La Familia de Sanchez

I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday than spending it in Cartagena, Colombia with this precious family: The Sanchez family. For those of you who don't know, I arrived here on Saturday to visit a sweet friend, Schalee and her family:

Luis (papa)

Schalee (mama) far right.

Alicia (5)

Iliana (3)

Emilie (2)

While I'm not entirely sure what I am doing here, I do know that the Lord made this trip happen and He made it happen quickly. Within the last couple years, my heart has grown more and more towards missionaries. I have several family members that have either served as a missionary or ARE serving as one currently. I've seen some of the behind the scenes of what kind of life they choose to live and the hardships that come along with that. So, when the Lord told me that I was to be a "missionary for missionaries," I knew that was it.

So here I am, in Colombia. And I really have no idea what I'm doing. I'm taking pictures, shooting video, asking questions, and just spending quality time learning about how they live life here and I have come to several realizations.

1. Being in the mission field isn't about hitting people over the head with your Christianity. It's about living your Christian life in front of others, being a light in a dark place, and pouring into those that the Lord puts in your path.

2. It's hard. Really hard. Watching Luis and Schalee be leaders in their small church while raising three girls in a foreign place is, at times, unimaginable. The things they have had to learn to do to adapt and survive are things that we would never think of in the States. And yet, through all the difficulties they are always quick to count their blessings. It is a great reminder for me to be aware of even the smallest blessings in my life (i.e. air conditioning, fans, ice, warm showers).

3. They need support. MORE MORE MORE. As members of The Branch, Luis and Schalee need all the support that I feel when I am at home. It is so easy to forget about those who are serving with us around the world simply because we don't see them on a regular basis. These are the souls that need us the most in our church family. I will be coming back with lots of easy and effective ways for us to bless our missionary families.

We have so many missionaries and I hope that the Lord allows me to visit them all, however I have learned so much and am so grateful for every moment I have been able to spend here. Be sure to check back to see some pictures and video that I took while here. The Sanchez family.... get ready to hear that name a lot.

Blessings,
Jessica