With, For, In Love

Tears continuously flowed down my face as I stood in the airport waiting for my ticket. My parents were with me which usually would have made me feel comforted. However, my tears were not because of anxiety but rather I was crying because of a deep internal pain. I was leaving Mexico, my internship had come to an end. I felt like someone was ripping the most precious object out of my hand and there was nothing I could do but watch. I sulked the entire way home and stepping foot in America intensified the pain even more. I wanted to run back, to continue serving, to be with those I had fallen in love with. Upon my return I have been asked countless times, "How was it?" How was it?! Life changing. Soul altering. Perfectly joyous. Calming and beautiful. It was communion with God. Words can not express the overflowing joy and passion I was given during that month. He's 2, an orphan, a soccer player, and has captured my heart. "I think the biggest translation o

I stare into vacant eyes. Unblinking they stare emotionless back at me. This little girl can't be more than 4 and yet a lifetime of hurt and pain is etched into her beautiful face. Another girl clings to a sticker. The sticker is a symbol of her past, her past with a family. A 6 year old has a huge bump on her forehead either from a blow to the head or a burn. Laughing and joyful, a small child colors with me. As I look at her, I notice marks around her neck from being choked or strangled. Two girls have panic attacks which seems normal around here. I watch as a little boy sobs silently at the table. Is this real I wonder? "You are deeply loved" Yes, it is very real. The CAT (which is a government run shelter for children age 0-16) is one of the hardest places we serve. All of these children are here because their story is dark. Parents dropped them off because they could no longer take care of them. Children were removed due to dangerous circumstances. Some await t

"Gio, does this feel like real life to you?" I asked one of the interns as we were washing and putting away dishes. He stopped and looked at me. "Yeah, this seems like normal life." The Interns and Nanny That brief moment stuck with me and has been something I have pondered over the past week. Is this what normal life looks like? I clean a large house, wash fruit and shop for over 30 people, hold crying children, cement anything imaginable, continuously wipe sweat off of my face, play with children in parks, go to the beach with kids, and tell others God's story. Is that normal? I've never considered myself a missionary. I knew once I graduated college I would want to do mission work or go on a trip like The World Race. So yes, at some point in my life, I would love nothing more than the title of missionary. Well, what if I could have that title now? This summer I am called an "intern". I even have the label on the back of my Back2Back

Yes, I am in Cancun, Mexico and it is as humid as you would think it would be. If not more. I'm here for the entire month of June. What am I doing you ask? Oh you know, just soaking up the sun, swimming at the beach, and eating the freshest seafood. While that is a bit of a hyperbole, I thought I would answer everyone's questions about what I am actually doing. These are the main questions I have been asked. Yes, this is my backyard... 1. What are you doing in Cancun? I am interning at a ministry called Back2Back. We serve an orphanage, a government run shelter for children, three widows, a community, and an "apartment" complex. During my internship, I am simply God's hands and feet. I serve however I am called to do. I work from 7:30 am till 9:00 pm. My role is to be in charge of kitchen and food so I have to help prepare, stock, and shop for roughly 20-25 people every week. Besides that, I work around our group home, serve the various ministries I mentio