Teddy Bear

Sometimes in this blog I will write about moments that I have experienced or seen. To protect myself and anyone involved in these happenings, I'll usually be using a variety of false names.

That being said...with this moment, I'm actually going to use real names.

In the summer I went to Mexico for a week with my church. We did Vacation Bible School and construction on two baseball dugouts, both in a par across from the church we had helped to build two summers past. As I told you in my first post, I love being there. I dearly wish I could go back soon. Even with the current violence and "swine flu"....just send me there, I'll go!!! When I was there this summer, I had amazing interactions with some of the kids there. It's harder for me to talk to the older kids closer to my own age for some reason. But there are so many little girls; they are the ones who really touched my heart. One young lady, who was actually...12, I believe, was in my memory from the last time I had been to Juarez. I had given her an orange hat I brought with me. When I saw her and realized who she was, I excitedly tried to tell her. Finally (with my limited Spanish after only one real year of studying the language) another team member helped me tell Veronica what I was trying to say. She didn't remember me, but none of them really did; it had been too long. The next morning, you won't believe what she did. Our whole team arrived at the church by bus several hours before VBS started. Far before VBS started, Veronica was there. And she had a present....for me. It was a small worn, white teddy bear, that was meant for giving at Valentine's Day (the bear held a red velvety heart in its hands). This is just one example of the nearly unconditional love and generosity I encountered in Juarez. If only in America we could all capture what those kids have...it would change our world. I look forward to sharing more stories with you about my short time in Mexico :). 

Dreaming of missions work, 

Lindsay Anne