Adopted

As you read in my last blog, I talked about an orphans heart and how I sort of felt like an orphan here in Peru. Well, God had it all planned out, like usual, and sent a mom to adopt me. Her name is Mirtha, but I call her Mamá Mirtha, and she has provided for many of my needs and is always trying to find more ways to give to me. Whenever I see her, she always invites me for the next meal and while eating that meal, she invites me to the next!  It is impossible to out give her, I know because I’ve tried. She gave me a room to use as a storage place for all my stuff, lets me use the internet, shower, wash machine, printer...I can use anything I need. She also encourages me and is a prayer warrior for me, which is so powerful. And in every situation, she is always willing to give advice. And she introduced me to the rest of her family and they have helped me and have been a huge blessing in my life :) It’s so great to know that the Lord had this all planned out ^.^ Her and her family have helped me more than they will ever know. I just pray I can be a blessing to her and her family, just like they have been to me.

Gracias por todo Mamá Mirtha!!

Orphans heart

I never was labeled as an orphan and will probably never know how an orphan really feels, but I do know how it feels to be adopted and moved to a very strange place that is not normal to me, but is forced to be called home.

A child becomes labeled as an orphan when their parents die or when their parents begin to neglect them. Then, Lord willing, someone will start to take care of them, hopefully a family member or a local church. Sometimes an organization will build an orphanage to house the children until a family adopts them, and maybe the family is from another country. When the child is adopted, they are forced to leave their “home” and now are forced to live in a new environment, house, culture, lifestyle, and even speaking a new language. The child has to adapt to everything that is “normal” in that different society, without a choice.

I never thought of that before...

...until I became a missionary.

I’m living in this new society, which is different than my “normal.” I left my comfort zone, and entered another person’s comfort zone, which is not comfortable to me. People communicate in a different way. The food is different. People dress differently. The schedule is different. People live differently. The music is different. People worship differently. The climate is different. People show love differently.

And as I’m writing this, I’m realizing it is normal to be different. Even in my own home, we are different.  

So, in your everyday life, realize that we are different and we need to respect each other’s differences and sometimes adapt to them. It’s not wrong, it’s just different. 

Rebuke the microwave

We live in an age where the microwave is the most used item in the kitchen. Why the microwave? Because it’s fast. You want to re-heat dinner from last night? 2 minutes at power level 7. But why not warm it up on the stove top? Well, that takes 10 minutes...

Unfortunately, this mindset has passed into our lives with Christ. We want everything done now, every prayer answered in a few minutes or days. But then it doesn’t happen and He reminds us to...“Wait.” Wait for His timing? WHAT?! But I got stuff do to and people to see...I can’t wait for His timing, I need it done NOW!

I rebuke the spirit of the microwave out of our lives. There are so many places in the Bible that talk about the issue about waiting on God’s time, but the most recent one I read was Habakkuk 2:3 – “but these thing I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the visions will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, don’t despair, for he things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!”

Abraham waited 25 years for His promise to happen (Hebrews 6:15). That is as old as me!! And then it goes on in Hebrews 11: 13, 39 talks about how Abraham, along with all the other people of faith in the past, did not receive ALL that they were promised. It was their children that received it. So continue to wait, wait for His promises. 

Aliens

Deuteronomy 10 - ¹⁸ He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien residing among you, giving them food and clothing. ¹⁹ So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. (also see Zachariah 7:10 and Leviticus 19:33,34)

The alien in different translations: the foreigner, stranger, or sojourner. Or in up-to-date terms, the illegal immigrant. Oh, ouch...illegal sounds like a bad word, an unacceptable word. It is a shame some people think that, because Jesus was an illegal immigrant to Egypt (and the Israelites were in verse 19). Now was He labeled as an illegal immigrant? No, that word was not created yet. He was an alien.

We helped out a family in the trailer park, by removing the insulation under their home and also removing damaged furniture in the house. One mother with 4 children, oldest being 5 years old who has been diagnosed with special needs. The mom cannot work, because she must take care of her kids and has no money for a daycare and no family to help her. Also, her husband has been stuck in the immigration office for the past year and they will not deport him to his country. They just have him stuck in jail. Justice?

Jesus loves this family. He knows exactly what they are going through. Jesus' family fled from terror and persecution and difficulty, trying to seek refuge in Egypt. This family did the same thing, they tried to seek refuge in the United States, but in today’s world there are so many laws and rules that now she is stuck. The only way out, is for us, the church, to help her [like Jesus commands us to]. This church we worked with has received God’s love. Like Eph 3:18,19 says that we will not be able to understand ALL of God’s love yet, but this church has continued to keep digging to find out how deep it is. They hear God’s heart, they feel God’s love...and now they show it to others, especially this family. Just like Jesus

interpretation

The first day of work in Bergen, New Jersey was an incredible day. Our job was underneath a trailer, removing insulation, which was a difficult task for sure, and the owners of the house were deaf so communication was limited too. Thankfully one of our team leaders, Bri, could sign! They also had a son, Josh, who was an amazing translator. He is 12 and LOVES his parents so much. At such young age, he realized how difficult it was for his parents to communicate and teach him, so in return, he translates (through signing) and is always there to help them. Wow, praise the Lord that a young boy can have so much honor, respect, and LOVE for his parents.

Bri, invited the family to dinner with us, which includes the whole Samaritans Purse team. And this family also brought their friends! The mother only speaks Spanish, but her three children are bilingual. We always have sharing time after dinner, for all the teams to share what God has done that day, and the children wanted to participate too, which they did! After a time of everyone sharing, the girl wanted to be the last one to share. She stood in front of everyone and talked about how her sister was scared of the flood, especially when the water started coming into the house, but she wasn't scared! She is a tough girl! Then she shared about how she lost everything. Every...Thing...*blank stare*...*silence*...she started crying because it finally hit her. Some of our team members quickly comforted her and took her into another room in the church. And there we sat; 2 parents that are deaf, their son who could interpret, 1 parent who only speaks Spanish, and her 3 children who could interpret. We talked about how this affected them and the difficulties it brought. And to make a long story short: they ALL accepted Jesus as their personal Savior! He is the One that can give hope. He has power to give peace that passes all human understanding (John14:27). Nothing else can do that. Things maybe can, but as you can see, the flood took them away. Jesus is the only thing that can LAST and can NEVER be taken away.  

Sandy

As you all may know, there was a hurricane named Sandy, which hit the northeast coast. My house was not affected by the storm, praise the Lord. The day after, my dad was watching the news and the devastation that happened, while I was trying to have my prayer time. I do not like the news, because all I hear is about all the death, abuse, hurt, and pain that is happening in the world. So, to focus on my prayer, I played some music in my earphones.

And God said, “So this is what you do when my people are hurting and in need...block it out with some praise and worship music.”

 OUCH. 

So I asked my dad how I could get involved and he recommended Samaritan’s Purse, and in a few days, I was in Bergen, New Jersey.

I’m staying at a church called North Jersey Vineyard Church and it has been incredible! We are cleaning out the insulation from underneath trailers, removing damaged items from homes, “mud outs” (which is removing flooring and drywall up to where the water has damaged), and sharing the love of Jesus to all the people we meet.

Tyvek is a beautiful thing. 

A Bible is given to each family that we help and everyone that helps out at the house signs it. it's a POWERFUL moment for the home owners. 

This first week, 30 people (that we know of) have accepted Jesus as their Savior! PRAISE THE LORD! That is AMAZING! People that have lost everything are finding their hope and peace in the Love that Jesus Christ has given to each one of us.

God is working in HUGE ways here. Revival would be an appropriate term. I LOVE it. 

And it's only because of this: prayer. 

Lame gifts are the best

The LAMEST gift I ever got was a journal for our senior graduation. Are you kidding?! A journal? So yeah, that was something I put deep into my closet, maybe to re-gift for a girl that would do a girly thing like journaling. BAM I journal now and am probably the most avid journaler you know.

Another LAME gift was the Bible on cassette tapes. BLAH! Someone considered that a gift? Again, way back in the closet. Then one day, I got the urge to use them in my car and...wow. Listening to the Word of God brings a fresh, new meaning and understanding to His Word/Voice.

I got a hat as a gift before and never wore it. For years. Then I realized while I was in the desert in Peru that a hat is an amazing invention.

While I was on the world race, I was on the airplane and got a little travel kit. Travel toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, earplugs, and a few other small things. Wow, those come in handy when you are traveling around the world. Best free thing ever.

So my advice to you: never consider a gift “lame,” because it just might turn into the most AMAZING gift after you humble yourself and realize how God-inspired that gift really was. Be thankful for the little things, and learn what the secret of contentment really is (Philippians 4:11-12). Once you are faithful with the small things, then you will be given greater things (Luke 16:10).