They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow...

This month has been full of CHANGES.  

Change in city.  
Change in plans.  
Change of heart.  

God is telling me to return to Him and dwell beneath His shadow. 

To pause and seek Him.


MOVE TO CHAPALA.

I have officially moved to Chapala.  For the past few months I’ve been delegating my responsibilities in Guadalajara and preparing to move to Chapala to serve at Love in Action Orphanage (LIA).  This past Monday I finally made the move!  These next few weeks I’m staying with a gracious family here in Chapala while I search for a house with 3 other girls who God has called to serve at LIA.  Chapala is absolutely gorgeous!  The other morning I went on a prayer walk and God definitely surprised me with how beautiful His creation is. 

My main role at LIA will be as the “director of family services”.  I believe God is leading me to start up an adoption/foster care/ family reintegration project (Journey Home Project).  Kids need a family.  This is a huge undertaking in launching this Journey Home Project and it is going to take a few years to fully structure and start: a lot of research, investigating and networking with the government and churches.  It has been such a blessing to see how God is bringing together a team; He has used my everyday relationships to network and call people to serve at LIA. 

SLOW DOWN.

These past few weeks God has told me to slow down.  I’m a huge planner.  I love to have a plan, everything in order, to-do lists, timelines, etc..  I’ll admit, I’m a little bit of a “control-freak”.   

God has told me to wait.  

Let go.  

Slow down. 

Sit down.  

Rest in Him. 

Let Him take the lead.  

He has really convicted me about trying to take control of this Journey Home Project.  It is not my project.  It is His.  He’s been showing me to truly seek Him and His will for this project.  To pause, and seek Him.  

These past couple of months I have been able to build a good relationship with the YWAM (Youth With A Mission) base here in Chapala and with the directors/staff.  I have really felt God calling us at LIA to network with and work alongside YWAM.  A couple of weeks ago I had a meeting with the leadership team of YWAM to share my heart and what I believe God is calling me to do, and they were very excited about the opportunity to partner. 

After the meeting at YWAM I have really felt the Lord confirming to me to take a pause, seek Him and receive training before starting the Journey Home Project.  It has honestly been confirmation after confirmation.  In reading the Word, sermons at church, books, devotionals, friends sending me verses, etc., God has been reaffirming the same thing. 

Hosea 14           

1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. …
⁷ They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

⁸ O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit.

⁹ Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.

Deuteronomy 8:2-6  

² And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. ³ And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. ⁴ Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. ⁵ Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. ⁶ So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.

GOD IS TELLING ME TO STOP MY PLAN AND TO SEEK HIS.  

To turn away from my plans and to dwell beneath His shadow.   

To truly seek Him and from Him will come my fruit.  

I believe right now that He is leading me to do a DTS (Discipleship Training School) with YWAM here in Chapala.  DTS is a 5-month training school.  I know God is calling me to seek Him and His will.  Honestly I originally didn't want to do the DTS.  Like I’ve said before, I am a planner (aka control-freak), and doing this DTS would be a change in "my" plans, a short pause before fully starting the Journey Home Project.  However God has been convicting me about truly surrendering all of my plans to Him and being obedient to Him. 

Please join me in praying about the DTS.  The DTS is from Feb-June.  I look at is as a 5-month investment of my time, that the Lord wants to use to directly impact not only my life, but also the lives of many children in orphanages all over Mexico.

Also, please join me in praying for my Visa.  2 weeks ago I had another audience hearing at Immigration.  I was told that I needed 2 more letters from my Mexican church.  I was able to get those letters from my pastor and I submitted them 2 days later.  Still waiting for a response. 

MUCHAS GRACIAS.  Thank you for truly caring about me, supporting me, praying for me and taking the time to read what the Lord is doing in my life.  It is humbling to see how He has surrounded me with friends and supporters like you who are truly dedicated to what He is doing here in Mexico.

 

Betsy, Petty, Yadira and I @LIA

Goofing around with Miguelito

 

Saying "see you later" to the boys at Kids in Victory in Guadalajara