i wasnt sure how often i would be able to post, but as it turns out, the friends that im staying with have a laptop with a pretty decent connection. so here we are.

its a little surreal being here. so much has changed in 3 yrs! the big dirt field where people used to burn their trash has now been turned into a park. a highway has been built right beside the village for easier access to Monterrey city. the kids are all taller. the younger teenage girls are having babies. i guess i expected everything to be the same.

i had a sweet reunion with Kassandra yesterday. i went to her house, fully expecting her to know that i was here. didnt think her bro would be able to keep a secret. when she opened the door and saw me, her mouth dropped and she ran into my arms. we held each other for a long time. i cried. (im such a sap)

she's different too. 13 yrs old now. tongue piercing and a boyfriend. wow, the Kassandra i knew before was such an innocent little girl. this one today is being forced to grow up before her time. im praying there wont be any babies in her near future.

life here really is difficult. the needs are overwhelming and it would be easy to get discouraged. im trying to press thru.

last night my friend, Lorena, and i were sitting on her roof enjoying a somewhat cool breeze. out of nowhere, we see about 10 young guys running across the soccer field, yelling something i didnt understand. a few of them ran into house across the field, and the next thing i heard was bottles shattering.

apparently this is common, according to Lorena. the young guys are always fighting. even the dogs are mad!

i went to the wednesday night church service and found that most of the people i knew from there are no longer there. it was filled with young people. i cried. holy spirit was there, full of love and grace.

today im off to the city to mosey around. i dont have any agenda while im here, so we'll see where the spirit leads.