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