Cookeville, Colonet and Lewisburg

Well things have been moving muy rapido around here these days, and God continues to bless us with great opportunities to live and serve for His kingdom. Last week, I was able to join a group from Lewisburg and Cookeville for a great week in Colonet. 

This team was very active all week and just to sum up a few highlights:  They hosted their first medical clinic and treated over 400 patients.  They tested vision and provided many with their first pair of glasses, gave physical therapy care to many aching joints from extremely strenuous jobs in the fields, treated lots of infections, provided hundreds of vitamins, and pulled over 130 teeth. The construction team built a new outdoor patio at the church, a new house for a church family, repaired a roof for sister Norma (who was also baptized on Sunday!), and put up a new gate at the church.  Also teams painted a new church sign, repainted the preacher's house, made lots of home visits (during which a 15 year old girl received her first dress), held a 2 night VBS and cornhole tournament, and shared more hugs and love with this community than can be recalled!!

We are so thankful for Antonio and Dulce and their leadership in this community and allowing this week to happen. They had many friends and relatives come in town for the week to help with cooking, translating, teeth pulling and so much more! It was so special seeing these bonds form and seeing others experience Jesus' love in a new culture for the first time. Gloria a Dios!!

I am currently on a youth group trip from Mayfair Church of Christ in Huntsville. We are having a great week in San Quintin! Thanks for all the prayers! Stories to come soon! 

Pescadores de Hombres

And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."- Matthew 4:19

 This past week, I had the opportunity to work with the Fairlane Church of Christ from Shelbyville, TN. They were staying at the City of Children and had lots of fun activities about being "Pescadores de Hombres" (Fishers of Men) for the kids.  They also served one of the new Baja churches, Chapultepec, here in Ensenada. They built the roof for the church building and visited many of the members sharing words of encouragement, food bags, toiletries, and love bears.  Meeting under a tent for many months, we could tell how excited the congregation is about the progress of the building but more importantly filling it with "souls for Christ" as one man said.

Please pray for the work here in Chapultepec and the preacher, Arturo, and his wife Irma as they spread God's love in this community.

 Today, I am off to Colonet for the week joining a team from Lewisburg and Cookeville, TN!

To God be the Glory! Have a great weekend!

hijos de Dios

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

And that is what we are!- 1 John 3:1

Happy Father's Day! 

I am missing my Dad today and am reminded of what a blessing it is to have an earthly father. This day has brought on a new feeling for me spending lots of time with kids who do not have parents.  I am so thankful for places like City of Children who not only provide care for orphans but also show them that true love comes from our heavenly Father. This love lives within us and goes with us no matter the circumstance!

Thank you Jesus for your love!

the sound of Heaven touching Earth

You are the God who saves us!

Last week was amazing and really special for me because my home congregation, Brentwood Hills, was here and my mom and brother were able to visit Baja for the first time.

The week proved to be quite interesting when I was placed to work in the medical clinic as a translator. I know very little about the medical world (much less in Spanish) and was a little nervous. Throughout the week we discussed how it is through our brokenness that Christ allows us to be givers allowing His strength to shine through us in our weakest moments. Until we get to that point, we are often content with relying our on human abilities and understanding.  This team worked tirelessly all week in Papalote, and we had the chance to see God work in mighty ways through our brokenness.

Our inadequacies in the clinic came from a lack of equipment or medicine that many of the patients needed, but I saw first hand that what they really needed was the love and comfort that can only come from Jesus.  Without all of the right solutions, we could offer prayer and hugs of understanding during tough times and affirm our trust in Him together.  

One experience I would like to share came from our sweet friend Tania. She is 22 and came with complaints of heartburn. We narrowed it down to being caused by stress, and she shared that her grandmother has been really sick, and they have a really close relationship. Knowing that just giving her Tums would not take away her sadness, we joined hands and went to God in prayer seeking comfort and peace for this family.

The next day, we had the opportunity to witness Tania give her life to Jesus and be baptized!! I had only known Tania for a little over 24 hours, and I was totally overcome with emotion seeing her heart  responding to follow Jesus. I can only imagine how God feels hearing the precious souls he created confess their faith him Him and be raised to new life.  We are so excited to have a new sister in Christ! 

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

I also added a short video recap of some of the work that has been taking place here under the Videos page up top, or it can be found here. So thankful for a great first month!!

meet Flora

Today, I had the chance to meet Flora. Flora lives in Zorrillo and is one of 9 children. She is in kindergarden but does not really like school. Her mom said her friends at school are not very nice, but she knows that God is her best friend. She likes going to church. 

The group from Campbell Street Church in Jackson, TN began building a house for Flora's family today. We had a prayer and song on the foundation and visited in the house down below with the white cross on top (which I thought to be their current house for all 9).  Afterwards the mom (also named Flora) shared with me that it is where her son and his family live.  She took me back behind the house to show me where she and the other kids sleep.  She pointed to some blankets tied up under a crumbling roof covering. There. No real walls, just an enclosure. Looking around, she also pointed to where the rats can be found. 

Sometimes these moments can happen so fast and are tough to process an instant.  Because of their display of joy and contentment, you do not sense that they are unhappy. They credit God as their provider and healer and are happy to have each other.

I am so thankful for Franco and Yolanda and their ministry with the church in Zorrillo. Please pray for this community.  We saw another group here from Alabama also building a house (down the hill). What a blessing it is to be called God's children and be united as family in all corners of the world. 

Thank you Flora for reminding me today that Jesus is our best friend! 

confession is the doorway to freedom

If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness

1 John 1:9

Great message from Aaron Graham at The District Church on"The Power of Confession" here

freedom

Perhaps in tune with Memorial Day week, freedom is on my mind today. Here in Mexico, I do not have many of the same freedoms as I do at home.  One freedom that I have often taken for granted is one of familiarity. I made it my goal the first day I was here to always have a list of good things that out weigh the bad/different ones of living in a new place. And just when the negative thoughts start rushing into my mind about how I don't know my way around, frustrations with broken spanish conversations, etc.- Jesus reminds me of all the freedoms I DO have:

I do have the freedom to study the Bible and worship God here. 

I do have the freedom to choose joy despite any circumstance. 

I do have the freedom to show love which transcends all communication barriers.

I do have the freedom to learn and grow from this awesome community.

What a blessing!!

This has been an amazing week spending time with the group from Granny White Church of Christ.  I have been quite reminiscent about my first trips to Baja with this same group.  These students have been overflowing with love and laughter this week with the kids here at City of Children and working with the Colonia 89 church.  They have been busy bees and managed to build the biggest house Baja has ever built!  I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to go out on all the home visits with them delivering food, singing and praying with various church members and their families. What a blessing it is to witness their servant hearts and sharing the abundance that God has given them. 

Please pray for their safe travel back home to Nashville tomorrow!