bittersweet

The short term team from Corinth, MS left this past weekend. It was sad to see them leave, I didn´t realize how attached I would get to the teams. They cried as they prayed for us, and we cried because in the midst of our work we didn´t even realize how much we meant to them. I look forward to working with the other teams that are coming.
The last worship service was on Monday night. Indescribable. We had communion in a way that I have never experienced before. The entire 4 hours of the worship service was devoted to communion. Then we had the opportunity to wash eachother´s feet. I´ve never done this before and I cried as a girl I barely knew washed my feet and told me how grateful she is that I am here and that she knows God will use me in a big way. It was such a beautiful experience.
This week has been spent mostly in the office developing a strategy to improve the administration of the base. We are also brainstorming about ways to bring in money long term to the base. One way they want to do this is to build villas by the beach so that retired professionals or skilled workers can come live for 1-3 months and teach the students a trade. It would be a one-time donation of $20,000 and you could stay for up to 3 months every year with everything provided.
Matt and I have to drive to the border on Saturday with 10 other people from the base to get our visa's extended. We oficially expire and become illegal on the 19th. It will take us 3 days to get where we need to go and then we will pick up a Suburban that has been donated to the base and drive it back which will take another 3 days. As if that's not exciting enough, there have been strikes and riots in the state of Oaxaca because the teachers aren't getting paid enough money. Two of our own missionaries are trying to get out of Oaxaca City today because of the tear gas bombs, gun shots, and cars being set on fire outside of their hotel. If they keep blocking the roads we may not be able to leave Oaxaca to get to the border. Please pray for this.
There is a man who started a coffee company called Oaxacafé that buys coffee beans from the indigenous people and sells it in the States to bring money to the base. He and his family are here this week and he told us that they are opening a Oaxacafé coffee shop in Fayetteville!! It will be by Harps and La Huerta on Mission/Crossover. This will be such an amazing opportunity to bring awareness to the base and its mission! Forget about Arsaga´s and start going to Oaxacafé!