Life comes at you fast...

 Oh.
My.
Goodness!

I have so ridiculously much to share right now that I feel like my keyboard is scarcely up to the task... I'm going to keep this blog brief (fingers crossed!) and blurt out a few things, with further explanations soon to come. Capiche? At least, I believe "capiche" is Italian for "understand," but I don't speak Italian.

Here we go!

 Update #1: I just got back from an amazing trip to EL SALVADOR! I put pictures up on my FB account, so click on the link at the top of this page if you want to go look at them. It was seriously one of the most amazing trips I've been on yet. I had the great privilege of going with a team of highly trained medical professionals and doctors (which is to say, people a lot smarter than I am!) to serve the people of San Rafael Cedros with a free health clinic comprised of four main areas: pediatrics, women's health, general medicine, and eyes. I got to work on the eye team, and all I can say is that watching someone put on glasses, burst into tears, and faintly whisper, "I can read my Bible again" is nothing short of life-changing. It was such a blessing for me! It was about a two-week long trip, and for those of you who know I take a long time to process things... so give me a little while to think it over and I'll really buckle down and give you details.

Update #2: This is the one that will make you crinkle up your nose in despair at my raging inability to maintain a coherent blog, but I am moving back to Mexico! Feel like you're missing out on some information between my last blog and this information? You should! I'm really bad at chronicling my life. Dang it, I'm too busy living! The long at short of it is that one day at work, literally while cleaning out the deep fryers, a divine revelation slapped me across the face like a lead pipe. (Okay, pipes don't exactly "slap," but I'm enjoying the image here...) God really started speaking to my heart that He is the one who puts dreams in the hearts of His children, and when God puts a dream in your heart, you really will want it more than anything. Translation: "Alyssa, you moron, I already know that you want to go to Ensenada! Stop believing that the fact that you want it makes it wrong--I put that desire there!" Don't ask me to explain why this thought had yet to pierce the void of my nearly-empty head... But, in that moment, I began to really pray for Ensenada...

You know, one of those mighty prayers of faith...
It went something like, "OK, if you want me to go to Ensenada, YOU do everything... and give me a way to go... and um... I want a pony too."
Mighty woman of faith I am!
I even attempted a fast... which pathetically ended in a Pad Thai binge.
Let's be honest... my "spiritual maturity" here is not exactly stellar.

The crazy part? SWEET LORD JESUS, HE REALLY DID DO EVERYTHING! I have financial support (you know who you are and you are the craziest, most generous and amazing dream-fulfilling person I've ever even heard of!!!), I already have different friends talking to me about helping in ministries in the area, and to top it of I have a dear friend down there who has taken it upon himself to figure out my living situation, right down to pilfering his relative's furniture!

It's almost getting ridiculous, to be honest. But I believe that if you give God an "if you ____, then I'll ____" then you had better be willing to follow through. Honestly, those statements aren't the best way to begin--but believe me, us faith weaklings have to start somewhere! And if ever there was a time when God had given me every imaginable reason to trust in his calling on my life, it's right now. I am reminded of that verse in James which says "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them" (4:17). Well, I know the good I ought to do. Every single "sign" I asked God for has been answered. Every idiotic thing I asked for has all but fallen from the sky. Now all I can do is take a deep breath and follow Him!

Whew! Okay I have to be true to my word and keep the blog short. I do have other updates, but we'll save those for another day. I just want to keep you all in the loop.

A few final requests: Pray for me, por favor! Pray specifically for my car and safety on the road, as I am going to be driving to Ensenada. Pray that God would teach me to fully submit myself to him that I could better serve him wherever He leads me.

OK! That's really all for now. Much love! Thank you all so much :)

"another fine bit of writing brought to you by yours truly"