welcome to our world

So last week I was doing some journaling about what I have learned and experienced while on the mission field. Trying to really reflect on what's new before I return stateside and be aware of changes to help with reverse culture shock.
I think one of the huge truths that God really drove into my Spirit, is just the hugeness of the incarnation! I knew Jesus came to "seek and to save that which was lost", but I guess for whatever reason I never before had looked at the missionary example Christ set for us. He came into a world He didn't know.....he didnt know the culture, the language, the customs, the traditions,......He came as a babe, as a learner into this people group of the Jews some 2000 years ago! Wow, so much I can learn from Him......I must be a learner.....in language, in culture, in social ways, in traditions, in all things!
Entonces, I have always been a Christmas-y person...I love celebrating the birth of Christ, the gifts He puts in our lives, and the wonder of the virgin birth.....but this year there is something new stirring in me..........Christ set the standard......left all the glory and familarity of the heavens He knew...and came to a world unknown so that He might seek and save those who were lost like sheep without a shepherd thru His amazing, unending Love! How beautiful is our Savior....how much more of His love I have to learn and bask in :)

"Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; He took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross." Philippians 2:5-8

a time for everything

This week has been bittersweet.....its super super exciting to look forward to returning home to visit with friends and family back in my home state over Christmas....but of course since its my last week, its been hard to say goodbye.....although its only for a few weeks, its emotional.
Today, I had an awesome visit with my friend V..... who is a fellow Christian wanting to grow in her faith.....I am blown away by the generosity and open hearts of the Mexican people. They give and give! When we were seperating she was asking when I would be back and sharing she would miss me. We both had tears in our eyes as we hugged and parted ways.

I am so grateful that God taught me an important lesson about two weeks ago that I can now reach back and recall that lesson once more. A few weeks ago I knew I wasn't going to see my friend C.... for a whole week and was hoping she would be coming to church with me that next Sunday. I was kind of nervous as to not see her for a whole week knowing the enemy would be moving against her as she was moving away from him and agreeing to visit church. But God really spoke to me and was like, "You know what? Can you just give her to me? I can do a much better job of taking care of her then you ever could. Trust me to hold her in my hands....I am more than capable." That was so like Wow! for me as I just really released her into God's care and let him do his thing as only he can! So that is where I am now.....emotional at times in leaving some good friends that I know have a lot on their plates right now, but yet at rest within for I know God is able to keep them and care for them with His amazing love that far, far outweighs mine!
LET GO, LET GOD! :)

If my people.....

"If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

This past Saturday morning I really saw God answering this promise. The past few weeks have been trying at our base as we have had a lot of attacks from our enemy. This past Saturday, however, we had an awesome share time and then our girls group broke off for a prayer circle. We really felt the Holy Spirit descend and pour out a spirit of repentance. We had a great time of confession and humbling ourselves. How beautiful that among all the tear-covered faces, snotty noses, and open hearts; our Father heard and came to heal us! I am so grateful for the unity we are experiencing here, but most of all the unity we can experience of abiding as one in the creator of the Universe! Praise His Name ;)

changes

-just so you know, today in class we had some good discussion about privacy for those we work with here...to keep their names sort of undisclosed for privacy and security purposes......so with that......names will sometimes be 'coded' so to speak.....:)

I'm coming home

This past week God really opened my eyes to the truth found in the book of Hosea.....you see Hosea had this wife, Gomer, that was a prostitute....so often Hosea had to suffer the pain of an unfaithful wife and having her forsake his love.....God uses Hosea in this situation to reflect the relationship of Israel with Him......and the same is true of me....
Ive been a Gomer.
I have often forsaken my God, the lover of my soul. Often I have "exchanged the glory of God for the disgrace of idols." ch 4 vs 7 Because idols aren't simply a little figurine of Buddha...but we can make an idol out of our friends, our family, our boyfriend, our own self image, our interests...whatever.....
And that is what I have been guilty of, I have given my primary attention, love and adoration to idols.....
Chapter 5 is very humbling, "For as soon as trouble comes, they will search for me...."
How shockingly true.....I hate when a friend only comes to me when something is wrong...only comes to me in crisis mode.....but man how often do I do the same with God? How amazing that the creator of the universe wants to be my friend? to hear about my days..to hear the cries of my heart.....to hear my worries.....
How I long to run to him and enjoy that close friendship and simply chill with him...good days...bad days....silly days.....emotional days......all the days I have breath.

How beautiful the story ends as Gomer repents and turns away from the idolatry and in the same....the Lord says to me and to you, his children, "Then I will heal you of your idolatry and faithlessness, and my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever!" ch 14

Thank you Father...i praise you that you receive me time and again when i have left you and chased after other loves. thank you Lord that you always take me back...you heal me and your love has no bounds.....you are good father, i give you me :)

THANKSGIVING :) THE FATHER HAS LAVISHED ON US :)

OUR THANKSGIVING HERE WAS AWESOME.....WE HAD AN AMAZING MORNING OF WORSHIP AND THE HOLY SPIRIT REALLY SHOWED UP...HE HOVERED OVER US AND FILLED US WITH THE PRESENCE OF THE FATHER AND LAVISHED GIFTS ON US.....

AFTERWARDS US GIRLS ENJOYED GETTING "DOLLED UP" FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER...AND FOUND OURSELVES AMONG A SPREAD OF AMERICAN DISHES.....MASHED POTATOES.....TURKEY.....DRESSING...PECAN PIE...DELICISOSO.....

AFTERWARDS WE ENJOYED SITTING AROUND TALKING LIKE A BIG FAMILY....AND THEN THAT NIGHT US GIRLS HAD A GAME NIGHT AND ENJOYED SOME GOOD LAUGHTER....AND SOME YUMMY APPLE CIDER.....AAAHH!

THE DAY WAS JUST INCREDIBLY RESTFUL AND PEACEFUL....AN AWESOME DAY TO REFLECT ON THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD...AND ALL THE LOVE HE HAS LAVISHED ON ME ;) PRAISE HIM NAME FOREVER AND A DAY!
1Jn 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

what a wonderful week from a wonderful Father :)

Hey you guys! Wow God has been blowing me away this past week! His Spirit and Grace keep me in awe and sometimes speechless not even able to express how awesome. Forgive me for this past week has left me that way. I'll try and express in words how amazing its been :) I'm praying you are each doing well also and experiencing God in new ways each day. I pray you fall more in love with Him and live out that love :) PRAISES: (ALL IN CAPITAL LETTERS THIS WEEK ;)*CRUZ: IS A NEW FRIEND I MADE THIS WEEK WHO IS VERY INTERESTED IN LEARNING THE TRUTH OF WHO JESUS CHRIST IS AND WHAT HE DID ON THE CROSS FOR US AND WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR ONE TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE AND LIVE AN ABUNDANT LIFE HERE ON EARTH! WE WERE ABLE TO HANG OUT SEVERAL DAYS THIS PAST WEEK AND REALLY CONNECT QUICKLY! PRAISE GOD :) *TIME IN THE PARK: I HAD SEVERAL AWESOME TIMES IN THE PARK WITH SOME KIDS, READING BIBLE STORIES, COLORING, AND SINGING PRAISE SONGS....THERE WERE A FEW OLDER GIRLS I WAS ABLE TO TALK ABOUT BAPTISM WITH AND LET GOD USE THOSE SEEDS TO CREATE CURIOSITY FOR MORE OF HIM*MONICA: A FRIEND FROM CHURCH, I WAS ABLE TO SPEND ALL DAY WITH TODAY JUST HANGING OUT AND HAVING SOME GOOD CONVERSATION...IT WAS SUCH A GOOD TIME TO ENJOY SISTER FELLOWSHIP AND A DAY OUT WITH JUST US WHILE HER HUSBAND KEPT THE KIDS...... PRAYER REQUESTS: *YESENIA: SHE HAS HAD A REALLY ROUGH WEEK AS HER DAD LEFT HER MOM A YEAR AGO FOR HER AUNT.....HORRIBLE.....AND THEN HE JUST RETURNED TO THE CITY THIS PAST WEEK....OBVIOUSLY ITS BEEN VERY TENSE AND THEY ARE ALSO WORKING A FEW MORE STORES SO SHE IS JUST PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY WORN OUT..PRAY THAT GOD GIVE HER PEACE AND REST IN HER SOUL AND BEGIN TO WORK HEALING WITHIN THEIR FAMILY*CRUZ: SHE HAS SOME ISSUES IN HER MIND THAT SHE GOES AND SHARES WITH A SUPPORT GROUP EVERY NOW AND THEN....BUT I AM BELIEVING THAT GOD CAN HEAL HER AND BRING HER TO FULL RESTORATION :) PLEASE PRAY FOR HER HEALING PHYSICALLY AND HER MIND AND HEART TO BE OPEN TO LEARNING THE TRUTH OF WHO JESUS CHRIST IS*MONICA: HER BROTHER HECTOR IS SEPERATED FROM HIS WIFE RIGHT NOW AND HIS KIDS ARE LIVING WITH THE WIFE....THIS HAS BEEN WEIGHING ON MONICA'S HEART AS SHE IS CLOSE TO HER BROTHER BUT HE LIVES UP NORTH IN MEXICO CITY...PRAY FOR RECONCILIATION IN HECTOR'S FAMILY AND PEACE FOR MONICA AS SHE IS AWAY FROM HER FAMILY I really see the enemy doing a lot to rip apart families here through infidelity, alcoholism, and men going away for years to work in the States. Overall for this town, please pray that God would raise up men to be good Christian leaders for their families and for the family role to be restored to the way God intended. We only have less than three weeks left here, so please be in prayer for all of us students and families here at the base that we not "check out" early. Of course we are getting excited about returning to see loved ones for a few weeks over the holidays, but we also want to be "all here" while here! :)

being in love with you....

ok...so there is this song i love and i had to post on here..its by big daddy weave....so you can look them up online and actually here the song......but the words are just soo good! just really that its not about what we do for God but just simply enjoying him :) i love this morning just dwelling in His presence......this morning i slept in til 930....got ready....went out into the kitchen and made a yummy yoghurt/banana/pineapple/granola shake......then sat at or desk with some praise music on....a candle going...and the windows open with the curtains pulled back as the hot mexico sun poured in......Lord you are good and i want to fall in love with you more each day......


Lately I've been busy thinkin' And this is what's been on my mind It seems like all I do is work for You, Lord But I feel empty on the inside I know that work is an important part Oh but this is also true My dilemma is an issue of the heart When I try to live for you without you I don't need to try to be The flawless example Lifted up for everyone to see I don't need to stand and shout it " Hey I've got the answer!" If your presence is living in me I won't need to talk about it In a church committee For the world to know the truth All I need to do is just be me Being in love with you I've been spending all my time And all my efforts trying to make you proud of what you see But to my great surprise I have realized Nothing that I do can change your love for me

for the children of the world

Please be in prayer for children all around the world. abuse is happening behind far too many closed doors. we recently began to see signs of physical abuse on one of our english students. its really a troubling situation, because, often in this culture when someone says something word gets around and the abuse worsens. we have heard stories of kids here being starved for a week, being locked in a room for a period of time, abused with rocks, or burning their face on the presa for the tortillas. my heart is breaking and crying out for relief and protection for these kids. please be in prayer for these children here in tlaxiaco and surrounding villages. but most of all be in prayer that they find the hope, joy, and love of the true Father provided in relationship with Jesus Christ.

1 out of 17 women

Wow....my heart was broken today to learn about the high high number of prostitutes in Thailand....now before you go thinking, "That's sick." or "Why would a women give her body in such a way?" Just wait......
The population in Thailand is 67 million, there are 2 million prostitutes, that means roughly 1 in 17 women are prostitutes. It is a horrible entrapment that so many women fall into for the money to provide for their families. It breaks my heart to know so many women are having to give away their body as a possession to simply provide. As you can imagine this has had a devestating affect on the health of these women. 1 in 100 Thais have HIV.
Please be in prayer for these women. Pray for jobs for them. Pray for counseling and healing in their spirits. Pray for God to touch their lives and rescue them from this painful cycle. Pray for what you can do. Pray for missionaries that are in Thailand now.
One organization that is their in Thailand currently is YWAM. They have an awesome outreach called the Tamar Center. They are befriending, counseling, and providing jobs for these women. You can actually check out www.tamarcards.net and support these women! Also, www.ywam.com.
Please be in prayer for our organization Global Frontier Missions as they are doing a scouting trip to Thailand this next summer. God is in the works of leading our group to begin a new base and outreach in Thailand. Be in prayer for direction for the leaders. And perhaps if God is laying Thailand on hearts of many all around the world. Maybe yours?

Emotions aren't enough....

a friend sent me this on an email....i think its so helpful for so many women.....enjoy! :)

The Truth About Feelingsby Jon Walker
“… And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ ….” (Philippians 1:9-10 NIV)
Submitted now for your consideration is Pamela, a loving wife, a nurturing mother, a prayerful Christian. This morning her husband, Richard, left a tender note on the bathroom mirror, inviting Pamela to join him for lunch at their favorite restaurant.
Pamela eyes the clock all morning, anticipating meeting her life-long love at 1 p.m. She’s excited and feeling extraordinarily loved by her husband, so she leaves for the restaurant early so she can buy Richard a small gift. She splurges a little, buying two balloons that float from the ribbon around the present.
As she pays for the gift, she notices her cell phone isn’t in her purse – again. No matter, it’s 12:30 and in a few short minutes she’ll be with Richard, giving him her undivided attention. Who needs a cell phone in moments like that?
Pamela arrives at the restaurant first, and she patiently waits for Richard to arrive. What she doesn’t yet know is that there has been in a horrible, tragic traffic accident, and Richard died at about the time she was tying the balloons to his present, excitedly anticipating their romantic rendezvous.
The point to this painful snapshot is that our feelings don’t always reflect the truth. Pamela was soaring high on feelings of love, completely unaware of the awful truth bearing down on her. Her feelings are not yet in line with the truth.
Imagine Pamela as she waits for her husband. When he doesn’t arrive soon, she becomes annoyed. After 20 minutes, she’s irritated and hurt. Her feelings still do not line up with the truth.
By the time 40 minutes have passed, she is worrying. This just isn’t like Richard. Maybe something has happened. She borrows the restaurant's phone and calls Richard’s office. His boss says, “Pamela, we’ve been trying to reach you. There’s been a terrible accident ….” The truth and Pamela’s feelings collide – and become one.
There’s nothing wrong with our feelings; God gave them to us. As one of my friends often says, “Feelings are just feelings.” Sometimes they reflect the truth; often times they don’t. They can serve as an early warning system, such as when fear alerts us to danger, or they can draw your attention to the one God wants you to marry, when you feel an overwhelming sense of love.
But your feelings do not define the truth. Only God defines the truth. You may feel worthless, but the truth is you are uniquely created by God, who loves you deeply. You may feel like you can walk on water, but the truth is you can only do that if Jesus calls you from the boat. You can’t; God can.
The apostle Paul teaches us to discern the truth, not through our feelings, but through knowledge and insight. He writes, “… and this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ ….” (Philippians 1:9-10 NIV)
Eugene Peterson, in The Message paraphrase, translates that passage like this: “… You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush ….” (Philippians 1:9b-10a MSG) Otherwise, you end up in a life “shaped by things and feelings instead of God.” (Colossians 3:5 MSG)
Your feelings are from God; they are a gift, and there is no need to avoid them or be ashamed of them. However, God never meant for our feelings to measure our life and determine how we live it. Your feelings do not define you; they are not designed to interpret the situations you now face. Only God’s truth can define you, and only God’s truth can pass judgment on the circumstances of your life.
The great and best Good News is this: God’s truth is a person – Jesus Christ, our Lord.
So what?
· You are not your emotions – You are defined by God, not your emotions. You may not feel like it, but God says you are wonderfully and fearfully created in his image, accepted in the Beloved. He loves you no matter what you’ve done.
· God uses your feelings – God may use your feelings to reveal a piece of your heart that you need to turn over to him. He may use your feelings to draw you closer to him. Paul speaks of feeling like a wretched man, and that draws him deeper into the grace of God. Your feelings of hopelessness in a situation may be what God uses to show you that you’re hanging your hopes on the wrong thing – because he is the God of a hope that will not disappoint.
· Your obedience is based on the truth, not feelings – The facts may appear daunting, but it is up to God, not you and your feelings, to interpret the facts. God calls us to be obedient to the truth, not to the way we feel. As C.S. Lewis says in Mere Christianity, if you don’t love someone, behave as if you do, and your feelings will catch up.
__________________________________________________

your love never changes.....from sunrise to sunset

These are a few songs I absolutely loooove.....i love paul wright's voice, so you should look him up on myspace or you tube or also on his site.....he is amazing and his lyrics are so awesome to bring brokenness in spirit as we pour out our love to HIM! enjoy :)

Your Love Never Changes
Im tired of falling on my face lord get up tell myself (oh oh oh oh)i'm tired of singing the same songsna na na na (ha! oh oh oh oh)i'm so high i'm so low i'm so hot i'm so cold i'm so young but i'm feeling so old i'm at peace i'm at war i want less i want more i want it all but i don't know what it's for
and all that i am is all that you see when nobody is looking at me i fall to my knees you're calling my name
and you love me just the same - whoa!because your love never changes - noyea you love me just the same - whoa!cuz your love never changes - no
i?m back on the right track again (ya know i?m back)i?m back hanging with the right friends (ya know i?m back)i?m back on my feet againkicking back (kick it) ?ha? just laughingi?m so high i?m so lowi?m so hot i?m so coldi?m so young but i?m feeling so oldi?m at peace i?m at wari want less i want morei want it all but i don?t know what it?s for
and you love me just the sameyour love it never changes whoa!(uh 1-2 1-2 1-2) your love never changesbecause your love never changesyour love it never changes no!(1-2 we rock on, we rock on kid) your love never changesyea you love me just the sameyour love it never changes whoa!your love never changescuz your love never changes your love never changesno your love never never
yea you love me just the same (come let?s kick it kick it want to live it live it)yesterday today tomorrow everyday (love?s the ticket so ya gotta give it give it)yea you love me just the same (come let?s kick it kick it want to live it live it)yesterday today tomorrow everyday (love?s the ticket so ya gotta give it give it)
and you love me just the same (love me just the same) whoa! your love never changesbecause your love never changes (because your love never changes) no! your love never changesyea you love me just the same(love me just the same) whoa! your love never changesbecause your love never changes (because your love never changes) no!
yea you love me just the same (come let?s kick it kick it want to live it live it)yesterday today tomorrow everyday (love?s the ticket so ya gotta give it give it)yea you love me just the same (come let?s kick it kick it want to live it live it)yesterday today tomorrow everyday


From Sunrise to Sunset
Father in heaven, forgive me for sinningI know I need a new beginning.
Father in heaven, forgive me for sinningI know I need a new beginning my world is spinning.
From sunrise to sunset help me not forgetall that you've done for me.
From sunset to sunrise help me keep my eyesupon Your glory.
Say ah yea (ah yea)say alright (alright)every sunset (sunset)every sunrise (sunrise).
Oh I need ya, oh I need ya right now.You came down from heaven above toshow me Your way, You way is to loveso help me love love and not judge or hold a grudge sayin...

feels like home to me....

so praise God...over the last two weeks I really have found my home-like feeling in mexico...it really is starting to feel like home to me.....i love walking down the street and seeing people I know.....its so great! so awesome to see some of my English students in the street and meet their families....its so awesome to have the same taxi driver and remember their name.......Lord you are good and your mercy endureth forever!

GO!

you have to GO!
you have to GO! and check out this site:

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=6a54d5371f00e3fdd70d

JOSHUA PROJECT

www.joshuaproject.net

This is a really cool site that I discovered here at MTS. The site gives you lots of information on different people groups all over the world....what their life is like...how many believers are in their population...if they have a Bible in their own language...and some other great facts to know for how to pray for them.....

Did you know there are still six thousands different people groups that have never heard the name of Jesus? They still don't know the blood He shed for their freedom from fear, death, and the traps of sin......

Check out the site.....they highlight a different people group each day....
You can be a part of people all over the world finding Christ by praying, sending money for missionaries, and GOING!

"AND THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE KINGDOM WILL BE PREACHED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE WORLD, SO THAT ALL NATIONS WILL HEAR IT; AND THEN, FINALLY, THE END WILL COME." MATTHEW 24:14

salvation has come....

OK THIS BLOG TOTALLY GETS ALL CAPS! HOW AWESOME TO SEE WHAT GOD IS DOING HERE...WE HAD OUR FIRST BAPTISM LAST NIGHT! THERE IS THIS GUY ARMANDO THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS HAVE BEEN SHARING CHRIST WITH. FRIDAY NIGHT HE DECIDED TO BECOME A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST AND WAS BAPTIZED LAST NIGHT. PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR HIM AS MOST OF HIS FAMILY DOES NOT BELIEVE THE SAME...PRAY THAT GOD OPENS DOORS FOR HIM HERE TO WORK AND PROVIDE FOR HIS FAMILY AND BE THE SPIRITUAL LEADER TO THEM...AND REFUSE TO GIVE IN TO THE STRONG TEMPTATION FOR SO MANY MEN HERE TO GO TO THE STATES AND WORK.

ALSO, CELEBRATE A GIRL SEVEN WHO CAME TO KNOW CHRIST LAST YEAR THROUGH SOME OF THE MOMS HERE SHARING WITH HER...AND LAST NIGHT SHE WAS BAPTIZED AS WELL! GOD IS DOING SOME AWESOME THINGS HERE IN TLAXIACO.....AND I AM SO THRILLED TO SEE THE OTHER LIVES THAT WILL FIND FREEDOM AND JOY IN TRUSTING THEIR WHOLE HEARTS OVER TO THE ONE WHO IS WORTHY! :)

THANKS FOR THE PRAYERS YOU ARE SENDING UP ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE IN TLAXIACO.....