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| Project Mexico logo on cement wall at St. Innocent Orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico |
Making history seems to be a theme of my mission trips. I don't know how or why God has blessed me with such opportunities! First, the consecration of the cathedral in Tirana and now the first Project Mexico home building project of the 2015 Homebuilding season. My beloved school (Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology) will be participating in the first ever Spring Break Project Mexico mission in Tijuana--that also is a pretty epic feat. I cannot contain my excitement. Since I left the school a weight was lifted from my shoulders and a little spring of joy has been seeping from my heart and into the depths of my soul. I sit here in the girls room at St. Innocent Orphanage and I still can't seem to fathom how I got here with such amazing people. I also feel that part of my heart is with my dear friends Fiona Sterling, Alex Limberatos, and Niko Birbilis as they revisit the land of my first mission: Albania. It was a hard choice going to Mexico over Albania but God wanted me here. I can feel it. Saint Innocent Orphanage is beautiful. The land is so simple, so peaceful. No internet or American distractions, just me, the team and the smell of animal farm filling my lungs... I think back to the feelings I had on Feb 27 before leaving the dorms for PM (Project Mexico)...Nausea. Excitement. Nervousness. Then of course I passed out hard core on the plane...
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| "...I am the resurrection and the life..." John 11:25-26 |
Our team is made up of the 13 most amazing people I know. The girls are all great. Us girls include Samira Bitar, Zoe Cremeens, Alexis Ambroise and Jen Cowles. Zoe has gone to PM before and it is nice to see her go again. The rest of us have never been. I am really excited to be making and sharing these memories with. Nostalgia of not having Fiona on this trip is hard but my love for Albania and our memories are with her as she returns back there. I cannot believe that two of my dearest and best friends are here. Athanasios (Tommy) Margaritis and Steve Sarigianis. Literally the best guys a girl could ask for in her life. Brothers in Christ and my closest friends in all aspects! I am thrilled to finally share an experience like this with them. Gregory Gounardes, the funniest and coolest guy from Brooklyn, is also here. Director and assistant director of the HCHC Campus Activities Board is off shore! haha! Oh and precious souls the recently married Mr. and Mrs. Seraphim & Olenka Ramos are here! What a blessing is my team! The other male members of this glorious trip are Nicodemus Serpico, Theodosios Palis, and Jason Oneida. What a crew!! Plus the also recently married Mr. and Mrs. Sophie and Zack Swanson are here! They both graduated last year from Hellenic College, dedicating themselves to the Project Mexico mission. Glory to God! I am so happy the way the team worked out.
I must note the feeling of uttermost joy in my soul. I have never felt this feeling so strong, not since I was a child. Love in my heart just fills the air and a near blissful feeling fills me. Even in Albania this came but in waves during different experiences. Once we hit the airport and got to the tickets, the feeling rushed in. This is how I know missions is truly my calling. Missions is where my soul yearns to be – stationed with someone wholeheartedly in the third world country that only God knows at this point in my life where it will be. I feel, especially now, as I sit here in "the bunk" at the ranch so still, so silent, so at peace. As if I was living the monastic life except with all these people I love so very much. What is so special to me, is the knowledge that God is ever present in my life. I mean we finished the first week of lent here in Mexico. Here where the Lord placed us. So beautiful.
I met some of the ranch boys today too and we played ninja... I guess it is a missionary past time game. I wonder where else I will go where they how to play ninja. Ninja and soccer. Present at both Albania and Mexico, who knew Ninja was so popular?! I am so grateful that this time while playing soccer I didn't get hit in the face.
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| Tommy (left), Samira (middle) and I (right) admiring the beautiful sky at the work site in Tijuana, Mexico after a long hard day of cement mixing and laying the foundation of the home |
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