Don't worry!

Well, everything is still calm here in Leon.  The whole country has been on a red alert for the past few days due to several tremors and earthquakes we have been having.  They have been expecting a huge earthquake in Managua, but no one knows if and when it will happen.  They say we might continue to have tremors/earthquakes for days up to weeks. It also appears that an inactive volcano, Volcano Apoyeque, is reactivating.  If it erupts, it could be pretty disastrous, but there's not sign of it erupting any time soon.

I've just been hanging out in the house the past few days.  Annabelle hasn't felt good; she acts like she's teething. She wants to be held all the time, so that doesn't give me much else to do besides follow the news and the seismic monitors and look at Facebook.  Today, she is feeling better, and Luis is here to hold her for a while.

I keep waiting for something big to happen even though there's still a chance that nothing may happen.  Last night, I started feeling nervous about everything so I just prayed, "Lord, if may anxiousness is trying to tell me something, please let me know.  Otherwise, please take away my nerves and give me peace."  And sure enough, peace came.

Today, Luis and I were talking about how we worry so much about things that are "out of our control", as if we really can control anything.  We decided to look at Matthew 6:25-34:

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

One of the things that God has been teaching us lately is to trust in His provision and be grateful for what we have.  Sunday, Luis and I were both a little down.  We didn't really have any food in the house and not even a cordoba (Nicaraguan currency) to buy food. We had money in the bank, but the banks were closed of course and it charges us too much to use the ATM.  I was pouting a little bit cause I was hungry.  Luis was sad and has been lately about not having a good job to provide for our family (jobs are hard to come by here and he's been looking for over a year).  

While we were getting ready to go out to El Paraiso, I just prayed that God would provide food for us.  What I didn't expect was to get a lesson instead.  I heard someone call at the door.  It was a young man about 20 years old, and I could tell that he was going around asking for things.  This is normal sometimes in Nicaragua, and if you're North American, you get more people that show up at your door step.  So, to be honest, I wasn't happy to see him at first.

I waited for Luis to come up to talk to him before I asked what he wanted. Humbly, the guy responded that he lives in the dump nearby and was going around collecting any food or clothes or anything else that could be donated for other people that live in the dump.  When I saw in Luis's reaction that the guy was sincere, my hardened heart changed.  Here I was complaining about being hungry for just a few hours, and this guy lives in a dump and is so hungry that he is going house to house to get food for himself, his family, and his neighbors. I shamefully gave him what we had left: a few Oreos and a pack of Ramen noodles.  Luis found him a couple of shirts.  I felt bad that was all we could do, so I asked if we could pray for him.  I ended up just crying as I prayed.  The guy was probably wondering what was going on with this white girl!

God taught be a big lesson that day.  We really weren't in need at all.  We have a nice house, a car, clothes, and other needs and luxuries. We live better off than the majority of the people here in Leon, in Nicaragua, and even in the world.  I had no reason to complain.  And I had no reason to worry about eating or drinking because some days there are more important things to focus on, and God provides those things for us anyways.

In the passage in Matthew, what stood out to us the most was the end:  "Each day has enough trouble of its own."  Life is hard, and here I think Jesus is confirming that we will have troubles each and every day.  Every day, there's people that are starving, thirsty, or naked.  We recognize that reality and fear it for ourselves.  We get frustrated, too, when we can't guarantee that it won't happen to us.  It's the same with these earthquakes and natural disasters. We can't guarantee that disaster will come upon us tomorrow, and so we're afraid.

There are three other points that Jesus is trying to teach us:

1) Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? - We need to stop looking at the physical so much.  Physical things are temporary; spiritual things are eternal.  Instead of worrying so much about our physical bodies, we need to worry more about the state of our souls.

2) Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]? -  Worrying does nothing.  In fact, studies have shown that constant worrying can actually cause health problems and shorten your life.  You know, out of all these earthquakes we've had here, only two people have died.  One of them wasn't a direct result of an earthquake; it was a 74 year old woman that died of a heart attack.  It was the fear that the woman had of the earthquake (and probably heart problems that were there already) that killed her.

3) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - God wants us to seek Him first.  This goes with point #1 that our souls are more important than our bodies.  God wants to provide for us and give us all that we need and sometimes the things that we want.  However, His first priority is giving you eternal life and eternal gifts, but we have to come to Him to receive them.  Unfortunately, most of the times that we come to Him is when we are in need whether we are hungry, sick, heartbroken, etc.

Do you have a need or a problem that you are dealing with today?  Come to Jesus and give it to Him.  He tells us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)  

1 Peter 5:6-10: 

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Phillipians 4:6-7:

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I hope this word encourages you to seek Jesus's face today.  Please continue to remember us and pray for us in Nicaragua.  I would also like the opportunity to pray for you.  If you have a special request or concern, please message me. May God bless you and give you peace!

It's Time to Wake Up!

So it's 2 in the morning here in Nicaragua, and I am having trouble sleeping.  Part of it might have a little to due with nerves.  The other part is the need to write and share what I feel in my heart.

The past few days here have been very interesting.  We had a 6.2 earthquake on Thursday afternoon and since then we've had over 1,000 (maybe even 2,000 now) tremors and about 4 classified earthquakes. Most of the seismic activity is coming from Lake Managua close to an active volcano, Momotombo, and an inactive one, Apoyeque.  Right now, the capital, Managua, is under extreme alert because the fault line that was responsible for a huge earthquake in 1972 is active again. It sounds really scary, and for the people that are close to where the activity is going on, it is scary.  However, here is Leon, we are safe and only feeling the affects of what's going on there.  I really don't think anything will happen here, but there's a good chance of something in Managua.

I have been thinking about a lot of things the past few weeks before this all happened, and since these earthquakes started, I have been thinking more.  One thing that I've been thinking about is the lunar eclipse that's going to occur tomorrow morning.  According to an article I read, tomorrow's lunar eclipse aka "blood moon" is going to be the first of four to occur this year and next.  This one happens to fall on the Jewish Passover.  The second one will fall on the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, and in 2015, the same pattern will occur with the other two blood moons.  Read the article that I got this from:  http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/469228/Four-blood-moons-Does-alignment-of-Mars-Earth-and-Sun-mean-the-end-of-the-world-is-nigh

So like some other people, I have been thinking about the references in the Bible to the blood moon and how it is a sign of the end.  Revelation 6:12:

12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,

Joel 2:10:
10 Before them the earth shakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.

Now, with all this earth shaking, I am starting to wonder if the blood moon is related!  I'm not saying that the end is coming this year or the next, but I believe like Jesus told us in Matthew 24:8 that "all of this is the beginning of birth pains."

The other thing I've been thinking about is my personal spiritual life and the message that God has given to me and what I feel lead to share now.  Just a couple of weeks ago, I was preparing my Sunday school lesson and reading about Mt. Sinai and what the people of Israel had to do to prepare themselves before the LORD descended on the mountain.  Exodus 19:10-11 says, “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow.  Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.”  I kept thinking about that the people were commanded to wash their clothes; it just was interesting and stood out to me.

Not deferring from the subject, but lately I have been dealing with a lot of frustration and some depression about different things.  A lot of it is that I can't do the things I used to do before being a mother. Don't get me wrong; I love being a mother!  It's just that I don't get out of the house much, and I can't do much ministry because I have to stay home to take care of the baby.

But really, all my frustrations and disappointments come from one simple attitude:  my wanting to control everything.  Control is right up there with making an idol of oneself; I’m trying to be god and not wanting to submit to God’s will and His control. What else is frustrating about realizing this is seeing the wrong attitudes I have within me and not being able to change.

So, I have been pretty upset with myself and some days really depressed.  Long story short, I didn't really talk to anyone about it except Luis.  I had an opportunity to talk to one of my friends here about it, but I was too ashamed to talk to her about what all I was feeling. 

It just so happened that this past week this particular friend had a dream about me.  She said that in the dream Luis and I showed up to her place in our car.  When I got out of the car, she saw that I was dressed completely in white and that my hair and make-up was done up.  She said I looked so beautiful, and she got closer and started complimenting me.  When she got close, she noticed that my eyes were sad and it looked like I had been crying but tried to cover it up with the make-up.  She also noticed that the edges of my clothes were dirty.  Then, she started telling me, “Carmen, don’t be sad! God is your Comforter! You’re not alone! He’s with you and hears you when you are in your room.  He wants to free you.”  I started say, “I don’t know! I don’t know!”  Then, the dream ended.

I was astounded and in awe when she told me this.  I had not told her about any of my problems.  God was speaking to me through her!  He was answering my prayers and my cries to Him and reminding me of my worth in Him.  He is also answering my prayers of being freed from the things that live within me.

I keep thinking about the way I was dressed in white and, again, references to the Bible.  

Revelation 6:11:
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.

Revelation 7:14:
Then one of the elders asked me, ‘These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?’  I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’  And he said, ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

According to the Bible, the white robes represents the purity that we have in receiving the forgiveness of our sins and being "washed" in Christ's blood.  In the dream, I am dressed in all white but the edges are dirty.  My friend that had this dream told me that it represents something that's within me that's unresolved, or sin that I have not been freed from.  In other words, it’s the things that I haven’t handed over to Christ.  I haven’t figure out what it could be exactly except for maybe my wanting to control everything and my lack in trusting in Him.  But I am working to draw myself to Christ to figure out what that could be and to have Him cleanse me of it!

Revelation 3:1-6:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Friends, I wanted to share all of this with you, because it is time for all of us to wake up!  We need to be earnest and REPENT and come to Jesus!  We need to wash our clothes and get ready for His coming because He will come like a thief!  

Malachi 3:2-3, “But who can endure the day of his coming?  Who can stand when he appears?  For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launder’s soap.  He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.”  

Let's repent now instead of the day of His coming! Come to Jesus because He cares for you.  Our cleansing is not that we need to be called pure but that we are set free from the bonding of sin.  Many of us that are Christians say we believe in Christ and say that He is our Lord, but we still act as slaves to the darkness by refusing to repent and turn away from our sins and actually make Christ the Lord and Master of our lives.  We have to take up our crosses daily by crucifying the sin and disobedience that lives in us to the cross of Jesus.  Just like we take a shower or wash our own clothes, we have to continually come to repentance in Christ until the day He takes us home.

I hope that your eyes and your ears are open to this message and that you won't "Be ever hearing, but never understanding;be ever seeing, but never perceiving."(Isaiah 6:9). I hope that you come to know the fear of the Lord and as much the power of His mighty love for you.  He is a just God and cannot let unjust and rebellious acts go unpunished but He is "a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love." (Nehemiah 9:17) Call out to the One who loves you and ask for forgiveness, healing, and cleansing!

Thank you for reading. I pray you are blessed by it.  Please continue to remember us and Nicaragua in your prayers.
10 Make the heart 

In the Wilderness

Well, I have been meaning to write this blog for some time, and I finally feel like I have a the motivation to write it and the time while my baby is napping.


My life completely changed 3 weeks ago.  My sweet angel Annabelle came into the world!  If you haven't read her birth story, please check it out on her blog:  http://babyquintanafox.blogspot.com


Since that day, Luis and I have faced lots of challenges.  For one thing, it's hard to recover from a C-section.  Nicaraguan women talk about C-sections being the worst thing in the world, and while it's not as bad as they say it is, it is challenging to get back to life afterwards.  Thankfully, I have a really good doctor who did I great job stitching me up, and I really haven't had any pain.  However, as you probably know, I have been limited to what I can do, and that, to me, has been the hard part. I am always afraid I'm going to split my insides open again! The first few days were the worst since I couldn't even get out of bed or sit down without help. Then, I got mastitis and still had blood pressure problems, which made me even more delicate. I felt so sorry for my poor husband because he had to take care of me AND a newborn (he still hasn't slept a full night since we got home). The good thing is that my dear friend Tamara helped us out and got us someone to come to the house and help clean, wash clothes, cook, and take care of us during the day.  I don't think we would've survived that first week without help!


Not only did we need help in the house, it worked out great to have someone here with me because all of the sudden, Luis has had a lot of work.  For the past year, Luis has been waiting to work.  Well, I think his time finally came.  Right before Annabelle was born, he started working on cleaning up and landscaping this really big garden.  It was supposed to be the beginning of his landscaping business.  Nevertheless, Annabelle came right in the middle of the job, and as soon as he was free from taking us to doctors appointments, he had to start back on the job.  And not only has he been working on that, he has gotten calls do to volcano tours or chauffeur people in our car.  On top of that, he has still been going to El Paraiso 4 afternoons a week.  Sometimes, he'll do a tour in the morning or work in the garden and turn around and go straight to El Paraiso without even having time to eat!  So Luis has been busy, and it's been a big adjustment for me to not have him with me.  However, we are thankful that God has given him work to provide for our family.


Other than schedule changes, we've had to deal with other challenges.  I'm going to call these challenges the plagues because that's what they've felt like!  Before Annabelle, we had ants in our house but they never really bothered us.  The day we came home, Luis moved our furniture and set up our bedroom and her crib in another room that's a lot cooler.  It just so happens that the ants like this room, too. They have gotten in Annabelle's crib (she sleeps with us in the bed now).  They have gotten in my clothes in our wardrobe.  I've literally had to shake and pick ants off my underwear before putting them on!


In addition to our plague of ants, we've had a plague of mosquitoes.  Normally there aren't as many mosquitoes this time of year as there are in the rainy season, but everything is abnormal this year.  My feet are covered in mosquito bites.  Annabelle has gotten bitten a couple of times, but thankfully not much.  The lady that cleans for us will lift up or move something in our rooms and there will be a swarm of mosquitoes.  The only thing we can do about our ant and mosquito plague is fumigate.  We've fumigated just a couple of times cause it's hard to do with a newborn when we have to leave the house.  Yesterday was the second time, and today things seem a little better. However, the first time, it just took them a couple of days to come back!


Then, there's the heat; we can categorize it as a plague as well.  It's the dry season, aka summer, here in Nicaragua so that means no rain, lots of dust, and over 100 degree temperatures.  Unfortunately, our house does not ventilate well, so it's probably even hotter inside. At the end of the day, I feel like I have been in an oven and my insides are cooked. I've been scared to death about Annabelle getting too hot.  She's had a little heat rash on her neck, but nothing major and thank goodness she is doing ok.  I have to change rooms a lot with her to try to find cooler spots during the day since we don't have air conditioning here.  We keep the fan on her as much as we can, but sometimes it just moves hot air.


So there you have it... what we've been dealing with. Not to mention the day our electricity was torn up in our house or sometimes our water will go out.  But although I complain, I really shouldn't. God has still been good to us, and complaining displeases Him.


It's all made me think a lot about the Israelites in Exodus when they came out of Egypt.  There were plagues, even though the Egyptians had to suffer them rather than the Israelites.  Then, they left Egypt and their slavery and roamed free in the wilderness for 40 years.  You would think they would be happy and grateful because their prayers were answered and they were free from the forced labor and free to worship God. You also would think that they would trust God more after witnessing the way He delivered them from Egypt. They were even given silver and gold by the same Egyptians (see Exodus 12:33-36) However, many times throughout Exodus, we see the Israelites complaining and wanting to go back to Egypt.  And they had what we would consider really good excuses to complain:  1- they were being pursued by Egyptian armies that wanted to kill them (Exodus 14:10-12); 2-  they didn't have any water (Exodus 15:22-24); 3- they didn't have any food (Exodus 16:1-3); 4- they got tired of eating same food all the time (Numbers 21:4-5).  I think if any of us went through those circumstances, we would probably complain, too. Yet the Israelites were punished for their complaining; God sent venomous snakes on them! (Exodus 21:6-9)


Really, complaining is a sin. Even though I'm guilty of it, the truth is that complaining reflects a bad attitude towards God, an ungratefulness for what He has done, and a mistrust for what He is going to do.  When we complain, we forget all the good things He has done in the past.  We, as Christians, have to remember that first and foremost we were slaves to sin, but now, we are free from sin! (see Romans 6).  We have to remember that because we are free from sin, we have eternal life and an eternal inheritance share with Christ when we make Him the Lord of our lives.  We also have the promise that in all things God works for the good of those who love him , who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).  That means that even the bad stuff that happens in this life works out for our own good; we just have to trust and look to God when those things happen.


Let us not forget, too, the personal blessings that we have in our lives.  In my case, I should not complain because I have a beautiful baby girl who is such an easy baby and perfect in many ways.  I should be thankful that she is fully formed without defect or disease.  I should be thankful that I am healing well, too, and that I haven't had any major problems or pain.  I have to be thankful that even though this house has its problems, we still have a nice place to live with more space than we need and at an affordable price.  I have to be thankful for all the things we have in our house that God Himself blessed us with and did not come from the work of our own hands.  I am thankful that we have food to eat every day, even if it's just rice and chicken (like manna and quail).  I am thankful that I have family and friends that love me and support me.  Furthermore, I am thankful for the work He has given us to grow His kingdom and teach others about His word.


I can't complain. It's hard not to a lot of times just cause I get so emotional.  But I know, just like my mom reminded me, that I asked for all of this, too.  I wanted to know what it was like to be Nicaraguan. I chose to move here and live the way I do.  And the truth is, I have only gotten a taste of what most Nicaraguans go through. 


I keep thinking about a family that goes to our church in El Paraiso.... a mother of 4 abandoned by her husband living in a hut by the river.  According to Tamara, her hut doesn't have any walls anymore because they kept falling apart.  She sells cheese and enchiladas to get by, but I am sure there are many nights they go to bed hungry.  The youngest child is about 6 months old; she probably doesn't even have a crib and gets ants on her anyways.  Yet, they always thank God for what they have, and the children come to church eager to learn more about His Word.


I'm trusting that God is trying to bring me to that kind of attitude.  I feel like a spoiled brat; I think God just shakes His head and laughs sometimes when I cry or complain. Or maybe He does what Luis does and makes a pouty face and makes fun of me! But at the same time, He is and has been so patient with me in working with my character; he's gentle in reminding me of His truth.  And living in His truth and being conformed into His likeness is more precious than any comfort the world has to offer because it has eternal rewards.


Thank you for reading.  Please pray for me as God deals with me.  And I pray that God gently deals with you so that we together may one day reap the benefits of godliness.  May God bless you.

What the New Year Brings

Happy New Year, everyone!  I hope that you are having a good start of the New Year.  Let's catch up from last year's last post and take a look at what this year has in store....

Over the holidays, we took a break from classes in El Paraiso.  We did go out on Sundays and Fridays for Sunday School, worship, and youth activities.  On Sunday, December 22, we had a Sunday school Christmas party for the kids.  We played games, sang songs, had a pinata, and handed out presents.  I told the story of Jesus' birth using a recently donated felt board set.  It was a lot more interesting telling the story with visuals!

On December 30, we had a New Year's bonfire with the youth to celebrate the good start to our program.  About 25 to 30 youth showed up to play charades, sing songs, eat hot dogs, roast marshmallows, and reflect on the past year.  We got really good feedback from the youth about the activities.  A lot of them said that they were thankful to have something to do on Fridays since there is not really anything to do in El Paraiso.  One youth even said it has helped them to relate and build relationships among themselves, where before they hardly even spoke to each other.  We hope to do more fun activities every few months and continue encouraging fellowship and fraternity in Christ with the youth of El Paraiso.

The church in El Paraiso continues to grow as well.  This past Sunday, we had 40 adults attend, which is double what we usually have.  The big miracle is that it was "cock fight Sunday."  At least one Sunday a month, the community has cock fights that most people attend, and we usually have a very low attendance those Sundays.  However, it seems that God is really working in the hearts of these people and placing in them a hunger and thirst for His Word!

So we are having a good start of the year in El Paraiso!  We finally started back the sewing, cosmetology, and carpentry classes this Tuesday.  The women in sewing are continuing to work on scarves, creating new styles for Spring (please let me know if you are interested in buying or selling).  The cosmetology students were excited to start back classes after they came to a halt because the last teacher quit.  We were very fortunate to find Pilar Munoz- a sweet, experienced, responsible, and godly cosmetologist to continue teaching these girls.  Nevertheless, we need to pay dear Pilar for taking out 5 hours of her time twice a week to ride an hour all the way to El Paraiso and an hour back to teach 2 hours of class.  If you are interested in sponsoring one of these young ladies for $20 a month, please contact me or Tamara Price.  This sponsorship might be a good project for a women's group or Sunday School class!

Pastora, Maria Jose, Pilar (teacher), Deisi, and Ismara

Well, sadly, Tuesday was my last day in El Paraiso until after Annabelle comes and gets settled in.  The road out to El Paraiso is long and bumpy, and my doctor doesn't want me traveling that far and under those conditions so soon to my due date.  I'm disappointed that I won't get to see the dear people I love for a while, but I know that I am doing the right thing by staying in Leon for now.  Luis is still going out, so I will be staying with either Tamara's housekeeper, Patzy, or with my mother-in-law while he's out there.

I've got different projects to work on while I am waiting for Annabelle to come and even when I have to stay home with her:

1.  I started a blog to share Annabelle's progress with family and friends.  You can  check it out:  http://babyquintanafox.blogspot.com 
2. Of course, I will be working on Annabelle's nursery, getting her stuff together, and preparing everything for her arrival.  Problem is that we're in the dusty season, so I can't set up everything just yet or it'll get dirty!  Once I do, I'll take pictures and post them on her blog!
3. Last Monday, I began teaching our friends Yeral and Karla English.  I'm going to try to teach them as much as I can up till my due date and see what we can do after that.  I am hoping that further down the road I can start having private classes in my house to bring in some income.
4. I have had the idea of writing different kinds of books: devotional books, collecting different writings and testimonies from other pastors and missionaries, children's books, fictional books, etc.  I might start working on something like this, even though it will be a slow and long process.
5. Lastly, but definitely not least, I will be spending more time in the Word and in prayer.  I know that God is teaching me and showing me that praying for our ministry is just as much important as doing it.  He has answered so many of my prayers lately that it has amazed both me and Luis.  I am thankful that He hears me and I know He is calling me to step up to be more of a prayer warrior and be more disciplined in this area.

So this is what I'm starting with.  There are so many more things that I have in mind to do like having a girls' Bible study in my house or even looking into creating our own ministry to work with youth in other areas or to feed old widows that beg on the street. Luis has things he would like to do, too. He wants to study a technical career like mechanical engineering on the weekends.  He also might do some gardening work for different people.

Proverbs 16:1 says, "To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue."  Verse 9, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."

I think I've said it many times before that we can plan and try to do many different things, but we can only do what the LORD allows us to do.  I think a lot of times God places desires on our hearts for a reason, but we have to trust in Him and listen to Him in guidance of when and how to pursue those desires.  God's timing is perfect for "He has made everything beautiful in its time" (Ecclesiastes 3:11). And again my favorite verses, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:11-13) I want to be obedient in following His direction so that I may live out God's best and most beautiful plan for me and in doing so seeing more of God's glory and giving Him the glory.

Thank you again for reading and for praying.  Please continue to remember us and the ministry in your prayers.  May God bless you and keep you!