Hey Y'all! Greetings from North Carolina!

So I just got back to the US a couple weeks ago and I moved to North Carolina about three days ago.  I am currently living with an amazing family.  They offered to let me stay with them for the three months that I will be in North Carolina support raising.  They are truly a blessing to me.  I am so completely overwhelmed by their generosity and willingness to take me in as a member of their family.

I'm working with my friend Jenn right now as we raise support for our orphanage project with Enfoque Ciudad.  To be completely honest with you, I hated raising support last summer.  And I have dreaded it ever since.  But over the past two months or so, I really feel like God has given me a completely new perspective on it and I am truly excited about sharing the vision for our orphanage as we go out and look for people to partner with us!

I've talked with a few friends during my time back in the US and I've kind of shared some of the things that I experienced at the orphanage.  And the interesting question always comes up- "So why do you still do it?" 

I've been hit.  Bitten.  Scratched.  Screamed at.  Made fun of.  Hair pulled.  Slept a maximum of 5 hours a night for 2 months straight.  Had 2 minute cold showers every day.  Went without showering for a week, because there just wasn't enough time in the day.  Never had more than 10 minutes to myself throughout the day for 2 months.

I was honestly at the breaking point.  There were times where I wanted to give up.  I felt helpless.

There were definitely some hard times.  BUT I got to witness some amazing things as well...

One day I saw a little seven year old girl sitting on the playground by herself talking out loud to herself.  I walked up to her and asked her why she was talking to herself and she told me that she was praying and talking to God.  My first thought was "Wow, this seven year old wants to talk to God instead of play.  She must understand something I don't."  So I hung around her for a few minutes, because I wanted to know what a seven year old prays for.  She prayed for her younger brother, her mom and dad living on the street, all of the other street children, for the prostitutes, the mothers in jail, the kids in Africa, for finances at the orphanage so we could eat tomorrow, for the other kids at the orphanage.  She also started to pray for me and all of the other staff at the orphanage.  Wow.  I was utterly speechless.  She understands something that I don't.  She has more faith that I do.  I am still amazed to this day at how much she believes in God and that He has a plan for her life.  Even though she grew up on the streets and her family still lives on the streets and does not have food to eat nor a place to stay, she believes in God.  She has a passion that I have never seen before.

I'm praying that I would have child-like faith as I begin support raising-completely trusting in God to provide.  I want her faith.  I want to have the faith of a child. 

Honestly I can't really describe to you why I still do it.  Even though the past few months have been the hardest months in my life, I would not trade them for anything.  I would do nothing different.  I have learned so much and I have truly experienced God's love and grace like I never have before.  I am so thankful that I have this opportunity.  I am truly so thankful for all that God has given me, because I know that I do not deserve any of this.

Matthew 18:2-5

 "He called a little child and had him stand among them.  And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me."


"Unashamed" by Starfield
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hci0FXl-OqE

Back to the US for a little bit

So these past two months at the orphanage have been a rollercoaster.  I have learned so much.  I have cried so much.  I haven't slept.  I haven't had time to rest.  I have received and given more hugs and kisses than I have in my entire life.  I have felt more love than I ever have before.  I have been the most confused I have ever been.  I think in Spanish.  I dream in Spanish.  At times I can't think in English.  Other times I can't think in Spanish.  Sometimes I have no idea what's going on in my brain, because I'm constantly trying to figure out what language I'm speaking/thinking/etc.  It's crazy!

So after a lot of prayer and discussion with my team we felt like it would be best for me to go back to the US for a few months to raise support with my other team member Jenn in North Carolina.  This feels so right.  At first I was really reluctant, because it didn't make sense to me to leave after I started the internship at the orphanage, because I would have to buy a plane ticket, find a place to live, find a car, etc.  But I decided to go for it and trust in God.  And well no big surprise-- God totally provided!  About a week ago a family from Jenn's church offered to let me stay at their house.  What a blessing!

I'm actually excited to raise support.  I'm excited to tell stories from the orphanage.  I'm excited to share our vision for our own orphanage.  I'm excited to see God work.

I'm also excited to rest.  The past two months have been so draining: emotionally, physically, spiritually. I would get maybe 4-5 hours of sleep a night.  Nonstop working with the kids.  Even though I was constantly surrounded by kids and people I felt so alone.  I've never really felt that kind of loneliness before.  I don't even know how to explain it, but it was hard.  Yes there were people to talk to, but it would be in Spanish.  I have learned a lot of Spanish throughout my time here, but I am still not at the point where I can express myself on that deeper emotional level yet.  So it was hard for me, but God got me through.  I am definitely in need of this time to really spend time in the Word and in prayer to truly seek God as we start support raising.

I am excited to see what God has in store for the time that I will be back in the US.

Three Weeks in Fundación Emmanuel

First of all I want to apologize for not being able to keep up with everybody these past few weeks.  I moved into Fundación Emmanuel about 3 weeks ago and I didn't have internet access for a little over 2 weeks.  I didn't think I would make it, but here I am! haha :)

I have learned and seen so much over these few weeks. We currently have about 20-25 girls.  5 younger boys and 5 older boys.  And a 4 month old baby.  The kids are so different.  Not one is the same.  Not one has lived the same life.  They come from everywhere.  The majority of the kid's mothers are in the prison.  A lot of these kids have been raised in the prison.  A lot have been raised on the streets.  The 4 month old baby was found on the railroad tracks drinking from a bottle full of drugs.  She came in at 2 months old addicted to drugs.

These kids have a lot of problems.  I'm not going to lie to you and say that everything is great here.  It is hard.  The kids hit.  They bite.  They push.  They kick.  They scream.  They cry.  They run away.  They swear.  They mock you.

But...

Jesus is here.  God is moving in this place.  God is transforming hearts.  God is changing lives.  These kids were once without a home.  They now have a home.  They were once without food.  They now eat 3 times a day.  They were without clothes.  They now have clothes.  They were once without parents.  We are now their parents.  They were once without a family.  Now they have a family of 40-50.  They were once without a God.  But now they have Jesus.

God is at work.  Over the past few weeks I have undergone so many emotions.  I don't even know how to explain it.  I haven't had time to really sit down and process all that I have been feeling, experiencing, learning.

I'm going to tell you guys a few stories about what I've experienced here:

~My first day a little girl came up to me and sat on my lap.  I asked her her name and she told me to call her "niña de la calle" (street girl).  I told her no.  And I asked her what her name was.  She again responded street girl.  I kept asking and she kept responding street girl.  After about 10 times I asked her why she says that is her name and she told me that is what everybody used to call her.  She finally told me her real name and I told her that she was a child of God, a princess, that she is loved by the God of the universe.

~I let a little girl borrow my Bible and she ended up writing a message and a picture in the back of it.  She wrote:  Erika te quiero mucho. Dios ve tu corazon. Te quiero mucho. De Dayana.
Erika I love you a lot.  God sees your heart.  I love you a lot.

~I've seen kids daily pray for forgiveness for their behavior and from their sins and asking God to give them a spirit of obedience.

~I've talked to a 7 year old girl who grew up on the street with her family.  Her mother, father, and 2 younger brothers are still on the street.  She started crying and crying because she hasn't seen them in over a month.

~I've been working with a 7 year old boy who when he was born the doctors said he wasn't going to live past a few days.  He has a million different medical problems.  He has survived many diseases, tumors, surgeries, fevers over 104 degrees F.  Almost a year ago he learned how to walk.  And he is starting to talk.  He understands English and Spanish.  God has huge plans for this precious little boy.

God is at work here.  Pray for restoration for these children.  Pray that those of us in charge would have rest, patience, love.  Pray that God would teach us how to work with these kids in grace and truth.  That God would teach me how to love.

I want to learn how to love.

1 Peter is rocking my world!

PRAISE 
be to the
God
and
Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In
HIS GREAT MERCY
he has given us
NEW BIRTH 
INTO 
A LIVING HOPE 
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
and into an inheritance that can
NEVER PERISH, SPOIL OR FADE
-kept in heaven for you,
who THROUGH FAITH
are shielded by
GOD'S POWER 
until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
In this you
GREATLY REJOICE, 
though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
These have come so that
YOUR FAITH-
OF GREATER WORTH THAN GOLD, 
which perishes even though refined by fire-
may be proved genuine
and may
RESULT 
IN
PRAISE,
GLORY
AND HONOR
when Jesus Christ is revealed.
THOUGH YOU HAVE NOT SEEN HIM, 
YOU 
LOVE 
HIM;
AND EVEN THOUGH YOU DO NOT SEE HIM NOW
YOU 
BELIEVE 
IN 
HIM
and are filled with an
INEXPRESSIBLE
AND
GLORIOUS
JOY,
for you are receiving the goal of your faith,
THE SALVATION OF YOUR SOULS.

1 PETER 1: 3-9

Ephesians 1: 13-14

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:13-14


I have read these verses a million times before, but I read them and meditated on them last night and it is sooooo cool!!!

First of all we are "included in Christ"!  Such a cool thought to be INCLUDED in Christ.

The word of truth = gospel of our salvation

We were included in Christ when we heard and believed the word of truth-the gospel which brought us our salvation!

We were marked in Christ with a seal of the Holy Spirit.  The "promised" Holy Spirit.  God "deposits" the Holy Spirit in us.  This deposit guarantees our inheritance in Christ.  We are God's possession.  He is going to redeem us.

And all of this is for the "praise of his glory".  Have you ever actually broken down the idea that we are for the PRAISE. OF. HIS. GLORY.?  Our lives should be a living praise for Him.  For His glory.  So cool!

But the coolest part of this whole passage that I had never really seen before was the type of vocabulary used.  All throughout the passage there is vocabulary related to money, banking, etc.

~marked
~seal
~deposit
~guaranteeing
~inheritance
~redemption
~possession

I don't really know why I didn't see this before, but it is such a cool parallel!

And in Spanish it reads:

"En él también ustedes, cuando oyeron el mensaje de la verdad, el evangelio que les trajo la salvación, y lo creyeron, fueron marcados con el sello que es el Espirítu Santo prometido.  Este garantiza nuestra herencia hasta que llegue la redención final del pueblo adquirido por Dios, para alabanza de su gloria." Efesios 1: 13-14

Que padre!!!  God's possession = el pueblo adquirido

Como esta escrita en la canción-- "SOMOS EL PUEBLO DE DIOS!  EL PUEBLO DE DIOS!"

NUESTRAS VIDAS SON PARA LA ALABANZA DE SU GLORIA!!!