10 Memorable Moments in Oaxaca, Mexico (from Days 1, 2, & 3)

On past missions trips, our team would meet together at the end of each day to regroup & decompress, with what we called "Highs and Lows" ~ this was a chance to share what God had taught us that day, what really made us smile, OR what made us cry, or was bothering us.  Then, we'd pray for each other & for the ministry, praising God for the things that were the HIGHS & asking for help with the lows.

I decided that I'm going to share with you my HIGHS & just keep the "lows" to myself (only to be shared with God & with those of you who ask).

So, these posts of HIGHS are for:
     * those who want the "short" version, instead of reading each day's diary page I've posted.
     * those who are interested in the HIGH points of my trip so far
     * those who just want a quick glimpse of what it is like being a volunteer missionary here in Oaxaca, Mexico

HIGHS of Days 1, 2, & 3:

* that God helped both of my laptops get here safely & Roy was able to fix the power cord that was irreparable (there are 2 because one is being donated to SIL)

* meeting the famous author of beloved children’s books, Harry Allard (I LOVE the Miss Nelson books!!!!)

* enjoying fellowship with 3 teachers from Oaxaca Christian School (toured a museum together that used to be the governor’s palace where we learned and played an ancient board game & saw beautiful murals, then went to lunch where I had my first taste of authentic Oaxacan food)

* sitting on a bed in Oaxaca, Mexico listening online to Pastor Joe’s Sunday morning message just a few hours after he had preached it at Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia = PRICELESS!

* visiting an impressive English Lending Library & ending up buying Thai food inside the library & enjoying it for supper (my first time eating Thai)

* relaxing with an iced mocha at The Italian Coffee Company, next to the beautiful Park of the Lions

* answering all of Rosa’s questions about my immigration paperwork in Spanish (It’s been 3 years since I’ve even attempted speaking Spanish & I was only a beginner even then…to say that I NEED PRACTICE is an understatement!!!)

* the encouragement and smiles that come from being able to chat online with Facebook with family, friends, & former coworkers  (IF you see me online on FB, FEEL FREE to open a chat ~ it's great to hear from "home" when I'm out of the country!)

* trying to keep a straight face when I got my pictures taken at a professional photographer for my immigration papers (He instructed me to be solemn, but I was giggling inside that I was an unattractive, sweaty mess with a swollen face and eyelids!)

* relaxing with feet up & watching the movie Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood with Julie & Roy (Although I’d seen it several times before, it was so much fun to watch it with people who’d never seen it before!)

Day One Diary Page ~ Getting To Oaxaca, Mexico from Pennsylvania, USA

Saturday, April 17, 2010
I want to say a gigantic “Thank you” to my prayer partners for praying over all the details of this day for me! There were so many steps ~ so many things that had to go right for me to catch my flights, make my connections… All in all, things went very smoothly!

My sister Jackie, who lives 5 minutes from our house, was in the kitchen making breakfast for me when I came downstairs! What a blessing it was to eat a warm meal & to visit with Jackie & my 3 nieces a bit before leaving for the airport! My Mommy & Daddy drove me to the Philadelphia International Airport, where we arrived at 10am.

I bought a BIG water bottle before the flight & sat next to a very nice Texan man on the flight to Houston, TX. When we arrived, they told us the tram was down, so we would need to walk. It was 35 minutes of walking & sweating & walking & sweating through the airport! I bought a jumbo diet coke & sat down with my sandwich to relax & cool down.

I hadn’t remembered that when you fly on one of these much smaller planes, that your carry-on suitcases aren't allowed on the tiny airplane. Instead, they tag them & stow them under the plane.  I had my laptop computer in the front pocket of the suitcase, because that is where it fit.  But, now that it wasn't with me, safe in an overhead compartment, during the flight, I was concerned that the laptop would get cracked or crushed by the other luggage in the belly of the plane. For 2 ½ hours, we flew down the coast, through thunderstorms & there was turbulence the entire way from TX to Oaxaca.

While on that plane, I had filled out the customs declaration form. But, I didn’t realize that there was ANOTHER form that I was supposed to be given while on the plane. It was a form for immigration, to receive the tourist visa.  When I found out there was a different form that I needed, I was standing in front of the immigration agent, dumbfounded as to what to do next.  Then, by God’s provision, a girl who had been sitting a couple seats behind me on the flight had an extra form. I remembered hearing her tell the flight attendant that she had an extra & the flight attendant told her to go ahead & keep it as a souvenir. Well, she gave me the form & I got it filled out & all was well!

Praise the Lord, I picked up my luggage & got through customs with no issues. Roy was right there to help me to the van & Julie was there at the van. It was so great to finally be there, to meet them, & to know that the day’s journey was almost over! It was maybe a 15 minute ride to their house? I called my parents when we arrived. (It was nice to hear their voices! Of all the short-term missions trips I had been on, I had never had the opportunity to speak with family from the field! So, that was a true blessing! I unpacked into the room they were providing for me, visited with them a bit, used the laptop, & got to bed about 12:30.