Amazed and Humbled when God can use me! 

Yesterday evening I was online and a friend, Lisa Porter Ringel, posted a link to a YouTube video of the Kari Jobe song "Here".  I am always blessed by Lisa's posts, so I went to the link to listen to the song.  I know the song, have heard it, and sung along to it many times, but yesterday it was like I was hearing it for the first time!

As I listened to the song, and read the words coming up on the video, I felt flooded by God, I knew He had a word for my students, it was so overwhelming, I couldn't put it into words, but as I listened to it over and over I knew that He had something for me to share.   This morning I got up and immediately pulled up the video again, and prayed that I could find the words for my kids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSXmYd72OeA&list=FLgccwidm6tKdrieTDa1yrvg
Here is how the song begins....

"Here"

Come and rest here
Come and lay your burdens down
Come and rest here
There is refuge for you now

You'll find His peace
And know you're not alone anymore
He is near

You'll find his healing
You're heart isn't shattered anymore


These words shouted out to me...

Rest

 

Lay your burdens down

 

You are not alone

 

Your heart isn't shattered any more

 

Today I had the opportunity to share with the highschool students.  We watched the video and then I was able to share this word from God.

Jesus knows the feelings that we go through.  He came to earth and while he was God, he was also human.  He was rejected and abandoned and denied and tempted and beaten he felt sad and lonely, he knows all the feelings that we experience.  Jesus knows and understands our emotions.

His love is perfect.  God is Love!

We read 1 John 4:8-10
⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Romans 8:39
 ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

How incredible is God's love for us!  Others might leave us or reject us, abandon us, hurt us, but God's love is perfect!  He wants to heal our broken hearts!  He understands all the pain and hurts we go through.  We are never alone!  Even when you are in your bedroom and no one else is there, you are not alone because God is always with you.

Zephaniah 3:17
⁷ The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.

I wanted the kids to receive this, and believe the verse,  receive it as their own .....

He will take great delight in YOU
he will quiet YOU with his love,
he will rejoice over YOU with singing.

God rejoices over each of my students! 

I pray that these words I shared today will give life and will bring healing to the hurts  and broken hearts the kids have.  I am overwhelmed and humbled that God can use me.  I am grateful and amazed when He chooses to allow me to speak His words.  Today was not me, but God, and I am grateful for the opportunity.

City Life - some fun and special moments


This one doesn't have a photo...Jacob Taylor how did I not get a photo of you?!  I was blessed by having him here!  He had been in my Sunday school class before I moved to Honduras.  He looks the same, only about 3 feet taller!  I remember one year coming back at Christmas time and Mrs. Cheryl let me share with the kids about Honduras.  And I remember telling them that one day when they were in youth, maybe they would come to Honduras as a missionary.  WOW!  Blessed me to pieces to see that happen!  Before he left Jacob gave me a gift and told me to spend it on myself, so I have it tucked away for a special day.  Jacob you have a big giant heart! 

 

This is one of my students, Krissia.  She is in the 10th grade and will be graduating next year.  Earlier this year she felt God telling her that she would be a missionary in Cambodia working with girls getting out of the sex trade.  She was able to share this with me, telling me "Miss, I knew you would understand me, I know it sounds so crazy!"  She has been corresponding with Hannah Taylor on line and Hannah was so sweet to send her a letter and a headband that came from Cambodia!  Here she is with her letter!  She was so touched! 

 

During the ministry time on Monday, Tori Beth stood up and said that the Lord had told her that in the room there was someone who would be a minister, someone who would be a worship leader and someone who was called to be a missionary.  Well, Krissia broke out in tears! 

 

Tuesday, as we were getting ready to leave from giving out food, Jim Pack looked at Krissia and said she has an annointing on her.  I shared with him who she was...Krissia, the girl called to Cambodia. 

 

She is special to me and I know that God has great things planned for her!  I am blessed by her love for others!   

Yes, I did take a picture of the towel creations on my bed each day at the hotel.  This was my favorite.  I had originally asked Jim if I could stay one night at the hotel while the team was here.  His response, "stay all the days with us!"  A lot of times when the teams are here we are so busy, busy with life, busy with our regular responsibilities at school, and busy with the activities going on with the team.....many times with all that busyness the team leaves and I think I didn't even get to talk to the people who came here!  I wanted to be able to spend time with the team and get to know them.  Having my church family from the states here is special to me, and I wanted to get to enjoy every second of it.  So getting to stay at the hotel with the team was so awesome!  I really enjoyed you all!   The hot shower and Air Conditioning were a bonus!

After all the activities of Tuesday, that evening was Ruach's Got Talent!  And boy do they!!  We had singing and dancing and Group Bible Speaking (yae High School!)  And the two groups from high school that sang, they didn't perform, they were worshiping up there!  It was an incredible night!  Thank you City Life for making this possible!

City Life Church, I cannot say thank you enough for all you did here in Comayagua and in Siguatepeque last week!  You blessed the country and people that I love and that has made my heart happy! 

Tuesday with the CityLife Team

Tuesday morning we had a special guest, Bessy Rodriguez.  She shared her testimony about God's grace.  It was a powerful word that she shared with us. 

 

 

These are part of our senior class...these students have been with Ruach most of their school life. 

 

I think this is the cutest little guy!  He was so precious praying!

After the morning devotion it was time for a special game.  The first International Whiffle Ball game!  The City Life Team and teachers vs. High School students! 

 

 

My boys WON!!!  And they have the trophy to prove it!

Way to go boys!

John Colbath - you are so much fun! 

Even though you were on the losing team with your crazy horn! 

After the game we loaded up the team, 10 of my high school students who came with us as translators, and Pastor Joel, and headed to Burger King to feed the group!  We were met at Burger King by 7 members of my church who wanted to be a part of the outreach we had planned that afternoon.

 

 Gabriela, Hansell, Krissia, Celeste and Andrea

 

 

When we go out to eat we fill the place up!

Some of the precious members of my church, Ministerio Renuevo

Some more from my church

 

My girls loved the Colbaths!

After everyone was fed, we loaded up and headed to the street market.  Jim had given me $100 to buy groceries for the 10 families we were going to bless, so on Tuesday Paula, Hannah and I had gone shopping and bought rice, beans, sugar, shortening, maseca, flour, pasta, tomato sauce, toilet paper...now we were heading to the market to buy more necessities.

We were able to purchase for each family: cheese, montequilla, eggs, coffee, avacadoes, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, and bananas.

Here is Alex talking to his mom on the phone.  I had to capture the moment :)

Can you believe I used to have him in Sunday school?   He has sure grown up!

 

After getting all the groceries we loaded everyone up again and headed to a neighborhood called La Islia, where Carmen, one of the members of my church, lives.  She had told 9 other families that we would be coming. 

 

We arrived with bubbles and candies and a lot of groceries to share!

My students jumped right in with the kids and began leading them in some songs!

 

Each family would get two bags of groceries

We are gathering together for Pastor Joel to share with them why we have come! 

It is to share the love of Jesus with them!

 

Tori Beth and Krissia went with this grandma to take groceries and pray with her. 

Krissia wanted to stay with her.  

 

All kids love bubbles!

We split up and each team member went with a student translator and someone from my church to go to the homes of each family there.  Here is Alyssa getting to know the family that she is with. 

In the end, I was left with Pastor Joel and Oscar, so we went with Carmen and her family.  Along the way we ran into Matthew and Francklin who had finished with their family.  So I asked them to come along with us.  It was a God appointment!!!  When we got there Pastor Joel was telling us that Carmen's husband, Jose, has never accepted Jesus and would we like to share with him.  So Matthew talked with him and asked him how we could pray for him.  And Jose said he wanted to follow Jesus!  WOW!!!  So Matthew prayed for him and led him in prayer to accept Jesus.  Francklin is one of my students who was there to translate.   What a great moment!

 

Matthew with the family, Carmen, her husband Jose, their youngest Emelio, their oldest son, and they also have a daughter who escaped our photo. 

 

This day blessed me so much!  I was so happy to be able to do this and bless this family and all the families she lives with in her neighborhood.  I just can't say enough about how special this day was to me!  It was exciting for Joel to be able to lead this with the team and share such a huge blessing with these families!

 

Thank you City Life!!

Monday with City Life Team

Matthew Buchholtz, along with several of his team members shared their day with my high school students.  They shared their testimonies and how God had changed their lives.  I pray that the students' hearts were open to receive the words shared with them that day. 

We ended our time with worship and prayer.  Many of the students were prayed for and words were spoken into their lives by the team members.

I was so blessed to also have Paula Colbath and Hannah and John there!  Several of my students really connected with Paula and were able to open their hearts and receive much needed love and prayer!  Thank you God!

Through this day God spoke a word to me.  I have been praying for the kids, and praying specifically Isaiah 35: 5-6

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.

 

I have begun to pray those verses for myself.  I don't want to be blind or deaf to what the kids are dealing with, to their problems, to the things they need help with.  I am praying for God to give me sensitive eyes and ears and the words to help my students.  

It was an incredible day with the team!  After school the team left with Helen and Dennis to go up the mountain to Doris' house ....an incredible view, a precious lady who loves the Lord and shared the love of Jesus with many children on the mountain! 

 

That evening we were all together again at La Casita and Jim Pack had planned a surprise for the team!

 

MARIACHI BAND!

 

 

Fredy serenaded us as well!

 

With the team, and missionaries and our can't live without them Fredy and Henry, we took over the front half of the restaurant!

City Life Church

I was so excited for the team from my home church in Texas to come here last week.

I wanted them to feel welcome and loved as they arrived in Comayagua.  Dennis and Helen Jackson and I met them at the hotel Sunday afternoon. I was excited to surprise them with a loaf of homemade banana bread for each of the rooms. 

I was blessed so much having them here!

The team was staying at the Santa Lucia, which is a hotel owned by a family whose children attend Ruach.  I loved that we could help this family in their business!  We had all 12 rooms rented.  I even got to stay with the team at the hotel.  I felt like I was on vacation!   Thank you City Life!!

I had three days of air conditioning and a hot shower!  I was blessed! 

The team landed in San Pedro Sula Sunday afternoon, drove several hours to get to Comayagua, and that evening they were ministering at my church, Ministerio Renuevo.  Words can't describe the joy I had to have both my church families together. 

They led worship for us that night, some songs in English and some in Spanish! 

Some of the team members shared a word with the church. 

 

 

We had an incredible time to pray with people at the end of the service.  It brought back memories of when I would come here on mission trips - that first night was usually spent at a church in Barrio Boquin.  What sweet memories!

Of course after church we had to stop at the Puma, formerly known as the Esso.  It is Jim Pack Tradition!  :)

 How did I not get a picture of the team having dinner at the Puma? 

That was day one of the team....I hope they enjoyed their first day as much as I enjoyed the time with them!