In July I went to Mexico to visit Jonathan, who was at the time leading a team of 4 other missionaries in General Cepeda. I have been on missions to General more times than I can count, not including how long I lived there, and I am still amazed by how much each visit blesses, teaches, and changes me.

In the middle of my visit a small group of seminarians and priests joined us from Maryland.  It was a group like no other, because we were blessed to have several priests on it.  Our week was focused more on evangelization than anything else. Instead of doing work projects that meet the people’s many physical needs, we had “evangelization projects” to meet their more important spiritual needs.  Each day, four groups went to a different rancho for 4 consecutive days and did their own catechism/retreat of their choice. After starting off our week in the rancho with mass and seeing that the vast majority of those who would be attending our retreat would be women, we decided on a retreat focusing on the role of women in the family, society, and the Church, using many of the heroic women in the bible as examples, like Esther, the Virgin Mary, and Mary Magdalen. Since their was also a large group of kids we had a separate vacation bible school type of ministry, and during the entire week Father offered confessions and then on the last day we had a healing mass. Each day was more blessed than the day before as I watched the chapel get fuller by the day as the women became more open to share and discuss with us things they were struggling with. For me it was an opportunity and blessing to form deeper relationships with the people I had met before on my many trips down, and for them it was a chance to learn their faith in a more in-depth way, drawing them ever closer to the fountain of Living water, filling them with the ONLY food that satisfies.

It was an incredibly blessed week and by the end of it I could see His Spirit moving in the lives and hearts of everyone there, but in a special way, in my own heart. The Lord’s way of teaching us is so foriegn to me. In the course of the retreat we were giving, the Lord opened my own eyes and heart revealing some of my flaws and weaknesses, things I had become blind to. He taught me about a different kind of generosity, a generosity that asks for more than just a few dollars to put food on the table, but instead asks for YOU. Your time. Your energy. Your ears. Your heart. Your undivided and unreserved love.

Smile Jesus loves you!!!

Drawing bible story pictures with some of the seminarians

Showing of their artwork

Prayer at one of the Ranchos

Making new friends

Do you see the size of that cactus?!

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