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! :)