Santa's little workshop was in town this past week. i am still trying to process everything that happened. to sum the week up it was super emotional in a way that i could not comprehend. God doing so much through so many. I guess that is the Body of Christ huh? There were 27 women that came down and this past week and together we literally brought Christmas to EVERY single child we serve here in Monterrey. It was a pleasure to meet these women and i enjoyed so much getting to know each and every one of them. i got to serve with them during the day and then go to their debriefing every night. You could tell God was changing the hearts of many. it made me realize how sweet it is to be a part of God's sweet little plans. With these women, not only did we bring Christmas to every child. we also got to take 2 casa hogars ice skating with us, took a Christmas tree to every home, helped the children decorate their trees, went to the rio and made blankets with the women that lived there, made over 2000 cookies to give away, and to top the week off, we got to have a little dance for one of the homes. those are just a few of the little events that took place while they were here. other than that the whole entire time we had great amount of fellowship. God using these women to come bring gifts to every child made these kids feel so special in every way. they were so happy and so thankful for their presents. it was awesome to be a part of this week. The women's group will hands down go to being one of the best weeks of my life. I wish i could put into words how i felt but honestly i can't. i just know God is moving and using all of us. We are His bride and He is pursuing us daily. What a joy and delight to be a part of the Body of Christ !!!!! O COME LET US ADORE HIM!!!!!!!! Let us truly remember why we are here on this earth and that Christmas is all about JESUS being born!!!! I hope you all are having a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Jose from Rayitos de Luz running to get his Christmas present.
And my sweet little Pamela from Imperio de Amor with her present and all smiles!!!!!
worship in the rio with the women. my new friend Jenn Weber was apart of our team. She has an amazing voice you should check her out
We took the ERJ kids and Rayitos de Luz kids ice skating... it was def. something they had never done before. lots of laughter and lots of smile!!
sweet children decorating ornaments for their Christmas tree we brought them!!!!
We had a snowball dance for the manantial de amor kids. it was so much fun getting all fancy and getting the girls ready. Kenzi and i led some dances for the whole casa hogar and the women. it was so much fun. they didn't want to stop!! (me either)
Friday, December 12, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i hope each and every one of you had an amazing Thanksgiving. I hope you truly know what you are thankful for.
I know being here in Mexico over Thanksgiving really makes me thankful for so much more than i realized. i am so blessed and give thanks to God for EVERYTHING He has given me. It leaves me standing in awe of how BIG God is. i am so thankful to be living here in Mexico. So THANK YOU ALL WHO HAVE MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO BE HERE. i seriously could never thank you enough.
I JUST LOVE THIS GIRL. and yes those are pink work gloves!!!!!! hahaha
it was so fun being able to work on Thanksgiving Day!
WE MADE 6 turkeys and everyone made a dessert! i have never seen so much food in my entire life. We served over 110 people Thanksgiving dinner. Just our staff and jovens that live on campus. CRAZY BIG and CRAZY FUN!
We got to set up a ton of tables all over HOUSE 5 which will shortly be ready to be lived in. It was super fun and tons of fellowship.
the very first pumpkin pie i have ever made!!!! it turned out pretty good. the pie crust is made from scratch too.
i hope each and every one of you had an amazing Thanksgiving. I hope you truly know what you are thankful for.
I know being here in Mexico over Thanksgiving really makes me thankful for so much more than i realized. i am so blessed and give thanks to God for EVERYTHING He has given me. It leaves me standing in awe of how BIG God is. i am so thankful to be living here in Mexico. So THANK YOU ALL WHO HAVE MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO BE HERE. i seriously could never thank you enough.
I JUST LOVE THIS GIRL. and yes those are pink work gloves!!!!!! hahaha
it was so fun being able to work on Thanksgiving Day!
WE MADE 6 turkeys and everyone made a dessert! i have never seen so much food in my entire life. We served over 110 people Thanksgiving dinner. Just our staff and jovens that live on campus. CRAZY BIG and CRAZY FUN!
We got to set up a ton of tables all over HOUSE 5 which will shortly be ready to be lived in. It was super fun and tons of fellowship.
the very first pumpkin pie i have ever made!!!! it turned out pretty good. the pie crust is made from scratch too.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Standing on God's promises!!!!!!!
I am writing this blog trying to hold off tears. This weekend God has been breaking my heart all over again for the children i am serving here in Monterrey, Mexico.
The other day i was at Casa Hogar Douglas. Sundays are visitation days where some of the kids parents can come visit. Most kids in the Childrens homes we serve with have parents of some sort that will sometimes come visit them. The children that are lucky, their mom or dad comes every sunday. Others are either wondering where their mom or dad is, wondering if they are going to show up this week or not? i had my first experience with meeting some of the kids moms. it was very interesting. i honestly didn't know the feelings that where running through my head. i wanted to ask them why they took their child to an orphanage. i wanted to ask if they really love their kids. i wanted to ask so many questions but clearly i could never do that. anyways, i was telling them who i was and what i was doing here in Monterrey. and then i honestly didn't know what more to talk about so i said "it was so nice to meet you" and walked off with a smile. then i kept watching all the kids with their mom or dad. some moments of watching were really sweet and other times my heart was just flat out broken. one girl Alexia, has a twin brother and an other brother. she is about 6. Her mom had come on that day. When the mom was leaving, SHE STARTED CRYING HER EYES OUT. all she wanted was her mommy and her mommy was leaving her there once again. thoughts in my head were, does this little girl know that she is loved? what is she thinking about all of this? does she know that God has a specific, wonderful plan for her life? it was seriously something i started praying for immediately that she would believe these truth's for her life.
i have been learning alot about some stories of the children here. And literally every time i hear another one my heart is broken all over again. Trying to understand where these kids are coming from can not possibly be done with my little mind and the fraction of what i have experienced compared to them. Yet, these kids are so full of love and smiles. And only by God's grace do they have happiness. the more i see them, the more i hang out with them, i just want to be on my knees praying for them. God has many promises to these precious children. please be in prayer with me in knowing that if we stand on God's promises to the orphan child together, together we can help and make a difference.
God's Promises to The orphan child:
God promises to-
vindicate them,
rescue them,
deliver them,
not leave them,
come to them,
hear them,
lift them up,
be their Father,
make them a home,
lead them out,
not to forget them,
extend mercy towards them,
execute true justice,
provide them with food and clothing,
be their helper,
maintain their cause,
and incline His ear!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Estoy Aprendiendo Mucho!!!!!!!! (I am learning A LOT)
For the past couple weeks we have been remodeling on of our Casa Hogars girls bathrooms. As you can see it is a very messy job. Lots of not so fun smells, lots of tearing the old pipes out and replacing them with new ones, lots of plugging our noses, and lots of chipping tile. This has by far been one of my most interesting projects. Todd (the director of Back2Back) has taught us how to install plumbing, clean it, glue it, cut it, use a jackhammer, knock out old toilets, and all the other fun stuff we have to do when installing plumbing. Needless to say, my dad would be so proud of me. I am not a pro but at least i kinda know what i am doing now, which is super cool. The bathroom is coming along and i can't wait to see the finished project.
CART- this week has been very busy. There was a group of 13 here this past week. Their leaders were with another organization called CARING ACTION FOR CHILDREN and they were around 77 years old, wife and husband. They also had an 85 year old women in their group. Let me tell you something about this group..... i have NEVER seen so many people determined to serve our children here in Mexico. They seriously were working the entire time. They got Del Norte's gym ready for the dedication. Tor and May (the leaders) have been involved with Martha and Del Norte for a really long time now. So they got to be apart of the dedication, they got to hang out with Martha, they got to go sight seeing in Monterrey, they got to play on top of a mountain with children.. and i was just along for the ride. the more i got to know each and every one of these group members the more i was shocked and awed by their lives and the legacy they are leaving behind. one man, VIRGIL, said he was in the airforce for 20 years, then gave the post office 20 years, and NOW he is giving the Lord 20 years. He said he has 4 more years to go. He is 78. I am telling you these people were simply here serving the Lord and it was burning within their hearts to give. They were ALL such a blessing to me on this trip. some of the women taught me how to sew on a sewing machine and how to crochet. It was so fun and it was exciting that i learned something new. They trusted me in making 2 curtains for Casa Hogar Del Norte and i loved every second of it.
More importantly, i learned that no matter what your age, you still can serve the Lord. You can still be going on mission trips at the age of 85. You can still be teaching young girls things they don't know. AGE ISN'T AN ISSUE. So there is no excuse. My heart was so filled up by these people and this CART group. It was an honor to serve alongside them. Thank you CART for the many blessings and teachings you gave me this past week.
i am NOT pretending here. My Momo (grandma) would have been so proud. MOM YOU TOO. i learned how to thread the machine and everything.
this is my crochet teacher. She was way more patient than i was. there were many times i wanted to throw the needle down but she would let me. she was wonderful.
CART- this week has been very busy. There was a group of 13 here this past week. Their leaders were with another organization called CARING ACTION FOR CHILDREN and they were around 77 years old, wife and husband. They also had an 85 year old women in their group. Let me tell you something about this group..... i have NEVER seen so many people determined to serve our children here in Mexico. They seriously were working the entire time. They got Del Norte's gym ready for the dedication. Tor and May (the leaders) have been involved with Martha and Del Norte for a really long time now. So they got to be apart of the dedication, they got to hang out with Martha, they got to go sight seeing in Monterrey, they got to play on top of a mountain with children.. and i was just along for the ride. the more i got to know each and every one of these group members the more i was shocked and awed by their lives and the legacy they are leaving behind. one man, VIRGIL, said he was in the airforce for 20 years, then gave the post office 20 years, and NOW he is giving the Lord 20 years. He said he has 4 more years to go. He is 78. I am telling you these people were simply here serving the Lord and it was burning within their hearts to give. They were ALL such a blessing to me on this trip. some of the women taught me how to sew on a sewing machine and how to crochet. It was so fun and it was exciting that i learned something new. They trusted me in making 2 curtains for Casa Hogar Del Norte and i loved every second of it.
More importantly, i learned that no matter what your age, you still can serve the Lord. You can still be going on mission trips at the age of 85. You can still be teaching young girls things they don't know. AGE ISN'T AN ISSUE. So there is no excuse. My heart was so filled up by these people and this CART group. It was an honor to serve alongside them. Thank you CART for the many blessings and teachings you gave me this past week.
i am NOT pretending here. My Momo (grandma) would have been so proud. MOM YOU TOO. i learned how to thread the machine and everything.
this is my crochet teacher. She was way more patient than i was. there were many times i wanted to throw the needle down but she would let me. she was wonderful.
Friday, October 31, 2008
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3
Connie, She is the mother of 2 girls. NOW, she is the mother of 4 girls. 2 weeks ago she had twin girls. Pricilla and Andrea. I just got a chance to go by and meet them. Here i am holding the sweet girls. Connie also has 8 other girls because her and her husband, Edgar, are the directors of Manantial De Amor. Giving them a night to themeselves, we took the 8 girls to go see a movie.
Kathy Couch and i holding the twins.
I am sure in the states the biggest rage right now is HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3. Well, same here in Mexico.
Some of us staff took the Manantial De Amor girls to go see the premier here in Monterrey. We got loaded up with popcorn and coke to enjoy the movie. The dancing, the singing, and according to the Manantial girls Troy Bolton.
IT WAS SO FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And for those of you that know me too well, Yes.. i already downloaded the songs.
Kathy Couch and i holding the twins.
I am sure in the states the biggest rage right now is HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3. Well, same here in Mexico.
Some of us staff took the Manantial De Amor girls to go see the premier here in Monterrey. We got loaded up with popcorn and coke to enjoy the movie. The dancing, the singing, and according to the Manantial girls Troy Bolton.
IT WAS SO FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And for those of you that know me too well, Yes.. i already downloaded the songs.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
love love love
Medical Clinic Dedication- The medical clinic on our campus just had its ground breaking this past week. this picture is not the finished product. this picture was taken in july. now there is beautiful grass and lots of detail on the inside. Our goal- for the orphan child to be helped. start with records of each child and keep up with shots etc.
We currently have a medical group here. they have seen hundreds of people and are doing such great work. i heard a story that really touched me so i want to share it with you.
The medical team along with another group went out to the CADEREYTA which is a squatters village that we serve. The doctors were seeing people and the other team with them went from house to house praying for people and delivering food. they came to one house and the lady said she was wanted them to pray for her family and for her brother. she had not seen her brother in 6-7 years and hasn't talked to him in 3-4 years. So after they prayed she asked if they could send a letter to her brother, who was living in north carolina, and see if they would call him to tell him that she says hello and for him to call their mom. so they went back to get the letter and the brothers phone number when it dawned on a man with our group that he had his blackberry phone with him and he pulled it out to see if it had service and it DID. which is huge, an american phone working in the Cadereyta. ONLY GOD. so the lady knew her brothers phone number and the man dialed it and it was working. Her brother answered the phone and she immediately started crying her eyes out. she was so excited and overwhelmed with the fact that she was talking to her brother. it was such a sweet moment. That man with the group didn't hesitate to give this lady who has nothing his blackberry phone. This women was thinking that a letter would get to her brother months later if at all. But the need was there and this sweet man met that need for that women in the Caderyeta. Talk about a divine appointment from the Lord. This did not happen by coincidence people. God has ordained each and every one of our days and there is no doubt that The God of the universe was appointing this day, this time, this man, and this women. What a sweet testimony to the Loving Father we have looking out for us.
Casa Hogar Del Norte- i spent some time there this past week getting a gym ready for a grand opening. The scaffold was super high and i was kinda scared but... I DID IT. me and my team that was with me for the painting project finished all the walls helping get it ready for the opening which will be in November. it was a fun project and together we accomplished alot at this specific childrens home.
sweet new baby girl!!!!!! this little girl is new to CASA HOGAR DEL NORTE. there is her and then twin boys that live there that are all babies. i had such a sweet moment with these babies one day. so many people noticed that one of the little boys was playing but looked really tired, so they were trying to pick him up he started crying each time. so then i went over and picked him up. He didn't cry. so i started singing to him and he fell right asleep. those are some of my favorite moments with children. I love putting babies to sleep. i immediately started praying for the child i was holding and was praying that i hope he realizes how much God loves him in the midst of what his life is going to look like. When he starts realizing that he lives in an orphanage, his heart could start getting hard and i kept praying that God would continue to keep it soft. So prayer warriors this is where you come in. Pray for the orphan child here in Monterrey and all over the world. there is 143 million orphans in the world. the need is HUGE BUT SO IS GOD.
IMPERIO DE AMOR! this is the newest casa hogar (orphanage) that BACK2BACK has started working with. There is a lot of need at this children's home. The more i go visit to work, play or be with the kids, my heart grows more for the place and all that God is doing and going to do. There is no doubt that these kids are being loved on by their caregivers. Imperio de Amor means the impire of love. That is exactly what happens here. these kids love being with people and even though they might fight like brother and sister they truly love each other. These kids are learning about Christ and the realness of Him and it is a joy to see the growth of this place. The need is great and the Lord promises to provide for them, comfort them, and be their Father. GOD IS MOVING!!!!!! and to HIM BE ALL THE GLORY!!!!!!
MEET PAMELA!!!!! she lives in casa hogar imperio de amor and she has absolutely stolen my heart. She is 6 years old. i am always kissing on her, hugging her and playing with her. this little girl has a smile that could bright up a room, make a person feel loved and if you are sad, well her sweet smile would take care of that. i am praying for this sweet girl so hard. Knowing that God has a divine purpose for her and claiming that in His name.
These girls are SO precious to me. we are always hanging out when i go to their children's home. we are always laughing, singing fun songs (in spanish), and tons of loving each other. They are so special to God and i want them to know that. pray for my spanish so that these sweet kids will realize their identity in HIM and that living in a casa hogar (orphanage) DOES NOT DEFINE WHO THEY ARE!
We just had a fall festival with the staff kids on campus. we decided to be the ninja turtles. pretty clever huh? it was a super fun night with the families we serve with. We had a hayride, bonfire, and fun games. it was a great night. the kids came to each door on campus begging for candy! haha i remember those days... okay maybe i tagged along with them. We definitely had the Best costumes!!!!! well at least we thought we did.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
It is all about the WHO!!!!!!!
Sunday for church the director of Back2Back spoke in english. Her name is Beth. Although she is a friend of mine, she is such a mentor to me in so many ways without her even knowing. She has recently written a book called "Reckless Faith" which is incredible and i recommend anyone to pick it up because a lot of it is about stories of the children we work with here in Monterrey.
Anyways, Sunday while she was speaking it was centered around trusting in the who. NOT trusting in the what, when, where, or why or even how for that matter. But truly trusting in a God that performs miracles on a daily basis and that loves us unconditionally and who's word is ALIVE and active.
If you were to ask me right now what God is specifically doing in my life right now i don't think i would be able to tell you. i could tell you however that i am frustrated that i can not pen point what He is doing. My quiet times are intimate and so sweet every day with Him. I feel like i am in a great place with the Lord. I just want to be able to explain what He is doing and i can't. I do know that i serve a GOOD GOD and He is teaching me something through this. Maybe it is Patience, maybe it is just simply resting in the fruits of where i am because i am living a dream of mine and that i am on this journey that He has set out from day one. In psalm 139 it says "God has ordained each day of mine before they came to be" there is no mistake that i should be here. i think to myself all the time about how i am seriously living the best life ever. i get to wake up every morning to BEAUTIFUL mountains. I get to love on little orphan children on a daily basis. I get to be a part of an amazing community that i love serving alongside. I SERIOUSLY HAVE THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD. The Lord has called me here and there is no mistake about that. 7 years ago this was such a long off dream and NOW i am here soaking it all in and it is better than what i could have ever imagined. GOD IS SO GOOD AND HIS CALLINGS ARE SWEET AND PERFECT. I am defenitly in a season of resting. RESTING IN HIS GOODNESS. Resting in His Righteousness!!!!!
Lately i have had a huge heart for the teens on our campus! i don't really know what this means either but i sure am praying hard about where God wants me to step in. Some girls have asked if i would or could start a hip hop class with them under the palapa. and i know what you all are thinking." becca this is perfect for you cause you love dancing" well, it is right up my alley and it would be free for the girls. but i am still on with the groups during the day and then have stuff at night as well so i am praying that maybe if enough girls wanted to it then that would be God saying "yes becca yes". But i want to go deep with some of these girls. some are new here on the campus and some are older but they are all high school college age. and i just want them to know that they are God's masterpieces and that He is fighting for them. Guess i better learn how to say that in spanish first. haha. but if you have any suggestions or encouragement on this please please please let me know. i would love to hear back from you.
Prayer is so important. i have recently found out that some of my sweet friends at home are having a hard time. and IT IS KILLING ME TO BE HERE THROUGH HARD TIMES FOR THEM. also my sweet grandpa just had a minor stroke. he is okay but once again i just wish i could fly to Tulsa to let him know how much i love him. Needless to say i am going to be such a witness to the power of prayer. i believe in prayer so much and the power of it. Even though i physically can't be there for my friends and family i am fighting for them through their situations and praying for quick and healthy recovery for my Papa. once again GOD IS GOOD in the midst of all this. I pray that they are ALL able to recognize the goodness of the Lord.
So bringing this blog entry to a close it all comes back to the WHO. As long as i continue to love, serve, and follow the WHO then everything else (the what,when,where,why, and how) will fall into place. No matter how long it takes i will stand beside the WHO and allow Him to work in mighty ways the way He always does and get on my face before Him allowing Him to humble me by His sweet spirit.
For those of you hurting trust in God to be your HEALER. He is not holding out on you
For those of you that are struggling at work trust that the WHO is going to PROVIDE for you. NO MATTER WHAT.
For those of you that are wondering where God is.... HE IS ALWAYS WITH YOU. HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU!!!!!
You are God's most favorite child. He loves you with an unconditional Love. HE IS NOT HOLDING OUT ON YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The words to a couple of songs have been on my heart lately so i am going to leave you them.
"Heal my heart and make it clean,
open up my eyes to the things unseen.
Show me how to love like you have loved me.
BREAK MY HEART FOR WHAT BREAKS YOURS.
Everything I am for your Kingdoms CAUSE. "
"You hold my every moment, you calm my raging seas, you walk with me through fire, and you heal all my disease. I TRUST IN YOU. I BELIEVE YOU'RE MY HEALER. I BELIEVE YOU ARE ALL I NEED. I BELIEVE YOU'RE MY PORTION. I BELIEVE YOU'RE MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR ME. JESUS YOU ARE ALL I NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU, YOU HOLD MY WORLD IN YOUR HANDS"
These are the cries of my heart right now. Please be praying for me and for my continued journey here in Monterrey for the orphan child.
Anyways, Sunday while she was speaking it was centered around trusting in the who. NOT trusting in the what, when, where, or why or even how for that matter. But truly trusting in a God that performs miracles on a daily basis and that loves us unconditionally and who's word is ALIVE and active.
If you were to ask me right now what God is specifically doing in my life right now i don't think i would be able to tell you. i could tell you however that i am frustrated that i can not pen point what He is doing. My quiet times are intimate and so sweet every day with Him. I feel like i am in a great place with the Lord. I just want to be able to explain what He is doing and i can't. I do know that i serve a GOOD GOD and He is teaching me something through this. Maybe it is Patience, maybe it is just simply resting in the fruits of where i am because i am living a dream of mine and that i am on this journey that He has set out from day one. In psalm 139 it says "God has ordained each day of mine before they came to be" there is no mistake that i should be here. i think to myself all the time about how i am seriously living the best life ever. i get to wake up every morning to BEAUTIFUL mountains. I get to love on little orphan children on a daily basis. I get to be a part of an amazing community that i love serving alongside. I SERIOUSLY HAVE THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD. The Lord has called me here and there is no mistake about that. 7 years ago this was such a long off dream and NOW i am here soaking it all in and it is better than what i could have ever imagined. GOD IS SO GOOD AND HIS CALLINGS ARE SWEET AND PERFECT. I am defenitly in a season of resting. RESTING IN HIS GOODNESS. Resting in His Righteousness!!!!!
Lately i have had a huge heart for the teens on our campus! i don't really know what this means either but i sure am praying hard about where God wants me to step in. Some girls have asked if i would or could start a hip hop class with them under the palapa. and i know what you all are thinking." becca this is perfect for you cause you love dancing" well, it is right up my alley and it would be free for the girls. but i am still on with the groups during the day and then have stuff at night as well so i am praying that maybe if enough girls wanted to it then that would be God saying "yes becca yes". But i want to go deep with some of these girls. some are new here on the campus and some are older but they are all high school college age. and i just want them to know that they are God's masterpieces and that He is fighting for them. Guess i better learn how to say that in spanish first. haha. but if you have any suggestions or encouragement on this please please please let me know. i would love to hear back from you.
Prayer is so important. i have recently found out that some of my sweet friends at home are having a hard time. and IT IS KILLING ME TO BE HERE THROUGH HARD TIMES FOR THEM. also my sweet grandpa just had a minor stroke. he is okay but once again i just wish i could fly to Tulsa to let him know how much i love him. Needless to say i am going to be such a witness to the power of prayer. i believe in prayer so much and the power of it. Even though i physically can't be there for my friends and family i am fighting for them through their situations and praying for quick and healthy recovery for my Papa. once again GOD IS GOOD in the midst of all this. I pray that they are ALL able to recognize the goodness of the Lord.
So bringing this blog entry to a close it all comes back to the WHO. As long as i continue to love, serve, and follow the WHO then everything else (the what,when,where,why, and how) will fall into place. No matter how long it takes i will stand beside the WHO and allow Him to work in mighty ways the way He always does and get on my face before Him allowing Him to humble me by His sweet spirit.
For those of you hurting trust in God to be your HEALER. He is not holding out on you
For those of you that are struggling at work trust that the WHO is going to PROVIDE for you. NO MATTER WHAT.
For those of you that are wondering where God is.... HE IS ALWAYS WITH YOU. HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU!!!!!
You are God's most favorite child. He loves you with an unconditional Love. HE IS NOT HOLDING OUT ON YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The words to a couple of songs have been on my heart lately so i am going to leave you them.
"Heal my heart and make it clean,
open up my eyes to the things unseen.
Show me how to love like you have loved me.
BREAK MY HEART FOR WHAT BREAKS YOURS.
Everything I am for your Kingdoms CAUSE. "
"You hold my every moment, you calm my raging seas, you walk with me through fire, and you heal all my disease. I TRUST IN YOU. I BELIEVE YOU'RE MY HEALER. I BELIEVE YOU ARE ALL I NEED. I BELIEVE YOU'RE MY PORTION. I BELIEVE YOU'RE MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR ME. JESUS YOU ARE ALL I NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU, YOU HOLD MY WORLD IN YOUR HANDS"
These are the cries of my heart right now. Please be praying for me and for my continued journey here in Monterrey for the orphan child.
Monday, October 6, 2008
WELCOME TO THE MARKET!!!!!!!
Being in training here at Back2Back has been so much fun. Each area has a captain over it and they are supposed to train us within their specific area so we know how to do everything.
This week was our market week. Each week we host an American group, we offer them a market towards the end so they are able to buy authentic Mexican souvenirs. My sweet friend Corrie, is in charge of the market and market shopping for the groups.
Because of Corrie, we now know where to buy things, what kinds of things the group members like to buy, who to bargain with, who will give us discounts, how to price what we get. Everything from shirts to jerseys. hats to sombreros. jewelry to expensive jewelry. Needless to say it is ALOT of stuff we buy for our groups. WE BRING THE MARKET TO THEM. It is also a fun time just to fellowship with fellow staff members. This part of training has been super fun. As you can tell from the picture above, WE HAVE A LOT IN STORE FOR YOU!!!!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Teens and Stinters
these are all of the teens in our HOPE PROGRAM. they all live on campus. as you can possibly tell that there is never a dull moment with these sweet kids. each one of them has grown up in an orphanage and at 9th grade they get kicked out because they then have to start paying for school. so that is why the statistics show that 90% of orphans go into black market or prostitution. THAT IS WHERE BACK2BACK comes in. we realized there was a hope for tomorrow these kids needed to believe and break the past chains of cycling from being an orphan to becoming a mother and abandoning the child and creating more orphans. that is what the HOPE PROGRAM is all about. telling these teens that GOD has a perfect plan for them. He has ordained each and every one of their days before they came to be and He is NOT holding out on them.
please pray for these teens here on campus and also the house parents. MAY GOD RECEIVE ALL THE GLORY.
the STINT ACADAMY!!!!!! we are the 4 stinters this year. there is kenzi, jay, me, and caroline. working with these 3 is an absolute blast. we have fun doing many different projects as well as love getting to know more of eachother. it is a blessing for us all to be here together and sharing in this journey the Lord has us all on.
please continue to pray for our time here. for specific direction from the Lord.
OUR FIRST GROUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Family Christian Stores/James Fund was our first group this fall. it was a small group of 8 but the Lord fully knew what He was doing, while in our heads we felt like plan B had been taken within the first 2 days of them being here.
For me, these 8 people were a delight to serve with the whole week. None of them had ever been here before and it was so wonderful seeing their hearts and serving along side them. We worked at Rayitos de Luz and together built a fence, cleaned out and painted a room that will be turned into a school area for the children, mowed a whole lawn with a weed wacker, covered a bunch of potholes, that were full of water, with gravel to make the road better, and really loved on some kids. It was such a fun week with them. I feel like we accomplished alot of projects and got to see an end result of thankful children and the humbling thought of being Jesus' hands and feet.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
A LOT IS HAPPENING!!!!!!!!
Some of the many work projects i have done in the past weeks!!!!!
(left pic) we moved 20 bunk beds from 2 rooms to a little storage room. we took the beds apart and mattresses off and stacked as many as we could.
(right pic) painting doors in our (almost finished clinic) on campus.
These are some stinkin CUTE kids from Rayitos de Luz (little rays of light)! i very quickly fell in love with them!
I got the chance to go hiking up a mountain on my day off. As you can tell the BEAUTY of this place speaks for itself. I am always in awe of how beautiful things are here. God always makes his masterpieces and this is absolutely without a doubt one of them. This picture was taken almost all the way up. I could have sat here for hours.
We have many fun things to do around campus: this was at Perla's birthday party. she is one of the teens here on campus and is a part of the hope program. For her birthday she said she wanted everyone to wear costumes. so EVERYONE did. It was so much fun. Me, kenzi, caroline, and beth were all football fans. GO GATORS!!! (in honor of my roomate)
I am pretty sure these pictures speak for theme selves, but let me go into detail......
I have been working alot lately getting things ready for our first american group to arrive, trying to finish one of our newest house editions, and helping get the clinic close to done. we have been putting in light fixture covers on outlets, painting, putting in cabinets, tons of cleaning.
I was painting in the clinic the other day and it hit me..... as my arm and hand is getting so tired of going up and down i am realizing that people are going to be HEALED in this place. It was so clear to me at that moment that it doesn't matter what project i am heading up that day but that the Lord moves in miraculous ways here and i am now apart of it. I am helping get this place ready so people without much money are able to come and feel safe, loved, helped, and most of all HEALED. It was a pretty powerful moment for me. So many times we get so caught up in our complaining or grumpiness that we don't stop to realize the miracles that the Lord is doing ALL around us.
RAYITOS DE LUZ
this casa hogar (childrens home) has about 20 kids in it. mostly younger kids. i had never been to this childrens home before. BUT THE NAME OF THE CHILDRENS HOME IS EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF KIDS ARE LIVING THERE. they were smiling so big that day. me, caroline, kenzi, katey, and antonio went and cleaned out some of their storage closets to provide more space for things. the kids were so eager to help us the whole time. i am now more in love with these sweet kids and have a special place for them in my heart. I can not WAIT to go love on them some more. (which will be next week) Every single one of them is a little ray of light.
God is moving big here. Everyday i am learning more and more about the TRUE GOD we serve. Trying to figure out how to love people (that speak a different language then me) the way Christ loves us, Praying that i never take any moment, project, relationship for granted, and getting alone with the Lord to get filled up by his sweet spirit. Although i miss home dearly i am feeling so free and complete at the same time.
prayer request would be:
1.) finding time to sit and rest in the Lord's presence.
2.) language
3.)to embrace EVERY moment.
(left pic) we moved 20 bunk beds from 2 rooms to a little storage room. we took the beds apart and mattresses off and stacked as many as we could.
(right pic) painting doors in our (almost finished clinic) on campus.
These are some stinkin CUTE kids from Rayitos de Luz (little rays of light)! i very quickly fell in love with them!
I got the chance to go hiking up a mountain on my day off. As you can tell the BEAUTY of this place speaks for itself. I am always in awe of how beautiful things are here. God always makes his masterpieces and this is absolutely without a doubt one of them. This picture was taken almost all the way up. I could have sat here for hours.
We have many fun things to do around campus: this was at Perla's birthday party. she is one of the teens here on campus and is a part of the hope program. For her birthday she said she wanted everyone to wear costumes. so EVERYONE did. It was so much fun. Me, kenzi, caroline, and beth were all football fans. GO GATORS!!! (in honor of my roomate)
I am pretty sure these pictures speak for theme selves, but let me go into detail......
I have been working alot lately getting things ready for our first american group to arrive, trying to finish one of our newest house editions, and helping get the clinic close to done. we have been putting in light fixture covers on outlets, painting, putting in cabinets, tons of cleaning.
I was painting in the clinic the other day and it hit me..... as my arm and hand is getting so tired of going up and down i am realizing that people are going to be HEALED in this place. It was so clear to me at that moment that it doesn't matter what project i am heading up that day but that the Lord moves in miraculous ways here and i am now apart of it. I am helping get this place ready so people without much money are able to come and feel safe, loved, helped, and most of all HEALED. It was a pretty powerful moment for me. So many times we get so caught up in our complaining or grumpiness that we don't stop to realize the miracles that the Lord is doing ALL around us.
RAYITOS DE LUZ
this casa hogar (childrens home) has about 20 kids in it. mostly younger kids. i had never been to this childrens home before. BUT THE NAME OF THE CHILDRENS HOME IS EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF KIDS ARE LIVING THERE. they were smiling so big that day. me, caroline, kenzi, katey, and antonio went and cleaned out some of their storage closets to provide more space for things. the kids were so eager to help us the whole time. i am now more in love with these sweet kids and have a special place for them in my heart. I can not WAIT to go love on them some more. (which will be next week) Every single one of them is a little ray of light.
God is moving big here. Everyday i am learning more and more about the TRUE GOD we serve. Trying to figure out how to love people (that speak a different language then me) the way Christ loves us, Praying that i never take any moment, project, relationship for granted, and getting alone with the Lord to get filled up by his sweet spirit. Although i miss home dearly i am feeling so free and complete at the same time.
prayer request would be:
1.) finding time to sit and rest in the Lord's presence.
2.) language
3.)to embrace EVERY moment.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
my roomies!!!!!!!
me, hope, and caroline....
these are my roomies for the next year. I have met both of them on previous trips to monterrey. Hope is a teacher for Sierra Madre Christian Acadamy here at the property and Caroline is from Florida and is here doing the same STINT program as me.
i am so excited to see what the Lord has in store for us this coming year. the best thing is that we know the LORD has ordained this year for all 3 of us girls to be here and to be living together. We are having so much fun already in knowing that there are big things ahead that ONLY GOD CAN DO. please be praying for us as we get settled into our routine of being STINT and Teacher STAFF.
we appreciate all your prayers and support. GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
MY APARTMENT
WELCOME TO MI CASA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ENJOY THE TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LIVING ROOM. this is what you see right when you open the door.
decorating soon to come.
this is our super cute kitchen. with a oven knob that only has the numbers 1,2,3,4,5 on it. so if anyone knows what that means... it would be great if you could share that information with us.
this is my side of the bedroom. the shelves were a complete surprise. i think they found out me and my roomate were going to build our own shelves and got worried so they bought us some, put them together, and had them up and ready for when we got here. SO EXCITING.
this is our sweet bathroom. not only do i get to look outside and see the beautiful mountains. i can just look in our bathroom and see them. ha.
(Left) a little fun bookshelf for us......
this is my roommate caroline burns for the next year. i am so blessed to have her in my life and we are already having a blast. we are obsessed with our drinks from the states. you know i had to bring a case of dr. pepper with me.
thought you all might want to see some pictures of where i was staying so.. there you go.
LIVING ROOM. this is what you see right when you open the door.
decorating soon to come.
this is our super cute kitchen. with a oven knob that only has the numbers 1,2,3,4,5 on it. so if anyone knows what that means... it would be great if you could share that information with us.
this is my side of the bedroom. the shelves were a complete surprise. i think they found out me and my roomate were going to build our own shelves and got worried so they bought us some, put them together, and had them up and ready for when we got here. SO EXCITING.
this is our sweet bathroom. not only do i get to look outside and see the beautiful mountains. i can just look in our bathroom and see them. ha.
(Left) a little fun bookshelf for us......
this is my roommate caroline burns for the next year. i am so blessed to have her in my life and we are already having a blast. we are obsessed with our drinks from the states. you know i had to bring a case of dr. pepper with me.
thought you all might want to see some pictures of where i was staying so.. there you go.
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