Back in early 2007, we received an email from a young woman in Michigan. L.N. was 17 y/o and had been surfing the internet looking for mission opportunities for the summer, and somehow she ran across our website. She inquired about coming to work in a Mexican village, noting that she had spent 2 weeks living and working in a Kenyan village last summer. She shared that she had been saving her money all year to be able to cover her expenses and was volunteering in a classroom with Spanish-speaking kindergarteners. She seemed like a perfect fit, and her enthusiasm was so delightful! When I expressed a need to hear from a parent that she was, indeed, acting with her parents' approval and encouragement, I soon received an email from her mom that confirmed their support for L.N.'s plan.
And so we began discussing summer options via email over the next several months and finally agreeing for her to stay here at the bible school and work with the mission teams. The plan was turning into a reality. Packing lists were shared, questions answered, plane tickets purchased. The clock was ticking, and we were all getting excited!
Two days before she was to arrive in Mexico, L.N.'s mother's emails started sounding a little sad. It seemed that the reality of L.N. not being with her for the summer was hitting her, and I wanted to reassure her all that I could. We continued to exchange emails right up until and through the travel day, and I'm sure that we will continue to stay in touch throughout L.N.'s 8 week journey here.
So the big day was here! L.N.'s flight was delayed by 2 hours but her travels here were otherwise uneventful, and we were glad to be able to let her mom know when she was safely on the ground in Mexico and in our arms. In discussions the next day, it was made even more clear what an incredible leap of faith L.N.'s journey here had been and would be. Just consider the following conversation (a paraphrase of a conversation she said she had over & over in the weeks before arriving here):
"So, what are you doing this summer?" said the friend. "Well, I'm going to Mexico to do mission service," she replied. "Oh, that's great! Are you traveling with your church or with a mission organization?" asked the friend. "Well, I'm not really going with a mission organization or my church. I'm going alone," she shared. "What do you mean 'alone,'" he said. "Well, I'm going down there to stay with a family," she continued. "Oh, so you're going down there to stay with someone you know!" he said. "Well, no not really. I've never met them," said L.N. By now the friend is getting more confused and doubtful. "So let me get this right. You are 17 y/o, you're traveling alone to Mexico to stay with someone you've never met for the whole summer?" he challenged. "Yeah, that's pretty much it. I've been reading their website, talking to them by email, and I think it's going to be fine. I'm so excited to be going to Mexico and to learn more about what it might be like to be a missionary!" she shared. Finally, after getting too many worried, doubtful looks, L.N. explained, "Think of it like this. I'm interning with a missionary family in Mexico." "OHHHHH. Now I get it!" was probably the most positive response the friend could offer at that point.
Just imagine what the similar conversations would have been for her parents! And at some point, it did occur to me that this could be a real hornet's nest of a situation for which we might not be prepared. But quite honestly, I think it's clear that we all (L.N., her parents, Pablo & Jan, and our family) have taken a leap of faith that feels really natural and easy. It has been clear to us from the beginning that, if there was any way we could help L.N. answer God's calling for her to serve here this summer, then we should do it. Seems like her parents must have felt that way too!
And so it is that we find ourselves with one new member of our family. She's tall, bright, pretty, athletic, bilingual and a joy to have in our lives. To tweak her mom's comment a bit, "I'm so glad God chose L.N. to join our family for the summer!"
While I'm sure I will report again about this journey of faith together again, you can follow along with her on her own blog at: http://lorainmexico.blogspot.com/
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