Love.

People are messy. And everywhere in life there are people. You can’t control

whether the young prostitute returns to sell her body. You can’t control the person that is corrupt and hurts you in some way, you can’t control the homeless man who just took your pesos and used it to buy alcohol and you can’t control those around you into making honoring decisions. But you can control your heart. Your response, and how you do it again, to risk it all and say yes to love

Love is such a beautiful thing. But loving others can lead to heartbreak. 

The simplicity of God is beautiful. The power of our meager yes to love … His massive heart to show up. Because we know love trumps the hurts. Always. 

When serving God with the love He can only give—- which can look like listening to the hearts of children who long for love or the elderly that have been abandoned by their families, or seeing what people do to survive, or knowing kids that were kidnapped, or seeing injustice and feeling your heart break for justice—- I have to rest in the fact He is good. Always. He is at work as I cling to his hand. With this I can breath. I can praise Him.

Processing injustice is a journey. A journey of “passing through the valley” but never remaining there. I pray that the people that pass through horrific situations, also pass through that valley and find Jesus and hope and laughter in the midst and on the other side.

And in moving forward, we (who choose to love) are laying the foundations of God’s goodness… waiting, while knowing, He keeps His promises.

“For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye 

has seen a God like you. Who works for those who wait 

for Him.” Isaiah 64:4

First week and a half!

The first week and a half of the summer is already done, I can not believe it.

I have one Camino Global intern and a team of five people from Simpson University's Worldserve program.

We have had the opportunity to, several times, spend time with the elderly at the shelter... loving on them, praying with them, feeding them, changing diapers, doing crafts and projects. We have also had the privilege of serving the kiddos at the orphanage. Spending time making them feel loved and cherished, playing with them and giving lots of hugs!

After a dry spell with the classes in Palmas, we are also doing classes again that are being attended. Hip hop, guitar, english, crafts etc.

Oh, and a girls bible study.

IT has been a good time, I look forward to the next week and a half with these six people! Please be praying for us as we continue to serve the people of Mexico!

Hope.

Hope.

A principle that we are meant to rest in. To cling to. A security, a resting place.... a promise.

However it is hard for people to find hope in the midst of chaos, a mountain that seems impossible to climb. Yet, we know what is true. That God has told us to trust Him, to rest in Him, to believe in Him and to believe Him... to HOPE in Him.

There are people all over that have subject to harsh realities. They have been enslaved by sin, burdened by control, abused, ashamed. But, when I look into there eyes, you almost always see some sort of glimmer of hope. But that relationship with hope can wane, can suffer, can easily be questioned.

Living here I have had moments of attack, defeat and suffering... unlike I have ever experienced before. However, it usually isn't my own suffering I endure, its seeing the suffering of others that I have come to love.

Seeing the prostituted or orphaned or abused is sometimes hard for me to accept as real. When you serve people who are not even use to getting all of their basic needs in life met it is truly hard to understand and grasp. Because I (and most of those who are reading this) have not lived this desperation.

But now I have seen it with my own eyes. I have had conversations, shed tears and loved people going through this.

It breaks my heart a little every time I step inside the orphanage, walk down the red light district, or go into the old folks shelter. Sometimes joy is hard to find.

But God has hidden His truth in me. During the frustrations, the hurts and the failings I want to go back to truth.

Hebrews 6:19 says, "The HOPE is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary."

Of course that verse is a comfort, but what is HOPE truly? What makes it strong? What makes it trustworthy? How can it be an anchor?

But, hope has to do with the promise. It is all about God's plans, God's will... God's kingdom and abilities.

So, hope can be strengthened.. it can be renewed and even reborn. If we allow. What has been wasted can be repurposed. What is not aligned can be redirected. Hope means that Gods power is greatest and He can really do the seemingly impossible.

He can touch anything and anyone and make them new.

He is our greatest safety.

The HOPE that we have reveals our trust in the God who sees everything. It reveals what we believe about Him and who we believe Him to be.

If our hope does not exist.... then we will never be able to see the miracles in our midst, the provision, the grace, the faithfulness of our Father.

God is in the business of renewal. Renewing the HOPE that we have that God has a purpose and a plan for His children. Also renewing the hearts of the people.

Redemption.

If you ask God for compassion, at some point, be prepared. If you ask Him, to help you love. He will.  He will open your heart in a way, that you never have known before.

Love is a beautiful thing. But, it can be hard too. It can hurt. 

Over the last year, I have had the opportunity to work with people that are hurting. I have heard the stories of children who have been left by their parents, or taken from the home. I have been to a funeral of a kid that I fell in love with, I have seen what elder abuse looks like first hand. I have known what corruption looks like, even when a persons life is on the line. I have met people that own people. I have also met people are responsible for the taking of women, the women themselves, and seen what it looks like for someone to come out of that.

These things tear me in two. 

I long to be able to help them, to protect them. To show them what love really is.

But, the reality is that all over the world hearts are breaking.
Hearts that don't know or understand love.... and do not know how to give it either.

Sometimes that weight of this overwhelms me. Makes me want to hide away... away from the world, away from the eyes of those precious people.

I am often times hurt and angry about the situations. About the injustice of it all.

Angry that people don't value humans the way they should, the way God does.

And sad. Sad that so many hearts, so many people, so many places... this nation.... needs so much healing. They need the touch of a Father. And to experience love.

I need Grace. I need to lean on the Father, myself as I fight against discontentment. I need to rely on the Lord as I choose to rejoice.

But, even more than sad and angry, I am thankful.
I am thankful.... for the tiny arms that hug me when I walk into the orphanage.
I am thankful.... the smiles.
I am thankful... the little steps that I see in the lives of people towards healing and wholeness.
I am thankful... for REDEMPTION.

I am thankful for redemption. I am thankful that God makes ugly things beautiful. 

So, what is there to do?
Keep on going. Keep going and showing the LOVE of Jesus to the people who need it the very most. Giving GRACE to the people who least deserve it. PRAYING for the healing of them all.

Things will always be messy... but the image of redemption is a beautiful one.

Weekend o' Outreaches

This weekend we were fortunate to have Word of Life- Mexico join us for a fun filled weekend of outreaches.

They did an absolutely incredible job of putting on skits, playing very well organized games and sharing the Gospel very clearly.

Satuday- 2 outreaches in Santa Barbara.

Sunday- The first was planned in Palmas, however, even with a government permit we didn't have permission from the community so we couldn't do anything. Two things probably are happening. First, they know who we are now and they are getting stricter.
So we went back to a new spot in Santa Barbara. It was great. YAY for flexibility!
Then we did another one in Jesus Maria, also a great time.

Today (Monday), they gave presentations in the public junior high school. They spoke on things like self esteem, drugs, self harming, making good decisions, etc.

We were thankful to have them, thats for sure!

Summer time is approaching quickly... like less than a week away! Yikes! Prayers appreciated for all the last minute details!