Getting Prepared for Culiacan

Hey everybody!
I just got done with my second visit to Casa de Gabriel, the orphanage for handicapped children. It was a very intense day today. We stayed and helped to feed the children their meals. The majority of them cannot feed themselves. The staff there is made up mostly of single mothers who came from very bad domestic situations, and they are awesome, caring women, but there is so few of them that it was super awesome for them to be able to pass off some of their responsibilities to us gringos (white people). And I sure acted like a clueless white person today. I helped a lady feed a girl (whose name I cannot remember unfortunately) who cannot swallow her food. How in the world does that work? I don't really know. I held her head while the lady continuously caught the food the girl spit out and shovelled it back in. The poor girl was trying so hard to get it down, but it was such a hard thing. The food was all blended together, so it was as smooth as possible, but she had to open her throat and just let it slide down, and she would choke on it most of the times. The nurse asked me if I wanted to try it, but I couldn't even get the spoon in her mouth. It was so scary for me. I almost cried, but no one else was so I held it in. Then, the same nurse asked me to come with her to change another girl's diaper named Gabbi. I was just learning how to, so I stood to the side. Gabbi is seven I think. She cannot speak, cannot walk, and cannot sit up on her own. She just sits there and stares at you while chewing on her shaking hand. She was a sweet heart! I am excited for when we can go again. We will be taking the youth groups there every week we have one down. So we will be there alot in about three weeks.
We are having a preparation week for Culiacan. Most of our classes have been shortened and switched around so we can have ample time to pray and fast and focus on the Word. Our hearts have to be prepared for the service we will be called to do. Us students have been told that we won't really know what we are doing until like three minutes before we do it. We will be told by the directors and then we go. No matter what it is. We will be working with about 60 other Mexican nationals from the churches in the surrounding areas and us Ventaneros might not even room together during these next two weeks. It will be a trying and spiritually testing time, but we are excited for our time there, spreading the love of Christ through actions and words. We will be showing the Jesus Film to the Indigenous people as well a few nights a week. The people we are serving are all Indigenous, so they don't speak spanish mostly, its a totally different dialect. The languege barrier will be another thing to worry about for us Ventaneros.
Another huge prayer request as we go is for us girls. The men in Culiacan are known to be very crass and crude. Me and Michalene have to wear shawls on our heads because of our lighter hair color. Us girls are all wearing shirts that are two sizes too big, and long loose skirts with socks that cover our ankles. We are trying to look as unappealing and droopy as possible :) so i might not want to post any pictures from that time...you all might be suprised at my unappealing looks :) Just kidding. I am so excited to go out and be able to see how I can serve Gods people. Just pray that I can have a servants heart and that I'm willing to do everything with an attitude of humility and thanksgiving. We are under continuous spiritual attack, as a group and idividually. We are all on edge, so please pray that we can draw together as a team and be supportive and encouraging to each other. We need to have one mind--to serve God's people, and through that, serve God himself. But its difficult, especially in a high stress situation like this one.
Thank you all so much for your support. Please continue to pray for safety, and for all of us to be courageous in the name of Jesus Christ!
Much love,
Mikaela