The Lord hears my cry

WOW! Words cannot describe how amazing but also very challenging this past month has been. I was blessed to see my sister for a week. Best surprise ever and it was great to reconnect with my sister but also a few friends as well when I was there. It was too hot for me though that is for sure (like 100s) but enjoyed the time there. Before I left for Arizona though, God gave me a miracle on Thursday September 12, 2013 that I will never forget. The Lord has blessed me through the support of my donors and is using me to feed the children in Ochente Nueve. At times it is hard what to cook for a large group of people and not knowing the amount that we be there as well is also difficult. On this day I went to the store and bought enough food for 30 people but there ended up being 55 that day. I truly believe God gave me a miracle that day and multiplied the food to where each person got a plate of food. Amazed of what God did and will continue to do.

To be honest, even though I love being here but it has not been easy. It is also hard when you want to vent in English but everyone around you speaks Spanish. I want to call my friends back at home but I either have to connect to wifi or it is hard to explain the whole situations. At least I have my roommate/ friend Flori who speaks both because without her I feel as if I would be all alone to get through the hard times and understand what I am going through.

Right now the times are tough because finances are getting low and I know my God will provide but it is hard when you are in that spot where people are relying on you to provide from them but I am relying on people to help me with my finances. It was yesterday at Pastor Mercado's Church where I fell onto my knees at the end of service and just cried out to God but it was a good cry. There has been many tears these past few days not knowing what is going to come next and that scares me. I am the type of person that is always planning ahead and it is hard when I cannot. But notice a couple sentences back, I was not relying on God to carry this stress. I was not relying on God to provide but rather just my donors. He knows my needs and my requests. 

Yesterday in service, I really felt like God was saying "look at your phone." I was confused because even though I do not understand a full service yet (partially because they talk so fast), I do not want to be rude and use my phone during service but I was like, "ok." It was my dad who text me a message saying to look at Luke 10:40. And when life gets burdensome and complicated pray to God "Help my heart dream again." I then look up that verse right away and it states "But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!." I then read the footnotes as to what this meant and it was exactly what I needed to hear at that exact moment. The footnote reads as this, "Mary and Martha both loved Jesus. On this occasion they were both serving him. But Martha thought Mary's style of serving was inferior to hers. She didn't realize that in her desire to serve, she was actually neglecting her guest. Are you so busy doing things FOR Jesus that you're not spending any time WITH him? Don't let your service become self-serving. Jesus did not blame Martha for being concerned about household chores. He was only asking her to set priorities. Service to Christ can degenerate into mere busywork that is no longer full of devotion to God." When I read that I began to cry out (I still do at times). It was at that moment I was realizing that I was relying on my own strength and I was carry the burdens of provision for not just myself but for others. I had the faith that God will provide but I think it was 75% faith and 25% doubt. I need to have 100% faith. Where is the faith when there is little doubt? I need to seek Him more. I get so caught up doing things FOR Him rather than spending time WITH Him and that is where I grew weak. When I do His work WITH Him and along side Him, I can rely on His strength. I would like to not that I am human and will not perfect this but I need to remind myself this daily. It may be not easy at times especially in times of need but I believe it is a great tool to have.

PSALM 116:1 "I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy."

Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Mark 9:23-24 "Jesus said, 'Everything is possible for him who believes.' Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, 'I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!'"

**Help me Lord to dream again. Help me to dream bigger dreams that can only be done through You.

AMEN

The Roller Coaster of Life

            These past couple of weeks has been one of the best but also the hardest weeks on this trip. The best part was when I got the privilege of going home for week but that was because I was in one of my best friends wedding as a bridesmaid and I went to Canada with my family. When I got to the hotel, the first thing I noticed was that the room was bigger than the house that I live in but it was an amazing week that I got to spend with my family. The week went by too fast. I wish I got to see more people that I know and love but I know God has a purpose for me being here.

            When I got back to Mexico from being home, it was full of many ups and downs. I could not believe I could be happy one day and sad the next. So many emotions and I felt as if I was on a rollercoaster. There were things that I had no control over and was frustrated at a situation that I could not change. It was so hard not to be bitter or to have anger. I do not wish to go into details because that would be gossiping but I can say that it was hard. I wanted to quit and just go home to where it is comfortable. I wanted to be with my family at that moment and my friends back at home. I feel as though when you are comfortable, you are not growing because life is full of change and with change, there is growth.  It was then that the Lord gave me two visualizations for my life that I thought I would share.

            The first was a roller coaster. Roller coasters can be either fun or frightening but either way they have a beginning and an end. You step onto that rollercoaster knowing for certain that you are strapped in and safe. Even though it can be scarier for some people, you are still safe strapped into the seat. That is like the protection that the Lord gives. I am sitting in this chair called faith, knowing that I am protected by a God that loves me and even though I go up, down and upside down sometimes, I know and trust in Him that I am safe. It is all about the perception and attitude of this ride that you are about to endure that can make the ride seem worth it.

            As the roller coaster starts to move and the anticipation is ready, you go all the way to the top knowing you are going to go down.  If you are not ready, then when you are going down is going to hit you by surprise and you will just want the ride to end. You will also wish that you would have never stepped onto the ride as well and miss out on the opportunity to grow and keep going even though it is hard.

            If you have your eyes closed during the whole ride or even part of the ride, then you will not see what is coming ahead. Like this, you will miss what God has for you in this rollercoaster of life if you are not paying close attention. There will be many ups and downs but it's knowing that you are safe and strapped in during the whole entire ride that gives can give you peace about the ride. I find that there is nothing to worry about when I step into the rollercoaster of life because Jesus is always with me. He is protecting me during the entire ride and will bring me to the finish line.

            The second was being on empty. It was when I had to get gas here in Mexico and I waited until it got empty to fill of course. The light was on and I was in desperate need of gas. As I pulled into the gas station, the workers were on strike and I was not able to get gas. I prayed to God so that I could make it by morning and faith that everything was going to be good until then. But why did I wait until I was empty in order for God to intervene? Why did I have to wait until I was low in order for God to fill me up? Do I only come to Him when I am in need of something? God has been there during the whole time, whether the gas was full or empty but I only come to Him when it is empty.  Do I only praise Him when things are going well and ask God for my needs when I am on empty? It has never failed me when I am at filled or when I am running on empty for He always provides for the needs but help me Lord not to come to you only when I need you. The Lord is always with me so why not praise and pray to God always?

            This summer is definitely stretching my faith. Trusting in Him always at all times is what the Lord is speaking to me and I thought I would share. I love being here and serving but it is hard at times. Right now I am running low of finances and in need of it but I know and have faith that God will provide. If you find it in your heart to give just let me know. This type of faith scares me sometimes because I have to fully rely on God and not on myself or anyone else. I know that my faith will build this summer and that it will be hard but I can’t wait to see how God will reveal Himself to me.

Dios te bendiga!

It is only the beginning....

To where do I even begin to start? I first want to thank all who have supported me financially and with prayer. I would not be where I am today without your help so I appreciate all that you are doing for me. Especially since I got sick a few days ago but with your prayer I feel so much better. Blessings to all.

So from the beginning, I began this journey and the drive by myself to Mexico on Tuesday June 18^th and arrived in Mexico Sunday June 23^rd. From that moment on, I have been blessed to serve the people in Ensenada.  The people here are so friendly and so welcoming that the saying, “mi casa es su casa” is the truth.  I have been feeling blessed by the people here welcoming me into their homes and to their family.

That first Wednesday June 26th I went a junior high graduation in the morning, reconnected with my friend Antonio in the afternoon and then in the evening I went to church and took 6 people in my car with me. Two people came up to the alter and got prayed for and the two little girls loved their class. They now want to go to church with me every Wednesday.

On Thursday, June 27^th I got the amazing opportunity to feed the children in Ochente Nueve. When I started to cook, I thought there was going to be 20 or 25 kids but there were around 65 kids. I first thought I would have enough but it was the perfect amount and every single child that came received spaghetti and juice.  Praise be to God.

That Friday was the elementary graduation for Ochente Nueve and the kids invited me to come and watch them graduate. It was so cool to have that instant bond and they wanted me to be apart of something that was special to them. For those of you who don’t know, they have graduation from elementary, junior high, and high school. It is a big deal for kids to be there at graduation because a lot of people drop out due to various reasons.

The next day was the group from Gig Harbor, WA to stay at Rancho Milagro for a week. Rancho Milagro is the place where I stayed at last summer and it is a children’s home here in Ensenada along with many others. This week with our group is what they look forward to every year and it was nice to see some familiar faces.

Sunday is a day of church and I mean a day of church. There will be about one hour of worship, 15- 20 minutes of tithes and offerings and about then an hour worth of the message. I am not exaggerating with these times. Church can last 2.5-3 hours here and at this point where you don’t understand the language, it can be difficult to pay attention but no matter what I love the worship. I love seeing people around me worshiping the same God that we worship in the States. And even though I don’t know the language quite yet, I can still feel the same Holy Spirit.

That week when the group came down will be something I will never forget. God showed up in many ways whether encountering previous relationships with the kids such as Brian, Angel, Brandon, Lui, Antonio, Omar, etc (other people who used to live the Ranch). Or providing a lot of food and clothes for the people in Ochente Nueve to seeing joy on the faces of the kids at Rancho Milagro.  It was also a very tough week because there was one kid named Jorge and his mom randomly came by to pick him up and took him home. I did not even get to say goodbye and who knows if I will see him again. It makes me sad and the fact he was crying like he didn’t want to go from what I heard breaks my heart. So praying for that situation to be better and for him to be in a safe environment.

That Wednesday I went to church and of course brought people with me. I would have never imagined though that there were 11 kids in my car. I could not believe that there were 11 people in my car. Of course I was driving very carefully and the distance wasn’t that far from the church. This was also the first day that Miguel went to church for me and I am happy that he went. Miguel is a kid that the Lord had placed in my heart and he lives in Ochente Nueve. He now has a job, which I am happy about, but a relationship with the Lord is always so much more important. So pray that work will not get in the way of going to church or his relationship with the Lord.

When the group left it was a very sad day. Many of the kids were crying and wish the group had not even left. I have never experienced what happened after a group leaves and it was hard. When they were crying, I wanted to take their tears away. I was holding Paola for a good 15 minutes because she was crying. That was hard because I wanted to fix it but I felt helpless and there was nothing I could do but to hold her.

This day was also a very emotional day because my sponsor child had left to be with her mom. The situation is going to be great and she seems very excited to be with her mom, which is a great sign. I was there when she came to the Ranch last summer and was there when she left so of course it was a little bit emotional for me. I was blessed with the opportunity to pray for her before she left but it was hard because I was crying in the midst of my words. I received the mom’s number and my prayer is that I get to see her again this summer. Jaramar will always have a special place in my heart not just because she was my sponsor child but there was this sweet spirit about her that I will never forget. 

I wish I was able to feed the children at Ochente Nueve more often than I get to but I know the Lord has many plans for me being here. If I am not feeding the kids in Ochente Nueve then I am feeding the kids on my block. I still get to feed the children though but not just with food but also spiritually. Because I was crazy and drove here, I am able to drive people to church. I also get to drive two kids to soccer practice every day. One of them is trying to become pro and this opportunity would change his life forever. He is one of the kids at Rancho Milagro and has been and will always be apart of the HCC family. He has made the tryout team but they are cutting that team in half. So from about 70 to 35 people and pray with me that this opportunity will come about in his life. I have faith that what ever happens will be in alignment with God's plan but of course I pray that he will make this team.

Some things I find difficult would have to be of course the language barrier. I wish I was knew the language better but I know that over time I will know the language which is why I am embarking on this journey. It if frustrating when I cannot understand the language but that just causes me to study it more and more. My goal is to become fluent, be able to preach a message, and pray to someone in Spanish. What an amazing experience that would be but waiting upon the Lord for the right time is what I have to do.

Another thing I find hard is not being able to meet everyone's needs. I love serving in the community of Ochente Nueve but the needs are of course unless. But I find peace knowing that God will supply their physical need. My prayer is that God will use me to supply their spiritual need. I know this summer will be amazing but it also will be challenging at the same time. Please continue to pray for me for God to supply financial needs but also He will use me to reach the people here in Ensenada and that everywhere I go the Holy Spirit will lead me.

Thank you so much for taking the time and reading this. I know that this is long because I meant to send an update sooner and I apologize. I hope you got a glimpse of what God is doing here in Ensenada and words cannot express how grateful I am for your generosity.

Dios te bendiga.

Go, Send, Prayer

One month from today, I will embark on a journey to Ensenada, Mexico. As most of you all know, I am driving to Ensenada and will be living down there for 4.5 months with my friend Flori who lives there. It has been such a long time since I have written on my blog but I am really excited to share with and to give you an update as to where I am at with everything.

Words cannot describe how excited I am to be going down to the country I am most passionate about. The kids are excited to see me just as much as I am to see them. I communicate with the kids via Facebook and they chat with me of how truly excited they are to have me come down. With your help, I will be able to feed the children at Ochente Nueve and provide for them a meal 3-5 times a week depending on the amount that comes in but I cannot do it alone.

Right now with finances I am at $1,740 and I am in need of $7,500 for the entire time I am there with a total of $5,760 that is left needed. That number may seem large but if I have 145 people donate $40 ($10 a month) then I will have what I need. A lot of finances will be going towards gas and food for the kids at Ochente Nueve but if you have any questions as to where your money will go towards please email me at ashley.berg57@gmail.com My plan is to give everyone updates with what I will be doing 2-4 times a month so I can partner with you in this experience. I have set up a paypal account so that you will be able to give online and to partner with me and the vision I have for Mexico. If you have any questions about paypal, I have given a list on instructions to help guide you through that process.

 

I know that God has commanded me to go to Ensenada during this time of my life. I believe there are 3 things that people do in order to enhance the kingdom. There are people that Go, people that send (financially), and people that pray but all 3 are needed and equally important. God has called me to go but I need your help to send and pray for me to get me there.

Thank you for taking the time, reading my blog, and partnering with the vision God has given me for Ensenada, Mexico.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." -Matthew 28:19-20


Prayer Requests:
*God will provide financially
*He will prepare the people in Mexico to receive His love and word
*To be lead by the Holy Spirit
*Save Travels


Paypal:
1. go to paypal.com
2. put mouse over the transfer tab
3. click "overview"
4. click on "Send someone money"
5. type in your email
6. type in my email (ashley.berg57@gmail.com)
7. type in the amount that you wish to donate
8. click "Continue" and it should guide you to your next step

Recognition of Man vs. God

I know that it is been awhile since I have posted but during that time I have been absent from writing, I have learned so much within my internship and walking in my faith with the Lord.  Within these past few weeks, I have learned that serving Man and serving God are totally two different things but yet we sometimes can get off track of whom we are actually serving. For myself, I am in Creative Arts at Puyallup Foursquare Church in Puyallup, WA as an intern and this year has been a little tough because when you are in Creative Arts, you are usually the first one to arrive and the last one to leave, the first one to get “yelled” at and the last one to get recognized.  But that is just part of the job of being in Creative Arts and for what our team has signed up to do.

            Within the past couple of weeks, I have realized that my flesh desires for the recognition from Man for my hard work and for the part that I do with Creative Arts but my heart knows that is better to get the recognition from God. Despite already being recognized by God, I wanted to get recognized by my peers. I asked myself the question, “Why?” Then I realized it was actually a heart issue. I was sacrificing my time, my energy, my weekends, and so much more for the sake of being recognized my man instead of God. I started to lose focus on the Creator because my mind was focused on the creation. Matthew 6:4 states, “Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” Gifts can be our time, our energy, our money, etc but also it can be us using our gifts that God has given us to glorify His kingdom.  I now know in my heart and believe with my mind that I have already been recognized by God for the hard work that people don’t see in private. I literally had to make a U-turn for God and get my mind back onto track as to whom I am serving.  It will still be a battle because we live in a sinful world that wants to serve the flesh because it is easier but when we serve with the right heart and right attitude, God will reward us.

            With the United States elections coming up, I want people to be aware of who we are serving. I lost track as to who I was serving when I wanted to get recognition from Man. Recognition comes from who in your heart that you are actually serving. Who you serve is whom you idolize, and whom you idolize is whom you are worshipping.  Are we worshipping Man or are we worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ?? Who we idolize and what takes majority of our time is who or what we are worshipping. We can lose focus in this season of life on the one who has been there the whole time even when you feel the distance. Though we put all our attention, time, and focus into the one who we think will best represent our Country instead of the one who has represented our lives by dying on the cross. I have my political view and you have yours but I am not here stating which political party I am but rather declaring the one true God whom we need to keep our eyes focused on. We think that maybe the president can change what is going on in this country and we tend to rely on the government to fix whatever the problem may be or have the government become a part or all of the solution or have the government provide for us. As Christians it is important to acknowledge that we have to rely on GOD and not on MAN to provide for us even if that person may be the president. Government has failed us before and will fail us again no matter whom our next president is, but the Lord stays true and has never failed us yet. I can testify that with experience. We as believers need to pray for our country and realize that God is in control of the things we do not have control over. We do not know the future as to where our country is going and neither does the president, but the Lord knows. He has already been where we are going and we can find peace within us in knowing that He knows. He is the one that I serve. He is the one that I love. He has never failed me yet. Praise be to God.

Things to pray for:

*The next president and guidance to lead this country

*People who are coming into office

*United States of America

*Local Church

*East side of the USA and the victims of Hurricane Sandy

Half a Summer in Mexico, Forever Changed

            Twelve weeks today, I embarked on a journey to Ensenada, Mexico and never realized that six weeks could change my life as much as it did. I was there from June 5^th to July 15^th, 2012. It was such a blessing to be there to start out with. I got to spend time with my Mexican Family that I have missed so much. I cannot stop talking about my experience because of the impact that it made in my life. I know I am called back but I am waiting for the Lord’s timing because His timing is always perfect. I want to share with you a little bit of my experience but how do you put 6 weeks into a short story? So bare with me, it is kind of long but it is worth the read.

            Well to start out with, I got called last summer of 2011 to spend this summer in Mexico when I came with Harbor Christian Center, which is the church my parents go to in Gig Harbor, Washington.  I finished my application for their internship and got accepted to serve for the entire summer at Rancho Milagro. I was excited but than that excitement turned out to be disappointment a few months later when I found out that my summer has to be cut short due to the Mexican Social Services. At first I was upset and it took me more than a few days to recuperate. But then the Lord reminded me that what a blessing it is that I get to go down there at all with having the support of family, friends, and my work. I got this overwhelming peace that things are going to work out and I know that peace came from the Lord. He was letting me know that He is in charge of my life and not myself. Sometimes I want things to go my way but that road does not get me very far. When I follow the path that the Lord wants me to go on, His path is always greater than my own.

            When I first arrived there, things were going great. I was so excited to see my Mexican Family that I have not seen in almost a year but there was still a little bit of a language barrier. I was speaking more English than Spanish at the time and I wished that I studied more when I was home. At least the kids were helping me with Spanish and I was also helping them with their English. So thankful that there was a couple there from Canada that also stayed during my time I was there. My experience would have not been the same if I did not have Stephanie and Matthew there. The first few days, I was just in awe that God had sent me here and brought me here. For the Lord put the desire in my heart to serve at Rancho Milagro and for that I give Him all the credit. So many emotions were going through my head at the time. It was just hard to process it all but I knew that the Lord sent me here for a purpose.

            As the second week came, I started to feel lonely. I started to miss my friends and family back at home. It was hard because nobody really knew me and it was hard to vent when the majority of those around you did not even speak your language. I was just mentally exhausted trying to translate in my head from Spanish to English and vise versa. The Lord spoke to me as I was reading my bible and said, “Your friends and your family may not be with your PRESENTLY, but you are always in My PRESENCE.” That stood out to me like a sore thumb. It is nice to know that I am always in the presence of the Lord no matter where I go. For I know He is always with me and He will never leave me. (Heb 13:5)

            I was being a little bit selfish I admit. I realized though that when I go home, I would be going back to a house in Gig Harbor, Washington filled with a Mom, Dad, and siblings. I also get to go back with more items than just my suitcase, food in the fridge, and so much more. The Ranch is their home, their family, their friends, and the items they have is what they have at the Ranch. I had to stand back a minute and say “Ok God, thanks for opening up my eyes. I really needed to hear that.” It is comforting knowing that I serve a big God. There is a quote that my church says “Small God = Big Problems and Big God = Small problems.” I find that to be so true because I know that He looks out for me daily but it is not just I, it is everyone around me as well.

            Some specific moments that stood out to me during my time there were seeing kids that have come and gone in just a year. There was a girl that came a week before I arrived at the Ranch and her name is Laura (8 years). She seemed to fit right in which I love that about the Ranch. Whoever comes, they are family immediately and they are there for them no matter what. I feel like we as a church can learn from them. When people come to church we invite them in like family. I then experienced for the first time about a week after I arrived where there were 2 children that were dropped off at the Ranch from D.I.F, which is similar to the Social Services that we have here in the United States. There were two girls and they were sisters. Jaramar (6 years) and Brisa (22 months). Their mom is looking for work and cant afford the time or money to take care of them. Some of the kids from the ranch, their stories are similar to this as well where the parent does not have the time or money to take care of them so they give them to the Mexican Social Service.

            Many groups came to visit the Ranch during my time I was there. There was a family that came from Canada and blessed the kids to see a movie and go out to lunch after church. Those are two things that I know that I for sure take for granted. I know that these kids will remember that weekend for a long time especially Jaramar where it was her first time going to the theater at six years old. There were many groups that came from California and dropped items such as clothes or food off and then went back home. Everything helps to keep this Ranch going. There was also a group from Oceanside, California that stayed about a week. They got to see the graduation of the kids, played with the kids, and so much more. Going to the graduation was one thing that I was blessed to go see. It was something that I was thankful to be a part of.  They have graduation for elementary (primary), middle school (secondary), and for high school (prepatory) and this year there was only elementary and middle school. The group from Oceanside made such an impact and it was great to see the desire on their hearts to serve at a place that I love so dearly.

            When the group from Harbor Christian Center in Gig Harbor, Washington came to visit the Ranch I had one amazing time that I will never forget. I was so happy to see my sister Grace for the first time in five weeks. There were many games of capture the flag and soccer that the kids will remember forever that our group participated with them. So many words cannot describe the time or impact that Harbor Christian Center made at Rancho Milagro.

            There are two people from Mexico though that I will never forget and I truly believe that my purpose of being in Mexico was for them two.  My first person is Diana. She lives at the Ranch and it has been her home for many years. The first week I got there, the Lord told me to pray for her for a few things. One of them was that she believed the lies of the enemy. I also told her what is impossible with Man is possible with God (Matt 19:26). We found out that the tumor in her leg came back. She was first diagnosed with this tumor at the end of last summer and got surgery to have it removed. The recovery process though was a hard two months. Her faith in God has been a little shaky due to her past and also with this tumor. It was as if she were questioning God “Why would He let bad things happen to people?” I think the tumor came back because God is saying, “I am in control, especially over the things that you do not have control over.” During the time I was there I believed in prayer that she would be healed. Every opportunity I got to pray, I would pray for her leg.

            When HCC came, her surgery was scheduled on the same day that they arrived. So long story short, she ended up not having the surgery and was able to enjoy time with our group. So happy she got to spend the week with the group instead of being stuck in the Dorm recovering.

            As the week went on with the group being here, I could see just a transformation in Diana. Before, she would not want to participate when groups came and not sing during worship. There was such joy in Diana that I have not seen before and that made me happy. She was singing in worship during the campfire and was participating in the activities. I could not believe such a transformation not only in her attitude but also her heart. Two weeks after I left Mexico, I got a call that said that Diana went to the doctor and the doctor could not feel the tumor in her leg. It was as if it disappeared. I was in shock and could not believe my eyes that she was HEALED! This boosted not only my faith but Diana’s faith as well. Words cannot describe how great God truly is.

            Another story that changed my life would be going to Ochente Nueve with HCC. Ochente Nueve is the poor area outside of Ensenada where we do our donations of food and clothing. There was a day a group was going there and I felt sick the night before I had to leave and still felt sick the next day. Later on, I realized that it was an attack from the enemy for me not to go. So I decided to stay obedient and go to Ochenta Nueve despite being sick. When we arrived, the Lord directed me to this kid named Miguel. He was emo and had scratches on his arm, piercings everywhere, and seemed like a total punk. My Spanish got a lot better by then and so I kept telling him that Jesus is important. I also got to pray for his mom that got into a fight because he was stressed about not knowing how she was doing. There was a guy named Drew on our team who did his senior project and organized a soccer game for the kids at Ochente Nueve. He also passed out soccer balls and jerseys to the kids. Overall, because Drew organized a game of Soccer and because I spent time with him and prayed for him, Miguel now wants to go to church. Miguel made me realize that spending time with someone can lead someone to Christ which is the ultimate goal being a Christian. Christianity is not a something that we keep for ourselves but rather to share it for the world to have.

            This experience to Mexico has changed my life. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about or not want to talk about Mexico. I love it with all my heart. It seriously changed my whole perspective on life and possibly my career. I want to become a Missionary down in Ensenada, Mexico but I want to see if that desire is from the Lord or myself first. I want to be called by God instead of going because I want to go.

Prayer Requests:

*Miguel – For him to become the Man of God that God has intended Him to be. Strength from the Lord to live out His faith and protect him from the enemy.

*Diana – For her faith to continue to grow and not to believe the lies of the enemy

*Rancho Milagro – For God to provide financially and provide for their specific needs.

*Ochente Nueve – For food be delivered and for God to provide in many ways. Strength from the Lord for Verna and Cody (I believe that is how you spell their names). For God to work in their ministry at Ochente Nueve.