God Uses the Downhearted!

(1 Peter 2:21)  "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps."


This verse came from my devotion this morning.  I came back from America after my Christmas break with my family a little down-spirited.  It breaks my heart to leave my family and these days there seems to be less and less that I will leave my family for, but God is definitely one thing I WILL leave my family and my entire life behind to serve. I can think of no greater purpose in life then to serve God.  He will pick up the broken pieces of my heart and use it.  He suffered for us.  He left his heavenly father to come here and die a painful death.  He understands broken.  Think about this.  He left HEAVEN for us.  Heaven, this magical beautiful place with no tears, no worries, and most of all no death.  He truly understands broken.  With this in mind, our suffering is reduced to almost nothing. One of the most incredible things is that when we, as God's people, hurt he hurts with us.  He knows the outcome and he knows that our hurting is temporary and that it is according to his will.  He even knows when the outcome will be incredible and the hurting is for nothing and yet he still hurts with us.  Like the lion in Narnia who knew all along that the children would be okay but the lion still cried with the children because of their pure pain.    This is love incomparable to any other love in the history of this world.  We don't truly understand love until we understand Christ' love for us.  This is the type of love we need to have for others.  We need to leave our comforts behind like Christ did.  We need to love and hurt with others like Christ did.  You want someone to look at you and see Jesus Christ living in you?  Love like he did.  Leave your comfort zone in the dust.  Our comfort zone is heaven.  We do not have a comfort zone on earth.  If we are comfortable then maybe we need to re-evaluate our lives.  Let your heart break.  God will use it just the same.  Give others a chance to have heaven as their comfort zone.  They won't know just how comfortable heaven is until you show them.  


Here is the devotion I read today.  I hope it blesses your life as it has blessed mine:  Try to view each day as an adventure, carefully planned out by your Guide.  Instead of staring into the day that is ahead of you, attempting to program it according to your will, be attentive to Me and to all I have prepared for you.  Thank Me, for this day of life, recognizing that it is a precious, unrepeatable gift.  Trust that I am with you each moment, whether you sense My presence or not.  A thankful, trusting attitude helps you to see events in your life from My perspective.
A life lived close to Me will never be dull or predictable.  Expect each day to contain surprises!  Resist your tendency to search for the easiest route through the day.  Be willing to follow wherever I lead.  No matter how steep or treacherous the path before you, the safest place to be is by My side.

Sinaloa de Leyva and Speaking With the Girls!

Hey!  I told you I would write again soon and I have some time this afternoon so I wanted to finish telling you about my missions work here in Mexico.  Every Sunday we go to a city called Sinaloa de Leyva.  There is only one baptist church in all of Sinaloa de Leyva so the youth of Bethel Baptist Church go every Sunday and play with the children so the adults can listen to the word of God without distraction.  One amazing thing I have noticed about this church is that despite the very low attendance and the fact that there's no technology the worship is incredible.  Everytime this church worships I feel God's presence.  The son of the pastor who I think is around 15 has a guitar and plays some worship songs.  There's no music minister and no other instruments but there is God and he rejoices with this church every Sunday.  I do see a need for more people to go to Sinaloa de Leyva and continue to help grow this church.  This church and the pastor and his family are constantly on my heart and I've started praying that God will send a missionary to this city and to this place to work on growth and making disciples.  This place is having some drug issues and is in desperate need of God and missionaries to do the Lord's will.

(The Sunday morning service at Sinaloa de Leyva)

(The pastor and his baby)

Another amazing opportunity that I was given was to speak to the girls in the youth group about relationships.  I spoke about finding inner-beauty and self-esteem in the Lord.  I explained that our relationship with God is what makes us beautiful and God should be our main focus.  Our relationship with the Lord will attract the Christian man that the Lord has for us.  I explained to the girls what type of guy they should look for: God should be number 1 in his life before any girl or anything else. he should love others and be humble towards others, and he should have a Christ-like love which is unconditional, limitless, giving, and sacrificial.  I also explained to the ladies that when this man has found you (because women should not be the pursuer)  your relationship should look like a triangle with God on top.  The closer you each grow to God the closer you will grow to each other.  At the end the girls prayed with a partner for each others purity, to have patience to wait for the right man, and that God will be number 1 in their lives.  It was an incredible time!  There were tears and it really was a touching moment for the girls of the youth group.  I'm grateful that God gave me the opportunity to speak to these girls and that he gave me the life experience so that I would know what to say to the girls.  God has dealt in my life in powerful ways and now I can share this with others.  To God be the Glory!!

Speaking with my translator Star!

Prayer Time With a Partner!

The Girls!

Prayer Requests:  Pray that God will continue to work through the youth of Bethel.  Pray that God will help the adults in Bethel to see that they're needed to do missions work also and not just the youth.  Pray that God will grow the church of Sinaloa de Leyva and will place a missionary in this city to share the good news of Christ and help the pastor to grow the church.  Also pray for the safety of the pastor and his family and the people of Sinaloa de Leyva.  Pray that despite the influences that surround the girls of the youth group of Bethel, they will keep a pure life and keep God first.  Thanks for your prayers!  Miss you guys soooooooo much!!

I Know Its Been A While!!!

 (Lupita and I)

Hey guys.  I hope you haven't given up on me.  I've been so busy at the school and when I finally get home at nights I am so tired that I just want to get some sleep.  School is going great though.  My teens and adults took their exams this past week and scored very well on the exams.  I have some wonderful students who I will miss dearly when I come back to the United States.  I have also made some very special friends who are teachers, at my school.  One in particular is named Lupita.  She and I had an instant connection and before we knew it we were sharing our deep thoughts as well as making each other laugh.  Lupita has started to come with me to youth group and fits in like a puzzle piece.  We all love her and did I mention that she has the voice of an angel?  She can sing extremely well and play the guitar.  She has really been a blessing and I know that God purposely brought her into my life and my world because he knew that she is exactly what I need.

(Star, Joshua, Alan, Ashley)

I have also started meeting with a woman named Estrella (Star) each Wednesday afternoon.  We discuss things that God has taught us the past week from the Bible and from the books that we're reading.  Star is a very strong woman.  She has three beautiful children and she is a single mom.  Star also has an incredible testimony.  She lived in the U.S. and her spouse got involved with drugs.  Because Star new about this she was guilty by association and had to go to prison but prison was actually the greatest thing to happen to her because she came to know the Lord in prison and spent all the rest of her time in God's word and praying to God.  Wow!  After she served her sentence she had to come back to Mexico with her three children and she got involved with a church and then started translating for the American groups who come to share the gospel.  God has used her in powerful ways and despite all of her troubles with money and raising three children on her own Star has still kept God in her home and this desire for the Lord has rubbed off on her children, especially her oldest, Joshua.  I can't remember if Joshua is 11 or 12 but he has the maturity of a 20 year old.  He also wants to be a translator like his mom.

Well I need to get some sleep but there is still more to tell you so maybe I will get back online tomorrow,  I love you guys.

Finally Posting Again!

Hey guys!  I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to write another post!  I have been very busy with trying to get settled in, visiting the school that I am teaching at, and doing missions work.  I am finally getting settled.  I have been to orientation at my school and I love the school.  They are so nice to me and I feel at home there.  Today is my first day of teaching and I am a little nervous but God has really given me a peace about teaching.  I really believe that it is going to be a good experience.  Today we are just playing get-to-know each other games so I think it will be a good day.

On the mission front we have had two missions.  Our first mission was in a town called Guasave.  We divided into groups and visited houses.  We left at around 7 or 7:30 in the morning and arrived home about 10:30.  In the morning we went door-to-door asking if we could clean the yards of the people.  We swept the dirt from their driveways and raked the leaves and grass that we mowed.  It was such a great time.  These people could not hardly understand why we would do this for them for free in the heat and the word "heat" may be an understatement.  It is HOT here! lol  We would just explain to the people that we do this because we love the Lord and the Lord has showed us how to love others.  Before we started cleaning at each house we would pray with the people.  We asked if they had any prayer requests and then we prayed over them and their families.  While I was cleaning I just felt such comfort and happiness.  There is absolutely no feeling in the World that matches the feeling we get when we are doing something for others in the name of the Lord.  It is absolutely indescribable!  When we were nearing the end of these activities a friend of mine name Star (Estrella)  and I were standing in front of a house that looked like it didn't need any work.  The tenants kept the yard very clean.  So we were chatting and I felt God give me a little nudge to share the gospel with the people of this house.  Star is an excellent translator and has translated for me many times in the past when I have shared the gospel so I said, "Lets share" and she smiled really big and said "OK."  So we met the woman who lived in the home.  She was a young mother with maybe 2 or 3 kids.  I began to share the gospel with her using some left over tracks that I had no idea I still had.  In the end she came to know the Lord.  She smiled and I could see some tears in her eyes.  We prayed for her new relationship with Christ and for her family and God's protection.  This was such a blessing!!  I only have two Spanish tracts left but I let her have that one so that she could share with others.  I told her that I would be leaving so it was up to her to share this with others and to grow in her relationship with the Lord.  It is amazing how easy it is to share the gospel in Mexico and how open the people are to hearing the word.

We went back through the neighborhoods in the afternoon and invited the people to come to our night service.  When we got back to the park where the service was located some of us girls set up a small medical clinic and tested the people's blood sugar and blood pressure and handed out medicine, etc...  Then the service began......  I just cannot accurately describe the power of God in this service.  It was overwhelming.  The pastor spoke and the band played worship songs.  All over there were tears.  We were putting up the medical supplies during the beginning of the service and could see a powerful storm rolling in or was it God?!? I'm not sure but it was beautiful and powerful.  I posted some pictures of the clouds as they rolled in.  The thunder kept rolling and the wind became stronger and stronger and the preacher spoke louder and the band played louder.  Hands were raised all over.  Tears were streaming and people were praising the Lord with all of their might.  The pastor then called all of the young people in front of him to pray for them.  He prayed a powerful prayer and the young people raised their hands to the Lord.  Then he had these young people get in a circle and hold hands.  Some were so overwhelmed by emotion that they dropped to their knees.  Others raised their locked hands in praise.  The wind and lightening and thunder were powerful but in a Godly way.  They began to sing in worship to the Lord and all of a sudden all power was out and it was just voices and tears and praise.  I have felt God's presence so many times but this experience was one of the most unique experiences of my life.  To feel the storm and to see the tears and the praise and hear just voices and an unplugged guitar was just incredibly powerful.  God is so good and he is being praised all over the World!!  People are crying out to him despite anything and everything that may be going on in their lives.

For Christians in Mexico their lives are a continuous mission.  They go on a least one mission a week and constantly desire to see others know the Lord.  They do things for others and lead lives that are pleasing to the Lord.  They truly and genuinely are God's hands and feet 24/7.  I can't help but wonder if we have somewhat lost this spark in America.  It is a more difficult mission field then Mexico I know because people are sometimes very cold to God but weren't we as Christians uniquely placed in this mission field for a reason?  God put us in America because that is where he wanted us to be.  Where is our spark?  Where is our passion?  Where did our heart's desire go?  Believe me I am speaking directly to myself more than anyone but these are the things that I have felt convicted about this week.

I am posting pictures of the night of worship in Guasave.  They hardly capture the power of the Lord but it is there.  I miss all of you guys very much!  I can't wait to see those of you who are coming in Nov.                


Prayer Requests: Pray that I will be a good teacher because I have never done this before.  Pray for the lost souls in Mexico.  Pray that the churches here will obtain the much much needed financial support to continue doing the missions work such as the night of worship in Guasave.  Finally, pray for our protection as we go to these places.

Fixing to Leave in 6 Days

Hey guys!  I'm new to this blog thing and it may get a little getting use to but it is the best way for everyone who would like to keep up with my adventure and what the Lord is showing me along the way.  As you know I am going to be living in Mexico for 9 months.  While I am there I'll be teaching English and doing missions work.  I will be living with the Vallejo family.  I've known this family for many years and love them as if they were my own family.  I will have 2 weeks off for Christmas and 2 weeks off for Easter so you will see me soon enough.  : )  


I guess I should begin by what brought me to this decision to make this move.  I have gone to law school for one year and the plan has been, throughout this past year, to somehow make it back to school and I still feel like that may be one of the things that God would like for me to do but I had no idea that it was not intended for this year.  When I was not able to go back to school after last year I was absolutely heart broken.  I felt like God had completely forgotten about me.  I felt as though he did not have anything planned for me.  No school, no good job, no husband, and no direction.  I cried A LOT and I'm not a big crier.  The only time that I can remember crying more, was when I lost my dad in 2005.  I was so angry with God.  


Well, I moved back to Harrison and was blessed with two jobs, working for the Pierce Arrow Theater in Branson and the domestic abuse shelter in Harrison.  I started doing a consistent quiet time once I moved back to Arkansas.  As I began spending more time with the Lord I became absolutely broken with my attitude about life.  I did not realize it, but all that seemed to matter was what God could do for me.  Over these past few years I, unknowingly, lost all prospective on our purpose here on Earth.  Our purpose is to serve the Lord.  Not for the Lord to serve us.  Our purpose is to lead others to a relationship with Christ and share this gift that we've been given. 


Well, before this past year the last time I did missions work in Mexico was my sophomore year in college.  My family and I went to Mazatlan, MX with our church.  Our church takes two trips to Mexico each year.  One trip is in March and the other is in November.  Because I was not in school this past year I had the opportunity to go on the November mission trip to Los Mochis, MX.  While I was there I became truly convicted and realized the purpose of me not going on to finish school at that time.  The very first house that I visited a woman came to know the Lord.  I saw the house and decided to visit the occupants and she came to know the Lord.  God showed me through this experience that the decision that this woman made should be reason enough for me to not be in law school.  Her entire eternity which is something that our human minds can not possibly grasp, is changed.  She will spend ETERNITY with the Lord because I was not in law school this year.  What an overwhelming and humbling feeling that was.  All the pain and frustration was all worth it if a single soul was changed for eternity.  There were many more lives won to the Lord by the end of this November trip and I returned feeling more blessed and broken than ever before for the people of Mexico.  Would she have ever made this decision if I had gone back to law school?  I don't know.  Would she have made this decision if I had not chosen to go on the November mission trip to Mexico?  I don't know.  Would she have made this decision if I had not made the decision to walk up to her house?  I have no clue.  What I do know is why I am not in school right now.  I have learned that there is absolutely nothing on the face of this planet that is more important than being a witness for the Lord.  WE are his arms and hands and legs and feet.  We are it.  For Christ-followers, this is our purpose in life.  This does not mean that we all need to take trips to other countries because our very own country is hurting desperately for the Lord but this does mean that wherever you are and whatever you are doing in life, priority one is NOT YOU.  Priority one is winning lives to the Lord through your actions and words and the way you handle situations and having a broken heart for the lost souls.  This is it.  What is your purpose in life??  Same as mine.


I went back to Mexico in March and stayed for two weeks this time.  It was an incredible trip.  The first week I worked with my church missions group and the second week I worked with a wonderful group from Tennessee.  I again came back feeling so blessed to be sent by the Lord and was heart broken for the houses that we did not hit.  Who would come back for them?  The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Who will come back to Mexico and finish the harvest?  When I returned I began re-applying for law schools.  I had several schools that caught my interest and by the end of the summer I had selected a good school in Knoxville, TN to continue my pursuit of this degree.  All the time in the back of my mind was Mexico and the lessons that I had learned over this past year.  Randomly one day I began google searching for jobs in Los Mochis.  I can not tell you even to this day why I decided to randomly search but I did and up popped a site that said "Teaching English in Mexico."  I remember thinking that that sounded pretty cool but my chances of this all happening before the school year began were minimal.  I brought this idea up to Gwen Vallejo and she said that there is a school in Los Mochis called the Arizona School of English.  These thoughts began to swirl around.  I had already received an acceptance letter from Knoxville but I could not get the thought of going to Mexico out of my head.  Then one Sunday night I was taking notes during the sermon and got sidetracked.  On one side of my paper I wrote law school and on the other side I wrote Mexico.  Then I began to write the pros and cons for each and started praying that God would show me right then and there what I should do because I was running out of time.  Then Pastor Tommy said, "Seize the day."  He said that this is the time for us to share with others.  Don't put it off.  That was it.  Law school will always be there but will the opportunity to do missions work in Mexico always be there?  If I get married and start a family I could not very easily pick my family up and say, "Well off to Mexico we go."  Now is the time to do it.  So I circled it on my paper and said okay God show me how.  


For those of you who know me well you know that things do not usually work out very easily for me.  It seems like I always have so many obstacles to work through before I can actually make it to my goal.  Well, I asked Marco Vallejo to see if there were any job openings at the school.  Sure enough there were three positions open.  Marco told me to send my things by email to the school as soon as possible so I did.  At this point I am just a few weeks from needing to head to TN and start classes.  I waited for about a week and emailed the school and explained that I needed to know something fairly soon about the position so that I could start making plans.  Then the school called me and did a phone interview within a few days and in a few more days I received an email asking me to join their teaching staff.  Wow!  I have never had anything work as smoothly as this has worked out and I know that this worked smoothly because this is exactly where the Lord desires for me to be this upcoming 9 months.  So here I am fixing to leave for Mexico.


I know this has been a long blog but I feel that I need to explain how I reached this decision and the lessons that I learned over this past year.  I hope that maybe you can learn something too about living your life for the Lord and not for yourself.  It was a humbling experience for me and of course it is an ongoing lesson because we're human, but it is getting easier to have true faith and trust in the Lord not matter what I do in life.  I'm not sure if I will have time to do another post before I leave or not but I will certainly try to, if not then I'll see you all in Mexico!  


Prayer Request:  Pray for my safety as the drug issues are still very active in Mexico.  Pray that I will find God's purpose for me in every situation.  Also pray for the lost souls in Mexico that are searching for hope.  These lost souls include even family members of the church leaders in the Vallejo church.