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.