kyle ginder is going dark.

well chavos, this is my last post for a while. tomorrow morning we're taking a bus to queretaro (8000 feet above sea level!!) where we'll be staying at a camp in the middle of the woods for 10 days... without internet, obviously. so this page is about to go dark for a while (um, meaning i just wont post anything new til i get back to lovely ixtapaluca). for the next few days we'll be working around the camp, doing whatever maintenance/improvement kind of projects they have picked out for us. then there will be a week-long camp for 18-25 year olds (mexicans) and all the interns are going to participate. i'm pretty positive we'll be integrated into the different cabins with them, so i'm really looking forward to having some new amigos to learn about and learn from.

it is almost 1:00 am right now, but i did promise to write something of spiritual value here so before i go, a little something i am learning about.
one thing that is soooooooooooooooo (i really cannot emphasize that enough) blatantly obvious about the people we've encountered here is their hospitality. i really mean that. every single time we walk into someone's house, each person is readily greeted and hugged and kissed and welcomed and then ALWAYS offered something. whether its just water or juice or an entire meal, without fail, mexicans will share whatever they have to give. and it's not just because we're american; they treat each other the same way. there's a very different group mentality here, an acute awareness of each person's presence and needs, and a desire to care for them if there is any way that can be done. it certainly has made me reflect on my general selfishness, my tendency to pay attention to my certain familiar friends and my own needs and desires. if Christ has done so much on my behalf and continues to fill my life with an abundance of grace and i am now a slave to Him, why is it that my desires continue to dictate my actions? i think i have a lot to learn from the people here in that aspect, and i pray for a heart of service and a deeper compassion for other people.

as for now, i'm outt. adios gringos... be back in 10 days.