NIKO it!

NIKO: Greek word which means "Victory of the people". People used to shout NIKO after they had won a war.

NIKO 2: Survival hiking adventure for 3 nights and 3 days.

NIKOer: Overcomer.


What a busy week!!!! We had to get ready for the Mexican Mission Adventures and we did not have enough time. It was Monday morning and the kids were gonna arrive at noon. The main leader; Naara got food poisoning. We were going to start camping that day and the maps were not printed out. I was supposed to have everything packed, and I did not. NO TIME, and many things had to get done. It was not exactly what I was expecting...
At 1pm we had the registration and all of the kids were excited to start the week since NIKO was part of the week and the only thing that they knew was that NIKO meant "survival camp".
For me, the biggest challenge was not sleeping on the ground nor the sweat or the sun, but a person.
Oh my goodness!!! Have you ever known someone that is so familiar to you and you don't like it at all?
It was like looking into a mirror, she was so like what I used to be... a Preppy girl.
It would always be the team hiking ahead of her or it would be her, hiking ahead of us, but never together.
She would take so much time to get ready. Always late but super pretty. You know? Fashion first!!
God is amazing and it was great to see her change her attitude during the week. It was awesome to see the kids the first day being all indifferent about everything and the last day they were hugging each other and dancing together.

And here... some numbers:

• 22 teenagers+10 staff members had something in common: We all thought and believed that a bag of Granola, a bag of beans, peaunut butter, powdered milk and powdered gatorade was the meaning of best food in the world.

• We hiked approximately 20 miles. and the first hike started at 11:30 PM.
  

• 3 Teams: Red, Green and the best one... BLUE!!

• In less than 30 minutes we fed about 50 people.

• 187329482654925702732... times I have been in awe because of God's love, (The view was AMAZING at NIKO!) and I praise He who paints the sky with a new picture everyday no matter what I do, no matter what I think, no matter what goes on around me, He is God, and shows me He loves me through his creation. Without him I can't NIKO anything.
  

Eating or Sleeping

I had not taken the spoon out of his little mouth when he started crying, wanting more mashed peaches.

While we were on outreach in Mexico City we got to minister to some street people.

A group of like 15 people were sniffing paint thinner while we were giving away sandwiches and while we were doing this we had no idea we were going to run into some babies. I had the opportunity to hold Raymundo who was the youngest, He had bronchitis, he was hungry and so tired. He started sucking the mayonnaise out of one of the sandwiches I had in my hand and at the same time he was falling asleep. WHAT A HARD DECISSION! Eating or sleeping.

I wanted to get him baby food but SURPRISE! I had forgotten my purse in the van which was like 15 minutes away, so I started asking the guys in my team if they had any money on them. Finally Efrain and I went to the store and by the time we bought the food, he had fallen asleep in my arms. But that all changed when I opened the jar of baby food and the smell of the peaches got into his nose.

HE ATE THE WHOLE JAR IN LESS THAN 2 MINUTES!!!

He had not had any food in like 30 hours! His 19 year old mom was too skinny that she could not even nurse him plus she had to feed the other 2 year old boy.

I wanted to keep Raymundo with me, I was so sad and mad and upset about the whole situation.

I wish we had helped them more than giving them only sandwiches. I think we did though. We prayed for them. We did our part and we let God do his part. I know that God is taking better care of Raymundo than I ever could.

Now I am back in Youth with a Mission Tijuana. I just started as a full time staff. Lets see what else God can do in my life! I can't wait for MORE OF GOD!

I have a lot more to share with you all, so wait for it!

end of this chapter.