Mexican Hospitality

Hola Todos!

Much has happened in the last week. I apologize that I haven't updated you within this week. However, I now have a lot to tell.

I will start with the latest happenings. Our team is in Toluca! God had Toluca prepared for us perfectly. Even down to putting a Christian woman, Gloria (good Christian name), right outside the taxi Seth and I were in. We didn't have hotel reservations yet, so I got out looking around for the nearest hotel to check prices and Gloria asked me where we were staying. I told her we didn't have one yet and she started giving me suggestions on where to stay. I then noticed her icthus necklace and asked her if she was a Christian. Since that question Gloria has taken our whole team as our own and actually took me and two of the girls with her to church this morning. Let me tell you, great church! They have helped us plan our service projects for our two weeks here and have a professor in the congegation who is going to help us get into one of the private campuses here in Toluca. That may not seem like a huge deal, but private campuses are difficult to get onto here. In D.F. we actually had several groups of people kicked off campus for sharing. The other half of the group went to church with the contact that we already had here in Toluca. I'm looking forward to see how that is going as well. Needless to say, God has blessed our time here already and we are all looking forward to see what happens the next two weeks!

We ended our time in Cuernavaca the right way! We kicked off a movement on the largest campus there! We also said some sad goodbyes to the soccer players who our team had a big impact on. Even though we had to leave Cuernavaca, God willing we will return and be able to continue to enjoy the friendships we made during our two weeks there.

Our team also had a great celebration to finish off Cuernavaca. Mack, the guy who is starting the movement on the UAEM campus, invited us to his house to celebrate and give me a Mexican birthday. It was quite a blast and I was extremely thankful for all they did for me and the group. We also had a chance to practice our salsa skills; which will come in handy down the road. Mack and his family took us all in as their own; which was more than we could ask for, but a blessing in the same.

All in all, we are ready for Toluca and will continue to pray for our new friends in Cuernavaca. I also want to make a day late shout out to my mom, Happy Birthday! I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to talk to her on her birthday, as I was able to talk to her and the rest of my family on my birthday. That is more of a blessing because both of my siblings had surgery on my birthday. I'm not finished with this blog, and will finish it when I have more time. We are going out with our contacts here in Toluca to watch some fútbol.

Regardos,

Caballero

Added 23/6

Last night was great! Our contact here in Toluca, Ruth, has a great family. It was nice to spend time getting to know them. God has truly blessed us and our lives here in Toluca should me much easier because of all He has done for us.

To finish the update on my siblings, my sister's surgery went well. Everything seems to be going on track for her. I cannot wait to be home and see her. Hopefully by then it will be a short time for her to be back out and about so she and I can be adventurous together, since it has become our new thing to do. My brother was also blessed with a successful surgery. I hope he heals fast because being the dancer he is I know that 6 to 8 weeks out of dancing will drive him nuts. Hopefully everything will heal right for him to continue his dancing and be able to join my sister and I on adventures. Needless to say, I'm missing my family because I know I could be a help at our house right now.

I have to throw this in here because I have yet to mention her, I am also missing my girlfriend as well. This time together has been a healthy test to our relationship and has brought us closer. I won't get to see her right away when I get back, as she will be in Hawaii with family, but it will still be a blessing to get to see her when we are both back in the continental US. She has been great at helping me stay on track during this trip through e-mails and our minimal phone/skype contact.

As God is blessing my family, my project team, and myself; I also pray that God is blessing you lives as well. Your prayers are working and I encourage you to continue to praying for our group. I'm certain that the only way God has been so focused on blessing our team is because of all the prayers we are getting from our supporters. Thank you so much for all you have done. Allow me to pray for you right now here in written word,

Heavenly Father, thank you so much for how You have blessed my family, my project team, and myself. I pray that you will also bless the lives of those who are praying for us, as they have been a blessing in my life. I pray that You will bless us all with good health and a daily growth in understanding Your love and compassion to us as followers of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Please forgive us of any sins that keep us from your straight and narrow path. Bless us all with the presence of Your Holy Spirit to guide us and keep us from falling off of that path. We are all dealing with seperate issues that you are using to teach us all about your great love and power. Give us the strength and courage Heavenly Father, that I know you can provide, to learn from You. Your Spirit provides us fruits in our lives through this perserverence. Heavenly Father, I lift this all up to You in Your Sons Holy and Righteous name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Regardos,

Caballero