• • To all the girls out there. I recently received this from a dear friend and it is right on. So I thought I would share it. Enjoy.
    
    First we must allow our Heavenly Father to do the picking. And second, the decision for a mate must be made on a spiritual and intellectual basis before it's made on an emotional one.
    
    
    
    "What about love? Shouldn't that be the third? you ask. No, and I'll tell you why. "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9).
    
    
    
    The heart is willful and is driven by its own agenda. It does not consider things rationally and intelligently it just loves to love! Therefore you have to point it in the right direction: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" (Proverbs 4:23).
    
    
    
    Whenever you meet a man, you need to get clearance from God, check out his attributes, and then allow your heart to engage.
    
    
    
    Dating exists not for mating; it exists for collecting data. I believe that the biblical design would be friendship, courtship and then marriage.
    
    
    
    Friendship is two people walking together in agreement and accountability, learning and growing together.
    
    
    
    Courtship follows the mutual agreement to commit to one another exclusively - it is the decisive turning toward the agreed-upon goal of the marriage altar. It is a period of laying a foundation and preparing your life together after marriage.
    
    
    
    But dating? Well, if you do date, use the time wisely to gather these facts.
    
    
    
    ■Check out the fabric. Is the person mate material? Does this man have an intimate relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ? Does he care what God thinks about his behavior? Is he accountable to God as well as another co-laborer in the faith? Accountability is an important factor. It is imperative to maintaining a committed relationship. Is your potential spouse a member of the same family - the family of God?
    
    
    You need to have common interests and values and agree on the essentials of living day to day. You have a similar spiritual walk. You eat the same spiritual diet. You enjoy a lot of similar things. You have like interests, like goals in life, like opinions on basic life issues.
    
    
    
    You have had like experiences in your background. Though there is some truth to the idiom that opposites attract, like-minded folks fare better together.
    
    
    
    Furthermore, does he want to get married? If you want to be married and your dreamboat isn't interested, don't waste your time.
    
    
    
    Remember, women fall in love and get married. Men decide to get married and then look for a wife. Note the difference in order. So if a guy says he's not looking for anything serious, take his words seriously. If he's not going in your direction, get off the bus and wait for the right one.
    
    
    
    ■Does this man want you? Is he pursuing you? The man who is right for you will pursue you, and God's hand in the relationship will be clear. No guessing, no fleeces, no dead ends.
    
    
    Scripture says: "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord" (Proverbs 18:22).
    
    
    
    Note -who finds whom? THE MAN FINDS THE WIFE. From the beginning of time, God has transported men and women across the world in order to put them together.
    
    
    
    At the RIGHT TIME, He will bring that man on the scene and he will find you. In God's perfect design, the man is the one who recognizes his mate. Adam has no problem recognizing that Eve was his missing rib. You do not need to strategically place yourself anywhere. You don't have to help a guy out because he's shy!
    
    
    
    Men will do whatever they have to do to get what they truly want. The man in your life should recognize you as the pearl of great price in his life and be willing to do whatever he must in order to gain your hand. If he is passive about gaining your affections, take it as a sign that he is not interested. 
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  • You need only one man - your man, the one God has selected to select you. And trust me, the right man at the wrong time can be just as awful as the wrong man at any time. So trust God's timing in this. He is the ultimate matchmaker. Relax, sit pretty and allow yourself to be found. Again – WAIT until the man voices his intentions. He should take the lead in establishing the relationship. You may have an inkling that he is the one, but God will use the man to set the tone of the relationship. Allow him the opportunity to woo you - this is your first act of submission. Jesus set the standard for all men to follow. They should love us first. And they should lead the relationship.
    
    
    
    
    
    ■The man in your life should not desire to move into your house, only into your heart. A man who prepares for your future has made his intentions clear. A man who is husband material has the means to take care of a wife. He is a responsible human being who understands he needs to have something to offer. In short, a man should have the means to be a suitable lover for you.
    
    
    ■Check out his buddies. Everyone knows birds of the same feather flock together, yet most women fail to see the connection between a man and his friends. A man's pals tell you a lot about the person that you haven't seen yet. They reveal things about the guy's character that might be hidden when he is on good behavior. Everyone knows how to put his best foot forward. Don't stay focused on the foot, check out the rest of the body!
    
    
    ■Check out his relationship with his mother. How does he treat her? This is your preview of how he will treat you. There are lots of men who, because of a negative relationship with their mothers, really don't like women, yet say they do. Unresolved issues between mother and son continue between husband and wife.
    
    
    ■Remember that a man's family reveals the cloth from which he's cut. Take note and decide whether you want your future with the man in your life to look like his present family situation.
    
    
    ■Check out the patterns of his life. Do you see repeated cycles of drama in his personal kingdom? Broken relationships? Problems in making commitments --including the job market? Mood swings? Is a problem always someone else's fault? Does he embrace responsibility or shirk it? Does he keep his promises? Is he a man of good reputation? Remember all garments look wonderful hanging in the store, but with wear, some begin to unravel. Give yourself time and space to check out the man in your life. Time will always reveal whether or not he is made of the right stuff.
    
    
    ■Does this man have a vision for his life? Is he running with that vision? Remember, God decided Adam needed help once Adam got busy DOING his assignment. As we saw Adam, a man doesn't need help until he is busy doing what he was created and called to do. Is the man in your life guided by sense of destiny and purpose, or does he just allow life to happen around him? A man who is not certain of his mission can be a most miserable person - and you'll be miserable too if you know where YOU want to go in life.
    
    
    A man who has vision is not intimidated by a woman whose mission statement is clear. He will be your best ally, cheerleader and assistant because he wants you both to make it! A man who cannot be supportive of your achievements because he is floundering in a sea of uncertainty over his own life is not a healthy partner to have and to hold forever.
    
    
    
    
    
    Creating dependencies or feelings of obligation is not the way to get the best out of your man. Somewhere along the way, he will resent you and flee from the smothering burden of obligation he associates you with. You want a man who is firmly anchored in his identity in Christ. Remember, we are looking for a man who will be priest and leader of his home. His first instinct should be to want to cover you, redeem you, and provide for you. Your job is to decide if this is the man God has ordained for you to complement.
    
    
    
    ■Complimentary. Do your talents and gifts complement his? Do his gifts, compliment yours? What about your temperaments? Do you see the two of you as an effective team capable of bringing blessing to the lives of those around you? Do your futures mesh? Can you coordinate your gifts in an attractive and effective way?
    
    
    This is why knowing your purpose is so important. Make sure your hearts beat for mutual causes. When I go shopping I always consider the fabric, the fit and what I already have in my closet. Will my next purchase be a complimentary addition to what I already have? If I find that I am going to have to buy shoes and matching accessories to go with a new outfit, I leave it right on the rack. It is too expensive a proposition .. If the man you meet makes you feel that you need to completely reinvent yourself, something is wrong.
    
    
    
    This is where I ask you to consider the relationship in terms of cost. Is this relationship expensive spiritually, emotional or physically? Does your longing for a mate make you willing to forfeit who you are in the process? Or does he see you as the gift that you are? The man in your life should consider you a rare find, a priceless jewel-because of you he is getting ready to get blessed big-time! Any relationship that causes you to feel unworthy, unlovely, unacceptable, undesirable or that you have to work for love, is too expensive!
    
    
    
    God has called the man to cover, protect and provide not only materially for a woman, but emotionally and spiritually as well. You should be richer in mind, body and spirit for your union with the man of your dreams. The man in your life should make rich deposits into your heart and spirit, not withdrawals.
    
    
    
    ■Does he have a healthy love and acceptance of himself? Make sure the man in your life has taken time to heal from past relationships and has made peace with himself. How he cares for himself is how he will care for you.
    
    
    A man's relationship with God is crucial here.. His love for himself will only be as strong as his love for God. This is not something that you can impart. You cannot be his savior or teacher. That is out of spiritual order. In his rightful place as your personal priest, he should be leading you to a richer relationship with Christ.
    
    
    
    If he is causing you to compromise your faith and destabilize your walk, if he is leading you into sexual sin or causing you to be distracted from your commitment to God, the relationship is too expensive. Offending the Lover of your soul, who promises you eternal love, is too high a fare to pay for a ride that has a limited run . If you and your man can't soar in the Spirit, when the force of your love for another is tested by the pull or gravity of the world, your union will not be able to survive.
    
    
    
    So you decide. How much is your life worth? How much is your love worth? You will be able to accept only what you believe you deserve. God himself calculated the worth of your love and decided it was worth His life. He now pledges you His love for eternity. Yes, Jesus sets the example for all others to follow when He paid a ransom for His bride. Should you expect less from a mortal man? Throughout the Biblical age, men were willing to pay the cost for what they truly desired. The truth of the matter is, everyone knows that anything worth having, costs and no one gets a ride in this life for free. 

I am so blessed! I know that's something I say a lot, but it's the truth! Now more than ever. It overwhelms me at times. And now, on this day set aside for reflecting on things that we are thankful for, I am there yet again. This life is such a big adventure. I am just blown away by this idea that God's plans are so much greater than my own. If I had followed my own plan, I would probably still be hanging out in Chilliwack... and.. well.. miserable. Yet when we give our lives to the Lord, they become so much more rich and deep and satisfying. God does not just call some to this life of adventure, of spreading the gospel throughout the world, but he commands it of all His children. He wants us all to have the deep, satisfying life of bringing glory to Him. Pretty amazing.

I lift my hands up to the heavens, my heart soaring within me. How is it that you my savior, who knows my innermost being and sees the sin that plagues me, would call me your child? How is it that you would pour out your heart to heal a people who are so prone to wander from your presence? Thank you. Thank you for having patience with me, and with those I love. Thank you for giving us gifts, and then giving us joy when we see the fruit of those gifts put to good use. Thank you for giving us each other, to compliment, strengthen, encourage and build up. Thank you for music, for color, for touch, sound, sight and smell. Thank you for caring about the un-cared for, choosing the unworthy, loving the unlovable, saving the un-salvageable, softening the hard-hearted, strengthening the weak, healing the broken heart, and giving meaning to the one without hope. Thank you for knowing the unknown in me, and for becoming the lowest, so that we may be lifted up to spend eternity with the Highest.
Thank you for loving us.

What a week! I am settling into life at Briercrest and am loving classes so far. It feels so good to be learning again. Yesterday I did something a little crazy. I stepped out of my comfort zone and joined a group "dancing for Jesus" as they call it. It was an audition for a group that does Hip Hop performances with a message all around Canada. I've seen one of their shows and am so impressed with their ministry. It was so freeing just having fun, not caring what I look like. Although, 2 hours of Hip hop has definitely made walking today a little more painful.
This little town has something so cool about it. I feel myself growing attached to it already, after 5 days.
Life's been taking some pretty amazing turns lately. I am left so grateful, the Lord has blessed me so much. I know that life isn't always perfect, that sometimes the night feels so long, but there is always joy in the morning. He is giving me that sunrise. I want to have an increased softening to the Holy Spirit speaking, and a decreasing tendency to fear what should be put in His hands.

What a week of good things! First, I had an amazing birthday. It was the first that I spent at home for a while and my mom surprised me by inviting a friend I met in Bolivia over for the week. My whole extended family came and we had a great party. I can easily say it was one of the best ever.

Secondly, I just received some news that almost made me do a happy dance. The little girl off of the streets that I met during Christmas on the streets and again before I left is now attending El Jordan, along with her mother (Dayana and Lydia)!! That little girl made such a mark on my heart that I knew God was doing something in them. Last time we went to visit them in the canals, I printed off a picture of my grandma and of me with Dayana and gave it to Lydia. Now, she has it on her wall and every time she looks at it is reminded of two people who love them and are praying for them. Then, about a week ago, a missionary from YWAM, met Lydia and another friend living on the streets, gave them food, some shoes and enough money to get a Micro to El Jordan. So they went. Liliana, the other lady has been three times already, but Lydia and Dayana just went to a class for the first time yesterday. This is beyond a miracle. Please be praying for their transition out of street life as I know the pull is very hard at times. Waahooo! Praise God! He is so amazing.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lay down in green pastures, he restores my soul.
How wonderful a God we serve! I do love Him so much. Sometimes I feel like all I can say is "Lord, I love you." Because nothing else seems to capture every emotion running through my heart when I think of all He has done for us. That is a moment when my confusion brings me so much joy. Because even though I don't understand His love, it's still ever strong.
This week He has been restoring me. My cabin was such a blessing and we connected really well. It was such a refreshing week.

So here I stand, at the 1 month mark of my time back in Canada. It has been a roller-coaster, and the Lord has been teaching me so much. After 2 busy weeks in Chilliwack, I drove back to my hometown. I was greeted by the smell of fresh crisp air and I felt a tug on my heart telling me I was home. Surrounded by the country, I was overwhelmed. Spending the whole year in a city of 2 million, I had never really realized how much I missed it here, a city of less than 5000. Walking down the path, cat and dog running behind me and sitting in the meadow surrounded by trees and wild flowers... beautiful.
So I spent the night in my own bed, then packed up again and headed to camp. I was exhausted. I was exhausted from being in intense ministry for nine months, exhausted from being in the hospital, being poked and prodded, tired of tests and tired of busyness. I was spiritually and emotionally drained. I had an amazing week at camp, but still, something was missing. Something I had had before, but now, somehow was lacking.
I headed home for the weekend from camp and started doing needed paperwork and unpacking from Bolivia. It was then that I just dropped everything and cried out to God. And He met me there, the mess that I was, and spoke to me through Revelations.
He saw how hard I worked and was working to spread his good news. He knew I worked myself to the bone, but somewhere along the way I had lost sight of my first love. Somewhere along the way, I took my focus off of him and onto the people I was serving, and my love for him ran dry. He doesn't just want my service to others, He first and foremost wants my love, my heart. It hit me like a storm and I sat down and repented right there. How can I be without his blessing, how can I love, if I do not first love Him. So I decided to take a week off of camp to rest and spend a long period of time with the Lord- something I haven't done in a while. So I talked to the camp director and scheduled a week off in the beginning of August.
This past week of camp was such a joy. I no longer feel exhausted. I realize my need for a break, but the joy of the Lord is my strength until then.

Briercrest accepted my application! I feel like God has a plan in this, because he has given me confidence in this direction, so we'll see what happens in the coming years.

Well. Home Sweet home. The culture shock has been easier than I anticipated. I feel as if I've slid back into life here quite easily. There are moments though, when I think about my home across the ocean. Not with a longing ache, but with a warm heart and a smile. I was singing in church this sunday, when I thought about chapel at El Jordan. The students would gather together and worship God. There was only a piano and a guitar, not many people actually sang the right tune, but it was so beautiful- the mood light as all around remembered the grace and goodness of God. I feel like that's how it will be in heaven. Everyone rejoicing and singing songs of praise to their creator.
As Abram said before I left. Even if I don't see them again this side of heaven, we will all be together again, praising God, except this time, with no language barrier. How magnificent a dream!

So, I have been spending my time hanging out with my friends, running around to doctors appointments and spending time with my mom, brother and grandpa. It's been a busy week. But, thank goodness, I got the results back from the doctor. And besides a curable disease I got from the babies, I'm healthy again! (or at least on the road).

My application to Briercrest is soon to be processed (it's been slowed by the mail strike). I kind of feel like I'll be accepted. It seems the Lord has been pushing me in that direction. Pretty crazy. Makes me laugh a little. I can plan my steps, but it's the Lord who directs the path. So here I am, a mile away from the plan I had for myself a year ago- even 6 months ago, and pretty excited about the changes he's made.

Camp is coming up in just over a week! I am excited beyond words to see what God will do this year. Please be in prayer for the kids that will be attending this summer- especially for the girls in my cabin.

I said a lot of goodbyes today. The last day of classes before my trip came before I realized, now I have two days to prepare and say a few more goodbyes. My voyage starts Monday morning. Today was so bittersweet. My wonderful babies made it such a joyous last day for me. Without even knowing it would be their last time with me, they showered me with hugs, giggles and great memories. The older kids even behaved this morning! There was no taking out of 'the chair' or time outs. The Lord blessed me so much. And I love each of my kids beyond words. But since seeing Yandira and Lydia on the streets on wednesday, I feel like my time here is done.. for now. :) Everyone here will always be on my heart, in my prayers and hopefully I will see them again someday. If not here on earth, then in heaven, where we can together praise the God whose compassion and love saved us from equally doomed ends. Praise God. The next two days are packed. First, I will be joining the rest of the missionaries at El Jordan for lunch at a dear friend of mine's, Eli's, house. Sunday, after church I will be spending lunch at one of the students houses for one of the kid's birthday lunch.
My plane takes off on monday morning bright and early. I hope to see some of you from Canada soon. I will be spending the first 2 weeks in Chilliwack, BC spending time with my mom and other friends there. I'll then be going straight to Lake of the Trees Bible Camp in 100 mile, where I will be spending the summer. My hope after that is to spend the next 5 years getting my elementary school teaching degree at Briercrest.
God Bless! Thank you all so much for your prayers! I saw the Lord do amazing things and I will always thank him for this experience.
Now I am off to pack.

I am always amazed when the Lord lets me see some of the things he's been doing, but Lydia's story and how I've been woven into it just leaves me in awe. It all started 10 years ago. Corina met Lydia on the streets when Lydia was just a teen. She had just left home and moved onto the streets. Corina had asked for prayer for this girl. My grandma felt called to pray for her, 10 years ago. And she did, year after year- that she would get off of the streets and raise her children right. About a year ago, Lydia disappeared. Corina and my grandma both thought she had died. So my grandma stopped praying for her. A little bit before I came to Bolivia, grandma felt God urging her to pray for Lydia again. Then, on Christmas eve, we saw her again, when her 3 year old daughter found me and starting playing with me. I felt a connection with this little one and God put her on my heart every day, so I prayed for her. When we found out the little girl was Lydia's daughter and Lydia was alive, it was obvious that God was working here. So I prayed for Lydia and her daughter, as did my grandma and others who heard about her. I prayed that, even at three, she would have the strength to stand up for what is right, and that God would plant in her the knowledge of right and wrong, so that she would not follow in the ways of her mother. This afternoon, we spent time in the canal, talking with Lydia and the others living under the bridge. I found out that the girl's name is Yandira Dayana. She told us that when Lydia would sniff glue, little Dayana would tell her not to, that it's wrong. Wow! A 3 year old that grew up seeing nothing else, knowing nothing else, would know whats right, and stand up for it! I pray that she will grow up searching after what is right, standing tall and strong against the pull of the streets. Lydia asked us to pray for her. She said that she really wants to get off the streets, that she's willing to do what she needs to do, but she needs God's help. She wants to start attending one of Corina's Bible studies! After 10 years of praying, the Lord has broken through her walls and called her to himself. How amazing our Lord is that he rescues us when we are in the slums of life!! I know that the Lord has called Dayana and I want to ask that you pray for her throughout her life. I know He has great plans for her. He has called her from a life of darkness. Wow. I'm still amazed.

The time has finally come! Corina searched the streets for Miriam and her 3 year old daughter and finally found her on the other side of town. So this afternoon we are going to go to where they live under a bridge in a canal and share tea with them and about 15 others living on the streets. This will be Angela and Sam's first time seeing the streets close up. It will change their lives. I look forward to seeing the little girl that so touched my heart on Christmas eve. May the Lord truly bless this afternoon.

God is good! There are two stories I want to share here. The first is about the family I talked about in the last post that lost their baby after 19 weeks. The father of the baby had always been against Lucia going to El Jordan and was against anything to do with God in general. When he first caught a glimpse of his son in the casket when Corina and Heidi brought it over, though, something changed in him. He was struck by how formed he was and realized that though he wasn't yet born when he died, he was still a baby and still his son. And so he grieved in the best way he knew how. He took the box into his house. After a long time, he came out and they realized that he had written 'Marcelino' with his finger in green paint on the top of the box. This is what he named him. He then buried him in his yard and placed a cross on his grave. After that, when he was talking to Corina and Heidi, he said that he wanted to attend the Friday night chapel that was coming up that friday (which is like a monthly church service held at El Jordan)! The Lord used a terrible event to bring this man closer to himself! Praise God!

A few weeks back I met a lady named Jovanna. She had had a brain tumor that was causing her to rapidly loose all functions, starting with her sight and ability to move. In one week, she went from functioning as normal to being almost completely blind and paralyzed. So we pooled together money to get her brain surgery to take out the tumor that was taking her life. The next day, she came to El Jordan, walking, seeing, and so thankful. That night as she was talking with Corina, she accepted Christ as her savior. The joy I saw in her eyes, left me speechless- literally.
She received new life in two ways on this day. And she completely changed her life around. The next day, however, she got the results back from other tests they took. They told her that though they got the tumor, the cancer had spread and she has 6 months to live. She is a special lady and I have no idea what must be going through her mind right now. But God provided for her for that surgery so that she would have enough time to decide to live the rest of her life for Him. Praise the Lord that she did! But please please pray for her as this must be a pretty difficult time.

The Lord is always working, even when we think no good can come from a situation, he redeems.

Well, preparations are being made for my return home and it is finally sinking in. I look to the future in excitment, yet am trying to spend as much time with the kids as possible as it hurts my heart thinking about leaving them. But I know I am leaving them in good hands. They have already started to grow attached to Sam and Angela, which is really wonderful. Also, my dog and cat will be living with new loving owners here together. That took a giant load off my shoulders and I am so greatful. They will enjoy their new homes.

A little update on Carlitos. He is out fo the hospital and coming back to El Jordan. He is skinnier than I have ever seen him though, and still very sick. Where before he was all smiles and giggles, he now is easily upset, and rightly so. He's a pretty sick little fella. So please continue to pray for him.

I also have another prayer request. One of our girls- actually Beba's mom (Beba is the little 2 year old I asked prayer for for her head when she cracked it open), lost her baby friday. She was pregnant for 19 weeks when all her ambiotic fluid left her uteris, leaving the baby to sufficate. It died on friday and though she was devastastated, she told Heidi that her little baby boy was now in heaven to be cared for by God. He was beautiful and looked so much like his older sister and brother. We made a little wooden box for him and gave him the name 'Louie Solomon'. Please pray for Lucia (the mom) and her family.

I went shopping early this morning in the new 'Mega Market'- a giant white building on the other side of town. As I walked in, I was so amazed. It was like a smaller version of walmart, or superstore. At first, I just ran around looking at all the 'new' things.. like family sized chocolate bars or containers of candy rather than tiny bags. Or more than one kind of cheese. Then, after searching for chips and being unsucessful, I just stood in the middle overwhelmed, the airconditioning pouring over me. That, right there, is culture shock. Makes me a little nervous.

Prayer Request-

One of the babies in my room went into the children's hospital on saterday with a severe case of Dengue Fever. For those of you who don't know, dengue is one of the worst diseases here and leaves healthy adults bedridden for days to weeks. It gives you high fevers, vomiting, diarrhea and other painful symptoms. This little one, Carlitos, is 2 and has been sick most of his life with bad nutrition and so is a little more fragile than most. So your prayer for a quick recovery would be great. Dengue is not something anyone wants to get.

House visits! Yesterday was a wonderful day. A high school group from Saskatoon came to El Jordan for a day of home visits to families of El Jordan and working on the new boys' property. So, I tagged along as a translator and got the chance to visit two families' homes. I really enjoyed getting to know them better. In the morning, my group visited a lady named Sebastiana and her three children. I have gotten to know her youngest (3) Valeria in the baby room before she changed over to the little kids room and so I spent a lot of time hanging out with her. She is such a sweety. We were all struck with how well behaved her kids were and how much they loved and respected both their mom and their dad. We had so much fun hanging out with them, talking and playing with the kids that time flew far too fast. I feel like I left with a friendship starting to bloom. You can pray for Sebastiana and her husband though as they have not yet made the decision to accept Christ as their personal savior, but she has really been enjoying her Bible studies at El Jordan.
The next house we visited was Nelly's. Nelly has been coming to El Jordan for a few years now, and we have become friends through her youngest son, William, who is in my baby class. It was great to get to know her husband and other kids as well as share together as brothers and sisters as both her and her husband are seeking God with their life and learning.
I so enjoyed yesterday, and am very grateful that the Lord has brought these two families into my life. I know I will be praying for them, as I know they will be praying for us as well.

I then was invited to spend some time in the plaza getting ice cream with the team and seeing a little of the Good Friday celebrations. It was really fun getting to know the youth from SCS.
We walked through the catholic church and it broke my heart. Thousands of people lined up to place ceremonily acceptable things on the feet of Jesus and Mary idols. I wondered how many of them knew that we don't need idols to lay our burdens at the feet of Jesus. And we don't need to pay money to come before his throne, or line up to be in his presence. I wondered if they knew that our savior didn't want us to place branches at his feet once a year, but rather bow before him in prayer every day we draw breath. I wondered if they had tasted the freedom and hope, love and acceptance that is only found in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and not in our own deeds. How amazing is the grace that is given us.

Today was a sunshiney day. Literally (of course) and it was just overall a fun, normal day at El Jordan. The schools are on strike in Santa Cruz, so on a day that we usually have 3 kids in the mornings, we had 15. So, with one baby in a stroller, one being carried, and a string of 13 kids, we crossed two busy avenues and headed to the park. I was so proud of the kids when they reached out and be-friended another little boy who was alone at the park. So I invited him to eat snack with us. He was all smiles. I reached into the bag though, to find something that made me chuckle a little. We had asked two of the older boys to get snack together before we left. We told them to get one pack of crackers per kid and one banana. I found about 25 packs of crackers and 6 bananas.

What a wonderful weekend! I was invited to a weekend away, to a place in the mountains called "Semai Pata". The scenery was gorgeous, the city pace was slow and the company was amazing. The first day, we headed on up to a collection of waterfalls. Besides them just being beautiful, the outing was made more memorable when I got to cross two things off of my bucket list. 1. Stand behind a waterfall. 2. Do something that terrifies me and not be terrified, ( I stood on top of the waterfall overlooking the 30 foot drop. Heights aren't my thing- my porch scares me.). Overcoming fear is always an exciting thing to me. We took pictures, and played in the water, then took more pictures. As we were heading back we crossed a stone path across the river. My foot slipped- which sent me tumbling into the water and my flip flop floating downstream towards the waterfall. As I was scrambling to save myself and my flipflop, the rest of the gang, not hearing the kafufal, kept walking leisurely down the path, unaware of my almost death. In the end, I saved my flip flop got to shore and caught up with the others before they noticed.
The next day, we spent some time at the Incan ruins. It was so cool thinking about they way these people lived. It makes me wonder. In a few hundred years, will people pay to come see ruins of our houses? What will they assume about us? While we were hiking, we met a dog. It was so excited to see us, it erupted in howls. He followed us the whole way, stopping with us when we took pictures and leading the way to the next lookout. We named him Rahshum and he was pretty cute. As we pulled away in the taxi, though, we looked out the window and saw poor rahshum, puppy dog eyes out, watching us leave. Then something crazy happened, he started chasing our taxi down the dirt, mountain road. He chased us, keeping up, for a good 10 minutes before he saw some other tourists and stopped to hang out with them. Thats one loyal dog.

Overall, I had an amazing weekend, getting to know new people, making new friends and getting to know already existing friends better. What a blessing.

God bless, all.

So lately, the little girl I met on Christmas on the Streets (you can see that story in December 26th post) has really been on my heart an mind. After praying about it, I felt like I needed to do something about this. I considered asking Corina if we could track the little girl down, then chickened out, telling myself that that would be too much work for them. But God kept pressing me, reminding me to listen to His promptings. So, I gathered my courage and sat down to ask Corina. As soon as I mentioned that little girl, she told me she'd been wanting to go back out to the streets for a while now and was planning to go out friday night (tomorrow), and if we didn't find her, we'd keep going out until we did! Well, I have to say, I never thought I would have the chance to even know her name or see her again, but the Lord put her on my heart for a reason. Lets see what He has in store!

This is what I read today: Philippians 1:9-11
"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ- to the Glory and Praise of God."
Wow eh?
That we may abound more and more in our love. That our love for others will grow and mature more and more as we gain more insight and knowledge of the true source of love. That we may be pure and blameless when Christ returns. What else could we want. All through Jesus Christ for the Glory of God that all may praise him. This all comes from love. A love that does not stay stagnant, but continues to grow into maturity as we look upon the love of the Almighty. My prayer is that I will constantly seek to learn how to love better, deeper and purer and never be satisfied to stay where I am.

Well, the past few weeks have been hectic to say the very least. The adoption of baby Keidy taking up all of our time. With Corina and Heidi at lawyers offices, hospitals and running around trying to get all the paperwork settled, I stayed at Corina's and took care of little Keiden. I enjoyed spending more time with him. He's a really neat little kid. But.. on the other end, problem after problem arose. And yet the Lord opened door after door. Showing that this was His will and only he could be behind this adoption. After two weeks of little sleep or rest on Corina and Heidi's part they received terrible news. The birth mother decided that she was going to take the baby home with her and cancel the adoption. After she promised this baby to the Lord, she took it back. It was a disappointing time for all of us. Prayer is needed for this baby as there is no financial way that the birth mom can take care of her with her 4 other kids. Suddenly a bright future for this baby has turned into a dark and uncertain one.

God is good! Both mother and baby are healthy. The adoptive family bonded well with their new baby girl, Keidy Grace. After meeting her for the first time, though, they had to leave her there, at the hospital because there were some paperwork issues to be worked out. These next couple of days will be stressful, so please keep them all in your prayers.

So, I realize it's been close to a month since I've updated y'all, and I'm incredibly sorry for that. After 6 weeks of adventures, my mom flew home on the 1o am flight out of Santa Cruz. It was such a joy to have her here, sharing and witnessing this large part of my heart.
I realized yesterday that I only have 3 1/2 months left with these kids. It came so fast. At this moment, I don't want to leave. It's hard to think about, so I won't.
Today was a wonderful day. Classes started up again a couple weeks back, so we are starting to see much progress in the new babies. I'm privileged so be able to spend every day in the 0-3 room, so gaining their trust and learning their personalities is an easier process. Many of the babies are used to getting their way as soon as they scream at you, so the baby room has been anything but quiet. However, now, as we teach them to play and enjoy themselves, it becomes more enjoyable for us.
I have an urgent prayer request. Just recently, one of the pregnant mom's decided to give her baby up for adoption. Through only the hand of God, a solid, beautiful Christian family stepped forward to adopt this baby. However, the birth mother has many many health problems, so in order to keep the diseases from spreading to the baby, she must have a C-section. This c- section is scheduled for wednesday morning. If you could all pray for the baby as well as the mom, I know she would really appreciate it. There is great risk that she will not make it through the surgery, so she was told to find homes for her other 4 children. Please be keeping this family in your prayers.

These past three weeks have been pretty eventful. I needed to renew my Visa, so off we went to spend the week in Chile. Well. The getting there was enough adventure to last the whole trip. From drunk ticket ladies passing out mid-sentence, to fighting for hours just to get what was promised to us- then losing and having to leave Charlie (Heidi's dog) at a strangers house halfway through the trip, to intense altitude sickness and motion sickness, and peeing on the side of the road in front of many strangers in the middle of the night. After 29 hours on the bus we finally made it to Chile, completely drained from the experience. After that, we decided to pay the few extra dollars and fly home. The time in Arica, Chile was restful and relaxed. We ate amazing seafood, went on many photography expeditions on the shoreline, and made friends with pelicans, giant sea lions, two dogs we named Eddie and "the sniffing butt dog" (Kind of self explanatory) and a seagull whose name escapes me right now.
I came back to find that my dog Silas had run away from the babysitter's. After a week, one of the kids that guards cars in front of El Jordan informed us that Silas came every day to our gate and waited for us. He found us again. Eventually our paths crossed and we took him home. He is now laying contently on my floor.
My mom arrived a couple weeks ago and is really enjoying her time here. She has been put to work sewing curtains and fixing toys as we prepare for classes to start up again.
We have also been busy sorting and cleaning toys, wiping walls, and exchanging old toys for the slightly newer or less used toys. I look forward to the day that classes start up again and we, I mean the kids, can start using all the new things we've put out.

I sat in the back of the pickup truck as we drove through the countryside, on our way home from a wonderful day at the property. I sat in wonder as the sun made it's last appearance in beautiful shades of pink and orange before it disappeared behind the horizon. As the stars, one by one, started sparkling in the night sky, fireflies darted across the dirt road behind us. Being the only ones on the road, the sky appeared huge and brilliant above me. I was reminded of how big, how magnificent, powerful and strong, yet how gentle and beautiful our God is. And couldn't help but thanking him for making me his child, his servant and friend. He leads us as his children on such an amazing adventure of following him.

Christmas day brought someone to El Jordan that really was a true gift. I came downstairs to Heidi and Keiden looking around. "Have you seen a dog? It's beautiful, dark brown and it just came and made itself at home." We searched around El Jordan and there was no dog to be found. Finally we found him in a back room sleeping contently. It was true, he was beautiful. With silky red-brown hair and a calm, laid-back personality, it took everything in me not to get too attached. It was obvious he lived on the streets. He was skinny, and a little dirty and many people had seen him wandering around and eating out of garbage cans for the past year or so. So we tried to figure out what to do. Finally we had a plan. We decided to give him to a boys' home about 45 minutes away. So, we put him in the truck and dropped him off. The boys were ecstatic- each taking turns taking pictures with him. The very next day, though, he ran off and didn't return to them. So we all, sadly, gave up hope of finding him again.

Two days ago and a week after he escaped he was waiting on the corner for us to pick him up. He had walked for a week to find us. After that, we knew we couldn't give him up. So we tried to think of a way to keep him. It was decided that once the property for the new boys' section of El Jordan is ready, he'll go live there to protect it. Meanwhile, for the next few months, I get to take care of him. What a wonderful Christmas gift.

So, yesterday we took him to the vet to get fixed. They asked if we wanted to watch, so we did. It was interesting. But we figured he would be a little lethargic for a couple days until he healed. I woke up this morning at the usual 6:30am (he seems to have an inner clock and wakes me up at 6:30 on the dot every morning) to a jumpy, wiggling, excited dog, ready for his morning walk. I was pretty shocked, he doesn't seem to notice anything is different. So, we went down the road a ways and turned onto a dirt alley. On the other end, a big dog stopped in our path. Knowing Silas was a very protective dog and wouldn't turn down a fight and therefore injure himself, I stopped in my tracks and tried to turn around. But it was two late, the dogs were staring each other down. I started running the other way, sure a fight would break out, but Silas wriggled out of his collar and stood his ground. The dog was running at us now, so I knew I had to scare it away. So, I looked around and saw a rock. I picked it up and threw it at the dog, purposely missing. It stopped for a second, then started at us again. So, I picked up another rock. This time I raised it above my head and yelled in my scariest voice. I'm not sure exactly what I yelled, but it did the trick. The poor dog ran as fast as it could in the other direction. If it had a tail, I'm sure it would be between his legs.

I told Heidi about this later and described the dog to her. Apparently his name is princess and he wouldn't have picked a fight, but was spastic and just wanted to play with us. Poor thing probably had the fright of his life. But I'm positive there would have been a fight started by Silas (I'm still working on his social skills with other dogs and cats), so I spared Princessa even more terror.