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PRAISE JESUS! I just got back from my first ever missionary trip. It lasted only today and I didn't go far to make the trip.

I live in San Diego CA which is right near the US and Mexican border. My brother, David, his room mate, Sam, and my brother's old classmate, Ozzy, and I all went to the slums of TJ and Tacate Mexico.

Let me begin at the begining...(cause that is how you tell a story)....

This morning, I woke up, after three and a half hours of sleep form the night before (I decided to go midnight bowling). So I woke up with a sore throat and not wanting to go. But I did what it took to go. I took tylenol and left with my brother. We went to go get everyone amd then headed for Mexico.

The first thing we did was stopped off at a Costco (giant warehouse) and bought a giant bag of rice and two pallets of bottled water. Then we were off to an Alcohol and Drug Rehab center. It was so weird. We had to give our testimonies and I was a nervous wreck. So we did our introductions and when it was my turn, I thought that I could handle speaking Spanish so off I went, speaking. I said, "Hello, my name is Anthony, and Jesus, I love myself." My intentions, however, were to say that, "I love Jesus."

I eventually got my act together, and gave my testiomny last. But, my brother stood and unintentionally said my first part of my testimony. We all laughed and I gave my testimony. Afterwards, we prayed for the guys there and many accepted Jesus as their Savior. It was great, then , while Sam and Ozzy finished up some stuff, My brother David and I went to divide the rice into plastic Ziplock bags. Then we went and drove around the slums of Mexico, for that part.

We drove around and handed Tracks, Water, Rice and candied peanuts. To many people and their kids. We drove around for hours and other stuff. We eventually started back towards the border to grab a bite to eat and hand out more tracks. We parked by an orphanage, and were about to head off when my brother had to use the bathroom. So Ozzy said why don't we use the bathroom at the orphanage.

They welcomed us in and even fead us dinner. Then, we met a kid named Armondo. He was a little bug. He called me fat, but I didn't take any offense to it. I haven't for years. And even in Mexico, being overweight isn't a big deal. So while we were finishing our meal, another boy came up to the table. His name was Anthony too! I found another little Anthony. And as we were going to leave, Ozzy had to use the bathroom. Then I waited for him and David and Sam went to talk with some people who run or owned the orphanage. So I went outside, and I sat an waited, but then, I thought that I should Love on the kids.

I played with them while Ozzy joined the conversation. They had this cool pipe thing that had a crpet inside. The kids could prop themselves so that they wouldn't fall. It was like pushing them around while they were in barrells. Sam eventually joined me and helped me push the kids around in the barrell (for lack of a better word). Then I got tired, I had a great Idea. So I went to the middle of the play area outside (it was paved), and I layed down and just layed there. Then Anthony came over and put his foot on my stomach liked he slayed a beast. Then he layed down on top of me. He screamed in my ear, trying to "wake me" (my ears still ring). I played with him the rest of the time.

Then we had to leave and I said goodbye. It was sad to leave. But we had to get going, it was farely dark. So we went home and got lost. We had to ask for directions three or four times. We finally made it to the border. And at the border, many people sell things to the cars waiting in line. There was a guy who wanted to clean our windshield but we gave him a tract, like we did with so many others. But the guy stopped for fifteen to twenty minutes to tell us his life story. He sacrificed the money he could have made for his family. He could have cleaned eight cars in the time that he talked with us. It was such a blessing.

After dropping everyone off, my brother and I headed back home. It was then that he told me that he planned the trip to mexico all along. Not the actuall things that happened, just the visiting the rehab and the orphanage. He said that God told him that I was going to learn something. And I did. I learned that God really wants me to become a Teacher rather than a Doctor. I think that it is so that I can still be mobile and do the things that God wants me to do. Even if it means going back to Mexico.

thanks.

YOUR SO LUCKY!!!!
I WANT TO GO ON A MISSION!!!!
o well ill try when im older

You guys, give credit where credit is due. I didn't want to go. But I went cause I kinda wanted to spend time with my older brother. If not for God, I wouldn't have been able to go on such a trip. And you are never too young for God to move through you and to use you to touch other people's lives.

Believe me, if you go to school and tell on person about the love of God and the sacrifice that he made so that we may live forever in his glory, you will have made as much of an impact that I did in Mexico. Actually, if you do that you will have made a bigger impact than I did. And that is because people in Mexico are soo receiving. People in places that aren't considered third world are a little more difficult.

I know, also, that if I tried to do what I did in Mexico on the beach here in California, people will laugh at me, ridicule me, and completely ignore me. And I know that there are the occasional peopel who are willing to accept God and that is great! But the majority are not willing to leave what they have and pick up the cross to follow Christ. I mean, there is an example of that in the Bible. I think that it is recorded by Matthew.

Tyler, do you remember when the gentile woman came before jesus and begged him to heal her daughters sickness? What was Jesus' response? He told her that the bread of the Father was for His children (the jews) and not for the dogs (the gentiles). Then the Lady responded to Jesus saying, even the dog gets the scraps off of it's master's table. So Jesus told her to go that because of her faith, her daughter would be healed. (Matthew 15:21-28.)

You catch my drift? Even the swine deserve the pearls. It's like when Peter asked Jesus how many times should one forgive a man? Jesus replied saying "None less then seven times seventy." Jesus meant that God's desire to forgive us was unboundless. We could be forgiven for anything as many times as necessary. Not that we should continue to do the same sin after repenting. Everyone deserves to hear and know the word of God.

i just remember what i mom said=.= about the homeless and poor: her exact words were "good for them they deserved it and they didnt study"
i kind of got mad at her for that
o i have another question on the concerning bible topic
like the other one ive been wondering about for long and i forgot the answer to that

yeah well bible studies are easier when you can ask someone if this is right.
she said this cause my twin brother just tries to make Christianity sound bad and keeps not accepting it.
Cause he used to be a Christian.
Until one day he just said to me, that he didn't want to go to church anymore and felt he had been forced his whole life to go there.
I'm glad my mum made me go there until I relised how great God was.
I was trying to tell him how great he is and explaining something to him.
But yeah he like twisted my words.

Yeah that would be a total miracle if he did.
He's gone so bad now.
I wish he would come back, so we could communicate better.