Argenitna Overview #2

Well the work has began! So many new and exciting things have been coming my way and I can't praise the Lord enough. God is showing me how to seek his kingdom and showing me that HIS timing is key!



Working for Jeus! :)
(this isn't LaCasa De Padres-
soon to be Hogar Esperanza, i'll give more info soon!)

I spend several of my evenings at a place called La Casa De Padres. This is a house that provides free overnight stay for parents who have children in the hospital. Right next store to this house is a children's hospital where tons of people travel long distances in order for there children to receivcare. Starting around 5:00pm the parents and kids who stay at the house begin to gather around as they drink their maté (an Argentinian hot, herbal, water drink- hard to explain!) and enjoy crackers or cookies. After a full day of operation, check-up or often horrifying news, these families just want to relax and rest.

The first time I visited La Casa De Padres I was a little nervous. I was physically going alone (but I definitely relied on God to be with me spiritually!) and was insecure because of my Spanish. When I visit I bring along coloring books, bouncy balls and puzzles. I soon found that the toys attract the kids and my foreign accent sparks conversation with the parents! God is so good to me and I just needed to be obedient. The first time I went there, there were 5 little girls ready to play! We had so much fun together as we laughed and colored and talked about our home towns and favorite colors. In between the laughter, I was also able to talk to their moms and explain to them why I came all the way to Argentina. It was an amazing experience and it left me wanting more. I go there quite often now and have met several people and have heard several of the families' difficult stories. 


The Women's Room at La Casa De Padres

 One night a mom and a grandmother came in sobbing and asked for prayer. The lady who works there and I prayed with the family. I prayed in English and to be honest I'm so glad they couldn't understand me. I had no words, only sorrow. Their little boy had cancer and they had just recently gotten over fighting the grandmother's case of cancer. My words were so broken, I was lost and could only ask for them to feel our Father's love. I repeated those words over and over. Once we finished praying, the lady who works at the House, Rosi, talked with them and explained how the Lord will provide them rest. She continued to say that God's will is for them to know Him and that no matter what happens, God has a plan and He will work for the good of those who love Him.

"the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[i] have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:26-28

I've felt so honored these past few weeks as I have been able to be a part of God's work at La Casa De Padres. He is using this place as an outlet for His love. One of the mom's told me that when she first arrived she was unsure of staying there. After her first stay she said that she could feel love; she could feel that the workers really cared about the families. I was then able to share with her that it's God's love! These families are experiencing far more than I have ever endured and in all honesty, I cannot relate to them in any way. Fortunately God doesn't call me to know everything or know how to deal with every situation, but He does tell me to love, to be his hands and feet, and to preach the gospel to all nations. Sometimes I feel like I can't be used here because my Spanish isn't good enough, or I don't have enough experience, or this stupid thought or that stupid thought. Once again God keeps showing me to be patient and to wait on Him. When I do, He reveals His good, pleasing and perfect will!



New Friends! So fun :)

"Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform and longer to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- His good pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2

Just Sharing Some Thoughts

As much as I love attending church and seeking the Lord with believers from other countries, it's nice to here God's word in your native language. So with a free Saturday morning before me, I decided to look up Francis Chan sermons on Youtube. He is an amazing speaker filled with the Spirit of God and His sermon's always hit my heart hard.

If you're reading this I pray that you make the time right now to watch this video called "Living Courageously." I definitely identified with many of His key points in this sermon and I too long to be a part of an intimate body of believers who only want to talk about the word of Christ and be fed by His word no matter what the circumstances. I pray that you are encouraged today and that you are excited about suffering for Christ! To die is gain, Amen?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqCuembFu6E

Philippians 2:20
"I eargerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficinet courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death."

Argentina Overview

Hey Everyone! I'm in Argentina now if you haven't heard. It's been a while since I've written and since my last post God has made a lot of changes and improvements in me. My experience in Argentina doesn't resemble my time in Mexico at all. While in Mexico I had a very structured schedule and lived on the ministry campus. So far structure has been the last thing implemented into my schedule.



Kitchen Crew!

My first day in Mexico I assisted a gynecologist as he did pap smears. Talk about getting straight to work! Then from that moment on I was busy from at least 9am-5pm every week day. Well God decided to change the pace up on me and give me a period of patience here in Argentina; a time of having to wait on Him and His plan each and every day.Within my first two days of arrival to this very new place and culture I helped out at a Young Life Youth Summer Camp. Yes, it is summer here in Argentina (weird! I know). Young Life is a Christian group that focuses on reaching teens that have never heard about Jesus and lack a relationship with Him.

Unfortunately because of my lack of Spanish I didn't do a lot of interacting with the kids. Instead, I was a part of the kitchen crew! But Jesus says that we are called to serve and working in the kitchen definitely requires a servant's heart. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the kitchen crew consisted of 4 girls (all around my age), a young married couple, and an American woman who is a missionary here in Argentina. They welcomed me with big smiles and immediately considered me a friend. Unfortunately, I arrived sick and with a fever but these people, who soon became like family, took care of me in every way possible. In all honesty, that entire week was a roller coaster. My spirits were high but my physical health was quite low and by the end of the weak I was mentally exhausted and seriously wanted my mommy. But the Lord carried me through and kept me going. He gave me rest in knowing that he had brought me to this new place and was going to work things out for my good.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

The camp took place in a town about an hour away from where I am currently living. I live in Corrientes Capital. Corrientes is a big city with a population of about 317,000. Like I said before, it's summer here, so therefore it's hot and it's humid! For those of you who don't know me super well, I sweat waaaay to easily. It's actually quite annoying and it's quite ironic that God called me to serve in a city that will easily reach 70% humidity on the average day. But God doesn't call us to be comfortable now does He? Once I arrived to Corrientes after finishing with the camp, I expected to get straight to work. I was told that there were several ministries awaiting my help and I couldn't wait to start! But the fact that I was arriving during Summer Vacation seemed to escape my mind. Everyone was in vacation mode and all of the different ministries I was supposed to help with were on a temporary stand-still.

I don't know if you can exactly classify me as a control freak, but I definitely like to see my plan laid out ahead of me. I was deprived of this comfort and there was no plan, there was really nothing I could do...for a while. I immediately became very frustrated and confused. Did I not listen closely enough to what God wanted of me? Was I supposed to be in Argentina or was I supposed to go somewhere where they needed me right that very second? Doubts filled my mind and my impatient nature took over.

My roommate Salome is the tallest one in the picture :)

So about a week went by and my excitement was reignited. My awesome roommate Salome introduced me to her town, her friends, and her food. I met tons of college age kids from the church and was busy hanging out with them almost every night. I learned so much about the culture within that first week in Corrientes and was loving this new place. The Spanish accent was also a new adjustment for me. Having learned my Spanish in Mexico, the accent is drastically different and was quite difficult to understand at first. I'm not fluent yet and this change in accent kind of threw me off, but I've adjusted!

All of this free time really gave me the chance to understand my new mission field. I came with the intentions of mainly working with 3 different ministries: La Casa De Mi Hermano, Medi Mision, and Young Life (Vida Joven). La Casa De Mi Hermano is place where families can stay for free while they have a family member in the hospital (kind of like a Christian Ronald McDonald House). Medi Mision is ministry that brings free medical and dental care to poor communities. And Young Life is a group that shares the gospel to teens by hanging out with them and doing fun activities. In order to be effective in these 3 ministries I really do need to know the culture and God provided the chance.

Not only did my free time allow me to understand the culture, it also gave me time for prayer, studying Spanish, reading the Bible, and more prayer. Over the past month and a half here in Argentina I have had more time to be alone with my Lord than ever before. What a blessing!





Okay, now comes the part that honestly I am so so so grateful for but... at the same time this was the part that was really difficult to accept as a girl who came to do missions and work for the Lord.  Salome's family invited me to go with them to Brazil for their family vacation! When Salome invited me I was screaming inside, "Yes, Yes, Yes!!!", but I wasn't sure... I mean I came to work, not be on vacation. But I talked to my parents and double checked with Salome's family and there was a resounding, "Go to Brazil!" It was such a lovely experience. The beaches, the food, the people, and Salome's family were just an absolute blast and delight.



Let the heavens be glad,

and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

Psalm 96:11-12

 

 

After Brazil I felt closer to my roommate and her family and that was such an awesome thing. I have come to find that I love becoming a part of other families, it's just so fun to see how they work and how many families quite similar! Salome has three younger sisters, Flor (21), Manuela (13) and Paula (9). It was such a blast being around four sisters who seriously love and care for one another.

As you can tell the last month and a half has been filled with enjoying God's people, creation, and love. At first I didn't really want to write this blog because I haven't truly dug into my "missions" work yet, but at the same time I've been able to dig in to God's truth. And God's truth is definitely something I want to share. I've had to wait upon the Lord and each day I have had tons of time to truly study his word. I started helping out with Medi Mision by doing some prep work for. I've been organizing all the donated clothes so that they will be ready to go when we arrive. I also have had the chance to share my story with my new church family this past Sunday!

School and all the action will start back up at the beginning of March. I'm ready for it all to begin and ready to be busy for Jesus! I know God has brought me to this beautiful country for a reason and I am willing and ready for whatever He has planned. Thank you again for all of you who have and continue to pray for me. There are days when I just cry and wish I was home with all of you. But then I cry it out with Jesus and He brings that inexpressible peace. I am also excited to tell you that the Lord has confirmed in my heart that a life and career dedicated to missions is in my future. Hallelujah! Have a super wonderful week!

 

 

 

 

So Much Love

Every day around 3:30 all the kids ranging from 2 years old to 5 years have movie time.
As we all know, this age group has the attention span of a 2 month puppy (a.k.a. non existant). Well yesterday, like every day, my lap was filled with two kids and another on top of my back, hanging around my neck. I'm not supposed to encourage play at this time, but yesterday I just couldn't resist. Jenny, Judith and I broke out in cosquillas (tickles). After several minutes of laughing and tickling, Judith yelled, "Bolitas a Mackenzy!" Up until this moment I had no idea what this ment, but I soon found out! All EIGHT kids who had previously been watching the movie quickly ran towards me and began attacking me with tickles. We were soon tangled in a giant ball and the end was far from sight until Luz, my co-worker, rescued me.



The two little angels who got me in trouble!
Jenny (left) & Judith (right)

Truthfully, I didn't want this violent ball of love to ever end. These children have imprinted their names on my heart and each one has made me fall in love with them in some special way. I take every opportunity I get to hug 'em and love 'em. These little ones are giving me a deeper understanding of God's love. You see, I struggle with the fact that the Lord loves me no matter what I do, no matter what I think, or no matter what I say. But my struggle to perceive this concept does not alter the fact that He does!  The creator of the universe loves me no matter how many times I deserve to be put in timeout. He wants to scoop me up into a big ball and give me a giant peck on the cheek. He wants me to pile into His lap and demand His already given attention.

Romans 8:39 says "Neither height now depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." It's right there! NOTHING can seperate us from His love. It doesn't seem possible, but that's the awesome part about our Savior, His love surpasses all knowledge! (Ephesians 3:19)

1 John 3:1 "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God."

God LAVISHES us with love. As humans we want to look for love in something that is tangible, in someone we can see and feel; but the truth is that God's love is so powerful and readily available to everyone. When we come to His word and listen to His still, small, voice, He will lavish us with His love. You are His child and His desire is for you to draw near to Him, He wants you to yell, "Bolitos a Dios!"

Alto Voltage

Alto Voltage is an awesome youth group that takes place at the Open Arms Campus every Friday night. Now this isn't just any youth group, this youth group is GIGANTIC and welcomes kids from miles around. Daniel (married to Heidi, the couple who founded Open Arms) and the High Voltage leadership team drive to 5-6 different stops to pick up and drop off teenagers from destinations that surround La Mision. On the average night, 100 teenagers will attend high Voltage...100!!! The Open Arms campus takes on an entirely different atmosphere compared to it's usual "orderly" environment. With 100 teenagers roaming the grounds it's quite lively and always entertaining. The usual activities consist of teatherball, basketball, foosball, pool and air hockey. The night begins with hanging out outside, continues with worship and a 20 min message and then ends with the "House Sandwich". Every night they serve the classic ham sandwich on white bread and a warm cup up hot co co!


My BFF Jessica came to visit for the weekend and
got to help make the famous house sandwiches!


When I first volunteered to work at Open Arms I knew nothing about High Voltage and therefore had no intentions of getting involved. Fortunately God knew what was up and the High Voltage Leadership team has adopted me as a new member. They all invite me to tag along with them to the beach, nail appointments, family lunches, trips to Ensanada, etc. I love these people! Ranging from age 15 to mid 50s, the High Voltage team is eager to do God's will and to share God's love to the teens of Mexico.

The first week I arrived to Open Arms Daniel presented me with a big task...at the time I was unaware of its grandness. He asked me to plan the decorations for a formal dinner they would be hosting for High Voltage. He said that it would take place in two and a half weeks and that he wanted me to take charge and make it look like a Hollywood premiere. For those of you who know me personally...you will not be surprised when I tell you that I was wide eyed and jumping out of my skin, I live for this stuff. As the previous 2011-2012 ASB Commissioner of Clubs I am quite experienced with decorating, planning and  organizing. I got to work and soon found myself feeling useful and important to the High Voltage team. I had literally been living in Mexico for less than a week and the team was perfectly satisfied with receiving my orders....in my controlling, perfectionistic brain this seemed absurd ,but I was happy to help!

Daniel and Rafa brought along some
 extra help from their Bible College!

It was the eve of the dinner and the High Voltage team piled into my apartment to prep for the big night and to also bake 200 cupcakes for our 100 guests. Remember that I had only been living in Mexico for 3 weeks and my Spanish was far from where it is now (and where it is now is far from fluent!). It was me and about 10 Spanish speakers with google as our translator, lets just say we had some major laughs and mistakes along the way! But God used each moment to welcome me into my new home. By late Thursday night the cupcakes were decorated, the decorations were prepped and we were less than 24 hours away from the Hollywood premiere.

The dinner started at 7 and our decorating began at 3! We thought 3 hours of prep would have been sufficient...but of course things never go according to the plan. We rushed to the finish line and the outcome was just as we had envisioned. 80 teenagers arrived in their best attire, ready to enjoy a night in Hollywood. 



The Lovely Heidi

I too arrived expecting to sit back and enjoy the night that we had all worked so hard to put on. Once again God knew what was up and I was caught in oblivain. Daniel had arranged for his Bible college teacher to speak at the dinner...it was 7:00 and his teacher was no where to be found. Heidi and I were sitting at the table and she looked over at me and said, "Well if she doesn't show up are you ready to give you testimony?" I began to laugh as I thought she was kidding. But after a few short chuckles I realized that she was completely serious. What! These were my peers, kids that had lives unimaginable to me, how could I speak to them? Peace began to overtake me and I knew that I it was going to happen, I could kick and scream but either way God was going to have me speak. After several years of learning, God has taught me that He will have is way in you, its just your decision to decide if it'll be hard or easy. I decided to make it easy for him that night and began praying. I said, "God, you knew this was going to happen and I'm sure glad you did becasue I have no idea what to say! Speak through me!"

Of course he was faithful...so out of character for God right?...NOT! I gave my testimony and explained that God has rewarded me for choosing Him. I also shared my views on some issues that us as teenagers face. Partying is luring but His love endures forever. Sex seems enticing but His love is forever fulfilling. God used me when I least expected it and I was blessed through his surprise. I'm slowly learning to enjoy these spur of the moment deals, they keep it fun, thanks God :)



The dinner was about 3 weeks ago and its seems so distant. At the time the High Voltage teem was merely a group of people who shared a common goal, now they are a group of people who I have grown to love and spend a large amount of time with. I cannot express my gratitude to God. He loves to throw in those extra bonuses...ya know like 20 or more new friends you were totally not expecting! Every day I ask God, "Why me?" "Why did you choose me to work for your kingdom?"

High Voltage only began this past January and is still trying to find new ways to bring more and more kids in to here the gospel. Please pray that God helps the leadership team and that he works in the hearts of the kids here in La Mision.

Open Arms Overview 2!

Hey Everyone!

Sorry that it's been so long since I've written. I'm kind of a perfectionist and if I don't have time to correct what I write..I don't want to post anything. But here it is! Sooooo much has happened in the past month that I don't even know where to begin. My homesickness has melted away almost entirely. I've made several new friends and some close relationships have been formed. Heidi and Daniel (the couple who started Open Arms) have taken me in as family and they're awesome to hang out with. Like I told you before, I work with the kids ages 4 months-5 years, and I adore each and everyone of them. The workers here are constantly filling the campus with laughter and joy and I look forward to their company each day. Although my surroundings are foreign, I feel as though this is my home. Over the 6 weeks that I have been here God has been transforming and maturing my heart in ways that I can hardly explain. His great love has become so apparent that my joy is overwhelming. Each smile, each hug, each loving touch has impacted my life and caused me to desire more of Him who is my creator, my savior, my love.

I've obviously never had my own children but when I look into the eyes of the kids here, I feel this love that is so strong that my heart leaps. Their little faces are so precious and I lock away each smile in my heart. When I embrace them in my arms or spin them around I am filled to the brim with God's joy. It seems silly to receive so much joy from something so simple, but the only way I can give account for such emotions is to say that it's the result of God's love for me. God chose me. He chose me to come here, to spend my days changing diapers, to put kids in timeout, to dance to silly songs, to race little boys to the end of the courtyard, but most importantly: to share His love with HIS children. Everyday I ask Him, "Why me? Why did I get to come here and do ALL this?" A good friend that I recently acquired told me, "I'm not amazed by what God has done in my life, I'm amazed that He did it in MY life." How perfectly true is that? God can do whatever he wants whenever he wants;he doesn't need me to show his love, but he wants to show his love through me. He WANTS to let me be apart of his great gift of love.

Now child care is not all rainbows and daisies; it's often frustration and prayer for patience. When I change the same little girls pants 3 times in one day because she doesn't want to potty train, I kind of want to scream....really loudly. But then I take one glance at her little smirk and I can't help but kiss her on the cheek and laugh out loud. I have formed specific bonds with each child and each bond grows as I watch them learn and grow. I love hearing them yell my name when I enter the room or seeing their faces light up when I spin them around. It's also heartbreaking to know that some of these kids don't get all the love and attention a little one should receive. But knowing that they need love makes me feel all the more crucial to God's kingdom. I'm here to love and they need more love...sounds like a perfectly orchestrated plan to me. Gloria a Dios!

There is one little girl in particular,Jenny (above), who my heart cries out for. Her father died a few months ago and she is slowly healing from the tragedy. When she first arrived at Open Arms she arrived in shock and confusion. Heidi rescued Jenny and her brother Miguel from an orphanage. Jenny's mother reached a point of desperation and felt as though an orphanage was the only option for her kids to receive sufficient care. Heidi knew the mother and heard that she had taken Jenny and Miguel to the orphanage. The same day the kids arrived at the orphanage, Heidi raced over and brought them to Open Arms. Their mother was called immediately and offered child care for her children at Open Arms. Jenny and Miguel now live with their mother but feelings of abandonment and grief for their father are issues that will painfully linger. When I first met Jenny she wouldn't say a word to me, she simply stared at me. After several weeks of love and attention, Jenny now refuses to leave my side. We have become best buds and she loves to fall asleep in my lap during movie time each day. When I hold this precious girl I feel as though I'm fulfilling my purpose in life, I'm doing what God has called me to do. 

I know that God still has an extravagant amount of work to do in my life, but their is no resistance left in my heart. I want Him to have His way in me. I'm ready to dive in and go wherever He wants to take me. Each day I am presented with a divine appointment. Whether its a conversation with a brother or sister in Christ or getting some one on one time with a child, God is using so many different people and situations to bring me closer and closer to His will for my life. God has completely confirmed that missions is for me.

God's Word That Keeps Me Thriving :)

2 Corinthians 9:12-15
This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Too Stinkin Cute!!!

 So yesterday I was working in the baby room and the funniest thing happened! But before I tell you the story, I have to introduce you to Karla. Karla es muy traviesa!!! (a.k.a very mischievous) She is a little over a year and a half and has such an adorable personality. Karla's favorite word is "ya". Besides "agua", "no" and "mama"...it's the only word she knows. She loves running around the room, picking up an interesting looking toy and saying, "ya?" But she doesn't just say "ya" once...she repeats it over and over and over, with this astronomically huge grin on her face. Every time she does this I just want to give her a big squeeze and giant peck on the cheek (I usually do!). Karla is such a laid back, little muchacha; she'll just go with the flow and always find something to smile about.

Karla is on the front of the cart

Okay, now back to my story! Every day we do the little girls hair to make sure they look fresh and pretty for the day. My co-worker Vicky was styling one of the girl's hair when something suddenly pulled her attention and she was obligated to leave the room. Karla, being the lovely little lady that she is, decided to takeover as the hair stylist. Of course she didn't get very far and I eventually told her that I needed to take over. Karla didn't like that very much and ran off to find something that would ease her frustration.  I then sat down to finish the little girl's hair, who all the while had been waiting so patiently. I quickly finished the hair-do and was immediately asked by Said to unite his shoes, leaving all the hair stuff on the table.

The "hair stuff" consists of a large tub of gel, a spray water bottle, and a bag full of hair ties. After assisting Said, I glanced over my shoulder to see Karla's face and hair COVERED in hair gel! It looked as though Karla had dunked her head inside the tub of gel. The gel was caked onto her eyelashes, eyelids, eyebrows and forehead. Luz, another co-worker, and I were laughing so hard that we couldn't breathe. The best part was that Karla was convinced that her hair was "muy bonita". Luz kept asking her, "Karla, did you do you hair, do you look pretty?" and of course her response was, "Ya, ya, ya, ya." She then persisted to comb the gel to the remaining parts of her head and struggled to spray her cute little face with water. After I finally caught my breath and wiped tears from my eyes, I walked over to Karla and began to wipe the gel off her face. Karla immediately pushed me away saying, "No, no, no!" She demanded that she would finish her hair and that she did NOT need any one's help. Luz and I allowed her to have her fun for another minute and then I scooped her up and carried her off to the bathroom where I then drenched her face and hair with water. I spent the next 10 minutes combing gel out of her hair!

Karla: Take Two!

I don't know if this is one of those stories where "you have to be there", but whatever, I'm going to tell you anyways.

Later, during the same day as the gel incident, I was playing Power Rangers and Dinosaurs with 3 little boys. The boys would pretend to shoot be with their "powers" and I would fall to the ground and act wounded or dead. All the little kids thought this was the funniest thing they had ever seen, so of course, I continued my little act. I eventually picked myself off the ground after being severely attacked, and the boys then decided to stick the dinosaurs in my face and roar in a surprisingly loud voice. At this time Karla was sitting about 10 feet away, playing with a fake, little, pink laptop. She saw what the boys were doing to me and decided that she too would like to "attack" me. While the boys were sticking the dinosaurs in my face screaming "Roooooaaaar", Karla sprinted over to me, shoved the pink laptop in my face and yelled "Raaaaaawwwwwrrrr!!!" Karla, Karla, Karla, how you make my heart sing.

Pray for Karla!
 
Karla's dad is in and out of jail and her mom is raising 6 kids alone. But praise God! Thanks to God's unconditional love shared at Open Arms, Karla's mom is now a Christian!!!