Wheels on the Ground

I felt the direction of the plane turn and the pilot announced we were starting our descent into Mazatlan. I leaned forward in my seat, nerves or motion sickness or both?

The count down and the beginning of the next chapter is approaching as the wheels eat up the runway and come to a stop.

My seat is right at the back of the plane and eventually I have a chance to disembark. The warmth of the air greets me as I step onto the gang way. The smell, the sounds, the people around me. Everything is so different, right from the start. We use our rudimentary Spanish as we greet the customs officer and remove our masks as he checks we are who our passports say we are.

The stamp clangs as the visa ink marks the paper in our new passports.

We walk through to collect our luggage. It’s a bit of a struggle. I realise I haven’t communicated with Nicki our friend who’s coming to pick us up. No internet, I hope she’s still coming. As we walk through into the main concourse we see the placards with people’s surnames. We walk left out of the doors as instructed by our contact, with our trolley filled with bags and our guitar balancing on top. Then thankfully we see Nicki!!! Hugs and then the challenge of squeezing our bags and guitar into the boot.  Everything sounds different somehow. The air is different.

We arrive at the house and breathe a sigh of relief.

Our next challenge after unpacking is to learn about all the important things. No toilet paper may be flushed in the toilet. You can never drink the water from the tap, not even to clean our teeth. We have some time to freshen up and order some food which our wonderful host Asher goes to pick up while we orientate ourselves in the house with the pets and our surroundings.

Arriving just in time for the Carnaval outreach was good in terms of getting to know people and to learn about the city we will now live in. Uber is our new form of transport. $2 to get to the YWAM base or a 20 min walk. Our phones don’t work here either so we have to find a new way of connecting, feeling cut off from friends back home.

We make it to the YWAM base and find ourselves surrounded by 200 young people worshipping in the auditorium. Spanish and English alternating. I feel a bit numb. Happy yet still worried about my gorgeous kids back in Australia. A whirlwind of emotions. We choose our ministry teams for the outreach. Matt is in healing team and Annie and I are on the intercession team. Meals at the base are delicious. So thankful as we still don’t really know how to cook with local ingredients. We did go to the grocery store and I felt teary as everything was so different. Our hopefully quick 10 min dash to grab a few things took much longer as we struggled to read the packaging.

We were able to stay with a family closer to the base while Carnaval was on because of the late light finishes and the mad traffic chaos. It was nice to walk out the front door and run into someone from YWAM. Walking down together to meals. Outreach was a buzz of sharing Gods heart via hugs for Matt with his sign! He loved every minute of it. His team was a bunch of extroverts…no surprises there.

Annie and I were in a quiet space to hang out with the intercessors and cover the whole outreach in prayer. All in all it was a special time. We were impressed by the Mexicans warmth and openness. Many hearts were saved and many healed. The gospel shared.

We’ve now met with the base directors to organise the next month. For Matt it's working on the kitchen team. Annie, the cafe. I’ll be on the worship team and possibly helping out with the school at the base. Annie and I will be studying as well. My heart is also for gathering the staff gals. Perhaps some paint and sips. Coffees and catch-ups. Opportunities to pray and encourage the mums and girl leaders on the base.

We are also keen to learn Spanish. Working out ways to do that quickly.

Then in April Matt and I will be joining the orientation school, Artios, for YWAM Mazatlan. Morning lectures and afternoon work duties. I’ll still be with Annie and we’ll keep each other company.

Prayer for friends and for doubts to flee would be awesome. We would also love to be nearer to the base so Annie can feel safe to walk down the road for lunch or for us to pop home in between lectures.  It is a strange feeling being away from everything we know and love.

Prayers also for Elijah who still needs a third housemate. Prayers for Liv as she continues her first year of full-time teaching. For Jesse as he finds a new house to live in as his flat mates all have to move out in April. He is also keen to launch his next album.

Thanks so much everyone for believing in us and for praying. We couldn’t keep going without you all. Kate