 5:20. It looked great! The roof they put on the education building in March was amazing! So many things were different, but still the same. Like we had only been gone a few weeks. Its amazing how quickly you can build a bond with a people and a place.

We ate dinner, beans, tortillas, and eggs of course, then headed in for the evening service. The church was packed and hot! It was great! Lots of decisions were made this evening.

Our hotel is great! Big and clean! A block off the water. I don't know if its the ocean or a lake, but it was really beautiful in the moonlight. I went for a short run with Lyndsay and Lacy Holly. Much needed after all the riding!

Morning will come quickly I am sure. We are to meet at the water at 7:20 for our morning meeting. After that we will head to the church for breakfast. The eye clinic begins at 9 and goes to 12:30. I don't want to tell you any more than that as details seem to change quickly around here. Hopefully there will be something slightly more interesting to share tomorrow. Until then.

For His Purpose,

Heather
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Travel Day Uno

I arrived at the church this morning at 6:30. We were told to be there at 6:30 so we could leave at 7. One reason I wanted to be there promptly at 6:30 was so I could choose my seat on the van. I chose the 4th row window seat, same as last year. Its not the very back, but its close. After loading my travel items on the chosen seat I took my suite case and bed roll and loaded them in the trailer.

We left the church around 7:20 headed for McAllen, Texas. One of the girls from the Spanish church was not there when we left and was unreachable on the phone. The decision was made to go without her. We were meeting up with brother Sammy at the Super Target in McKinney. At some point the girl contacted us and her parents brought her to meet is in McKinney.

So, we had a little time to hang out there. We went to the Starbucks in Target and got yummy treats, then we walked the parking lot for a little exercise. Christina arrived and we loaded back up and headed out.

The rest of the trip was long and uneventful. We stopped every 2 to 3 hours to refuel or use the restroom. We arrived in McAllen around 7:20. We went to El Casa Del Taco for dinner. Yes, Mexican food right before we go to Mexico? Doesn't make sense to me either, oh well! While we were eating, a man selling roses came around the table. Lyn bought one for Lissa then he left. Later another man came by and they were trying to get Tillman to buy one for Jewel, he said he didn't need to buy one because he hadn't done anything wrong! Ha ha!

We are at the church now. Waiting to have a meeting so I can go to bed!

Meeting is over. As usual, everything has changed and thrown us for a loop. Much prayer is needed as we are trying to rearrange all our plans now. We had originally planned to do the vision clinic in the morning, then the pastors conference, then VBS, as the kids were still in school. Now, we just found out that school suddenly let out and the best time to do VBS is in the morning. So, things are changing, but we know that the harder Satan attacks the greater the work God has in store!

We are meeting at 6:30 in the morning for breakfast, then loading up on the van at 7:00 to go exchange money and head for the border. Our travels have been good so far, please pray tomorrow goes the same. Pray also again for a vision. Adapting is always difficult, but impossible without a clear vision.

For His Purpose,

Heather
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Tampico Prep

What does it mean when your lying awake in bed at 5:45am and can't go back to sleep? Well, for me it means I stayed up until midnight packing for the Tampico, Mexico trip and still have some to do before 8:00 this morning. Yes, I do know the consequences of last minute packing, yet I still usually choose to do it that way.

The prep and packing for the Mexico trip is more difficult than the Peru trip. That may sound strange, but packing for Peru means you take the bare minimum you need to survive for a week and cram it into one carry on suite case. The 6 hour flight is the longest span of time that you have to entertain yourself and you get served dinner and a movie during that time. Mexico however means packing the bare minimum to survive into one suite case, then a bed roll for a stay over in McAllen, and most importantly entertainment for two twelve hour days of traveling. This is the hard part, because space is limited. I also have a travel rule that states that I should be able to carry all my things at one time. Many lessons were learned on last years trip and will be put into practice this time.

First of all, food. When being held captive by a van, boredom causes you to think about your stomach. This can be a really bad thing. Riding for 2 days and consuming junk food will make you feel less than good. Only take things that consumed in large quantities will make you feel refreshed. My travel food bag this trip consists of apples, oranges, whole wheat crackers, prunes, grapes, blueberries, peanut butter, oat bread, spinach, asparagus, and sugar free candy. These are things I can eat without feeling bad about later.

Second, media. An MP3 player is a must! Personal time on a van is hard to find, but necessary for sanity. The DVD player worked out well last year and will be utilized again this year. I was hoping to just watch movies on the MP3, but a lack of preparation thwarted those plans.

Third, comfort. Traveling clothes must be comfortable. This has never been a problem, but fashion is not even considered here. Stretchy shorts and a T-shirt are the best options. Pillows are vital if you plan to do any snoozing without waking up feeling like you have been run over. A large firm pillow works best as the road will be bumpy and a thin pillow will cause you to bump your head. Blanket, chances are the van will be too warm or too cool. Too warm and you have extra pillow material, too cool and you can cuddle up and be comfortable.

Lastly, drugs. Yes, drugs. Benadryl is your friend. It is the safest drug you can take and has many benefits. Not only will it make you sleepy, usually without making you delusional like a lot of other meds, its also helps protect you from anything new you come in contact with that may cause you to sneeze, itch, swell or break out into a rash. I did not intend to be doped up on benadryl last year, but after a bee sting on the first day that left my arm swollen and feverish for 2 days I learned a valuable lesson. Additionally, you want to pack your favorite pain medication. Everyone uses something different, so if one product works better for you, pack it.

Travel wisdom is acquired quite quickly, you learn what you don't need and what you wish you did have. Take notes and keep them in your suite case to make packing easier. And this way you won't forget something critical like your eye mask and ear plugs that you don't think about in between trips.

We pack the van at the church this morning at 9:00 with VBS, vision clinic, construction and pastors conference supplies and our main suite cases. My main suite case holds clothes to give the ladies there and food for the week and trip back. Our bed rolls and "overnight bags" will go in the trailer Saturday morning when we leave. I say "overnight bag" because mine has everything in it for all week. You learn to pack a lot into a little when you have an aversion to checking luggage at the airport.

I am getting excited, but am also sad about leaving my cats. Ha ha! Seriously, I will miss Eddie so much. He is necessary for my sanity at times. I will try to update every night with the days happenings. If you don't receive one, its very possible they are working us too hard! Please be praying for safety, health, patience, open hearts, willingness to adapt, quick travels and a vision. I listed vision last, because I wanted you to remember it. Mission work is futile without vision. Without a single vision we will all be working for different things. Although we may be doing different things we should all be working toward the same thing. Please pray that our Father will give us this vision.

For His Purpose,

Heather
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