Today was scheduled as a free day, which meant there would be plenty of time for sight seeing and shopping, but it was also Jeff’s birthday! We visited a couple of shopping areas, and got to see some local artisans work on paintings, sculptures, and pottery. Monday is a quiet day for the shops, so the whole day felt very relaxed. We even found a great bathroom in the shopping area. That may sound strange, but you need to pay a couple pesos to use the bathrooms here!

For lunch we got the amazing experience of live Mariachi music! They even circled up around our table to sing a Mexican birthday serenade for Jeff— he didn’t know it was a birthday song until they put a sombrero on his head!

While we were out shopping, one of our team members received some difficult news from home. Thankfully, we were able to gather around and pray for her.

It has been amazing to see the way our team has grown together as friends in such a short amount of time. Our morning devotions and daily communion have challenged all of us to lay aside our own religious hangups and stressors back home. Most mornings we make communion out of jicama and Mexican sweet breads, and we each take a turn to lead. I’ve learned that while we all come from vastly different ways of life, each one of us has something unique and valuable to offer to the team, and to the people here in Guadalajara. Wherever we go, we find ways to serve and love people. Nancy in particular has been a wonderful example to us in the way she takes time to share love and talk with the cleaning and wait staff at our hotel. Earlier in the week she met a woman who cleans at the hotel, and learned her daughter is fighting leukemia. Because of the Lord leading Nancy to her, our team is committed to praying for her and her daughter. I’m so glad God brought us all together here!