no internet

Well the world of modern technology is wonderful, simply splendid. You can communicate with people on every continent, at any hour, within second. Modern technology, more specifially the internet, leaves unlimited info at your finger tips. With a strike of the keys you can find out anything about anybody or anything. Modern technology does nothing but better one's life, except........... EXCEPT WHEN IT BREAKS.............. Yes people, there is no internet on the ranch right now. We have been stranded for a week now. But help is on the way :) Dan and Ana should be home on Wednesday. Dan will save the day.
So everybody, that is why I have not been online or been able to update the blog. I'm very sorry.
I have to admit that good came right along with the bad. Not having internet this week was a way for the Lord to get through to me. I had to deal with some things on my own that I usually would have gone to my mom with or to my best friends with. Instead of getting a shoulder to cry on I had to fight through and wait on the Lord. Several days ago I would have said that this week was a serious set back, a waste of time. I would have told you that I failed in so many ways. I would have shared my many mistakes, my hard-headedness, and my spiritual blindness. I would have admitted to being a complete failure and would have said that I hated myself. I'm still not so sure about the last part, I'm still hitting myself. But anyway........ I went through a horrible week. I was done, ready to throw in the towel. Til it hit me.............. I am nothing. NOTHING. I am a pile of trash, dust. I am incapable of being holy, righteous, and just. I am full of faults. I am a sinful creature. That is the point. That is the point that I need to come to. I am nothing without my savior. I am nothing without His mercies that renew every morning. I need them to renew every morning. I cannot go through a day without needing those mercies. I cannot do anything good, or great, period. It has to be Him. It has to be His love, His joy, His strength, His wisdom. Nothing else is enough, nothing else is worth it. And I cannot experience the fullness of Him or understand the greatness of it until I understand the patheticness of my own situation.

"For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God has closen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things that are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things that are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ........." 1 Cor 1
"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being of ourselves, but our suffiency is of God". 2 Cor 3

So, the Lord can't truly work in me or through me until I understand that. Until I understand that I need Him for EVERYTHING.
I know that this seems like such a simple concept. It is one that every good christian understads. It is one that I have shared on in devotionals. These are words of wisdom that I've shared with many a sister of Christ. Only now am I truly understanding the depth and the pain of the those words. Only now am I understanding the process that one must go through. Only now am I realizing that I didn't truly recognize the ugliness of my flesh. Only now am I realizing that I truly know nothing. This has left me feeling like a prideful,arrogant, blind sinner. But it is also leaving me in awe of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. My wretchedness is hidden by His abounding love and mercy.
Please pray that I will continue to keep my eyes on Him. When I take my eyes off Him and look at myself I come away discouraged and downtrodden.
Ok, everyone, sorry if this entry was a bit confusing...... I'm still working it all out myself. But I know that God is good, that's what matters.
Next update will have pics and more 'news'.
Blessings upon ya'll!

:)

Hey Everyone!
I hope that this post finds you all well and blessed.
To start off here's some pics from sunday school on Tuesday nights. These two little boys are brothers. On tuesday nights the class consists of around 15 kids, all jam-packed into a bedroom. The adults study is held outside the house. The kids range from 7 months to 12 years old usually. Lolita does a phenomenal job of caring for them and keeping them entertained.
The children's ministry has been heavy on Pastor Dan's heart for a while now. He wants to see it be more effective. We want to not only care for the children but also teach them. Please pray that the Lord would guide and inspire this aspect of the ministry. There are SO MANY children in the congregation and in the villages that we visit weekly!



Here is Elliot, dear Elliot. Elliot is Marilu's younger brother. He recently came from a children's home in Hermosillo. He stayed at the ranch for a while visiting and is now at Casa Providencia in Navojoa. We pray that he will learn and grow both in his spiritual walk and in maturity while at Casa Providencia. Please do keep Casa Providencia in your prayers. They are a very special ministry that the Lord is using mightily. They have 3 separate houses on campus; 1 for girls, 1 for boys, and 1 for smaller children. Casa Providencia's main goal isn't simply to care for the children but to show them Christ's love. They also teach their children to work, be responsible, and also to respect. Please, please pray for Elliot. Pray that he would take advantage of the opportunity being given to him at Casa Providencia.

This is our wonderful fish project :) The pool below is our newest addition to the project and has be christened, "Big Blue".

While Dan and Ana are stateside it's up to me to keep the fish and vegetation alive. Please pray God's mercy on me...... Maybe a bit of wisdom as well. I would like to not only keep the fish alive for Dan but also have them thriving when he returns.

This next pic I couldn't help but adding. I found these flowers growing by our gravel pile down by the fish project. I find it so awesome to see how beauty grows in the desert. These flowers just popped up out of the cracked and dry ground. Not two feet away from them is a prickly thorn bush.These flowers are such an example of Christ's love. He can take nothing, dry, parched, dirt and make something beautiful!

gone

Hi Everyone!

So, Dan and Ana are gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They left yesterday morning for the states. They'll be gone around 3 weeks. Please praying that the Lord owuld bless their time. But pray even harder that those here on the ranch will be able to survive without them!!!! Hopefully we won't blow anything up or burn anything to the ground :) Anyway, longer update coming later. For now, coveting your prayers :)

The Temple

I'm reading about Solomon building the temple right now. It is quite amazing. The Lord is using it to show me many things.
"If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemy besieges them in the land at their gates, whatever the plague, whatever sickness there is, whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any many or by all your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house, then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each who se heart you know, according to all his ways (FOR YOU, ONLY YOU, KNOW THE HEARTS OF ALL THE CHILDREN OF MANKIND)........." 1 Kings 8

He knows our hearts. He knows when they're breaking. He knows when their burdened, heavy- ladened. He knows when they can't take anymore. He sees our hearts when they seem to be drowning in emotion. He sees our hearts when they're broken with disappointment or strife. He sees our hearts tremble with the winds of change. But none the less He hears, He sees, He listens to whatever plea or prayer we may have. And then he forgives, He acts, and He renders to us what we need. He is our God. He is my God. He is your God. And, He's not going anywhere. Nothing scares Him. Not even the most fearful or cowardice heart escapes His love and mercy. He is the God of the broken-hearted.

lots to say

My dear friend Cruz Maria graduated last Monday. She is now certifiedto teach Kindergarden. I am so proud, so very proud of her!!!!!!!!

This other pic is of me with her Aunt, Leti. The whole family is simply wonderful. It was a huge blessing to be able to be with them on this special day!

This next pic is a fun one. Paul Cooper, the wonderful man that he is, put a cooler in my room before leaving last week. It was a gift from heaven. I have to admit that waking up drenched in sweat is not pleasent. But Pablo saved me :) :) I am forever and eternally grateful. After Paul left I helped Dan hook up a water line to the cooler. This is where I ended up...... I think I need to call the union or maybe demand a raise!!!!!! Anyway, we got the water line in!

This is Lolita working hard to put the screen back up. The contraption she's sitting on is our swamp cooler :)

This next one is from Huazahuari. The three children are Carmen, Jaciel, and , and, and, and........ The third boys name has escaped me for the moment. Darn it. Anyway, I was giving them more cookies right before we headed out. It's been really, really hot here!

I'm hoping that within the next week it will start to rain. The desert is turned into the most gorgeous place when it rains.

Dan and Ana will be leaving on the 13th for Hawaii to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Please pray for those of us staying home to hold down the fort.

We had baptisms yesterday after the big sunday service. It was a enormous blessing. I think 7 people were baptized. People of all ages and walks of life. Not a week goes without someone getting saved. Such a blessing!

Dan has several hundred men coming to the biblestudey in the prison. What a blessing!

Today I spent quite a while talking to my family on skype. It was such a blessing to see their beautiful faces. I miss ya'll so much!

Tomorrow morning is biblestudy in Osobompo. Then tomorrow afternoon I'm off to my english students. From there biblestudy in Tesia tomorrow evening. Please pray for God's provision and guidance in everything. To Him be the glory!!!!

On my way

to biblestudy.
However I just wanted to stop by and say hello real quick.
Plus I wanted to let ya'll know that yesterday went well. Yesterday was my first afternoon with my English students; Livier, Yuvitza, and Litzeth. Their lessons went well and were very fun. To top it all off they came to biblestudy with me afterwards. We're in the book of Romans on Tuesday night right now so the study was obviously about salvation and our guilt. They didn't really have any comments but they seemed to enjoy it. They mentioned coming again. I really hope that they do! I may go Saturday to hang out with them for a little while!

Today is ladies study in Mocuzari and then off to San Antonio and Huazahuari. In Huazahuari the kids and I will be making crowns and then talking about heaven. :) Definately one of my favorite subjects :) :) :)
I'm going to need the Lord to feed me bunches of energy today. My batteries didn't recharge very well last night....... Ok, love ya all!!!!!!!!!

Peanut M&M's are a gift from God

They really are, I swear it to be true. Roshon brought me back a bag from her trip to the states. Unfortunately the container is left than half empty at this point. I wish Jesus would do a little water and wine trick. I put pebbles in the container and night and wake up to M&M's. That would sure be nice. I also probably wouldn't be quite so skinny. LOL

Moving on to more serious matters, 1st Peter really rocks. Obviously the whole bible rocks but the Lord has really been speaking to me through Peter lately. Here's a couple of verses:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
Ok, so let me reiterate this. We have a LIVING HOPE. What is a living hope? A living hope is a hope that can't die. It goes on, and on, and on, and on. So when we wake up in the morning and say, "I can't go on, I can't do it today" we're lying to ourselves. Our hope, which is Jesus Christ, doesn't fail and never ends. Our living hope is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. Can you find one thing in this world that fits that description? I sure can't. Our living hope is greater than this world. He can't be destroyed(imperishable), He's perfect (undefiled), and He's never-ending (unfading). Yes my friends, our God is an awesome God.
"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested geniuneness of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
So our our trials, are for a little while. And not only that, they are to result in praise, glory, and honor for our Jesus Christ. So I ask, "Is it not all worth it?". Is our suffering not worth it if it glorifies, honors, and praises our Father. In my case I would definately say that it worth it. I would go through this life and it's trials over and over again if it would continue to glorify Him. After all is that not why we were created? We were created for a purpose, to glorify our Father. We were created so that in our weakness we could bask in His greatness. But are we? Are we focused on ourselves? Or are we standing in awe and wonder at the omnipotence(I'm sure I spelled that wrong) of our God.
This is our choice. We choose every day of our lives what we are going to represent, what we are going to glorify. Him or ourselves?
"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, bt as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy".
I repeat, we were created, in His image, for a purpose. To be holy as He is holy. Let us desire that. Let that be our passion, our purpose, our joy. So that our joy may be full................