When I was 16, our youth group went to Mexico. At the time, my brother Ben was in the Children's hospital at Vanderbilt and had just been diagnosed with CF. I had been staying at home with my 5 other siblings while mom and dad took turns staying the night at the hospital. So while I was glad to have a week to go be with other teenagers, I also felt guilty for leaving my family. Nevertheless, it was a great week of outreach and VBS and I absolutely loved being with those precious children! The last night we were there, the church we had been serving at, had a big BBQ and invited the neighborhood families of the children that had come to VBS. During that night, I somehow ended up outside by myself with 10-15 kids playing "Pato, pato, gonzo!" (Spanish duck duck goose!) That blessed me so much! They even helped me with my Spanish!
The summer I was 18, I had the extreme privilege of going to a different part of Mexico called Cuernavaca for a whole month, and stayed with some friends who were missionaries there. There was also a language school very near their house that I was able to attend for 3 weeks! I loved it because I was able to focus on only learning Spanish and didn't have to worry about taking English or Math...yuck! I so wish there was a school like that here! (I'd love to get Rosetta Stone someday!) While there, I helped Le'Ann, Haley, and Annie Downs teach English to several kids twice a week. Going to their church on Sundays was a little difficult since it was entirely in Spanish, but it was a great adventure. The Downs took me to several tourist spots as well and I got to see an active volcano called, Popocatepetl! We also hiked a couple miles to the top of a mountain to see an ancient Aztec temple. I'll post a separate note about that day, because it's a long story! I was so thankful to the Downs for taking me in to their home and treating me like family! I truly enjoyed the time that I got to spend with them and wish it could have been longer!
I haven't been on any missions trips in a while, but I still love to support others and have found another great outlet, Compassion International! Josh and I recently started sponsoring a precious 4 year old boy in Haiti, named Berdley Bernard! I wish I could find a way to post his picture on here! I'm working on getting a letter ready to send to him and can't wait to start getting letters from him! Such an awesome opportunity that you should seriously check into!
Lastly, I am so very proud of my sister, Mallory! She is going to be traveling to Kenya, Africa this summer for 3 weeks to minister to the people there! I love seeing how much joy she has talking about going and just being excited to go where the Lord is calling her to go. I can't wait to see pictures and hear her stories about all the ways that God moved through her and in her! She is such an incredible young woman of God and I am constantly inspired by her faith and love for the Lord! I am so honored to be her big sister! I encourage you to check out her blog she started to keep everyone informed about her trip! Mallory Taylor - "The Least of These"
Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
No comments:
Post a Comment