Purple flowers

Yes, I spent the afternoon making purple, tissue paper and celophane flowers. It was fun. I made so many. Actually, let me go count so I can be more specific.....................................

31, 31 GINORMOUS purple, tissue paper and celophane flowers. I had good help though. Lolita, Jade, and Aaileya kept me company. You know what they say, "many hands makes light work".

Ana's 2 sisters, her son, and her nephew all arrived this week. The group from CA left on Friday of last week. Within the hour a very dear family, the Nauerts, should be arriving. Tomorrow Rochelle arrives. On friday a dear friend, Adrian also arrived for a visit. Adrian used to live on the ranch, actually he lived with my family for almost 4 years. It has been a huge blessing to have him and his friend, Jose, here with us. They've been a huge help.

Earlier this week my friend Marissa stopped in as well. She also brought two cousins and two friends. The cousins , Jessice and Eli, are wonderful christians from Los Mochis. The friends are Petra (a wonderful girl I've known for a long time) and her friend Christy. Both these girls work for a school for the deaf and blind in Los Mochis. It was such a blessing to have them here.

So as I said we've been getting ready for Friday. The theme verse this year is Matthew 1o:22b, "mas el que persevere hasta el fin, se salvara".......... I'm not going to translate it into english. I want you to do your homework!!!!! ;)

Please pray that the Lord would ordain all the speakers on Friday. We hope that it will be a day that will bless and refresh everyone involved.

Roshon, Dan and Ana's daughter, is back on the ranch now as well. She was in Montana for about a month visiting friends. Its so good to have her and her beautiful children back with us.

Paul and Pam Cooper will be leaving on Monday for a visit to the states. We will miss them while they're gone!!!!!

As for those of you who are asking what keeps my days busy.... I don't rightly know. What I do know is that I attend biblestudies constantly (such a blessing). I translate, help with worship, and all that good stuff. Upon returning to the ranch there is also a list of things that must be done. But praise the Lord for His goodness, He knows that we need time to clean as well.

Ps. the girls in the pic at the top are (from left to right) Marilu, Lolita, and myself of course! My dear sisters, I love them so. They make my days here happy ones!

Hi

Hi Everybody,

Hope you're all well.

I'm doing great. Here is the weekly schedule. Please mind there are a million other things that aren't on the list.

Monday: is the only day that we don't leave te ranch for a biblestudy. We spend it cleaning, doing laundry, grocery shopping, that kind of stuff. There is always, always, cleaning to do here.

Tuesday: In the morning there is a ladies biblestudy in Osobompo at 10. Osobompo is a town about 10 minutes away. It is also where the main church building is. Then monday evening we head to Tesia. Tesia is a town outside of Navojoa. Quite a large town. Tesia is the largest midweek study. Along the way we pick up many, many people in the bible bus who join us for the study. After the study we head over to a taco stand owned by one of the believers. I think that may be one of my favorite parts!! This week I was blessed with the opportunity to translate the biblestudy into english for the group from CA. The study was from Acts,when Paul was shipwrecked. A wonderful study.

Wednesday: In the morning there is a ladies biblestudy in Mocuzari. Mocuzari is a little fishing village down the road from Osobompo. Mocuzari is a very dark place. The Christians there are under much persecution. Then Wednesday afternoon we make the 1 hour and 30 minute drive(atleast) to San Antonio. It's a long drive, about half of it is on a dirt road.

Thursday morning we have a ladies biblestudy in English here on the ranch. It is a sweet time of fellowship for those of us white people to come together and worship. Thursday evening we return to Mocuzari once again. This time for a biblestudy for everyone. This thursday night (last night) the mission group from CA did a mini VBS with the kids. They probably had around 50 kids. It was really sweet. Hopefully the children will go home and share what they've learned with their parents.

Friday morning there is no biblestudy believe it or not. In the afternoon we head to Las Minitas, which is about an hour away. Las Minitas is one of my favorite places, they people there are so sweet.

Saturday we do not have any off premise biblestudies. Everyone on the ranch comes together for lunch and then the weekly meeting. We talk about problems, concerns, praises, anything that happened during the week.

Sunday morning we leave at 7 am in the bible bus and drive into Navojoa. We stop and pick up many people along the way to the study. We're usually home by 11:30. Then we rest until we have to leave for the evening study, in Osobompo, at 4:30.

Every morning at 7am we also have devotions here in the Jones' house. It has been such a blessing to me to start the day out with worship and prayer.

The current residents of the ranch are:

Dan and Ana Jones. Lolita and Marilu, and myself are also here in the "Casa Grande" with them.

The Jones' daughter, Roshon, also lives here with her two beautiful children, Aaileya and Obed.

Jo and Jerry Farabough live right next door in their 5th wheel several months out of the year.

Ana's mother, father, and aunt also live on the ranch.

The Coopers live down front by the road. They're a wonderful couple from S. Carolina.

Malena, her son, Irwing, and her husband Josefren live in my old house. Josefren works in the mine and Malena helps Ana with pretty much everything.

Rojelio (Ana's nephew) and his wife, Carla, live down by the road. They are a huge help here on the ranch. Rojelio is Dan's right hand man. Carla teaches studies and contributes as well. Let's see......... I hope I didn't foget anyone....

Ps. the guy on the cabinet is Rojelio!

Love ya'll!

Finally Here

Hola Everyone!

Just wanted to let ya'll know that I'm safe and sound in MX.
Since arriving on Tuesday I've been nonstop busy. The trip down was uneventful. I spent three hours in the Las Vegas airport, not my favorite part of the trip :(

I've already accomplished several major goals. I've had tacos and rancheritos (spicy chips)!!!!!!!

Yesterday I went to two biblestudies. One in a village called Mocuzari. There were quite a few women there. Such a blessing to see them all. Especially one lady named, Dahlia. Last year when I was here she was pregnant. This time around I got to meet her beautiful baby girl. Then yesterday evening I accompanied Ana to a study in Alamos, the closest city (large town) to the ranch. This was also a ladies study. Most of the ladies that come, actually all of them, are related to Ana is so way.

This morning we have a study in English and then we will head in to Navojoa. Navojoa is the larger city that is close to the ranch. We will be going to visit a very needs family with many children.

On that note my friends, I need to run. God bless!!!! I will try to update again as soon as possible. Love ya'll!

ready, set, GO!

Ok, so here it goes.
10:21 pm.
3 suitcases stuffed to the rim and zipped on the floor next to me. They all weigh under 50lbs.
A super awesome, very heavy, backpack on the bed next to me.
My !pod is charging.
My phoneis charging.
I've got my wallet, my passport, underwear, and my bible. What else do I need?
I updated my facebook status, preboarded online, and now here I am.
Today my wonderful church body prayed over me. I was blessed with the opportunity to worship with them all one more time. Atleast once more for quite a long while. I can't wait til heaven! There we'll be able to worship together for eternity. I received so many wonderful embraces and farewell wishes. I am truly going to miss them all something fierce. I have been so blessed with such wonderful friends and family all over the world :)

So, tomorrow at 8am we hit the pavement. First stop; Reignbows End. We have to drop Sonora off. Then the long, boring drive to Tulsa. My flight takes off at 12:05. I stop in Vegas for some fun before arriving in Tucson. I'll meet Jerry and Jo at the airport there, then we'll head to the hotel. Tuesday morning after dropping Jerry at the airport Jo and I will head south towards the border. Tacos, here I come!!!

I want to thank everyone once more (i'm sure I'll say this again). Thank you so much for your prayers, they are such a blessing to me. I am so excited to see what the Lord has in store!!!!!!

Peace out :)

Perfection

Yes, perfection! Perfection has entered my life today. I received the most gloriuos, amazing, and perfect going away present today. I didn't know it was possible to acheive such perfection!

Below are pics of the splendid gift presented to me by the heroic Freeman family. Yes, it had peanut M&M's in it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Annoying

Yes, annoying.... I find certain things very annoying. It must be the OCD part of my personality. Things that annoy me include: dishes in the sink, a dirty bathroom, clothes on the floor, dogs who bark excessively, people who litter, people who blare their music too loud...... etc, etc, etc, I could go on forever. One of the things that annoys me the most those is when you're hanging right in between perfect health and being sick as a dog... I hate it when you're tired, achy, and foggy. When you feel bad but not bad enough to give in. You have determined that you're not sick enough to be 'sick' but doing your normal activities are excruciating . Anyway, I suppose I should stop complaining.

On a brighter note I am making progress with the packing. I'm working on filling up my 2nd suitcase right now. I think I'm going to end up having plenty of space.
I've also been working on cleaning out my room. Today I conquered all the junk drawers. Alot of it went in the trash! The rest of it was put in one small drawer.

I found out the other day that my dear friend Marilu, from Mexico, will be getting married this year! This will be my first bridesmaid experience. I added a couple of bride magazines to my suitcase, I'm sure we'll get a chance to giggle over them.

Tonight I get a night on the town with the Freeman girls!!!!! fun, fun, fun

Take care everybody!

"I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?".
2 Cor 12:15

This is the verse that my mom shared last night with the ladies group. It is quite a challenging verse. Are we willing to spend? Are we willing to spend our time, our money, our spiritual knowledge to serve others?
The apostle Paul was willing to spend, he was spending his life for the Corinthians. For the furtherment of the gospel.

The NAS says:
"And I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls............
To be expended is to be consumed, compelled, taken over. Are we being consumed by Jesus? Are we consumed by a desire to serve Him with our everything?

"So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us". 1 Thess 2:8
Not only the gospel but our own selves........... Are you, am I, are we giving of our own selves? Is everything we are, everything we have, everything we need, want, think available to the cause of Christ?

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church". Col 1:24

" I am speaking the truth in Christ- I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit- that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kindsmen according to the flesh". Romans 9:1-3
Paul was willing to give up his very salvation for those who were perishing...... He was willing to be seperated from God for all eternity for others..... I can't say that. Can you?

Last but not least returning to 2 cor it says, " I will MOST GLADLY"...................
Our sacrifice, our obedience is not complete if it is not done most gladly. God judges the heart. I do firmly believe that if we choose to be consumed, to obey, if we give over completely to His will, He will change our hearts. He will teach us to be joyful, to gladly do things that cost us, that spend our bodies and our minds.

So, friends, let's be spent. Let's come to an end of ourselves for our Jesus. Does He not deserve it?