I'M IN MEXICO!

After all the months of planning and preparation it feels so good to be here! Part of me still can't believe that I actually live here! God has been so faithful to me since I have been here and I feel overwhelmed by his goodness and provision in my life. We serve such a mighty God and I am humbled by the thought that HE chose me. God, The Holy Creator of life, chose me, loves me and has a plan for me! Wow! My mind cannot grasp the fullness of this love, but the more I seek Him and the more I learn about Him, the easier it is to trust in His goodness. Through the moments of loneliness and homesickness, I feel Him pursuing my heart and filling me with a constant peace. I know that I am right where He wants me to be right now. Throughout the crazy moments and the times of quite, I can almost hear him whispering, "Draw near to me my precious daughter and I will sustain you."

School starts on Monday and I am still trying to get used to the fact that I am a real teacher! This is what I have wanted to do since I was a little girl and I feel so blessed to be able to do something that God has given me such a passion for. As I have been setting up my classroom I have spent a lot of time in prayer for all of you who support me so faithfully through prayer, money, friendship and encouragement. I would not be here without each of you and the way that God has used you in my life! One afternoon as I was praying my mind drifted to missionaries all over the world and the incredible systems of support that God has raised up for each of them and he has been doing this since the first missionaries! That got me thinking about Paul and I was reminded of a passage that he wrote to his brothers and sisters in the church at Philippi. This is a passage that I have read many times now and it is my daily prayer for you. Paul wrote:

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you. I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident in this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains (Jessica adds: praise the Lord that I am not in chains!) or defending the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, fulled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-- to the glory and praise of God!"

I truly cannot thank you enough for the part that you have played in the work that God has called me to this year!

So much has been happening since I have been here and I cannot wait to share it all with you, but tonight I just wanted to let everyone know that I am safe and in the good hands of our Father. Oh, and I have only had one scorpion in my apartment!

I hope to post pictures of my classroom and apartment tomorrow! But until then, I pray your day is filled with the joy of the Lord that is not based on circumstance.

In Love,

Jessica