Dianajo

2012-01-30T10:37:00.000-06:00

Metepec/Toluca. We are so excited to have 12 students in the first class for Omega Course there! God is so good to let us be a part of His laborers in harvest in Mexico and to be training churchplanters! I will post pictures of the class next time. We will be going over there every other Friday afternoon and evening. Thanks for praying and praising God with us!

Father knows best!

2012-01-19T10:45:00.002-06:00

"Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand."
Proverbs 19:20-21

Not always easy for anyone... especially an almost 50 year old woman. Human logic says that by now there should be a plan and it is a little late to go changin' things. BUT God is sovereign and He has the best plan! So, this ole mama dog gonna learn new tricks...or this old burro is gonna learn a new path to where she is going! (Don't freak out not leaving Mexico or ABWE or anything like that!) Details forthcoming as God reveals them!

December 11,2011

2012-01-03T21:45:00.000-06:00

PASTOR TIMOTHY MURDOCH giving the charge to the OMEGA graduates

Oh what a joy....to see the first graduating class of the OMEGA COURSE!

OMEGA COURSE GRADUATES 2011

ABWE MEXICO TEAM LEADER RON ALLEN praying for the Omega graduates

said the mama bird to the little bird...

2011-12-21T13:02:00.000-06:00

I have been confronted by alot of "impossibilities" lately. i confess that I have not always met those challenges with much faith or even desire to have faith.
Today I have been thinking of one of the special mentors that God put in my life. Her name was Norrine Senters. She has been in heaven for awhile now but her influence in my life goes on! I can remember her singing a song to me, on a day I really did not want her to even talk to me, let alone sing to me! The whole song is written below. She sang the chorus like 4 times till I stopped walking away, uncrossed my arms, cried and then we prayed together about the "impossible!" So for you Norrine, I put it God's hands one more time and wait for Him to do the impossible!
I read in the Bible the promise of God,
That nothing for Him is too hard;
Impossible things He has promised to do,
If we faithfully trust in His Word.

Chorus
Nothing is impossible when you put your trust in God;
Nothing is impossible when you're trusting in His Word.
Hearken to the voice of God to thee:
'Is there anything to hard for Me?'
Then put your trust in God alone and rest upon His Word;
For ev'rything, O ev'rything,
Yes, ev'rything is possible with God.

The Word of the Lord is an anchor secure
When winds of uncertainty blow;
Tho man in his weakness may falter and fail,
His Word will not fail us we know.

'All things are possible,' this is His Word.
Receive it, 'tis written for you:
Believe in His promises, God cannot fail,
For what He has said, He will do.

Creator of all things, with infinite pow'r.
He spoke! They appeared by His mouth;
Impossible things are not known unto Him,
He made us, He ruleth the earth.

--Eugene L. Clark

I Didn't Ask For This written by Samantha Reed

2011-11-21T12:49:00.000-06:00

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 (NIV 1984)

I didn't ask for this. Not this. This mercy ruthlessly strumming the strings of my soul. It's too much and unwanted, really.

Mercy has attempted to get in my fortressed heart for so long. Mercy ... so tender to accept; yet, too hard. A damaging force I haven't time to reckon with.

That's why, brick after brick, I construct a dam. Listening ceases - I slap mortar on. Empathy cinches up - I hold back the river of compassionate tears. Situations are avoided - another layer binds the unmovable bricks around my heart.

A tall dam goes round and round and round allowing little- to no- caring about others. Safely confined, I don't have to deal with the trouble or dig through pain or face the fears of others. It's easier this way.

Then a small pair of beat-up tennis shoes arrests me. Cracked leather pings a hole in my tough mortar. Untied frayed laces push one brick out. Once white soles, now stained brown, crack my stronghold.

Her shoes tucked shyly under the rocking chair in my guest room. Their tongues are still. Without a word, without an ounce of force, this broken down pair breaks through my hardened exterior.

And there, in my guest room, Jesus invites me to be His guest. Beckons my unreliable heart into this ancient exhortation:

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

My dam crumbles; releases a flood of pain within. Nearly unbearable else for His grace of walking with me, holding me up. I'm washed with salty tears, empathizing finally with the loss from destruction that pain has wrecked in her life.

His gentle words remind me He's longed for me to grasp this. To take His hand and see these shoes. The heart behind them. The pain and shame and grief and brutal losses. Her trembling desperate hope that has walked in these shoes.

How He's longed for me to walk a mile in them. Love their story. Love her. Love mercy.

This pain doubles me over. How could I be so cold for so long? Distanced and blind to not see ... really see ... the pain around me? My clinched heart opens (still reluctantly, mind you. It's a scary thing to invite mercy in) to love.

I didn't ask for mercy, but mercy asked for me. For my heart, my ways, my life. Strong-arming mercy for long times was my way; an acceptable thing as it wasn't my number one "spiritual gift." But that which the Lord loves, my soul is created to love. Through Him, for Him, walking with Him.

Dam destroyed, I don tattered sneakers; wade through crumbled bricks and mortar. Walking with my God, I pick my way gingerly through tangled habits of avoidance, retreat, disdain. Going back, looking for those in need of mercy; moving ahead, eyes peeled for those in need of mercy.

If we run into each other, please have mercy on me as I learn how to embrace another's pain; as He teaches me to love mercy.

Dear Lord, thank You for the mercy You showed me on the Cross. Every time I've been in need, in pain, in dire straights, Your mercy never fails. Please teach me to love mercy and walk humbly with You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Application Steps:
Do you disregard and avoid mercy? Memorize this verse and draw upon it when you do not want to be merciful. "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

Reflections:
"True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less." Tim Keller

Power Verses:
Matthew 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." (NIV 1984)

Waitin' on a dream?

2011-11-09T00:43:00.000-06:00

Here's a picture of me sharing with the ladies (during the couple's reunion) at the Coffee House. It was a nice evening and I think everyone had a good time. This picture let's you see some of our artwork on the walls too. We have chosen the name. El Lugar... that is The Place... As soon as the logo is done I will post it here.

Why the waitin' on a dream?...well simply and honestly put...our major human financial supporter of the ministry passed away several weeks ago. We rejoice that his battle with illness is over and he is present with the Lord. And we look forward to the ways in which God will supply the funds to finish equipping the Coffee House!

In the meantime, we are hosting 2 Christmas events for women in December. I am pretty sure the church's annual Christmas dinner will be there too. We also hope to host a Christmas concert and a Youth event. We have also had the opportunity to visit and check out several more coffee suppliers. Thanks for praying and waitin' on the Lord with us!

I just came to praise the LORD!

2011-10-14T21:41:00.000-05:00

That's ALL!!!!!

A dream begins to be a reality! Location for coffee house ministry!

2011-10-07T18:07:00.000-05:00

SOOOOO EXCITED TO SHOW OFF THE PAINTED HOUSE

2011-09-12T18:04:00.000-05:00

On the 17th I will host a ladies retreat in our fixed up patio! The theme is Home Sweet Home!

And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 2 Corinthians 3:4-5

2011-08-24T10:45:00.000-05:00

Sometimes the words of another say it best....

Rebuilt a devotional by Amy Carroll

"Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 (NIV)

"Are you sure you're ready to have a tiger by the tail?" mom asked with a big grin. That was her first response when my then-boyfriend Barry asked my parents if he could marry me.

It still makes me laugh, because I was certainly a strange mix of rule-following, first-child with a wide streak of sassiness and fierce independence. I'm still not sure Barry had any idea what he was getting into when he said, "I do."

That was over twenty years ago, so when Barry asked an unexpected question during our family vacation, it opened my eyes to some of God's difficult work in my life. Barry and I sat on the deck overlooking the ocean talking in low voices about the topics that concern many of us-finances, parenting, plans for the future. Suddenly, he asked his startling question.

"If you could change one thing about me, what would it be?"

My mind went blank except for the thought, Whew! This is a really loaded question. At first I didn't want to answer (why ruin a great evening?), but I finally answered, braced myself and re-asked the question, "What would you change about me?"

I had a pretty good list going in my mind of what I thought he'd say-I wish you weren't so critical. I wish you wouldn't talk so much. I wish you would cook dinner more often.

What he actually said surprised me. "I want you to get your confidence back. When I married you, your favorite phrase was, 'I'll do it myself!' I've watched you lose your confidence over the years, and I want you to have it back," he replied.

A move, a couple of friendships with bad endings and struggling to find a place in my new home town had knocked the stuffing right out of me. I had fought and lost against my own tendency toward comparison, perfectionism and an overdeveloped sense of responsibility. Little by little, I became convinced that I couldn't and that I wasn't. My confidence had been shaken and finally crumbled.

But sometimes things have to be torn down before they can be rebuilt.

Was it God's plan that I would move, fail in some friendships and beat myself up trying to be somebody else? No! He did, however, use this bad place to bring me to a better place. God began rebuilding confidence in me a few years ago, and He capped it off when I got home from Proverbs 31 Ministries' She Speaks conference that year.

There He spoke to me over and over again about trusting my life to His control. The scripture in my Sunday school class the following Sunday was our key verse today, 2 Corinthians 3:4-6: "Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant-not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (NIV)

For years I walked in my own strength of "I can do it," but God brought me to His strength and the knowledge that "He can do it in me."

He has brought me out of my own power, which is so limited and flawed, to being dependent on the infilling power of His Spirit. Confidence in myself has very limited power, whereas confidence in Him brings limitless possibilities.

I know that I'll still have days of struggle with confidence, but my rebuilt and renewed sense of confidence is now firmly in Christ. It's a beautiful place to be.

Dear Lord, I have depended on myself so many times and fallen short. My confidence has been shaken. Rebuild me by helping me to put my full confidence in You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Would you covenant to pray before the throne of our Lord with us?

2011-07-19T21:57:00.001-05:00

Please pray everyday for the following requests:
-a Pastor for the Trojes Baptist Church.
-location and funds for coffee ministry. We will be attending a coffee expo September 1-3 in Mexico City. To make contacts for coffee and equipment. We have one possible awesome location, but it is expensive.
-a vehicle for our family and funds to buy it. We have a little over half of the funds to purchase a new vehicle saved up.
-Missionary Baptist Church in Valle Dorado. Their attendance and membership has diminished greatly and they are experiencing serious financial problems. Pray for wisdom on the part of their leadership and ABWE missionaries as they counsel them.
-Current OMEGA course students. They are in the middle of module 3 of the 5 module course. All of the students are making a commitment to begin evangelism and discipleship in their neighborhoods!
-Future strategy for offering OMEGA course to existing churches and missions in the Mexico City area. (location, time frame and manpower to teach and host the students)

It's the simple things that really matter

2011-07-17T18:56:00.000-05:00

Borrowed this from a friends facebook page...I love yellow and so love flowers and double love wild flowers and triple love camping! And the older I get...I quadruple love simple things and pleasures! Thinking I need to go for a walk tomorrow morning. All the rain we have been having has to have cleaned things up and made all the flowers bloom! Take a moment tomorrow to just enjoy the things around you!

Uncluttered by Gwen Smith (From the Upcoming Album "Uncluttered")

2011-07-16T15:33:00.000-05:00

Been cleaning out the office and feeling like the "mess" will never be neat....then I heard this song and spent a couple hours sitting on the floor...reading my Bible, praying, crying and just listening to my precious Lord.

COMING SOON!

2011-07-06T15:22:00.000-05:00

VBS will be every Friday night in July. We will be having fun learning from 5:30pm till 8:30pm.

The 3rd module of the OMEGA COURSE started on July 4.

Been cold and rainy for awhile....

2011-06-30T18:50:00.000-05:00

so I have been missing sunny days along Lake Michigan. All you Michiganders, go dip your toes in Lake Michigan for me pleeeeeease! I also know that th 4th of July picnics are around the corner so have a burger and potato salad and a Mountain Dew for me! Oh and somebody has to go to the fireworks too!
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

So easy and usually comforting to say....

2011-06-29T10:36:00.000-05:00

I admit at times it can be super convicting also. This verse kept popping up all of our last term. Yesterday a co-laborer gave it to me as a birthday present. I have decided that it is not one of those one time verses. It is a life long process of obeying and understanding it. I have the idea that the only time I will truly obey and understand it...will the be the first few seconds when I come face to face with my Lord and Savior. I say seconds cuz after that I will run into His open arms and then I will sit at His feet for all eternity.

Praise God

2011-06-16T14:32:00.000-05:00

He takes our prideful and sinful souls....
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

"The Love Of God" By Armond Morales/Robbie Hiner/Etc.

2011-06-10T09:50:00.000-05:00

Coffee ministry

2011-05-30T12:32:00.000-05:00

Please pray for the coffee ministry! Everytime we come close to having a location, something happens...at times I even think maybe it is not supposed to be. I have leads on machines etc... but don't want to spend all that money until there is a location. I also have no place but the middle of the livingroom to put the stuff till there is a location.

2011-05-20T16:31:00.000-05:00

Our neighbor who has been very sick...passed away. Today was his funeral. He prayed to receive Christ as his Savior and Lord several weeks ago. His family had the full Catholic mourning traditions and mass this afternoon. Please pray for his family and for us as we continue to share with them.

Most of us know Proverbs 3:5-6 by heart....did you ever read the whole chapter? Fills in the WHOLE picture!

2011-05-17T13:56:00.000-05:00

Proverbs 3

¹My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
²For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
³Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
⁴So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
⁵Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
⁶In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
⁷Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
⁸It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
⁹Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
¹⁰So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
¹¹My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
¹²For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
¹³Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
¹⁴For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
¹⁵She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
¹⁶Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
¹⁷Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
¹⁸She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
¹⁹The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
²⁰By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
²¹My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
²²So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

²³Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
²⁴When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
²⁵Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
²⁶For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
²⁷Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
²⁸Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
²⁹Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
³⁰Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
³¹Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
³²For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.
³³The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
³⁴Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
³⁵The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

Do you live your life...everyday, every decision, every thought as if...

2011-05-08T19:58:00.002-05:00

Easy to write on a piece of paper and usually comforting to say. BUT do you really understand the impact of this phrase?

GOD IS SOVEREIGN.

Today Victor preached on Daniel 4. He highlighted verse 35. Remember Victor is blind and has had a brain tumor and now depends on others for just about everything. Victor said "I am going bare my soul today. Lately I feel cheated, alone, frustrated and like I have no chance at anything. I have asked "Why does God do what He does in my life or the life of other Christians?"
The title of our sermon today is "God is Sovereign." He then explained what the word sovereign means as it pertains to the nature and character of God. If you want, I can tell the rest of the message but how about you read the passage a couple times and meditate on it for a day or two...till you believe you understand the sovereignty of God..

THEN...

Try writing "God is sovereign" on several post it notes and stick them in strategic places you will see during your day(bathroom, kitchen, car, TV room, bedroom, workplace, school locker, gym, wallet, Bible, novel you are reading, write it into your shopping list, stick it in your check book, sick it on your boat, motorcycle, pool, cellphone, ipod, laptop, xbox, play station, your kid's or spouse's forehead, your credit card, your refrigerator, stick it on your career, your vacation, your plans for the day, plans for the week, plans for the year, and for the future)....see what happens when this truth affects your life in that spot!

2nd module of Omega

2011-05-02T14:00:00.000-05:00

The 2nd module of the Omega course is underway. Please continue to pray for the future church planters as it is a big commitment to attend classes three nights a week. Most have more than fulltime jobs, families and other things that seen to arise in the midst of the busyness!

But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 19:14

2011-04-27T14:01:00.000-05:00

Journal entry on April 27,2011

Today I was sitting at the table by the front door. Through the window I heard what I thought was hysterical laughing. I walked outside smiling, expecting to see a bunch of happy people. As I stepped out onto the sidewalk, I realized it was hysterical weeping and sobbing. I thought oh no, don chewie died. But no...I felt like someone sucker punched me directly in the diaphram. My eyes took in the blinding white of a silk covered tiny coffin as they pulled it out of the hearse. It wasn't Don Chewie (he has been very sick for monthes), but rather Jose Manuel, his almost 4 year old grandson. He died instantly of a heart attack. His body was taken into the house to be mourned. (In Mexico it is customary to hold a wake with the body of the deceased present for the up to two days before burial.)

After hugging everyone there in the street and trying to give some words of comfort, an Aunt said, "You will come and bring words of comfort to the family tonight?"

I walked back to my house with the memories of Jose Manuel laughing and running and doing all the things little boys do in my mind. How was I going to give any comfort if my own heart was in shock and asking, "Why?"

I prayed alot all afternoon. God helped me to remember a lot of verses that have helped me through the years. BUT at eleven pm as I watched the father lean over the casket and promise to never forget his son or the joy he brought to their life...I had no words other than "May God give you the strength to endure your pain and the hope that only God can give to go on." Please pray for Jose Manuel's family. One of his aunts is saved, the rest of the family is not. The picture below is not a picture of Jose Manuel but it does capture the memory of his personality and life!

Resurrection Sunday

2011-04-24T22:55:00.000-05:00

It's raining It's pouring

2011-04-19T21:49:00.000-05:00

Been rainin' everyday! Everything is turning green and flowers are bloomin' and....I am lovin' it!

Verdolagas con carne de puerco en salsa verde is for dinner

2011-04-18T11:18:00.001-05:00

Pork with purslane or little hogweed in green salsa. To know more about the greens look here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulaca_oleracea

There Shall Be Showers of Blessings

2011-04-14T10:01:00.003-05:00

As a young girl I always loved rainstorms. The thunder and lightning fascinated me. And the rain...oh the rain was always such a relief. Right now it is the dry season in Mexico and in the last month there have been several times where the sky darkened, lightning flashed, and the thunder seemed to rumble for miles! Everywhere...Everyone was peeking out the window or looking up in expectation of the first rains. But no rain...

In all honestly, I personally feel like I have been trapped in one of those dry seasons myself. In the last six monthes the "skies have seemed dark" over my life. Lightning has flashed and thunder has rumbled, but no rain.   I keep looking up to see the showers of blessing fall on those around me but......NO RAIN!

News from home seems to always be negative. Here and there people who have always been strong in the Lord are falling. Some of them are the very people that I have leaned on. Here in Mexico, it seems like everywhere God puts me, people are hurting and confused. You might say, "Sounds like you are right where a missionary should be!" True yet not an easy place to be.

I praise God for His constant presence in my life and for the strength His Word gives my family to always share the hope of life in Jesus! Please join me in praying for Mexico and her millions that need to see the refreshing waters of salvation in Jesus!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71gDnLwes80

Praise the Lord! A star is born?

2011-04-10T21:33:00.000-05:00

For those of you who know Alyssa well...this is a God thing. The fact that she is in front is miracle enough! But joining the song leaders? God is truly doing things in her life. I am so proud of her and excited to see where our Lord will lead her next.

Love is in the air!

2011-04-09T12:01:00.001-05:00

This afternoon both TJ and Alyssa are off to a wedding! Alyssa is going to the wedding of a neighbor and TJ is going to the wedding of Pau's cousin. So Antonio and I are going on the date he promised earlier this week!!

Coveting your prayers

2011-04-03T16:17:00.000-05:00

Ron and Zina Allen
- wisdom as they lead the team and balance interim pastoring and teaching and administrating the school their boys attend.
-Safety as someone in their neighborhood was robbed and had their car stolen.
Darlene
- continuing ministy to singles and finding her spot in the new ministry plan of ABWE Mexico Team
Kurt and Bethany Gomez
-visa interview for his resident of the USA card is scheduled for April 12 in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Pray for safety in such a dangerous city as they will be there 6 days. Upon receiving the visa they will take around 10 days to sell and store things before heading to Pennsylvania.
-Baby Gomez is growing great and is due the first days of June.
- Kurt will attend ABWE canididate seminar in July, they will report to churches and need to raise about $1000 per month in support.
Joe and Heidi DePuy
- furlough in May(housing, car, reporting to supporting churches and meetings to raise lacking support). Wisdom as Joe leads Juan and Claudia(contacts from soccer ministry)through the Story of Hope study. Prayer is they can finish it before the DePuys leave and for the salvation of Juan and Claudia.
Iglesia Bautista ABWE de las Trojes
- Pray for the leaders as they make important decisions about the future. Pray for the leaders as they write the church constitution and doctinal statement.
-Pray also for property to purchase and build a bulding on.
-Omega Churchplanters course- 1st module is done! God is moving in the hearts and lives of the students. They have a 2 week break.
Familia Navarrete
-continuing to search for location and equipment for coffee ministry and scrapbook ministry
-Antonio is enjoying teaching the Omega course immensely
-pray for continued contacts with neighbors to begin Story of Hope studies in homes.
-schools for TJ and Alyssa.
-border trip in the next month to get ministry and personal belongiings from Texas.
ABWE MEXICO TEAM
Very soon the Gomez' and DePuys will be on furlough. The starting of the Churchplanters Institute using Omega materials has been pushed back to this fall. Pray for contacts with churches and individuals interested in the training and for the remainder of the team as they begin the first module.

Overwhelmed vs moved to compassion

2011-03-26T00:21:00.001-06:00

Lately I believed I was just plain overwhelmed by the excess of everything around me..
traffic
smog
natural disasters
wars
threats of wars
distrust
fear
people
unsaved people
needy people
poor people
violence
angry people
sad people
sick people
corruption
materialism
dishonest people
desperate people
dying people
hurting people
BUT...
Today I read the verse at the top of this blog...and made the conscience decision to trade the "state of being overwhelmed" for the "lifestyle of being moved to compassion."
Compassion compels me to ask you to pray for: -missionaries reaching a shocked and fearful Japan.
-boldness on the part of believers in Trojes Baptist Church
-Eduardo, Guadalupe, Mari, Sarah, Valeria, Hugo, Miguel, Melisa,Cesar, Fernando, Margarita, Chino, Ivan, and Blanca for salvation
-Mexico
thank you for kneeling before the throne of our Lord on our behalf and for Mexico.

Omega Course

2011-03-14T17:12:00.001-06:00

Please keep the students of the Omega Course in your prayers
Lalo
Gabriela
Raul
Cristina
Israel
Victor
Eva
Juan P
Juan
Elias
Alicia
Josefina
Daniel
They are studying Church planting vision, Prayer, Spiritual Character, The Church, Evangelism and Methods of Bible study.

Can't really say anything right now... but would appreciate your prayers for wisdom to counsel a friend who chose wrong and is hurting alot of people!

2011-03-10T13:19:00.000-06:00

Travelled to the center of Mexico City

2011-03-08T19:19:00.001-06:00

to buy shirts for the choir. Then we went to look at espresso machines for the coffee ministry. Wow now I know why God is taking His time in giving us the location! The cheapest used 2 group espresso semi automatic machine we could find was 2000 dollars! New ones run around 4000! SO...we are praying and will keep looking!

I am going to finally do the cross stitch

2011-03-03T19:38:00.000-06:00

I have been wanting to do a cross stitch that I saw in a magazine about 4 years ago. Yesterday I found the magazine when I unpacked a box of book. So off I went this morning to buy aida cloth and thread. 5 hours later (3.5 of which were spent on a bus), I returned home with everything I needed! I promise to show you the finished product.

March 7 is the day!

2011-03-02T10:10:00.000-06:00

On Monday, March 7, 2011, We will begin to use the Omega course to train Mexican churchplanters. Please pray for the students and teachers!
http://www.alliancescp.org/resources/omegacourse.html

seems that most of the world....

2011-02-26T12:21:00.000-06:00

is feeling like this picture! Every time I answer the phone lately, someone is being battered by the storms of the enemy or being tried and tested. Praise God for the strong tower He is to shield us!

Psalm 63

¹O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
²To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
³Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
⁴Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
⁵My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
⁶When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
⁷Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
⁸My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.
⁹But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
¹⁰They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.
¹¹But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

5th Anniversary of church

2011-02-21T23:02:00.000-06:00

Happy Valetines Day!

2011-02-11T09:51:00.000-06:00

Coffee Ministry

2011-02-04T13:16:00.000-06:00

We are busy looking for a location for the new coffee ministry! Please keep this in your prayers. We have also made some contacts with equipment suppliers and coffee roasters.

Alabaster Box

2011-02-01T13:21:00.001-06:00

Everyday as I have been walking in my neighborhood and to the church, I pass 12 altars to the Virgin Mary and 9 "places of worship or religous institution of some type" Literally 1000's of Mexican people enter these places each week...giving the little they have to "buy the favor of the saints" or to earn points to enter heaven or simply to be filled with emotional promses! All of them do not even begin to understand the price that has been paid. They do not know the joy and freedom of being forgiven and set free. Today as I walked, the song included here came to mind and I spent the rest of my walk remembering...all that my Lord and Savior rescued me from. I was reminded that I too did not understand until that moment my heart opened and He entered in. Do you remember that day for you? Let it be the thought that makes you humble yet bolder than ever to tell the story of how He found you and freed you! How He loves you everyday!

Fish out of water syndrome

2011-01-27T12:07:00.000-06:00

I am feeling a lot like the fish above. Transitioning back into ministry on the field is always interesting. I keep telling myself that God is in control and I just need to wait. In the mean time I would appreciate your prayers. I am so grateful for your emails and notes of encouragement. If you haven't sent an email or note, HOW COME NOT? Just kidding! The news everywhere shows most of the world is feeling like me lately so I imagine you all have your ?'s too! I read 1 Samuel 26 today. Before I tell what I learned, maybe you could share your thoughts with me.

2011-01-21T13:48:00.000-06:00

Been sitting here making bracelets for the leaders of the ladies ministry. Today I get to meet with last year's leaders and the new ones. I have soooo much I want to share with them. Today I will ask them if they would be willing to meet with me on a monthly basis.
My family is pretty much settled in. Just a few little jobs to do yet and the apartments will be set for another term.
We are looking for a location for the coffee ministry. I have tons of ideas, but am trying to let the kids take the reins from the beginning. Not always easy when they have ideas that cost alot or sound too teenagerish for my taste...I think I am officially stationed on the other side of the generation gap!

Need a "peace and remember His goodness break?"

2011-01-12T14:49:00.000-06:00

Wow does this provoke wonder or what? Praise God for His wonderful creation. Praise Him for all He blesses us with. Praise Him for tiny little hummingbirds that stop us in our tracks!

too many thoughts...pictures are worth a thousand words so...

2010-12-24T01:15:00.000-06:00

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints...Memorial Service for dear missionary Earl Dannenberg

2010-12-20T10:16:00.000-06:00

surprises and blessings

2010-10-28T08:17:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday we took off for Toledo in a wind storm. As soon as we got past GR, the sun came out and we enjoyed the Fall colors. As we approached Lansing, the cell phone rang. It was Pastor Murdoch. He was on his way home from near Detroit and called to say he was praying for our trip. We discovered he was about the same distance from Lansing as we were, so we decided to meet there in the middle for dinner. We had Mexican food!!!!
Then as he headed toward Grand Haven, we continued on to Toledo. It was so good to arrive and be staying with old friends in Toledo.
Wednesday was a busy day with speaking several times but oh such a blessing and fun to see old friends and prayer warriors. Please pray we will as much of a blessing to the Emmanuel Baptist Church family!

Things I am learning or was reminded of ...

2010-10-25T07:05:00.004-05:00

Technology let my family follow me through the whole surgery and recovery process.
Boy in hindsight was that smile naive!
This is a give thanks in all things smile. I was thankful but honestly did not like that machine.

As my perfect plan to have a quick fix of a hernia while on a short furlough went a different way....
I am not invincible.
I was reminded of how awesome the human body is.
I have truly faithful and discerning prayer warriors. Thank you and don't stop praying.
USA healthcare is not perfect or superior to that of a foreign country. (that means don't wait 4 years till you "get home" to do surgery)
Holland Hospital has great nurses in the outpatient and recovery.
Bedrest is necessary but not necessarily fun.
You need to keep your mind occupied during bedrest.
My hubby is the best and deserves a medal for putting up with my tears of frustration!
I have very little idea of true suffering.
Age affects recovery alot.
God uses ALL things for good to those who fear Him.
It is possible to love God alot more each day.
Worship, joy and a grateful heart go a long way in the healing process.
You would be very surprised who your loyalest or most available friends are in time of need.
God blessed me more than I knew when He made us part of ABWE. Thank you home office staff.
One smile and hug from Alyssa can change your whole outlook on life.
God is good even when you think everything is bad.
I will never give a pat, short, glib answer to a sick person again in my lifetime.
Sometimes you gotta dig deep and pull out even the smallest speck of junk...before you can really be alright.
GOD is ALWAYS with us.
God provides EVERYTHING we need.
If you call, HE WILL answer and you will not believe what He will show you.

My guys working....

2010-10-05T18:31:00.003-05:00

My Dad and my "Papacito" have been scraping and painting windows. Wish I could be out there with them. If it is warm tomorrow, I am taking a chair out sit and watch. Oh sure, Mom says they aren't going to paint tomorrow!

Alyssa....

2010-09-27T10:43:00.003-05:00

I am super impressed with the awesome, beautiful
cute, delightful, exciting, fun, gorgeous, helpful, intelligent, joker, kool, loving, mamacita, nacaranda, optimistic, princess, quote freak, radiant, sexy, talented, understanding, vivacious, willing to try anything, xtra special, young, and zippy woman

that my daughter has become!

misc thoughts...

2010-09-27T10:32:00.002-05:00

Now that I can't ride a bike...seems like all I see are really cool bikes! And

the idea of riding down a Fall leaf clad road... like the one above.....

Beth Moore and more...

2010-09-27T10:13:00.004-05:00

On September 18, 2010, I went to a simulcast of Beth Moore's Living Proof in Chicago! Loved the surprise of seeing several old friends and the seminar....well God must have had a talk with Beth to give me "moore" than I needed.

Girls Night Out

2010-09-17T08:44:00.003-05:00

My sister Patty and I think my mom are going with me to downtown Holland tonight. They will have live mannequins in all the store windows. I am so excited cuz my friend Veronica will be one of them.

just noticed??

2010-09-13T09:30:00.001-05:00

All my posts for the end of 2009 and 2010 are erased! Sorry not sure where they are. I will keep looking and of course be better at blogging.

sorry it has been soooooo long

2010-09-13T09:21:00.003-05:00

I am in the USA for about 3 more monthes. It has been such a blessing to travel around visiting our supporting churches. Life in the USA has changed ALOT in 4 1/2 years! I have too! I still go into overload really fast when I go to the supermarket or Walmart. So many things and brands and sizes and namebrand vs store brand and...................................................

I am loving the beginning of Fall! It is soooo my favorite time of year! I am kind of bummed. I will have surgery next week and be out of commission for about 2 weeks for sure...hope I don't miss too much of the color change.

2009-08-24T18:08:00.002-05:00

We are doing the Excellent Wife by Martha Peace in our Thursday ladies study. We are enjoying it lots and learning sooooo much. The men of the church are going around saying "I have the excellent wife!"

2009-07-28T14:50:00.002-05:00

It has been way toooooo long since I stopped here to pen a few words....sooo much has happened it is hard to know what to include:

-VBS (seven children recieved Christ as their Lord and Savior!)

-Mission team from Erie PA was here for a week. (they were awesome and truly a Godsend!)

-Joe and Heidi arrived on the field and now have a house and are filling it with the essentials!

Thank you for your prayers you keep us going!

Joe and Heidi....

2009-07-06T13:09:00.004-05:00

ABWE teammates Joe and Heidi are in the city! They are overwhelmed I am sure by the sights, sounds, smells (if you have been here you understand)and just plain "wierdness" of everything. We are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo EXCITED. PRAY for us(my family) to be helpful, patient, encouraging, and wise in getting them settled in. Pray for our team as they find their niche and we get to know them.

Let´s Party!

2009-07-04T11:30:00.003-05:00

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!

ABWE teammates Joe and Heidi DePuy arrived on the field this week! We´re living in the land of FIESTAS! SO........IT´S PARTY TIME!!!!!!!!!!

We are having a bonfire and fireworks tonight!

It has been soooo hot here....

2009-06-10T17:02:00.001-05:00

About the only thing I can think of is....

coming or going....STAYING

2009-05-26T18:05:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I turned in my paperwork to renew my visa for another year. I had the joy of Antonio driving me there in the traffic below.

Today I went to pick up my visa in the same traffic but on public transportation. The trip was like the picture below!

When all was said and done, I went and came in the same traffic just so I could stay another year!

Somebody mentioned Memorial day in an email...

2009-05-22T11:56:00.009-05:00

BAM my mind was instantly filled with parades and picnics in Michigan. So I decided WE NEED A PICNIC... my list making self went through the poster above first...but it kept straying to burgers and potato salad and then

.....REALITY HIT

...I am NOT in Michigan and picnics in a "Park" in Mexico City look more like this!

...SO on Monday I will turn on the grill and sit in the middle of my 7 foot by 7 foot patch of grass and "remember".....Enjoy the highschool marching bands and wide open spaces for me!

Sorry for no updates lately....

2009-05-05T16:54:00.004-05:00

We were busy with the awesome team from Shelby Road Baptist Team till Friday and then we were informed by government that we had to suspend church activities. So we slept...and cleaned house...and slept this weekend. NO I do not have a bed like the on the left...I just thought it was so cool.

We are all caught up on sleep and as Mexico begins to function again(everything was closed for awhile) we are moving back into our routine.

We are all fine.

Swine flu epidemic, welcome a mission team, a wedding, an earthquake, and God blessed with a new bigger place to worship....

2009-04-27T21:21:00.009-05:00

That is the answer to the following question....What did you do this past weekend?

Yup! Life is not boring in the Navarrete family. God is so good and faithful and powerful and kind to us! We are so blessed to be hosting and ministering with a missionary team from Shelby Road Baptist Church! We are amazed by their love and firm desire to serve our Lord in ANY way this week. I do not need to tell you that "the easy thing" to do would be to say "Swine flu? WE ARE OUT OF HERE!" All of our plans for this week have been turned upside-down and inside-out! They have inspired us beyond words to keep on keepin' on! They have touched live for Christ in ways they will never know or understand.

Yup! As we ate dinner today a brother-in-Christ casually asked, "Did you feel the earthquake?" We all said, "When?" He said, "Today around 11AM!" I laughed and said "Right." Then others proceeded to say it was true. I guess all the excitement of watching Antonio and five guys from Shelby Road run and oh and ah at Home Depot this morning kept me too busy to feel it. Jokes aside we are all fine and in the palm of our mighty Lord's hand.

We were blessed on Thursday to be able to rent a bigger place to worship! I will post a picture soon! I am waiting until the Shelby Road Crew and our church family are done fixing it up.

I know I have written alot but want to share another perspective of this weekend.

Excerpt from teammate Bethany Dean's blog:

I just wanted to write a quick note to give you all an update on the situation here in Mexico City with the swine flu. To begin, I cannot even put into words the immense blessings the Lord has showered on me and all of us here the past few days! What could have been one of the most frightening or scary times here has become one of the weeks I know I will recall in the future as a week of AMAZING grace, protection, and blessings in our lives! Praise God for his ever-faithful presence in our lives. He is our rock, our refuge, our protection, our help in time of need!

On Friday we began to receive updates and news alerts and many began to enter a stage of panic. All public schools and many public/gov´t offices have been closed/suspended until May 6. The church I am supporting in ministry in Atizapan decided to cancel all of the weekend´s activities, even church, because the news was declaring that no large groups should meet anywhere. That same day my teammates Antonio and Diana Navarrete welcomed a group of 15 from Michigan. They are a group who has been here before and have a real heart and love for the churches and people here. Their attitude was like a breath of fresh air, as they reminded us that God has control of it all and they are here at this time, in this moment and still desire to minister to the people here! After consulting with our team leader, the Navarrete´s decided to continue the week´s schedule more or less as planned. We have only had to cancel a few activities, like playing sports in big groups and having kids ministries in the parks.

Saturday we awoke with "muchas ganas" (very excited and ready) to begin the week of serving. We had an AMAZING day, enjoying sharing youth group and a couples meeting with the group of americans. Their attitude has been so amazing through this time. Thankfully, nobody has gotten sick or even had any signs of being sick. On Sunday we had church service, and I was able to attend in Las Trojes, since the church in Atizapan had suspended their service. What a blessing it turned out to be. As many of you know, I worked in Las Trojes my first year. It was sooooooooo great to see the people and familiar faces again. I felt overwhelmed with emotion to greet and hug the people who were very special to me during the year I was privileged to serve there. We sang songs and were in the service and it was so refreshing to hear them sing with all their hearts, see Antonio directing the music with such passion for singing to God, and also hear a great sermon. Both Kurt and I were able to help with translating testimonies and the sermon. Afterwards we shared a meal with the team at a nearby restuarant and then headed back to the church to take part in the religious wedding cermemony of Cirenia and her husband. This alone was a blessing beyond all others that I have experienced! In the morning after church Cirenia came to greet me and said " you remember me, right???" I looked at her and with much embarrassment said, "No I´m sorry, you´re going to have to help me out on this one!" She said, "you don´t remember me but I am here and I have the Lord in my heart because of you." I was really puzzled at this point, and just kept listening. It turns out that two years ago, one rainy Sunday afternoon, I had gone to her house to give her a tract and paper advertising our church´s VBS program. Her kids really wanted to attend, despite her reluctancy, so she let them go. They were my students that week, and went home so enthused and talking to their mom about King David who had the heart of God (the VBS theme). More than half a year later, I was out with several girl friends on Valentine´s day and decided to go to a park to have a picnic. There, two male police officers tried to make me pay them a bribe to enter the always free park. When I refused, they were a bit annoyed. I went on with the day and thought nothing more of the moment. Another female police officer was present, and it was Cirenia. When the two male police vowed they would harm me and my friends in revenge for us not paying their bribe, she came to my defense, remembering me from the day I had given her a tract and VBS info. She said, don´t hurt her she is a Bible teacher and helped my children! Months later, Cirenia was in a deep, dark time in her life, and decided to find that same paper I had given her, with the address of the church. She went for help ,where she found Antonio and Diana and they began counseling her and her family. Now, two years later, we were able to sit and participate in the official wedding of her and her husband! After accepting Christ, they knew they needed to be officially married before God. I sat in awe of how God intricately weaves our lifes and uses every small detail that we may have categorized as just another mindless moment in our lives! I am only thankful that God found it in his grace to use me in this way. Today, the influenza continues, and we will continue working with necessary precautions being taken. Unfortunately, there are no facemasks city-wide! But we are being told that there is more than enough medicine to treat anyone who gets sick. Please continue praying for us as we minister. We know that God is protecting us, as always. Psalm 46 which was the center of yesterday´s message, reminds of us God´s protection and how he is dealing with all of this! It may take us by suprise that an epidemic decides to break out, but God is for sure in complete control!

1God is our refuge and strength,A very present help in trouble.

2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should changeAnd though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;

3Though its waters roar and foam,Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. 4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,The holy dwelling places of the Most High.

5God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;God will help her when morning dawns.

6The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;He raised His voice, the earth melted. 7The LORD of hosts is with us;The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

8Come, behold the works of the LORD,Who has wrought desolations in the earth.

9He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;He burns the chariots with fire.

10"Cease striving and know that I am God;I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

11The LORD of hosts is with us;The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

tip toe through the tulips with...

2009-04-24T11:44:00.001-05:00

Saw some tulips this morning and got homesick. Hollland, Michigan is home to Tuliptime. check it out at http://www.tuliptime.com/

“Perfect obedience would be perfect happiness, if only we had perfect confidence in the power we were obeying.”

2009-04-24T11:19:00.001-05:00

Do not know who originally said this little gem...and I pretty much DON'T feel qualified to expound on it...yet would love to hear your thoughts.

Pizza, laughter, and visitating...

2009-04-21T11:10:00.007-05:00

We(the Navarrete family) had a great time just hanging out and doing email and eating pizza and watching TV and playing board games and eating homemade blackberry pie at teammate Bethany Dean's house last night! It was the "relax and laugh a little time" before the next busy month.

We are so excited to just list our plans for you:

April 24-May 1 Shelby Road Baptist Mission Team will be here: they will participate in Youth Group, Couple Meeting, Ladies Bible Study, Church services, Cirenia and Juan's wedding, do painting and odd jobs at the church, do basketball camp, visit Missionary Baptist Church in Valle Dorado and visit with the Navarrete family! Are you tired already?

Church activities in the next month are:

Usual: Kids Club, Men's meeting, Women's Meeting, Youth group, Thursday Ladies Bible study, Special events: a wedding, and an outing to a river on May 9 for baptism of 9 brothers and sisters in Christ!

May 5-18ish: visit to field of teammates Joe and Heidi DePuy,

Wedding Bells and Basket balls...

2009-04-14T14:13:00.003-05:00

Next week Shelby Road Baptist Church will be sending a mission team down to help at the church. They will paint, do basketball ministry and be part of Juan and Cirenia´s church wedding! Juan and Cirenia had civil wedding years ago, but never a church wedding. They were both saved in the last year and will be baptized on May 9. They want their life in order so they will be married at the church on April 26. Please pray for their unsaved family members who will attend. Please also pray for the SRT as they form friendships and minister with the church.

Is that the sound of wedding bells I hear.....

2009-03-14T15:48:00.003-06:00

Several weeks ago I was bugging some of the older singles at church that I was in the mood for a wedding. This past Tuesday teammate Bethany Dean and long time friend, Kurt Gomez, announced they will be getting married the end of this year!

Iglesia Bautista de las Trojes....

2009-03-09T12:47:00.002-06:00

gives new meaning to packed in like sardines! Yesterday we were so full a couple of people saw the overflow and went home. We are searching and praying for what to do!

Many of you have written asking....

2009-03-05T13:25:00.004-06:00

about the violence in Mexico. Some of you have insisted we leave, some have changed plans about coming to visit, and some have assured us of your prayers for our protection.
We are fine. We take the precautions of not being out too late, always travelling with another person, and not waving our few dollars around. Most of the events you are hearing about are on the border or in parts of Mexico that are hours away from us. Mexico City, like any large city, has always had crime and reasons to be careful. Yes, things are"worse" than a few years ago, but that is true of the whole world. Remember also that the end times will be full of difficult and sinful things. We see the increasingly difficult times and events as an indicator of the great need for the world around us to hear of the hope we have in Christ. Antonio has been preaching through Revelations. The statement "Well praise the Lord, we won't even be here for all of this," with the next statement being, "But I am so convicted of the need to share the Gospel, so that all my friends and family can have the same hope and assurance I have," has been repeated often. The Mexican people themselves talk of the increased violence but always come back with the only solution is we must be more bold in sharing the Gospel!
Mexico like the rest of the world, is a hurting, sick with sin, and separated from God, nation. Like the painting above, she needs to simply reach out to Christ for healing, pardon and reconciliation with God. Until each individual does that, the violence, crime, corruption, lonliness, and confusion can only increase.
I want to assure you that each day we lift up prayers to our Lord for his protection and wisdom in living and ministering in Mexico. We pray for you all too. The stories that come from "home" about the crisis provoke more concern in us than the news reports you are hearing and seeing about Mexico! Stories of desperate people doing desperate and often violent things are more common everyday.

Praise and please pray for...

2009-02-22T17:56:00.003-06:00

Praises:
Last weekend everything went great!
Antonio and Alyssa are better.

Prayer Requests:
Teammates Joe and Heidi as they finish up language school in Costa Rica. Joe fractured his ankle and Heidi has been having stomach problems. (At least she can't blame it on the water in Mexico!) Seriously though studying a language is hard enough without being sick! Pray also as they get ready to visit Mexico for a couple of weeks in May and then move here in June!

Pray for teammate Bethany as she has been having trouble with her asthma.

Pray for teammates Ron and Zina as they are overloaded with being director and teacher at their kids' school, being interim co-pastors of the church they have been ministering in(Pastor was asked to resign) and being team leaders of our team. They have looked worn out the last two times I saw them.

Will appreciate prayers....

2009-02-13T12:08:00.002-06:00

This weekend we have:

Youth Valentine's Party (Saturday afternoon)

Couple's Bonfire (Saturday Night)

Quinceaños on Sunday

Not to bad but Alyssa and Antonio are sick!

I had a migraine...

2009-02-09T11:05:00.002-06:00

for the first time in almost a year, this past weekend. It was a busy weekend and I simply couldn't stay in bed. By the time Sunday morning rolled around, I was having trouble just thinking about moving. So I was ordered "to stay in bed and put into practice that faith in a sovereign God." Amazingly the world did not fall apart without me at church! Yes I am smiling and joking with you. My devotions this morning were on the passage of the woman with the issue of blood. It got me thinking about all the illness (Physical, emotional and spiritual) that our Great Physician is just waiting to heal! Have you let Him heal you? Are you sharing with everyone you know about His love and desire to heal them?

Happy 2009!

2009-01-14T12:03:00.002-06:00

I have wonderful news! The internet cafe near our home is owned and run by Christians! So instead of paying high internet fees we are able to use their internet for practically nothing!
We are settling into our new and smaller space but God is omniscient! We have had more visitors from the church in our month here than in the whole 3 years we were in Izcalli! All ministries continue to move along. We are going begin a Wednesday night prayer and Bible study time soon.
Please pray for
-ongoing ministries
- new ministries
-health
-opportunities to witness to neighbors
-TJ entered computer school and Alyssa will decide and enter a school soon too.
-ABWE team has invited Mexican Pastors and wives and some other missionaries to begin meeting on a periodic basis. Our first meeting was in November. The next will be in February.
-Teammates Joe and Heidi DePuy as the finish up language school and will arrive in Mexico this summer.
-Teammates Ron and Zina Allen as they juggle responsibilities of: director and teacher at their boy's school, Co-pastoring the church in Tlalnepantla, and ABWE Team leaders to Mexico
Teammate Bethany Dean in all of her ministries in the church in Tlalnepantla.

Internet cafes vs home....

2008-11-19T11:19:00.003-06:00

Yup I am in an internet cafe attempting to update my blog! 3 computer crashes have left me with no alternative! The 2 dinosaur computers with windows 98 have both gone where all good dinosaurs have gone!?!? My son used the laptop on Saturday which led to an emergency trip to a computer repair shop! My dear hubby said, "Anyone touches my laptop again and ......" Soooooo.....here I am in the internet cafe. I am sitting on a folding chair, it is dark and very cubicle! Definitely not the same as my music in the background with an office chair and sunlight streaming in the window.

I thought about what to say on the walk over here and have decided there is too much info to update on everything so I will just say that:

- we are moving soon. I will send you all the new address as soon as I have it.

-we are all healthy.

-ministry is going normal.

-it has been cold here. (As in down to the 30's!) With no heating system that means 4 cold Navarretes!

-I miss Fall and you all!

What's in your purse? What are you carrying around everyday?

2008-07-31T14:18:00.012-05:00

That's the theme for the Ladies retreat on Saturday. We all have a purse full of unnecesary things and the idea is, we carry around spiritual and emotional junk too. I am learning first hand this week how much junk I carry around. I have had a bit of an attitude about the "tommorrow" and "oh well" attitude of mexican culture. The owner of the banquet room we were going to use cancelled on me this past week. Her reason? Family is coming into town and I want to be free and to use the room that day for a party. My guest speaker's husband decided to go on vacation starting yesterday so she is out of town. I think she went to Cabo San Lucas! Yeah jealousy rears its' ugly head!
Anyway, I had to spend some time on my knees this morning before I got on the bus to go pick up the craft for the retreat. Good thing cuz praising God put a new attitude in my heart. The bus driver was typical and the traffic horrendous and the store clerk was not so happy. In fact she spent half of the time complaining about Mexico etc... A part of me wanted to cheer her on yet a verse for the retreat kept coming to mind

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

So I just smiled and said, "But you have a job in a nice, clean, cool building. I'm a Christian. I believe that God loves you and wants the best for you. I believe that God gave you this job and if you really think it is so bad you could try praying and asking Him for a new job."

She stared at me and quietly said, "I am so ashamed. I am a Christian too. God has been showing me about a bad attitude but He had to send somebody for me to actually listen. I know who you are."

I started to get nervous. I said, "Who am I?"

"You were in here two weeks ago buying stuff for vacation Bible school. You gave me an invitation for my kids. God has been trying to get my attention for some time now."

I invited her to church this Sunday. Her name is Evelin.

Funny how being faithful to give testimony always seems to teach, reach, and change me as much or more than those listening or watching.

I think my spiritual and emotional purse got a dumping upside-down and shaking out of the lint and everything else that doesn't belong in there!

Water, Water, everywhere and nowhere.....

2008-07-28T07:44:00.003-05:00

All week we came to the water's edge and talked, sang, and learned about Jesus. 19 children raised their hand to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior! We also were excited to see 12 of those children come to the church service on Sunday morning! We are praising the Lord for a family that came because of contact during VBS! Pray for us as we follow-up on the new believers and welcome a new family into the fellowship.

On Saturday the youth group had a water balloon fight and Bible study.

Sunday was also extra special as Jessica Bustos Martinez was baptized! We spent the week talking to the children about coming to the water's edge and ended the week with Jessica giving testimony before God, her husband, family and the Church of her faith in Christ.

A week full of water! Except at our house. We have been without water since last Wednesday! The last few days of VBS it was hard to come home hot and sweaty knowing that a bucket was waiting instead of a shower. The clincher has been that as we drove up to the house, itwas pouring rain outside. I know put out a barrel right? Nah. I live in one of the most polluted cities in the world! The rainwater leaves clothes left on the clothesline beige. Please pray as we are getting a little testy about half a bucket of water bathes!

Our ocean is filling up...

2008-07-22T16:29:00.003-05:00

I know we are no where near an ocean. But we have invited the kids of Las Trojes and Santa Elena to come to the waters edge (Beach!) God blessed us with 60 kids at our second day of VBS today. Yesterday there were 35! At this rate we will hit our goal of 100 kids!
Thanks for your prayers! I will try to post some pictures today later or tomorrow.

Just what I needed....

2008-07-19T14:52:00.002-05:00

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”- Isaiah 41:10

This verse was in my devotions this morning and later in the day someone sent it in an email. I was feeling very overwhelmed with VBS stuff. It was just what I needed to be reminded!

So many things to do.....so little time!

2008-07-18T10:53:00.003-05:00

VBS starts in 3 days! We did all the scenery painting yesterday. We had puppet practice with ALL the puppeteers present! We prepared one of the crafts. We had fun laughing and talking, and painting each other...I mean the posters! We are all so excited and ready to begin. I am going to list the names of everyone involved so you can pray for them starting today through the closing on Sunday, July 27.

GAMES

Sofie

Monika

Melissa

Barby

TEACHER ASSISTENTS

Benito

Mateo

Abril

Cirenia

Carmen

Edgar

CRAFTS

Nathalia

Alyssa

Jenifer

SNACKS

Lupita

Elis

Fabiola

PUPPETS

Telma

Mateo

Michele

TEACHERS

Edgar

Alicia

Beto

Josefina

STORY TELLERS

Cirenia y Abril

Carlos

Alicia

Misael Eden

Antonio

SOUND SYSTEM

Israel

I copied a picture....

2008-07-14T08:38:00.003-05:00

from one of the M2M team members webpage. It is of one of my favorite people right now. His name is Carlos.

He has had me laughing since the day I met him. Antonio gave him one of the soccer balls the M2M team left behind. (By the way he looks for you all in every room when he comes to church) His mom Sirenia says, "He pretty much lives with that ball! About the only place he doesn't take it is to church. And that's cuz we pry it out of his grip or he would be kicking goals down the center aisle into the pulpit!"

Yesterday Carlos had a 50 cent coin to put in the offering plate. He came marching across the church to TJ and asked for a tithe envelope and had to have his name written on it too! When asked what the money was for, he pointed to the offering bag and said "Iglesia Nueva (New Church)!" Apparently everyone at his house has a jar that they are trying to save money in for construction of a bigger building. He understood and had the coin in his pocket all week. Everytime someone tried to take he would scream and holler till they gave it back. For me it is so exciting to see mexican children being raised in the church. Alot of adults are so hard to the Gospel, we have a whole generation growing up into the truth. Please pray for Carlos, his brother and sister Dany and Anai, and their parents Sirenia and Juan.

The sun is shining....

2008-07-11T10:55:00.003-05:00

After I think monthes of cloudy rainy days....okay I'm exaggerating but it has been at least 2 weeks! I opened all the blinds to try and warm up my "concrete walled, tile-floored in a breezy area" house.

My belated birthday was extended to two days due to a rainstorm and subsequent traffic jam. The baked potatoe and rib-eye on the grill was DELICIOUS! My hubby bought a turtle sundae cheesecake for dessert! (If you know him, you know that was more for him than me!) Yesterday I just lazed around and worked on stuff for VBS. Our theme is "Come to the Beach!" All the stories have to do with water! I am excited. Too bad we can't take everyone to the beach! Oh yeah imagine me on the beach with at least 100 kids! I would tie a life perserver to each one and head for a palapa to have a virgin piña colada with my hubby fanning me.....Sorry.....my mind wandered a little there. Back to reality! Tonight we have a prayer vigil at the church. Tomorrow afternoon is puppet practice for VBS and Youth group in the evening.

Happy Birthday to me...

2008-07-08T09:41:00.002-05:00

No I am not so desperate that I sing to myself! My birthday was in June but we were really busy so I asked everyone (my family) if we could wait till after the M2M team was here to celebrate. So....today is the day! I am 46! Wow four more years and I will be half of a century old!

I am going to get groceries this morning and then it is off to the movies and to Starbucks. Oh and we are going to splurge and by a big steak at Costco to do on the grill with baked potatoes and salad! To finish the day off we are going to play Scrabble as a family tonight after dinner. Oh yeah I just showed my age right!

What should I do today....

2008-07-07T10:20:00.002-05:00

After weeks of setting things up and planning for the M2M team, I am sort of lost this morning. I don't HAVE to be anywhere or DO anything! Well I have a house to clean and need to concentrate on VBS preparations but....I think a cup of coffee sitting in front of the computer and trying to pen a few thoughts about this past week is in order.

First of all, I want to thank Emmanuel Baptist Church for sending a group of flexible and gracious young people to minister with us.

Second, I send a hug to the team and again say thank for your willingness to leave home and your comfort zones and step out on the frontlines of foreign missions. You were rained on more times than I care to count. You crammed into rooms and vans and I did not hear a complaint even once. You ate real Mexican food four of the days you were here! You painted the church inside and out. You drew VBS scenery. You handed out 1500 invitations to Iglesia Bautista de las Trojes. You did mimes and sang. But most of all, you renewed me and my family's vision for ministry in Las Trojes. To stand in front of you and say, "We are tired or frustrated, just could not be done. So I personally just smiled and instead said, "Okay Lord, what will you do this week?"

Here's what He did through you and your testimony this week!

-Adults are saying, "We should have been the ones painting this building!"

-Benito returned to church.

-Sarai had her quinceaños and rededicated her life to God.

-The youth of our church are disappointed and ashamed that their mission trip planned for August was cancelled. None of them had shown interest and had not saved the money to go. Now they are saying can we do it during Christmas break? That will give us time to save money, learn skits and collect Bibles and tracts to take along.

-Two new families brought their kids to Kids Club on Friday due to the info you passed out.

-Sirenia is sharing with her neighbors about Christ and has even told her very Catholic mother she was saved in April and is going to a Baptist church.

-Many of the families in the church are just renewed and excited to continue what you started.

-Ladies meeting was small in number the Saturday you left, but huge in the excitement and plans for evangelizing the women of Las Trojes. Miriam said, "If they can come here, and be rained on for 7 days and still be smiling and ready to go out again, and cry like babies saying Good-bye.....than we can step out our front gate and talk to our neighbors! I am a little bit ashamed that it took a group a kids to show me what I could so easily be doing."

-If you know me at all, you know that I am a mover and a pusher to get things done. This week God made me sit back and be on the edge of things. At times I was a like a race horse biting the bit at the gate but...I got to see some people step up and do the job! So this pusher is pulling back and letting the others go forward. I look forward to seeing all that God will do in the coming days!

God also showed his love for us in a ways not connected to your visit.

-On Saturday morning I got a phone call that Antonio's nephew had been run over by a car! He is doing okay now, but his skull was fractured and it was scary for few days.

-Teammate Bethany Dean moved in the middle of your visit. Things kept falling apart for setting up her moving crew. We were feeling so bad at not being able to be there to help her, but God provided other Mexican friends to do the job and she also saw how God provides the help we need in surprising ways.

-Teammates Ron and Zina Allen are on a summer-long furlough. Ron's brother Donny had emergency heart surgery. They "just happened to be near by" and could be with family through the touch and go of the whole thing. No, I do not think it was a coincidence! I know that God put them there!

I only pray that each of the M2M team members saw God working in and through them. I pray of course for the seeds they planted in the hearts of the Mexican people. Yet I almost pray more for the seeds planted in the M2M team's hearts for missions and for simply living each day to the glory of God!

A friend from Michigan...

2008-06-27T22:04:00.002-05:00

was sharing this week that she had never seen so many people without work and financial problems. She said "I think for the first time in my 36 years I am seeing the need for myself and my church to help. But I am having a hard time and I almost feel resentment when people walk up to me and ask for odd jobs or money or food." She also shared the following words from a blog she reads on a regular basis. Little did she know that I had just asked God to show me how to deal with being seen as a dollar tree by many of the people around me.
Freehand giving
by Rosemary ~ June 23rd, 2008
As I was loading several bags of groceries into my car, I heard a voice behind me saying, Excuse me, ma’am.” I turned to see a thin woman and a weary-looking boy, his skinny legs sticking out of his shorts. In her hands the woman held a cantaloupe that another shopper had given her. I had seen them talking to her, and hoped I could get away before she got to me. “Could you help me? I hate to ask but I need money to buy food for my children and get by until payday.”
Excepting the time we lived in Nepal, I’ve always had a policy of not giving money to people who approach me or stand at the side of the street begging. I don’t trust what they’ll do with the money.
“I’m sorry; no,” I said to her, feeling guilty that I refused her. Here I was, loading bags and bags of food for my family into the car, and there she was with her skinny, hungry son. The contrast was glaring. Besides that, I had been reading Piper’s What Jesus Demands From the World and these words were running through my head:
“Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.” ~Luke 6:30
Piper wrote: It seems to me that in all the complexity of life that can easily help us rationalize disobedience to these commands, we should default to literal obedience when we are unsure of what love calls for. For example, should I give to those who ask for money on the street in my context in urban America? How do I “do good” to those who ask? Jesus did not seem to be as concerned about being taken advantage of as I am (Matt. 5:40,42). I am often angered by the lies I am being told. But I do not think this is the spirit of Jesus.
I think the spirit of Jesus would first feel compassion even for a skilled liar. Then it would desire to move into the life of that liar with the good news that Jesus came into the world to save liars. Then it would try, if the other demands of love allow, to engage the person more deeply and, if possible, take him somewhere to eat together and talk. If that is not possible, then love may give freely even knowing the person is a con artist. And at times love may say no–for example, if the person has been back many times and has proven to be a liar and consistently refused a relationship of love. But my point is, when these things are less clear, the spirit of Jesus seems to me to call for freehand giving.
I looked in my purse to see what cash I had. A $5 bill and two singles. Skeptically, obediently, (almost) free-handedly, I grabbed the five and went after the woman. “You’re going to use this to buy food, right?”
“Yes, ma’am; thank you. God bless you, ma’am.”
I handed her the money and returned to my car. When I finished loading my groceries, I turned to see where the woman and her son were. The melon had been dumped into an abandoned cart, and they were far across the parking lot, on their way to somewhere. Obviously they weren’t very hungry or they wouldn’t have left the melon behind.
Right. I had been taken. Duped. The woman was a con artist who used the boy, whom I assume was her son, as a tool of her trade. I watched them walk away; taking my hard-earned money to use for goodness knows what. It ticked me off.
I despise being taken advantage of, so my immediate response was angry regret. Feeling naive and stupid, I drove home thinking about what had just happened. I wished that I had given the two dollars instead of the five. I should kept to my first answer and not been so impulsive. I should have grabbed the stupid cantaloupe so it wouldn’t go to waste.
After several minutes of spouting off, it occurred to me: my obedience wasn’t undermined by the woman’s response; it could only be undermined by my response. The spirit of Jesus calls for freehand giving. Whatever I have has been freehandedly given to me, without regret. How can I do anything less?As far as I know this was more about my giving and trusting God with the results, than whatever actually happened with the woman and boy. Only God knows what took place in their lives, which may have been little or much. But if I see them again and they ask me for money, I wonder if they’ll take me up on my offer to buy them lunch and talk for a while.

Wonderful News.....

2008-06-23T18:21:00.002-05:00

In March and April, I told you about Lucia being diagnosed with breast cancer. They did a mastectomy. This past week she reported for what she thought would be her first chemotherapy. We were all sad. She said her husband brushed her hair the night before as she cried thinking her hair would be falling out. To her great joy, the doctor was waiting for her to say All of your analysis are cancer-free. We are going to do bi-monthly check-ups for a year and NO chemotherapy!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lucia's husband still wants nothing to do "with that church." But she came to church Sunday morning to give testimony of the great things God has done in her life. Her request was not for her health but rather for her husband to give our wonderful God an opportunity. Please pray for Julio Cesar.

Today Antonio came home with the new portable sound system. So he and TJ are doing solos in the livingroom. We will be using it for the first time this Sunday as we have a quinceaños and the mission team from Emmanuel Baptist Church in Toledo Ohio will be using it next week in park ministry! Pray people to be reached for Christ and a burden for missions planted in the hearts of the mission team. I have lots to do this week and next, but I will try to share as often as I can how things are going.

John Bunyan said...

2008-06-16T11:43:00.003-05:00

Orar es derramar de modo sincero, consciente y afectuoso el corazón o alma ante Dios, por medio de Cristo, en el poder y ayuda del Espíritu Santo, buscando las cosas que Dios ha prometido, o que son conforme a su Palabra, para bien de la iglesia, con fiel sumisión a Su voluntad.

Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to his Word, for the good of the church, with submission in faith to the will of God.

Sorry if you don't read Spanish. It is just so beautiful how it translates. Hey, maybe I am semi-bilingual!

I seem to be praying alot more lately. The more constant I am in prayer the more I know the life sustaining and renewing power it is and gives! As I counsel women and work with youth I am also realizing it is really one of the first things to model and teach about to new and old believers alike. On Friday we had a prayer vigil at the church and as one of ladies prayed she began to cry, her words were, "Hermoso Señor, no se porque mas de mis hermanos y hermanas en Cristo no se han presentado esta noche. Mi unico consuelo sera que estan en communion contigo en donde esten. Porfavor mi Dios, te ruego que me ayudes a demostrarles con mi vida que el hablar contigo no es opcional es mandatorio para conocerte y crecer en ti." ("oh my lovely Lord, I don't know why more brothers and sisters in Christ did not show up tonight. My only consolation will be to hear that they are in prayer with you where ever they are. Please I beg you to help me show them with my life that prayer/talking with you is not optional. It is mandatory to knowing and growing in You!")

If you have the time, read the following article by John Bunyan. On second thought even if you don't have time it would be a blessing to you to make the time to read it!

http://www.mountzion.org/fgb/Summer95/FgbS1-95.html

Hey dads.....

2008-06-13T08:45:00.002-05:00

And to my dad especially, thanks for showing me how to walk in God's way. Thanks for reading the Bible to me everyday of my life until I moved away! Thanks for making church and fellowship with other believers first priority in you and your family's lives. Thanks for teaching me to pray and thank God for every meal I ate. That taught me to pray and thank Him for everything in my life. Thank you for never giving up an any one of your kids. They/we are who we are because you and mom loved us and showed us how to walk in God's way. You can be confident in the words of Proverbs 22:6:
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Much to pray for ....

2008-06-02T12:21:00.002-05:00

Alejandra is one of the women who visited 2 weeks ago. She did not come the following Sunday but left a message on our answering machine that she was sick and to please pray for her. She did not leave a number so we have been praying for her each day. Yesterday she did not come again. Someone sent a text message to a cell phone number they had for her son. Seconds later their phone rang. It was Alejandra. She is sick with a nine month type "illness!" People get pregnant everyday right? Alejandra is 45 and believed she had gone through early menopause. Nope! The sporatic menstruation was due to a cyst. She is shocked, happy and praising God that after two ultrasounds in two weeks: baby is doing great and the cyst is shrinking and a separated placenta is reattaching? She said she was on bed rest for two weeks.

To our surprise, she and her husband and two sons, walked into the church last night! Her words, "I know that you all have been praying because I such a peace and feel great! I also feel so much like you are our family just after one visit and phone call."

This medically sounds like a rough pregnancy but our God is much bigger than any lab report!

bloodsuckers, ole bollen, and lots of laughter....

2008-05-26T12:34:00.004-05:00

Seems like I usually end up here when I am thinkin' on something or frustrated or sad or glad. Today the topic is being far away from family when difficult things happen. My mom usually calls on Wednesday. So when I heard her voice on the line this morning, I knew it was not going to be good news. Several of my uncles on both sides of the family have been sick in the last few weeks, so I braced myself and asked "What's wrong?" I was not ready for her say that another uncle had passed away. Uncle Cornelius (better known as Uncle Case) has been sick with parkinson's disease and I think alzheimers for some time. That combined with other health problems finally took his life. He is survived by Aunt Joey, 10 living children, assorted spouses, at least 30 grandkids, at least 20 great grand kids! Needless to say, going to Uncle Case's house as a kid was truly a treat! Lots of cousins, and most of my memories are of the places they lived in the country! I experienced my first encounter with a "bloodsucker" (leech?) while playing in creek in front of their house. Our childhood pet, a dog named Charlie Brown came from one of their neighbors. I remember using the little bit of Dutch my brain retained at his house when the great uncles were visiting. As all those men born in the Netherlands (including Uncle Case)gathered over a pipe or cigar and spoke Dutch. We ran in between their chairs and marvelled at that weird language they spoke.

Aunt Joey busied herself making ole bollen. I’ve seen the name of this pastry written Oly Koeken, Vet Ballen, Vet Bollen, Ole Bollen, oliekoecken, and a few other variations. The basic translation, however, is Fat Balls. This pastry is a little blob of dough filled with raisins that is deep fried and then rolled in a paper bag of sugar. I know today everyone would scream "Colesterol, or clogged arteries or...." But they were soooo good and we had so much fun helping, laughing, eating, laughing and coming down from the sugar high!

I could go on for hours with all the memories but mostly I just ask you to pray for my Dad as uncle Case was his big brother. His illnesses in the last few years made that hard to believe as he got thinner and smaller. Sunday afternoons for some time have meant my dad and mom travelling to have coffee or tea and a cookie with Uncle Case in the nursing home. Sometimes he remembered them and other days things were pretty vague for him. But he always remembered the old days. Just as memories console me so far away, may they bring a smile to my dad's face and heart too! If you know my dad or are near him make sure you give him a hug from me!

I am legal for another year...

2008-05-21T17:54:00.002-05:00

Spent two days in lines at immigration, but I have my visa for another year! Yesterday I went alone on the bus to pick up the visa. I wanted to go alone just to think for awhile. 4 hours round trip on the bus is plenty of time to think! So just what was I thinking about? Well my firstborn (Antonio Jr. alias TJ) turned 19 on Sunday! Alyssa my baby will turn 18 in June! Need I say more?

Actually I do need to say more. I am truly blessed to have two wonderful children. They are both saved. 3 John 1:4! TJ is an incredibly kind and motivated young man. He is a friend to all ages and God will do great things through him. Alyssa is lovely and very compassionate and a well centered young woman. She has a gift for discerning so much about people before they even speak. She has been instrumental in bringing in youth who would never come if Antonio or I had invited them. It is only by the grace of God that they have turned out so cool. The Lord knows my faults and I think I heard a whispered Uh huh from above as I wrote that!

Anyway, I had to think cuz I needed to remind myself to let loose the reins a little. Okay so a lot would be the phrase to use! I may be writing more in the near future as my homeschooling days will end in August and my kids will be off being a testimony in the school that God leads them to! Pray as they seek where God would have them and for me as I let go. My consolation is they are planning to attend school here in Mexico until our next furlough.

Surprise...

2008-05-09T08:52:00.003-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there!

The couples reunion went great we had 8 couples on a holiday weekend!

This weekend is our Mother's Day celebration. Pray for the unsaved moms that are invited to church! Mother's Day is super big in Mexico. It is always on May 10. So....I get to be celebrated twice! Once on May 10 and again on the 3rd Sunday of May.

The TJ miester is doing much better and healing up nice. I wanted to post a picture but his teenage self said "Are you kidding? I will end up single forever! Everyone (meaning girls between 17 and 20)will be scared that I have some terrible disease!" Alyssa's response, "You do have a terrible disease. I think the technical name is Ugly."

YUP my teens are doing much better and will be back to normal life real soon!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

once a mom always a mom...

2008-05-02T18:28:00.002-05:00

Yup it's me. I'm home already. All afternoon both Alyssa and I were looking for things to cheer TJ up or wondering out loud how he was doing. We went to lunch and walked around a mall type plaza. Then we walked home. We forgot the camera but if you think of your local Burger King you will pretty much know what lunch was like. If you think of Westshore Mall with a Meijers attached you have the mall. If you think of the projects in Chicago you have the walk home. I think the walk helped though. I feel much better equipped to face chicken pox! Guess that's a good thing since TJ just hollared "if I take a shower will you put calamine lotion on the spots on my back?"

By the way the superhero mom is Mama Lucha for a local store chain. She supposedly fights for deals for her family.

Two shall become one...

2008-05-02T10:15:00.002-05:00

On Saturday we will have our bi-monthly couples meeting. Pray that all of the couples we have invited will come!

Pray also for TJ as the chicken pox has struck again.

Yup it seems that the little things that wear on me are just not going to let up! This morning I thought I was going to breakfast with teammates but everyone I guess made other plans so I decided enough is enough. I am going on the city bus to wherever I want to get off and I am going enjoy some outside, alone time with Alyssa. TJ seems to be doing alright so I can leave food for him and Antonio. I will post a picture of what we end up doing tonight. If you get the chance eat some ice cream for me and listen to a Christian radio station for an hour or so!

A man in uniform should instill protection or pride...

2008-04-29T19:07:00.002-05:00

Lately about all those uniformed men are instilling is fear and frustration. The approach of a police officer feels more like being thrown into the lions den! Please pray for our travels and our car. Today, not only did Antonio get stopped but they hauled him to the police station. They tried to scare him by hasseling him.

The final result? It was probably a mistake. Their advice was he should go to the USA embassy and get advice about his USA vehicle.

Explain to us what the USA embassy has to do with Mexican traffic laws and we will all be in the know.

We have decided to simply accept that God wanted someone there to hear Antonio testify to being a Christian and a Pastor. To see him NOT get physical or riled up like all the other people brought into that office.

Thank for your prayers always. Praise our almighty God for His constant protection.

Ya gotta love Calvin...

2008-04-25T17:34:00.002-05:00

I wish I could download or upload half the book of Calvin and Hobbes that I am reading. I have been laughing for days! At what age exactly do we lose that childhood innocence and curiosity? I think I have felt every emotion in the above cartoon in the last couple of monthes!

Yesterday was an incredible day of ministry with the two ladies Bible studies. We have been studying what the Bible says about impatience/patience and anger/self-control. Amazing how a little verse or two can turn your world upside-down. Several of the ladies have been very convicted and it is so wonderful to see how God is changing them.
One of the ladies in particular has been showing in her facial expressions that things are happening. Her name is Isabel. She is not saved. She and her extended family are the devout catholics of the neighborhood. She has had perfect attendance since she began coming over a month ago. To be honest I thought she was coming for the scrapbook part of the meeting. She rarely says much but it is obvious that she is listening and thinking about all she hears. Yesterday toward the end of the study she burst into tears and shared that she is so happy about all she is learning and that she is finding answers to questions and problems. She asked us to pray that God would let her live to understand all we are talking about. Let her live? She shared that she is not well. She has several ovarian cysts. She has had surgery for this before. It was not a good thing. She was in a coma for 15 days as a result of complications. I shared a testimony of healing and later shared the gospel with her. She did not pray to receive Christ but I will see for coffee the beginning of next week. Please pray for salvation, peace, and for physical healing.

Couldn't resist this picture...

2008-04-19T20:57:00.003-05:00

This picture says what a thousand words about my life since my last post could never say! On Tuesday we ate shrimp cocktails. By Wednesday noon we were all sick with ....well you can guess! Alyssa was on an antibiotic so she did not get too sick. TJ seems to be okay. I am just tired and eating bland things. Antonio is still having the stomach problems.

Tomorrow we have baptisms at the church so pray for Antonio to be lots better.

His name will be heard in every corner of the world...

2008-04-15T16:17:00.003-05:00

Our Lord truly is worthy of praise in all the earth.

On the other side of the world from me in the Philippines, Carmen's pathology report says no more Cancer!

Isolated in her room, with the door shut, Alyssa is not itching "like 500,000 bugs are eating me" anymore!

Across town, down the street from the church, Lucia is recuperating from her mastectomy. I have not heard yet what the pathology reports said. She had her appointment today.

In a hospital in Cuautitlan, Mexico, I spent this morning in the hospital with a sister in Christ from the church named Lupita. First diagnosis was appendicitis but a wise, thorough, and considerate doctor (believe me, those seem to be rare around here!) said "let's do a complete set of blood tests before we rush her into surgery." Result? Very bad urinary tract infection!!!!!!!!!! I know, why would that deserve ten exclamation points? Well if you had seen where they were rolling hospital beds with surgical patients....sorry just let it suffice to say a diagnosis of a urinary tract infection was like winning an oscar!

In Michigan, like 2000 plus miles from me, my uncle is home! Taking medicine for a staph infection and when infection free will have the surgery he still needs.

Near the church, Guadalupe is trying to patiently wait for the results of her mammagram. It's hard to be patient in those times, especially when the other two ladies mentioned in this blog entry are her friends!

In Atizapan Mexico, Nelson and Rebeca Morales are being used by our Lord to begin another Bible-believing, God-serving, Christ-preaching church. They are both past what you and I would call "retirement age" and they are very far from their home country of Chile.

In Nicaragua, a team of ABWE missionaries have begun a church planting center. I think around 40 Nicaraguan men are being trained to plant churches!

In New York, after three years ofGod appointed pre-field, teammates Joe and Heidi have reached 100% in their support needs! They will leave for language school in Costa Rica before April ends!

In all the world 1,400 ABWE missionaries are planting churches and training leaders in more than 80 countries! Many of them are living and serving among people groups that are hostile and closed to the Gospel.

Right here in my heart, Each night for the past few weeks I have been compelled to be on my knees interceding for most of the people I love most. I have tried so hard to even thank Him for the trials each was going through. Somehow the above mentioned praises are much easier to thank Him for. Thus the verse and picture to remind me to praise Him in ALL THINGS. I am so awed at how our Lord works all things to His glory. I think a time of praise is in order. If you have the time, actually even if you don't! Take some time tonight before you go to sleep to simply thank and praise our God for EVERYTHING He does/has done in your life and mine!