S.O.W.ING SEEDS MINISTRY-A JOURNEY IN FAITH - theresasjourneyinfaith

Greeting My Brothers & Sisters.  Happy New Year.  I pray the season of Christmas and the blessings we have been granted because of it has filled your hearts with the newness of life given to us through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Yes we are off to the start of another New Year.  You have probably thought the same as I that the years seem to be going by faster. I dont know about you but my calender is already overflowing with things to do.

Before this year sneaks up on me and passes by I want to tell you about the blessings of the  past year so you may want to read this when you have the time. 

This morning, it was still dark when I woke up. I think it may have been around 4am.  The Lord began to lay on my heart all the things I have been so blessed to be a part of in the past year. What a year it was.  It started in November 2010 as I began my journey returning to Peru to serve my Internship.  My thoughts were filled with friends and places that touched my heart and left a longing in it to return.  I have a few thousand pictures and lots of memories and it would be impossible to share all of them but listed below are a few of them.  I will try to get pictures posted later.  If you would like to see some of them they are already posted here on my shutterly site and some are on FB.
Upon my arrival to Huancayo, the new library Leer Es Crecer, was off to a glorious start.  Every day brought new and excited little ones that could not believe that they could come in for free and check out books for free and take them home to read.  One of my favorite sounds of the day was when you could hear the children running down the street to see who could arrive first.  The only other library around was one that only permitted you to check out the book at a window and you had to know the name of the book.  They had other requirements that would discourage anyone from reading, especially a young child. You couldnt go in and choose what you wanted by looking at what they had and no way would you be allowed to take the book home.  Some of my most special moments were the ones when the children would come in and ask for a Bible.  One day there were three young boys that I believe were at least between the ages of 12-15 years old came in and specifically asked for a Bible.  Once I gave the Bibles to them the smiles on their faces glowed with happiness.  They turned to leave and I stopped them to let them know about the other books and how they could check them out to take home.  They replied they werent interested and walked away.  They had come for the greatest book anyway, why would they want another.  Another time it was early morning, just as the children were going to school, that a little boy who looked to be about 6 years old came running up to me.  He asked with excitement if I had a Bible for him and his sister.  I was saddened at that moment as I had given out the last one the day before.  I told him that I didn't have anymore and he became saddened to.  I then quickly remembered that I knew where I could get one.  I told him that I have a friend just around the corner and if we ran quickly that we could get one.  He grabbed my hand and we ran as fast as we could.  You should have seen his face as I handed him his new Bible.  As he ran away in a hurry to make it to school he stopped to express his joy and new gift with those passing by.  In December the schools let out for 3 months. Many of the children go to work in the fields or in the markets with their parents during this time so the library was very empty most days.  By the end of that year there were over 1,600 on our list of new readers. 
My next great blessing was to serve on two mission teams in La Merced.  La Merced is in the jungle.  Unlike Huancayo, where it is very cold most of the time, it is very tropical and humid.  My body actually enjoyed the warmth so I didnt mind the humidity.

The first team came from Lewis Memorial.  They had come there to help with the construction work that was being done on the church and to do VBS with the children.  My job was to help cook for them so my day began very early in the morning with several trips throughout the day to the market and always ended very late.  They may have thought they were going to be served the customery Peruvian food but by the time they had arrived I had already spoiled Pastor Genaro's family with american cooking.  They were loving it and were eager to learn how to cook the things I had been cooking for the them.  They had never eatten egg salad, fruit salad, tuna macaroni salad, hamburger steak smothered in gravy, garlic mashed potatoes or french toast.  One night when we were discussing what to have for lunch the next day his eyes got real big and a smile came on his face when we mentioned having the egg salad for sandwiches.  There were a few first time experiences like the one with me making pizza for the first time and the chicken we bought from the market with the head still on that caused some excitement.  My new friends Carmen,Barbara,Grant,Anne Marie,Randy,Dexter and Sonny worked very hard that week.  They touched the lives and heart of the La Merced community with their love and giving as well as mine.  It was a true joy and honor to serve them.
As they were preparing to end their stay another team was arriving.  This team had come from the Roswell United Methodist Church and was there to serve the community with medical,dental and eye care.  There was also the wonderful magic team of Greg and Jane Davidson that thrilled and awed us all as well as a childrens ministry that took place throughtout the day.  Many came and were served but sadly many were turned away.  One day I hope we will return there to help them once again.  The way in which I was able to participate was by translating and assiting the dentist, Dr Lee.  It was my first experience to translate.  He was very patient and understanding who n I had to use my Franklin Dictionary.  Thanks to my very dear friend Jennifer Wilson I received this gift several years ago before going to language school and never knew that one day I would be using it for this purpose.  Dr Lee did an outstanding job in creating beautiful smiles. During our last night of fellowship he touched my heart by calling me "The Child Whisperer." For when the children laid there in fear I would lean into their tiny faces and whisper words to comfort them.  He said he didnt know what I had told them but he saw the transformation of fear to trust.  I have been invited to return to Peru in June to work with the Roswell team again and I hope to have the honor of working with Dr Lee again.
God is working in many ways throughout this wonderful area of the Jungle.  One of the ways is through a Bible study with the Pampa Michi Tribe.  It began in the later part of May last year.  This tribe did not have a church on its land.  We were told that the only church that had been built was blown away by a strong wind.  It was a sign of God's anger toward those that would not allow the whole tribe to participate. They were mainly a tourist attraction so they were always busy with no time to attend church.  As we began to share with them a desire to study the Bible with them they shared with us that others had come before with their ideas and beliefs but never cared to know anything about theirs.   It is not customary for outsiders like me to be so readily received but they received me that day and were excited about their new opportunity to study God's Word.  We began the following Monday and were surprized by the attendance of over 45.  Adults, youth and the little ones were all there.  Even the local parrotts hung over our heads and seemed to be listening in with eager ears.  The weeks that followed that day were encouraging as we were to go into the school class rooms and share with the children.  Another note of encouragement was that the men who werent able to be there during the Monday morning studies because of work were asking why we werent having a study in the evening so that the men could attend.  I dont have an update on this but I am sure that a class has begun and is growing.   Throughout the year the Lord created and grew loving relationships.  Some of my most precious moments were spent with my new Peruvian family. Johana,Milagros,Tanya,Rosio,Suzi,Grace,Veronica, the Puente family, the Pampa Michi tribe and all the others I met on my journey.  Their lives and prayers have touched my life, my heart and uplifted my spirit.  We have laughed together.  We have cried together.  We have prayed together as well as share our hopes and dreams.  They shared their heart which I treasure as a most precious gift from my Lord.  I give praise to my to my Heavenly Father for these things as it is an indication and sign of something that their hearts do not allow them to do so easily and that is to TRUST.  In the beginning of my journey I cried before the Lord and asked Him  "Why Lord would you send me"  He tenderly reminded me of the gentle eyes of an abandoned child that had searched within mine a few years ago as if to say can I trust you.  He then said: "I send you because there are others that need to know this and you I have chosen to be My arms to hold them, to be My ears to hear their cries for help, to be My feet to go where no one else will go with them and to speak the with the tender voice which I have given to you to speak of My love for them.
To all of you who prayed and provided through your gifts of love, my words of gratitude I hope you will hear through the words I have spoken in this letter.  I pray it touches your heart to know that because of you I was able to travel this road and the work of the Lord was done.  Thank you for touching the lives of so many and mine.
I am already off to the start of another busy year.  This past week I was in Lake Yale Fl with a group of over 140 of TMS family.  It was a time of joyful refreshment and rememberance of "The Call."  My appreciation to TMS goes beyond words.  TMS staff is a heavenly gift divinely given to all of the TMS missionaries.  Their encouragement and acts of love have brought me to where I am today and will be the instrument to lead me on.
May you continually find the richness of Gods favor upon you and may you rejoice always in His abundant Love.
Theresa Anderson
Serving Peru
The Mission Society

PS:  I know you received this as a journal entry and hope you will forgive the duplicate as an email but I needed to make some changes and add a few things.

All My Love

This morning I attended service at The Fort.  Adam Johnson shared a great message.  One that I needed to hear.  One of the things that spoke to my heart was his comment on the 3 boats. The Motor Boat, The Raft, The Sailboat.  I can't remember word for word what he said but here are a few things I gathered from it. The Motor Boat is the one that we can have full charge of. We turn the key and sit down behind the wheel.  At the push of our hand we can make it go as fast as we want or as slow as we want.  At the push or pull of the controls we can make it go backwards or forwards.  At the turn of the wheel we can make it go around in circles. The Raft--Well the raft is one that allows us to just drift wherever it wants to take us.  We say "Let life just take me where it will, I am under the Grace of God" Let things be as they will be.  The Sailboat--This one is the one that struck me the most.  The Sailboat won't go anywhere without the wind so we must set our sail and wait for the wind to blow upon us to set us on our way.  I thought to myself about how things would be out at sea without so much as a breeze blowing, water all around us but unable to drink it.  Interesting how each boat is powered or controlled.  As I said earlier about the motor boat, we take control at just the turning of the key and the steering wheel.  The raft allows us to flow or row at will.  I once heard some very interesting information about sailboats so I keyed in sailboats on my computer and here is what it said about sailing. Sailing is the propulsion of a boat and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium (typically water, but also land and ice) and change its direction and speed. Mastery of the skill requires experience in varying wind and sea conditions, as well as knowledge concerning sailboats themselves and a KEEN understanding of one's surroundings.  Wow!!!!  Did you catch that last phrase.  One has to have a Keen understanding of his/her surroundings.  Wanting to bring more to the understanding of Keen I looked it up and found several adjectives.
1.
sensitive: finely tuned and able to sense minor differences, distinctions, or details
"a keen sense of smell"
2.
intense: intense and lively
"keen competition"
3.
sharp: having a sharp cutting edge ( literary )
"a keen razor"
4.
biting: cold and penetrating
"a keen wind"
5.
acute: quick to understand things
"a keen mind"
6.
enthusiastic: eager and willing to do something
" very keen on the idea"
7.
very good: fine or very good ( slang dated )
"a keen new bike"

We need to not only be waiting for the wind to blow but we must be ready when it does.  We must be finely tuned and able to sense the move of the Holy Spirit.  We must be intense and alive with the anticipation that He is going to blow upon us.  We must be looking and listening with an acute understanding of what we are to do when the wind begins to blow and we must stand with willing and eager enthusiasm to act as it blows us into the direction of God's will for us.  Yes there will be times in our lives that we will feel nothing is happening. Days when our boat isn't going anywhere.  Those days when the Holy Spirit isn't putting the wind in our sails but that doesn't mean that He isn't coming.  One other thing that Adam said was :The percentage for those who serve and finish the race is just 30%.  Are you in that 30% or are you with the 70%.  I want to encourage you today as I have been to be waiting for the "WIND" to blow.  May He fill your sails today.  In His Love Always, Theresa

Today I am sitting here trying to organize a few things and I came across something that I had written down while I was in Peru.  Thought I would share the blessing with you.

5/27/2011

A little boy named Ericson (7 years old) on his way to school this morning ran into the library and asked if I had a Bible.  Apparently he had heard from his friends that I had given some out the day before to his friends. He was so excited about the thought of getting his new Bible  but I quickly became very sad because I had to tell him that I had already given them all out.  Then I thought of my friend Arthur down the street who I knew would have one.  I called him and sure enough he did.  Little Ericson and I ran with joy to his house. As soon as he had it in his little hands he took off running down the street as he had to go to school.  However he soon quickly stopped at the corner to show his new Bible to his friends that were passing by.  I didn’t get to see little Ericson before I left Peru but I know for sure he will have lots of things to tell me one day in heaven.  A Day To Look Forward To.

The other night I was awakend by a dream. I cant remember the full context of the dream but the words that were in my heart and that were being spoken to me were " I love you as your are"

Our Father loves us as we are. Unconditionaly. My soul magnifys the Lord for He lifts the lonely and the broken into His arms. He cares for you. He calls for you to be near Him. My prayer for you today is that you will rest and be comforted in the almighty Love of God.

He is our help in our ever present need.  Call to Him.  He is listening.

Earlier I met with my friend Mary Alice and three Peruvian women, who are now my new sisters in Christ, to pray. Mary Alice handed me a small book and said something about prayer request in Spanish. It took me a couple of times asking her what she meant for me to do but I finally understood. I guess it was because I became a little nervous thinking she wanted me to write down all of the prayer request in Spanish and be in charge of praying for them. I haven't prayed much in Spanish among the Peruvians. A little reserved about doing this because I lack confidence in being able to do so. At first I asked if it would be ok for me to pray in English and they all agreed that that would be fine but when it came time for me to pray I felt a strong urge to pray in Spanish and so I proceeded to do so. I wasn't sure if they were understanding what I was saying or if it was the correct way to say it but I made it through the prayer. When I finished each one of them told me they understood what I had prayed and they could tell that it had come from the Holy Spirit. You can imagine how joyful this allowed me to feel. It has set my heart free to do so more. Still learning that lesson of "I can do all things through Christ Jesus" Thank you Father for always being there in our time of need. Te Amo Mucho

My new friends from Orlando left this morning to return to their homes. I shall miss them very much but I know that this is not the last time that I will see them.  In January I will be attending a conference in Orlando with The Mission Society.  Can you guess where the team is from.  Yep, Orlando.  They have all invited me to get in touch with them and to visit which I am very excited about.

Yesterday morning I met them at the restaurant to find out how the day before went and what their plans were for the day. They told me they were going to two different places. I hadnt heard of either one and eagerly said yes. As we traveled to the first location I realized that I had been in that area but was up on top of the mountain at that time and this time I was more down in the valley even though we were still up higher than Huancayo. It was a joyful time as the team had brought many clothes, shoes, eyeglasses and medicines for the people. There was also a time of fellowship with the children with music, games, and toys. After lunch we traveled to an area that I was for sure not familiar with and on my way out there I realized that I had not told anyone where I was going or when I would be back. Cell phones didnt work out where we were.  All that seemed to matter to me at the moment was that God knew where I was and that we were on our way to make a difference in the lives of the very poor and needy.

We traveled along a mountain stream that lead us way up into the mountains. We were so high that there was snow on the top of the mountain just a little further from when we stoped. It was getting dark when we arrived and it was very cold. There were children running around without jackets or sweaters, runny noses and chapped faces but they all had beautiful smiles. As I stood watching them I saw a young boy come around the corner nearly dragging one of his friends to see us. His friend could hardly believe it. I had to smile as he leaned back against a wall and said Wow!!!! The children were dancing with exctiment.  When we began to sing with them they all sang very loud sending joyful praises to throne of God. I have to imagine that the angels in heaven were singin along with them. Their little faces were lit up with joy.  Joy that will warm there nights and brighten their days.

Again people were blessed by my new friends. They all came to work and work they did. When we were done for the night it was pitch dark. Up in the mountains were no light can take away the beauty of the night sky it is simple breathtaking.

As we loaded the bus I knew in my heart that this moment would be touching the lives of these people for a long time, including all of us. There were still some supplies left over and as we were packing up, the leader offered to leave them with me. The items included shoes, clothes, vitamins and eyeglasses. What a blessing.  Their kindness and compassion will continue to be passed on to those they dont even know once they are gone. I am extremly excited about the eyeglasses as tomorrow morning I will be giving some of them to the Pampa Michi so they will be able to read their new Bibles. So many other things took place during this time and many more to come that we will not see and know until our Heavenly Father makes them known to us in heaven one day.

Seeds were planted. The Harvest is coming. Singing praises to my Father, Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit as His provisions, compassion and love blessed His Children.

This morning was another one of those days that I just didn’t want to get up.  I didn’t sleep well last night.  If I turned over once I felt like I turned over a thousand times.  This morning I prayed “Lord please give me the strength to get up and to go forward in this day with Your love.  Please guide my footsteps and direct my path.  Show me what you would have me to do.  Confirm Your purpose for me being here and where You want me to go.  I shared with Him my heart’s desire to return to La Marced one day and to live there.  I also expressed that I would like to one day bring a medical team back there as we weren’t able to see everyone that came for help.  I told Him that He would need to place people in my path that I didn’t know and that have a passion for missions as they would be the ones that would help me to return one day

 An hour later I went to one of the local restaurants to have breakfast.  When I walked in I notice that there were more people there than usual, Americans.  There was a table in the corner that appeared unoccupied but it was attached to another table where a man, woman and a young man who was in a wheelchair was sitting.  I made my way to the table and asked if I could sit there.  They appeared to be locals but turned out they were from Orlando Fl there on a mission trip to do VBS with children in several nearby villages.  That moment Naomi, Lucy, Orlando, Orlandito and Michael became my new friends.  There were others but I can’t remember all of their names at the moment.

I shared that I had just returned from La Marced and had been working with 2 mission teams, one being a medical team.  They seemed very interested in it all.  Naomi told that she knows a Dr that is a Peruvian and she has worked many places in the jungle and has a passion for the people there.  I shared with Naomi that one day I would like to bring a team back to La Marced.  She then wrote down the Dr’s information and gave me her mission card.  She works with Ministerio Cuenta Conmigo located in Orlando,(I believe she told me she is the Director there). 

When we said good-by I knew God had placed them there that day.  Orlando came back to the table and handed me the receipt for my breakfast.  Michael stayed to talk with me more.  He asked a lot of questions about how I came to Peru and about my journey.  He told me is a very good friend of the Dr and that he would talk to her on my behalf.

Coincidence?  No Way!!  Thank You Father

Oh. 
Another thing.  The Mission Society will be having a conference in Orlando in January.  My new friends had told me that if I ever needed a place to stay that I would be welcome to stay with them.  I had not shared with them that I would be there in January.   Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!

My morning in La Marced started out very sad. I was very tired and didnt want to get up this morning but managed to pull myself up at 6. Was going to bath but decided to go see the team off before doing so as breakfast was going to be at 6:30. When I came out of Pastor Genaro's home I saw a young boy that had fallen over on his motorcycle. He was trying to pick it up but was having a very difficult time doing it so I went to help him. At first I thought he might have hit his head and was dizzy from it but then as I got closer to him I could smell the alcohol. I tried to get him not to go anywhere but he wouldnt listen and he took off up a very steep hill. I didnt think he would make it to the top. I just knew he was going to fall over and start tumbling down the hill but he didnt. He made it to the top and then he fell over again but this time he didnt get up. I was at the bottom of the hill and it seemed like it took me forever to get to him. He didnt move. There were several men standing around but none of them offered to help him. I knelt beside him and patted his face to get him to respond but he didnt. He was breathing so that was a good sign. Then a lady came out and made a taxi stop. No one would go with him. I knew where the hospital was so I went with him to hold his head inside the taxi. He would have had a head concussion for sure if I hadnt. When we arrived at the hospital he started vomitting. The men grabed him and pulled him out like a sack of potatoes. I fortunately had hold of his feet this time and helped them put him on the gurney. When we got inside I wasnt sure what to say but said it the best I could and told them I needed to go let my friends know where I had been and what had happend. The young boy only had his ID. His name is Elvis Rual Quispe and he is 18. No phone to call anyone. No one knew him. No address on his ID. I told the doctor that I need to go and let my friends know where I had been and what had happend. When I got back to the hospital the lady that helped me had arrived. She said the doctor told here since he was unconcious and had been non-responsive that he may need to be transported to Lima. Also he wouldnt do any exam or xrays until he had the permission of the parents. This was going to be a challenge as all we had was the name of a street which turned out to be a market street. We asked several people and no one seemed to know the young boy. I asked the Lord to help us find his parents and right after someone pointed us to his home. His grandmother came to the door and then his mother. When we arrived back at the hospital he was still out of it. This really upset his mom and grandmother. They said he doesnt live with him but they have been praying a lot for the Lord to change him and save him. They were very greatful that I had stopped to help him as no one else would have done so. He didnt have to go to Lima. When I left he was standing and was getting ready to have xrays but seemed to be doing fine. Please pray for him when the Lord lays him upon your heart. He needs prayer. He needs the Lord. Later when I was talking to Pastor Genaro he told me no one else would have helped him becuase when you do then you take on all the financial responsibility. I just have to say praises to my Father as the taxi driver didnt ask me for a dime, the lady at the internet cafe didnt ask for money, the lady that helped me get the taxi made sure that the motorcycle was put in a safe place so no one would steal it and the young boys aunt paid for his medical supplies. Wow my heart is joyful as I got to see the Lord at work in this family's life.

Lions & Tigers & Bears Oh My.  Well, not quite but it was a very interesting trip.

Last Thursday I headed to La Marced with plans to visit several villages.  The opportunity to learn more about this country, the people and their culture was something I had been waiting to experience.  I had not a clue about where we would be going or what we would be doing once we arrived but I felt in my spirit a peace about this journey and was ready to embrace it. 

I knew we would be walking further into the jungle, places where not to many white people go.  I wasnt sure if I would be accepted or welcomed but that turned out quite the opposite..

Friday afternoon, Genaro, Obed (Genaro's younger brother) and I left La Marced and headed for Pampa Encantada.  We went there to fellowship with the people but most of them were busy harvesting coffee so we didnt get the opportunity.  It is their busiest time of the year and their most important crop. They will be harvesting until July. 

Our next stop would be in La Puenta.  To get there we had to climb the side of a mountain.  It was a tough climb, almost straight up along a rough and muddy path for over an hour and a half.  Half way up it got dark so we had to bring out the flash lights.  This is when I jokingly began to say, lions and tigers and bears oh my.  I laughed and said it is all ok because I am not afraid.  Well I want you to know that not but a few minutes after that came out of my mouth I noticed something on my finger and quickly said "Oh! What is that" and slung it as fast as I could.  Out of great concern Genaro told me to never do that again as there are spiders that will bite you if you do that and you will die.  Easy for him to say not to do that but I will definately keep that advice in mind.  I have to say that the climb seemed a little easier after it got dark.  I guess it was becuase I couldnt see how much further we had to go.  Maybe the reason the Lord says "I am a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path is so that we wont see to far ahead and get discouraged..  Just a thought.

When we arrived in the small village we had expected to have electricity but it was out.  Again we were suppose to have a time of fellowship with the locals but none were there except the woman that owned the home (Bonnie), her daughter (Sonya) who is 23 and has a son Daniel 18 months old and a few workers.  They were sitting around the table which had a small candle lit at the end of it waiting for us.  A fire was going on the stove and Bonnie began to prepare dinner.  While she was cooking, the local pastor came to join us.  His name is Pedro.  Obed took out his guitar and began to play some songs.  It was a wonderful experience to see them praise and worship the Lord.  Pastor Pedro sang from his heart as loud as he could.  I smiled as I watched his expressions of shear joy as he worshiped. The dinner was rice,navy beans with chicken,onions and other seasonings and it was delicious.  Our tea was made from a plant called sedron. I was told it is good to drink before sleeping as it calms your stomach and helps you to sleep. Not sure if it was the tea but I sure felt at peace and a sense of calm that was embracing me.

After dinner we stepped out into the stars.  Wow!!!!! What an amazing site to see.  Especially when there are no lights to out shine them.  One thing I have never seen is a Cross in the night sky. It had been put together by the stars and hung by the hands of God.  The other special thing was that it was right above the place I would be sleeping that night.  Another sign of Gods presence that I was blessed to see. 

Later we called it a night and went to our places to sleep.  It wasnt the Comfort Inn but it was definately shared with love.  A comfort that can only be felt when given from the heart.  Bonnie prepared a palet for her on the floor and gave me her bed.  I told her we could share the bed but she insisted that I rest and be comfortable.  I feell asleep knowing I had been welcomed into her home.

The next morning when I awoke I could here the chopping of wood.  It was early but the morning had broken and it was time to get started.  Bonnie introduced me to her sister Rebecca.  She was also very kind and welcomed me into her home to have coffee. I can tell you that it is the best I have ever had.  Rich with flavor and completely organic. After coffee Rebecca's husband Alfonso showed me around.  I learned that the coffee I had that morning came from their crop.  He explained the process of preparing it and getting it ready for the market.  I could tell that he was extremly pleased to be sharing his culture and way of life with me. 

It all seemed like everyone was so together.  This of course would be far from the truth were it not for the faithful trusting heart and humble spirit of Bonnie.  I found out later that a few years ago Bonnie's husband died.  She and her husband came there first. They started a home and developed the land.  He was a very loved and respected man by many.  After his death Bonnie's sister came with her husband and claimed that it was all going to be hers so she took over. I can only imagine the disgrace and dishonor Bonnie must have felt.  For now Bonnie is able to live in the top floor of what use to be her home.  She has been told she will need to build her another one day for herself.  Watching Bonnie I saw the actions of a humble child of God.  One who carries no burden of resentment or anger for the unjustice placed upon her.  She truly knows the Lord and has put her faith and trust in Him.

Genaro said that Rebecca had never been nice to him until bringing me and he was very surprised by her actions. He said that he would always be bringing me back with him.  I dont know all that took place during these few hours that I was there but I do know that seeds were planted.  Looking forward to the journey back and the harvest of friendships.

This is not all of what I experienced and surely not the end.  I will share more as time allows.  I leave again for La Marced later this evening.  Tomorrow morning Genaro and I will be visiting with the Pampa Michi Tribe to start a Bible Study.  The first time ever for this to happen.  Please pray for Genaro as he leads them and that their hearts will be open to receive God's truth.  Also in the next two weeks I will take part in working with a construction team and a medical team where I will be working with a dentist.  Asking for your prayers as God leads us all to help those in need.

Hope you were blessed in some way through this experience.

All My Love,

Along with the classes I am teaching at the library I have now been asked to teach on Sat mornings for a hour in Chilca. It will probably be a few weeks before I do so keep me this in your prayers.  Still a challenge that bends and breaks me each time I am put before these children.

Chilca is a village just 10 minutes from my apartment.  Everyone that lives there is very poor.  Last week I had a chance to visit the school there and to visit the home of a 13 year old girl named Irma.  At the school the children were all amazed to see a white woman.  One of the little boys that was going up the stairs with his friend was saying look,look.  Then the two of them would run up the stairs and hide then re-appear and say buenas dias with the sweetest smile.  The rest of the time there the children crowded around me with interest of learning things in English. 

One little fellow, my new little friend named Yordan, shared his fruit with me twice.  The second time he came running up to me asking me to tear the papaya.  I was wondering why he would want me to do this until I tore it and gave it back to him.  Then he returned the biggest piece to me and ran off to go home saying "Chow hermana"

It is now 4:42 Sat morning Feb 19th 2011.  Not sure how long I have been awake but the Lord awakened me with a great burden on my heart that I want to share with you.  Not sure how to put it all in words at the moment but I pray that what is said will touch your heart and help you to also take hold of the need and vision the Lord has placed upon my heart.

This past Tuesday I had another dream.  It was short but so real that the next morning I questioned myself if it had really taken place or was it a dream.   After a few minutes of contemplating about it I realized that it had to be a dream. 

This is how my dream went.  There was a little boy that I will say because of his size was between 3 or 4 years old.   He had all the features of a Peruvian child and spoke to me in Spanish.  He was on his knees praying and turned to me and said, “ Por favor me lleve contigo para conocer Jesus”, which in English is “Please take me with you so that I can know Jesus”.   After this several times during the night the Lord began placing a vision of ways to help the children in Iscos,  Patacocha and Tinyari.  What I believe He has placed upon my heart is to have a place that will be sufficient in space for a library, rooms where classes of English can be taught and a kitchen to cook meals for the children and the widows.  As these thoughts were coming to me I knew there would be no way I could do this alone.  I told the Lord that I couldn’t do it by myself and that I would need lots of help.  I began to think of the oppositions that I would face but knew that if the Lord had placed this upon my heart then He would provide and open the doors that would lead to its development.

The next morning I went to Tinyari as I have been doing for the past several weeks now to help with Vacation School.   I have been teaching English to the children but this day we were to have a special Valentine’s Day party for them.   Shortly after we arrived I turned and saw a little boy that looked a lot like the little boy in my dream.  He didn’t say anything but looked at me with a precious little smile.  As I took notice of his appearance I realized that he was one of the poorest of the children there.   One of the first things I saw was that his little shoes were caked in mud and had holes in the top of them.  The shoe strings for his shoes were not shoe strings at all but had been made from strips of plastic from the bags they use to carry to the market.  My heart broke for him and wanted so much to help so I inquired about purchasing some shoes for him.  I was told that it would not be wise as this would cause jealousy among the other children.  If I bought for one then I would have to buy for all and that meant all of the children in all of the surrounding areas as word would travel.  As you can imagine I was very disappointed to hear this.  

Shortly after this I shared my dream with Susie.  She is a young girl that has been working in the Patacocha area for some time now and has been doing a great ministry there.  When I was here back in July I was told that before April of that year that the area had been closed to religion but now people were coming to know the Lord.  Susie told me that the little boy in my dream was a representation of all the little children.   She also said she had been praying for something like the vision I had and was very excited about it.  She mentioned that there might be a church that we could use and that the women of the village would be willing to help but that we need to pray about all of this.

 

It has continued to be on my heart but this morning the Lord awakened me again about it and I had to write about it.  I don’t know how it will all take place but I do know that I will need the help of many and if the Lord has already put it in your heart to be a part of it then I await your response and look forward to sharing it all with you.

Feb 1 2011

Earlier this evening I was talking with Audra about my flowers.  Several weeks ago I purchased a Violet plant.  It had a few blooms on it at the time but they died within a few days.  For weeks I watched and waited for the blooms to come again but there wasn’t any sign of new ones to come.   I had it sitting in my laundry area where there is lots of sunshine and had been giving it water every day.   One day, I must have forgotten to give it water.  Not sure where I had gone that day but after returning home I found it all limp and seemingly lifeless.  The leaves had turned yellow and had begun to wither.   I thought to myself, “Oh no, I must have let it die.”  I then watered it with hopes of it being ok.  The next morning to my surprise it was standing up right with a beautiful royal violet purple bloom fully opened with a touch of yellow in the middle.  All dressed in the beauty of royalty.  For me, it was an amazing sight to see.  I smiled as I saw its beauty.

As I was telling Audra about it I said, “ It had to almost die before it could bloom again.”  Wow, what a revelation of truth.   That is what is needed of us, of me, in order to truly live in the beauty of our Lord.  I wonder,  when the Lord looks at me will He see me as a Violet who has come alive through the outpouring of Living Water that He has provided for my life.  I sure hope so and I hope the same for you.

Dying to self to be raised in His beauty

Do you find that you are at a place of not knowing what to do?  Are you between assignments?  Then I want to share this story with you.  It isn’t my story but I can so relate and I think you might as well.   It comes from the book “Secrets of the Secret Place” written by Bob Sorge.

Praying that you find your answer within it and that you will be blessed by its truth.

 

To stand, despite the warfare; to stand, despite the resistance; to stand, despite the hassles; to stand, despite the weariness; to stand, despite the distresses; to stand, despite the temptations; to stand, despite personal failure and collapse; to stand, despite the grief; to stand, despite the loneliness; to stand, even when chained; just to stand!

To stand, because of the cross; to stand, because of the Lamb; to stand, because of His affections; to stand, because of His acceptance; to stand, because of His mighty power within; to stand, because of fountains of living water flowing up from the innermost being; to stand, because of His surpassing beauty and greatness; to stand, because off His eternal purpose; to stand, because of His everlasting mercies; to stand, because of love; just to stand!

 

There are seasons when God calls us to simply stand.  We might prefer the adrenalin of chasing down a great cause, but sometimes God calls us to stop all activity and just stand.  Sometimes He gives us no choice.  Occasionally, circumstances will constrain us beyond our ability to steer a different course, and we become prisoners to the chains that bind us to God’s will.  Incapable of extricating ourselves and moving on to the next thing, all we can do is stand and burn in holy love for our King.

It is commonly said, “Don’ t just stand there, do something!”  When circumstances in our lives are careening out of control, the great temptation—when you don’t know what to do—is to do something.  “God can’t steer a stationary vehicle,” they say, “So start moving out on something, and let God direct your course.”

That may be the way to go in some situations, but I’ve found that the Lord has been working differently in my life in recent days.  He inverted that common saying and gave it to me this way, “Don’t just do something, stand there!  It came like this: “When you don’t know what to do, don’t just do something!   Wait on Me, stand before Me, minister to Me, until.  Until I speak.  When I speak to you, then you can move out in response.  But until I speak, just stand there.”

 

 

 

So like the Levites of old (Deut. 10:8), I bear His presence on my shoulders, I stand before Him to minister to Him, and I bless others in His name as He strengthens me.  “ I have set the LORD always before me” (Psalm 16:8).  So I will stand before Him, gaze upon His beauty, and bless Him while I have my breath.

To stand before God in this way, we can learn something from the angels.  For example, look at Gabriel.  When the angel Gabriel cam to tell Zechariahs that he would father John the Baptist, it was Gabriel’s second appearance in Scripture.  Actually, Gabriel is seen three times in the Bible.  He appeared the first time to Daniel, and then almost 600 years later he visited Zechariahs, and then he came to Mary six months later to announce her impregnation by the Holy Spirit.  When Gabriel came Zechariahs with God’s message, Zechariahs did not believe his words.  In response to Zechariahs’s unbelief, Gabriel rose up to reinforce the certainty of his message by declaring, “ I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God” (Luke 1:19)

    “So what do you do, Gabriel?” we might ask.

    “I stand in the presence of God.”

    “Yes, we understand that, but what do you do?”

    “Actually, I stand in the presence of God.”

    “Yes, yes, Gabriel, we understand that!  But what we’re asking is, what do you do?”

Gabriel would say, “That is what I do!  I stand in the presence of God.  I stand there, beholding His majesty and splendor, burning with His holy flame, and wait upon Him until He speaks.   If He says  nothing, I just stand there.  When He gives me a word, then I move out to fulfill it.  But mostly what I do is I just stand before Him and wait on Him.”

Between Daniel and Zechariahs is 600-year period during which we hear nothing from Gabriel; then between Zecharias and Mary was a 6-month period.  What did Gabriel do between assignments?  He just stood there.

Is it possible that we think that God is wasteful?  He watches while you cultivate your gifts and talents and ministry abilities, until you become a finely tuned piece of ministry potential.  You are ready to do exploits!   And then He takes the well-oiled ministry machine that you have become and places you on the shelf—and He says, “Just stand there.”

This is what God did with Elijah.  Elijah had this expression, “ As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand” (1 Kings17:1).  Elijah claimed, “ I stand before God, that is what I do.”  So the Lord decided to test his claim by putting him under house arrest for three years.  In the widow’s home during the famine, he couldn’t stick his head out the door because every nation on earth was looking for him.  He was stuck in this hot, stuffy, bleak little house.  No friends, no visiting prophets, no other voices to comfort or give him perspective.  And the food?   Frycakes for breakfast, frycakes for lunch, and more of the same for supper.

 I can imagine Elijah thinking.  “ Lord, why do You have all this ministry potential holed up in this widow’s house?”  I mean, in the last three years I could have raised up a whole graduating class in the School Of The Prophets.  We would be taking the nations by force!  But no, here I stand and rot!”  But Elijah didn’t respond that way because God had already taught him to stand before Him.  So when the time of testing came, Elijah was able to persevere and just stand before His God and minister to Him.

The Scriptures show us that God has mighty angels who stand in His presence, in some cases for hundreds of years, and wait for His hiding.  With all their strength and might, God just has them standing around the throne and waiting on Him!  If it were a matter of strength, God has all the strength in heaven He needs!  And then the Holy Spirit whispered to me, “ I don’t’ need your strength.”  It wasn’t the strength of the eternal Son that bought our redemption; it was the fact that He was crucified in weakness that brought us salvation.  God doesn’t need our strength; He needs our availability.  He’s just looking for us to stand in His presence, gaze upon Him, love Him, and fulfill His word when He speaks.

I hope this has ministered to some of you.  It did to me.

“Are you between assignments?”  Then just stand before Him, enjoy Him, and let Him enjoy you! 

Praying that you will be able to stand and wait upon the Lord.

Awesome day. I taught English today in Tinyari to Peruvian children. I was thinking how amazing this is. Not to long ago I was sitting in a classroom with tears running down my face becuase I couldn't understand, speak or write this language. Now I am speaking in Spanish and translating in English. Thank you Lord for giving me the ability and the opportunity. The children are amazing and eager to learn

Tomorrow I will be back in Iscos with my second opportunity to teach English and wittness to Manuel. A 12 year old boy who is very smart. He is eager to learn English and about the Bible. Another wonderful day ahead.

 

My 2nd journey of the day was a 3 mile walk 2 the postoffice, 1 way. Went yesterday 2 c if bank cards had arrived. Was told the postman would look 4 it but would have 2 return 2morrow. Same news 2day. My praise is that it looked like it was going to pour down rain but it didnt start to drizzle until I was within 2 short blocks of the library. Praising God 4 the little things. I could have been soaked

Last night I had another dream.  This time my hands were fiercely locked with the hands of my enemy.  They were powerful and strong and I struggled to pull away.  As I began to speak the name of Jesus, my mouth seemed to be closed shut but I continued to push the words out of my mouth.  Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.  At first they were muffled but began to become clearer and clearer so I was able to speak them much louder.  Suddenly the hand of my enemy became like glass and then burst into thousands of tiny pieces.  I was free.  The name of Jesus, the intervention of His Holy Spirit and perseverance had broken the power that had sought out to destroy me once again. 

1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

The challenge to stay up on the positive side of life can be overwhelming at times.  There is loneliness and doubt that creeps in that makes one feel alone in their journey with the Lord.  Frustrations that turn to anger cloud your ability to set yourself free to forgive the ones that are unkind and ungrateful for the things you do for them.  We then began to question, “Why am I doing this”.  

Why?  Because the Lord did it for us.  He suffered everything we do but on a higher and greater level so we must continue to seek His will and endeavor to submit to His calling.  Will it be easy?  No!!!!!!!!!!!  Will there be unbearable trials?  Yes!!!!!  Will you do it alone?  At times it will seem like it but no.  Will there be peace?  Yes, because the Lord said we could have peace in the middle of our storms.

 I want to ask you today to settle with the past, engage with the present and believe in the future.  You have a promised future with our Almighty and Loving Father, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.  Jesus became The Teacher of His Fathers desires and promises for us and so we must do the same for those who do not yet know Him.  He became The Soldier that fought for our victory over death.  He submitted to His Father the commander and gave up His rights so that the battle would be won.  He gave His all to His duty and exercised everything with descernment.  He became The Athlete that ran the race that showed us how to endure and to follow the rules in order to win.  He became The Farmer that showed us how to plant seeds so that the Kingdom of Heaven would grow.  We are not in control of the soil or how the harvest will turn out.  God calls us to plant and plant we must do.

Remember Jesus Christ

The Teacher-----The Soldier-----The Athlete-----The Farmer

Be Strong In His Grace

I had a very interesting dream last week.  Most of my life off and on I have had dreams that have been very vivid and turned out to be very significate.  This one reminded me that satan is very near and he is out there to seek and destroy.  In my dream I was in the forest with a man and a woman.  Most of the time in my dreams there has only been a woman.  It seemed as if we were hunting for I had a rifle.  They asked me if I had met _______. I wish that I could remember the name they called out.  I asked if it was a dear.  They replied, Oh no!  You will know when you meet him.  We began to walk and a short while later I looked up and saw a very big copperhead crawling my way.  That is when they both said, "That is ________".  I wasnt afraid.  I just watched him as he crawled past, then he was gone.  I thought to myself I will go find him and kill him so I went searching.  As I was walking it occured to me that something was watching me.  I looked down and there in the water with his head at the edge of the bank and his body in the water with his big eyes looking up at me was __________.  I aimed my gun at him and shot at him but my gun sounded like a pop gun instead of a rifle.  This made _____ very mad.  He began to come toward me and as he did he got bigger and bigger.  I proceeded to back away and all of a sudden there was a door that opened for me and it closed as I entered.  It was if I had walked into a home.  A safe place.  A place of refuge.  I have been reading a book called Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge.  When I woke up I decided to read before getting out of bed.  My next chapter to read was "The Secret of Refuge".
 It started like this. 
There is a place of refuge from the storms of life.  Storms will unavoidably assault us on this earthly plane, but there is a place to hide.  "For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock (Psalm 27:5)  That is exactly what God showed me he would do in my dream. 
If you are facing storms or if danger seems to be lurking remember there is a place of refuge you can run to for shelter.

Hello My Dear Family & Friends   If you have not heard, I have made it to Huancayo and all is well.  Thank you for all that prayed for my safe journey.    The time spent in Atlanta for Foundations Training was truly a blessing.  A time of bonding and a time of remembering our call and purpose in serving with the Lord.  Sometimes in the journey we forget these things becuase of the weight of the burdens we carry and when dissappointment floods our lives the joy in remembering our purpose seems to fade but I am here to tell you that Gods purpose and His plan has never changed for you.  Gods love covers all and heals the hearts of the wounded.   It is a great day here in Huancayo.  God is showing up everywhere.  I just uploaded some pics on facebook & shutterfly.  The pictures are of the children and people of Tinyari.  I took the pics on Tuesday when we took books for the children to read.  You should have seen them come running.  A heard of hungry little minds.  One little boy that came to sit by me, I think he may have been 3 or 4, would bring me a book, pretend to read it, point at pictures for me to tell him about it and when we were finished he would go and get another one.  He did this at least 10 times.  Not sure how long we were there but it wasnt long enough.   After this we went to the library which is a small two room building on the corner down from where we live.  It is a perfect location as the children pass by there every morning and evening as they are on their way to school.  They go in shifts and it is an all boys school.  I think Ash told me there are over 5,000 boys that go there.  Some have been coming and others stepping in with curiosity and stating that they will be back.  The library only has two small plastic tables and about 6 plastic chairs and a rocking chair with books of course.  That evening I suggested to Ash that I would love to go and purchase some more chairs.  He told me we would do that tomorrow.  Well wouldnt you know that God would show up.  A lady came in right as we were closing.  Ash & Ausdra had spoken with her about a month ago but hadnt heard anything since.  She had told them she was interested in providing tables & chairs along with other supplies but they thought she had forgotton or just wasnt sincere.  She explained that her husband had returned on leave from Afghanastan for a short visit and that her daughter had been ill.  Last night she dropped by and said she would be bringing the items today.  I think we will soon out grow this location but that is ok because a lady came in today and began to tell us that she would be bringing us some encyclopidias and not only that but that she is moving out of her big home, which is right around the corner and suggested that it would be a great location to set up another library.   It would also serve as a my new home as there would be space upstairs for me to live.   Yesterday Ash & Audra were asked to do a television interview and they were on the local news telling about the library.  What an exciting time to be here and to share in this ministry.   Also on Tuesday Ash & Audra were taken to a place where people are used as slaves to make bricks.  They have no running water nor electricity.  They are forced to buy water from the people that live across the street from them.  There is an opportunity to set up a library there and do ministry with the children.  A perfect spot is already there waiting to be used.  When it had to close due to lack of volunteers the children were very sad and asked when it would reopen.  Soon I hope and can hardly wait to be a part of it.   And the work goes on.  Kia & Alis are working on a project for the girls in the orphange.  Audra asked if I knew of anyone that did Avon and I replied that I have a friend that sells Mary Kay.  Thanks Lee for offering to send all that you can.  It is going to be so much fun helping them to feel pretty about themselves.  Cant wait to see their eyes light up.   Another opportunity is teaching ESL.  There are only 3 that are attending at this moment but more will come I am sure.  The people here are very eager to learn our language and try very hard to do so.   One more thing.  Audra mentioned a project for childrens ministry.  She wanted to know if there would be anyone that would want to make pillowcases for the children.  We would be giving them to the children during our outreach campaignes when the teams come in and let the children design them.  Something them could have and claim as their own.  Thanks Jean for offering to purchase the material.  What a wonderful blessing it is to have friends that are excited to be a part of the Lords work.   There is so much that I have seen here.  So much to tell.  Hope that this gives you a little idea of the dreams and hopes of the things yet to take place.  Thanks for being a part of it.  I love you all.   Blessings & Love Always   Theresa   OOps I forgot one more thing.  If anyone is interested and knows of anyway or anyone that may want to start a book drive this would be great.  If so we can talk more about the possibilities later.   For those that are interested in sending care packages and items please send them by regular mail.  It is cheaper that way and usually we dont have to pay extra when we get them. My address. Theresa Anderson, C/O Ash & Audra McEuen, Jr. San Jose 230, Urb. San Carlos, Huancayo, Peru.

God has a plan for all of us.  We bear a special responsibility for training and guiding the ones who have been entrusted to our care.  Becuase of this we must be exspecially careful to seek God's will and to follow it.

As you consider God's unfolding plans for your life, you will undoubtedly look to the future. It is the future where those plans will take place.  In these uncertain times it is easy to lose faith in the possibility of a better tomorrow but that is not what we are to do.  We are to continue to trust God with our future.  God instructs us to trust His wisdom, His plan , and His love.  When we do so, the future becomes a glorious opportunity to help others, to praise God, and to share the Good News.

Do you have faith in the abundant opportunities that await you.  I can tell you that I have struggled with this over the past few months.  However God has opened my eyes. I can now see the through the windows of opportunity He has opened for me.

Two weeks ago I found some information about volunteering that I had received over 2 years ago.  I had good intentions on being a part of the opportunity but so many other things preoccupied my time that I kept allowing this to slip by.  I finally made the phone call to the Columbus Baptist Association.  They have so many wonderful ways of helping the community.  I shared with them that I spent a year in Costa Rica learning Spanish.  At that point they suggested that I would enjoy being a part of their ESL classes and helping out at the Free Medical Clinic as an interpreter.  I agreed.  Since then I have been given the great joy of helping the Hispanic communtity to learn English and translate at the clinic.

The same day that I began to help with the ESL classes a missionary friend of mine, who is working in Peru, invited me to come and be part of their missions.  Can you guess what they are doing.  Well, it isnt a coincidence that they are teaching ESL.  God is so amazing in His plans.  All the details have already been worked out.

So if you are where I have been and thinking that God has forgotten about His plans for you, think again becuase He hasn't.  He is just fine tuning the details. 

While I am waiting,

Theresa

It doesn't feel like I should be getting ready to pack my bags again.  The time that I have spent here in Costa Rica has gone by so fast.  A time that was full of many wonderful opportunities.  I am grateful that the Lord allowed me to be part of them.  But I must also say that I am sad because there were opportunities that I avoided and allowed them to slip by because of my inabilities and fears.
I shall miss many things of Costa Rica but I shall mostly miss the friendships that have grown so real and close to my heart.  When I came here I thought that I was coming to learn a language.  Instead, I know now that the Lord brought me here to learn about relationships.  Most importantly, about a relationship with Him.  He yearns for us to be totally dependent upon Him.  To trust Him.  To believe in His promises.  To have faith that He will complete what He has begun.  To allow His light to be a lamp unto my feet as I take one step at a time down a path that through my eyes is sometimes filled with seemingly uncertainties.
During my first trimester I learned many verbs.  I often say that I was caught up in "El mundo de verbos" which means the world of verbs.  The Spanish language is full of verbs and verb phrases.  You can't have a conversation without them.  To express your emotions, your desires, your hopes, your dreams, your wants, can only be done through them.  God wants us to share our emotions with Him.  He wants us to know that we can trust Him with each one.  To express emotions is part of the Restoration Process that He desires for each of us to go through.  He wants His children to stand in the fullness of freedom from any fears or inabilities that we may struggle with.  A process that I hope to one day stand in the full assurance of and be able to share it with the children of Nicaragua.
The teachers and administrative staff of Instituto de Lengua Espanola have been wonderful. They have encouraged, challenged and pushed us beyond our limits.  There have been days that many of us felt like we were lost at sea with no life vest in sight.  Sink or swim was the question before us.  The struggle to learn this language became our focus.  Through the love, compassion and dedication of our teachers we have learned that it is not about how hard or long we have studied.  It isn't about the test we have passed or failed.  It isn't about whether or not we can pronounce the language correctly or completely rip it apart.  It isn't about what we know at all or can do.  It is what God can do with the smallest and simplest thing like saying "Buenos Dias" to someone passing by.  We never know what that act of kindness will reap.

God leads us through difficult moral choices and personal hardships to train us for leadership in His kingdom.  The other night I was reading a short testimony of Andrew Murray.  Within the context was a comment that was made by Amy Carmichael concerning a time when Mr Murray was experiencing something very painful.  She said this is how he faced it.
He was quite for a while with his Lord then he wrote these words for himself.
First, He brought me here: it is His will that I am in this straight place; in that fact I will rest.
Next, He will keep me here in His love and give me grace to behave as His child.
Then, He will make the trial a blessing teaching me the lessons He intends me to learn and working in me the grace He intends to bestow.
Last in His good time He will bring me out again---How and when He knows.
Let me say that I am here:
(1) By God's appointment
(2) In His keeping
(3) Under His training
(4) For His time

As God continues to show me things that need to be changed in my life and as I am faced with the task of letting them go, I find that these words also speak truth for me.  When we make a decision to allow God to fully transform us, which means dyeing to self, we are then totally at the mercy of God's grace to see us through.  Do you ever think of what that actually means?  Have you ever considered the cost?  Do you find yourself asking: What will others think?  How long will it take for His work to be done?  Am I willing to be still long enough for Him to complete His work in me?  What will I have to do?  What must be sacrificed?  Am I willing to take the "RISK"?  The big question is; Do I trust God?
It is my will for God to complete His work in me.  He has been revealing in me an area that, for many years of my life, has controlled my thinking and the ability to live in the fullness of Christ.  From a very early age I learned how to stack the bricks around my heart.  It became mighty and strong.  It was my fortress.  I became determined not to let the issues of my past hurts to keep me from living.  The true and sad thing is, I was not truly living at all, I was just surviving.  My Father has been tenderly guiding me to let that wall down.  However, in order for me to do that I must become weak and that scares me.  Do you ever think about letting your wall down?  How does that make you feel?  Everything that I know about being weak my heart has connected to a deep hurt.  Those hurts stopped me from believing.  They stopped me from trusting.  As a result my relationships became a false reality which is opposite of what they should be, that even included my relationship with my Lord.  At times I said I trusted and at times I said I believed, but only part of me allowed that to be true.
I continue to learn many great things but the greatest of all is my Fathers undeniable love for me.  Each step that He has been asking me to take has been a step of learning what it really means to put the words of trust and faith into action.  I still have some very big steps to take and so I ask that you continue to pray for me as the Lord leads you to do so. 
I want to know the full love of my Father, my Lord and the presence of His Holy Spirit that guides me.  We can't teach it unless we know it.

Today when I opened my Bible I found this life lesson written by Pat Robertson.  It so fits with the struggles that the new missionary students and I face that I wanted to share it with you.

"Some Christians have been taught that all one has to do to get things from God is to speak the word of faith, believe and receive.  That comes close to the truth but it neglects the Universal Law of Perseverance.  God slowly yields the good things of the kingdom and the world to those who struggle.  Jacob for instance, wrestled all night with an angel before he became Israel, a prince with God.  Abraham waited a hundred years before he received Isaac, the child of promise.  The people of Judah waited and struggled seventy years in captivity before God brought them home.  This does not negate the necessity for asking in faith, the believing and receiving.  But many times those steps are only the beginning of the process.  The fulfillment may take years..........

Jesus knew men inside and out.  He knew our tendency to give up quickly, to become inconsistent and lackadaisical.  Yet he pleaded with us to persist in prayer and all aspects of life....  Keep on asking, he said, keep on seeking and keep on knocking.  Don't be afraid to even make a ruckus.  God prefers persistence much more than slothfulness and indolence.  He wants people who will travail and perhaps stumble a little bit, but keep on going forward, just like a toddler who is trying to learn how to walk.  The child builds muscles and learns.  Then one day he runs."

Earlier this year, on March 11th, I was struggling with my abilities and questions stirred inside of me.  "Am I able to do this?"  I asked the Lord to help me be sure that I was were he wanted me to be.  That day when I opened my Bible the Holy Spirit lead me to the following verse that gave me clarity of His will and desire.

II Corinthians 8:10-15 Paul writes:
And in this I give advice, it is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago: but now you also must complete the doing of it, that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also must be a completion out of what you have.  For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.

Praise God it is not about our abilities but His.  He called us knowing that we had nothing to give but a willing mind and a submissive heart.

May you be blessed today with His precious love for you.

I hope you all are doing well and have been pressing on through the tough challenges that many of you have been faced with.  The past several years have continued to bare hard upon the lives of almost everyone around the world.  We are not the only ones that believe that the return of Jesus will be soon.  On the mountainside of Huancayo Peru the words of "Jesus Veine Pronto, Preparate" stands in big bold letters.  This means that Jesus is coming soon, prepare yourself.  Whether it is today or in the days or years ahead He is coming and He has promissed us as His children a better day.

As some of you know it has been a year of many changes and challenges for me as well.  Nothing like a door of a seemingly known path being shut in your face as one to make you stop and do nothing but Wait On The Lord.  A few years ago when I began this journey I wrote in my Bible that waiting is a hard thing for me to do but that I was learning more each day what it really meant to wait.  Well when things changed after I graduated from language school and I learned that my plans were no longer going to take me where I had believed after 4 years that I would be going then it was time to take a deeper look into the meaning of waiting.

Without going into detail I will tell you that it came down to just being still and saying God I am here and I know that You are still here also.  I will remember Your faithfullness that has brought me to this point.  I will remember the Truth of Your Word that says You will complete that which You have started.  No evil formed against me shall prosper.  The things that happened did not catch God by surprise nor did His plans change. Yes, it did for me but He knew everything that was going to happen and He was already working to prepare for the next steps that I would take.

In June I traveled to Peru to work with my missionary friends Ash & Audra McGuen.  They asked if I would consider staying to work with them teaching ESL and reading to the children in the surrounding areas of Huancayo. There is so much more to say about this journey but that will have to be shared at another time.  Long story short I have been accepted by The Mission Society and hope to be returning to Peru within the next couple of months.  The details are still unfolding each day.  In November I will return to The Mission Society to meet the Board Members and be commissioned as a Missionary.  

I could not have made it without your loving support and prayers.  Forever grateful and appreciative of your service and love.

In His Love,

Theresa

 

There are now 8 young ladies and 3 babies that have found a safe and loving home. Through the efforts of Karl and Beth Brassfield, these beautiful children of the Lord have now begun their journey growing in the knowledge of true love.  

School began in Nicaragua the first week of February.  Four of the young ladies are currently  attending classes at the Mount of Olives Christian School in San Gregorio which is BMDMI’s school and is administered by missionary Cathey Johnson.

The girls spent the first few days in a special class where a teacher worked to determine their grade levels.  Maria Jose and Luz Marina have both entered the fourth grade.  Deysi is now reading well.  Melissa is still struggling a little but is making progress.  Nora Ligia and Jeyzzel are attending classes in the children’s home until they give birth to their babies.  All are enjoying their classes and are making  new friends at their school. 

We are all praising God for their new lives.  I so hope to be a blessing to them once I arrive.

 

Attachments:

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Chris

Philippians 1:3-6 

As some of you know I have temporarily returned to the states to work on some personal issues.  While this was not an easy decision I recognize that taking this step is going to help me serve the children of Nicaragua better.  I am embracing this time as it has given me the   wonderful opportunity to reconnect with my family and friends. 

With great appreciation and love, I extend my gratitude for all that have continued to provide me with your faithful and loving support.  I recently received my monthly report of donations.  As I reviewed each one, I was deeply touched by your giving.  It says that you have faith and trust.  Having faith and trust in others is a challenge that I have struggled with many times in  my life.  The path the Lord is leading me through has opened up my eyes to see and know the bond of true friends.  Faith and Trust are the true meat and potatoes of deep friendships.  They are the ingredients that bind us into fellowship with the Lord and each other.

I am so thankful how the Lord is teaching me about faith and trust through the example of people like you.  Your gift to me is one that I will carry in my heart to serve and make a difference in the lives of children that are longing to know someone they can believe in. 

Four years ago when I stepped onto the property of the Emmanuel Children's Home in Diriamba Nicaragua, my heart filled with a vision and hope of restoring the lives of children that shared a life so similar to my own.

I felt assured that those things which had brought much pain and difficulty into my own life, God was now going to use for His glory.  I rejoice in understanding how God could use all the pain that I had suffered across the years.  I began the process of applying to become a missionary with BMDMI to return to the Children's Home to plant seeds of hope with the girls living there: I felt within my heart that God was calling me to show how He had brought restoration into my life.

The journey thus far has been amazing!  I have faced many challenges and God continues to work in me.  I have learned most recently that God's plan and His work is so much more than my own desire; there is a greater story to tell than just my own that He wants me to tell.

Chuck Swindoll writes that "Discipline has a sister and her name is Sacrifice."  Discipline cannot be developed as character without sacrifices.  It has been difficult to let go of the person I grew up to be as a result of the hardships in my life and allow God to transform me into the person He desires for me to be.  Yet I know that if I am to progress in my journey and be able to speak the absolute truth to the girls that I will be working with, I must first allow the Lord to heal me fully of some lingering pains.  I want so much to be the personal evidence of His love and redemption at work.

With the  support of my mission organiztion (BMDMI) I am taking a leave of absence from my Spanish studies in Costa Rica.  During my leave of absence I will be working with a Christian Counselor to help bring me further healing as well as prepare me for any tough spiritual and emotional battles that may lie ahead.  Upon completion of my leave of absence, I plan to return to Costa Rica to complete my final semester of study.

I hope that you will understand my leave of absence as an important step in sending me forth as a capable and healthy missionary.  I have met personaly with the learders of BMDMI to create a plan for my time in the States.  Enclosed you will find a letter from them with the hope of answering any questions you may have about your gifts thus far and any future gifts you my give.

I ask that you continue praying for God to fulfill His purpose for me to bring restoration in the lives of the girls in Nicaragua.  I will stay in touch with you to keep you up to date on my work as it progresses over the next several months.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for you sacrificial giving and prayer support of my ministry.  May the Lord continue to bless you as you continue to be of service to Him.

 

Serving Our Lord Together In His Love

The picture above was taken during my first flight to Nicaragua.  As I took it I was reminded that no matter how dark the clouds get that I can always know that my Lord is still there behind them shinning brightly. 

As children of the Lord we can always place our trust in His faithfullness to be there for us in times of our darkest storms. Throughout my life I have been blessed time and time again.  I just didn’t learn how to count them as treasures nor did I realize the importance of honoring my Father for the things He was doing.  

From birth satan has tried to destroy me.  From the birth of my children he has tried to destroy them.  When my daughter was born I had to have a emergency C-Section.  My husband was asked to sign papers on who he wanted to live.  When my son was just a few months old he fell out of my car and I ran over him.  I watched him as he turned a deep purple blue and his little eyes rolled back up into his head.  He couldn’t catch his breath.  I just knew that I had killed my little one.  Immediately I cried out to my Father and watched as He breathed life back into his little body. 

I praise God for that moment because I know without a doubt He healed my son from the damage that was done.  Satan has thrown double and triple bombs that left trails of sorrow, pain, guilt and many regrets for many years but praise God my Heavenly Father did not allow those things to destroy me or my children.  Instead He continues to do just as He said He would.  That which was meant for evil HE is turning into good for His glory. 

Today I live in the peace that my Father gives me each day and desire to bring glory to His name forever.

 

Through the Storm
One day a young lady was driving along with her father. They came upon a storm. The young lady asked her father what she should do, he said
"Keep driving".

Cars began to pull over to the side, the storm was getting worse. What should I do the young lady asked, "Keep driving"
her father replied.

On up a few feet she noticed eighteen wheelers were pulling over also. She told her dad, I must pull over I can barely see ahead.  It is terrible out here everyone is pulling over.  Her father
told her not to give up just keep driving.

Now the storm was terrible but she never stopped driving and soon she could see a little clearer.  After a couple of miles she was on dry land and the sun was out. Her father said, now pull over and get out.  She said "but why now?" He said "get out look back, at all the people that gave up and are still in the storm".  You never gave up and now your storm is over.

I thought this was a testimony for anyone of you that is going through something.
Even the ones that appear to be the largest and strongest give up. You don't have to, because if you keep going, on up ahead your storm will soon be over and the sun will shine upon your
face again. 

YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS ASKING YOU TO KEEP DRIVING
God will never give up on you

I rejoice with you in all of your blessings.  May the Lord continue to pour out His favor upon you as you continue to serve Him.

In His Love, Theresa

When a potter bakes a pot, he checks its solidity by pulling it out of the oven and thumping it.  If it "sings" it is ready.  If it "thuds" it's placed back in the oven.  The character of a person is also checked by thumping.

Been thumped lately?

Late-night phone calls.  Grouchy teacher.  Grumpy moms.  Burnt meals.  Flat tires.  "You've got to be kidding deadlines".  Those are thumps.  Thumps are those irritating inconveniences that trigger the worst in us.  They catch us off guard.  Flat footed.  They aren't big enough to be crises, but if you get enough of them, watch out!  Traffic jams.  Long lines.  Empty mailboxes.  Dirty clothes on the floor... Thump.  Thump.  Thump.  How do I respond?  Do I sing?  Or do I thud?  Jesus said that out of the nature of the heart a man speaks(Luke 6:45). There's nothing like a good thump to reveal the nature of a heart.  The true character of a person is seen not in momentary heroics, but in the thump-packed humdrum of day-to-day living.

Taken from "On the Anvil by Max Lucado".

This so applies to the things happening in my life.  The "You got to be kidding deadlines" and expectations are on my list of thumpers.  God allows tough situations in our lives in order to refine us and bring us closer to Him.  I have asked the Lord to help me approach these things with the right attitude and the wisdom that will allow His ways to shine.  I pray that He will do the same for you.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

 

10/13/2011 7:12:14 PM - 004031944660

9/21/2011 3:36:23 AM - 003045855827
Theresa, I have been so blessed by your writings and pictures of your experiences. You are such a beautiful person inside and out and I am so happy to have met you in Peru and now so happy to know that you are back in the states for a while with great hopes that we will be able to spend some time together.

2/27/2011 3:51:03 AM - ejsteph@...

 

---

From: cjflan50@live.com
To: avery_abi_2007@yahoo.com; fredamyj@charter.net; judog24@yahoo.com; jimandpat2@yahoo.com; bvangiller@comcast.net; brandileah34@gmail.com; anti-social.butterfly@hotmail.com; 1gagirl@gmail.com; ejsteph@live.com; littlebit4711@aol.com; nustart1118@yahoo.com; cutiejen2005@hotmail.com; jennirichardson2624@hotmail.com; kinards_baby@hotmail.com; mariihen_30@yahoo.com; meryl48@aol.com; milsteph@hotmail.com; inuyasha12_29_93@yahoo.com; sh10474@comcast.net; topazredrose@bellsouth.net
Subject:
Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2011 20:03:53 -0500

My visit's to McDonald's is over, I'm not taking any chance at mad cow like they did in England

MUST READ ABOUT MCDONALD'S THIS IS A GOOD DECENT MAN WHO TOOK THE TIME TO WRITE THIS AND: HE SIGNED THE STATEMENT AND INCLUDED HIS CONTACT INFO: PLEASE READ ON  I'm sure those of you who aren't in the cattle business don't understand the issues here. But to those of us whose living depends on the cattle market, selling cattle, raising the best beef possible... This is frustrating. This will keep us from ever stopping there again, even for a drink. The original message is from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association American cattle producers are very passionate about this. McDonald's claims that there is not enough beef in the USA to support their restaurants. Well, we know that is not so. Our opinion is they are looking to save money at our expense. The sad thing of it is that the people of the USA are the ones who made McDonald's successful in the first place, but we are not good enough to provide beef. We personally are no longer eating at McDonald's, which I am sure does not make an impact, but if we pass this around maybe there will be an impact felt. All Americans that sell cows at a livestock auction barn had to sign a paper stating that we do NOT EVER feed our cows any part of another cow.. South Americans are not required to do this as of yet.  McDonald's has announced that they are going to start importing much of their beef from South America . The problem is that South Americans aren't under the same regulations as American beef producers, and the regulations they have are loosely controlled. They can spray numerous pesticides on their pastures that have been banned here at home because of residues found in the beef. They can also use various hormones and growth regulators that we can't. The American public needs to be aware of this problem and that they may be putting themselves at risk from now on by eating at good old McDonald's.. American ranchers raise the highest quality beef in the world and this is what Americans deserve to eat. Not beef from countries where quality is loosely  controlled. Therefore, I am proposing a boycott of McDonald's until they see the light. I'm sorry but everything is not always about the bottom line, and when it comes to jeopardizing my family's health, that is where I draw the line. I am sending this note to about thirty people. If each of you send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) ...and those 300 send it to at l east ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) ... And so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers! I'll bet you didn't think you and I had that much potential, did you? Acting together we can make a difference. If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on.. David W. Forrest, Ph.D ., PAS, Dipl. ACAP Department of Animal Science Texas A&M University Phone (979) 845-3560 Fax (979) 862-3399 2471 TAMU College Station , TX 77843-24

1/28/2011 5:59:03 PM - jratgoatrock@...






-----Original Message-----
From: Margie <martra2u@bellsouth.net>
To: John Riddle <jratgoatrock@aol.com>
Sent: Fri, Jan 28, 2011 10:28 am
Subject: Remember The Duck


















  



      






Remember The Duck

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents
on their farm. He was given a slingshot
to play with, out in the woods.
He practiced in the woods, but he could never
hit the target. Getting discouraged,
he headed back to dinner.






As he was walking back, he saw Grandma's
pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let fly,
hit the duck square in the head
and killed it.  He was shocked and grieved.
In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile,
only to see his sister watching.
Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.


After lunch that day Grandma said,
"Sally, let's wash the dishes."
But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me
he wanted to help in the kitchen today,
didn't you Johnny?"
And then she whispered to him,
"Remember, the duck?"
So Johnny did the dishes.


Later Grandpa asked if the children
wanted to go fishing,
and Grandma said, "I'm sorry,
but I need Sally to help me make supper."


But Sally smiled and said, "Well, that's all right
because Johnny told me he wanted to help."
And she whispered again,
"Remember, the duck?"
Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed.


After several days of Johnny doing both his
chores and Sally's, he finally couldn't
stand it any longer.  He came to Grandma
and confessed that he killed the duck.  
She knelt down, gave him a hug, and said
"Sweetheart, I know.  You see, I was standing
at the window and I saw the whole thing.
But because I love you, I forgave you.
But, I was just wondering how long would you
let Sally make a slave of you."






I don't know what's in your past.  
I don't know what one sin the enemy keeps
throwing up in your face.

But, whatever it is,
I want you to know something.

Jesus Christ was standing in the window and
He saw the whole thing.
But because he loves you,
He is ready to forgive you.


Perhaps He's wondering how long
you'll let the enemy
make a slave out of you.

The great thing about God is that|
He not only forgives,

He forgets!
     



   

12/6/2010 10:13:03 PM - 002086729486
http://aldeiabonsai.com.br/index0005.php

11/17/2010 8:08:03 PM - chiefjohnson2004@...

11/17/2010 8:02:04 PM - chiefjohnson2004@...

11/9/2010 9:20:04 AM - chiefjohnson2004@...

4/26/2010 12:23:03 AM - 004028889404

IMG_8577.JPG
IMG_8577.JPG 2011-03-23

IMG_8578.JPG
IMG_8578.JPG 2011-03-23

IMG_8579.JPG
IMG_8579.JPG 2011-03-23

IMG_8581.JPG
IMG_8581.JPG 2011-03-23

IMG_8582.JPG
IMG_8582.JPG 2011-03-23

IMG_8583.JPG
IMG_8583.JPG 2011-03-23

IMG_8587.JPG
IMG_8587.JPG 2011-03-24

IMG_8588.JPG
IMG_8588.JPG 2011-03-24

IMG_8589.JPG
IMG_8589.JPG 2011-03-24

IMG_8590.JPG
IMG_8590.JPG 2011-03-24

IMG_8591.JPG
IMG_8591.JPG 2011-03-24

IMG_8592.JPG
IMG_8592.JPG 2011-03-24

IMG_8593.JPG
IMG_8593.JPG 2011-03-24

IMG_8594.JPG
IMG_8594.JPG 2011-03-24

IMG_8595.JPG
IMG_8595.JPG 2011-03-24

IMG_8596.JPG
IMG_8596.JPG 2011-03-24

IMG_8597.JPG
IMG_8597.JPG 2011-03-24

IMG_3249.JPG
IMG_3249.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3250.JPG
IMG_3250.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3251.JPG
IMG_3251.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3252.JPG
IMG_3252.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3253.JPG
IMG_3253.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3254.JPG
IMG_3254.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3255.JPG
IMG_3255.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3256.JPG
IMG_3256.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3257.JPG
IMG_3257.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3258.JPG
IMG_3258.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3259.JPG
IMG_3259.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3260.JPG
IMG_3260.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3261.JPG
IMG_3261.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3262.JPG
IMG_3262.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3263.JPG
IMG_3263.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3264.JPG
IMG_3264.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3265.JPG
IMG_3265.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3266.JPG
IMG_3266.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3267.JPG
IMG_3267.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3268.JPG
IMG_3268.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3269.JPG
IMG_3269.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3270.JPG
IMG_3270.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3271.JPG
IMG_3271.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3272.JPG
IMG_3272.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3273.JPG
IMG_3273.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3274.JPG
IMG_3274.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3275.JPG
IMG_3275.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3276.JPG
IMG_3276.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3277.JPG
IMG_3277.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3278.JPG
IMG_3278.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3279.JPG
IMG_3279.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3280.JPG
IMG_3280.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3281.JPG
IMG_3281.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3282.JPG
IMG_3282.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3283.JPG
IMG_3283.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3284.JPG
IMG_3284.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3285.JPG
IMG_3285.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3286.JPG
IMG_3286.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3287.JPG
IMG_3287.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3288.JPG
IMG_3288.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3289.JPG
IMG_3289.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3290 - Copy.JPG
IMG_3290 - Copy.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3290.JPG
IMG_3290.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3291.JPG
IMG_3291.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3292.JPG
IMG_3292.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3293.JPG
IMG_3293.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3294.JPG
IMG_3294.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3295.JPG
IMG_3295.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3296.JPG
IMG_3296.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3297.JPG
IMG_3297.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3298.JPG
IMG_3298.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3299.JPG
IMG_3299.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3300.JPG
IMG_3300.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3302.JPG
IMG_3302.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3303.JPG
IMG_3303.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3304.JPG
IMG_3304.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3305.JPG
IMG_3305.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3306.JPG
IMG_3306.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3307.JPG
IMG_3307.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3308.JPG
IMG_3308.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3309.JPG
IMG_3309.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3310.JPG
IMG_3310.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3311.JPG
IMG_3311.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3313.JPG
IMG_3313.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3314.JPG
IMG_3314.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3315.JPG
IMG_3315.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3316.JPG
IMG_3316.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3317.JPG
IMG_3317.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3318.JPG
IMG_3318.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3319.JPG
IMG_3319.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3320.JPG
IMG_3320.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3321.JPG
IMG_3321.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3322.JPG
IMG_3322.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3323.JPG
IMG_3323.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3324.JPG
IMG_3324.JPG 2010-11-09

IMG_3602.JPG
IMG_3602.JPG 2009-10-10

IMG_3603.JPG
IMG_3603.JPG 2009-10-10

IMG_3604.JPG
IMG_3604.JPG 2009-10-10

Diriamba Nicaragua 2005 (3).JPG
Diriamba Nicaragua 2005 (3).JPG 2009-06-01

IMG008.JPG
Moments after my heart surrendered to the call for helpIMG008.JPG 2009-06-01

diriamba 2005.JPG
diriamba 2005.JPG 2008-09-21

Diriamba Nicaragua 2005 (2).JPG
Diriamba Nicaragua 2005 (2).JPG 2009-06-01

Diriamba Nicaragua 2005.JPG
Diriamba Nicaragua 2005.JPG 2009-06-01

IMG_1696.jpg
Foundation of Emmanuel Children's HomeIMG_1696.jpg 2007-07-13

Nicaragua 2007 1578.JPG
Foundation of Emmanuel Children's Home DiriambNicaragua 2007 1578.JPG 2007-07-13

const 2007d.JPG
const 2007d.JPG 2007-09-26

const 2007c-1.JPG
const 2007c-1.JPG 2007-09-26

construction 1.JPG
construction 1.JPG 2008-01-09

construction 2.JPG
construction 2.JPG 2008-01-09

construction 3.JPG
construction 3.JPG 2008-01-09

construction 4.JPG
construction 4.JPG 2008-01-09

construction 5.JPG
construction 5.JPG 2008-01-09

IMG_1645.jpg
IMG_1645.jpg 2008-05-23

IMG_1649.jpg
IMG_1649.jpg 2008-05-23

IMG_1653.jpg
IMG_1653.jpg 2008-05-23

IMG_1694.jpg
IMG_1694.jpg 2008-06-12

IMG_1695.jpg
IMG_1695.jpg 2008-06-12

IMG_1697.jpg
IMG_1697.jpg 2008-06-12

IMG_1699.jpg
IMG_1699.jpg 2008-06-12

DSCN3287a.JPG
Emmanuel Children's Home Dedication DayDSCN3287a.JPG 2008-10-10

DSCN3289a.JPG
DSCN3289a.JPG 2008-10-10

DSCN3291a.JPG
DSCN3291a.JPG 2008-10-10

DSCN3292a.JPG
DSCN3292a.JPG 2008-10-10

DSCN3293a.JPG
DSCN3293a.JPG 2008-10-10

DSCN3294a.JPG
DSCN3294a.JPG 2008-10-10

DSCN3295a.JPG
DSCN3295a.JPG 2008-10-10

DSCN3296a.JPG
DSCN3296a.JPG 2008-10-10

DSCN3297a.JPG
DSCN3297a.JPG 2008-10-10

DSCN3298a.JPG
DSCN3298a.JPG 2008-10-10

DSCN3299a.JPG
DSCN3299a.JPG 2008-10-10

DSCN3300a.JPG
DSCN3300a.JPG 2008-10-10

DSCN3301a.JPG
DSCN3301a.JPG 2008-10-10

DSCN3307a.JPG
DSCN3307a.JPG 2008-10-10

IMG_3668.JPG
IMG_3668.JPG 2009-10-11

IMG_3642.JPG
IMG_3642.JPG 2009-10-11

IMG_3619.JPG
IMG_3619.JPG 2009-10-11

IMG_3609.JPG
Luz Marina 2009-10-10

IMG_3626.JPG
IMG_3626.JPG 2009-10-11

IMG_3606.JPG
IMG_3606.JPG 2009-10-10

IMG_3652.JPG
IMG_3652.JPG 2009-10-11

IMG_3652.JPG
IMG_3652.JPG 2009-10-11

IMG_3653.JPG
IMG_3653.JPG 2009-10-11

IMG_3675.JPG
IMG_3675.JPG 2009-10-11

IMG_3680.JPG
IMG_3680.JPG 2009-10-11

IMG_3644.JPG
IMG_3644.JPG 2009-10-11