The past week has been so busy!! He is doing so much that at times I am so thankful HE lets me come along for the ride to see what HE is up to here in Cartagena!


Monday night was an amazing time with the girls. A time of sharing our history's, what HE is teaching us, and what are some of our biggest giants that might prevent us from giving our all to this study. HE is uniting this girls in a powerful way!!


A girl from Planeta Rica came to the study named, Ymy. She is moving to Cartagena to look for a job and so I invited her to the study. She followed this invitation by inviting herself to spend the night at my house not only Monday but Tuesday. I am not sure why HE is bringing her here but I want to be an obedient servant. Please ask that I will be patient with her, remembering she is young, and that I will hear Him clearly as He directs me to serve her.


So Tuesday in Arjona was great, as always. I had more work because of Ymy but HE provided the energy I needed to do what HE called me to do that day. I had the opportunity to explain my Adopt a house club/family/kid/leader to the different clubs in Arjona and take their pictures. They were so excited to think that someone in the States really wanted to pry for them and know more about them! I am excited to see how He glorifies Himself through this project!


I think Ymy finally left on Wednesday night which gave me some time to disciple a couple of leaders from the team that day...and rest!! Whew...she is a handful! And if I did not ask for pry...PRY!!! PLEASE PRY!!!


Thursday I went to work at PEPE...oh my little Jefferson was there waiting for me and wanting to sing the fruit of the Spirit song. Today I taught them about jumping with two legs, on one leg, over a rope, and then tried to teach them how to jump rope! Seriously, I should have taken a video of this!! And I thought black people had rhythm naturally...not these kids!! We sang the fruits of the Spirit song again and reviewed what fruits we knew in english...starting with "glub, hoy, and piss" I think that was when I knew I was not called into teaching...I mean when little kids start talking about peace but saying piss, you have to begin to question your skills!!


Friday night we had game night at my house for all the youth leaders! We had a great turn out and they are slowly beginning to just be able to hang out with each other without some sort of planned activity! It was a lot of fun to watch them try to play Cranium and Wii guitar hero!


Saturday was another great day of service! In Nelson Mandela, I had the opportunity to play with a group of 20 little boys (6-9 yrs old)! They were precious! When it came time for the story, I knew that they were going to leave or not listen! To my surprise, they not only sat and listened to His Story...they wanted to act it out!! This is huge in this neighborhood! I am excited to see if they remember the story this weekend!


In Villa Estrella, Ivn, Flp, and Jrg all went with me! Because we had so many leaders, we were able to go down more streets to invite kids. We found a group of girls (13-16 yrs old) that wanted to play soccer with us. Afterwards, I explained what we were doing here and they wanted us to come back and tell His Stories!! Please pry that HE will open the door for them to return next week!!


Sunday was different. I decided I needed a little club in english and so I stayed at home and watched a little Flat Irons and spent a lot of time on the beach with HIM! That afternoon, no one could go with me to Arjona to work because of different things in their clubs, homes, or schools. So, I went to my first futbol game here in Cartagena!! It was a lot of fun and a lot different than the game that Kerri took me to in Bogota! And just like in Bogota, the team I was cheering for lost! 


Monday was a holiday here!! (who knew?!) So I spent the day with a family here, just talking, cooking, and relaxing! That night we went to see a movie, Inception. I seriously think it was one of best movies I have seen in a long time! I was so excited to see that this generation really are a creative generation! I had given up on new movies with new ideas that were actually good because it seems like the majority are just remakes of old movies or sequels! If you have not seen it, go see it!


And yesterday in Arjona was incredible! To see each of these clubs and how they have changed in the past year, was truly a blessing! Those that were uninterested are now engaged and retelling the stories to their families. Those that have accepted are now bearing fruit! It is beautiful...I wish you could see what HE is doing!!


 In the afternoon, our plans changed because of illness. Our team went to another town where we are hoping to start work in the next year. We spent the time just pryr walking through the town and pryng for these people! I was encouraged to see various places where we could use sports to engage these youth. These people are dead and so blinded by the devil and their traditions! I think we met 4 people that had a light in their eyes (found out later that they were family members!!) I am excited to see where HE will start moving in Palenque! Please be in pryr for these people and our local leader, Jn who will begin translating the first piece to this work this week!!


So are you bored yet? I hope you feel like you were here with me as I know you were pryng everyday Mom!! Your pryrs are being answered in powerful ways!! Thanks for reading!!

We did not have a meeting this past Thursday because Brian wanted to enjoy his last night with his oldest daughter, Sara. So, I took advantage of the night off and went to enjoy some deliciously free air conditioning and a cute little movie! It was a great time of fellowship with some friends and a little bit of America all wrapped up into one great evening!


Saturday was an amazing day in Nelson Mandela. I was a bit skeptical as I only had 2 new leaders show up to my house on Saturday and it looked like rain. I really did not know what HE had in store for me this day! But as always, He provided! Jota met us out there and just as we got started playing with about 70 kids...it started raining, not sprinkling but pouring rain! And once again, He provided a tarped place for us to hang out and an opportunity for me to show the new leaders how to respond when the conditions are not always the best. He gave me the spanish to teach the kids the Fruit of the Spirit song to capture their attention...as all they really wanted to do was run and play in the rain! Then He gave me just enough spanish to have the kids act out the story as I narrated it. To my surprise, an older guy responded to one of my questions with the most profound answer and I totally thought he wasn't listening! His response opened the kids up to talking more and before we knew it we had a small discussion amongst some of the hardest kids in Colombia! HE IS AMAZING!!


It continued to rain all day and closed the door for us to head out to Villa Estrella but I was able to talk to the kids and we set up another time to hang out this week. Saturday night I had Mrhls, her 3 children, and Darlys over to spend the night! It was an experience!! I was blessed that we skyped my mom for a minute or two and she could finally meet this amazing servant of Our Father!! And was blessed again as right before we all went to bed, we climbed up in my bed and each took turns saying our pryrs! I loved listening to each of them talk to Our Father!


Sunday, I took them to club with me and Mrhls could not stop thanking me for the opportunity to spend extra time with us and worshiping in club with me! And He did not stop there because when we got to Arjona that afternoon, we knew it would be messy and muddy from all the rain on Saturday. What we did not know is that He opened  and dried up a large field that is normally occupied for us to play. And He introduced us to another group of 40 youth we had never met...it was beautiful to see the youth we normally play with interact with the newbies! Pry that He will open up more opportunities for us to continue to build relationships with these new youth and especially Estephani, an 19 year old girl who has accepted the responsibility to bring the new youth each Sunday!


Monday...no internet again, so Gomer and I went to the airport to use their internet to get ready for our meeting that night with the sports ministry. What a great meeting!! I introduced the team to a new way to study the Book and it was beautiful to see all of them searching the same passage for different answers and discussing it amongst themselves! It was a beautiful time of pryr, worship, fellowship, and planning for this next month! I would challenge anyone who is still reading this to specifically ask me for one of these youth to "adopt" and pry for each day. Their lives are not easy but their hearts are open to Him and His service!


Tuesday was a great day of work in Arjona and an answer to a pryr that I have been pryng for almost 6 months. One of the men in our house clubs was extremely active in the discussion and stood up as a leader and made sure his whole household was focusing on the discussion instead of washing clothes or talking (like normal.) It was neat to see how when he spoke his family listened and he remarked how important this time is each week together and that the clothes, food, and everything else will wait because he will devote this time to The Father. He wants to learn as much as he can about Him so he can share!! PRAISE!!!


So...it has been a busy week! Please be in pryr for this weekend of work. We are also starting a girls group on Monday nights to study Max Lucado's book " Facing Your Giants and Jota has agreed to lead the guys study of another book "Fearless". Ask that He will use this time to open each youth up to His Truths and the fact that they can depend on each other to encourage and not judge them.