Wrap it up.

It has been two solid years in Baja California serving at Rancho Sordo Mudo. I had no idea what I was getting myself into coming here and boy did I grow in every area of life. Honestly, I could stay comfortably watching these kids grow up and pouring into them. But God has called me to move. This step is pretty big... I am going to a place that I have never been. Stepping out on the water and going out to the unknown where I need to rely on God more than ever. I want to constantly be stepping out deeper,constantly into the unknown. Not on my own or all just about me, myself, and my own strength but about God and because He is so good, His grace is so sufficient and He never fails.


Long term vision
-Study Spanish (8 months at Roca Blanca in Oaxaca, Mexico)
New blog [Investigate more here]

Queretaro
-Teach sign to the church community
-Teach sign to the deaf in the community
-Establish deaf teachers
-Disciple the deaf
-Raise up leaders among the deaf
-Train the deaf to be pastors
-Establish a reproducing church among the deaf
-Remain until this is all done

I will be representing the unreached people group- the Deaf of Mexico. Let me be your bridge , it is my job to represent them to you. I would love to talk about this more with you. Would you help me by sending me?

Happenings.

Long term vision 

-Study Spanish (8 months at Roca Blanca in Oaxaca, Mexico)
http://rocablancaspanish.com/


Why?
To pour into the people and place that God has shown me.

Where?
Queretaro, Mexico

Vision?
-Teach sign to the hearing church community
-Teach sign to the Deaf in the community
-Establish Deaf teachers
-Disciple the Deaf
-Raise up leaders among the Deaf
-Train the Deaf to be pastors
-Establish a reproducing church among the Deaf
-Remain until this is all done

This is what I believe God has called me to do... my hope and plan, but who knows all that God has for us!

I will be representing the unreached people group- the Deaf of Mexico. Let me be your bridge , it is my job to represent them to you. I would love to talk about this more with you. Would you help me by sending me?

Highlights

 After High school, when deciding to come to Rancho Sordo Mudo in 2011, I had no set plans for my future. I came to serve and never decided how long I would stay, I thought I'd stay here until God showed me otherwise. 

I came thinking they would find some work for me to do. Well they found work... I started team teaching with Olivia (another teacher) in October  and then had a class of my own the rest of that year.  Looking back remembering that CRAZY class, it was insane! So many emotions for us all. I had no clue what I was doing here, how to do the job, or how to love these kids. Lots of praying and lots of crying for both me and my students. That first year felt like everything was being thrown at me. But God did not stop guiding me and I because of Him I did not quit. 

It seems the first year God was breaking me and preparing me for the second year to come.  My students the second year were completely different little people with different personalities.  There was less anger and less fighting but more crazy and more exhaustion. My little guys (plus 3 big guys) were nuts the first few months and I had help most of that time. Only one student physically fought us almost daily and was a struggle this year but has improved in big ways. God has blessed him with so much joy, always laughing and I think God has used that boy to teach me, I never thought that could happen. I have been blessed this year to see so much improvement in my students. Kids that came here with little or no language, not yet communicating. Now they know their names, they are expressing  their feeling, and they are starting to understand that they are creation made by God who loves them. I have been blessed with students who love to pray and encourage me and remind me to pray.  I have been able to see so much confusion and anger change to more understanding and love.  It is amazing to to a part of this process, not easy and not always fun... at times very honest, raw, and ugly, but God is always so good.

I had the opportunity to go to Rosarito for 3 days with most of the kids here. It was such a great break from school and from most responsibilities.

This is Leticia, it was her first time seeing the ocean- this was her experience! 

 

Signing "Cold"

signing "cold" again

More photos from the trip.

Dinner with my gals.

hangin out with the goats and sheep!

Eddie

Isabel, Marisela, and Dayan with their giant kelp

boat ride in Ensenada!

& the seals! Monsters.

Rise & shine

Gods passion for the world. He loves all people and is good. But it is hard for people to believe that God is good because there is so much pain. How are these people supposed to find it believable?  That He is good for those that are hurting with so much pain in the world. The answer I am discovering from the Bible is a little surprising because it turns out that we’re the plan! God doesn’t have another plan. Jesus says to His followers, us as His disciples( Matt 5: 14, 16 ) YOU ARE the light of the world... Let your light shine among men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in Heaven! Jesus doesn’t say “you might be the light of the world” or “you could be the light of the world” or “I sure hope you turn out to be the light of the world”. Jesus says to us “you are it”.  In 2 Cor 5:20 Paul says God is making his appeal through us. For 2,000 years Christians have been trying to make it believable that God is so good through us, especially to those who are hurting and in pain by going to them and showing them the love of God. When we help these people, give, serve them, love on them and they see us- the body of Christ actually shows up. It becomes believable to them that God is so good.

             There are people suffering, not suffering because they haven’t heard the Gospel or because they don’t have food or because they don’t have doctors or don’t have housing. These are the people that are suffering in our world because of intentional oppression and abuse of other people... victims of injustice in our world. We know that God hates this kind of abuse and wants it to stop- Psalms 10: 17&18, Psalms 35:10. This is good news from Scripture. What is His plan for making it stop? The answer from the Bible again is that we are the plan, no other plan- Micah 6:8, Isaiah 1:17, Isaiah 61. No doubt God has given us the job of justice in the world. When we feel powerless or full of despair or “who are we to do this” we can remember that the disciples felt the same during the feeding of 5,000. Jesus asked them “well, what do you have?” He told the disciples to give what they had to him. In that moment Jesus precedes to take responsibility.  “Will you give me what you have, so that I can do the miracle?”

The light of the Gospel goes to the darkest places. Let’s offer back to Jesus what He’s given us so others can know Gods goodness and freedom. We have influence.

Seeking first the Kingdom

So I am not teaching my kiddos this month... Jason, who will be teaching the Kindergarteners next year, took over. Jason is getting a taste of what next year could be like. Those kids are a big handful... oh ya! 

On Tuesday we have the end of the year trip, to Rosarito again this year. Eddie is bringing most of the kids with some of the staff for 3 fun days away from school. Then we will have 2 last weeks of school, our last day is May 31st! Wahhoooo!!! Seriously STOKED! Here we have our normal routine and more because it is the end of the year. Cleaning cleaning cleaning, packing, organizing and saying goodbyes. Graduation is the 8th of June and then the kids are off with their parents for the summer.

Pray for the future here at Rancho Sordo Mudo, for God to bring more servants... the harvest is ready but we need harvesters. I am praying that we trust God enough to provide each and every tool needed to do His work for His glory. Know that He is in control of every single detail of our lives. Looking at our position for next year, we seem to be lacking what we need to be more affective as teachers. I am praying for those staying here at Rancho Sordo Mudo to not miss what God wants to do. What GOD WANTS to do, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven... is our will actually aligned with His?  Lets not look back, not look to what has already been done but instead look to what He wants to do now. Perhaps our God wants to do bigger and better things, miracles in Jesus's Name, even do the impossible. 

Jesus let us see from Your eyes and have Your perspective on things, not staying content looking from our own perspective, but first seeking You and all of Your ways. You are beautiful in all of Your ways.

Spelling contest!

Our annual spelling contest was on Thursday the 25th or April! My class consisted of three levels: level 1-Milagros and Antonio looked at a picture and signed what it was, Level 2- Yahir Alexis and Juan Jose did word recognition, and Juan Jose, Level 3 Leticia, Isabel, and Ruben - I would sign a word to them and the had to finger spell the word to me. Winners were Antonio, Juan Jose, and Isabel. They all did great... I am proud of them all for their great attitudes whether or not they won. The rest of the school also did awesome! The other classes were at a higher level of spelling difficulty and also did awesome! I am amazed at these kids! They came here with little or no language and now are able to communicate, memorize words, even to read and write! God is so stinkin big and can work in any and all lives. I cant wait to see how God will use the kids that want to live for Him. There are no limits...

Pictures from my class:

Please pray with me that God raises up leaders here,Christ following leaders for the Deaf. Praying that our God grows leaders to go boldly out with the love Christ has lavished on us. Go to their neighbors, families and to the entire world and share this unfailing, unending, everlasting love. Praying that they will be willing to go where the Lord leads.

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2 students playing on my classroom shelf

   This month is not like any other, it is completely new. I will not be treating this month like the last. I wont be treating this day like yesterday. This new day is full of new promises, opportunities, and struggles. We welcome it all with joy.
   Every day here at Rancho Sordo Mudo I wake up and can not predict how the day will happen, how things will turn out. I know God goes before me, has already planned the day, and wants to guide me through it. Sometimes I just do not let Him... He is there but I am not seeking. With the fights in class, the time outs every 5 minutes, emotional toddlers and teenagers all in one room learning to communicate instead of fight, I gotta say it is easy for me to get distracted. And sadly because of my flesh and my wants I get distracted.
    I know God wants me to welcome all of those things and let him help me. When crazy life is happening I can look to Him for guidance, look to Him for power. Allow Him to work in and through it all.
   It is time to be quiet. I am enjoying just staying quiet. Looking for Him and asking Him what I should do, how I should respond or maybe I shouldn't respond. Waiting on Him to speak. Looking to include Him in every situation. He is teaching me to enjoy solitude. And it is so good for me.


Life is unexpected. One thing remains the same day to day... that never changes. You Lord cover me. You have covered our sin since the beginning of time, back in Genesis with Adam and Eve. Even after they sinned You Yahweh had compassion... Genesis 3:21 "And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them"... all the way to the Passover with the disciples, sharing communion. (Mark 14: 12-25) I'm sure the disciples were confused not having the passover lamb on the table. It was not on the table because the Lamb was at the table. The same Lamb of God that John the Baptist was talking about as Jesus walked toward John to get baptized (John 1:29). Jesus covered us ultimately with His love on that tree. Wow.

We are covered.
Now we can walk boldly and radically in the promise.