Maybe your first thoughts as you see this picture are:

Okay, Who's starving now?

Where are they?

How much do you want me to give?

To you it might be another picture of another kid in another country. But not to me. Why? Because I met this girl face to face. I talked to her (as much as I could with one year of Spanish) so she's not as foreign to me as she is to you, but maybe you could help. You don't have to give your money, I would recommend you go. It's just one week. One week, and you'll never want to leave.

FFHM (Foundation For His Ministries the organization myself and my youth group went with) has more opportunities than you can ever imagine. One of the things you'll find to be the most noticeable is God, he is there.

The whole entire place runs on donations. And they have everything they need. (Notice I said NEED not WANT. ) If they need something they know God will provide, and he does. They never worry about.

This is a strawberry field now before you say "YUMMY!!! STRAWBERRIES!!!" Let me tell you about how they are produced

Kids in Mexico as soon as they are five or so, instead of going to school they go to work, sometimes 15 hour days. They insecticide the ranchers use to kill the pest are very strong, and the type that you should wait 72 hours or so before going out into the fields, but they never do. (Most of their insecticides they use are illegal in the U.S.) So these kids are exposed to these harmful chemicals that eat their skin. A lot of times babies are born with birth defects or are disabled. Because these children can not work to provide money (while costing the family food) they sometimes are abandoned or just left at home all day, alone. The workers usually live in a camp owned by the rancher. The rancher has a store they buy stuff with coupons, so the workers can't leave because they'd have no food or money. The housing is terrible no electricity running water or half the time not even doors. The houses are made of whatever the rancher or workers had at the time, from concrete walls to cardboard nailed on wooden boards. These people are basically slaves. The ranchers wouldn't allow us to bring our cameras to take pictures at out reaches because then we'd have proof of the mistreatment of the people and he could go out of business. So, do you want a strawberry from those beautiful green fields now?

Wasting

That was one thing I learned at FFHM. They NEVER waste anything. I was working in the kitchen cutting and washing lettuce. There was all this leftover lettuce heads. "Do you want me to throw these away?" I asked. (I mean come on, you can't do anything with those hard, nasty lettuce heads) "No," the woman answered. "Put in a box so this lady can take it home." Everything they have is used for something. It doesn't matter what it is, they can use it. (Kinda like those E-bay commericals) Not just with things either, they use people too. And it doesn't matter what you do, you can help. Even if you don't speak the language.

Doctors and Tech. guys

FFHM got some new computers and a staff "Tech. guy" to help with them. Now, this tech. guy could be making $50 and hour, but instead he chose to go down there and work for $100 a month. The same with doctors who chose to go down there. (they currently do not have a full-time doctor) Instead of working in America and getting paid a gazillion, they're working in Mexico and getting a gazillion in heavenly rewards.

Prayer

Prayer is a big thing down there. When we were taking the tour every place we stopped at the tour guide asked us to pray for that ministry. Finally we got to the prayer room a circular building in the very center of FFHM. The founder of FFHM wanted it to be the center, because it symbolized that prayer was center of everything at the mission. The building being circular represents that prayer never stops, it goes on forever, just like a circle . Whenever the people at the mission pray, something happens. Their needs are met, someone is healed, or whatever. Nothing happens without prayer.

Vision

Also when we were taking our tour, every ministry was there because someone had a vision (given by God) to see something happen. They said "I wanna help these people" and it happened. And they still have goals and visions of accomplishing things.

The Kids

All the kids down there are cute and happy. Even though they live in horrible conditions there's a smile on every face. You get out of the van and your mobbed. And they aren't much different than the kids in the U.S.. They still like to play, laugh, get tickled, and get piggyback rides (or Caballos) And they don't care if you can't speak Spanish, they don't really care who you are. They just want to be loved. And, (this happens a lot in life) what you give, you also receive. You give them the love and attention they want, and they'll give it back. I had a girl one night that I couldn't put down, or else she'd climb right back up. (Boy, I got tired) I eventually had to leave, but I didn't want to. It sure was weird. How could a little girl who doesn't speak my language, whom I've only known for a few hours, have such a tight grip on my heart? ....I think about her almost everyday now.

You'll never be the same

That's pretty much their motto for the visitors. And it's so true. You will never be the same. I can't really explain how it works. It's not that I do too many things different, but you still can feel the change. So, like I said at the beginning, you should go. But not just to get something out of it for yourself, go for God, to serve him. After all that's what everything is about right? One word: God.

P.S. It should also be noted that I am no longer afraid of public restrooms. (but swimming pools still scare me)