There are currently 10 people in the group of us who are going to Mexico. We live in different states, are at very different stages of life, have been taught different things by God -- and none of us knows Spanish very well. :-)

At our last meeting we went through all the normal stuff: the "get-your-passport-RIGHT-AWAY" speech, date and time for the next meeting, fundraiser and service project information. Then our leader said that she had been talking to one of the other team members earlier that week. That member had been noticing the same thing that I had been -- we are a group of people who hardly knows each other. When the leader asked her if she had any suggestions to draw the group together, she said we should share testimonies. So she did, two Tuesdays ago. She shared about how she had been searching for a purpose in her life for so long, until just a few months ago she turned her life over to the Lord. She said that right then and there, her focus totally changed. Suddenly she knew what she was living for, and all the mundane aspects of life were transformed into service for her Master.

Her heartfelt testimony that life without Jesus is no life at all was such an encouragement to the rest of us. To me, the freshness of a new believer's joy is a humbling inspiration. Jesus did just as much for me as He did for her, but in the day-to-day grind, years later, sometimes I forget just how much He has changed my life. As a group, we opened up to each other so that we could rejoice with her. And that openness allowed us to pray together with a oneness and sincerity we hadn't had before. Amazing how one person's story can make so much of a difference! So share 'em -- share your stories, your piles of smelly stones (see last post); ask other people how they came to know God or what they've learned in the past year... you can learn some really cool stuff!

On another note, I got to sub for 4 days this week. Two of them were in P.E., which I was dreading -- I had visions of students running wildly around the gym, pommeling each other with baseball bats, while I futilely shrilled my whistle. That didn't happen, THANKFULLY! I actually had a lot of fun, and got some exercise while I was at it because I ran laps and did crunches and push-ups with the kids when I could. Some fifth graders taught me how to swing the jumpropes for Double Dutch. I wouldn't even try to jump them, since I can harldy even jump one rope at a time... that aspect of my education was sadly lacking (although whether education could have made up for my coordination deficit is unknown!).

My college band also came through last weekend, so I drove the measly 3.5 hours to hear them play. They sounded good! And it was so fun to see friends again! It was a bit sad to see them all pack up on the buses and head out, thinking "last year that was me..." and "goodbye again" but these reminiscences can only go so far. Thank God for the happy parts and stop dwelling on the sad stuff.

And I'm now searching for a summer job. Filling out applications, printing off resumes, and writing cover letters that boast about all of my accomplishments is so tiring! But I need a job for the summer, so I'll try anyway. I just filled out an app for the state park near my house. That would be a fun place to work, even if my main job was cleaning out latrines. Some people (like me!) will do anything to be outside. ;-)