Mexico Trip | March 14th-20th, 2014 | Trip Of The Year

I'm ready to go back.  I enjoy being home, but I could literally pack, drive 6 hours,and do it all again.

These past few months the concept of love has been at the forefront of my mind.  What is love?  What does it mean to truly love someone?  How do you show love accurately?  A small, four letter word, that has such a large and important meaning.

But really, what does it mean to love? Unconditionally, without boundaries, expectations.  The college Bible study that I'm part of just finished going through a series by Andy Stanley, the main subject of the series was love.  Jesus gave us a *new* commandment right before He left earth "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12 ESV)  To love as Jesus loved, is probably one of the most challenging tasks that we have been given.  He loved/loves unconditionally. Without boundaries. Without expectations.

As my understanding of love, and what it means to love, grows it was only fitting that I would venture to Mexico.  I've never experienced a truer form of love than what I experience when I spend time in Mexico.  Between the lives that we get to be a part of while we're down there, and the lives the we bring with us, the love of Christ is apparent, it's real, and it's tested, and pushed to it's limits daily.  Being able to maintain an attitude of love, compassion, and patience, while pouring concrete, shoveling rock, lifting bucks, hauling wheel barrows, and working the mixer, in the scorching heat isn't easy.  You are pushed to your limits, you're hot, sweaty, hungry, and tired, and honestly not in the mood to be *nice*.  Though the entire time we were at the work site doing those challenging tasks, I never once saw someone with an attitude of anything other than love.

Though the love didn't stop at the work site, it was spread through out the days, whether we were preparing for VBS, loading or unloading a trailer, hanging out, or even rooming with someone who wasn't the easiest to handle, love was there.

I know quite a few of the days that we were in Hermosillo, I wasn't feeling well I was taking medicine every four hours, and it wasn't helping as much as I wished it would have, and it was difficult for me to keep a loving attitude.   I found myself stopping to pray, and asking God to change my heart towards others, and reminding myself that I was there to serve.   Without fail, God changed my heart, and gave me the little boost I needed to keep my loving attitude going.

You would think that love would be easy on a missions trip, because after all you're going down to share God, and God is love.  But when you're waking up super early, and living out long days where bed time isn't till 11:00 and you only get 5 or 6 hours of sleep, for 4 days straight, it's not easy.  Not to mention traveling with a group of 51 people, things get tough, people bump shoulders, things don't always go as planned, and going somewhere takes 3 times as long as it should.

This was the biggest Youth/College Mexico Trip yet.  51 people, tons of new teenagers getting to see what a life changing, heart breaking, relationship growing, limit testing, best trip you could ever be a part of experience is like.  I have heard many of those people say that this was the best trip yet, and I'd have to agree.  I built new friendships, grew ones I already had, and was able to repair old friendships that had been broken for some time.  Mexico is great for that.  Building, growing, and fixing friendships.  What better atmosphere to do those things, than the Jesus loving atmosphere of  the Mexico trip.

With limited to no internet access, I had a lot of time to think.  Lots of things to work through in my mind, without the everyday distractions of life that was easy to do.  At times it got hard, and I wanted to come home, but pushing through and sticking it out was one of my better decisions.

So many inside jokes, and funny stories are now able to be told because of this trip.  I honestly (and people never believe me when I say this.) love the long car rides.  I would much rather ride in a car for hours on end, than ride in a plane for hours on end.  I love that riding in a car for 6+ hours forces you to talk to, and build friendships with the people in your vehicle.  I was able to build tons of friendships, create inside jokes, and just laugh at things that probably wouldn't be funny now, but were funny at the time cause we were tired.

I'm probably forgetting things, and there will probably be a part two of this post.  There was just so much that happened, and so many things that changed my heart.  Mexico trips are my favorite, and I look forward to going every year.  Mexico changes your heart, grows your heart, and ultimately captures your heart.  I know a large piece of me, and who I am is in Mexico.  I'm forever grateful for the adults who put together this trip, and are willing to work extra hours, stay up a little later at night, just to plan this trip, so our lives can be changed.  The adults who planned this trip, drove the vans, and just kept an eye on us, are one of the biggest blessings in my life.   I'm so lucky that these people were placed in my life, and I will be forever thankful for these trips.