.moments of grace.

       It all began with that email confirming the need for me to move way down South.
I prayed. I responded. I began dreaming. How faithful is this God of mine Who daily leads me into all truth, and equips me with more grace than I could ever ask for!
So, I arrived in Mexico a month and a half ago, ready to start the journey of studying language and culture, and of creating a new life thousands of miles from home as I knew it.

This journey has been an intriguing one so far: a wild conglomeration of joys, mistakes, growing pains, and unplanned blessings.

I love Mexico. Not a day goes by that I don't step back and marvel at the beauty of my life: a rich, captivating collage of blessings. I love being here. The colours. The smells. The sights. The sounds. The hearts. I am surrounded by beating hearts, and I love it. There are moments when I literally stop, stare at my surroundings, and break out in the biggest smile possible, because of the wonder of it all.

It's crazy, really. Why me, why here, why now? What do I have to offer the people of Choix, when I am such a work in progress myself? Nothing. I have nothing. I have no capacity to learn a new language, to minister to those around me, to cry with hurting hearts, or even to breathe. I am nothing. But God. He is the air I breathe, the lyrics I raise in praise, the joy I experience daily, the hand I hold out to the world around me. Whether in Mexico, Canada, or the ends of the earth, He is the Great I AM. That really is the summary of my existence. As I continue to learn Spanish, and continue to settle into my new roles here, I invite you to celebrate Him with me. Celebrate Him for the way He guided me through those crucial first few weeks of bonding with my host culture. Those weeks jam packed with language mistakes, new relationships, unfamiliar customs. I am thankful that those weeks are behind me, but they were good. I learned so much, and was stretched in ways I would not have imagined. I moved into the town of Choix (which will be my home for the next two years minimum, Lord willing) last week.

As I continue to settle in and discover what life will be like for me here, pray for His grace to flow out of my life every day. My weeks consist of a myriad of activities including ministering in surrounding villages, cooking, handing out many cups of water in a day (our "window ministry" :), helping out with Bible studies, etc. I am also loving getting to know the kids at the Casa Hogar (the Orphanage), and it blesses my soul to interact with them through talking, playing Soccer, etc.

An added bonus of it all is that I am blessed with an amazing team of warriors to fight this battle with.

The team: Casa Hogar caregivers, Church Planting Team, & School Teachers

(Suzanne and I. We are on the church-planting team together, focusing on ministry in the villages, as well as domestics and ministry at the team base here. This girl is pretty amazing, and she definitely makes my life richer!)

(Gen and I. She is the cook at at the Casa Hogar, and an incredible soul sister).

And now, for your enjoyment: photos of life as I now know it:

There is no way to express my gratitude for all the prayers you send up to the Father on my behalf! I know without a shadow of a doubt that they are carrying me through every day. Thank you for blessing my life so richly!

I invite you to magnify Him with me:

"Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples." Ps. 96:3

His Strength is Perfect

The adventure started off in a kitchen in the Concrete Jungle, with six weeks of daily preparation of food.

 It continued with a trip down south to my new home: an absolutely stunning country, a new language, a new culture; you know, all that good stuff.

 As I began settling in to my new life, I quickly became the object of much laughter here. As I struggle to master the arts of my new culture, trust me, there are plenty of slips and clueless moments to laugh at! My tortillas come out in odd shapes, I don't know exactly when and how to greet people properly, I am the new white girl in the village, etc. I knew that learning a new language was going to be, umm, interesting. I was right! :) I say funny things (although usually I don't even realize my mistakes till awhile later), I mentally construct my sentences before I say anything (yes, I miss talking!), I carry a dictionary and notebook with me everywhere I go, and I sorta gawk at people sometimes when their mouths create funny words/phrases that I am expected to respond to.

 

   I am beginning week three of my stay in Guadalupe, where I am immersed in Mexican culture and Spanish. I quickly realized how difficult it is to communicate with someone when you do not have a mutual language. However, I also quickly discovered that when Spanish is all you have, Spanish is all you really need. Is it easy? No, not by any stretch of the imagination. I find myself feeling like I am a lone sailor in a vast sea. Like a turtle on a racetrack. Like a beach ball in the snow. Out of the loop sometimes, struggling for words most of the time, wracking my brain constantly. However, through it all, there is a complete peace that I am exactly where I need and want to be. Because He is my patient Father, I can face every single challenge, learn from it, and become a stronger, better person.
   There are plenty of humour moments, like the time I was introduced to a bachelor relative of my host family, and promptly informed him that I really like him, instead of saying it was a pleasure to meet him! {insert blush}. I was kindly informed of my error a few days later, and was told that I had merely switched a few words around. Ah, the excitement of linguistics!
   There was great excitement at "my house" the other day when a friend discovered an armadillo and brought it out to show us. I was looking at this strange looking creature, and asking about the Spanish pronunciation of the aforementioned word. Funny how "armadillo" and "amarillo" (the colour yellow) sound so similar. I soon found them laughing when I unintentionally began talking about the "yellow" on the ground. :)

I am being educated in many areas of life, like making tamales. *delicious*

My daily life right now consists of studying language and culture, basically. This consists of conversing with my host family, visiting their friends in the village, taking notes, studying my Spanish textbooks, and many other things. Along with this, there is never a shortage of kids around who want to play futbòl (aka Soccer), and a myriad of other things. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for praying for me! I have felt it strongly, and praise God for what He is doing in my life and in the lives of the people around me. May you be blessed today as you recognize the opportunities He gives you to glorify Him. It's all about Him; it's all about His glory. 

All is grace.

"But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Ex 9:16

     Life with The  King is a journey; a beautiful journey. A daily expression of grace and surrender. A continual chain of growth opportunities and refinement. It is a glorious expression of the splendour of the King. It is also a collage of sorrow and heartache; of smiles in the midst of tears, of ashes being brushed away to reveal rare beauty. It gently nudges us to release our death grip on the things and the people we love, because He has called us to love Him intentionally, above all else. Life with the King is a life of adventure and peace, and I am ever grateful that He has captured me with His grace!

     Walking with the King prompts a response to His radical love. It prompts a crucifixion of self, and draws us to deeper levels of fellowship in His presence. It calls us to seek His face and walk in the light that He gives. For me personally, it has come to mean a surrender of "normal life" as it were, and an embracing of the dance He has called me to. It has caused me to say more goodbyes than I ever bargained for, and that is painful. There is something beautiful about those loyal, faithful family members and friends who know you so well and love you unconditionally. It hurts to leave, to commit them to the Father, and to learn to live life without these beautiful relationships.

  

 

    Then, there are moments of pure joy. A happy reunion with my soul sister who has been a vital part of my journey. A soul sister who has inspired me more than she will ever truly know.

New life. This dear woman became a mother recently, and it blessed my soul to reconnect with her, and meet the precious little bundle who stole my heart immediately!

 

 

This city amazes me. This mosaic of colours and cultures causes me to shake my head in wonder and amazement.

Our weekly custom of experiencing a culture other than our own was showcased in a traditional Bengali meal, complete with floor seating and appropriate dress. Amazing.

 

    I walk and I marvel at life here. The street vendors. The display of colours and styles. The fish markets. The eager salesperson. The slow-moving tourist. The frantic business man. The frazzled mother with a crying child. The love-struck couple. The lonely individual. The horns. The yellow taxis. The constant-ness. But, most of all, the eyes. They captivate me. They pull me in an beg me to see what lies behind them.

 

    She travelled to my city just to see me. :) How wonderful to walk these streets together, talk about life, and drink coffee.

    Little Italy. A crazy weekend due to the Feast of San Gennaro. We may have been on the verge of being trampled to the ground due to overly ambitious pedestrians; but nevertheless, we had a lovely time. We observed the celebrations, sampled Italian food, and savoured the moments of joy.

::How beautiful are the feet of them who bring good news::

 

    So the journey continues, with constant reminders of grace. We have entered week 3 of 6 here at the Training Centre. I eagerly anticipate my entrance into the South. Until then, this city is mine, and I love it. So blessed. All is grace.



Beauty in the journey: Transitions

I was 13 when He called me. Called me to a lifetime of being set apart, of giving Him everything. I was 13 when He called me to spend my life on His behalf, for the nations of this world. The journey has been a beautiful one so far; a journey of pain, of joy, and of grace. It has taken me from the little island of Grenada to the wide open spaces of Alberta, and it has been incredible to watch His hand and trust His heart. It doesn't stop here though, and once again He has invited me to be a channel of love, of His grace. Destination? Choix, Sinaloa. Date of departure? August 30. Well, kinda. The beauty of the journey is that there are pitstops along the way, and for me, this is New York city. :) I've been given the amazing opportunity to serve at the Mission Training Centre as a cook for 6 weeks! Excitement is high. Immediately following this time in NYC, I plan to travel to Mexico to begin a minimum of two years in the heat. :) He is faithful, and I am so honoured to serve in this capacity. So, here's to a month of tying up loose ends, maintaining relationships, and preparing for new stages of grace. For His glory.

The Whole Earth is Filled with His Glory!

 

He caught my eye as he sang. He caught my heart as he danced. His beautiful brown eyes looked at me and time stood still. My heart broke for him and the millions of others who walk in his very shoes, longing for love and attention. I stand here with so much to offer: a young heart full of the Father's love and redemption. A life full ahead of me, just waiting to be lived. I stand here and lift up my hands in surrender, asking Him to take these feeble instruments of peace and orchestrate miracles for His glory. I ask Him to pour His love through me into these precious children; the ones overlooked, the ones without father or mother, the ones without love.

 

 And I smile, because the beauty of the Father's face is perfectly reflected in the faces of these little ones.

 

From the Prairies to the Concrete Jungle: What an incredible journey! First off, when we reached the border, we were promptly informed that we were wanted inside. No worries. When we got there, they wasted no time in telling us that there was no way Alana would be allowed to cross into the US of A, and that there was only a slim chance that I would be. Well, that was not what we expected to hear, but we sat down and started praying hard! Long story short, after two hours of waiting, we were given permission to cross. We danced out, I'm pretty sure!
Fifty-five hours later, we walked off that last train, sweaty and in desperate need of a shower and sleep! The moment I walked out of that subway station into the New York streets brimming with life, I belonged (well, after the uphill trek to dispose of my bags was over anyway :).

 As I was lost in a sea of faces, and a hundred different sounds, prairie life was ruined forever! :) Those six weeks spent in the heart of diversity and culture were some of the best, most uncomfortable weeks of my life.

 Venturing out to mingle with people and share my story was stretching but an amazing opportunity to watch Him turn my weakness into beautiful displays of His strength.

   We became better equipped to go out and spread the Good News. We studied the history of Christianity, we studied current events in world missions, we studied effective ministry methods, we studied conflict resolution, and most of all, we studied Him.

     We laughed.

  We worshipped. We prayed. We cried.

 We stood together in thankfulness.

 

 We loved on the kids.

 She came all the way from SC to see me. :)

 

 

We watched a dramatic presentation of The Cross and the Switchblade in the Times Square Church.

We relieved stress through awkward games of Dutch Blitz. :)

I was pampered on my birthday!

We visited a Buddhist Temple.

We experienced new things.

I renewed old acquaintances :)

We saw new sights.

We basked in the beauty around us; the beauty that is often missed in a bustling city, but it stands to praise Him regardless.

 

 

 

I got to do all of this with the greatest friend a girl could ask for. Doesn't hurt that she's also my sister :)

And... we finished our Orientation with flair! I am incredibly blessed to know this dynamic group of people set apart for God. Trust me when I say that I think about you daily, and my prayers go up to the Father for you.

 

 

 

From the bustling city of New York, I went to the little town of Millbank, ON. Culture shock? I think yes! Had an incredible time with family there, and celebrated the beautiful cousin's graduation:

 

Following this rather momentous occasion, we traveled through a number of states, experiencing life on the road with Harbour Lights.

Finally, the beauty of Colorado welcomed us, and we were ready for adventure!

Ellerslie: a dream come true. Ever since I was a young teenager, I have read Eric & Leslie Ludy's books, and been inspired by their dedication to His glory.

 

They are my real life heroes, and I finally met them. In person. What a blessing! We spent the weekend studying the ins and outs of being set apart, completely sold out. Strangely uncomfortable, but the most exciting adventure of a lifetime!

 

                                                           We made more memories.

 

We met soul sisters.

We forgot to refuel our rental car, and watched God do a miracle for us, just because He loves His girls!

Two months after our eventful departure from the Wild West, we re-entered as stronger, richer women.

 

 

 

 

My amazing big sis and Mom threw a beautiful housewarming/welcome home party for us.

 

 

I got my Kenzi snuggles again... finally!

 

 

I came back to a broken car window. Odd.

 

 

 

 I have a fantastic little kitchen, which I was so happy to come home to!

 

What a journey, what an adventure! Thanks again for all your support and prayers as we travelled: God opened amazing doors, gave us incredible new friendships, enlarged our territory, called us to new heights, and mostly just blessed our socks off every day. :) If I could write about all the glory moments, inspirations, and humourous accounts we experienced, I would. But alas, time and space prevent this from happening. However, if a picture is worth a thousand words, this one best sums up how I feel about this trip of a life time:

 

 

  “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” Isaiah 6:3