Ensenada Outreach Center - YUGO

Four short weeks. That was what my parents kept telling themselves as they had to say goodbye to me, their oldest daughter. That was also what they said to me over eight weeks ago, and guess what? I am still here at the Ensenada Outreach Center. So many things have happened in these short two months I have lived in Mexico; things that only could have happened through the power of God. The idea of living here full time for a year started growing in my mind as I fell more and more in love with the people, culture, and lifestyle I now called my own. But there were so many obstacles to overcome. Number one, I was enrolled to attend C.S.U. Long Beach for college in the fall. How could I just quit school after it was everything I had strived for since my first report card? How could God want me to give up my goals of being a nurse for now, and live here? It seemed impossible, but then again, nothing is impossible with God. Number two, my parents. My goal of going to college had been as much their idea as it had been mine. But maybe that is where I had gone wrong. Maybe this idea of college had been all my own. Maybe God had much different plans for my life than I have had for my life. After a few weeks of prayer it became very clear to me that the E.O.C. had become my new home, and this is where I am supposed to be. Talking to my parents went smoothly; sending in my letter of decline to Long Beach was simple; and mostly, I feel at peace with my decision. A short visit with my dad in the states this weekend confirmed how right it is to be in Mexico. On my drive back down, across the border I couldn't help but feel anxious and excited to be going to my new home. I am so ready for the next year here, and I know that God is going to be working in big ways in the community, in the camp, and in my heart.