Amanda in Mexico

February Update

Hello from Mexico! I hope this email finds you well. We are currently transitioning from the cold months into windy season here in Chihuahua. We are definitely looking forward to summer, but in the meantime, we are so thankful for a warm, well sealed house and school to live/work in. 
The school is doing well. This past week we received a new student. She is making friends and I love seeing the students going out of their way to make her feel welcome. Just the other day I was sharing with my sister that I am in complete awe when I look at what God has done in these young men and women's lives. For anyone who is familiar with the Tarahumara culture, they will know that, in general, the people of this tribe are very closed off, they have a very difficult time opening up and warming up to new people, which can often be a little intimidating as they will not go out of their way to build friendships and at times come across as rude. Once one gets to know the culture, it's easy to see that this is not anywhere near the truth, rather they deeply long to be known and loved, and they are desperately seeking something to fill a void in their hearts. But, due to a history of hurt, rejection and fear, they struggle to trust others. I remember our students entering the school for the first time, and gaining their respect seemed impossible. I questioned myself if they could truly change, and having heard from numerous people in the area "That's just how they are and they will never change", I had my doubts. The more I heard this though, the more determined I became to see what God could do here. I look at our students now, I see how confident they are becoming as they are developing their God-given talents, how they get excited about meeting new people, and are beginning to understand their worth in God's eyes! If there is one thing I have learnt about God, it is that He loves to do the unexplainable where we humans see no hope; He has everything He needs to do it, but He is just waiting for us to say "Here I am Lord, use me." I find it unfathomable why He chooses to use us imperfect humans to reveal Himself and His Perfect Love to the world. 

This coming weekend, we will be taking the students to a village deep into the mountains, where there is an annual ultramarathon of 80Km. One of our students has been training to run the 42 K, and the students are going to encourage her and cheer her on. We are very excited as none of the students, nor us teachers, have ever been so far into the mountains. The marathon will be held in the beautiful Copper Canyon and we are all beyond excited for this 2 day's event. We will be leaving this Friday and returning on Monday, as it is a 7 hour drive. Please pray for safety in our travels, as I am a little nervous to be driving in the canyon.
 Time is flying by so fast and I can't believe that in 2 months we will be wrapping up the school year, as the apple farmers allow the youth to work in the months of May and June. Once the work season is over, we will be having a graduation for one of our students, as she will be turning 18 this year and is planning on attending Bible school next year. If in any way you would like to take part in making her graduation special, as there aren't really funds for these special celebrations in our budget, feel free to let us know. We are very excited for her, as she had never dreamed of going to school, much less graduating! This is so new in their culture and her family, and she is setting a huge example for those watching her. This young lady has worked incredibly hard in her studies, she works from 3 am - 6 am in a kitchen, attends school, and once she arrives at home, she works another 4 hours . On top of that, she faithfully attends evening church service once a week and finished a 3 month weekly discipleship program. Her determination to make a difference and follow Jesus has received strong opposition from the devil, as he tries to discourage her and tell her the lie that she can't do it. What a blessing to see her hold on to the promises in the Bible and cling to her Savior, especially in the midst of the discouragement. Please keep her in your prayers, as well as each one of our students. They are so incredibly special and breaking the cycle of the past can look impossible at times, but there is no doubt they are trying and God is at work.