This year's mission trip was unique and wonderful!

Hello Everybody!

As most of you already know, I just arrived home from my 3rd summer mission trip to San Miguel de Allende in Mexico! It was AWESOME, as always! Everything we did this year was so different from the previous trips and every day was a new adventure. We lived at the top of the mountain this year instead of the bottom, which is good when you want to go to the Jardin (the garden in the center of town) because you walk down the hill. Unfortunately, you have to walk up the hill to get home :P But it was okay, we just got a little extra exercise!

The Pool family is adopting a 14 year old girl (Eliza) from the orphanage that we volunteer at and she was living with us while we were there. She is an amazing girl and I really loved gettting to know her for the 2 weeks that we were there! Because the Pools were doing their "bonding time" with their new daughter, I was actually the only one officially on a mission trip while we were there. It was different, but ended up being awesome! I went to the orphanage by myself a few times and got to spend some relaxing, casual, but good, one and one, up close and personal time with the girls! I can't believe that they are all growing up. It has been cool getting to watch them change over the past 3 summers! Melissa and I also had the opportunity to work at the school again this year, but instead of working with the girls from the orphanage (because they were on vacation from school) we got to meet some new little kids and got to help with the children's bilingual class! It was really cool! The Spanish School is a place where we have met friends, have been able to share our faith, and where we can be used every time we go to San Miguel. God has really provided a wonderful opening there for us. We also went to the animal shelter again to volunteer and actually fostered a couple of kittens and brought them back from the dead...really! One was adopted out before we left!

We also got to have some fun while we were there and submerged ourselves in the culture, which is always one of my favorite parts! During our 2 last nights there we all made sandwiches and went to the Centro and gave them to the old people who are always on the streets begging. It was awesome to see their faces when we asked them if they were hungry and if they wanted a sandwich! They were very blessed by it and we were also blessed by the ability to feed them :) To whom much is given, much is expected...that's what my dad always says.

So, that was my trip! Thanks again everyone for all of your prayers! You have made this possible for me over and over and I am very grateful for it!! I hope to spend a lot of my summer next year helping at the orphanage and volunteering at the school again.

Leyna