Q&A

I've been in Mexico for about a month and a half! The D.F. has really become like a home to me! I've had ups, downs, and lots of in betweens, but I truly feel like I'm growing in so many different ways. Migraines and a cold have been a struggle, but my body is finally adjusting to the altitude and climate. Thank you for your prayers in regards to my health! 

My team and leaders are incredible. They've been there for everything, and I am gracious for their love, hugs, and prayers through this time. My roommate, Robin, and my host family have been incredible with supporting me through my times of sickness and grumpiness. My team and Mexican friends and family are just incredible, so don't worry about me, Mom and Dad!

I haven't really had a chance to write much recently, so I thought that I would write a Q&A blog post answering each and every question. This post might be a tad long, but I hope that it helps explain everything related to Mexico and missions!

1. What is your daily schedule?
Sundays are full of church, ministries, and outreach. Mondays are our Sabbath with a bible study at night. Every Tuesday the group has a debrief meeting and talk referring to culture, history, and missions from one of our leaders or a Mexican leader in the community. Wednesdays are Spanish classes and work days. Team bible study and worship are on Thursdays, with Mana afterwards. (Mana is the after school program.) Fridays are Spanish classes and then Recobro. (Recobro is the safe home for women and children with mental disabilities.) Saturdays are full of family time, small groups, and then preparing for church!

2. What is something that you have had to learn to love about Mexico?
Great question! Going through culture shock surfaced a lot of things I have had to learn to love! Some of those include the metro, spontaneity, always being around people, and speaking Spanish. I've come to find out that I absolutely crave riding the metro-even during sweaty rush hour. Spontaneity and I have a love/hate relationship, but I'm okay with that! I'm still getting in the groove of finding alone time, but living on a roof with the ability to watch the sunrise and sunset is quite an encouragement! And there are definitely days I wish I was fluent in Spanish, but learning is a process.

3.What inspired you to be a missionary? How long ago did you know that it was what you were supposed to do?
I've always loved doing short term mission trips (especially international), so being a recent graduate seemed like the perfect opportunity to go abroad, be stretched, and just love on people for a while. I never really had one day where the heavens opened and God told me to go to Mexico, but lots of little things just added up. I started college wanting to be an elementary school teacher, but realized that was not what I was supposed to do right now! So, I picked up an international studies minor and later a Spanish minor with a general Liberal Studies degree. What was my plan with this degree? No idea. I just trusted in the Lord that He would give me guidance. In December, I went to a missions conference called Urbana in St. Louis. It was an incredible week of worship and talks that led me to Latin America Mission. Through learning about their programs, the YearOut fit best, so I prayed and the Lord provided! I'm not so sure that God has called me to be a full time missionary, but what I love about the YearOut Avance Program is that it is just a taste of missionary life. It's like an internship with Jesus! International discipleship is priceless, so I'm here as a learner to grow, serve, and show the love of Christ.   

4. What do I miss most about the States?
Family, friends, carpet, and mac and cheese. Hands down.

5. What has been your biggest challenge?
Migraines and Spanish!

6. Does your work in Mexico look like the work you did in Uganda?
No. While I value my experiences in Uganda so much, I am learning completely new things in Mexico City. In Uganda, I worked more with younger street children and in a boys home. Here in the D.F., I work alongside adolescents, live with a host family, am more independent, and work with women! It's definitely different, but I love the opportunities that the Lord has provided for my growth in Him.

7. What has God taught you recently?
He has taught me to be in complete thanksgiving all the time-even through trials. One of my favorite things about Spanish is that it is so easy to say thank you...after all it's "gracias!" What an easy one! When praying all you say is "Dios, gracias por..." (God, thank you for...) That's usually how every prayer starts. It has really shaped my prayer life and the way that I live in general. Finding how to constantly give thanks to the Lord has been such a growing experience for me.

8. What is your church like?
My host dad is the pastor of a smaller Baptist church in the northern part of the city. He is extremely committed to the church, which is very refreshing to see. It definitely keeps Robin and I occupied! Every Sunday morning before the service, a few members of the church and I do a "metro outreach program." You might be thinking that we are crazy, but people here definitely express themselves by selling things, singing, performing skits, and asking for money on the metro, so why not talk about Jesus? My dad does less than a two minute sermon and then we hand out pamphlets to people who are interested in hearing more. We do this from one metro stop to the next for almost an hour! Many, many people in Mexico have never heard of Jesus' love and grace before, so it is beautiful to reach out to people and give them a taste of Christianity. Each pamphlet has information on how to get plugged into a church, how to pray, and the basics about being a Christian. After the metro outreach, we head back to the church, have a bible study, and then worship and a sermon. At times I help with Sunday School, but I really enjoy hospitality and helping with the service, as well! We sing everything from hymns to Hillsong, and the church is just a beautiful family that truly reflects the Lord's love. 

9. What is one thing that you'd bring home from Mexico?
The obvious answer is my host families (from this summer and this fall). My second thing would be a Taco El Pastor oven thingy.. I don't know how to describe it. Look it up! Haha! It's the best type of taco meat around!

10. What have you learned about your own spirituality that you were unaware of before Mexico?  
I never realized how much I always demanded from God. I wanted this and that and never ceased asking the Lord to provide for me. Being forced to pray in Spanish has turned my prayers into constant thanksgiving. It has definitely carried over into my English prayers and perspective about how great our God truly is!

*I feel as though ten questions is enough for now! If you have more questions, feel free to leave a comment! I will be sure to answer it. :)

*If you have not already, please join my email list. I send at least one email a month to my friends, family, and supporters. If you'd like to join, email me at amanda.krzywicki@live.longwood.edu. I also have a prayer team that I send more frequent emails to regarding more specific prayer requests. If you would like to join this team, email me! I would love to add you to one or both.

*Please continue to be in prayer for my host families, my team and our leaders, my health, fundraising, relationships, and for my church.

Have a blessed rest of your week! Thanks for reading :)

Su Gracia

To be honest, the past few days have been quite discouraging. I've had a terrible migraine that prohibited me from going to my ministries and lots of thoughts to distract me. One of my biggest worries these past few weeks has been about student loans. Being a recent graduate and worrying about money is not that fun...so as I moved to a foreign country and applied to pay my loans later, I thought everything was going to be fine. On the contrary, I was rejected from postponing my loans this week.

Then, yesterday morning I got on my account just to check on the status of my loans-and everything has been postponed... And next to each loan it says "in grace." Um. Ok. That's different. Whether that's common language in loans or not, that phrase isn't too common in my daily vocabulary. 

God's grace is truly overwhelming me! Sometimes, i just have to get over my own stubbornness, and ask him to cover me in His power and love. After all, He is in control, not me. I'm sure that my struggle with student loans and distracting thoughts isn't over, but I know that His grace is sufficient. His grace covers all-even my biggest fears. My prayer for you is that you continue to be wrapped in His grace, too! 

Please continue to be in prayer for culture shock, my brain, and unexpected miracles as I enter my third week in the D.F. This week is full of fun plans, bible studies, and my first full days in ministry (since my migraine forced me to rest)! Thank you for all of your support. As always, please let me know how I can be praying for you by emailing me at Amanda.krzywicki@live.longwood.edu.

Manatee

When I was about ten, my grandparents invited my sister and I to accompany them on their Florida vacation. One day,  my grandparents invited my sister and I to swim with manatees in the wild. We were so excited! When the day came, we weren't nervous at all. We hopped in the water, laughed a bit, and started searching through our goggles for these mysterious creatures. We saw one way off in the distance "quickly" approaching. (If you don't know, manatees move extremely slow). Lizzy and I began to panic. We started kicking our legs and stirred up the water on accident. We could no longer see this giant mammal heading towards us in the murky waters. We both panicked and asked the instructor what to do. He calmly said, "just float, relax, and prepare yourself to see something great. It won't hurt you. You are extremely safe." That was the last thing we wanted to hear. RELAX? Are you kidding me? A giant animal is swimming towards us, and he wants us to float? We listened, but definitely hesitated. Needless to say, these giant "water potatoes" were approachable, gentle, and quite friendly. That day is a day I'll always cherish, despite the fear I had in the beginning.

When I felt that God wanted me here in Mexico, I was excited and ready. But as the days came closer, I started doubting. Is He really sure I'm supposed to be here? Am I prepared? What was I supposed to do in one of the biggest cities in the world? I asked Him, and He said to "relax and wait to see something great." My response was just about the same with the manatees...

Today we had a team meeting full of worship and bible study. During our worship time, the image of that giant manatee came into my mind. Seriously-I haven't thought about that in years! But all the sudden, all my worries an anticipation about ministries starting this week disappeared! I've been so preoccupied about teaching my own class at Maná and starting to work at Recobro, that I haven't gotten too excited yet. But, as I picture this sweet, giant creature gliding through the water coming towards me, I couldn't help but compare it to my ministries. The murky waters are really blurring my vision for what I'm supposed to 'do,' but my ultimate Instructor is telling me to float, relax, and to prepare myself to see something great.

I don't know exactly what this "something great" is going to be quite yet, but I'm excited to see how God is already working here. I'm pumped to be hands-on in His mission in the D.F. 

I just wanted to share that image with you. Whenever you see a giant opportunity coming your way and the water churns up, float, relax, and wait on something great. Don't get discouraged or give up! "He is with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20

Take Heart

It has officially been one week in the D.F. (Districto Federal)! I am still adjusting, but loving every second. Latin America Mission (soon to partner with United World Mission) has a very beneficial program for the YearOuters where we take Spanish classes, have weekly training meetings, and are also involved in an inductive bible study together. Each of these aspects has begun, and I am so excited! While I have not yet moved in with my host family or begun my ministry placements, everything is underway. The team is fantastic, goofy, and in constant awe of the goodness of Jesus. We are excited to build each other up this year as we seek the Lord in our different ministries. I will be meeting with my ministries and moving in with my host family starting this weekend, and I’m thrilled to continue being a learner through this process!

Please be in prayer for the YearOut Team (Lizzie, Robin, Erik, and I), culture adjustment, and that the Lord continues to be a presence here. I am also currently seeking more monthly supporters. It is a necessity to raise a sufficient amount each month in order to continue to work here, and I am humbly asking for your participation. Are you interested in joining my support team? To give, please go to: www.lam.org/missionaries/amanda-krzywicki. If you would like to become more prayerfully involved in what God is doing in the D.F., please let me know if you’d like to be added to my Prayer Team by sending me an email at amanda.krzywicki@live.longwood.edu.

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Gloria a Dios! (Glory to God) This week has been a phenomenal week of “see-you-laters,” support-raising, and hugs. You all truly inspire me and keep me going during this time of preparation!

During my last week in the States, God has been revealing himself in amazing ways. On Thursday, I had the privilege of going back to Longwood University and speaking at BCM (a campus organization that I was heavily involved with during my undergraduate career). The overflowing joy and encouragement in that room on Thursday was more than I could have ever fathomed. My campus minister asked me to speak about life as a missionary, but for some reason I couldn't get over the fact that being a missionary is not just about laboring. Therefore, I talked about being in “sponge mode” for Jesus as we live out our daily lives by soaking up His holy presence. I think that a huge part of life as a missionary is soaking up His love, forgiveness, and grace. Being a missionary is not just “doing,” it’s “being.”

While remaining in sponge mode myself, I have grown in thanksgiving for how the Lord is preparing me for my official placements. I will be working at the Centro del Recobro, which is a safe house for women and children with mental disabilities who have been abandoned or abused. My second placement is with Mana, which is an after-school program for underprivileged children. Both of these placements are incredibly exciting, and I can’t wait to share stories with you about both!

If you do not already receive my monthly newsletters via email, please contact me at Amanda.krzywicki@live.longwood.edu. I would be happy to add you. If you would also like to take part of my prayer team, contact me as well. This is for individuals who commit to praying for me on a regular basis and have asked to receive specific prayer requests on an immediate-need basis.

As I count down the hours to my 9:30am departure on Tuesday, please continue to pray for me, my placements, my new host family, and Mexico City. Pray for my other team members who are anxiously waiting to see how the Lord is going to work through them in Mexico, as well. Pray for our safety, smooth travels, health, and final preparations as we deploy. Once again, thank you for your love and prayers. I will hopefully update my blog within the next month or so!

Until then, adios y Dios te bendiga! (Goodbye and God bless you!)

Ps. I would love to invite you to the next fundraiser held at St. Marks United Methodist Church (1151 Lucks Lane, Midlothian, VA, 23114) on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26^TH FROM 11AM-2PM. The UMM have committed to helping me fund raise by selling BBQ chicken dinners for anyone in the area. If you love BBQ, supporting missions, and live near Richmond, please stop by!

Martha and Mary

This past five weeks in the States has been absolutely incredible. I am floored by how much grace God has showed me, how many hugs I've received, and how much support I have from you all. Thank you for everything. Thanks be to God with His many blessings in our lives! He is so good.

I am glad that I have had the opportunity to travel up and down the East Coast visiting friends and family, as well as raise support. Thank you to the churches, the small groups, and the individuals that have made my fundraising go smoothly. While I still have a ways to go, I greatly appreciate each of your support.

Throughout the past month and a half, I couldn't help but read the Martha and Mary story again and again. If you look at Luke 10:38-42, it talks about sisters (Martha and Mary) who welcome Jesus into their house. While Mary sits at Jesus’ feet and enjoys His presence, Martha is busy cleaning the house and making it look presentable. While cleaning, she asks Jesus to make Mary help her. His response goes a little something like “Hey Martha. Chill. Mary is hanging out with me. She isn't preoccupied or distracted with a to-do list. She’s enjoying her company.” Obviously, those aren't his real words, but it definitely makes you think, right?

It always makes me take a step back and look at my life. I am constantly busy running errands, getting coffee dates, cleaning, or preparing for something. But when do I ever just sit and enjoy His holy presence? Being home has taught me to relax and trust in the Lord more and more. While I just want to be running around “feeling productive” God calls me to just sit with Him. When do we ever just sit and enjoy the Lord? It is pretty difficult when we have thoughts running through our heads constantly. We have homework to worry about, job searching that stresses us out, problems with friends, addictions that consume our bodies and minds….but think about this story. Martha is complaining that she has SO much to do that she interrupts Jesus. We shouldn’t be interrupting Jesus. We should be demanding Jesus to interrupt OUR lives. We need Jesus. We need a Savior, but we also need time for Him to save us. We need to be learning and listening to Jesus, just as Mary does in this story. Martha was wrong in being “distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.” (v. 40) Jesus responds saying that Mary “has chosen what is better.” It sure makes me think.

Even today, 5 days from departure, I have quite the lengthy to-do list, but first on my list should be sitting and enjoying His blessings. I should be soaking up his love, spirit, and forgiveness, not worrying about checking things off my list.

But, I should make myself clear. The Bible also says that man is also made to work. From Genesis 2 throughout the rest of the Bible, it talks about laboring for the Lord, etc. In Genesis 2:15, God put man in the Garden of Eden to “work and take care of it.” So, that being said, yes we do indeed need to spend quiet time with the Lord, but not turning that into laziness and gluttony.

My prayer for you is that you continuously seek to find alone time with God, that you rejoice in all His blessings in your life, and that you go, read this story, and ask what God, Himself, is trying to reveal to you through this passage.

I eagerly await my departure on Tuesday morning, but until then, I “will rejoice in the Lord always.” (Phil 4:4)

July Adventures

Howdy from the U.S! Here are some of my thoughts from my last three weeks in Mexico!


Vacation Bible School:
My last two weeks in Mexico City were spent volunteering with my church to put on the largest VBS (escuelita) in our community. There were over 200 children! It was a lot of work, to say the least. Both Canaan and I were pretty sick off and on, which was incredibly unfortunate. But, our stubbornness helped us push through so we could see our "niños"! We were blessed with the opportunity of working with the four-year olds, who taught me a lot about Mexican culture, family life, the proper way to glue, how to laugh after spinning around in circles too many times, how to sing your heart out to Jesus, how to hug and never let go, how to love innocently, and how to be curious about absolutely everything. The Bible tells us in Matthew 18:2-5 that Jesus wants us to come to Him like little children-curious, innocent, and humble. Mark 10:13-16 gives another example of when Jesus said that people will never enter the Kingdom if they do not receive it like little children. I challenge you to observe and learn from the little children in your life. The Mexican kids I worked with did that for me.

What was your ministry?:
Since being home, people have asked me questions like "So what exactly did you do?" "Did you build a house?" "Did you pray for people on the streets?" The list goes on and on. What my blog and Facebook lack are testimonies of people seeking for the Lord and asking me to pray with them, to direct them, and to answer their questions. While I was in Mexico, I did not build houses, build wheelchair ramps, or visit hospitals. But, the mission field is so much grander than that. The Lord calls us to be servants. Meanwhile, He provides the opportunities. I believe that the Lord wanted me to plant seeds this summer, not to see the fruits of my labor. I learned a vital lesson these past two months. The field of missions is not solely works. It is relationships, laughter, questions, prayers, support, and trust. I believe that the Lord is using me, but sometimes I cannot provide concrete details. People have trusted me with their past, present, and future. I would be betraying many people if I blurted out their stories on social media. Please trust in that and know that even though it is frustrating to not always see the final outcome, God is still at work.

There were many times in Mexico where I waited-waited for the metro, waited in line, waited for my family, waited to go to sleep, waited to eat, and waited to see friends. God taught me that in life, I always seem to wait. But, I challenge you to ask yourself this question: What would life look like without waiting? In my opinion, life would be free, enjoyable, and fulfilling. The Lord's presence would ring out true. It would empower people to stand, rejoice, and absorb every bit of His love! Let's think about it. Would we rather sit in a garden day after day just to stare at the soil, or would we rather plant that seed and spend our days loving others, dancing, rejoicing, and trusting that the Lord is going to take care of it? I think that I chose option two most of the time in Mexico. Yes, there are many pictures of me exploring, spending time with my Mexican family, and just being goofy. But, I am just waiting and trusting that I was used. God might use someone else to water those plants. I am confident in knowing that the Lord used me to put that seed in the soil and am thankful for that opportunity, though. God wants to use each of us. Learn to give your life to Him-you might not see the results right away (or ever), but be content in knowing that the Lord is changing lives through you everyday.

Looking Forward: Plans for America, Funding, Placements:
With all that happened with me this summer, I am so excited to get back to the Cuidad de Mexico! But first I need to fund raise! If you would like to  hear me speak, I will be at an event held through Calvary Chapel Farmville on August 23rd. I currently have about $1,500 left to raise by the end of this month. Please pray for my patience and confidence in the Lord during this time. After this deadline, I need to start raising funds for the spring. If you feel called to give, but haven't yet, now is your chance!

During the YearOut Program, I will most likely be living with a new family and working in a multitude of different ministries. These ministries will range anywhere from street outreach, after-school programs with under-privileged youth, and working in a home for women and children with mental disabilities who have been abused or abandoned. I am still uncertain with my placements, but will update my blog as soon as I find out.

Remember that the Lord is sufficient. He is enough for you. He is enough for me. He alone will carry us through trying times. Read 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. It really helped me be in constant thanksgiving for what blessings I do have in life. Even in my many weaknesses in Mexico, He is perfect. He sustains us. We just have to believe that He is sufficient in our lives, and He will be glorified.

Until next time...
Amanda