Update Newsletter!

Well, anyone who sent anything to MTW and is on my prayer list will soon be recieving a hard copy of this, but for everyone else, here is the infamous "update newsletter" : ) Enjoy!

Summer 2009
Dear Family and Friends,
Thank you so much for your prayers and support during my summer in Monterrey, Mexico. I can honestly say it was one of the most difficult times of my life. It was very different from what I expected, but God used my frustration and homesickness to teach me about Him and myself. He grew me and stretched me physically, spiritually, and psychologically.

Our ministry was centered around coordinating short term teams from the U.S. These teams worked directly with several different church plants on construction projects, my favorite of which was at the Casa Hogar Orphanage, and VBS outreach. Our ministry with the Mexican church plants not only enabled them to minister more effectively, but also enriched the partnership between the Mexican and supporting American churches. My role in all of this was essentially to be a glorified team member with some other leadership opportunities mixed in.
Each week, I stayed with a different family depending on which church we were working at. This aspect of the internship complimented my favorite part of the summer – relationships. Staying with so many different people – from American missionary families to Mexican pastors and their families – and being in contact with so many people from both cultures on the work sites, was an unexpected blessing. I encountered many of these surprise blessings as God taught me more about myself. Going into this internship, I thought that I didn’t like meeting new people. Well, this summer taught me that I really do! I also grew in leadership and confidence.

I’ve heard it said that you don’t really have a culture until you experience someone else’s – so true! Being immersed in another culture was hard, but completely worthwhile. The Mexican people are no longer a faceless nationality. Getting to know so many Mexicans so well caused me to view their culture in a completely different way – each person has a story, a personality … a face. I hope to use these experiences to share the Gospel in my everyday life, through word and deed, as I enter into my senior year of high school and seek God’s will for my college plans.

If you’d like to see pictures or read the blog of my summer, check out stephinmex.blogspot.com and stephinmex.shutterfly.com. The password for the Shutterfly account is monterrey.
Thank you again for your part in making this summer possible. I couldn’t have done it without you.
God bless, Stephanie Willis

Well, I thought clearing customs in Atlanta on the way in would be the hardest part of my journey...I thought wrong. My 4:00pm flight was canceled, so I was put on a waiting list for a 9:40pm flight that night. That flight was delayed until 12:30am, but there wasn't enough room on that flight...soooo...since I'm not old enough to get a hotel room apparently, I got stuck in "Dusty's Den" - the childrens "holding" room for the night. Basically it was a bunkbed. Luckily rather than having to wait until 6:30 that night like I was originally told, they got me out of there by 9:30. Suffice to say, it was not the greatest day of my life.

I was never so glad to be back in my own home and in my own bed...Until...

that morning I woke up with what I thought was a mosquito bite- until I pulled back the covers to make my bed and discovered a brown recluse!! That's what I get for bragging about being healthy all summer I suppose. Still! The irony that nothing would happen to me in Mexico, but the very night I return to my "safe" home- I get bitten by an extremely poisonous spider.

My mom immedietely got me into the doctor, and she said it looked like a pretty minor bite, but gave me antibiotics just in case. Apparently, there's nothing they can do about the venom- the only treatment is to try to keep it from getting infected. Well in a matter of hours later, my "minor" bite had turned into a full-on infection that was tracking the vein up my arm and spreading too fast to keep up with. We started the antibiotics and on monday I went back to the doctor. By this time, it was much, much worse, having spread nearly around my arm. It also started to swell and it was really hot to the touch. Not only was it very painful but it itched like crazy! Anyway, two more doctors visits, 5 shots, and 2 courses of antibiotics and steroids later, my arm has almost returned to its normal color and the pain is almost gone. The blessing in all of this is that only the infection and not the venom spread. In the worst cases of these types of bites, the venom can cause the skin to break down and wound care is required- often leaving pretty awful scars. I thank God I didn't have to deal with that side of it.

So now I am home and (finally) well. I am immensly enjoying being with my family, eating Ameican food, and worshipping in English : ). Thank you so much for supporting me in prayer and encouragment over these last two months. Expect to recieve an update letter in the next month or two- I should also have lots more pictures up at stephinmex.shutterfly.com in a day or so. The password is monterrey.

Thanks so much for everything, Stephanie

The Homestretch

I'm writing to you all from Atlanta!

After clearing customs and immigration (I learned something new there- apparantly, a tortilla press is a weapon- who knew?) I took a shuttle to our hotel, which is across the street from the MTW headquarters where I will be completing debrief training over the next two days- and then I will be HOME!!!!

This past week was the same VBS curriculum - Rancho Avalancha - but this time with a twist. Outside. In a tent. The Americans invlolved in this week at Vida Nueva Church joked that this week would be for our sanctification- I think they were right : ). This week was especially significant because most of the kids (close to a hundred this time) involved were not from the church as in past weeks. Also, we added a women's otreach-devotional and craft- and a soccer outreach. The soccor was fun but we got schooled in the US vs. Mexico games- Men 5-1, Women 3-2. One of those points was my fault- appartantly you get penalized for using your hands : ). Oops...

Anyway, that week was very exciting- pictures will follow.

Please keep me in your prayers as I reajust to life in the US- I don't anticpate many difficulties :).

Rancho Avalancho Take 2

And so ends the second week of VBS. This week we were assisted at Cumbres Del Rey Church by the First PCA in Margate, Florida. This VBS was unique in that it catered towards kids all the way up to 16 years old. I was excited by the opportunity to work with the teen group, helping to make their experience as in-depth and fun as possible. These older kids benefited from recieving personalized lessons from the church's pastor, Pablo, and they seemed to get a lot out of them. The exciting part was that only one of the kids in our group attended the host church, so hopefully, through this VBS, the children and their parents will be encouraged to revisit the church for regular services.

As I begin my last week in Monterrey, I would ask that you pray for concentration and perserverance for me. I'm finding it harder and harder to concentrate on anything but what I will do when I get home. Thanks for your prayers and encourgaement during this time.

The younger kids enjoing a water balloon game. (Too bad the balloons were actually regular balloons and wouldn't pop : ) )

My Group making a craft. Go Rangers!

Our prayer time during the morning Bible lesson.

Rancho Avalancha

Well, we had our first team for VBS this last week, and it was pretty great : ). A team of 5 came from Rainbow PCA in Alabama to help out. The VBS was hosted by Casa de Dios Church and was made up mostly of church kids with a few kids from the surrounding neighborhood. The theme was Rancho Avalancha, or "Avalanch Ranch", and we did lots of singing, dancing, crafts, snacks and devotionals which all went along with the day's bible verse. The kids learned that "God is strong", "God is with us", "God is in control", "God is real", and "God is awesome". I had a lot of fun hanging out with the kids and they seemed to enjoy it and learn a lot as well.

God has been teaching me a lot about relationships this week. The VBS, and previously, the construction, are only half of what this summer is about. The short-term teams that come down are from churches that sponser the churches here and meeting with them and helping them with these projects is essential for successful partnership and relationship. For me, it's been amazing to get to know so many people, and realize that this is a "normal" country with "normal" people. I have loved realizing that teenagers, no matter what country they are from, speak the same language: ).

Kids praying after a movie

The devotional

Our Team : )

Different Perspective

If you´d like to check out another perspective on the work being done in Monterrey this summer, check out dansmexicostories.blogspot.com. Dan is the other summer intern working here.

Pictures of Monterrey

I thought you might like to see what Monterrey looks like. The city itself is very crowded and the houses are built out of cinder block and sit right next to each other- no real yards. Once you get out of suburbia and into the actual city, everything looks dirty. As a general rule, people drive like crazy- any rules are merely guidlines : ). Culturally, the city is very americanized with many familiar restaurants and businesses such as McDonald's, KFC, Blockbuster and Wal-Mart. Mountains surround the city and make for a spectacular view when the smog doesn't cloud them out.