PV: airport to lodging in 2 hours....

I walked.

 and walked.
and walked.

 

To be fair, I passed beauty, as well as ashes. Not as much beauty mind you, but it was there just the same!

And I walked past the unique; truly, truly unique....

This is an entirely glass fronted building with 5 floors of kitsch...so very bizarre....

I could've taken 100 pictures for the 10 or so I did snap....

the queue of concessionaires as I exited customs and was blasted by Mexican entrepreneurship...

the man washing clothes in a metal tub outside of his (oh my goodness people live there?!)home right next to a Honda dealership....

the burned out remains of a beautiful stucco and Spanish tiled roof complex listed for sale...

the bull fighting arena...

the tourists para sailing...

the Holiday Inn resort behemoth...

I don't know how I feel about it all; I truly think I''m in shock. I knew I would have an experience, and I really don't want it to be me, this American, coming in and having some sort of broken heart for the very common, very real, even perhaps, very peaceful way in which life is lived here. I just want to be here. And do what I am called to do for the next five days. And go where it takes me. 

Discernment. Trust. Faithfulness.

I was told yesterday was a holiday here; Revolution Day, so things were quiet. God help me. My quiet is very different than this :)

So now I go walk again. 

and take pictures of the most amazing food at WalMart :) 

And get an Americano at Starbucks that is next to Subways and Chilis...

Corporate America is everywhere....

balanced, if that's even a fair word, by the squalor of poverty; nothing American even comes close....

in love. trish

stay tuned; I also take pictures of my lodging-a surprise connection from my past helping to make this mission trip possible :)

hands and feet

Jesus promises that when we step out to be the hands and feet, he will go with us.

I am stepping.
I leave in a few rapidly-approaching hours for a short trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Not the PV Americans visit on summer vacation trips with family.
Not PV of beaches and surf and sand.
I leave for PV of poverty~
of native villages and groups of women waking each day, the only desire in their heart that of one to feed their children's empty bellies.

So out of my element.
And, so necessary and desired~
to be thrust into the unknown and faithfully continue stepping into whatever it brings....
to be the hands and feet.

I may return unchanged~
unaffected by the lifestyle I have a front row seat to~
the daily living so desperately contrary to that of the American way, even the American impoverished....

But I will have touched someone.
I will have stepped into one life.
I will have been the 'just what I needed right now' hands and feet for at least one woman.

And, this is why I go.
Despite fears.
Despite lack of....(insert any number of 'thing' here)
Despite not knowing enough....(saa...)

Jesus calls faithful believers to listen to his voice.
And, to go to those in need.
And, to be his hands and feet.

If nothing else I am obeying.
And in this, I am blessed.
And, its' not even about me!~
I get the selfish blessing nonetheless.
What a wonderful way God works his world....
in love. I depart. trish