Peace in the Storm

We are still dealing with cold temperatures! As in 33-45 degrees Farenheit! People have died due to no in-home heating . We had a major question mark about whether to go ahead with our plans on Sunday! It was Baptism day! Missionary flexiblity or is it ingenuity gave us the plan to use our industrial size coffee pot to heat water for the portable baptistry(we filled it half full with water from the tap and 5 pots of steaming hot water! One of the ladies who was baptized said "God has a sense of humor! One of the things I struggle with in my life is a dependence on caffeine and there I went under the waters that smelled like coffee!"
Four people braved the icy waters to give testimony before God, the church, and unsaved family members! One of the ladies in her testimony talked about the church being her family. It was awesome when around 15 people said "Amen." After the service no one rushed off. It was so wonderful to see everyone standing/sitting around sharing and laughing and crying and hugging and encouraging one another! God is truly moving in Las Trojes!
On another note so is the enemy! Several families are really going through trials but each of them is putting on the whole armor of God and standing firm! On Saturday one of the teens brought a friend who is not saved and has had suicidal thoughts. It was a privilege to share the hope of the Gospel and even more exciting to see the teens rise up and share the hope they have in Christ. To see them gather around the visitor and pray and encourage was heartwarming and encouraging. To see them putting into practice all they are learning is uplifting.
I started out with peace in the storm, because despite the cold it has been a warm weekend in Las Trojes. Christ truly does give peace in the storm/trials.

CcCcooold little bunnies!

Due to a cold front from, I think the North Pole, those of us south of the border have been wearing winter coats and sleeping in sweat pants and hats and mittens! The average temperature in the last 4 days has been around 40! For us that is freezing! Since there is no heat and tile floors and houses are concrete block it is often warmer outside than inside! Antonio says "Look on the bright side, we can hug more!" Seriously though, the cold has caused deaths. Please pray for especially the elderly, babies and the extremely poor.

Today we have youth group. I will be sharing with the girls about the third chapter in the book they are reading (And the Bride Wore White.) As I studied this past week I was a little clueless of how to teach it dynamically. Just as I thought that, one of the girls who has never called me, called! she was sharing about a problem and asking for advice. It led right into simply sharing some Scripture from the very lesson I was fretting about! Our God is too kind and always faithful to inspire. Please pray as I share all that He laid on my heart this week.

Answering the Call and Being Renewed

Wow! What an incredible three days they were! To listen to others share their journey to answering the call of missions is so motivating and encouraging! I know! Too many exclamation points in a row! Since you cannot see my face or hear my voice it is the only way I know to emphasize the shot of holy fervor I have received. Three people raised their hand to commit to serving God with their life!
Our first speaker was Hermano(Brother) Pastor Dr. Sergio Vasquez. That is how he auto-described himself. He is a friend of my hubby from childhood. They grew up in the same Baptist church. Sergio went off to be a Doctor and Antonio went into Business Administration. Somewhere along the line they met again on the missions team of their church. Then Sergio moved away and Antonio married me and we left for the USA. Now 19 years later they meet again. Both are missionary pastors! God is using Sergio to revive a vision for missions in their childhood church! He and his wife travel to three different mission churches in Mexico. They do evangelism, discipleship and medical missions. He shared about the heart of God is missions. God is the greatest missionary. He came himself through his own Son.
Our second speaker was Rogerio Dana. He is from Brazil. He is taking the step of answering the call to serve God fulltime. Pray as he seeks just how God would have him do that. He spoke on what the Bible says a missionary is and how God calls you. His life right now is such a true example of all he was sharing.
My hubby spoke on Sunday. He spoke on the life of Moses as God called him out and plunged him into serving Him. We wanted all of our teachers in the service so I had the privilege of sharing with the children's church. We talked about the wonderful, special message we have to share. We made bottles with a message(several verses and Cristo Te Ama written on it) inside to share with our friends this week.One of the responses of our church to the mission conference is the decision to plan a mission trip to another part of Mexico next summer. Pray as we plan and prepare for this exciting step on the part of the very new believers in Las Trojes!

I will close with a quote that was a prayer during the conference.

“O my Saviour, Help me. I am so slow to learn, so prone to forget, so weak to climb; I am in the foothills when I should be on the heights; I am pained by my graceless heart, my prayerless days, my poverty of love, my sloth in the heavenly race, my sullied conscience, my wasted hours, my unspent opportunities. I am blind while light shines around me: take the scales from my eyes, grind to dust the evil heart of unbelief. Make it my chiefest joy to study thee, meditate on thee, gaze on thee, sit like Mary at thy feet, lean like John on thy breast, appeal like Peter to thy love, count like Paul all things dung. Give me increase and progress in grace so that there may be more decision in my character, more vigour in my purposes, more elevation in my life, more fervour in my devotion, more constancy in my zeal. As I have a position in the world, keep me from making the world my position; May I never seek in the creature what can be found only in the Creator; Let not faith cease from seeking thee until it vanishes into sight. Ride forth in me, thou King of kings and Lord of lords, that I may live victoriously, and in victory attain my end.”

Valley of Vision

Coveting your prayers

Today our three day mission conference begins. Tonight a friend of my husband (from childhood) will speak. He was a doctor and is now also a missionary Pastor. Tommorrow a brother in Christ who is desiring to be a fulltime missionary will speak and on Sunday my dear hubby will speak. Please pray for each speaker and the hearts of each person who attend.

From the mouth of babes

I have been learning so much lately. I originally started this blog to share about anything and everything. At least until I realized that sharing anything and everything made me pretty vulnerable and also opened the door to misunderstanding or confusion. I have sort of avoided coming here for weeks. No one is or would force me to write about things but....did ya ever just know you needed to say/write things out loud to someone? Were you ever convicted that certain things in your life happened just because you would and could share about them for God's glory.(please no theological or doctrinal arguments on that statement) I have no doubt that each of you has situations in your life that need to be talked through or used to give testimony of the goodness and greatness and mercy of God. So...for starters, pray for me. I have been disillusioned with ministry and people in the last month. I have more than likely disappointed people also. As I can, I will begin to share the ways in which God is filling, healing, and cleaning up those areas of my life. And I hope you will share with me too. I don't even mean give me answers just share what you are learning and how God is working. Over and over again God told his people to share what He had done for them. To give testimony to others and their own children.


I titled this entry "From the Mouth of Babes" because yesterday I wandered off from the group at a birthday party to just catch my breath and mediatate on all that was happening around me. A little boy from the party quietly appeared at my side took my hand and said "God is so good. He gave me a new best friend today!" He considered me his best friend just because I shared my bread with him at the meal. I have alot of best friends then!!! He then motioned for me to kneel down. He wrapped his arms around my neck and said "Is there anything, I mean anything, I can do for you?"
"Nah, I'm fine."
"Okay but remember best friends ALWAYS help each other."
"Are you telling me you want or need something else?"
"No, well could you smile cuz your eyes crinkle up just like my grandma's do when she is happy."
He waited until I smiled for real and then ran off to play basketball with TJ and the other guys.
I snuffed up all the tears from the dam that was trying to let loose and went off to find my friend Alicia and give her hug.
God made me realize I have alot of friends and need to tell them so and share with them. I only sent the address of this blog to friends so I can simply say "Thank you for being my friend and I pray for you to see God working in your life in as tangible a way as the little boy He used to give me a hug yesterday."

Quote from my devotions this morning

The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him" (2 Chron. 16:9).
God is looking for a man, or woman, whose heart will be always set on Him, and who will trust Him for all He desires to do. God is eager to work more mightily now than He ever has through any soul. The clock of the centuries points to the eleventh hour.
"The world is waiting yet to see what God can do through a consecrated soul." Not the world alone, but God Himself is waiting for one, who will be more fully devoted to Him than any who have ever lived; who will be willing to be nothing that Christ may be all; who will grasp God's own purposes; and taking His humility and His faith, His love and His power, will, without hindering, continue to let God do exploits. --C. H. P.

Wow don't you desire to be that man or woman?

I am so amazed that the more I know my Lord the more I see how far I am from His plan for me! Oh yes I am growing always in Him but seem to be more acutely aware of my utter dependence on Him in ALL areas of my life.
Today I sat in the church service and listened to my husband share from his heart all that God is revealing to him through His word. I confess that something he said caused my mind to wander back to a day in 1987 when as a somewhat reluctant single missionary I was sitting on the edge of a ravine in Vallecito, Olancho, Honduras. That day I truly understood for the maybe the first time in my life, that it was not I who served God but God who in His great mercy allowed my life to be a testimony of Him and His Glory! That thought made me evaluate my life, works, and ministries today to see if they and I are truly nothing so Christ and my heavenly Father can be everything.
I repeat don't you desire to that man or woman? I do with my whole heart and being! I will be praying for you and am grateful that you will bring me before the throne of our heavenly Father too.