So I’ve been here for 6 weeks! My Monday through Friday consists of 5-7 hours of Spanish classes at UNAM and the rest of my time is filled with sleeping, eating lots of delicious food, working out, and developing friendships/ministry opportunities. I’m finding these Spanish classes are taking up most of my energy. Once I’m on the hour-long bus ride home, I’m wiped and ready to go back to bed.
These last couple weeks have been more difficult than the others. I think the “honeymoon phase” is wearing off. This was the time of excitement and appreciating everything that was new and different. The excitement I had been feeling this last month or so is slowly slipping away. The hard reality that I will be here for two years is really hitting me and I’ve grown deeply homesick, which is something I was sure I wasn’t going to significantly experience. I’m missing Madison, missing my close friends, missing the ability to effortlessly be surrounded by the woods and silence, and I’m missing my family greatly. I’ve found myself thinking about how much I’m ready to go home. However, this past week, I was able to visit El Pozo de Vida for the first time (this is the aftercare home for minors who have been rescued from sex-trafficking). I was so excited to finally be doing something that I’m passionate about and I was more than ready to meet these girls. I can surely tell you that my visit was amazing. It wasn’t long before the girls were asking me a million questions in Spanish. We had so much fun getting to know each other and I know they had the greatest time making fun of my poor Spanish skills! They are absolutely beautiful girls inside and out and it took no effort to instantly fall in love with them. Before I left, I received so many hugs and questions about when I’ll be visiting next. I can’t imagine what all these girls have gone through, but I’m so thankful God has placed me with these girls. I’m so excited for what God is doing there and what He will do with these girls. My heart aches for them to know their worth in Christ and how much love He has for them. So despite all the difficulties I’ve had here, I know God wants me at El Pozo de Vida and I’m so incredibly eager to get to know these girls more and witness all the things God is going to do!