And we made it....

Woohooo! Back from Mexico! What a trip! Several hours of travel, 3 15 passenger vans, 42 people, many many tacos, 45 second showers, bug filled living quarters, contaminated water, 2 days of work projects, several orphanage visits, and many wonderful devotions later - we arrive home, back to the comfort of our consumer-based mentalities and our cushy lives as US citizens.

You know, it wasn't anything specific on the trip that gripped my heart, but it was a message by Francis Chan that I had listened to on the flight to San Diego that utterly and completely wrecked me. And it remained in that humble state all through the trip. God knew just what I needed. His Holiness was the core of the message, and for the first time I realized just how tiny and insignificant I truly am and how big and mighty He really is (I don't know if I'll ever fully grasp His Holiness till I'm standing before Him, but I've come to respect it more than ever before). If you're looking to be awakened to who He is, I would HIGHLY recommend you download and listen to Francis Chan's (Cornerstone Church) free iTunes podcast titled "The Holiness of God". It's bound to stir you.

Back to the trip - after several long hours of travel, we began our drive from San Diego to Ensenada, Mexico - that drive is incredible. The mountains, the cliffs, the beautiful turquoise coastline that greets the rocky land, the fresh air - it's just dripping of His beauty and Majesty. We spent most of our time at the Calvary Bible College just outside of the city, helping them with various work projects and then venturing out to orphanages, women's shelters and Horizante (the Calvary Chapel of Ensenada). It would take an hour or so for me to fully explain the highs and lows of the trip and it would be one lengthy post, so I'll spare you all of the details but to sum it up - we are certainly a spoiled nation. Poverty runs rampant (their average hourly wage is $2/hr), and resources are limited but the land is beautiful and the people's spirits are high as their way of life is much less complicated. Disconnected from the cellphones, the internet and all of the time and self consuming things we're so tied to, they are connected with each other - looking out for and caring for their families and the people around them. I long for the simplicity of their lives. Seeing their poverty made me appreciate what we, as Americans, do have - we take for granted clean and uncontaminated water, inexpensive electricity, buildings and homes that are built to code with perfection - keeping the bugs out, money that buys us small pleasures, plumbing that allows us to flush toilet paper and after every use. These are things I've easily overlooked and come to expect throughout life. The Mexican people are poor, but I believe God has His mighty hand upon them - blessing them with simplicity and true joy. I hope to never forget the things that touched my heart and opened my eyes to the life I'm living and the life I'm striving to live.

Thank you so much for your prayers and thanks to those who supported us financially. It was a trip that changed lives of both our youth and the people of Ensenada.

Be Blessed Today!

d

Here's a taste:

Crossing the border

B & I overlooking the city of Ensenada from a mountain top...I just love the huge flag that waves behind us!

Lupita (our chef), Alex (a dear friend of ours who has moved to Ensenada) and B.

The Crew! :)

At Horizonte (the church) Isn't it beautiful??

Some of the kids at the Women's Shelter .... aren't they precious?

P.S. I found my calling - Balloon Animal Making! I'm a pro!

Good Morning!

It's finally a beautiful sunshiny day here in NW Florida! We've had days (possibly even weeks) of rain! While I absolutely LOVE rain - the sound, the smell, the sight, the coziness it creates within my house, the cooler weather it brings to our hot summer nights - I've begun to feel a little stir crazy. Blakely doesn't like venturing out into the rain to go potty, so that's resulted in many more accidents inside and he hasn't had much play time outside, so that's resulted in more chewing on furniture and more bottled up energy. But today is a new day full of sunshine and blue skies!

We've been busy busy here at the Collyer household. B and I leave in two days to take a group of 30+ high school students to Ensenada, Mexico for our yearly missions trip. While I'm so very excited to go - I still have lots to do in preparation. I haven't been to Ensenada since I was in high school, so I can't wait to see the progress that has been made at the church there.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend - our was fantastic! We spent time with my family at the beach, grilling and watching fireworks! And while I'm excited about our upcoming trip, I'm bummed we'll be missing the magnificent Blue Angels weekend (it's always the weekend after the 4th)! B and I woke up to the Blues flying over our house this morning - they're rehearsing for the big show! We'll have to go out Thurs morning to see the rehearsals since we'll be missing the real thing.

Well, that's all I have time for today. I hope all is well with you and I look forward to sharing all the stories from our trip to Mexico. Prayers are appreciated - B has never been before, and this is the largest group of kids he's ever been responsible for this far away from home.

Lots of love and blessings,

d

I left my heart in Israel...

I am alive - I promise! :) I've been putting this blog off because I really want to accurately share the most life changing moments I've ever experienced, with you. Our trip to Israel was just incredible (I'd HIGHLY recommend it to anybody, believer or non-believer, it's worth every penny) and to put into words what my heart experienced over a two week span is simply impossible. So here's to my humble attempt to describe the beautiful Promised Land...

Despite the long, grueling hours of travel, unfamiliar foods, lack of working hair dryers, intense desert heat and the full days of touring site after site - my heart feels as if it's had the ultimate awakening and rejuvenation. To stand on the mountains Jesus once stood on and to see the sights He probably saw was nothing short of amazing, my Bible reading has gone from fuzzy, black and white to High Definition and extreme color in a matter of days! It's real - it's all real....that's the only thing I can tell you. From the Sea of Galilee and the Valley of Armageddon, Nazareth and Bethlehem, the Jordan River to the Dead Sea, the Mt. of Olives to the Via Dolorosa - it's all there! It truly exists!

I'd have to say a few of my most memorable moments were traveling across the Sea of Galilee on a replica similar to the boats Jesus and His disciples would have traveled on, walking through the ruins of Capernaum where Jesus once lived, being baptized in the Jordan River, floating in the Dead Sea, traveling to a tented Bedouin dinner via camels, walking through the Holocaust Museum and tangibly seeing the heartbreaking history of God's chosen people, laying eyes on the Dead Sea Scrolls, leading worship with my fiance and praying for our future together amongst the olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane, walking the Via Dolorosa where Jesus publicly carried the cross, and lastly - visiting the Garden Tomb Jesus may have very well been laid in for three days!

I've never seen so much rock and dirt in my life!! My first thought was - this is it? THIS is the Promised Land the Bible so sacredly talks about? But as we traveled from site to site and began to dig into the scriptures - it made sense. These people were and still are - the heart of God. This land is His and it reeks of spiritual warfare. They have no natural resources and the land is a desert, but they've worked so hard and have created beautiful orchards and crops and are abundant in beautiful, fresh food. As you travel through the winding roads and passes, you look out to see an array of crops that produce the most beautiful fruits and vegetables. These people are passionate about their country and they're hard workers - they've worked so hard to make it a fruitful land despite their lack of natural resources (oil, precious metals and gems, etc).

Our guide, Ido, was one of the most interesting people I've ever met. A Messianic Jew and archeologist, he was passionate and knowledgeable of his homeland. He displayed more passion for His God and His land in two weeks than most people in America will ever display in a lifetime. It's real to him. He understands He is a chosen race and He is living in a crazy era - one where God is preparing the land for His return. And as I mentioned before, spiritual warfare is almost overwhelming. The Jews vs. the Muslims - God vs. Satan. We spent a few days in Jerusalem visiting the Western Wall (the Wailing Wall), the Temple Mount (where the Temple once sat and where the third Temple will be rebuilt according to the book of Revelation, yet the Dome of the Rock currently resides) and the Dome of the Rock - all intense spiritual places. The Jews at the Western Wall passionately read through their books of prayers and maintain their religious rituals totally blind to the fact that the Messiah has already come and is returning once again very soon - a very strange experience standing amongst women who dedicate their lives to their rituals. Driving through the Muslim quarter was an entirely different experience - walking amongst Muslims who dedicate their lives to a god who doesn't exist and passionately fight to maintain control over the Temple Mount so they can keep their place of worship. These people live so closely to one another, yet hate one another so strongly and still - they're missing it all - Jesus is the One who came to save them and God is the One who will deliver them from other nations and return to save them.

Lastly, the Dome of the Rock and the Temple Mount - what a bizarre thing it was to stand so close to a stunning structure that represented so much evil. It made my stomach churn just being there, but a few short feet away from the building, stands the Eastern Wall - the Lions Gate where Christ will return! It's so amazing that so much spiritual tension is held in one concentrated place! You can't help but feel overwhelmed by it while standing on that mountain. Prior to visiting the Dome of the Rock, we were taken to a place that housed the makings of the items that will be displayed and used in the third Temple. I wasn't aware of this until we visited this location, but plans are already in the making for the third Temple and everything is being prepared - they've already reconstructed several of the items the Bible talks about in the first Temple and have done so according to the exact materials and measurements listed in the Bible. They are just waiting to have control of the Temple Mount again so that they may build the Temple where it belongs. It was so amazing to see the attire of the priests and the golden lamp stands and to smell the incense and myrrh they would be using - prophecy being fulfilled before our very eyes! Another amazing fact is that while standing near the Dome of the Rock, you notice that behind it there is plenty of space for the Third temple to be built AND it lines up perfectly with the Lions Gate! Ido seemed to think that someday they will build a wall between the Dome of the Rock and the empty space and will allow the Jews to rebuild the Temple there in an attempt of peace. Ironically, the area that the Temple could be rebuilt is located directly over the place they think the Holy of Holies was located! Talk about chilling! I couldn't believe I was standing on ground that prophecy was going to take place on!

I truly did leave my heart in Israel, I hope to return again someday soon. I loved the people, the land and the history. If you ever have a chance to visit, please do so - it'll change your life! It's real - all the things the Bible talks about are so real and prophecy is being fulfilled daily! God's stirring the heart of His people and is preparing His land for His return! "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown." Revelation 3:10-11

Sorry this was so long, if you have a minute feel free to check out a few pics from the trip (I have two albums on Facebook if you'd like to see more :):