Retreat in Fresnillo

This last weekend I went on a retreat with La Vina to another town in Mexico, Fresnillo. I rode up in one of the church's buses which we pretty well jam packed. The drive was about 10 hours long, and we had to travel through some very windy roads in the mountains for about 3 hours. The mountains themselves were incredibly beautiful, but Dave was not easy on us. He drove the bus like it was a sports car, so about 5 of the people on the bus were throwing up and such. Fortunately, I took some medicine before, so I didn't feel sick. We stopped occasionally to go to the bathroom, which was quite a funny experience for me. All of the women on the bus got off and went behind the bus and went pee. All together! I didn't expect this, so when I got off and saw them all, I was a little shocked. Dave just gave me a smirk and I walked over there to take part in this grand experience. It was pretty hilarious to say the least. On the drive, we also pulled over at one point and bough some gorditas to eat in a little restaurant. They each cost about 5 pesos (maybe 30 cents?) and were nothing like the gorditas we get from Taco Bell. They are like a tortilla that has been split open (like pita bread) and then they put any number of different meats, beans, etc. inside. They were so delicious! I couldn't believe that I could have a whole meal for about a dollar.

My Suitcase
When we got to Fresnillo, we went back to unload all of our stuff and found out that my suitcase and about 8 shirts and a pair of pants got burned! Yeah! There was a metal shelf behind the bus where we put all of our stuff, and Dave didn't realize it, but the exhaust pipe was blowing all the hot air right under the shelf, right where my suitcase was! This wasn't exactly the best start to my trip there! Fortunately, not everything was burned. In fact, I had about 3 shirts left, my pajamas, a couple sweat shirts, and all my toiletries and such. Whew! God knew exactly what I needed and saved that much! But, what a bummer that I had to throw away the rest of it :(.


The hotel we were staying in is owned by the church and isn't totally finished yet, but it's livable. Well, at least mostly. It's really kind of bare bones. In the room I was staying, there were about 7 women, 3 teens, and 8 small kids and only three beds and two couches. Most of us slept on the floor, including myself. Another problem we had throughout the weekend was that the hotel would frequently run completely out of water! And if we had any, it was ice cold. So, I didn't get a shower in every day, and on the days I did get a shower it REALLY woke me up. I definitely learned to appreciate some of the comforts of home from this trip.




The conference itself was AMAZING! The theme was Worship:Touching the Father's Heart. We had Andy Park as the guest speaker. He is one of the Vineyard's original songwriters from back in the day. He wrote ¨In The Secret¨, ¨Multiply Your Love¨, ¨The River Of God¨and many others that we still use this day. Each of his teachings were so powerful. I was profoundly touched this weekend. I think that partly I was just starved for a sermon in English and was so ready to hear. They had translators for all the Mexicans, but it was so great for me to hear his messages in English. I was really convicted of several things this weekend. First of all, I felt like my eyes were opened more to the incredible love of God and how much more I need to spend time just seeking Him and being filled with His Holy Spirit. I am so dependent on others for approval, but He is the one that I am to live for. I was really challenged by that this weekend. I was also encouraged because I saw once again how God could use me, even though I can be an emotional and spiritual roller coaster so often. God used King David and Peter, even though they were unstable at times. And, God chooses to use His church, Christians, even though He knows that we are all humans. I know I've heard that message before, but it was so good to hear it again and have my mind renewed.



I also had another amazing experience this weekend. One of the nights, after the teaching, we had a ministry time and I felt the Holy Spirit prodding me to go and pray for people. The night before I myself had received ministry, so I was very full spiritually from that and also very encouraged in my faith to pray for healing by a book I've been reading by Bill Johnson (When Heaven Invades Earth). As I prayed for people, I found my Spanish coming super easily during prayer. The first couple of people I prayed for didn't show anything on the outside, but I believe that God was doing something anyway, even if it was just in me. Then I prayed for another woman and after several minutes, she just fell backwards. I had to kind of catch her and ease her down to a place where people weren't standing. This was happening to several other people around us and it's something that happens sometimes when the Holy Spirit is ministering to someone. Another woman I was praying for had come to ask for healing for pain in her back. While I was praying and had my eyes closed, I felt her moving. So, I opened my eyes and saw her kind of testing out her back. I asked her how she felt and she exclaimed that she felt incredible! GOD HAD HEALED HER RIGHT THERE!! She was so full of smiles! I just couldn't believe that God had allowed me to be a part of that! I still have to keep reminding myself that that did happen and that I need to keep praying for people so that God can keep healing people and setting them free from stuff! I was so humbled by these experiences.

The weekend also provided an awesome opportunity to get to know the people from La Vina in a deeper level. I had a blast getting to know their kids. We even had a pillow fight one night, which was so fun! The kids were all super lovable and I got so many big hugs. It was awesome. I also got to know the women better that I was staying with. They are some pretty awesome people. It was just so encouraging for me to see how because of La Vina bringing the love of Jesus, not only are these women's lives changed for the better, but their children are starting out at a younger age knowing the love of Jesus and that will hopefully keep them from following the world into all sorts of troubling situations. What an influence we can have for the better! It was awesome to see that and it really encourages me that maybe me being here can do something to bless these people after all.

I feel so refreshed and renewed from this past weekend. I praise God for letting me be a part of it and a part of what He's doing here in Mexico! Be encouraged that even though we all fail at times, God chose us to be His messengers of hope to the world and we can have faith that He will use us. Step out there and don't be afraid. Put your fear and trust in God alone. He will use you.

Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Isaiah 58: 6-8