Written by: Delaney Smith
 
Hey, it's Smitty here, and, man, today was a great day! Just like yesterday, a few of us woke up early to read Scripture and spend time with the Lord. These mornings are so sweet watching my teammates pour into their relationships with the Lord and looking at the BEAUTIFUL view of the mountains and the water in front of us. This was the best way to start our morning and prepare our hearts for the day ahead of us. After some quiet time, we packed up the vans to head to a school down the street to help paint a classroom and play with the children.
 
My absolute favorite part of the trip so far was playing soccer with the kids at this school. I think they may think that I am "muy loco" because of how many times I yelled "VAMOS MI EQUIPO" and whatever other phrases I could think of in Spanish (I think my voice may be gone) and did crazy celebrations when my team scored a goal, but I would like to believe that these kids are my new friends! It was very cool to look around and see all my teammates actively engaging with the kids around them whether that was talking to them about their lives or playing with them and being goofy. It was even sweeter for me, though, to see the way the kids tried to speak English even though they knew very little. They saw all of us trying to speak Spanish to them and wanted to give the same love back. I will forever be amazed by how much God shines through His children and it is especially amazing the light these children shine on Baja, Mexico. 
 
We then left the school with full hearts and empty stomachs ad headed to a church nearby for lunch. We talked and ate with George and his family who are leaders of the church and then got in the van to do some home visits. When getting ready to head to the home visits, Lanie almost got locked in the bathroom for the day (or maybe even weeks), but don't worry it all turned out okay because of her elite Spanish skills. 
 
All the house visits were so heartwarming, and God was truly present in each one of these family's homes. The house that stood out to me the most was hermano Rogelio's house which was purely made of the dirt under the ground. This man did not have much yet he told us that his house is our house, and we are welcome whenever. Wow. What a great God we have! All the families were so grateful for us, and we were instantly surrounded by their love right when we saw them. There is something so powerful in their smiles and their hugs that encourage all of us to love others fuller. The generosity in their hearts and the way they live out the Golden Rule blows my mind and touches my heart. 
 
One man in particular apologized that his house was small right after he told us that he would help us with anything we ever need. That hit me hard and touched me on a whole different level because it is exactly what God preaches in Scripture: to fully give to those around you and love them with ALL you have even if that is not much. The way this man and all these families are fully relying on God and fully living out the Word is something I have never experienced firsthand and something I will never forget. Although they don't have much, they recognize all that God has done for them and spend their lives praising Him and loving others fully. 
 
We then ended the night going to a restaurant and eating some delicious fajitas before diving into our snapshots and girl time for the night (we had some delicious paletas on the way home as well!). I am in awe of the way God is working here and the MASSIVE hearts that He has gifted to my teammates. I absolutely love getting to know them more, hearing their stories, and growing alongside them. I cannot wait to continue with the rest of our trip to see what God has planned for us.
 
P.s. don't challenge my team to a riff off. Pilar can tell you all about it!
 
Sending love from Baja!