July Update

Well, July is half-way over, and I'm more than half-way through my summer at home; my plane tickets arrived today, and I leave on August 22 for Guadalajara. I can't believe how quickly time has flown by! It has been a busy but very enjoyable couple of months, and I'm so glad that the Lord made it possible for me to be here with so much time available to spend with people.

This has been a VERY busy month! July began with a road trip to Colorado! On my way to Colorado, I stopped in St. Louis and Nebraska to visit with friends. In the end I stayed about four days in Boulder, CO with my youngest sister and was able to attend the wedding of an old friend in Denver. If you'd like to see pictures from my trip, just click on the link to the right that says "!!My Photo Album!!". When not traveling across the country, I've been living with my parents in Richmond, VA, and on weekends I stay in the Fredericksburg area in order to be involved with my church and my small group on weekends. That has been wonderful as well, as staying up there has allowed me the time to get together with people to visit and catch up on life and all that the Lord has been up to!

In the midst of all this, my father retired and turns 59 on July 21, my sister graduated college (just befor I returned) and turned 25 in June, and my grandmother turned 90 on July 7! So, there have been parties and social gatherings galore! My aunta nd youngest cousin are also here right now from Minnesota, so that has been a wonderful opportunity to spend time with before I leave the country for a while. And we have recently found out that my brother and sister-in-law are expecting their third child! It has truly been a blessing of a month!

In the meantime, there has been a development regarding the time I will spend at Harvest Language Center in Guadalajara. It turns out that after completely all the placement tests, I will only need to complete one session there instead of two as I had originally planned. I have tested into the fourth and final level of their program, which means that I will be in Guad for 7 weeks rather than 4 months! Though I don't often like to deal with change, I'm praising the Lord for this change in plans because it means that I will be able to return to Cofradia and get back involved with the ministry and the young ladies in October rather than December. I am very excited about this!

I am continuing to try and raise support for my return to Mexico. The Lord has been faithful in providing the funds I need this summer to pay bills and cover travel costs, and He is brinign people along side me as monthly supporters! So far, I've raised about 32% of my monthly budget and about 44% of the lump-sum I need for my time at language school in Guad. This is such a blessing, but there is still a ways to go. My goal is to raise $1300/month and a lump-sum of $2200 for my return travel costs and language school. Some of you have already begun to help me meet these needs, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. However, there is still need for more financial partners. Please prayerfully consider joining me as a financial partner on a monthly basis at $25, $50, or $100 per month. If you would like to contribute financially but aren't able to do so monthly, then please know there is a place for your gift as well! One-time gifts are a wonderful way to mee that lump-sum need, which covers school costs and the extra expenses that come each month from living in a big city. If you are at all interested in partnering with me financially, please let me know; I would love to talk further with you and send/give you more information about what I will be doing in Cofradia.

As for ministry updates, while here in Virginia, I've been singing with the worship team at my church, which has been so great; I desperately missed this while I was in Mexico. I've also been looking into Bible study options for when I return to Cofradia. So far, I've been considering books by Beth Moore and John Eldredge. Please pray that the Lord will make clear exactly what materials He wants us to study and that He would be preparing the hearts of each girl He has planned for that groupl. We have lots of great ideas for youth ministry in the upcoming year: home group, Bible study, one-on-one relationships, etc. I'm excited to get back and jump in!

This week, 12 of the youth and our youth leader, Steve (one of the staff missioanries) are on a retreat in Mazatlan. Please pray that the Lord will do mighty things, that each of the kids on the retreat will be responsive to His move and work, and that they will come back ready to impact their worlds even more for Christ.

One final note/update: The new church construction is progressing beautifully, as you can see from the pictures below which were taken by Steve Silberman. For those who do not know, we are in the process of building a central church building in Cofradia that will be the location of all Sunday services and will provide classrooms and resources for ministry activities! It is a large undertaking, but the Lord has been providing in overwhelming ways. I'm shocked and amazed at how much work has been accomplished since I last saw the building just before my return to the states. Please continue to pray that the Lord's faithfulness will be evident in every way concerning this project and that things will continue to progress as beautifully as they have so far.

Well, folks, that is all the update I have for now. Again, I ask that you would please keep my finances, preparation, and future travel in your prayers, and that you would seriously consider partnering with me in this journey. The Lord has amazing things in store, and I'm excited to be a part of this. I would truly love to take all of you along with me in whatever way I can. I'm thankful for your love and support and prayer in all of this, and I pray with joy every time I remember you! Thank you!!

My New Favorite Movie!

Ok, so I just got back from MY NEW FAVORITE MOVIE! No, that's not the title. It's actually called The Lake House; it's the new Sandra Bullock/Keaneu Reeves flick, and IT'S AMAZING!!! I left the theatre with that sigh of wonder and contentment that you always hope to have when you read a book or watch a movie but which often remains ellusive. No, this was perfect. The story was perfect, the ending was perfect, and I had lots of discussion points rattling around in my brain wanting to get out! Oh it was SOOOOOOOO GOOD!! I HIGHLY recommend it. I absolutely plan to buy it when it comes out on DVD, and I'm praying now that it will come with a SPANISH language track in addition to anything else, because I desperately want to show it to the girls in Mexico and have some good discussion about it and God!

But regardless, you just NEED to see this movie. I think it's on its way out of theatres right now, so go quickly if you haven't already. If you miss it, then plan to rent it. I promise you won't be sorry!

RSS Feed

Hey everyone. So, I have been informed that you can use an RSS reader to receive alerts about my blogs. If that interests you, then you can get the feed for my blog at amberinmexico.blogspot.com/rss.xml. Just thought I'd let you know!

Something really cool happened today! I went to get my oil changed! Let me explain...

The Lord saw fit several years ago to bless me with a wonderful mechanic at our local Firestone; his name is Carson. He was so good to me and my roommate throughout all our car woes. Then he got a promotion and moved to a store farther north. When I moved north, I was able to start taking my car to his new store, which became an even larger blessing because I discovered that another one of the mechanics, Mike, from that earlier store had moved up with him also! All of this right as I started having major car troubles..and right before going to Mexico! Anyway, the result was that I spent many a hours there waiting on my car and was able to get to know the two of them a little better as well as the receptionist, Barbara, who is just a dear sweet woman! Mike and Carson are Christians; don't know about Barbara, but she listened enthralled to all my stories from my Christmas Mexico trip.

So, I have been looking forward to seeing them all again after returning from Mexico and letting them know how things went and what's up next, etc. Today's oil change was just that opportunity! I went in early because this store doesn't take appointments. Mike and Barbara were there, and Mike got my car right in. The first blessing was that I got to share with Mike and Barbara about going back to Mexico and what the plan is for that; I also got to catch up a little on what has been going on with their lives the last few months. The second was that it only took 45 minutes, which is the shortest oil change I've ever gotten! And then I went up to pay and ask Mike if he needed my card (because sometimes they just look it up in the system), and he told me no because it was on him! That's right, folks...I got a free oil change!

I know that doesn't sound like much, but I don't have a job and I'm walking in serious faith this summer concerning my finances. Bill due dates are looming right now and my checking account is low and I'm nowhere near my budget goal, nor have monthly gifts really begun to come in regularaly yet. I don't say that to illicit pity but rather to illustrate that whereas normally $25 doesn't seem like much, it's a whole lot for me right now! I've been spending many a night praying for peace and increased faith over the last couple of weeks, especially after the lights go out at night and the anxiety starts to try and creep in. But every time something has come up so far, the money has arrived just in time. I've had to depend on God for my finances before, but this is a whole new level of that and the Lord continues to show Himself faithful. And not only that but it was through the most unlikely of places; I certainly wasn't fretting about how to pay for the oil change, but God used that anyway, not just to bless me but to bless Mike too, I'm sure! This turned out to be an opportunity for him to bless someone else, and he took God up on that opportunity; I'm excited for him because I know that the Lord will bless him mightily for it! How cool to be able to be there to witness a moment like that! What an awesome God we serve!!!

Anyway, it was a wonderful way to greet my day and my week. I drove home with the biggest smile on my face because I was reminded of just how much God deeply, passionately, and joyfully loves me and wants to include me in His works and will move heaven and earth to do so! All that from a little ole' oil change! Thank you Lord!

All in all, my drive home from Colorado was an enjoyable one; if you click on the link for My PhotoSite on the main blog page, you can view a photo album of pics taken during my trip. I left on Monday and arrived hom Tuesday night at 11:30 pm. I got to see the great state of Kansas. Everyone told me that Kansas was REALLY boring and that it was a drive that just never ended. Yah, it was pretty flat, but I didn't mind that so much because it's new scenery to me, and I love nature. So, I can enjoy even Kansas at least once. Thankfully, I only drove through Kansas once. My problem driving through Kansas was that I was not feeling well at all, so sitting in my car was extremely uncomfortable. But the feeling of illness subsided as I headed into Missouri.

I had a great surprise right as I was passing through Kansas City...Faith called me! She and her husband, Jay, are on staff in Cofradia, and she and I have grown rather close over the months. They are on vacation in Washington state, so she called me just to chat for a few minutes. What a joy it was to hear her voice! I have missed talking with her and our regular Alias nights and the iced lattes that she makes, etc. We have a good time, and I'm looking forward to more good times when I return to Mexico!

Monday night I stayed with Becky and Andy again. This time Bec and I really got to chat it up and catch up on life, love, and other mysteries. We looked at pictures and videos from Mexico as well as pictures from their honeymoon, and then we hung out in my room just talking. We didn't get to do much of that on my way west because she had to be at work the next morning. But this time, she had off Tuesday because of the holiday so we could afford to stay up a little later and finally chat it up! Then Tuesday morning we had coffee together before I left. That was very nice!

I had another surprise on Tuesday....the girls from Mexico called me!!!!!!!! I had tried to call them on Monday while driving through Missouri, but there were so many signal problems that we really couldn't hear each other, and then their phone ran out of money and hung up on me. (The phone system in Mexico requires them to pre-pay their phone if they want to be able to use it, and then they are charged when they make calls and when they recieve calls. So, if there's no money on the phone, then they have no phone services.) So, they bought a phone card for the public phone and called me on Tuesday morning. It was quite a surprise to answer my phone, which indicated an unavailable number on the caller ID, and hear my name in Spanish! It took a minute to register, but we had a good, though short, chat, and it was such a joy to hear their voices. We have not talked in three weeks, so it was quite a special thing! I really miss them and just cannot WAIT to get back and see them again!

Most of my drive through Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia was uneventful. It got dark as I was driving through western Virginia, and I was able to see some fireworks going off as I was driving up I-81. That was a treat! I also had a good time listening to Derek Webb's album I See Things Upside Down. I really love his music, and I had some good perspecitve and attitude checks as well as some worship time, believe it or not, just thanking the Lord for all that He did and continues to do for me.

Now, I'm in Fredericksburg hanging out with some friends and catching up on relationships that I have not been able to enjoy yet since arriving home. And on that note, I'm going to go enjoy one particular friendship with the beautiful Suzi McElvy! Scrapbook shopping is on the horizon...woo hoo!!!

Yea for blessings and joys and mercies that are new every morning!

So, I was reading the other day in John 9 about when Jesus healed a man born blind. The manner of healing this time was that Jesus spit in some mud, put it on the man's eyes, and told him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam, and the man was healed! There are so many words in the Bible that don't translate. They are mostly names of places or people, and I always find myself wondering what they mean. Siloam is one of those words. Turns out it means "sent" or perhaps even "one who has been sent".

This word has stuck with me over the last few days, and I have ended up adding it to the title of this blog (just in case you hadn't noticed yet) because that's exactly what the Lord has done with my life...He has sent me! But I was really struck by the possible deeper meaning of the connection between being sent and being healed. First of all, this man was sent in order to be healed--he had to go to the pool and wash in it. And then immediately after his healing, he ends up having to basically testify about what happened to him and about who Jesus was because of the pharisees' investigation into his healing!

But for me personally, there has definitely been a connection between being sent and being healed--that is that the more I am healed, the more He sends me; and the more I walk in that calling, the more I see the proof of that healing and growth. Jesus said that he who has been forgiven much, loves much, and also that he who is responsible with a little will be given more. It seems to me that the more He heals us, the more He asks of us, and even if we don't understand what or why He is asking of us, we must obey. For me, as I have sought to obey, I find that He is putting together large pices of a huge puzzle. These are pieces that never really fit together, and I just could not figure out what picture they would make, what explanation could possibly come from their existance. Now, I'm here in this place in my life, and in the process of obeying the call, all of these pieces have supernaturally moved into place, and I find myself seeing the evidence of healing and growth and maturity, and I'm overwhelmed by the great work of God in my life!

He healed me of my blindness, and continues to clear my vision more and more. Now He is sending me, and I find more and more healing, restoration, and wholness as I walk where He sends me. I pray that my testimony of the work of God in my life will only ever echo this man's testimony:

"One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" ~John 9:25

Last night I drove down to the Denver area for the wedding of a very dear friend of mine. Six years ago, she and I were in LIFT together, a semester-long discipleship program at Camp of the Woods (COTW) in beautiful Speculator, NY (about 2 hours north of Albany in the Adirondack Mountains). We've been in touch off and on over the years, and it was such a priviledge from above to be able to be at her wedding. I had a good time catching up with old friends: others from our group as well as other groups were there. It was also really cool to meet her friends from college that I had heard about but obviously had never met. The wedding was beautiful. She was beautiful. God is just so good!

Lisa and her Dad walking down the aisle

Talk about an amazing backdrop for your wedding!

Lisa, Marc, and his three children

It was special for me for other reasons than those associated with seeing a good friend get married, which is special enough in its own right. But this was part of something larger that the Lord has been doing. Over the last few months the Lord has begun to redeem certain things from my past and restore them to my present. Last night as I stood under the moon and stars on the veranda of the place where they got married , looking out at the lights of Denver in the distant east, I realized that this was just such another gift from the Lord.

The friendship I had with Lisa six years ago was a caliber of friendship that I had rarely experienced up to that point in my life. We kept in touch for a while, but as life got busy on both ends, our communication tapered off. Most of the folks in my group don't really keep in touch, and that has always grieved me; after all that we experienced together, it is sad that we are not closer than we are. So, that made my friendship with Lisa even more special to me, and yet we too lost touch, for the most part, over the years. But our friendship has always held a very special place in my heart, kind of like pictures of a distant but joyous childhood that you display on the wall, always causing you to tell stories to those seeing the pictures. Those stories usually start off with, "Oh, this was taken when..." or "I remember when this happened...what a day!" or something like that. But you're a different person when you're telling those stories than when you lived them, and there's not going back to those places, though the memories bring you joy. Well, that is the kind of effect that memories of that friendship have had on me.

Well, last night I realized that God had not only preserved Lisa's place in my heart, but He seemed to have preserved my place in hers as well, and that just humbled me to tears and filled my heart with an incredible joy and gratefulness that I just can't describe. It was wonderful to not only see her for the first time in six years, but it was a precious gift to witness her marriage, and not only that but the beginning of her family, as the man she married has three beautiful young children! I was like a dream come true. I hope the Lord will provide ways for us to reconnect and get to know each other again, but it is precious to know that the friendship we had will always be there because it was found in Christ. How amazing it is to be members of that one Body and to experience that kind of one-ness and love!

It was also amazing to be able to catch up with these other friends from that time in my life. To talk with them and see how they have changed and hear what the Lord has been doing in their lives as well as to share with them how I've changed and what the Lord has been doing in my life. It's amazing to remember where we were and to see to where He has brought us! Wow!

So, all in all, that was definitely the highlight of my cross-country road trip. I'm overwhelmed by the Lord's goodness and unfathomable grace poured out on me over and over again. Thank you doesn't even begin to express the depth of gratitude in my heart, but they are the only words I can muster. So...

Thank you, Jesus!

I leave Colorado tomorrow morning at the colon of dawn. It's been a good few days here hanging out with my sister. Yesterday we went up to Estes Part and did a 2-hour trail ride...yup! We rode horses!!! It was so amazing! The trail through the Rocky Mountain National Park was beautiful. Amazing views! It was a little exciting for me because the Rocky Mountains are part of the same mountain range as the those that tower over Cofradia! So, there was a special connection for me in that!

Check out these pics! I'll soon be uploading more pictures from my trip to photo site; use the link to the right if you'd like to see them!

Me on Rasta and Elizabeth on Jasper. The picture was taken by our wrangler, Jed.


Later on, we went through the river instead of over it!


The beautiful forrest!


Apparantly, John Wayne died under this rock in one of his movies. I think it's called Cowboys.


The trail


You can swim in the lakes in the National Park!


More scenery...breathtaking!


Yup...it's BIG!