MAY!

so it has been almost a year... is seems so long ago that i went to Mexico and came back c changed person. Que the exciting music... and school is almost over! Pretty exciting! i cant believe frashmen year is almost over!! It is like three years until i am out of high school and into college! Yikes! Well so life has been just like, well... life. School, Church, Eat, sleep in there a little. yeah pretty normal but is there even such a thing as a normal day! So i am writing this while i am sitting here in my computer class at school... so i happen to be a little bit of an over acheiver in thic class. Thus i am done with all the projects and i still have like 4 days of this class and i am pretty bored not having anything to do. So i am sitting here beign bored typing this and probabaly rambling on and on. well have a good summer every one and keep it real!

Already the end of October

I can't believe that already almost 3 months have passed since i got back. It is has been a whirl wind of events since i got back. Life has been back to usual but i will never forget the great memories of that week in Mexico. At our church in Colorado they put up pictures from the trip with stories. When i walk by that wall it is like i go back to the day in Matamoros when that event happened. I feel like i am back with the kids at the church or worshiping with all the people at the Gateway from all across America who were there that week. Being in the dorms with the firls that i met from Nebraska. Who were some amazing young women after God's own heart. I can't wait to see if God has mission in my future again.
This week i was brought back to an event that lead up to the trip to Mexico. On friday night i got the chance to go to a Starfield concert. They are a worship band from Canada that i adore. They have a song on their new record that Is called I Will Go. Pretty much the song has the the theme of I will go serve where ever God plans for me. During the 24 before i left i was in shambles. I was broken down and just was scared to death about what would happen during this trip that was going to start within 24 hours. I went on the internet and i found the song I Will Go by Starfield. I listened to it and it gave me an overwhelming sense of peace. While at the concert i met the lead singer, Tim, and his brother, Jon, Who wrote the song and i told them this story. It was really great to have the chance to tell the people who helped me on this life changing experience know what that song did for me.
I love having the chance to to events that changed my life forever. Here are just a few pics from that concert.



Starfield performing the song I Will Go



Me with Jon and Tim from Starfield. The Guys who wrote the song!




Ok so a while ago... back when i got back i said i would post pics. So here are a few.


Some of the Neighborhood boys!

A few of the girls on the Team

The Beach in South Padre Island Texas

My Friend in the luggage at the airport

The whole team from Colorado

The dorms at the Gateway... where we lived for a week

This is a pig we found in the Colonia

An abandoned church in the neighborhood we served in.

Hope these pictures give you a glimpse into what happened during the trip!!!! Continue praying for the church and missionaries around the world!

~Heather

The Return!

Hey everyone!!! I got back Saturday night! It was a very bitter sweet end to an amazing week. I just want to start out by saying thanks to all of you who have supported me through prayers during the trip, the whole team could see an impact through those prayers. Thanks a ton.
I really don't know where to begin with stuff about the trip except that God showed me a lot. Two major things that God showed me was...
1. What a community of believers is supposed to look like. It should look like that when a brother or sister in Christ is hurting we need to gather and pray for them and comfort then when they need it.
2. Trust God with everything. Not just the things that you don't think that you can handle. Trust God and when he say to go for it don't hold back... trust that God with catch you if you all, carry you when you don't think that you can go on, and that he will rejoice when you are strong in Him.

This was an amazing trip. Later i will post pictures and tell more about specific stories and such! But just THANK YOU!!! I can't wait to share stories with you about it all!

Changed,
Heather

less then 12 hours

Time really flies. So it was 6 months ago and i was thinking... will this trip ever get here... and now i am less then 12 hours away from leaving! Sheesh this is just s whirl wind with this trip. I finished shopping today and hung out with my mom. Then i just got finished packing everything about 45 minutes ago! Wow i am good. Well this is going to be my last post until i get back! I cant wait but i am very nervous! Wow is all i really have to say!
If you could please just shower this trip in prayer!!! God has said that no prayer is not important! Please just pray when ever you think about this! Pray for the people in Mexico that God will make their hearts willing to let us in! That God will do something amazing with us down there. Pray for The team that we will be one group representing Christ! Also pray for our safety... The 2 week team is friving to Harlingen to meet up with us tomorrow... the 1 week team is flying down there tomorrow... and for the safety while we are down there!!! Just what ever comes to your mind pray for it!
I can't with to tell all sorts of stories when i get back next saturday! This is going to be an amazing experience and i can't wait to experience it all! Hope you all are doing well and thanks so much for the support that you have given me throughout this whole preparation! With out you and God this whole thing would not be possible!!! Thanks so much!!!

About to serve in Mexico,
Heather

2.5 days till departure!

So i literally have 2.5 days left till i head for the airport and head to Mexico! And i have been thinking a lot about this trip. God has been revealing a lot to me since i decided to take a leap of faith and go on this trip. I believe that this is probably the biggest thing that i have ever let god take full control over. It is amazing to see how everything has fallen into place like the team, finances, travel, packing, and everything else that has to do with this trip.

Just Mondays it hit me that i am less then a week away from leaving the comfort of my home to head to where God has called me. I am scared and nervous about this trip but i also and excited and anticipating and happy that God has chosen me to reveal his love to the people of Matamoros. I think that it is amazing that God chooses people that are Broken down and know that they are a failure but can be complete through Christ. It blows me away that God uses the people that at time the world looks down upon to further His kingdom! God continues to amaze me!!!!!

Today i have been really stressing about this whole trip... like do i have everything, what if i can't fit all of this stuff in my luggage, what if i dont get to the airport on time, what if i cant find the leaders. I was seriously flipping out... so i decided to get on the computer check e-mail go onto myspace all of those thing that teenagers do. I decided to check out a bands profile on myspace. They are called Starfield. Their song have a up-beat worship driven sound. I was listening to this song on their player that caught my attention and it talks about Where God wantes me i will go... specifically it seems that they are talking about missions and just litening to the songs assured me that everything was going to work out with this trip. I realized that God is in Control. This is for Him and He will always be there and wont let me fall... God has had top show me that numerous time. Here are those lyrics...

To the desperate eyes and reaching hands
To the suffering and the lame
To the ones the world has cast aside
Where you want me I will be


I will go
I will go
I will go Lord send me
To the world
To the lost
To the poor and hungry
Take everything I am
I’m Clay within your hands
I will go
I will go
Send me

Let me not be blind with privilege
Give me eyes to see the pain
Let the blessing You've poured out on me
Not be spent on me in vain
Let this life be used for change

I wanna live for you
Go where you lead me
I wanna follow you

I wanna live for you
Go where you lead me
I wanna follow you

I wanna live for you
Go where you lead me
I wanna follow you

Send me!

Hopefully i will get another post in before i leave but if not thank you all for your support and prayers. God is good. I have a few prayer requests

1.Pray for the 2 week team that is in San Antonnio right now.

2.This has nothing to do with the trip but my neighbors friend's mom was killed in a car crash on Sunday night... Please cover this family with prayer, pray that God will comfort them right now

3.Please Pray for the team and we leave pray for the safety, unity, and anything else that comes to your mind!!!

YOu rock thanks so much!!! Hope you all had a great 4th of July!!

~Heather

and then there were 2... weeks

Sunday was the last meeting for the trip... it was actually a parent meeting but it was a meeting none the less. So we learned all the travel information.
The level 2 team is leaving this Saturday for Oklahoma them driving to San Antonio the next day. The next Staurday the level 1 team (my team) is leaving from DIA and flying to Harlingen. Then driving across the border to Mexico!! If you want to be in the know of what is happening on our trip here is some info on how you can do just that!

Option 1:
Go to www.adventures.org
Click on the link to the Mission Trip Reports.
Follow the links to the appropriate 2008 Matamoros youth group missions trip. There will be atleast 3 posts during the project!

Option 2: (Easier Option)
Call the info line
303-256-2907
The leaders will do their best to update it.

Yeah that is a much easier option!

Prayer requests:

Pray for Safety. One group is driving and the other is Flying So please pray for safety on the whole preject!

Pray for Unity! We need to be one group representing the body of Christ! Let us be one!!!!

Pray for the people of Mexico that their hearts will be open to what God is wanting us to do down there!!!

Thanks for your support! YOu guys all rocks and you have been such a blessing throughout this whole trip! I cannot find words to express my thanks!!

~Heather

Officially 3 weeks away!!!!!

So the team is 3 weeks away from heading to Mexico! (The two week team is only 2 weeks away!) last weekend (Fathers day weekend) The team had a Rummage sale. We made about $1300 which is pretty good and we are getting close to having all our funds. We have about $4000 left for the whole team which is really, really, really good!!!!! This trip is really coming together.

Sunday we had our final meeting of just the teams before we leave. It was 4 hours long and we got a lot done. While we are down there we will be doing VBS (Vacation Bible School) with the neighbor hood kids. Each group is getting a different story we will teach the kids each day. My groupgot the story about Bartimaeus the Blind Bagger. Which if you arent familiar is about a blind guy who encountered Jesus and he healed him. We we will teach the kids the story then We will teach the kids the a memory verse which is Psalm 121:2 Which says:
Mi ayuda vendra del Senor, creador del cielo y de la tierra.
if you dont know spanish it is translated into My help comes from the Lord, creator of the sky and land. so we have some games to help them learn. It is going to be a great thing working with the kids and investing in them. So we have all this fun stuff. My goup consisits of our leaders: Kristin and Gregg... then the team: Me, Cory, Joey, John, Marissa, and Luke. This is going to be a great experience.

We almost have all of our stuff for this trip. We have our plane tickets, everyone has their passports, and we are getting our Vans this week. This is working out!!!

If you would like to know more about what we are going to be doing in Matamoros you can check out this website:
http://matamoros.myadventures.org/
and it will tell you all the details about what we are going to be doing. It is very informative.

Prayer Requests:

-Unity of the groups that we will be one and work together.
-The finanaces for the trip we need as much as possible before we elaving, Pray that god will provide.
- That God will make the heat bareable! Biggie!!!!

Thank you all so much for your support!!!!! You are all so amazing and thank you for your continues support!!!!!!! You Rock!!!!!

P.S. Big Bad was a play that we put on for fundraising and we have been called for an encore!!! The encore preduction is going to be this Saturday the 28 at 7:00 at the Englewood campus: 3651 S. Colorado Blvd. tickets are $5 And consessions will be sold! Hope you can make it!