Tico Tuesday, June 23rd

A New Adventure

Did you know Mexico is about 3x the size of Texas?

Tomorrow (Wednesday) I embark on a new adventure. Another chapter of my life story will begin. I fly to Mexico! I will be in Mexico City (known as the DF--Distrito Federal) for the next 3.5 months, working with Avance and the Centro Latino de Movilización (Latin Moblization Center). Avance is a ministry, language, and cultural immersion program for young adults who are considering a future in missions (generally from the US or Canada). The Moblization Center (known as the CLM) is a coffeehouse that provides coaching and spiritual direction to Mexican youg adults who are feeling called to missions and helps them get get involved in missions. I met the leaders of both of these ministries when I was in Austria for Spiritual Direction training in April. I am glad to have connections with a couple people in Mexico already and look forward to seeing my new friends again!
By the end of my time in Mexico (mid October), I hope to have clarity on whether or not God is calling me to move to Mexico and serve Him there. Will you join with me in seeking God over the next few months and asking him for guidance and clarity regarding my next step?
This has all been a big surprise for me...I never thought I would serve in Mexico, but God has made it clear to me I should check out a few of the ministries there. I know that God knows all, and that He is good and in control. It is my desire to grow closer to him in this time and for my will to be one with his.
Thank you so much for walking alongside me and for your support, encouragement and prayer!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, June 16th

Artfulness

When I was little, I wanted to be an artist. My parents got me a few art lessons and actually still have the framed painting of my take on Van Gogh's Sunflowers on the wall. My painting/drawing skills haven't improved much since then, sometimes I think they have even deteriorated, but 8th grade art and the Arts in Civilaztion course I took in college have given me an enormous appreciation for art. In college, our InterVarsity staff worker gave those of us on the leadership team notebooks one year, and allowed us to select if we wanted one with lines or without. I, of course, chose a lined one since I am a lines and structure kind of girl. But, our staff worker also encouraged us to draw in our notebooks: we started with Ephesians 1 (that's a rich one!). I am now surprised at how many sketches of spiritual reflections I have in there...not many, but enough that I wish I'd chosen a notebook with no lines in it! Like I mentioned in my Chronicle, the trip with my mom really did leave me wanting to express myself in a more artistic fashion, and I guess my point today is that doing artistic things like writing a poem or making a drawing are good and can be very worshipful. I know some of you already know this far better than me. I have a friend who often includes poems she wrote in her missionary updates. I'm not sure I'll be so bold to do that, but I want to encourage you today: what is that thing that you keep in the back of your mind that you like to do but don't do hardly ever? How can you worship God through your hobbies and other things you like to do? Or maybe you need to cultivate a new hobby. Will you take 10 minutes today to consider this and worship God in a creative way?
I leave for Mexico a week from tomorrow! Please keep praying for me as I prepare to enter a different (but related) culture, different Spanish vocabulary, and meet with potential future coworkers! Thank you!
Love,
Carrie