More Mexico :)

After much prayer and thought I have committed to stay in Monterrey for at least 2 more years to work with B2B Ministries!!! Yay! I'm excited. I've seen the Lord move in so many ways these past two years that it blows my socks off! After our Mexico B2B director came to me and asked me to commit for 2 more years I began to pray... these past two years I have seen God move in so many ways and my heart continues to be excited for ministry here. He has awakened in me a heart for prayer like never before and I've seen Him answer in specific ways. Ministry in the Rio is booming, relationships are being built there, and He is invisioning my heart for so much more that He wants to accomplish in that place. God has given me opportunities to use my teaching skills in the children's homes and I love it! My Spanish is daily increasing and I so enjoy learning more about Mexico and it's culture... As I was praying I felt the Lord showing me these things and simply confirming to my heart that He has more planned for me to do here. It is not over yet :) There is not a doubt in my mind that the Lord wants me here some more... So friends, please continue to pray for me. Next year is going to look a little different (as always!). I will not be working in SMCA at all, but focusing more time on the Rio, on children's ministry, on prayer, and other areas as well. While there is a part of me that is saddened by not teaching in school, I feel a real peace about this change and have already seen the Lord using my teaching skills elsewhere. I think this next year will be one of the Lord training me in leadership and other areas of ministry. I am excited to learn. Thank you all for your continued partnership and prayers as my life turns corners. Who knows what lies ahead? I don't... but I trust in the God who does. Stay tuned... :)

Last days of SMCA

Here are some pictures from our last few days of school. We had a great year together studying Botany and ancient world history.

Here we are making the cover for our SMCA time capsule. Some of our original SMCA students are moving to Cancun next year. I thought a time capsule would be a great way to end our time together. Each student filled a ziplock bag with momentos, pictures, and letters to themselves in 10 years. Together we put the time capsule in the ground and covered it with this mosaic. We all decided we would meet back in 10 years to open it together!!! (notice my wonderful boyfriend helping with the art project. He also was the one who finished the time capsule, along with many other projects I start and then don't know how to finish ... what would I do without you Cheque???)

Here we are on a Botany fieldtrip. My 4 students and myself went to a local park with a stream to have a picnic lunch and look for plants! It was really fun.

Botany scavenger hunt!

My very studious students studying a plant for a nature journaling project.

Josh with his pastry booth at Ancient Roman Market Day. At the end of the unit each student created goods that would have been sold in Ancient Rome for our market. It was a huge success :)

The iron goods booth.

Chloe at the pottery booth.

Miss Beth buying some sandles from Corinna.

Ben the money changer.

All of us Ancient Romans!!!

Snake Toys

If anyone out there thinks life is dull, you need to move here! There is always something new to experience. One day, a few weeks ago, we had finished up at the soup kitchen and I was talking with some ladies when I noticed a commotion outside. This is what I saw....

Yup. That's a snake ... it was dead, but still really big! Someone had found and killed it and was now showing it off. The kids were all touching it and holding it. For my one little buddy, Jesus, (the boy in the picture) he had found a new play thing. He toted that dead snake around for the next hour playing with it, petting it, holding it. I asked Cheque if that wasn't kinda strange to do... I mean, play with a dead snake? Cheque reminded me that these kids hardly ever get new toys. They are used to being creative and playing with whatever they can find... this was a perfect example. As for Jesus, he was perfectly content :) To end the story, later Milagros (the girl the the first picture) told me that they might go home and fry the snake up for dinner... I guess that is one way to be resourceful :)

Lives Sweetened with the Fruit of the Spirit

Well, the school year ended terrifically with the close to our unit on the fruit of the Spirit in the Rio. After talking for weeks on end about the Holy Spirit and each fruit He gives us, we decided to end with an illustration of what our lives look like with and without those fruits. We had about 50 kids present that day and all eyes were glued on the activity. Beforehand I had bought several fruits and labeled each with a spiritual fruit given by the Spirit (ex. Pear labeled "faith", pineapple as "peace", etc.). I also had bought some not-so-good-tasting foods, like onion, jalapeño, and garlic and labeled those with opposites to the fruit of the Spirit (ex. onion labeled "fear"). We also had two blenders labeled "my life". One of the gals helping me out that day told stories describing the lives of two children... one listened to the Holy Spirit when making decision and the other did not. As she told the stories we began adding ingredients to the smoothies. One blender was full of the "fruits of the Spirit" and the other full of foul tasting combinations. At the end we blended everything up and ask for volunteers to try each "life". With squeals several kids tried both the bad and good tasting smoothies.... the point was clearly demonstrated :) Our lives our so much sweeter with the fruit of the Spirit in them!!!!

The children watching as the smoothies are being made.

Fruits and blenders labeled for the activity.

Our courageous volunteer trying the "life without the Holy Spirit" smoothie.

Maru and I preparing Fruit of the Spirit smoothies for the kids.
Nubia coloring a tree with the Fruit of the Spirit.

Our Awesome God!

Okay, I just had to put up these pictures of the mountains in front of and behind where I live. Isn't our God so cool!!!??? Wow! I am constantly shocked by our creator.

Came out to run one morning and saw this fog rolling in...

A sunset view from the front of our property.

A lover of God...who sometimes ministers to the poor

The title of this blog post is the title I want over my life. A few days ago us staff women had a evening of prayer and worship. I was feeling disconnected from the Lord, burdened by the work I had to do, overwhelmed by problems in the areas I minister, etc... In the midst of one of the worship songs, I had the sudden feeling that the Lord was trying to speak to me... I was overwhelmed with a sense of the Holy Spirit and in my heart I heard His kind voice say, "Your relationship with Me is more important than your ministry."... Those words echoed off the walls of my heart... "Your relationship with Me is more important to Me than your ministry."... He wants me, more than He wants my work for Him? He desires relationship with me more than He desires that I serve in the Rio, teach at SMCA, organize prayer meetings, etc... On the grand scheme these things don't matter... it is me (and you) that He finds important. He wants that we be lovers of Him first and foremost. He desires that we be defined by our relationship with Him first, then by whatever else it is we do... that is the priority order. Him first.

I want to love God more! I want to be so consumed with His love for me that I am compelled to share it with others through my actions and words!... Not to share His love from duty, but from the overflow of a vibrant relationship with Him.

Oh, Lord woo our hearts! Change our perspectives and our priorities. Show your Bride that you love her first. That You desire her to be define by Your love for her.

Who am I? I am my Beloved's and His desire is for me (Song of Solomon 7:10). What do I do? I love God... and occasionally minister to the poor. Amen.

Spa Day at the Rio

A few weeks ago God laid on my heart a message about holiness in Christ to share with the Rio women. I began sketching out the lesson with the help of my Spanish teacher and friend, Priscila. I wasn't sure when I would share the message until Priscila came up with the idea to have a women's day with the Rio ladies. We began working and planning and soon after went to the Rio with a group of college folks to host a spa day for the women.

The men in the group cared for the kids and did some work around the comedor while the group ladies helped the Rio women with the spa day. We brought with us various cleansers and makeup items for the ladies to use. Priscila led a class where she taught the ladies how to clean their faces, moisturize, and apply makeup all the while connecting what they were physically doing with what God is capable of doing spiritually in their hearts. After the makeup I shared with the women about how Christ sees them; about how they are called "holy" when Jesus dwells in their lives. After helping them understand that Christ calls them Temples of the Holy Spirit, clean, pure, and beautiful I challenged the ladies to begin treating themselves according to this truth... and along with that, to treat others according to this truth.

One big problem I have seen in the Rio community is a mentality that does not see value. Many of these ladies do not see themselves as worthy of being treated well or with honor. As a result they often let themselves be mistreated by husbands and boyfriends and even mistreat themselves. Often they cannot love their neighbors because they do not love themselves. The spa day turned out to be a great success!!! The ladies had TONS of fun putting on makeup, cracking jokes, and just being pampered. Having the kids entertained by the men in the group was also a welcomed break to these moms. Several of the group ladies shared testimonies about keeping their lives pure and holy... and I can only hope the Rio women were affected. I didn't see much response while I was teaching, but was encouraged by the way they listened and am praying that the truth of how Christ sees them continues to sink in. Please continue to pray for these Rio ladies.

The Rio ladies cleaning faces.

Tere laughing as she scrubs and moisturizes her hands.

One of the group gals helping to apply eye shadow.

Here I am teaching!!! (Praise Jesus for sooo much grace with Spanish!!!)