Day one has been absolutely breath taking!

First I got up and did some reading and praying, followed by a beautiful run with Merlyn and Mindy.  However, I thought my chest was seriously going to BURST – I could NOT breathe!!  They have been here for a week but I’m not yet used to running in this stinkin’ altitude – my word!!  but I made it and it was awesome.  We had a view of monstrous mountains the whole run and even passed right next to a momma horse and her baby on the way back. Ready for round 2 of that tomorrow – only Mike says we have to start taking a boy with us and the boy that got stuck with that job has super long legs so my short legs are going to be working overtime!!

breakfast – egg on tortilla – right up my alley –
we all eat together at this big beautiful spanish house the guys are staying in – and we eat out on this beautiful spanish style patio – It’s gorgeous 🙂
After breakfast-
we headed out on a beautiful drive up one of the mountains that is part of the Sierra Madre.  Now last week I hiked – and I THOUGHT that’s what I’d be doing this week, but eh eh!  This was, as I later learned, “bouldering” – way more intense than hiking, but not repelling.  It was off the chain!!  By far one of the most favorite things I have ever experienced in my life!!  We got to around 10,000 feet up  and when we got to the peak there was this one extra boulder that two of the guys made it up – but the side looked like a flat wall, I just didn’t think I could do it.  Well, Nate Dog gave me one quick challenge and I was on my way up it!  I have no idea how I got up there, but when I was on top – it was like nothing I had ever felt or seen before, you could see EVERYTHING for days!!!
Tell me, how could anyone see that kind of amazing creation and not believe in God.  I mean it was just color and mountains, and puffy clouds for what seemed like millions of miles and it felt like heaven was just a few feet above my head!  I was absolutely in awe.  I just keep thanking Him for what an AMAZING Creator He is…
Oh my goodness… I’ll never forget it 🙂

Well, we took our pics, and made our way back down and then onto the Ranchos…

We went to one village today and I’m already falling in love.  Wait till you see my pics – there’s this one of this teeny little boy with his jeans, shirt, belt, cap, and widdle boots on!! and it’s a backshot with his hand in his pocket – oh my word.  His name is Mario.  We played volleybal and soccer with the kids.  The ones that stick out are Saul who we let do all the vball serving for our team, Sergio, Alejandro, and of course Mario.  There were so many – I just wanted more time to go to each of them and say “Como se llama!?” 🙂  I wanted to meet them all and hang out forever, but I’m thankful for the time we got there.
After the games, but of course before the pinata – we all sat down and Guadalupe spoke to the kids about God and His love and how we want to come play with them just to show them and tell them about how amazing God is and that He loves them.  They were so interested and Lupe did such an amazing job – altough I only understood a tiny portion of what he was saying, his heart was easy to see.
Turns out, of all the kids there were only 3 that have bibles and there’s not a Christian church anywhere around them.  gah, I feel so spoiled.  We have everything within our reach and we hardly see how blessed we are.
I got tears as we drove away…

back to Jerez – where we are staying
we had a break
dinner – spaghetti
guitar strumming and praise singing, Haylie did the devo tonight – on trusting Him…
and then Mike invited me to sit in on the Chiva meeting. hmmmmm 🙂
It was so great to just sit and listen and discuss and challenge and get inspired as well as get a better vision and idea of the fellowship and heart Legacy Left and the people who work in this ministry.  At some point in the meeting, I turned to Haylie and said I’m not going home 🙂
I think Leeny foresaw that one.

Later, I visited the house next to where I’m stayng to hang out with the youth group that’s also here – we played spoons, drank caffeine, and now I’m about ready for bed.

Oh, so there are about 25 people here – all super amazing!  I’m really enjoying the people as well as the new experiences – and food too – yep yesterday I had goat for the first time, and tomorrow Tim and Nate Dog swear they are taking me to a true Taco stand – I can’t wait 🙂  And in the morning we’re supposed to not only catch, and kill, but skin a goat to prepare and take to a nearby trash dump or the prostitution village to give to the people because even though it sounds outrageous even as I type it, they will see it as a great gift – just to get to eat some meat…
wow.

I have many “spiritual” thoughts, but I’ll have to organize those…
for now I’ll leave you with the lyrics to one of the songs we listened to as we drove through the beautiful mountains today…

At the start
he was there, he was there
In the end,
he’ll be there, he’ll be there

And After all our hands have wrought
He forgives

Oh the Glory of it all is:
he came here
For the rescue of us all
that we may live
for the glory of it all
for the glory of it all

All is lost
find him there, find him there
After night
Dawn is there, Dawn is there

After all falls apart
he repairs he repairs

Oh the Glory of it all is:
he came here
for the rescue of us all
that we may live
for the glory of it all

oh he is here
for redemption from the fall
that we may live
for the glory of it all
oh the glory of it all
the glory of it all
oh the glory of it all

After night
comes the light
dawn is here
dawn is here
it’s a new day
it’s a new day
everything will change
things will never be the same
we will never be the same
we will never be the same
we will never be the same
we will never be the same

Oh, The glory of it all is
you came here
for the rescue of us all
that we may live
for the glory of it all

Oh you are here
with redemption for us all
that we may live
for the glory of it all
for the glory of it all
oh the glory of it all
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HIGHS –
running in Mexico
meeting Mario
volleybal and Saul
Mindy & Merlyn thinking I’m 25 (sweet!)lol
watching Lupe talk about God in Spanish
winning two games of spoons
the chiva meeting
by far – that bouldering business – wow! I hope I can find some of that close to home!!

LOWS –
mid – mountain – someone stole my water 😦  maybe on accident, but dang I was a tad thirsty!
losing at spoons haha 🙂