Seriously...Time is flying!

1/24/2011

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So HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me, seriously 32? Mom, you are GETTING OLD to have a kid who is 32!! Now back to updating you on the week...

Saturday afternoon we finished the retreat and 5 youth from Turbo came to the house and spent the night with me. We ate dinner, played games, and talked at the Paul's and finally I convinced them that I am old and have to get to bed! 

Sunday, I took them to club at Central and then to eat. I showed them around the city (they had never been to Cartagena) and eventually had to leave to go to work in Arjona! By the time that I had them settled and got arrived back home, it was 3 and too late for me to head to Arjona. I called the youth and there were 7 that went out to Arjona and did our ministry!! Man, HE IS SO GOOD!! So, I took a nap (much needed after 3 days of this retreat) and then went to a meeting.

Monday, we re-started our study on the Truth Project and had a good time of discussion! It was neat to hear their ideas and how this study has challenged them in their personal life with HIM! PRAISE HIM for providing this study in Spanish to the Paul's and their generosity to share it with our youth!

Tuesday, Ruth and I headed out to Arjona for our study with the women. It was neat to see how excited they were to meet with us. We were a little late because our trusty and reliable truck did not want to start, who knew? And for the first time one of the ladies, who has not made a decision to be baptized because she is dealing with a lot of Catholic issues, got on to me because we were late. She told me that she had told me that she had a meeting and we needed to get there early! It was such a change and I praise HIM that she actually wanted to hear...and she stayed and was late to her meeting!! We went through the first chapter of Matt and it was neat to watch the Spirit open their eyes to a list of names from which Our Father brought Our Saviour into the world. We went through all the women and told the stories of their lives...the women were floored that HE chose to use prostitutes, sinners, and not only Jews/kings to bring His Son into the world. I love this sweet time we have with these women and am excited that they are so interested in His Word! We gave them homework to get together and look into other stories of the people listed in this genealogy. We will see what HE will do through HIS stories!!

That night  two other M's came in to see what Brian is doing down here and to evaluate him. We ate pizza and just hung out. To my surprise, they were from Franklin...both graduates of Vanderbilt and have a daughter about my age. It was neat to hear how HE has been using them in their country and through their ministry.

Wednesday morning, I did some reports and watched the Truth project with Ruth. It was a nice time of pryr, sharing, and learning. Wednesday afternoon, we took them to the Zenu indian and gold museum in Centro and walked around Centro for awhile. We also took them to the ferria (which is so small this year in comparison to when you were here last year!) and around town. When everyone was ready to leave, Ruth/Bobby realized that today was the day that they were restricted at what hours they could and could not drive. So the family and I walked to Centro, ate some delish Crepes and Waffles, Jota met up with us, and then we headed back home when it was legal for them to drive again.

Thursday, we headed out to Arjona. It was a great day and just nice to be back there and see everyone. They had so many stories to tell me and were eager to hear HIS Words. I am excited to see what HE does this year in all of them and through all of them. Be pryng!!

Friday, we said goodbye to the M's - I had 2 meetings - and a couple of reports to finish. In the afternoon, I met up with one of the youth where we ate and went to see a movie. It was a good time of listening to her, pryng with her, and trying to encourage her. Her name is Trs - please be in pryr for her as well as she is seeing a lot of sin in her life and not a lot of HIM!

Saturday, we headed out to NM...and man was it awful! Like normal, when we have not been there for a month the kids revert back to their disrespectful ways!! So, it was a tough day but we had two new youth that came out to work with us. I had some time on the bus ride back to talk to them and learn more about them...we shall see what HE does! Things in VE were more calm but still the kids were more disrespectful. The Paul's went all day with us and did a great job! I really have appreciated them coming along and being a part of the work!!

Sunday, I went to club with Jota at another club just to talk to the leader about the work. After that, we walked to the mall and ate lunch. I had received a text message from brian that said that the people in Arjona had planned something for my birthday and so I was excited to see what they had planned. But when we got to my house, it was full of balloons, banners, and people! Jota's family had thrown me a surprise party with food, live music, presents, and of course a cake! And Jota had organized the entire thing with the people in Arjona, so that they were not expecting us and we had 4 youth head out to work yesterday without me!! (PRAISE HIM!!) It was a great day. I was telling Jota yesterday that I think it was one of the first times that I really have felt like I belonged. Most parties and things I go to hear, still feel foreign and like I am a misfit. I am very thankful for my Colombian family! And I ended the day, talking to my family and hearing your famous line..."this is your last night as a 31 year old" and hearing dad tell me that really I am starting my 33rd year! It was great!!!

So, who knows what today has in store for me. I had an amazing time at the beach with The Father in His Word. I am so thankful for my life. I am thankful for my salvation. And thankful that HE gave me you and Dad as parents! I love you! Thanks for being my mom and bringing me in this wor
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First weeks back...

1/17/2011

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Well here it is the 17th of January, I cannot believe how time is flying! It will be April before I know it and time for me to leave! So to catch you up from the time I arrived back here until now...

On Tuesday, I arrived in Cartagena at 4:30 and was greeted by my two best buds, Ivan and Jota! They so graciously carried the 120 lbs that were my two bags packed with goodies for them and others. They told me to take a shower, get some clothes on and that we were leaving to go to Jota's brother's civil wedding. I do as I am told and get ready in the taxi and while they are taking showers at their houses. We get to the wedding, they get married, and then I think we are leaving....WRONG! Next comes games, pictures, music, food, and dancing!

I will remind you that all day Monday we spent with Granny as she left us to go home with Her FATHER! We leave the house at 4:00am to go to the airport and I travel all day...needless to say that my spanish brain was not even working! Tired, 2 weeks of english, and emotionally exhaustion does not make for a great combination! But I stay until about 11:00pm and then had to go home to bed.

The next couple of days were spent playing catch up, meetings, reports, and getting things ready for this new year! I think I had something to do every day that week and finally it is time for the religious wedding of Jota's brother. It was a beautiful wedding and a great time to get to catch up with everyone I had not seen or not spoken to at the last wedding because of my exhaustion!

Sunday, our team had our Christmas party and surpirse goodbye part for Ivan, who left this week for seminary! I made him a book of pictures and letters from everyone...to help him remember us in Cartagena while he is away. It was a great day and a great time for us to say goodbye to the leader of our team and look forward to a new year of serving HIM!

On Monday, we had a meeting/club service in Arjona to talk about and plan the retreat we had this past weekend. This retreat is including all local m's and clubs who work with the displaced people in colombia. I find out in this meeting that my team is responsible for making a video of 2010 and are in charge of the Saturday morning activities. 

So Tuesday and Wednesday were full of planning, meetings, and video making. And then came Wednesday night, a night of no sleep because of a high fever and who knows what else. I really cannot remember a night that was so LONG and hard! So Thursday I did not make it to the retreat, to Nelson Mandella with the group, or find time to finish the video. I spent lots of time with HIM reading and talking to HIM about this year...and trying to sleep!

Friday was our first organized retreat day. It was great to see so many faces of people we had gone to visit this past year! It was neat to hear what HE has been doing in their lives this past year. 

I heard stories from Santa Marta (where I took my first trip to teach youth how to use sports to reach the lost.) HE is doing a work amongst them that you would not believe! They have over 50 youth each Saturday coming to play and hear HIS TRUTHS! And they want us to come back and teach another workshop in March!

I heard stories from Turbo (where Drlys and I went to teach the strategy to their youth). They recently had a 3 day tournament and had over 110 youth that came to play and hear His Truths. Not to mention this strategy has united them to work as a team! The youth leader was so excited to see how this strategy had transformed her group of youth that were very divided before and now unified before HIM! 

I heard stories from the Guajira (where Jota and I went to teach many things and the strategy to them.) They have continued to use sports to reach their youth in their reservation. And two of them have a desire to go and take this strategy to reach another tribe that is lost but close to where they live!

It was a great time to fellowship, encourage, pry with, and pry for each local m who is trying to live out the great commission in their hometowns. 

On Saturday I returned with 14 of my youth leaders. We started the day by 2 adults going swimming who I have been working with for over a year now...they are two results from our sports ministry. They have daughters who play with us each and every week. We would pass by and invite them to come to services and listen to the stories. HE opened up the time for me to work with the wife personally for the past 6 months and the change in her life has been incredible!!

After the swimming session, we showed our video and the youth presented on our strategy! It was amazing to see how much this team has grown and how they are ready to take this strategy over! We still need more leaders, and money to get this strategy completely independent before I leave! 

During our break after our teaching, there were 3 other groups that came up to me and invited us to visit them and teach them this strategy! HE IS SO GOOD! HE is carrying HIS strategy and ministry all over this country! It is beautiful to watch and be a part of!

It hit me this weekend that my time is almost up and yet we have so much to do! It will be a busy 3 months of work but only busy by things HE desires for us! I am really seeking HIS direction for these last 3 months of service
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Miami - 10 hours - but no internet

1/11/2011

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So, my idea was to catch up this website today while I spent 10 lovely hours in the Miami airport! Well, HE had a different plan as we just now received internet access and I have about 2 hours left to wait. I want to catch you up a little on what has been going on for the past 2 weeks.

In all reality, the past two weeks have been crazy busy! Lots of things going on every day to further the kingdom...it has been a blessing! I will be glad to catch you up on all of it when I get home but I wanted to focus on this amazing trip to Planeta Rica with the youth.

As I am sure you have heard, we have had some enormous amounts of rain for the past month and a half. Hundreds have lost their lives and thousands have lost their homes. With this rain (and lack of sunshine/vitamin D), comes problems on the streets because of flooding. So the day before we leave to go to Planeta, I receive a call from Brian saying that the roads are really bad, some youth can't come up because of the flooding, and that he is coming back to Cartagena. Immediately, I get on my knees to ask for wisdom and discernment for if we should try to go or if we should reschedule the trip for another day. He says...go!

Friday morning, Darlys and I get up really early and pick up all the youth to head out to Planeta Rica. We had to take a different route to get there and it costs us about 2 hours and so we changed our schedule for the workshop we had planned to do on Friday night. We took advantage of the extra time in the van and had several devotionals and planned/prayed some more for our weekend in Planeta Rica.

When we arrived, it was late and were were told that we only had about an hour to do a 3 hour workshop that we had planned. We were also told that once a lot of the clubs realized that there was only one american coming they backed out of the weekend. HIS plans are always perfect! Friday night went well and was a great way for us to get to know the youth. We ended the day with a devotional and a time of thanks for bringing us safely here!

Saturday, we started with a devotion to give the day to HIM and for HIM to give us HIS Words. The youth did an amazing job teaching each of their different parts. It was so neat to see them teaching what HE had used me to teach them! But what was more incredible was the hunger in the eyes, in their questions, and in everything about them for more of HIM. They were so excited to have a new idea of taking HIS WORDS to their parts of the world. They could not get enough of the information that we were giving them. 

After lunch, I was blessed with some time to spend with a new believer who feels called to be a m as well. Just listening to HIS passion and excitement was contagious! I wanted each of my youth to have the opportunity to talk to him and see this thing that OUR DAD was doing in his life. The Father also brought back a lot of the youth that were with us when we took the volunteer team down...so it was neat to reconnect with them. I especially enjoyed my time with 4 of my favorite kids that I had shared a little bit of our strategy with in June. They were telling me what they had done with the little bit that was given to them and they were so excited to receive all the information to go out and make disciples!! I mean, these youth get it! They understand why we are here and are so excited about the chance to have a part in bringing HIM glory and taking HIS Name to all parts of the world!!

That afternoon, the youth modeled the strategy with them and once again, I felt like a proud mama watching them all work together to share HIM with these youth! We then took these youth out to a local field and gave them the opportunity to practice the strategy themselves! At first they were a little timid and we had to ask the kids to play with us and start the games but when it came time for the stories...they were ready! After they shared HIS Truths with them, they basically took over and played the sports with the kids after the story. They were interacting with the kids, telling them about HIM, and just loving on them!

As we were walking back to the club, I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of them...answering questions, hearing their thoughts, and just pryng with them as we walked. It was such a blessing. When we get back to the club, we broke them up in clubs. Each of my youth went with each club and each club pryd for another club. Then my youth pryd for their club as they began each ministry in their own barrios. Man, I have chills just thinking about it. Watching The Father answer so many of my pryrs in just one weekend...incredible...just like HIM!

Before we said goodbye for the night, we gave each club a bag of sport equipment that was donated by FBC Euless to start their own ministry. The first group I gave the bag to, one of the 15 year old boys started to cry because HE could not believe that THE FATHER was answering him just as he had asked. Nor could he believe that THE FATHER would send a group of youth down to teach him how to share the gospel. Nor could he believe that a club in Texas would give money so that the youth could come down, and equipment to start the ministry! And each club that received the bag had the same response. They were all blown away by the generousness of OUR FATHER!

It was an amazing time with these youth. And it did not stop there! On Sunday, we were in charge of two services! Our youth did an amazing job leading worship, doing a drama of the modern day "prodical son" and a time of teaching! It was neat to watch them work together as a team. The response of the congregation was incredible! Hundreds just coming to tell me thank you for coming and bring this team. That this team had challenged their youth in ways that they had never been challenged before and it was evident who our team serves!

What a compliment of Our Father and how HE orchestrated the entire trip! It was incredible! Absolutely incredible! Thank you for prying! Thank you for asking me how it went! Thank you 

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