Love God. Love People.

2009-10-27T20:11:00.000-07:00

Check out this ministry if you love Africa. its call Children's HopeChest. This is one of their blogs. Its involved with many different countries in Africa one being Swaziland. Swaziland is also known as the Land of AIDS, it has the highest rate of HIV in the world, life expectancy is age 30, and Swaziland contains the most orphans in all of Africa.

2009-10-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

" WE WERE A SILENT, HIDDEN THOUGHT IN THE FOLDS OF OBLIVION, AND WE HAVE BECOME A VOICE THAT CAUSES THE HEAVENS TO TREMBLE."

-KAHLIL GIBRAN

2009-10-25T16:10:00.000-07:00

its amazing what happens when you have a dream.

dream big everybody!

happy sunday.

-kcouch

This is pretty sweet

2009-10-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

555 KUBIK | facade projection | from urbanscreen on Vimeo.

Love God. Love People.

2009-10-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

You might have noticed that i changed the header of my blog. it no longer says Kenzi lee. i have been trying to figure out if i want to keep my blog or get rid of it. trying to figure out what the purpose of it is now that all i am doing is going to school. yes it might be interesting to some to hear me vent about college, but i feel God pulling me another way. I have changed the header because the more i thought about it, the more it became not about me.

Love God. Love People.

i have heard this on many occasions. it keeps coming up in conversation and at different times my pastor has preached about it. the more i thought about it the more i thought this is something i want to live by.

all i want to do is Love God and Love People. that is my passion.

Today when i was spending time with the Lord i was reading in psalms 139-145. man there are some powerful words in those chapters. it was awesome to read because it started out talking about how Christ made us beautifully and fearfully. It continues in 140 about being delivered from evil. David said "i know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy." (140:12) praise Jesus for His love. in 141 and 142 we discover that He hears our cries and that He is our refuge. 143 is a cry of the soul. "Teach me to do you will, for you are my God!" (143:10). 144 and 145 teaches us how Christ is our rock and our fortress and that our God is SO great! before we can love people we must first love Christ. Then we are free to poor that love on to others. These chapters came as a story to me. a story of a baby growing up and maturing into a warrior. a baby in Christ growing to be a warrior for The Kingdom of God. little by little Christ is maturing each of us to understand Him more; to understand His love and then to turn around and poor it out others.

who could ask for a better life

Hillsong film

2009-09-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

Hillsong is coming out with a new film Nov. 4!! check out the link below for a sneak preview!

http://vimeo.com/6172173

I Heart the Revolution: We're all in this together.

I-HEART is a movement of people helping people - showing the love of God in practical ways, wherever need exists. Right here, real soon, you'll find an online community with the sole purpose of offline action - sharing ideas, being inspired, shoulder to shoulder, part of the solution - transforming local initiatives into a collaborative global impact. But in the meantime, let's take time to look beyond ourselves and truly see others...Their worth, their needs, their future. Because it's together that we love... and think... and act. As one, I-HEART.

----check out the website i-heart.org

what does [GOD] say about poverty?

2009-09-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

One nice thing about my classes is that i am actually interested in them this year. Since i am a sociology major i get the pleasure of learning about people, societal problems, and the hot topic right now, poverty. I am seriously learning about some type of poverty in every one of my classes. I have learned that The Elizabethan Poor Laws were the first proposal in 1601 to help fight poverty. This law would try and distinguish the deserving poor and the undeserving poor with outdoor and indoor relief. The New Deal offered programs to help combat poverty such as social security, unemployment, and job programs. LBJ’s head start, food stamps, Medicaid and Medicare all helped greatly in the fight by allowing impoverished Americans the help they needed. I don't mind learning about it. i mean i wouldn't have a desire for missions if i didn't have some interest in poverty right? However, it is a little harder when you have to hear about it everyday in a classroom and cant really do anything about it. I sit for an hour and hear a lecture about poverty, then i get an assignment to go home and write a 4 page paper about poverty and give a 10min. speech about it. I really enjoy the research of the papers i just wish i could write about poverty the way i want to. once again i don't want to follow the rules but i will so i can make mom and dad proud with my awesome grades I'm going to get. :) but honestly i would prefer to write about how we can help fight poverty rather than give 2 paragraphs that sum up an article, make sure the paper contributes to the literature, list 2 or 3 weakness about the article, and then have to come up with 2 discussion questions. The discussion question are kind of nice because i get the opportunity to ask people some tough questions about poverty and how we can help, as long as i stay on topic. Which is hard for a girl that could about one country, Africa, all day long. Anyways, all this talk about poverty and how the government is attempting to help really got me interested at what God had to say about poverty.

In Psalms 41: 1-2 God tells us that "Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to he will of his enemies." Back in Deuteronomy 15:7-11 we learn "If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, 'The seventh year, the year of release is near,' and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin. You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, 'You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.'" God flat out tells us that there will never cease to be poor in the land. We are always going to be fighting poverty! its a never ending war. It is because of this that God is calling us to be his hands and feet and look after the widow and fatherless child. ---"You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, i will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sward and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless" (Ex 22:22-24, little harsh, i agree, but its God so don't argue). ---We need to stop complaining about health cares and who qualifies for this or that. These issues are never going to end. The only solution we have right now, is to look after our poor brother. That is what God told us to do.

I heard a pastor say once that if all the answers to life are in the bible, college students would save a lot of money if they would just study the bible. Not gonna lie, my first reaction was "Amen!" i mean clearly God told us how to deal with poverty. I have learned a lot about poverty, in the classroom and in my time with the Lord. God is slowly calming my spirit with this huge desire to Go and just give it a peace about where i am now. I hope y'all learned something from this. if you have any insight into poverty and would like to share your thoughts please feel free to. I still have 3 papers to write over it.

God Bless!

The Sea Lion

2009-09-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

The Story of the Sea Lion from John Eldredge’s Journey of Desire

Once upon a time there lived a sea lion who had lost the sea. He lived in a country known as the barren lands. High on a plateau, far from any coast, it was a place so dry and dusty that it could only be called a desert. A kind of coarse grass grew in patches here and there, and a few trees were scattered across the horizon. But mostly, it was dust. And sometimes wind, which together make on very thirsty. Of course, it must seem strange to you that such a beautiful creature should wind up in a desert at all. He was, mind you, a sea lion. But things like this do happen.

How the sea lion came to the barren lands, no one could remember. It all seemed so very long ago. So long, in fact, it appeared as though he had always been there. Not that he belonged in such an arid place. How could that be? He was, after all, a sea lion. But as you know, once you have lived so long in a certain spot, no matter how odd, you come to think of it as home.

There was a time, many years back, when the sea lion knew he was lost. In those days, he would stop every traveler he met to see if he might help him find his way back to the sea. But no one seemed to know the way.

On he searched, but never finding. After years without success, the sea lion took refuge beneath a solitary tree beside a very small water hole. The tree provided refuge from the burning rays of the sun, which was very fierce in that place. And the water hole, though small and muddy, was wet, in its own way. Here he settled and got on as best he could.

Had you journeyed in those days through the barren lands, you might have seen the lion for yourself. Quite often in the evening, he would go and sit upon his favorite rock, a very large boulder, which lifted him off the burning sand and allowed him a view of the entire country.

There he would remain for hours into the night, silhouetted against the sky. And on the best nights, when the wind shifted to the east, a faint smell of salt air would come to him on the breeze. Then he would close his eyes and imagine himself once more at the sea. When he lay himself down to sleep, he would dream of a vast, deep ocean. Twisting and turning, diving and twirling, he would swim and swim and swim. When he woke, he thought he heard the sound of breakers.

**The sea was calling to him.**

The sea lion loved his rock, and he even loved waiting night after night for the sea breezes that might come. Especially he loved the dreams those memories would stir. But as you well know, even the best of dreams cannot go on, and in the morning when the sea lion woke, he was still in the barren lands. Sometimes he would close his eyes and try to fall back asleep. It never seemed to work, for the sun was always very bright.

Eventually, it became too much for him to bear. He began to visit his rock only on occasion. “I have too much to do,? he told himself. “I cannot waste my time idling about.? He really did not have so much to do. The truth of it was, waking so far from home was such a disappointment, he did not want to have those wonderful dreams anymore. The day finally came when he stopped going to his rock altogether, band he no longer drifted his nose to the wind when the sea breezes came.

The sea lion was not entirely alone in those parts. For it was there he met the tortoise. Now this tortoise was an ancient creature, so weathered by his life in the barren lands that at first, the sea lion mistook him for a rock. He told the tortoise of his plight, hoping that the wise one might be able to help him. “Perhaps,? the tortoise mused, “this is the sea.? His eyes appeared to be shut against the bright sun, but he was watching the sea lion very closely. The sea lion swept his flippers once against his side, gliding to the end of the water hole and back. “I don’t know,? he said, “It isn’t very deep. Isn’t it? Somehow I thought the sea would be broader, deeper. At least, I hoped so.?

“You must learn to be happy here,? the tortoise told him one day. “For it is unlikely you shall ever find this sea of yours.? Deep in his old and shriveled heart, the tortoise envied the sea lion and his sea. “But I belong to the sea. We are made for each other.? “Perhaps. But you have been gone so long now, the sea has probably forgotten you.? This thought had never occurred to the sea lion. But it was true, he had been gone for a long, long time. “If this is not my home, how can I ever feel at home here?? the sea lion asked. “You will in time.? The tortoise appeared to be squinting, his eyes a thin slit. “I have seen the sea, and it is no better than what you have found here.? “You have seen the sea!? “Yes. Come closer,? whispered the sea tortoise, “and I will tell you a secret. I am not a tortoise. I am a sea turtle. But I left the sea of my own accord, many years ago, in search of better things. If you stay with me, I will tell you stories of my adventures.

The stories of the ancient tortoise were enchanting and soon cast their spell upon the sea lion. As weeks passed into months, his memory of the sea faded. “The desert,? whispered the tortoise, “is all that is, or was, or ever will be.? When the sun grew fierce and burned his skin, the sea lion would hide in the shade of a tree, listening to tales woven by the tortoise. When the dry winds cracked his flippers and filled his eyes with dust, the sea lion would retreat to the water hole. And so the sea lion remained, living his days between the hole and tree. The sea no longer filled his dreams.

It was in May when the winds began to blow. The sea lion had grown used to wind, and at first did not pay much heed at all. Years of desert life had taught him to turn his back in the direction from which the wind came and cover his eyes with his flippers, so that the dust would not get in. Eventually, the winds would always pass.

But not this time. Day and night it came, howling across the barren lands. There was nothing to stop its fury, nothing to even slow it down. For forty days and forty nights the wind blew. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped. The sea lion lifted himself to look around. He could hardly believe his eyes.

Every single leaf had been stripped from his tree. The branches that remained, with only a twig or two upon them, looked like an old scarecrow. And I do not need to tell you that there was no longer any shade in which to hide. But worse than this, much worse indeed, was what the sea lion saw next. The water hole was completely dry.

Three weeks after the wind ceased to blow, the sea lion had a dream. Now, as I told you before, there were other nights in which he had dreamed of the sea. But those were long ago and nearly forgotten. Even still, the ocean that filled his dreams this night was so beautiful and clear, so vast and deep, it was as if he were seeing it for the first time. The sunlight glittered on its surface, and as he dived, the waters all around him shone like an emerald. If he swam quite deep, it turned to jade, cool and dark and mysterious. But he was never frightened, not at all. For I must tell you that in all his dreams of the sea he had never before found himself in the company of other sea lions. This night there were many, round about him, diving and turning, spinning and twirling. They were playing.

Oh, how he hated to wake from that wonderful dream. The tears running down his face were the first wet thing he’d felt in three weeks. But he did not even pause to wipe them away, he did not pause, in fact, for anything at all. He set his face to the east, and began to walk as best a sea lion can.
“Where are you going?? asked the tortoise.
“I am going to find the sea.?

a life lived intentionally

2009-09-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

I always wonder what a life without school is like. Everyone that is out always tells me to stay in cause the economy is bad. That statement never changed my desire to get out. I plan on leaving the country once I'm done with school. Its not that I dont like school. I mean I am very grateful that I have the opportunity to get a college education, I just wish it didnt take up so many years of my life. Now I know if you think about it, 4 years out of I dunno...say 80, isn't a lot. But I think of it has 4 years out of the prime time of my life to really go out there and experience this world that God has created for us. If they could just cut out the basics, we would get done so much sooner! I mean hello you already had like what 12 years of basics, whats 2 more?!

Now really think about this (unless you are out of school then you dont count). All the time you spend in class, all the time you spend on homework, and then all the time you spend at work. Honestly, we are full time students and when our heads arent in a book, we work. what a boring life. I would so much rather be out in the world spreading the love of Christ and exploring this incredible world He has given us. All I got to say is Christ better not come back the day I graduate college or I'm gonna be a little ticted off. Can I get an amen?!

Dont worry I'm not planning on dropping out of college, although the thought has crossed my mind. I just keep tellin my self once these 2 years are over you will be done forever! that little phrase is keepin me in! However, I do have to say that so many things have come up lately either in conversation or just randomly of things that people without a college degree can do. and let me just tell you there is A LOT of stuff you can do! I've decided that God is either telling me something, or trying to teach me something. Man I never thought it would be this hard to go back to school. Maybe its been hard cause I had like the coolest job EVER!

Anyways, if your in college what are your thoughts on all this. What things would you rather be doing than school? What are your dreams for the future?

**just to clearify, i do not encourage people to drop out of school. it is a very stupid decision, that is why im staying in. however, please feel free to vent about it if you have the desire to.

My [new] Life....

2009-09-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

I have been back in the states for almost 2 months now. I tried not the think about the transition before I left but let me tell you, they day I left Mexico was one of the worst days of my life. It has been very hard to be in a place where my heart is not. Living in a community with people that just want to do Gods will is so encouraging.

Life is completely different back in the states. Instead of waking up excited to go love on some incredible children, find out which children's home I get to go to, and what fun and exciting project I will be working on, I wake up trying to remember if I finished my homework, if all my bills are paid, if I have the money to pay the bills. Although I was incredibly discouraged when I moved back, I've tried to find something positive about it. I kept trying to look at school as a great opportunity that not many people get the chance to experience, however, I would much rather be in an area where I can offer my abilities and help people in need. Honestly I was prayin God would come back before I had to go back to school. Yes it is a goal of mine to graduate college but why does it have to be so time consuming? I believe some professors believe that all a college student should do is study. Hello! stupid idea! Yes students should study but they also need a life and most of them have jobs! At least I think so, but I wont get into all that right now.

Its weird not being able to just walk over to someones house and them be home. Here all my friends do different things. And most dont run in the same group. I love hanging out with all my friends here, but I do miss all my friends in Mexico greatly. The tight unit of accountablility and having someone there just to talk with was always encouraging. When I moved back I really wanted to meet lots of new people, but once school started I decided I wouldnt have any time for those people because of school work. Now I am using my time to invest in my friendships and build the ones that I have.

God has taught me a lot since I have been back. I have learned that a little can go a long way. That I really cannot function until I spend time with Him. I kept on looking for bible studies and different communities I could get involved in but non of them seemed to work out, so I took it apon my self to start a bible study for girls in college! I am SUPER excited about it! We will be studying Beth Moore's To Live is Christ. Its a study about the life of Paul. I cannot wait to dive into this study with some incredible women! My best friend Ashlee has been hosting a Night of Prayer. It has been incredible! I'm excited to see how God uses me this semester.

This blog is no longer going to be about my life in Monterrey. I will be talkin more about life as a college student, the womens bible study, and my greatest adventure of all...my relationship with Jesus Christ. I hope you guys continue to check out my blog and sorry it took forever for me to update!

God Bless

2009-06-20T07:31:00.000-07:00

I just love how much God likes to show off. I spent this past week out at C.H. Mama Paulitas in El Limon. Every time i'm there God just takes my breath away. Whether its having a conversation with Juanita and hearing her heart for the Lord, watching the directors praise Jesus when they received a much needed donation for the home, or standing in awe of a little boy worshiping Jesus with all that he has and thanking him for healing his leg. I cant say enough how much love for Christ these kids have. its contagious.

Yadira and her husband Fernando are the directors at Mama Paulitas. They have such a huge heart for these children. They have taught the kids that having a quiet time with the Lord is the most important thing of the day. That no matter what happens Christ is always going to be there to help you and cheer you on. Every morning they share a word with the kids about Christ and the kids just eat it up. they love it. i have never seen so many young kids wraped up in a conversation before. On wednesday nights they have worship night. it is unlike any worship i have ever seen. The kids praise Jesus with arms open wide and face down. All the kids call Yadira mama. its adorable. they love her and she loves them because Christ first loved her. its amazing to see the example that Yadira and Fernando are setting for these kids.

This is Juanita. She has such a heart for the Lord! While we were there we took the group on a outreach to a neighborhood close by. she went with the group i was in and we had one of the best conversations i have ever had. while we were walking through the neighborhood she was telling me about how they had been praying for a doctor to come visit because there are a lot of sick people that live in this neighborhood. Well the week before a group from B2B went down and with they came a doctor. she said it was such a blessin to have him there because they got to tell everyone in the neighborhood that God loved them and came to heal them. One man had a hernia and was throwing up constantly and when we went to visit him he was almost completely healed. Juantia kept saying "this is such a blessing." Hearing her talk just gave me a peace. not such what kind of peace but one that let you know Christ was in control. Juanita leads by example. on our outreach we took bibles to pass out and in our group a couple of the kids from the home came with us. as Juanita stood and told the different people about how much Christ loves them and how He is the Way, Truth, and Life the kids faces were just drawn to her. like they were studying how she was sharing the gospel. i just stood back in awe and praised Jesus for how He speaks with no words. I felt very encouraged after this day and Praise God for the example Juanita is for these kids and the people in their community.

Veronica is one hilarious girl and now my new best friend. becca and I were having a conversation with her about how she loves to dance but has no idea how. it was awesome. i knew right then and there we were gonna be good friends. she later told me that the first time i came to El Limon with my family 2 years ago she really wanted to talk to me but was to nervous. i told her it was a good thing she didnt cause i did not no any spanish then! we had a lot of really good talks about life and college and Christ. I praise God for her life and the light that she is for His Kingdon and that we are now really good friends.

Gotta give Him Praise: the directors want their kids to have clean water and because of this they have a really big water bill (big jugs of water). Fernando went one day to ask if they could have credit for the water. like have water now and pay later. at frist the lady was not agreeing to it so Fernando just smiled and said ok well thank you. right has he was walking out the door she changed her mind and now this home will have clean water for their kids. Becca and I got to witness Fernando telling Yadira about it. she jumped to her feet and began praising God! not even 30 minutes later they recieved a phone call from a local movie theater. The man on the phone said that since the only time the kids in the home get to go to the movies is when americans take them, they wanted to give them free tickets to the movies. So not only do these kids have clean water but now they can go to the MOVIES for FREE!!! Yadira almost lost it at this point. i have never seen a woman with so much joy and excitment. That night during worship night she told the kids about the news. they all jumped to their feet giving praise to God. It was such an encouraging thing to witness. GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

3 reminders of HOPE

2009-06-08T21:47:00.001-07:00

These sweet kids have stolen my heart since the day i first met them. Marcos (12), Gloria (10), and Esmeralda (8) are from Casa Hogar Imperio de Amor. Their sweet smiles and onriness keep me entertained for hours. Like all siblings they love to pick on each other, but at the end of the day they still love each other. its precsious really. i have to get onto them a couple times but its still fun. Gloria has now decided to call me mama, Marcos keeps asking me when i am moving home, and Esmeralda just wants to play all the time. I keep asking myself if it would be weird for me to be 21 and have 3 kids. i think it would be ok...alright maybe not. Everytime i am with them i feel like God coninuely breaks my heart for them and i just praise him for that. its as if he wants me to learn about hope. hope for their future. hope for their relationships. hope for their relationship with Christ. i catch myself randomly staring at these little reminders of hope while they are playing wondering what they will be when they grow up, who they will marry, how many kids they will have, what exciting adventures life will bring them, and how much i pray that all of this is centered around Christ. I pray that God fills them up with passion for His name. i love these goof balls very much and will continue to pray for them daily even when im not here.

tear down the walls [SHELTER]

2009-06-08T21:37:00.000-07:00

Tear down the walls see the world
Is there something we have missed
Turn from ourselves
Look beyond
There is so much more than this

And I dont need to see it to believe it
I dont need to see it to believe it
Cause I cant shake this
Fire deep inside my heart

Look to the skies hope arise
See His majesty revealed
More than this life there is love
There is hope and this is real

Cause I dont need to see it to believe it
I dont need to see it to believe it
Cause I cant shake this fire burning
Deep inside my heart

This life is Yours and hope is rising
As Your glory floods our hearts
Let love tear down these walls
That all creation would
Come back to You
Its all for You

Your Name is glorious
Glorious
Your love is changing us
Calling us
To worship in spirit and in truth
As all creation returns to You

Oh for all the sons and daughters
Who are walking in the darkness
You are calling us to lead them back to You
We will see Your spirit rising
As the lost come out of hiding
Every heart will see this hope we have in You

-tear down the walls: Hillsong United

exciting adventures.

2009-06-08T21:31:00.001-07:00

I WENT REPELLING!!! first time ever and fell in love with it! super fun! this is what we repelled down. it was GORGEOUS!

all the fierce ladies afterwards

our theme for the summer: SHELTER

while we were on our staff retreat during the breaks me and becca would find ways to entertain ourselves. fun time.

>laughter<

2009-05-21T20:56:00.000-07:00

so this is what i have decided. laughing is the greatest thing in the world. its not like it was invented or created. we were born knowing how to laugh. no one taught us how to laugh and said we had to laugh. we just started doing it. and people thought it was cute, i guess thats why we never stopped. anyways, iv decided i love to laugh. its refreshing, helps in ANY situation, i always do it in awkward situations, and i mean really, lifes tough get a helmet and laugh about what gets thrown at you. what an incredible boring world we would live in if no one laughed. i would be prayin for God to come back. you know quote thats like "a day without laughter is a day wasted" i totally believe that. maybe i should put that with my quotes to live by. i get so tired of people always complaining about stupid stuff. come on people, just laugh it off and know that in 5 minutes they will probably be complaining about something else. it takes to much energy to complain. laughing comes naturally. iv decided that im gonna start surrounding myself with people who like to laugh. they say your attitude reflects the people you hang around with; i dont wanna be a complainer, so im gonna hang out with people that like to laugh. that dont take everything so seriously. that know living a life full of laughter is also full of many awkward moments. which is whats so funny about it. anyways thought id share whats been on my mind lately. thanks for reading and have a great day.

GIRLS [only] SOCCER

2009-05-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

We have started having girl only soccer games. its been super fun! i have not played soccer in YEARS and pretty much forgot how but it was still fun. heres a picture of us after a game.

El Limon

2009-05-19T14:28:00.000-07:00

So this post is about a month late. I had the chance to go back to El Limon with a group about a month ago and fell in love with the place and the people even more. I dont know what it is about El Limon that just makes me feel at home. Maybe how flat it is, maybe the awesome sunsets, or maybe its just the simplicity of the town. I'm not sure. What i do know is that every time i visit, i feel so encouraged by the kids and the directors. There are only 4 care givers over 51 kids. how they have control i have no idea. but everyone there acts as a family. each time i go i try and find time to talk with the directors. they are such encouraging people. On this trip a couple other STINTers and I would get on some scafolding everynight and just relax. it was like our own debreifing time. i had a lot of time to think, relfect on this past year and think of what im going to do with my life in the future. still have no idea but it was fun thinking about it. im exciting to go back in june. it will be my last trip there. ill probably cry. but i know God has a big plan for my life. hopefully one of these days ill be able to tell y'all what it is.

caught up in the world.

2009-04-16T16:59:00.000-07:00

it amazes me how easy it is to get caught up in our world. the other day i was about to leave for a run at this beautiful park and discovered that my ipod was broken. first of all, i never go running without music because i get bored and talk myself out of running and second, this is the second ipod that has broken on me since we have been in 2009, but i knew i really needed to go workout. so i went, stressed, and a little bitter that my ipod was broken. before we got there i kept on talkin about how the run was goin to be horrible cause i didnt have any music and blah blah blah. the day was beautiful and the temp was at 75 (perfect running weather). started out with a great stretch as usually, walked for a couple minutes, then took off. i seriously felt like i had slapped myself in the face. the run turned out to be incredible! hearing the water trickle in the little river, my feet hit the ground with every step i took, kids laughing as their playin on the playgrounds, and the best part was the birds singin in the trees as i ran by. i felt like God had just opened my eyes to all the things i miss when im caught up in worldly things. it amazes me how God speaks to us. even if its for something so little. i kept praising God as i was running and thanking Him for opening my eyes and hears and for showing me how stupid i was for complaining about not having music. surprisingly, i felt more motivated to run further and barely got tired. it was such a blessing and honestly i will probably run with music again, but there will definitely be times when i go without.

Medical Clinic

2009-04-09T20:40:00.001-07:00

Our medical clinic has been such an incredible blessing!!!! it has given us the opportunity to bring Casa Hogars here and do check ups on every kid. it has also given us the chance to go out into the Rios we serve and provide care for whatever needs anyone has. This past saturday Rayitos de Luz came to our campus for their check ups. All the kids were asking all kinds of questions about everything! of course some kids were terrified to go see the Doctor but others were quite excited! it is awesome to know that we can provide medical care for these kids who might not have ever had a chance to see a doctor. God is so good!

New Roof!

2009-04-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

thanks to some awesome individuals we were able to redo the roof on the chapel at Douglass. everyone is super pumped about it. It has taken 12 days to complete in this incredible hot weather. They had to strip the roof, replace all the wood supports, cover the top, and add shingles. The chapel is slowing coming together and beginning to look awesome! the kids are all stoked about it and excited to have worship in it.

girls night

2009-04-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

Friday night Becca and I had a girls night with our bible study girls. Kelly and Gabo Velasco (their house parents) were super nice and invited us over for dinner. Afterwords they went upstairs and the party began. Apparently cupcakes have become super popular in Oklahoma since I have lived here and since becca and i cant go to Cuppies and Joes or Sara Sara Cupcakes, we desided for dessert that we would have Cuppies and Velascos! it was super fun! we mixed them up, baked them, frosted them and enjoyed. We have been studying the book of Ester with the girls so to make the book come more alive to them we watch A Night With The King. We all had fun laughing, crying, and eating lots a cupcakes. These girls are so incredible and i love spending time with them and pooring encouragement into their lives with my broken spanish. I dont know how but they can understand me. I am so excited to see how God uses each of them in their lives. they are each very unique and a blast to hang out with. They have truely been a blessing in my life.

I really believe you can never pray enough, especially for people. This week is Semana Santa. A week when everyone is out of school. The teens here are allowed to go home if they want to and most of them choose too. All of the girls in the Hope House are at home right now and i have prayed more this week for them than i ever have. They are smart girls but Satan is one manipulating guy. Safety has been a top prayer of mine for them. As many of you know there is a drug war going on here and with that you never know what will go on. I cannot wait for them to come home so that we can hang out and have a sleepover. they have only been gone a couple days and i miss them like crazy! Please keep them in your prayers during the rest of their vacation.

[God] PROMISES

2009-04-01T10:48:00.001-07:00

GOD'S PROMISES TO HIS CHILDREN

TO RESCUE THEM

GIVE THEM FOOD AND CLOTHING

HEAR THEM
LEAD THEM OUT

BE THEIR HEALER
GIVE THEM COMPASSION

INCLINE THEIR EAR
GIVE THEM JUSTICE

GIVE THEM A HOME
EXTEND MERCY TOWARDS THEM

DEFEND THEIR CAUSE
SECURE JUSTICE FOR THEM

LIFT THEM UP
VINDICATE THEM

DELIVER THEM
UPHOLD THEIR CAUSE

NOT LEAVE THEM
NOT FORGET THEM
COME TO THEM
BE THEIR FATHER

**photos by Cheryl Weaver

blessings...

2009-04-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

It is so much fun to serve with this staff!! On Friday all of us prepared fruit salad, cut up tons of veggies, and made baked spaghetti for Casa Hogar ERJ. ERJ has been praying for God to provide them with food for over a month now and thanks to some awesome individuals, we were able to prepare dinner for them one night. It was such an encouraging evening and one that I will never forget. THOSE KIDS ATE SO MUCH!!!! I kept on thinking that their little bellys were going to burst! They asked for seconds after seconds after seconds. The Lord was so incredible by multiplying the food so that they had enough left over for another meal.
The directors of this Children's Home, Carlos and Martha, are two very incredible people. You can see it on their faces how much they love these kids. They have such a family relationship with each of them. I was obsessed with it. It was so inspiring because even though this Casa Hogar has been without food, they have not forgotten God's promises; that He will provide. Carlos and Martha's love for God is contagious. They are such a joy to be around and always keep you laughing.
At the end of the night, for dessert, we made a huge bonfire and made s'mores. It was the first time for most of them to have one. Martha kept saying this is very American isn't it? The kids ate so many marshmallows and had chocolate all over their faces, but they loved it. I cannot wait to have another opportunity to do this again.

Some fun pictures from the night:

**Our plan is to be able to do this at least once a month for ERJ. We have been asking them what types of food they would like us to make such as Italian, Chinese, American, and of course Mexican. The meals have to include some type of meat, veggies, and fruit. If you would like to help provide a meal for ERJ please let me know.

[sister]

2009-04-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

My sister Whitney is one of the most incredible people I know. She is so full of wisdom and always seems to know the right thing to say at just the right moment. While I was visiting home during spring break we got to hang out a lot. I was really thankful for this. I forgot how much I love and miss hanging out with my sister. She is currently in nursing school and doing so good! there is no way I would ever be able to make it through nursing school. Way to much studying for me. I'm good if I get a couple hours a day of studying in, but Whitney is so driven to finish and work hard at it, it actually inspires me a little bit. She has taught me that if you work really hard for something you want, you can get it! Another incredible thing about my sister is her faith. Man does this girl have faith. She has always encouraged me to seek the Lord in ever situation, big and small. She taught me not to worry. That it just wasted time from being happy. I learned from her that when you spend time with God everyday, your day really does go a whole lot better. Whitney has taught me how to cook, scrapbook, do my hair, and lots of other fun stuff. I feel very blessed to have her as my sister. I am really looking forward to hanging out with her more and our "sister" dates every week! I love you sister!!!

Free the Slaves

2009-03-28T23:47:00.000-07:00

Until recently I had no idea how many slaves there were in the world. I guess, for some reason, after all my history classes were over that so was slavery. The US government estimates that 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked into the US each year to be used as slaves. WHAT IN THE WORLD?! I had no idea! It is also said that slavery is still highly present in India and Africa. Hope, a SMCA teacher here in with B2B, has been teaching her kids about slavery. Through her I found out that you can actually help free slaves. Now, it kind of cost a lot but can you imagine the thought of knowing that you freed someone! how cool is that! There are many Christian organizations that help free slaves but they also share the love of God with them and help them get their life going. I was so intrigued by this topic that I desided to look up some information about it. Ok well I only found one website but y'all should check it out.

www.freetheslaves.net

Im sure there are a whole lot more web sites, so if you find a new one please let me know. I Hope you guys take the time to check this out. it really is pretty amazing. What better gift to give than the gift of freedom.

simple beauty

2009-03-28T23:25:00.000-07:00

After working with many teen girls, I have come to realize something that the great book John Eldridge and his wife wrote, Captivating, explains very well.

Every girl wants to know “Am I lovely?” Others will simply ask with their eyes. Verbal or not, whether wearing a shimmery dress or covered in mud, all little girls want to know.

As a young song writer recently wrote:

I want to be beautiful
And make you stand in awe
Look inside my heart
And be amazed
I want to hear you say
Who I am is quite enough
I just want to be worthy of love
And beautiful
(Bethany Dillion “Beautiful”)

God has set eternity in our hearts. The longing to be beautiful is set there as well. Many of us have hardened our hearts to this desire, the desire to be the Beauty. And it’s not just the desire for an outward beauty, but more--a desire to be captivating in the depths of who you are. Ruth may have been a lovely, strong woman, but it is to her unrelenting courage and vulnerability and faith in God that Boaz is drawn. We desire to posses a beauty that is worth pursuing, worth fighting for, a beauty that is core to who we truly are. We want beauty that can be seen; beauty that can be felt; beauty that affects other; a beauty all our own to unveil. The longings God has written deep in your heart are telling you something essential about what it means to be a woman, and the life he meant for you to live. But your heart is still there, crying out to be set free, to find the life your desires tell you of.

You can find that life--if you are willing to embark on a great adventure.

GLORIOUS, POWERFUL, and CAPTIVATING.

My Family

2009-03-24T14:25:00.000-07:00

back: dad, mom, memo, and dario
front: tono, cheko, danny, me, and daniel

So I was sitting here thinking of what I should blog about and it occurred to me that I have not blogged about my family! Im sure I have mentioned something about one of these boys to some of you but now you get to hear about each one of them! They all have their different personalities but I love them all!

Serigo (also known as Cheko) is 23 and the oldest. He is in college studying sports and hopes to be either a coach or sports announcer. This career fits him perfectly! He is in love with futbol (soccer) and is currently on a futbol team.

Memo is 21 and is Sergio's brother. He is majoring in graphic design and is a pretty good artists. He is one of our social boys and loves speaking english. His love for Christ is contagious. Leading worship with his guitar is something he has been gifted with and takes up the offer any chance he gets.

Antonio is 18 and a ball of energy. He is majoring in Criminology and could not be happier. He loves bringing home his books full of half burned people and dismembered bodies and thinks I enjoy looking at them. He is taking Tae Kwon Do classes and is obsessed with it. He works very hard at perfecting his skills and really enjoys practicing them on other people.

Dario is also 18 and studying Languages. By the time he graduates he will be fluent in 5 languages. His life involves school, work, and his girlfriend. Its great when he is home cause he can help me translate things.

Danny is 15 and Dario's younger brother. He is in high school and doing pretty good. He is our other social butterfly but mainly with the ladies. He has asked my mom a couple times to drop him off at random places so that he can meet a girl that he saw. I love hearing him sing, especially english songs, it makes me smile. He is a little ornery but then again...he is my brother.

Daniel is 15 and also in high school. He is quiet around people he doesnt know but hilarious around people he does. He walks with a little swagger in his step and like to wear his pants below his butt. Its always fun when he randomly decides to bust out in his dance moves while doing the dishes. He also has a big love for futbol.

I was close to these guys before i moved here but since i have lived here we really have made brother/sister relationships. I have had a lot of fun with these boys, nothing beats all 7 of us cuddled up on 2 couches watching movies, our beach road trips, watching LOST for hours with Cheko, making Gingerbread houses at Christmas, chasing each other around the house, convincing Tono that P.S. I Love You is a really good movie, singing songs with Danny, and especially sunday lunches with everyone together. Its going to be really hard not hanging out with these guys everyday and hearing all their stories about life, love, and body functions. It has been great watching them grow up to be such great young men. I am super proud of each of them and cannot wait to see how God uses each one of them .

I thought we lived in Mexico....

2009-03-13T22:37:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we had to chance to take 60 kids from Casa Hogar Douglas and 60 American kids from CHCA to an awesome park called BioParque Estrella. Honestly, it was like we took a trip to Africa without having to fly. This place is awesome! And most of you know how obsessed i am with Africa so this place was almost heaven for me. There is a Safari, a Dinosaur thing, a place to learn about bats, a zip line, boats, water slides, and even a petting zoo. Everything a kid could dream of and more! the highlight was definitely the Safari. They had camels (which by the way look disgusting when they eat), Giraffes, Elephants, Ostriches, Monkeys, Zebras, Water Buffalos, Hippos, and tons of other animals! While you were in the Safari truck, the animals would come right up to you and eat the food right out of your hand and in some cases, eat the cup out of your hand as well. The kids screamed, laughed, and really just had an awesome time. By the end of the day everyone was exhausted but it was definitely an adventure!

Feeding the Camels!! always an adventure!

Hey there little buddy!

He was kind of hungry.

ever pet a camel? these guys have.

They love each other.

*****KENZI AND BECCA'S GRAND ADVENTURE!*****

Since all the kids had their fun new friends the hang out with, Becca and I decided to do a little exploring while we at BioParque and had some very interesting encounters.....

sweet becca and I about to start our adventure.
We decided to go hunt down some Dinos so we got a sweet Dino-tracking-mobile.

Dino #1. Not really sure what it is really called but to us it is classified as the spitting one. very terrifying.

We got a little scared after we saw the first one. thought he might spit on us.

Dino #2 is who we called Vicious. Guess he got a little hungry.
Dino #3 got named Delicious for various reason.

The mood was tense as we walked across the long, narrow bridge.

At the end of the bridge we ran into this long necked guy.

Dino #4 or the leaf eater.
we weren't too scared until we saw his teeth!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
Dino #5 also known as the BIG T-REX!
after seeing this big guy we jumped into our jeep and tried to drive away.

HE WAS RIGHT ABOVE US!!!!
(note little alexis in the back....such a brave little guy)

Oh and becca decided to hatch.

At the end of the day, for some odd reason, it seemed like we had the world on our shoulders.

Well until becca broker her neck.

SHOES!

2009-03-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago a group came and did a huge outreach at Rio 3. While they were there they noticed that all of the kids did not have shoes. The next day we took the group to Wal-mart where they purchased shoes for 90 kids out at Rio 3. I felt like I was in a shoe making factory. There were shoes everywhere, in every size, for boys and girls. It was incredible! I love moments like this when you can see God's hand at work through His people.

Its time to SPEAK OUT and BE HEARD.

2009-02-25T18:08:00.000-08:00

I am sure many of you have heard of Invisible Children. If you have not, Invisible Children started with 3 guys, Jason, Bobby, and Laren who went to Africa just for a fun adventure, but instead discovered another world that was invisible to so many. Since their first visit to Uganda, these three men have--

*made a video of what they Discovered (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0XQEysQ JPQ --only a preview),
*started a Bracelet Campaign (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvhooJ9c1Rw),
*started Schools for Schools (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NbOYe0uois),
*started Visible Children Scholarship Program
*Teacher Exchange Program
*Go Internship
*Mend
*and the one I am writing you about, The Rescue (http://www.invisiblechildren.com/april2009/index-en.html).

These young men have helped fight for the invisible children and today there are no more night commuters (don't know what a night commuter is or what the heck I am talking about...go back and watch the first video). Sadly, this war is not over. It is the longest war in Africa and has been going on for more than 15 years. The problem now a days is the children who have been abducted. Many talks of peace have been flying back and forth between the Lords Resistance Army and the Uganda government. Unfortunately, nothing has been made permanent. Now many people in Uganda are starting to loose hope of this war ever being over. People in places surrounding Uganda are now starting to fear for their lives as well. Just over this past Christmas the LRA leader Joseph Kony abduted SEVERAL children and killed even more. I dont usually post about things other than stuff here in Mexico but the latest video and this call to action caught my attention.

THERE ARE STILL 3,000 CHILD SOLDIERS THAT NEED OUT HELP.

IT IS TIME TO SPEAK OUT AND BE HEARD. April 25, 2009 we are going to make a stand for these 3,000 children in hopes that they will get to go home to their families soon. The plan is to ABDUCT ourselves. I know that sounds crazy and a little impossible but we are! We are going to join together with others AROUND THE WORLD to help bring these kids home. 100 Cities in 9 different countries will join together to help bring this war to an end. Will you help stop the longest war in Africa?

BIBLE STUDY!!!!!!!

2009-02-24T07:25:00.001-08:00

Some of you might have heard that Becca and I have started a bible study with the girls in the Hope House. Well if you have not heard....BECCA AND I HAVE STARTED A BIBLE STUDY WITH THE HOPE HOUSE GIRLS!!!!!!!!!!! It has been so awesome! We have been meeting for the past couple months now and things are starting to get deep. Our prayer is that we will be able to encourage them, comfort them, and have lots of fun with them! We want to express HOW MUCH God loves them and that a relationship with Him is not all about rules but that its about the intimacy with Him. Becca and I bought the girls journals in hope that they would use them for all the reasons many girls have journals. So far they have loved them. It has been such a blessing. The girls decided they wanted to study Esther. I am so excited about what God is going to teach the girls through this study. There is so much in the book of Esther that they can relate to. I also thought it was pretty cool how they all said they wanted to study Esther. Becca and I are super excited about how God is going to show Himself off in this bible study with the girls. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW PUMPED I AM ABOUT THIS!!!

Prayer Request:
*The girls are on many different spiritual levels, pray that we will be able to get in discussions that helps build up every girl.
*pray for guidance for Becca and I as to what questions to ask and the what words to say.
*That God opens the hearts to these girls to understand His Word.
*please pray that the girls have a desire to dive into Gods Word everyday.

My New Obsession....

2009-02-24T07:18:00.000-08:00

Enough said.

Erica

2009-02-18T20:11:00.001-08:00

Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in our daily routines here in Mexico that its sometimes hard to notice the huge poverty that surrounds us. We get used to it to the point that it no longer affects us and I hate saying that but its true. At least for me. I love working with groups of people that have never been here just to hear their thoughts and see their emotions because it reminds me of what kind of world surrounds me. I like to think that I am a kind of person that can adjust well wherever I live. Unfortunately, in some cases that is not always good. My prayer recently is that God would continually break my heart for His people. Honestly, I'm not the most emotional person. If you catch me crying you know either something is really wrong or God's Spirit is moving within me like crazy! I had a very big Spirit moving day the other day. Yesterday we went to Rio 3. It was my first time to ever be there so the whole experience was new for me. There was a doctor that came with us so while we were there he did some check ups on people. There was one little girl who was 11 years old. Her name was Erica. We were told she had some problems with her ankles and feet and that it was some type of fungus. After the sweet girl was carried downstairs she clarified that she had been burned. Now the day we were there was Tuesday and the accident happened on Friday. Her mother told us that they went to a doctor right after it happened but they hadn't done anything sine then. This sweet little girl had the same bandages for 5 days. Removing the bandages was the worst part. Since they had been on so long they were almost glued to her skin. The doctor used water and some other stuff I don't know the name of along with scissors and tweezers to remove them. Once we finally had the burn exposed we were told it was a very bad 2nd degree burn. I felt so bad for this little girl. You could look into her eyes and just see how scared she was. Not only were her ankles and feet burned but there was also burn blister type things varying in different sizes on her feet. I can only imagine her thinking "are my feet ever going to look normal again?" I just sat there, helpless, not really knowing what to do but pray for her. As she sat in the chair crying while the doctor attended to her wound my heart just broke for her. I felt like I could have just pulled up a chair, sat right next to her, held her hand, and cried with her. Her sweet mother looked so concerned. My heart went out to this family. There is no way they would have been able to afford the proper care she really needed. After everything was rebandaged I asked the doctor how long a burn like this takes to heal and he said about two weeks but he also added that we were lucky we checked it when we did or she could of had major infections. He did add that her scaring will not be that bad either. When I heard this I felt such a sigh of relief. If only I knew how to express all my excitement for her in spanish! With God being our ultimate healer, this sweet girl doesn't have anything to fear. Its amazing to me how God works out certain details. When she got burned He knew there would be a doctor here that could take care of her, the proper medicine available for her, and a group of Americans with a huge heart to pray for her. What a blessing!

*I would have put pictures up of Erica but I actually did not take any. Please keep her in your prayers these next two weeks while her wounds are healing.

Church at Douglas

2009-02-15T14:43:00.000-08:00

Back2Back has been involved with Casa Hogar Douglas for many years. There is a capel on top of a hill at Douglas that looked like it hadn't been used in a very long time. Thoughts of what to do with the capel have been passed around. Jim and Bety Betcher stepped in with an incredible solution. WE SHOUDL START CHURCH AT DOUGLAS! Everyone was so pumped about the idea that we now have an 11 o'clock service every sunday with the wonderful kids at Casa Hogar Douglas. We are blessed to have a worship team and a variety of speakers. God has truely been blessing this Casa Hogar and believe me His Spirit is moving through the kids!

The AWESOME worship experience!

Sweet Antonio Garcia sharing God's Word.

We even have sunday school to the little ones! WHAT A BLESSING!

Wild at Heart

2009-02-11T10:04:00.000-08:00

A couple weekends ago some of the men including our teen boys on our campus went out for a Wild At Heart weekend. These young adventurous boys all went camping in the freezing cold. How they all survived I have no idea! Before the trip all the Jovens (teen boys) had to listen to a Wild at Heart CD that lasted about 3 hours. The CD talked about not being afraid to be a man and to do the activities that a man does when he is Wild at Heart. Juan (the leader of the trip) did a great job at incorporating these thoughts throughout the weekend. The boys had the opportunity to go rock climbing, repelling, and camping outdoors (for some of the boys this was their first time camping). At night they all sat around the campfire and had deep discussions about life and some of the older guys had the chance to share 'Wild at Heart' examples from their own life. Overall this weekend allowed the guys to have fun, be daring, brave, and wild while looking deeper into the heart of a Godly man.

Tono, Alonso, Rodo, Daniel, Jr., and Danny waiting for dinner. And since this trip had only guys on it. you know they ate meat for dinner.

All the guys going through the dinner line.

This is the tent where my dad, tono, danny, and daniel slept.

The guys hanging out by the fire.

getting ready to go rock climbing!!

My dad with my brother Tono, Danny, and Daniel!

outlet malls, target, sonic, OH MY!

2009-02-10T21:23:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday and Sunday me along with 7 other women from back2back took a road trip up to McAllen, Tx for a fun mini-weekend filled with shopping, chic-fil-a, SONIC, target, and lots more! it was so much fun to hang out with these women! im obsessed with all of them! there were many memories made on this trip (ones that we will be laughing about weeks from now). Nothing like a good ol' weekend bonding with some of the funnest women i know! LETS DO IT AGAIN SOON LADIES!!!

here are some highlights from the trip....

All of us at Chic-Fil-A!!!!!!

Becca sort of forgot that she has to take off the seat belt before putting on the shirt. haha.

Me and Becca kind of had a photo shoot. id like to show you the rest of the pictures but im sure you would think they are ridiculous. haha

El Retiro Juvenil

2009-01-22T12:02:00.000-08:00

Our Monday night bible study has decided to pray together over the children's homes, staff, teen homes etc. We have decided to start with ERJ and would like to invite you to pray with us over them for the next week.

Prayer Request:

1. New financial donors.
2. Wisdom for directors in making decisions.
3. Wisdom for students at school.
4. Resources to fix glass fridge ($300).
5. Money for gas and gasoline.
6. Money to pay debts and salaries.
7. Martha (the directors) health.
8. Food would be provided.

Thank you guys for coming along side of us providing care for today and hope for tomorrow to the sweet kids in Monterrey, Mexico.

El Limon

2009-01-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

This past week i had the opportunity to spend 5 days at a Children's Home about 5 hours away from here. We had a great college group with us from Grove City combined with 6 mexican girls from Kelly and Gabo's house. Together we accomplished many projects! It was an incredible week! At El Limon they are working on building a sports court to help bring in some income for the home. While we were there we helped put up a fence at the top of the wall of the court. I got to use a Jackhammer all week and i fell in love with it. we had to jackhammer 2 little holes and then 2 holes that had to be 2 feet deep. Me and my sweet friend Emily became pros at it! we starting becoming obsessed with the jackhammer and looking forward to using it everyday. This week we got to experience worship at El Limon. it was so much fun and something i will never forget. the love for God that the kids had was contagious!

Some of us out at ERJ's ropes course!!

The girls all ready for the leap of faith!

The love of my life for the week.

One day we took the group out to these hot springs. Me and Emily (red shirt) decided we weren't going to swim so we wore or jeans cause we heard there were lots of chiggers and stuff. well our bright idea kind of bit us in the butt when we found out we had to walk through water to get to the springs.

Oh the memories.

The fun Grove City gang playing their favorite ZIP BONG game!

All of us!!!!!!! THANK YOU GROVE CITY FOR AN INCREDIBLE WEEK! IT WAS A BLAST SERVING WITH YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!

Oh How I LOVE Beth Moore!!!

2009-01-15T08:33:00.000-08:00

So I recently started a bible study by Beth Moore called Esther. Fist of all it is incredible and I think all of you should do it, but yesterday while I was having my quiet time I came across a question that she had asked in the study and it kind of got me thinking....ok well just read all my thoughts.

She started off talking about how she didn't understand some things in the bible that God allowed to happen or that God did not intervene in. Her example was that she wanted God to stop and have an in-print fit about Jacob not only having two wives but also sleeping with their maidservants. She later asked the question if there was anything you could think of when you felt something similar to this. I sat there for a minute and thought to myself that there are many things God has done in the past that confuse me beyond belief! I always feel bad questioning Him cause I know He's got the whole world in His hands and I know sin and pain were introduced into the world because of the events that took place with Adam and Eve. But still God could have chosen to make the world a peaceful place and not allowed people to have two wives plus a little something extra on the side. Everything still could have been the perfect paradise. After thinking through all of this I decided that God did want to change the earth because He wants to test us. He wants to know if we are really in it for the long haul. If we really want to live a life for Him. Which its funny cause I already knew this, its just that when you start thinking that hello God created everything. He could have just saved all of us from starvation, pain, and war just by speaking. But if He had done that, we would not of had to opportunity to grow in Christ. Cause we would have already been in that place. I feel like i am just rambling on so i hope this is making some type of since. But because of the fact that God did not decide to make the world perfect and flawless, I decided that i am going to stop asking Why questions and start thinking of How answerers. Instead of asking why so many people hunger, i am going to feed the hungry, and instead of asking why there are so many orphans in the world, i am going to poor God's love out upon them, i will help the widows in their distress, I will trust that God has a plan and trust that He knows the big picture. My question will be answered one day, but until then what I can do is reach out into the world and be his hands and feet.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
-Matthew 28:19-20

GOODBYE JOHN AND CORRIE!!

2009-01-15T08:24:00.000-08:00

GOODBYE GUCK2! John and Corrie Guckenburger recently left Mexico to start a new journey with Back2back in Africa with their 3 sweet kids Sarah, Gus, and Sammy. John oversaw all the construction here for the teen homes, the school, and also the clinic. Corrie was involved a lot with the interns and she was also the market shopping queen! They lived here for 4 years and this community has been incredible blessed by this family. We all miss them so much!!!

Ginger bread houses!!!!

2008-12-23T10:53:00.000-08:00

Every year we make ginger bread houses with the boys. we make it into a competition. This year Becca and Rodo were the judges. Tono and Daniel's house game in first!! we all had a blast making them!
all of us girls with ours.
yes we do make our houses with graham crackers and hot glue guns. haha
Tono and Daniel having some fun while making theirs.

Girl Christmas Party!

2008-12-23T09:56:00.000-08:00

So for Christmas us girls decided instead of buying each other a present, we would draw each others name out of a hat and have it be more like a secret santa. No one knew who had who. it was fun trying to sneak around and buy the presents. On the night we celebrated Christmas we all had dinner together, went and saw the Women movie, then came home and opened presents while we had hot chocolate! it was a really fun night!

I drew Carolines Name. She is a huge Florida Gators fan so i made her a Gator towel and got her double stuffed oreos and some sparkling grape juice!
haha so first off Ruby is going to kill me for putting this up! but there is a guy here in monterrey that is an artist. we sell some of his painting in our market. anyways, he is beautiful so as a joke becca got this for Ruby with her christmas present. HELLO RAUL!
me and ruby with our reindeer ears! we were pumped about our Christmas party!

Santa's little helpers...

2008-12-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

September is when it all began. Becca, Caroline, and I started out taking pictures of every kid from every children's home and asking them what they wanted for Christmas. Ever since this time, any time the kids see us, they would always ask when Christmas was coming and every time we would answer with "when you see a group full of women, you will know Christmas is here." This past week the womens group came and it was the most incredible week I have been apart of. The week was insane! starting bright and early making 150 sugar cookies everyday, wrapping presents for 100 kids, buying presents and Christams trees, and then the best part....delivering them. The look on the kids faces when they finally had that gift in their hands was precious.

LDM looked like Santa's little workshop. it was awesome!!! the place was covered with presents!
Me, Becca, and my mom with some of the sweet kids from Imperio de Amor.
Pamela jumping up to grab her gift!! she was soo excited!
During this week we had to chance to take 3 children's homes, Rayitos de Luz , ERJ, and Douglas ice skating. Lets just say...every one fell at least once. it was a blast teaching these kids how to ice skate.
on the last night we had a Snow Ball dance for Manantial de Amor. Becca and I led some dances for the women and the kids. it was a blast! we all could have danced all night.

The group of women that i had the opportunity to spend the week with were so awesome! i feel like i have learned so much from them. stuff about life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. it was awesome to hear each of their stories and what all God was teaching them this week. This was truly one of my favorite weeks!

THANK YOU LADIES FOR AN AMAZING WEEK!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-12-06T08:25:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!!! you know, living in Mexico and being apart of this great ministry has made me realize I have more things to be thankful for than I ever knew. I am so thankful for the things i have been blessed with in my life. I have been blessed with an incredible family, friends, and a life i wouldn't trade for anything! This year, God has shown me how BIG He is and through Him i can accomplish anything. I am also thankful for my trip to Africa! What a blessing it was to go on that trip! I am so thankful that every day i get to invest in another child's life and show them the love that Christ has shown me. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Starbucks fun

2008-12-06T08:08:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure how many of you know this, but I am a major Starbucks fan. Surprise, Surprise! haha. well one night I decided to take a couple of the boys in our house out for some Starbucks. It was really cold here in Monterrey, Mexico and I thought it would be fun, especially because they have all their Christmas decorations up. Sergio, Danny, Ruby, and I went and when we got there we found out that Danny had never been to Starbucks. He acted like a little kid in a candy store. He kept asking Sergio what he should get, what size, and what all the fancy coffee words ment. When it was time to go Danny kept asking if we could stay longer. Ever since this little Starbucks adventure Danny, and the rest of the boys in the house, have been asking when I am going to take them out to Starbucks.

High School Musical 3!!!

2008-11-10T21:28:00.000-08:00

we took the girls from Manantial de Amor to the premier of High School Musical 3!! the girls loved it!!! it was definitely one of the highlights of my week!

La boca boats!

2008-11-10T21:21:00.001-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUBY!! a couple of us went out to a lake called La Boca to celebrate Ruby's birthday. we ate subway, some sang, and we danced. it was a really fun night!

Vamos TIGRES!!!

2008-11-10T21:15:00.000-08:00

a bunch of us went to a Tigres game the other day. they are a well none soccer team in Monterrey. sadly they lost this game but we still had a blast!

THIS IS AFRICA!!!!

2008-10-28T17:53:00.000-07:00

I can now officially say I went to Africa and made it home to tell all my stories! So this past week was the GREATEST WEEK OF MY LIFE!!! I learned a lot about God, a lot about my self, a lot about His plan for my future, and a lot about AFRICANS!

I could go on and on about so many stories but I am only going to share a few that really stick out in my mind.

While we were there we worked with a children's home named C.L.A.F. (sorry i dont remember what it stand for). There are about 20 cute little adorable African kids that stay here. The kids in C.L.A.F. have been affected by AIDS, either one or both of their parents have died from it, but thankfully, only a couple of the kids have AIDS. C.L.A.F. is set up a little differently than the children homes in Mexico. It is a school for the children so they only stay there monday-friday and on the weekends they are home with whatever relative or friend is around to take care of them.
I got to meet the most ADORABLE little boy at C.L.A.F. He started going to the school about a week before we showed up so we were the first American group he got to experience. His name is Johana. He is 6 years old and does not know any English. Now yes English is the primary language is Nigeria but they also speak Haussa (i have no idea how to spell that), so the only language he knew was Haussa and his tribal language. The teachers do teach them in English so he is learning it but most of the time he had NO idea what i was saying to him. When i first met him he was real quiet and didnt have much facial expressions. By the end of our first day bonding together he had the biggest smile and was laughing like crazy! I WAS OBSESSED WITH HIM!!! His mother died giving birth to him and his dad is a police officer who is home when he is not out with women. the rest of the week he was my buddy. anytime i would see him he would run up and give me a huge hug!!! i wanted to bring him home with me so bad!
One day we did an outreach with the C.L.A.F. kids and a near by village. well the outreach was out at the village and in the villages there are no bathrooms. and of course, i had to go. so me and my mom grabbed the sheet and headed out to find a bush to squat by. as we were walkin out there trying not to have everyone notice us, i hear a little voice yelling "AUNTY, AUNTY!" (which is what the kids called the women, they called the men uncle.) when i turned around there was little Johana standing in the grass without shoes on. i grabbed some oranges out of my bag thinking that is what he wanted cause he put them in there earlier. but he said no and just stared at me. he just didnt want me to leave him! so of course i picked him up and carried him out with us to the squating bush. i cleared a little area for him to stand on so his feet would be ok. while me and my mom were trying to use the bathroom, he proceeded to tell us and point out all the bugs that were around us. it was hilarious and a great bonding experience for us! i could go on and on about this sweet little boy. like his crazy dancing skills, the dramatic haircut he had to get, his singing, his sweet smile, and his very unique personality. but i would never be able to describe to you how much i fell in love with this boy. i think about him all the time and pray for him constantly! He is the only thing that has been on my mind since iv been back. i wish i could just go give him the biggest hug ever right now! but unfortunately we are MILES apart. i love this boy to death and CANNOT WAIT till i can see him again!!!

while i was there i also had the chance to meet a sweet girl named Abigail. she was a teacher and the childrens home we worked with. she is so awesome! she also reminds me of my best friend Ashlee (i think thats why we became bff in like 2 days). she has a huge heart for the deaf. she said she feels like people just neglect them. so she volunteers at a deaf school and church. it was cool the see the passion she has for them. we hanged out a lot that week. it was really sad leaving. but we did exchange emails and now email a lot! its been really fun! she told me she wants to see the world. i was like we were ment to be friends! she is also Johana's teacher. so we had a blast playing and laughing with him!
Africa was exactly what i thought it would be a so much more! God taught me so much while i was there. i came home with more questions than i ever imagined but im ok with not having all the answers. i know that God has it all planned out. i am a firm believer that God has ordained all of our days and knew all of them before we ever came to be so i know he knew that i would meet johana and abigail last week. it has been apart of His plan since the beginning. what will come of that, im not sure, but im excited to find out!

here are some pics from my trip:

Katey and Rene's Wedding!!!

2008-10-14T20:34:00.000-07:00

A sweet couple that works with our ministry got married this weekend! it was the sweetest wedding EVER! they did an awesome job at tying in all the American traditions and all the Mexican traditions. during the ceremony they had different times when someone would give them something with significance. for example, one couple gave them a bible to signify their new life together being centered around God and His word, another couple gave them coins to signify that their life would be full of riches. that the groom would always be able to support his bride. they also were "lassoed." this signified that their lives would be together from that moment on. they were now one. it was really sweet. after the sweet ceremony, the party started! now when there is a wedding in Mexico, there is going to be salsa dancing...and lots of it!! Mexicans love parties, especially if it is a wedding! we danced from 730-130 in the morning. a couple breaks to eat of course. but most of it was all dancing! which i loved!! I'm pretty sure Katey and Rene had a blast at their wedding!

MEET OUR COMMUNITY!

2008-10-14T20:23:00.000-07:00

These are all the beautiful young men and women in our Hope Program right now. We have 5 houses on our campus now and are adding another one here very soon!

This is our COMMUNITY!
This ministry would not be possible without each one of these wonderful people!
(can you find me? im the one with the really dark hair.)

American football!!

2008-10-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

We went to an American Football game at one of the Universities in Monterrey. It was a little different experience than football in the U.S. but it still was a blast!

Its almost here.....AFRICA!

2008-10-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

In two weeks i will be jumping on a plane and flying to the other side of the world to a place i have always dreamed of going! I'M GOING TO AFRICA! I am SUPER excited to see what God has in store for me but at the same time (for some odd reason) extremely nervous about this trip! This has been a dream of mine for many years and the thought that I am leaving for Africa in like 2 weeks gets my heart pounding! I'm not really sure what I am going to do once I step out of the plane and finally stand IN AFRICA! Oh gosh I get chills just thinking about it!

Some prayer request:

-Travel safety. This has been one of my biggest fears. I am terrified to fly over the ocean! I love flying but not for a long period of time- 3 hours is about my limit before I start getting anxious and this flight is going to be a little longer than 3 hours.

-That I will be open to whatever the Lord has to say to me and that I will be able to hear Him clearly. I have a million and a half questions for God and I am hoping to get some answered during this trip.

-Protection for the team. That God keeps us safe while we are serving his people in Africa. NO MALARIA!!!

-That I will just be able to soak up and embrace every moment while I am in Africa!!!

-There are so many emotions going through my mind right now that it is hard for me to stay focused while I'm here in Mexico. Pray that I continue to stay open to whatever the Lord has called me to do while I'm here in Monterrey, Mexico.

Thank you guys for all your love and support!! I'M GOING TO AFRICA!!

STINT ACADEMY

2008-09-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

Here is the STINT Academy of 2008.

Me, Jay, Becca, and Caroline.

Together--we accomplish many things.

Hope in eyes of two little boys

2008-09-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

Two days ago we took the kids at Rayitos de Luz on a field trip to a place called Kidzania. A group from FCS's James Fund came along side us on this fun adventure. The place was incredible! it was like a mini-world for the kids. They got to get drivers license, be firefighters, veterinarians, work in McDonalds and Wal-mart, and so many other places. I'm not gonna lie, I wanted to do it with them but unfortunately you have to be like age 10 or younger. Anyways, at these places you would either pay to play or they would pay you -like a real job. At the end of the day what money the kids had left they could spend in this little store. We were running out of time and Antonio - the captian of Rayitos de Luz (he is also on staff with B2B) - told us that it was time to go so we needed to hurry the kids up. Most of the kids did great. They bought what they wanted and were ready to go. But there were two little brothers named Brayan and Jose who just could not decide on what they wanted. They decided they were going to put their money together and try and buy something big which was hard cause it was set up like Chucky Cheese to were if you wanted some stickers they were 50 tickets. Brayan and Jose finally decided on what they wanted and
went to pay for it and how these little 6 yr olds and figured it in their heads was that the money they dont spend they get to take home, but when they paid, the lady took all of their money because the kids are not allowed to keep the money. The boys did not understand that and came out bawling! Now its hard enough for me to understand spanish but when there is a little 6 yr old boy crying and trying to speak spanish, it makes it a lot more harder. Luckily there were a couple people in the group that were fluent so I asked one of the guys what was going on and he explained to me and the boys wanted the extra money to give to their mom and now that the lady had taken it, they had nothing for her. The boys didnt realize that it was just play money. It broke my heart in a thousand pieces to hear that. All these 6 yr old boys wanted was to help their mom by giving her money. Since none of us could get enough courage to tell the boys it was just play money, a guy from the group went into the little store and asked the lady if we could have the money back, after a couple minutes of arguing with the lady, he got it back and gave each of the boys some money. Now, that little bit of play money did not fix all of Brayan and Jose's problems, but it did show them that there are people out there that will fight for them and that love them the way Christ meant for us to love.

I have fallen in love with these two boys and their sisters. Juanita-Brayan-Jose-Fany. Those kids are precious and gifted and I fully believe that God will bless them and do incredible things with their lives. I cannot wait to hang out with them again and love on them they way Christ loves on me.

Fany-Juanita-Jose-Brayan

whistle while you work...

2008-09-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

Every morning we have a meeting on the porch at 8. Some days are tougher than others but either way, there is a meeting on the porch at 8. This is the time we find out what projects we are doing that day. Here are some pictures of some projects were did.

<- Me and Caroline (STINTer). our job was to clean out the big freezers.

<- here is me and Becca (another STINTer) spraying Fendona in the school. we had to do this all over the property.

Other projects we have done are put up cabnet doors, put covers on outlets, paint doors, pack over 20 mattresses in one little room including all the bunk beds they were on, scrubbing a pool, and washing many bathing suits. The best part is....we have loved every minute of it!

We have been here for over a week now and have already visited 4 Childrens homes, drove out to the airport, got lost on our way back, and pretty much toured all of Monterrey. We could tell you how to get to home depot, plaza la silla, including the Christian bookstore inside of it, and where Skateland is located.

While we were driving around for hours looking for the childrens home, we discovered why everyone says its hard to receive mail down here. Some streets down here dont even have a name. The streets on the map that we had did not always match up with the streets on the side of road. it was super confusing but when you are in Mexico you have to learn to be flexible. Thats why we all call it Flexico Mexico.

a new beginning.

2008-08-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

I am officially living in Mexico. Something I never thought I would be doing at age 20. I am so excited about this next year and what all is in store for me. Honestly, I have no idea what is in store for me, but whatever it is, I am excited for it! This is a new journey in my life. I am super excited about it!

*One thing I learned this summer is that our God is extremely huge. He has no limits. There is nothing He cannot do. He has a love for His people and this earth that we are not able to comprehend. Now, I know we hear that all the time, but really think about it, God is huuuuuuuge. Just think about the earth and all that is within it and that it was all created in 7, no im sorry, 6 days. Now I dont know about you but I cant even finish a homework assignment in 6 days let alone create a planet full of water, trees, animals, insects, and humans, each one having their own specific purpose. It just blows my mind. And on top of being a world creator, my God heals the sick, comforts the lonely, protects the abandon children, loves on the widow, defends the weak, breaks the prideful, and is ALWAYS with us. Man, we serve an amazing God. This year I have the opportunity to serve in Africa for a week. Serving in Africa has been a dream of mine since I was in high school. I have all my shots, the paper work is all filled out, passport has been sent off to get my visa, everything is almost ready, now im not leaving till Oct. 17, but the more and more I pray and think about this trip, the more and more God has taught me how real, and tangible, and huge He really is. This year I am so excited to be used by God in whatever way He needs me. I am His hands and feet. I cannot wait to express to the people of Mexico and Africa how huge my God is, and why He loves me and them so much.

*Every morning when I step outside, my first view are these huge beautiful mountains. They were not build by man, you cant find the blueprints for them, or the planning document things for them, they were built by the hands of an all mighty God that built you, me, and everything else in this crazy world. Looking at those mountains is as if God is saying, "I have created so much beauty in this world for you, because I love you that much."

*The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.*

-Paul Valery

Another summer day has come and gone away.

2008-08-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

WOW this summer has FLOWN by! I had the opportunity to be a nanny for a family that works with Back2Back Ministries this summer. I had a blast! My days were filled with slap-jack games, tarantula hunting, video games, cup-cakes, Nerf gun wars, playing in the "quicksand" after it rained, and lots of swimming! This summer God has taught me a lot about Him and who I am in Him. I made awesome new friends that blessed my life this summer. I am really excited to see what this next year holds. I know God is going to do amazing things with this ministry and I am so excited to be apart of it! Here are some highlights from the summer: