WOW! Give your youth to God and He'll keep ya busy! (Above: Here I am at a littl farm in Southern IL where Bekah took us horse-back riding, thanks Bekah!)

So I've left all my friends in the dark as to my where-abouts! Lets see...where do I start? Well I just got back from being at theNorthwoods of Michigan leading my FIRST Journey to the Heart! http://iblp.org/iblp/discipleship/journeytotheheart/ <Click here if you don't know what that is) Basically its 10-day retreat is to help young people learn how to love God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength. I was invited to lead one of these groups because of it was in Spanish with youth from Mexico and what a blessing and opportunity!

This was a unique group (about 50 guys and gals total) because they were all from one church and they had together and individually worked ALL year (washing cars, selling tacos, cleaning bathrooms, painting houses, and everything they could get their hands on) to save up money for Visas and passports, then to take the bus from Las Mochis, Sinaloa (in Mexico) to Arizona, and from there catch a plane to Chicago to begin their Journey!

Their hearts we're especially sensitive to the Lord and during the last few days, most all the girls on my team were calling home and confessing hidden sins to their parents and really humbling themselves before God. One girl realized she had never made Jesus the Lord of her life even though she had been raised in church. She came to know Him that week and experienced a new joy and enthusiasm at walking with Him! (She even fixed her hair so her face wasn't covered anymore and she was smiling all the time. To me those were DEFINITE outward signs of an inward heart-change). 

This morning I woke up and after sweating all day and taking 5 cold showers to try to cool off, I am surviving. (I am amazed that the water out of the faucet that should be "cold" is actually warm and HOT sometimes. Hot enough to make tea!) Anyway, pray for me, the heat makes me cranky. I'm trying to not complain, but I really have never experienced anything like this in my 11 yrs living here! Its insane.

While I was at Northwoods, God really impressed upon my heart the verse in 1 Corinthians 7: 32 that talks about what we should be doing with our single years for the Lord. "But I would have you to be free from cares. He that is unmarried is careful for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord: but he that is married is careful for the things of the world, how he may please his wife…She that is unmarried is careful for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married is careful for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. And this I say for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is seemly, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction."

Call me nerdy, ATI-ish or whatever, but the more I learn about God and who He is, and the closer and longer I walk with Him, the more the verse in that hymn "Turn your eyes on Jesus" becomes where it says "…all the things of earth grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." It's amazing because the things I used to glory in and enjoy, the things I used to have fun doing, are no longer fun for me. The friends I used to enjoy hanging out with and participating in their conversations and jokes, that no longer appeals to me. I find myself trying to force a smile and a fake laugh, but deep inside it doesn't appeal to me. For me, everything else is kind of a waste of time and air, if God is not the center of our lives, my life and excitement 100%.  So then I see the looks on the faces of other people when I am excitedly talking about the Lord (which I could do forever!) or what He has done in my life recently, or what He is doing in other countries, places. And they look like "Ok this is BORING."  Good, Christian youth! Who would say they love the Lord, yes, but somehow the spiritual and mundane are separate. Somehow God and normal life can't mix that well. Or maybe they're just embarrassed to talk about God as if it's normal. 

 Tell me what verses you are memorizing, what passages of Scripture you are studying, and what truths you are getting out of that. Tell me who are actively discipling and who you've been talking to about the Lord and what did they say. Tell me how God is using you at school and with your basketball buddies. Tell me, TELL ME! That's what excites me the most. Most girls, they love to get together for coffee, yes, but after we've heard all about their latest crush or boyfriend and what new shirt they bought, and how is school or work, then nothing else is "cool" to talk about. God takes the back seat. I used to be guilty of the same! But no more. NO MORE. He really IS my SUPREME TREASURE now. I can really say that there is nothing I'd rather do or be than to spend all my energies for His work. And nothing and no one brings me greater joy.  

What energizes me and inspires me like nothing else is working with International people and countries and traveling and seeing God do huge things in their lives and countries! That's why I loved my job at Headquarters in Chicago so much because every week we were receiving people from other countries, delegations, and I would be in charge of taking them out and showing them around the city, and telling them what IBLP is all about and seeing how we can help them be successful leaders in their country. I was in my element!! It was a beautiful season of my life. Now God has something new and different!

Being at the Northwoods was like taking a short escape/honeymoon with no one and nothing else but HIM. I got to spend ALL DAY together with nothing else but my Lover, His creation, and His words (Bible) in a book on my lap. I found a secret place to just study the word, memorize and meditate on it ALL DAY. And I could really see what Job meant when He said, "I have esteemed the words of your mouth more than my necessary food." And Jeremiah when he said, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy words were unto me a joy and the rejoicing of mine heart…"  --Jer. 15:16

So that day I was sitting on a canoe outside in the sunshine by the edge of the water with my Bible and I just basked in God's love at giving us a beautiful day and cool breeze blowing. One thing that blew my mind from the "Do Hard Things Book" I've been reading by Alex and Brett Harris (HIGHLY reccomended) To ask myself the question, "What one thing would you do to change the world if you could?" and how can I take action and start making that happen now! Today. I think it would be to give people glasses to see the world as Jesus saw it. Then people would show compassion and mercy, the would reach out to others in need, they would act. Move. Do something meaningful. That's why I can't shake the God-given desire to go to Germany to learn the language fluently. And China to teach English in the public school system. That's why I spent 2.5 yrs. on the streets of Chicago, and working with drop-out teens and the crisis pregnancy center. That's why I teach and mentor girls. That's why I have such a passion and excitement and enthusiasm at working with them. If I live to be 90, I only have 66 years left---YIKES!!! Time to turn up the turbo! No more wasted time. No more playing games. No more competing affections. No more extras that take up my time. I am going for the gold!

Its raining outside my window now and I am so thankful for this rain. The thermometer outside can't even measure the weather but now it can. It has gotten a bit cooler than 120 degrees. (I’m beginning to think it this can be a form of “suffering for Christ’s sake.”) On days when I ask myself “Why are we even here? Why do we have to endure this!” The answer come softly. Because we are soldiers of the Cross. Because there are people dying and going to Hell as I type. Because the whole reason we are here on earth is to further Christ’s kingdom, not ours.

Later I'll write some more and tell you what else I've been up to. For now, Ciao! 

Today I tied several tennis shoes, patched up several scratched knees on the playground (kisses and bandaids work wonders!), placed patty-cake, and cut lots of paper money for Math class of the darling kiddos from the Euro school!

 I got a sub-teaching job there and I'm loving it!! (My brother Josh works there as the music teacher). Its pretty much a dream job because they just call me up whenever a teacher can't go to school, so I just fill in with her assistant to the 2nd teacher (there are 2 per classroom). Since I am a sub, I really don't do anything other than take them from Spanish class, to recess, to lunch, to Math class, to computers, to painting, to daycare, etc.  

  I love to eavesdrop on the girls when they are playing together in little circles. Depending on what ages they are, their conversations on the playground vary... :)

Also when they call me up I can decide if I want/can/feel like going to work that day and then say yes or no. Its really great! Of course, I usually say yes (unless I'll be on a trip or something)! This is one of the most expensive schools here in Monterrey so everything is in English and these kids are wow--part of the small subculture, a bubble of people rolling in the dough of Mexico. (I've about decided Mexico is devided into a medium-sized high class, a small middle class, and a large low class population). I'm usually subbing for a teacher who has gone to Paris or NYC for the week. The cool thing is that everything in this school is done in English, so I get to speak English all day. lol!   

Allow me to introduce to you my favorites! (a.k.a. teacher's pets, JK, just the ones who stole my heart.)    

I don't even remember their names (I must have short-term memory, I only remember the ones I am currently with) but I love them! Each time I get called in to substitute, I get called to a different class, I'm quickly getting to know all the kids in the school and these little ones always come running up to me the minute they spot and me and give me hugs and then run off to play/

This little girl loves making crazy faces for the camara! And the sweet little one below is one of the sweetest, nicest Pre-Kindergarteners I've ever met (it's scary)! She never does anything she isn't supposed to, she is always sweet and mannerly and obedient. She is never mean to the other kids no matter what they do to her. She never raises her voice, never spills food in recess, always finishes her projects on time, never complains about anything, is super laid back and flexible...she's an angel!

I love this picture of us.

Now here is another one of my students, and this girl...she is the cutest thing in the whole world, just makes me want to hug her and kiss her and hold her! She is super inteligent (too smart for her britches), she is a leader (she always takes the initiative to get everyone riled up for the cause, BUT...she is so mischevious! SO mischevious! But because she is so cute, it so easy to overlook her naughtiness and just let it go! I would have a hard time parenting her! I love to watch her interact with the other kids--she is such a little adult, with a mind of her own!      

Look at that little face!

Such a stinker.

And here is the proud Miss Cristina.