It's funny that we all headed for Paradise Village after our ministry in Tepic to relax at the resort and rest, but I've found that it's only since coming home to the farm that I've really relaxed! Maybe it's that i had just seen how the Mexicans lived in the Indian Village and it was such a contrast, or maybe it was that i didn't really feel like I was in mexico anymore at the resort... or maybe I'm just rubbish at sitting on a beach and relaxing. I DID manage to totally scorch my body so that now I'm in a lot of pain and peelage! One of our friends from Tepic was able to come and bunk in our hotel room and she made the resort and driving around Puerto Vallarta a ball!
Since coming home, I've had a lot of time to just stop, listen to the deafening silence and think. The ministry that we had in Tepic was really awesome. In Trinidad, I loved the children; in Uganda, I loved the door-to-door ministry; in England, we got to go into schools and talk with year 10's seriously; in N. Ireland, I felt such a peace in the wee Anglican church and had a great time walking around inviting people to the drop-in centre; and in Mexico, I really had a sense that God was working through La Fuente and that I was just joining in where He was already working.
We had an awesome team of translators, and I loved hanging out with the kids and seeing them laugh as we played with the parachute. it was great to give them toys, and to try all of my ridiculous Spanish and laugh as I made a fool of myself! Life was really well paced, and I love the whole Mexican way of life in that relationship is important and things will happen when they happen. I killed myself laughing as, on Lili's last day at the resort, us North Americans planned on going into Puerto Vallarta - here was the idea: her brother would show up late morning, we'd go into the city, come back and swim a little and she'd be out of there by six so she could get a good night's sleep. She figured that was a good plan too, but put on her swim suit just in case we ended up swimming first... her brother got delayed, so she hopped in the pool... us three North Americans baked our brains out in our nice clothes and blow-dried hair while she relaxed and had a party with the kids... and then we eventually headed into the city, and she ended up leaving around 8:00 - it was just funny b/c we were so bent on our schedule, we totally missed the opportunity to just relax and have fun!
That's sort of the theme of my life - so caught up in schedules and plans for the future that I forget to enjoy life and the moment for what it is! My dad and I had a long talk today and I realized that I want results NOW, and to see the whole outline of my life in a moment... but really, I just need to relax and be excited about what each day holds and who God is outside of all of my scheming about TESL and learning Spanish and camp ministry and my travels and future!
It was fun - when I was in the lineup at Agricultural Customs Canada (to go home to the farm), I ended up chatting with a guy who was from Northern Ireland! I totally saw the Ulster hand on his bank of Ireland tee-shirt - but it was late and I was tired and it totally didn't click in! I was like "so... are you from the Republic or N. Ireland?" and He's like "duh, Northern Ireland" and I was like "oh right..." and then he looked at my purse and saw the Ulster Flag and he's like "how could you NOT know where I was from?" and it was one of those blushers... how dumb can I make myself look in 5 minutes or less??...so we went on to chat about the places I'd been in his country, but I couldn't think of any of the names of places b/c it was so late and to top it all off... as we walked out of the arrivals room, I got us both a little lost b/c I took a wrong turn! Yup, follow me! I know where I'm going in my airport! ah well... it was late.
So until next time, in the words of Lili: RRRRRAWK ON!
