Baja Blast: September 2017

A letter to my Baja friends:

Today I’m writing (on the long abandoned blog) just to say gracias.

As you may or may not know by now, I have had a slow “rolling-off” of the Baja Missions staff.

But have no fear, I didn’t roll too far.

For the past year, I began to feel ready to transition back to The States but came to realize it would be MUCH easier felt, planned, or said than done.

As I’m sure many of you can relate, Baja has changed my life so much. My heart was so heavy at just the thought of moving it took a long time to get up the courage to try. It was heavy with gratitude.

You see, looking back, I really had no clue what I was signing up for when I committed to joining the Baja Missions team. Really.

I kinda stretched the fact that I knew Spanish (sorry, Rex) and just knew the Lord had placed Christian, non-profit work on my heart and somehow was granted great favor and grace to even show up alongside these spiritual giants. The only other thing I knew was that I had one of my first memorable experiences with the Holy Spirit in high school singing in the “gym kitchen” at the City of Children. So, I took a deep breath, swallowed in it and said, “If you met me there then, you will meet me there, again. I want to be where you are, Lord.”

So one year became, two, two became three…

And by no means was I ever “ready” to leave.

These people had now become family, they had trusted me with their stories and their friendship. They looked after me as their own.

Well, a bit overwhelmed, I planned to take a few months off to re-group, be present for events back home, and then proceed to do my best to follow where God was leading me (because it was unknown and scary!).

And well, along the way, had to process something I thought I could just avoid, taking time off and taking baby steps back into America. That something is what I like to call “post missionary disorder”

Man, it’s hard. Never really being ready. Then trying to jump back into the corporate world and struggling to summarize the “experience” into neat bullets points on a resume. When really life is just plain messy and I had to smile through many unknowns and learn by trial and error.

Or explaining a “typical day” in Mexico. A typical day like taking hours to pay bills, having car break downs, or being constantly inconvenienced by drought restrictions and no running water. Singing and talking to myself in the car with no radio, being scared to even go to the grocery alone at first. Yeah those are pleasant topics! Or the many beautiful experiences of just simply sitting, listening, being and crying with our sweet brothers and sisters. That’s tough to explain.

Realizing that a workplace may not value the 3+ years you have dedicated to loving and serving in this radically different environment, or shall we say the "least of these" in a “third world country.”

Sure the term “third world country” draws attention. But I don’t see it as three worlds. I think God created one world and we're all one big family.

One world but unfortunately broken up by these nasty borders and violent cultures that surround them. Yes, I know physical borders are necessary. But they’re man made. What about the mental borders or walls we have created towards certain peoples?

In what I’ve witnessed from frequent trips across the U.S. & Mexican border is that the rain falls on both sides (when it rains, ha!), the birds fly freely without need of a visa, and the Lord’s hand is upon all nations in an equally loving, Master Creator way. He gave His BEST designs to each continent; He gave His BEST most creative thoughts to form each of us, His children.

Speaking of the border, I have to share that the motivation for me to be back in the States was always coupled with a new desire to become involved in immigration. Seeing the transient way people live in a border town became so fascinating to me the more I learned over the years. Hearing personal, real-life immigration struggles over and over sparked my desire to become directly involved in this field.

God placed on my heart that I needed to be a bridge, when everyone else was looking at how to build more walls.

I started having these thoughts in early Spring 2016. Yes, that’s correct. Before the election and before I had any clue how much of a crazy topic this would become.

So, what’s my place in this ever changing, media topic?

Well that has to be all up to God. Because once again I feel lead to land where I have zero experience, and only the Lord’s leading.

Maybe it’s just immigrating more people to Him. After all, we’re all just citizens of Heaven. (Phil 3:20)

So, I share this (in a long-winded way) to also say thank you to the wonderful people that I’ve been so blessed to meet over the past few years.

Thank you for welcoming me, sharing with me, encouraging me, teaching me, blessing me, feeding me, being patient with me, believing in me and loving me.

I can’t believe how many Americanos (hermanos y hermanas) I met in Mexico that I probably would have never met in the States. It’s amazing.

So please know my desire to be in San Diego is coupled with the desire to stay involved as a volunteer with Baja Missions.

While I won’t be around all the time, my heart is still there and I plan to stay involved however I can going forward.

Here’s to taking one more step in faith and hoping to be malleable to the hand of God, even more still.

I ask for your prayers as I do my best to make a positive impact in my new community. I am thankful to share that I will be working with an immigration law firm that specializes in agriculture. As you proabably know, most all families I had the opportunity to meet in Baja work in this industry and many have come to the States on temporary job assignments.

He's evident in the details. He is good. I desire to give Him the glory!

If you read all of this, I love you and God bless you!

With mucho amor!

Laura