So, remember back before I left, I was going to try to write under a theme. The theme of “I Saw Him.” Well, I guess I have strayed from the theme a little while still writing how I saw Jesus, just not pointing it out, but I do want to tell you how I saw Jesus this past two weeks.
I saw him in the beauty of the mountains and rivers, in the faces and touch of the children, in the smiles and laughter of the people, and with our host family. We were the only team that lived directly with a host family. When I first heard that we were going to stay with a family, I was pumped! I love living with people and truly experiencing their way of life! We were blessed. Abram, our host father, and his family are in the process of building a new house next to their current house. They have one room finished and that was where we slept. It was on the edge of a mountain. Each day, the women spent the whole day preparing food for us. It was all home made Mexican food cooked over an open fire. At ever meal, we had fresh, hot, homemade tortillas. They even killed a few chickens for us and made a special trip to Palenque just to buy beef. I´m telling you nothing beats fresh squeezed orange juice from the tree outside or snacks from directly from the Tamarin tree. Not only did they feed us, but they did our laundry too! These women have a talent for this. We had tried to do our laundry by hand ourselves, but it is just not the same. We stuck our clothes in a bucket with shampoo, rubbed them around a little bit, and called it good, but after they did our laundry, I walked around the whole evening with my sarong around my shoulders and holding it to my nose because it just smelled SO good. Not only did they fill our stomachs and met our physical needs, but they loved us. They loved us as their own. Abram was always looking out for us and making sure we were safe. We became part of the family! We joked around with them and them with us! We played with their kids and created some great relationships! Although it was a little sad to say goodbye, I am confident that God will bless them and He will put many more people in their lives as well as many more people in ours!
