Vamos a Orar

Hello, everyone!

I'm writing to ask for your prayers for a very special trip to Mission. Billy is going to Texas for a month and a half!

While I'm a little jealous, I'm much more excited for him, and excited to see how God is going to use this time! You can read all about this Summer Internship on his blog.

Isn't it a wonderful privilege to be able to pray? What a generous God we serve, Who has made a way for us to be vitally involved in things we could never physically help with! Seize this opportunity to bring this trip before the Lord in prayer. He hears.

Grace and Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
-Sarah

A very, very quick update!

I don't have a whole lot to report, and anything I do have is covered very well by Aaron over at http://christpreeminent.blogspot.com/. I felt like I should post something, though, so here you go! They've been visiting, mowing grass, and pretty much getting things done.

Tomorrow (Saturday) morning is the men's breakfast, and have invited several boys and their fathers. Also, instead of having a pool day, tomorrow evening they hope to have a movie night for some of the girls, and organize a soccer game in a nearby neighborhood. Pray that they have a very encouraging and productive Saturday!


Sorry this is so short and lacking in information! I encourage you to check out Aaron's blog. Personally, even though I've been able to keep in touch with them and get a lot of information, I'll be glad when they're home and can tell me about it face-to-face!

Love & Peace,
Sarah

Overdue Report on Monday-Wednesday, or Why Sarah Could Never Make it as a Journalist

I'm terribly sorry that I didn't get this posted yesterday! It was a weird day, and I couldn't get my thoughts gathered and stay focused long enough to get it written. Hopefully I can keep it from getting too long. Here we go!

First, let me tell you that Hermano Solis is doing a little better! When Billy talked to him yesterday, he said that the pain was much smaller. Praise God! And keep praying. :)

I suppose the best way to do this would be to go through day by day and tell you what I know.

Monday
Monday evening the team planned on having a family from the church over for dinner, then picking up some boys at 7 to finish soundboard training. They did have people over for dinner (where I hear there was tons of good food), but ended up being 45 minutes late to pick up the boys. Since it was too late for soundboard training, they were able to play soccer with a bunch of kids from the apartments near the church! Isn't it amazing how God works?

Photo courtesy of Billy Jackson

Tuesday
Yesterday they had a bigger day. They started by helping serve breakfast to disaster relief volunteers, and later took a shopping trip to Mexico (where vanilla beans are only 99¢ each!). Yesterday evening they spent some time with a few of the boys, and played a crazy game of kickball where they met new kids and were able to tell them about tonight - more on that later. After the kickball game, they played the "best basketball game in Texas," and then were able to have a Bible study with some of the young men. For more information on that, check out http://christpreeminent.blogspot.com/.

Wednesday
Today I haven't had much of an update on what they've done, except that they're taking care of some things like fixing up the bulletin boards at the church. I do know that there are quite a few prayer requests for tonight!

Photo courtesy of Billy Jackson

To begin with, Aaron is going to be meeting with the church members this evening, and could definitely use your prayers. I don't know what they're going to talk about, but it's a gathering of people, so there will most assuredly be need of grace!

Also please be praying for Billy. While Aaron is meeting with the adults, Billy will be leading a Bible Study with the young men. Please pray that all of his thoughts would come together, and he would be able to clearly present the truth of God's Word to them! Pray also that God would be preparing the hearts of these young men to hear His Truth, and that they would listen and discuss. More than anything, pray that God would use tonight and this trip to save them!

Thursday - Friday
I don't know what the plan is on these days. They want to go to one of the boys' soccer games, but at this time that's not set in stone.

During the rest of this trip, Aaron needs to visit many people. Like the meeting with the church members tonight, it will be people talking to each other, and thus much grace is needed! Pray that he would have the time to make them, and that all conversations would be God-glorifying and conducted in love.

Photo courtesy of Billy Jackson

Saturday
Saturday morning they plan to have a Men's Breakfast, so pray for them as they prepare for that.

Also, the team wants to have a day where they can invite all of the kids over to hang out. There is no VBS, but the little kids still want to come. It would be fantastic if they could invite them over to swim on Saturday! Please pray that they would be able to get permission to do so.


I think that's all of the information that I have right now. Again, I am so very, very sorry that it has taken me so long to update you all!

Until the next post,
Sarah

An Update and a Request.

Hello, everyone! It's time for another second-hand update (for a first-hand account, check out http://christpreeminent.blogspot.com/ )! I heard from a friend that things are going okay in Mission. The kids are in school, so not much has been happening. Tonight they hope to have some friends from the church over for dinner, and to finish training some of the boys to run the sound board.

I have three things for you to pray about today!

Photo courtesy of Billy Jackson

First, continue to pray for healing for Hermano Solis' arm. While you're doing that, consider whether or not you could contribute to this brother financially as well as in prayer. This large family's financial situation is not very stable at the best of times, and with no insurance, the price of the hospital stay, surgery, and his medicine, they will probably have it pretty hard for a while. Please pray that God will reveal to the team what the family's greatest needs are, so that the body of Christ can show love to them by meeting that need. And please consider being part of the body who extends love to them in that way. Pray about it.

If the Lord so leads you to help them financially, you can contact Debbie with Psalm 67 at: 

• artistdf@sbcglobal.net

The second prayer request was mentioned by Aaron in his blog post,  and that is that God would save the area from the influence of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Pray that God would pour out salvation on Mission, Texas, and that He would choose to save great numbers of Jehovah's Witnesses first! One of the young men that we've spent a lot of time with in the past has been going to a JW church, and they haven't been able to spend any time with him yet. Pray that they would be able to make contact with him, and that he would start coming back to Iglesia Bautista Cristo El Rey!

The third prayer request is not quite as major as these other two, but since I'm praying it, I thought you might like to, too. :)
In the words of Billy Jackson: "Pray that the Lord would send us some bikes, too. That would be awesome."

So there you have it! I'm sorry that my updates are usually just glorified lists of prayer requests, but why else would you want an update if not to know how better to pray and support the work God is doing in Mission?

Again, please prayerfully consider whether or not God could use you to support our brother and sister in Christ, Mr. and Mrs. Solis, as they go through this trial!

May the joy of the Lord be with you all!

Love and Peace,
Sarah

Aaron took a good nap, and other stories.

Picture courtesy of Billy Jackson

This has been a great day!

One of the greatest parts of it was getting to video chat with some of the kids in Mission. Seeing them and hearing their voices was so wonderful, almost like being there. I love those crazy kids.

I was also able to get some updates for you! Last I heard, Aaron was supposed to pick up Hermano Solis from the hospital at 7:30 tonight.
Please keep the Solis family in prayer. They have no insurance, and getting antibiotics and pain medicine is turning out to be difficult. Right now they're trying to get it from Mexico, because it's much less expensive over the border. Please pray that things would go smoothly, and that God would provide whatever funds they may need. I have no idea what their needs are in that area, just that they could use some prayer. [UPDATE! Hermano Solis is home, and has his medicine! Praise God!]

So far as what the team will be doing tonight, Aaron is picking up Hermano Solis, and Rick is teaching some of the boys to run the soundboard at the church. I don't know what the others are doing, but hopefully they're getting some rest. In the words of Aaron, "I took a good nap today... I think. I don't remember falling asleep." They haven't said much about how tired they are, but if nothing else, they look exhausted, and this is only their second day. Pray that they would be able to rest, so that they will have the strength to do the work that God gives them to do. It's hard to pour yourself out when you're tired.

Picture courtesy of Billy Jackson

One more thing, and then I'll leave ye alone. We, the girls left behind, would really like to have a video chat with the girls in Mission. We're not sure when that might happen, or how it's going to work with everyone's schedules, but we're hoping it all comes together. Pray with us that it will!

Thank you for your prayers, and for your patience as I try to keep us all up-to-date with what's happening in Mission! Hopefully I'm redeeming myself for not giving you any updates while I was down there last month. :)

Love and Peace to you!
Sarah

I am not in Mission, Texas. And that's okay.

[If you don't want to know about what's going on in my life, please scroll down to find out what's going on in Texas! It's important stuff.]

Do I wish I was in Mission with Aaron, Rachel, Rick, Billy, and Olivia? Yes!
And no.

I want to be there, because I miss everyone and I'm longing to go back! I don't want to be there, because I know that God wants me here at home, and that's just fine. More than fine, it's perfect. It's the best place I could possibly be at this moment, and slowly this head knowledge is becoming trusting, enjoyable heart knowledge.

One definite perk of being home is that I get to spend Easter with my family! I haven't gotten to spend much time with them lately, and I miss them. The past few days have been really nice, and full of special moments, like painting Easter eggs at 10:30pm, taking my sister to an interview for her first out-of-the-house job, and making Coconut Easter Bunny Cake Pops (my invention!) with her.

Every moment is precious, and some are even more precious than others. I don't know what my life is going to be like next Easter. For all I know, I'll be living my dream as a missionary's wife, and be living far, far away. Spending these days at home, and not in Texas, is a blessing.

That being said, I still really, really wish I was down there with them. I've gotten to do a lot of thinking about how amazing God's omnipresence is, but if I could collect those thoughts into something readable, they should definitely go in their own blog post!


But importantly: Texas!

As mentioned, the team is little this time: Aaron, Rachel, Olivia, Rick, and Billy (just like the first time only without me). They arrived in Mission yesterday evening, and I've been pestering them for updates ever since! From what I can gather, they've already been very busy, and they already have something for us back home to pray about.

Hermano Solis

Photo courtesy Billy Jackson

Lesley and Enrique are some of our best buddies in Mission. During our last trip, they helped us tremendously by translating for us when we handed out flyers. They have eight other brothers and sisters, and their parents are some of the few members of Iglesia Bautista Cristo El Rey.

Today their father, Mr. Solis, was trimming trees at a friend's house. He fell, and the chainsaw he was using fell with him, landing on his left arm, about four inches up from the wrist. It did what chainsaws do, and cut down to the bone. Last I heard, he was unable to feel or move two of his fingers. He's in surgery now (Saturday night) until 11:00pm. I'll give you an update as soon as I can tomorrow!

Photo courtesy of Billy Jackson

Please pray! Pray that the doctors would be able to reconnect all nerves and tendons easily. Pray for quick and relatively pain-free healing. Even more than these things, pray that God would use this situation to show His love to this family. Pray for Aaron, Rachel, Rick, and Billy, that they would know exactly what to say and do to help.
Pray that God would use this situation to make His Name known to the Solis' neighbors and friends!

Photo courtesy of Billy Jackson

And pray for the team while they're down there. Pray that their days would be full of good work and their nights full of good rest. Pray that God would open doors like never before, and that they would be able to live the Gospel. Pray that many come and hear the Good News tomorrow, and be saved!

IT IS FINISHED! Christ has taken the full punishment of our sins on Himself! The curtain has been torn, and God is our Father! Pray confidently, and gratefully! He is worthy of all praise, and He will save His people from their sins, so pray that He would save for Himself more worshippers tomorrow!

He is risen!


Like I said, I'll give you an update on Hermano Solis and the rest of the goings on in Mission as soon as I can. Until then, rejoice in Christ's victory and pray!

Love and Peace,
Sarita

P.S. I just realised that this is the 200th post! Woo-hoo!

The Update goes ever on and on...

Okay, so now that you know everyone, let's continue!

VBS went very well. Day by day we fixed the schedule here and there to find the best way to do things. I was in charge of crafts again, and I did a dreadful job of it. None of my plans worked, so we ended up making posters almost every day. Also, I shared my time with snack time, so the kids didn't have very much time to work on those. Somehow, however, in a way that only God could manage, the kids enjoyed it. 

Since I couldn't do much, I really tried to help them learn the memory verses, but they hardly needed my help! Their ability to memorize scripture amazes me. At no point in my life have I been able to memorize anything like those kids! The boys' group and the girls' group each contributed to one huge poster of two of the memory verses, and on the last day we got to hang them up in the hallway, which I think they were pretty proud of. Also, on Saturday we took all of the kids who had memorized all five memory verses out to Chick-fil-a for dinner as a reward.

I don't want to keep you forever, so I'll wrap up with my two favorite parts of the trip and some prayer requests.

1. Sharing the Gospel with Samantha

One of the sweetest little girls I've ever met is named Samantha, and lives in Mission. Last time God used her to help me realize how important it was for us to return, and how wrong it was for us to begin developing relationships and then leave forever. Anyway, I love her, and she loves me (I know, because she told me so, and wrote it a few times on a piece of paper). She may love Blake more now, but I don't mind coming in second.

I said all that to say, as sweet as she is, she didn't necessarily listen well during the Bible Lesson. During one of the lessons, while Gennie was teaching, I was holding her on my lap, trying to encourage her to pay attention, and trying to keep her from talking to everyone around her. Gennie was talking about Heaven, and Samantha asked me what Heaven was. From there, she asked more questions, and I was able to share all about how we are guilty, and Christ died to take away our guilt, and how if we are His when we die will we go to be with Him forever in Heaven. It was so amazing! Every time I'd finish saying one thing, expecting that she'd lose interest, she'd ask the perfect question to lead to the next part. I felt a little bad for distracting her from Gennie, but I think it was worth it. 

Even more exciting was that just a few minutes before, unbeknownst to me, Kim was able to share the Gospel with an older girl in another room! It was so cool!

2. Getting to know Sofia

There was only one girl over 12 that came, and her name is Sofia. While we colored posters, I was blessed to be able to talk to her and begin a friendship with her. She's a smart, lovely girl who (like every teenager) is in need of godly influences and role models.

One evening when we invited kids 12 and over to stay later, Kim, Gennie, and I got to spend more time with her, and we learned that she really likes a certain frozen yogurt place. Her birthday was that Saturday, so we immediately fell to scheming. After a few ideas had been tossed around, we agreed to have a girls' night and take her to the frozen yogurt place, and also to try to find a nice Bible for her. Finding a Bible seemed a daunting task. We wanted to get it in English, since that's what most of the kids read best, but Spanish seemed wiser, since that's what the kids comprehend best. Also, she would better be able to share it with her family. It was decided that we needed to get a bilingual Bible, but they usually run at around $70, and none of us could afford that! So we started praying that God would quickly lead us to an affordable Spanish/English Bible. We had about half an hour to find it.

Guess what! We found one! What a Great Provider we serve!

So Saturday evening after Chick-fil-a, the girls said that we would like to ride together to go home. At first we tried fitting 6 girls (Rachel, Kim, Gennie, Sofia, her friend, and myself) into a 5-passenger car. I was going to ride in the trunk, and I was ecstatic! But after rolling about 40 feet, they stopped and said I couldn't. Apparently everyone on earth was worried that I'd die. Party poopers.

My epic disappointment turned out for good, though, because Rachel left us to shop at Target while she went back and got the van. So we checked out sunglasses and jewelry and read funny birthday cards. When Rachel got back, we all waited in the van forever while Kim stood in line to buy a necklace. While we waited, we drove through a car show and joked about entering our not-very-pretty van. Good times. 

The yogurt place was AMAZING, and Sofia really liked her Bible. I was and still am so thankful that we were able to help her celebrate her birthday and begin developing a friendship with her. I hope that as time goes on our friendship will grow.

So here are a few ways you can continue to pray (I'm rather persistent in dishing out prayer requests, aren't I?):

1. Continue to pray for wisdom and guidance for me.

I guess I should've mentioned this before. While we were in the Valley, our group had the opportunity to take a tour of the Rio Grande Bible Institute while Billy had several interviews. I know for absolute certain that if Aaron and Rachel are able to go, I will move down with them and attend Missionary Language School. But if they aren't, I still don't know what to do. I really, really want to go, but I'm not at peace with the idea of going without a male head. Maybe that seems old-fashioned, but that's how I roll. I don't want to go without a protector (especially since everyone likes to play matchmaker down there!). Pray that the way would be made very clear to my parents and me!

2. Pray for wisdom and guidance for everyone else.

I'm not the only one facing big decisions. The Suttons and Billy need wisdom and direction, too. I'm willing to bet the rest of our team could use your prayers as well. 

3. Pray for Iglesia Bautista Cristo El Rey.

They're a small, struggling church, and they need a pastor, among other things. Please keep them in your prayers!

4. Pray that God would pour out His salvation on Mission, Texas

Beginning with those children we reached out to during this trip! They have heard the Gospel, and despite our sin, we have striven to be ambassadors of Christ. Pray that God would use what He allowed us to do in ways that only He could! Pray that Samantha, and Sofia, and Elmer, and Evaristo, and Emanuel, and Enrique, and Leslie, and Daniel, and Freddy, and Lupita, and America, and Mario, and Jeszel, and Marco, and Irvin, and Naillyn, and Hermes, and Abraham, and Filipe, and Hector, and Diego, and Lianie, and Diana, and Lesley, and Raul, and Vanessa, and all of the other children would recognize their sin, repent, trust in Christ's sacrifice and be saved, they and their households!

Thank you so much for your prayers! They are so encouraging, and appreciated! If you have any questions, please ask! I want to be sure that I'm giving you a full report of all that you've been supporting.

Love and Peace,

Sarita

The Long-Expected Update

First, let me apologize for my extreme rudeness! After begging repeatedly for your prayers, I didn't post one update the whole time I was gone, and I'm sorry. But here I am to make all things right. Let's hope I do a fair (and not too tedious) job of it.

We had a good (albeit squished) trip down, and Friday night saw us snuggled in our beds in the parsonage, ready for whatever adventure the Lord brought our way. The next day, and really the whole week, featured a lot of knocking on doors and handing out flyers for VBS. We were able to make a lot of new connections that way, and found treasure troves of kids! It was pretty fantastic.

Sunday morning the three girls of the team (Kim, Gennie, and myself) taught the younger Sunday School class, and later Gennie and I taught an unplanned Children's Church while Kim and Christian watched the little ones. It went well, and like the last trip, it served as a good introduction to the week to come.

Before I go any further, I should probably introduce our team to you:

Aaron & Rachel Sutton -
Our fearless leaders, and the Mom & Dad of the trip. Aaron preached on Sundays and taught the VBS lessons. Rachel kept everything everywhere running smoothly.

Rick Clausel -
The Music Man. He led worship on Sundays, worked with some of the young men in the church who can play instruments, and taught a music class during VBS that I hear was incredible. I wasn't ever able to sit in on one, but the singing I heard coming out was great. :)

Billy Jackson -
Fellow veteran of the last trip, mastermind of recreation, bus driver, and photojournalist extraordinaire. If you've been reading my blog, you must know a little bit about him already. Check out his blog for more information.

Kim Lee -
Expert child tamer. My almost lifelong friend and the daughter of my pastor took a week off of work at a daycare to teach kids around the same age in a much less structured setting. And she was really, really good at it. It was also nice to have her there as a companion. I love that girl!

Blake Pollock -
Wisconsin gentleman. One of the three people I met for the first time on the way down, Blake helped lead recreation, and was really good at swinging kids around in circles.

Craig Kopp -
That Guy. He's the second of my three new friends, and is very good at coming up with songs on the spot. If you want a pretty good description of Craig, you should check out his post on Billy's blog. Besides providing comedic relief, he also helped lead recreation.

Christian Brandon -
The athletic drummer. Christian both helped lead recreation and helped Rick work with the drummer in the church. I met him on the trip down, too. I knew he had to be cool, because he was reading a book by Tolkien, and procrastinating in his math homework. He was a guest blogger on Billy's blog. You should check it out.

Gennie Jackson -
Miss Amazing. She's Billy's little sister, my sister's best friend, a really good friend of mine, and she pretty much rocks. Gennie did most of the teaching for the little ones, which was a special challenge, since many of them don't speak English yet, or have a lot of trouble sitting still and listening. Like her brother, she works great with kids, and like Kim it was such a blessing to have her around!

Olivia Sutton -
Aaron & Rachel's four-year-old daughter. She's adorable, and like a little sister to me. She also knows waaaaay more Spanish than I do.

And then there was me, but you already know that. This post has already gotten rather long, so I think I might end here and pick up later with the rest of the week. If you just can't wait, I highly recommend checking out Billy's blog. Specifically, you should read the post I helped write.

Thank you all for your prayers! Please continue to pray for Iglesia Bautista Cristo El Rey, and for the team, even though we're home. Some of us really want to go back soon, and some of us are making big decisions. Prayers for guidance, wisdom, and clarity are very much appreciated!

Love & Peace,
Sarita

Ready to Go! Like, Now!

Today is the day! I'm so excited! I have a feeling this is going to feel like the longest work day I've ever had.

First, a digression from the main point of this post:

Last night I went to the theater to see The Lorax with my sister, and there were several parts that have stuck in my mind. Personally, I loved the movie, but then I really love environmentalist propaganda (no really, I do). I thought The Lorax did a very good job of trying not to be pure big business-hating, earth-worshiping, brain-washing stuff. There were very good lessons to be learned, such as the wisdom of elders, the danger of not thinking a plan through, and the wisdom of conservation vs. annihilation. More importantly, I also took several spiritual lessons out of it. Unfortunately, I'm having a very hard time describing them without giving away the entire plot. If you go to watch the film (or wait for it to come out on DVD), try to think of Thneedville as the city of Destruction, and the truffula seed as the Gospel, and you'll get what I'm saying. Oh! And think of the young Once-ler as unregenerate man. Maybe it's a little Armenian, but it's still good stuff. ;)

But I didn't get on here to tell you about a cute Dr. Seuss movie! I came to ask once again for your prayers. Specifically, I would love it if you'd pray that I would gain much clarity and wisdom about the language school while I'm away. I'd really love to come back knowing for certain if I'm going or not. I realize that very, very often in my life God chooses to increase my faith by not allowing me to plan things so far in advance, but whether He makes it clear on this trip or no, at least pray that I would have much peace about it.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support!
Egads, I'm so excited!!!

Love and Peace,
Sarah

Here's the mail it never fails it makes me wanna wag my tail. When it comes I wanna wail: MAILTIME!!!

Not long ago I stepped outside into a downpour to feel the cold splash of reality and the rawness of Creation. It was fantastic. Then, just as I began spinning around in a circle like a little girl, I was klunked in the head by a pea-sized piece of hail.

That put an end to my soaking, but as I watched the rain from my front step, I saw the mail lady coming, and what she brought prompted me to type up this post!

This is not my passport, my hand, nor my photo.

It came! And I applied for it less than a month ago! Praise God!

Its presence makes me even more excited about the upcoming trip to Mission, and reminds me that I need to update ye readers who may not know much about it. 

There isn't much to tell, I suppose. We're going back down to do VBS again, only this time with less chaos and more learning, Deo volente! We'll be going down during Spring Break, so we can spend more time with the kids. Plus, we want to help the church as much as we can.

I'm excited to see what God is going to do on this trip. Our team is much, much bigger than last time, which seems like a recipe for order and productivity, but I'm learning that God often chooses to glorify Himself through apparent chaos. Who knows, maybe we'll have so many kids that we will be even more understaffed than in January! 

Whatever happens, it is a joy and a comfort to know that it will be the best thing that could possibly happen. We serve a sovereign, perfect God who doesn't allow any harm or discomfort or irritation that will not bring forth perfect fruit.

That being said, He uses our prayers, so here are a few for your list:

1. Pray for us as we prepare to go

As we plan and pack and study, pray that we will make the wisest decisions, and that God will begin preparing our hearts for the work that lies ahead. 

Also, money is scarce and travel is expensive. Pray that God will abundantly supply all needed funds.

2. Pray for those we will come in contact with

While you're praying for our hearts to be prepared, pray for those we will be meeting with. Pray that God will soften the hearts of unbelievers, and encourage His children.

3. Pray for us as we travel

Three by train, and I think eight by van. I don't expect there to be any difficulties, but it is a rather long trip, in rather confined areas. Pray that our love for each other would abound more and more, and that it would manifest itself in patience with each other. 

Also, gas is much more expensive than it was when this trip was budgeted. Pray that when we need to refuel, there will be cheap gas nearby. How awesome would that be?!

4. Pray that the trip would be blessed

Pray that the lessons that will be taught would be clear to the children, and that God would use them. More than that, pray that the way we live our lives (both while in Texas and always) would point to the greatness of Christ. Pray that we would be a help and encouragement to the saints, and never a burden to anyone.

Also, pray that God would use this trip to give much clarity for the future.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support! I will do my best to keep this blog updated while we're gone. If you would like to get a better feel for the area we will be visiting, I encourage you to watch this video that Billy put together.

Love and Peace,

Sarita

Why is a Raven like a Writing Desk?

Exciting news! Psalm 67 has an opportunity to get a $1,000 scholarship for our next trip to Mission! Kurt Warner's First Things First foundation gives out these scholarships every year, and I barely meet the maximum age limit to apply (phew!). Unfortunately, while I'm eligible to apply with the group for the scholarship, that also meant I had to write an essay. It may be the worst essay I've written since high school, but I think it's tolerable. Since I have no fear of someone plagiarizing this one-of-a-kind essay, I thought I might torture you by giving you the opportunity to read it. :)

The goals of the essay were to give my reasons for wanting to go on the mission trip, and what I hoped to learn while on the mission trip. Enjoy!

This January God gave me the opportunity to serve at Iglesia Bautista Cristo El Rey. He gave me a love for the church and the kids I worked with, and I left with many questions. In March I hope to return, answer some of these questions, and continue to work with the children.

During our time leading VBS, God gave our five-membered team almost fifty children to work with each evening. With a little more time and a much bigger group, that number could’ve easily swelled to one hundred or more. Mission, Texas is filled with children who are desperate for love and attention. They need someone who they know cares for them. While down there, I was blessed to partially fill that role, but going home felt like abandoning them. I long to return and show them that I love and care for them. More importantly, I want to show them that God loves and cares for them. Ultimately, they do not need me to be their temporary sister; they need God to be their Eternal Father. 

While January’s trip gave me a love for the church and children, it also led to many questions for my future that a second trip would help answer. Should I move to Mission and attend Spanish language school? How can I continue to influence the children’s lives from Missouri? I hope to answer these and many other questions during a return trip.

God began 2012 by putting a love in my heart for a little Hispanic church and a bunch of crazy kids. I don’t know what He has in store for the rest of this year, but I pray that it includes returning to that church this March to find answers and to continue sharing God’s love with the children.

And there you have it! It really is a miracle that I was able to cut it down to 300 words. What kind of crazy small word limit is that??? Please pray that ours would be one of the groups selected to receive a scholarship (or two)! And if that is not the Lord's will, pray that He will provide the funds some other way.

Special thanks to my mother and Billy Jackson for helping me make it better!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Sarah

Another post hijacked by talk of Mission, TX!

Two weeks since the beach, a week since we started the drive home... time really does fly by! I can't even begin to comprehend what it must be like to be outside of time like God. I mean, besides incredibly awesome.

Yesterday was my first Sunday back at my dearly-loved church home. It was so wonderful to see so many sisters and brothers that I am very close to! But at the same time, I kept thinking about our little church in Mission, and churches (and non-existent churches) around the world that don't have the incredible church family I do. I can't imagine living without it. I'm praying for missions like never before.

I didn't really plan on blogging about the trip again. I was mixing up a post about death and Judgement Day and vegetarianism in my mind when I logged on. But for some reason my fingers only want to talk about Texas, so I guess that's the direction this post is going to take!

The fact is, I didn't expect too much from the trip. I was interested in the language school, and if I went to the language school, I would be going to Cristo El Rey, so I thought it would behoove me to go help with VBS and get a feel for the area. I didn't think I'd fall in love with the people. Actually, until two weeks ago, I hated Texas. With a passion. My parents used to talk about moving down there, and I would cry myself to sleep. There are no trees, no hills, no snow. It's truly a supernatural work of God that I want to go back.

The trip has brought me to the end of myself in many ways. Emotionally, I'm having to turn everything over to God repeatedly. Financially, I'm totally broke - broke like I haven't been since... I can't remember when. I always knew I had "no" money, but I did have some, just none I could spend. Now I really have none. I didn't realize what an idol I'd made of that tiny bit of security. I'm thankful that the Lord has taken it away, but at the same time, it's rough learning to trust Him in a whole new way - especially when I thought I already did!

It seems like some answers are beginning to come together. At this point, I really think that I will go to the language school. It's dependent on many things falling into place, but for now I plan to cautiously move in that direction. Whatever the Lord has planned for me, knowing Spanish could only help.
Beyond that, I don't know. At this point I need to work on wrapping up my current responsibilities by August. I'm thinking I should try to get a job again. I'd like to go to the Valley again before school, but I don't know when. And then there are a few other opportunities that I'm prayerfully considering. I don't know how it all is going to mesh together in the end. But God does!

I feel like this post as a very somber tone. Don't get me wrong; I am joyful and excited! But at the same time, there is a weightiness to these decisions. Please continue to pray for me, and for the rest of our group! I know that everyone else appreciates your prayers as much as I do. We serve a beautiful, powerful, caring God; how could (and why do) we hesitate to bring everything to Him in prayer?

May His Name be praised and glorified in my life and yours!

Peace,
Sarah

Now far away the road has gone... and I must follow... if I can...

Well, what to say? This is my second full day at home, and I thought I should give some sort of final update. I miss the Valley and the whole trip so very much. But I'm also very thankful to be seeing my family again. I wish I could just take them all back down with me.

So here I am at another opportunity to trust God. I have a lot of questions for the future right now. Should I go to language school? Should I get a job? If so, where? Should I go on an entirely different sort of mission trip? When can I go back to Mission?  With my future so volatile, how much can I commit to?

I'm eager for answers and action, but I know that everything will come together in God's perfect time. I just have to trust that yes, He will continue to provide all I need, and He will show me which way I should go. There are ways that I very much hope He will lead, but everything is in His hands, and I can rest in the trust that He will take care of everything perfectly.

On the way home, Billy shared a verse with us that has given me a lot of comfort as I consider these questions, and I'd like to end with it. I'm also tempted to steal one of his amazing pictures, but since he's not here to give me permission, I guess you'll just have to hunt one down yourself.

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
   which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

Proverbs 4:18

Peace,

Sarah

El es bueno! (a summary of the final four days of the VBS mission trip to Mission, Texas)

I'm sorry that my updates on this trip have been so sporadic! Hopefully you've been following our adventure through Billy's blog, but if not, I'll try to summarize these past few days here and now.

When we last left this thrilling tale, the Bible school was off to a rocky start - and by "rocky" I mean "mass chaos". Everything was out of control, but there was hope for the morning. There's always hope for the morning.

The next night (Thursday) was incredible. Had the first night gone better, we may not have been so impressed with the second, but in context it was absolutely amazing! The kids listened, they participated, they learned, they had fun - it was shockingly wonderful. The change was so dramatic that, even though we had changed the schedule and tried to organize everything better, it was obviously the Lord. We went to bed encouraged and joyful (well, all all but poor Rachel, whose "Flying Chanclas" - the littlest kids - never did shape up completely).

God is amazing. He works things as He so wills, and though it may not seem good to us, it is all working toward the greatest good possible. I'm not skilled in thought, and I'm not very good at expressing what thoughts I have, but it does seem to me that when Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for good for those who are called, it's saying something amazing. The Standard and Creator of goodness Himself has so worked out every second of a believer's life to work together for good!

That being said, let's move on to Friday. On Wednesday, it seemed as though Pandora's Box had been opened. On Thursday, it seemed like it had been closed. On Friday, it was like someone knocked the lid off by accident, and hurriedly replaced it. It started off difficult. We were lacking in volunteers, and the kids didn't listen well for the first activities (Recreation and Snack). When we moved on to the Crafts/Music/Bible Study part, things went a little more smoothly - sometimes. The church was covered in little grains of rice, and filled to the brim with the shouts of unruly young people. But they came from Music singing and from Bible Study eager to tell about the parable they'd learned. All in all, the night was a relative success, but one we prayed we wouldn't have to repeat.

Saturday morning, Billy, Rachel, and I woke up ridiculously early to go see the sunrise at the beach. We loaded up, backed out of the driveway, and realized that we hadn't asked the groundskeeper to open the gate early. He was asleep, and we were locked in until 7AM - by which time the sun was rather high in the sky. Disappointed but laughing, we went back to bed.

Saturday evening Bible School was good. Sure, it wasn't at Thursday levels of perfection, but it was a great improvement on the night before. Throughout this week it really seems like the Lord has been teaching us that nothing is in our control. Using the toughest situations, He blessed us abundantly, and has continued to do so.

Today the kids were great. All we had was Recreation and Bible Study, but they participated admirably. The atmosphere had lost much of its wildness, I think partially due to our upcoming departure. I'm really, really going to miss these people, and I think many of them feel the same way.

And that's about it! Right now we're all packing up so that we can leave by 4AM to try one more time to see the sunrise.

Continue to pray for our team. There are a lot of questions that need answering regarding what to do from here. And I can't wait to come back! I wish I could just take Mission home with me. God is good. He's amazing! He's blessed me beyond my imagination on this trip, and I trust that the decisions we each need to make will be made in His perfect time and way.

To God be the glory!

Sarah

Bumbles Bounce! Right?

Wow.

I don't even know what to say about today. I think VBS should be renamed VHS - Very Humbling School (although people who still watch movies on cassette may not appreciate that much). Goodbye, silly notions of yore that thought I could actually handle a craft class. Good grief!

I'm not complaining, just stating the facts: this evening was utter chaos. Comfortingly, it was utter chaos in EVERY area, not just crafts. We're not really sure if anything we said got across to any of the kids.

AND YET!

Our God is sovereign! He is good! Every second of our lives is working together for His glory and our good! This insane evening is the most perfect thing that could've possibly happened. I truly believe that. And somehow, I can rejoice in it. How great is our God!

However, we do need to change some things, and no change seems up to the daunting task it faces. Pray for us!!!

I'm, like, published!!!

I promised to share my guest blogger post, so here you go!

Arriving in the Rio Grande Valley

It's not my best work, but it's definitely not my worst. Enjoy!

¡O que bueno es Jesus!

¡Hola!

So sorry I haven't updated much. I really haven't had time. And right now I'm about to pass out. BUT I have some exciting news for anyone out there who may read my blog (the few, the brave): I'm going to be a guest blogger! Exciting, right?

Remember Billy, who had that amazing offer for anyone who donated a certain amount of money for the trip? Yeah, that's the blog. So now I'm trying really hard to summarize everything I've experienced this far, which is a crazy difficult task. (Crazier still: we haven't even started VBS yet!)

So be on the lookout for a link to my very special post!

Prayer Requests:

1. If you read this sometime before 8 on Tuesday morning, please pray that our last team member will be able to make it down. Job schedules are making that seem rather impossible right now, but it seemed rather impossible that $125 would show up by Friday, and they did! Our God is able to do ANYTHING.

2. VBS begins Wednesday evening. Please pray that we will all be able to get the messages across to the kids, that we would love them with the affection of Christ, that we would be strengthened a and encouraged even when we're exhausted, and that we would be a great blessing to this church.

Love & Peace,

Sarah

So Blessed are We, Savior, Lord, in Loving Thee!

We're on the road! I'm sorry for the shockingly short post, but I HAD to share an exciting bit of information.

ALL OF THE MONEY CAME IN! God has provided! Wow! I've known for several hours and I'm still amazed. Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow!

And pray extra for me now. I kind of feel a little more pressure to do my best. Which pressure I probably should have already felt. Thankfully, I'm comforted by the fact that I cannot do anything in my own strength. Soli Deo Gloria!

Thank you all for your prayers! And if my mysterious donor is reading this, thank you, thank you, thank you! You are obviously an answer to prayer. I hope that you have been as blessed in your giving as I am in receiving. Thank you!

Peace,

Sarah

Update on the "Sitch".

Well! It looks like I'll be going! The money hasn't come in yet, but I have enough so far that the powers that be think we can get by even if the Lord doesn't lead someone to donate more (although we're still praying that someone would!).

I am so excited! And nervous. But it's a good nervous - the kind that leads me to joyful prayer for strength.

Add to your prayers: I have a few commitments here at home that I need replacements for. Please pray that people would volunteer quickly and joyfully.

Thank you for your prayers! It was pointed out to me this evening that I've never been away from without my family for longer than a week. 10 days might be tough (especially for my dog). But I have every confidence that the Lord will sustain us. Praying that He will use this time to grow all of us in Him!

Joy and Peace,

Sarah

I don't care too much for Money; Money can't buy me Love.

Well... I have no idea what to say. I've had several thousand post ideas slip through my mind throughout the holiday season, but no time to write them up. Or I couldn't get the ideas to complete themselves, and so to type them would've been a waste of my time and either an irritation or a headache-maker for you, since I guarantee whatever I wrote would've been incomprehensible.

And so here I am, January 3rd, 2012! I am extremely excited about this year. I have no idea what it may hold, but whatever it is, it's sure to be glorious. For one thing, I feel that I've left most of my insecurity in 2011. I still don't know what I'm going to do with my life, (or rather, what God is going to do with my life), yet not knowing isn't as scary as it used to be. But maybe that's just because I have a tiny bit of a plan. I guess we'll see!

At the moment, I'm waiting on the Lord in more ways than usual. Specifically, I'm waiting to see if He's going to provide the funds required for me to go on a short-term mission trip to south Texas. If the money comes in, it will be soon, and it will be a miracle. I need $125 by Friday (the estimated departure date). I have no job, everyone is poor from Christmas and such, and I haven't asked anyone for money, although I did pray about that for a while. Although, I suppose posting this *is* sort of asking for money.

Really, though, I'm just asking for your prayers. Pray that no matter what, God will be glorified in my attitude and manner of living. If it is His will that I go, the funds will come in, I will go, and my ultimate goal will be to glorify God by enjoying Him and living in such a way that that enjoyment and grace pours into the lives of all those around me. If it is not His will that I go, the funds will not come in, I will not go, and my ultimate goal will be to glorify God by enjoying Him and living in such a way that that enjoyment and grace pours into the lives of all those around me! There are plenty of ministering things that I can do here at home that week, but I would really, really like to go on this trip. Whatever my God ordains is right! At least this way I'll know for certain that I'm not stepping outside His will by going or staying.

On the off-chance you would like to donate to the team, you should check out my friend Billy's blog. For one thing, it's way cooler than mine, what with him being a learning, world-traveling missions photographer. For another, he has an incredible gift for donators. I'm probably way down on the list of people needing funds, but whether it helps me or not, you should definitely support this trip. First, in prayer (it's free AND most effective!), and second, if you feel so inclined/led, with money or donations.

I don't know what the internet situation will be like down there, but if I go, I promise to do my best to keep ye updated, as a thank-you for your prayers.

Peace,
Sarah


*Taken from "Can't Buy Me Love" by John Lennon & Paul McCartney. Used without permission, but with the utmost respect.