Clothes, Coffee and Children

Initially when brainstorming what this post was going to be about I thought, there has been so many moments throughout the last four weeks where I feel that God has been moving hardcore so it was going to be impossible to put it all in one post. However, I feel like y'all can handle it! :)

Let me start off by saying  these past few weeks God laid it on my heart to be praying for boldness to speak his truth, to speak his love and his word to the people I may come across while serving in Houston. He showed me through one of my fellow missionaries and friend, Maria. Maria works right next to me as we do our service projects in the morning. She is in charge of the food pantry while I am in the clothing closet right next door. One day an older gentleman came through and I asked him, "Como estas?" (How are you?) and he responded that he wasn't good, in Spanish and then said lots of words I didn't understand. However I knew a few, like duele which is hurt. The man was hurting and in pain, and I just wanted to pray for him then and there but, communication got in the way. That evening I got to speak with Maria, who can speak Spanish and she taught me how to say, "Can I pray for you?" in Spanish. It also was heavy on my heart to begin praying to have Christ's boldness. A few days later, I saw the opportunity to ask a lady in the closet if she needed prayer, I was able to ask in English but the truth of the matter is, God gave me the boldness I needed.

I was so excited that God was giving me the courage and boldness to just ask people if I could pray for them so I continued praying for the boldness to speak when I need to, and for the words that needed to be spoken. Well, the following weekend, we went to Galveston to have a hang out chillaxing day. Somehow, I got it in my head that because we weren't in Houston that I was not going to be used in any way or manner and that I could just get a sunburn and have a fun time. Yet, God still moves! That evening we went downtown before heading back to Houston and at an icecream shop a group of missionary interns and I popped in for coffee. The guy in the front of our group was wearing an MCH shirt and being a talkative guy anyway started up conversation with the lady behind the counter. Well, when it was my time to order, all the other people in my group had already stepped outside to not overwhelm the small shop with their presence. Right as soon as I order my drink, the lady asks me why I am a missionary. Then she begins talking about her son who knows a lot about the bible and throughout the conversation she brings up words that at times can just make me shut down or zone out and not be focused in the conversation but by the grace of God I was still attentive. I go to pay for my drink and by that point God is still in charge so I ask the lady, her name was Jenda if there was anything I could pray for before I left and she told me to e praying for we husband Patrick to take the next step in his faith. So here I say now, be praying for Jenda and Patrick and their son that they can be faithful in following after God! 

Now, I'd be lying if I were to say that I stopped praying for boldness because I'm still praying and will continue to pray for it because its not in my nature to speak up about God, though I wish it were! In kids club we are teaching through parables. This week we had the privilege of teaching about being  persistent in prayer and about how when we go to heaven we won't have the things of this world so out focus shouldn't be on the attainment of possessions but on our relationship with God. Before going to our classes on Wednesday, the kids got to watch a skit about the second lesson. As Marcela was holding up the end of the line of our fun 7-8 year olds I was making sure that they were sitting close enough to the front and not causing to much chaos. Before all the students got into our corner of the gym, one of the little boys raised his hand and asked, "what is heaven?" Once again God was proving that he hears our prayers when we ask for opportunities to be bold! Then after answering that question, God allowed a statement to be made for me to lay out the gospel to them! Not super intensive but enough to allow them to hear God's truth! 

God is moving in Houston! God is faithful to his children! And just like the parable about the friend that is persistent to ask for bread, God longs for us to be persistent in asking for things, especially if it will bring Him glory!  So as I wrap up this long post, I plead y'all, to continue to pray for all that are here serving Houston and for the lives that we are privileged to come across! God is moving! God is here!    

 Also if y'all could be praying for next weekend! Every summer, MCH takes a group of teens and preteens to camp that have served in their center for about two days. At camp they will be hearing about the parable of the four soils in great depth and how it applies to their lives. Be praying for safety, for hearts to be softened and for God to move in the lives of these young people! 

Our God is great and I just thank you guys for your prayers! 

The First Encounter to Mission Centers of Houston

My first week in Houston is coming to an end which is kind of exciting because that means that on Monday the real work begins. Missions Center of Houston serves two different neighborhoods in the inner city: Near North Side and Magnolia. If you don't know anything about inner city Houston or know very little let me paint you a picture like one of the staff here did for our group of mission interns.

There is a beautiful scene of the downtown that we walked to on the first full day in Houston. The city skyline truly a sight to behold and no random giant buildings or billboards blocking out the view. That image, is what hundreds of men, women and children get to look at every day behind a barbed wire fence. Downtown Houston, a city that promises days full of life, art and culture separated from the communities with a barbed wire fence. 

 It's not that the people in these neighborhoods just have a different viewpoint though. The people of this community are people that won't get the opportunity to have  what the downtown city skyline represents, opportunity to do great things, opportunities for a better life, and so many grand things. 

That image is what we began our orientation with. The people we will be working with see that opportunities for things are out there but they also see that there are barriers that prevent them from even touching the outskirts of those opportunities.  With that image we began our orientation, to hear of who we will be serving and loving and sharing God's word with. We will be leading kids clubs for children who may not have a father in the home for whatever reason, whether due to incarceration, deportation or the fact that the fathers weren't ever in the picture.  We are serving single mothers who are learning English for the first time. We are serving the seniors who have lived in these neighborhoods longer than I have been alive.  We are serving in a neighborhood where gangs, drugs, violence, prostitution, and human trafficking run rampant. We are serving neighborhoods that are broken and neglected. WMy first week in Houston is coming to an end which is kind of exciting because that means that on Monday the real work begins. Missions Center of Houston serves two different neighborhoods in the inner city: near north side and magnolia. If you don't know anything about inner city Houston or know very little let me paint you a picture like one of the staff here did for our group of mission interns. There is a beautiful scene of the downtown that we walked to on the first full day in Houston. The city skyline truly a sight to behold and no random giant buildings or billboards blocking out the view. That image, is what hundreds of men, women and children get to look at every day behind a barbed wire fence. Downtown Houston, a city that promises days full of life, art and culture separated from the communities with a barbed wire fence.  It's not that the people in these neighborhoods just have a different viewpoint though. The people of this community are people that won't get the opportunity to have  what the downtown city skyline represents, opportunity to do great things, opportunities for a better life, and so many grand things.  That image is what we began our orientation with. The people we will be working with see that opportunities for things are out there but they also see that there are barriers that prevent them from even touching the outskirts of those opportunities.  With that image we began our orientation, to hear of who we will be serving and loving and sharing God's word with. We will be leading kids clubs for children who may not have a father in the home for whatever reason, whether due to incarceration, deportation or the fact that the fathers weren't ever in the picture.  

 We are serving single mothers who are learning English for the first time. We are serving the seniors who have lived in these neighborhoods longer than I have been alive.  We are serving in a neighborhood where gangs, drugs, violence, prostitution, and human trafficking run rampant. We are serving neighborhoods that are broken and neglected. We are serving people made in God's image. 

Missions Centers of Houston has been serving  the community for over 50 years.  And those years have not gone wasted, there is a light amidst the darkness here and though there is pain in the neighborhoods there is also hope. God has been working here long before I even discovered these centers and he will continue to be at work. As I look forward to the beginning of my work at the Joy Mission Center I can't help myself but get excited to know of all the great things that God will continue to do here and I can't help but remind myself how blessed I am that I get to see God work in the lives of all involved, missionaries included! There are a total of 19 young adults that are on the 2013 Summer Missionary intern team and I am grateful of that I get the opportunity to walk alongside them and serve our great God. So I ask of you, as you are sitting at the screen reading this or as you live your life these next two months if Houston comes to your mind, pray. Pray for Mission Centers of Houston, the mission team here (summer and long term), the people that come into the centers, and the people that pass by our doors. Please pray for God to continue his great work in this city because greater things are yet to come and because God has mighty plans in store for this community.

Go Now Missions: Appointment

So, friends, family, and facebook stalkers, I have gotten this fantastic opportunity to serve God this summer and I just wanted to share it with all of y'all because I am beyond a doubt stoked to be able to do it! In the end of last semester I began the application process with Go Now Missions knowing that God wanted me to be his hands and feet. And after I truly accepted the fact that no, I was not just thinking Go Now would be cool because others that I love dearly got to go on mission trips this summer, that I needed to apply.  There were several moments where I doubted that this is what I needed to be doing but then, for some reason, I found myself feeling encouraged to finish the application process.

Towards the end of winter break, I was thinking that I was supposed to know if I got to go with Go Now or not yet, so I messaged Keith Platte, the BSM director here at HPU and asked "so when do I find out?" Apparently, I didn't fill out everything I was supposed to but, I didn't miss any deadlines so I found myself filling the pages out and hitting the submit button. I remember when I was filling them out and when I had the interview with Keith and some other people in the community that I was really adamant on admitting that I have a heart for Spanish Speakers and for kids in poor socioeconomic areas. Then I got to face the next waiting game, this time I actually knew what I was waiting for though, I got to wait for an invitation to attend Discovery Now Weekend. Which would be a time to reflect on the call, and have interviews with GoNow peeps to discover where you would best serve. (Not going to lie, as I typed that the title of the weekend made a lot more sense)

Well, I got the invite and I was oh so excited! It was going to be February 15-17th of this year in the metroplex area. I was already planning on telling my teacher that I wasn't going to be capable of attending my one Friday class and everything. So February begins, and for those of you that do not know, my Grandmother had a stroke on February 5th. At first it seemed like there was going to be improvement so I wasn't afraid and then I went home that weekend. And that Saturday the doctors suggested hospice to the adults. They were told to only expect my G'ma to hold on for a few days but, being my Grandma, she held on and passed peacefully on February 14th, 2013. Now for those of you that are reading this thinking wait a minute, this has nothing to do with your mission this summer, hold your horses! :)

When I realized that I needed to be home that weekend I emailed GoNow more specifically the contact we had been given and told her that I needed to be with my family. And this was another God moment that made me realize, okay, I am doing what I need to be doing. I got an email from a different individual, a woman that is higher up so to speak and she not only offered condolences but she informed me that even though I wouldn't be capable of attending Discovery Now Weekend I could still be a Go Now missionary. I just would either have to go to a later Discovery Now day and possibly miss the opportunity to serve several locations or I could do a skype interview with a girl that would have been my small group leader. Even though life enjoys having its more than fair share of curve balls, God still has plans for our lives. And I was able to have an interview with this fantastic student named Nycole, who would have been my small group leader.

When we had the interview, there was no freak out moment. The whole entire time, I was calm and it was perfectly normal skype time. As if I was just talking to a friend I have known for a while. We talked and she let me know that last year they found out their appointments the Thursday after Discovery Weekend.

So, Thursday came and anytime that I got an email, my fingers flew to make sure that it wasn't my GoNow appointment. Every time I got a campus email, or a coupon from Chili's I checked my phone in hopes that at that moment I would know what my summer was going to consist of. When the time finally came, I didn't hit the accept button right away, instead like a real grown up woman, I called my mommy. Not even ashamed, I was so excited! And I had to tell my biggest and strongest role model where I was appointed.

Ok so if you are still reading, you get to know the cold hard truth. I will be the hands of feet in Houston, Texas this summer. I will be doing whatever I am asked, working with a ministry in Inner City Houston, Texas.  And because there is a lot more to it than that I figured I might as well show you all that I know so far of what I may be called to do during the 2 months, June 2nd-August 2nd.
This little insert is exactly why I applied for what I will be doing as well.

Inner City Missions Summer

Do you love the city? Do you want to make a difference in the lives of children, youth and adults? Mission Centers of Houston is a well-established ministry that has served Houston’s inner city for over 50 years. You’ll have an opportunity to work alongside other student missionary interns from across the country among mostly Hispanic people in underserved neighborhoods. Inner-city Mission Centers will provide opportunities for you to lead in Kid’s Clubs, preteen and teen clubs, play sports with youth, teach English to adult learners, assist with senior adult ministries, distribute food and clothing, minister alongside and supervise local and national student volunteer groups. This is a tough neighborhood and there is endless need. Prepare for poverty. Prepare for hunger. Prepare for exhaustion. And prepare to love and be loved. Houston is a challenge. Make no mistake. But, God is working in the inner city of Houston! Location: Houston, TX Special Requirements: Spanish helpful, but not required. Student should be: team-oriented, flexible, teachable, have strong work ethic, on-time & dependable, self-initiator as well as team player, respectful of authority. Dates: June 2—Aug 2 Team: 2 Students Amount You Raise: $540 (total cost of project $900)

So now here comes the crazy part, your involvement. Most importantly, I would love y'all's prayers! In the end of May I will get to go to an Orientation thing that will help get me ready hard core but I would love prayers before and after Orientation! Because well, I don't know what comes tomorrow and I do know that Satan likes to mess things up. So prayers would be extremely epic! And if you would like to donate monetarily, you can email me or message me on facebook. However, I am not gonna lie, prayers. I am a strong believer in the power of prayer because God listens to His people. God is faithful to His people and most importantly, God loves, even when we feel that we don't deserve it. I love you guys! And I am going to try, to blog a whole lot about this, partially cause I like writing, and partially cause I know it's super exciting to see God move.

Real People (Relationships Part 3)

REAL PEOPLE have real emotions, real desires, real needs, real wants, real likes, real dislikes, etc., etc. And If we are being real here it’s important to realize what all comes into the fact that people are people.  The biggest thing about recognizing that relationship is about real people comes the realization that real people have real problems, real baggage, a real past, real hopes, and real fears. When we forget that relationships involve real human beings it’s almost as if we are back in that elementary school mindset.  Now, I know that I am not the only human that has every played the game house. If I am then I feel really bad for the rest of the world because that game was my favorite. When we forget that relationships involve real people we become the child I dislike most in the game of house, the child that somehow gave instructions on how to pretend to be human.  A lot of times I have to remind myself when “dealing” with other people that I can’t control them. As much as we’d like to try to be in control of others, it’s honestly a big joke. After all, we aren’t even in control of our lives. As much as we’d like to pretend that the world revolves around us it doesn’t. I am really bad about realizing that. So much of the time, we don’t want to actually own up to the realization that life consists of real people. One of my favorite things to do while driving, aside from pretending that some of the other drivers and I are on teams, is imagining where everyone else is going. It truly is people watching at its finest.  People-watching is always entertaining to me because it is one of the few times that you allow yourself to step out of your life and look into others.  However, in relationships with others we don’t just have to watch, but we can interact with our friends and loved ones. We have an opportunity to dive into discovering out about another person’s life without having to open up a magazine, or pretending!  But we can’t just look at the lives of those around us in a manner that we are merely people watching, we actually have an obligation to interact. So often we as people tend to think the world revolves around us. Which of course we know it doesn’t but we go and assume to look at life in the service manner where the rest of the world has to serve us. If we begin to open our eyes and realize that most people have an outlook similar to that then we should go forth and serve. We should listen to people that matter to us, there hopes, dreams, past failures whatever and actually care. When dealing with real people we realize that we can’t change them for our own desires, just be along their side for the ride and being there for when they need you. 

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, been spending time with mi familia as everyone was home for a few days. But I think you can deal with that because spending time with people is part of building relationships and working on them! :)