Psalm 146:2 "I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live."

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Another Update

HI Everyone,
This past week was filled with activity and ministry.  This is once  again my reason for not updating like I thought I would have time for.

On Saturday a week ago Conchita had a belated birthday celebration for me and made her famous meatballs to celebrate. It was good to have time together and get caught up on the news in each other's lives since i had been away.

Monday and Wednesday last week we had Vacation Bible School here at my church and had 50 children attend. I was assigned to assist in the missionary room. It was neat to see a lot of kids come who didn't come to our church. Pray that God would continue to work in their hearts and lives. It was really interesting and insightful seeing cultural differences in how things were done during the week.

Last night I was at a friend's church for an all night prayer vigil from 6:00 pm to 5:00 am.I really wanted to share my testimony at one point but it got quite late and my thoughts weren't coming together. I sort of feel like a walking zombie from being awake all night today but it isn't anything a good night of sleep won't fix. :) It was really good to be a part of the time last night, and again just gain a new perspective on some cultural things. :)

I did make it to church this morning--It was a really neat sermon today about more practical ways to live out the Christian life on a daily basis. We have a pastoral team that switches off preaching on different Sundays, so the diversity of style and how each person communicates is refreshing.

Tomorrow morning on my day off  (Monday) I am taking my little birdie Hope back to the lady I bought her from to see if i can get some help for her red eye that irritates her something awful. I am praying that my friend Maria will have wisdom and something to help with this. There aren't really avian vets here so I am doing the only thing I know to do.

Wednesday this week it looks like I will be helping with another vacation Bible school in one of the communities that my church here as been reaching out to with bi-monthly Bible studies to see the Kingdom extended amongst people there. Pray for the group that is doing the VBS--I can only help one day and it is a small group--pray they would be able to work effectively together.

Tuesday Thursday and Friday I am at the sending base office. I really have a few things I still need to get caught up on yet from bein gone.

Saturday is our celebration service with the property at El Monte. God granted us favor in the legal case and the ministry team has been back on the property since July 12th. Pray for the logistics of the celebration event and that it would bring the Lord much glory.  Friday afternoon I might be going out to the property to help the team set things up and such, but I have yet to conform if that is what I will be doing.

So that is some of what is, Lord willing, on my agenda this week. Thank you for your prayers everyone! I am blessed because of you.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Trip Update


Hi Everyone,
Thank you for your patience in waiting for me to update this blog. I've been back a week from the trip to the Purepechas in the state of Michoacan, but I had several things that I had to finish before I would allow myself to update the blog. Thankfully I am now getting more caught up on things since getting back.

Here is a picture of the team that went on the trip!

We had the privilege of serving together in 6 different communities, putting five roofs on homes that needed fixing, carried out three children's programs, and held three youth events. The trip was an eye opening experience for me, and it was good to work together as a team..

Here I am wearing the typical Purepecha dress which was an honor!  (LOTS of layers of clothing!!)


I got to enjoy a little time with a kitten at a moment when I needed it :)


On our way back home we stopped at a national park in Morelia that had all kinds of natural beautiful waterfalls! (this video is side-ways-unfortunately I was unable to rotate it with software that would work for the blog) This waterfall was the biggest one-beautiful!


Thank you for praying for us-it was clear that God was with us the whole time and it was amazing to be a small part of being His hands and feet to those around us.

More updates on things since the trip to follow tomorrow!

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Prayer Requests for Michoacan Trip

Hi Everyone,

We leave at 1:00 for our trip to Michoacan to work amongst the Purepecha ethnic group. We return the evening of the 17th.  (No internet access until I return.)

Prayer Requests--

Safety as we travel the 7 or 8 hours today and safety as we travel to the four other communities where we will be serving as well

That we will be used as salt and light-we are going to a few areas that are really closed to the gospel.

That we would all get along, have wonderful fellowship,  and work together as a team-no problems so far--but we want to keep it that way and be a good testimony.

For safety in the various community projects we will be doing.

That everyone stays healthy

For cultural sensitivity and understanding amongst the people with whom we will be working.
 
For rich devotional times together--youth are leading devotions on different days-I will be giving the devotional on the 17th--our last day.

That the Lord would hold off the rain in the three afternoons that we will be doing our children's program.

For the children that will attend the children's program-that the truth of His Word would be planted as a seed in their hearts--that several would trust in Christ either as a result of God working in them during the program or later on in life.

For the youth that are participating in the trip--for several it is their first missions experience----that God would use this trip to grow their desire to to serve n cross-cultural missions, possibly call one or two of them to eventually serve full-time, or to be promoters and "senders" at their churches, or to be involved  in other ways to advance God's Kingdom as He leads them. .

For me especially as I maneuver puppets in the children's program and participate as the main character in one of the mimes used to present the gospel---that I would have the coordination and acting ability that I need, and that I wouldn't stress  about it and just do my best.

That God would be glorified and that His Kingdom would be furthered as a result of this mission trip.


Thanks for your prayers-I know it is a semi-long list. Will catch up with you all when I get back.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

A Mouse In The House

Hi Everyone,

Last night I took a friend of mine out to pizza, which is our monthly custom and way to spend time together. At the end of the night I was ready to go home on the bus, and we discovered that the road that I needed to travel on to get home by bus was closed off. The bus drivers that my friend and I asked had no idea when it would open up again.

My friend kindly offered to allow me to stay at her place, which we could get to, so I accepted the offer. On the way to her house someone had a kitten on the bus that meowed without stopping the whole trip, and it provoked a conversation of her saying how much they need a cat at home because due to how the house is situated and all there has been the occasional mouse problem. I thought "oh that's fine-no big deal."  

Well, I had a small cloth bag with me , lent to me by my boss, and in the bag, amongst various items was a piece of candy I had received from the pizza restaurant that night and was saving  for some later day down the road. My friend and I watched part of a movie together and eventually she went to her room to go to sleep and I went to my room where she had so graciously offered for me to stay.

I put the cloth bag on the floor--not sure why and was almost asleep when I heard a familiar sound.---The sound of something small chewing something--it got louder and louder---

I recognized the sound because my two birds try to chew on their paper at the bottom of their cage all the time. (I've trained by birdie Hope to not do so while I am in hearing range-the sound is just something I don't like--all I have to do with Hope now is simply say her name and the word "No;" firmly, and she looks up at me, stops what she is doing, and goes up to a perch.)

So it dawned on me "I bet it is a mouse" and it didn't take long before I picked up a shoe beside the bed and aimed it in the direction of  where the sound was coming from----by the cloth bag on the floor.

I went to sleep--problem solved ----until fifteen minutes later when I heard the noise again loud chewing and unmistakeable. This time with a little nervousness and fear that i would touch the mouse and scream, I very carefully picked up the cloth bag in the dark and put it on a table near the bed. "That mouse better not run accross me in the middle of the night" I thought to myself.

I waited awhile in the dark listening for ore "critter chewing sounds" and finally fell asleep Actually I had to get n the bus at 5:30 with the hour it took to get home, shower and get ready for our team prayer meeting and actually forgot about the whole incident until-----I got home and was gathering things together for the day.

And discovered indeed a not so nice chewed hole in the cloth bag--and the piece of candy also with part of the wrapper missing and chewed through.

I am really disappointed because I don't like it when something happens to something that belongs to someone else.. I haven't had  a chance to tell my boss the story yet

But I guess the mouse probably wasn't happy either because he never got to taste the sweet  even though he indeed worked hard attempting to get it.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Preparing For Mission trip To Michoacan

Hi Everyone,

last night we ad our last practice here for the trip to Michiacan, We will be practicing while we are there the first few days in the afternoon to fine-tine some details.

We leave Sunday July 8th at 1:00. This week I am trying to get some things caught up for while I will be gone.

Thanks for your prayers .