Oti's youngest four children....

Yazmin

Recently, due to sickness, Oti was unable to sell fruit and candy on the street, which means she didn't have money to buy food for her family. So last week we took some groceries to her. During this visit, we also played some games with the kids and washed all the girls' hair. Oti had told us that she was a little sad this Christmas, so we wanted to do what we could to love on the family and just have fun with them. Now let me introduce you to Letitia (Lety), Yazmin, Adela, and Rodrigo.

Lety



Lety (5) and Yazmin (6) are so sweet but tend to stay under the radar more than some of their sisters. Recently I had the privilege of holding Lety while praying with the family a couple weeks ago. My heart was broken with the thought that she has no dad. But thankfully she has a heavenly Father who knows her best and loves her most.

Adela

Adela (4) has a ton of personality. She is usually one of the first to greet us when we arrive at the house. She is also the one who, sadly, is missing some of her teeth, we think due to malnutrition and poor hygiene. But we often find Adela running around and wanting attention. She is adorable and very photogenic. Rodrigo (1)...let's just say that he has to work pretty hard to get attention with all his older sisters around. But, Jenny and Marisol often step in for Oti to tend to Rodrigo's needs. When we first met Oti a little over a year ago, she was ready to give up Rodrigo because she couldn't adequately care for him. We were thankful when she decided not to give him up, and thankful to God that the family remains intact.

I wanted to leave you with a few more pictues of the four youngest. Now that you've met all of Oti's family, you have a little deeper understanding of the needs and of our love for them. God has clearly placed them in our path so we can help them. More importantly, you now know how to pray for them. They continue to struggle to make ends meet. Over the spring and summer, as teams come down, we will be working on Oti's house a lot. We will be putting in a bathroom with running water, a shower, a kitchen sink, and an area for Oti to start her laundry business. Our goal is to help her get to a place where she can support her family on her own, and not have to leave her young children to do it. Some of the things we hope she can someday afford include: basic necessities, school supplies, and a tutor. 

Sadly, we just got word last night that Ricardo was picked up by the police. Apparently he is too young to sell and/or wash  windows on street corners.As of this morning, I haven't heard whether he's been released or what may happen next. But we're praying for him. He is extremely vulnerable. If you have any interest in Sheltering (sponsoring) any of Oti's kids, please let me know or contact our home office in Mason, OH -- (513) 754-0300.

Thank you for your support.

Meet Marisol and Paty*

Marisol

Marisol is 9 years old. We've struggled getting to know Marisol very well because she's seems aloof and unhappy. She's less outgoing than most of Oti's other kids. Marisol is in first grade with her three other sisters, and less enthusiastic about school than her older sister Jenifer. Marisol told us that she likes helping her mom and her favorite color is purple.

Just last week when we were visiting Oti with a team we were so excited to see Marisol smile. I sat down with her and colored. I colored a flower and put her name on it. Then I wrote "Dios te ama." (God loves you.) She smiled. Someone gave her a dress as a gift and when she came out to show it to us I hugged her and told her how beautiful she was. I hope and pray that these words of truth and expressions of love will continue to soften her heart and help her realize how special and valuable she is because she was created in God's image.





Paty

Patricia (Paty)  is 8 and also in first grade. One of the cutest thing about Paty is that her hair always seems to be messed up. Some of Paty's favorite things include playing and the color red. She also told us she likes school, but we know she's struggling. We discovered that she has tried to get Jenifer to do her homework for her. And, unfortunately, Jenifer is sometimes eager to do it.

So we pray that Paty sticks with school. That she has some successes so that her confidence goes up. It would be very easy for her to give up....and really, who could blame her. But we are doing all we can, providing a tutor, school supplies and other resources, to help her succeed. Because we know that children who do not receive an education often end up in black market trades, such as drug trafficking and prostitution. Teenage pregnancy is another frequent outcome. BUT when children have access to education, they are significantly more likely to become self-sustaining individuals who can then give back to their communities and lead more productive lives.

*(These are two of Oti's eight kids. The previous two blog posts introduced Oti and her two oldest children.) 



Ricardo and Jenifer: Oti's two oldest kids

Ricardo (15)

Ricardo is 15 yrs old, and has never been in school. When I first met Ricardo in November 2010, he seemed hard and aloof. Sometimes when I sense this from other kids we work with, it frustrates me. But then I remember that, just like me, their story effects how they respond to life. And sadly, Ricardo's story has been plagued with difficulty. Ricardo lost his father and has, by default, become responsible for part of his family's income, which means he's often on the streets.

On a recent visit with Oti, we prayed over her and her kids, as we often do. I was standing behind Ricardo and put my hand on him as we prayed. During that prayer, the Holy Spirit spoke to me about how and why I need to pray for Ricardo. As the father of a 15 yr old son, I was struck by how vulnerable Ricardo is. Although his mother loves him, he is often out on the street trying to make money and being exposed to many temptations and a lot of people looking for an easy target. I believe he probably has very mixed feelings, because on one hand he feels responsible to provide for his family, however that looks. But he's probably also tired of being responsible and just wants to find some friends to fit in with....however that looks.

So I pray for Ricardo. That he will hang on to his family. And that God will protect his young life and soul from the enemies that tempt him in ways my 15 yr. old son will probably never know. Pls pray with me for Ricardo.



Jenifer - 11

Jenifer-the-Joyful, that is what I'll call her. I rarely see her without a smile and yet, as the oldest daugther (11 yrs), she often carries many motherly responsibilities, helping take care of her younger siblings. Jenifer is one of Oti's four girls who started first grade this year. She is working very hard and enjoys learning. (I wonder how far she would be now if she had started school when she was younger.) I believe in Jenifer. And I believe God has a plan for her life, despite how far behind she is. And I believe we get the privilege of serving Jenifer so God can show us just how special she is to Him. Everyone of His children has the the promise of hope.

The last two times we visited Oti's family, Jenifer went and found her homework and quickly brought it to me...she was looking for some "fatherly" approval. I hugged her, and told her how proud I was of her. More importantly I want Jenifer to know how proud her heavenly Father is of her and how much He loves her. You know what else she did? She asked us for a Bible.

Please pray for Jenifer...that she will keep her joyful view of life even in the midst of her circumstances. Pray that she will continue to enjoy school and serve as an example to her brothers and sisters. And most importantly, that she will come to understand just how much Jesus loves her and what that means to her life on earth and to her eternity.

ORPHAN PREVENTION: Oti and her 8 kids

Oti's Family

Wow! We've been here about six weeks, and already our hearts have experienced so many emotions. Being called to love and care for the orphans and impoverished here in Mexico is both heartbreaking and rewarding. 

Here in Cancun we work with two children's homes - San Jose & Esperanza. We also partner with a government organization (DIF-CAT), where the kids - from babies to teenagers - were removed from bad/abusive home situations. As I was holding a baby there today, it broke my heart to think about what she has already been through and how sad it is that her primary care-giver is a gov't nurse. Nonetheless, this is a safe place for these kids to stay when they have no where else to go. The children's homes and the DIF-CAT are reactive responses to kids who desparately need someone to take care of them. For various reasons the parent(s) have decided that they can't or won't take care of their children.

We are also working proactively with impoverished families, with mothers who desparately want to keep their children. Think of it as orphan-prevention. (We believe, and research would support it, that the best place for a child to be is with his/her family. Ideally mom, dad and siblings.) So for the next several blog posts, we want to introduce you to Oti, who is trying to keep her family together. We will show you pictures of Oti's kids and give a little info about each. It is our hope that many of you will pray for this family and each child as you get to know them.

 Oti is a 36 yr old single mother of eight children, ages 1-15 yrs. Her husband died of AIDS about a year ago.Until last year when Back2Back (B2B) started working with them, none of the kids had gone to school, because they couldn't afford the school supplies, uniforms, etc. Needless to say, they are very far behind, but Oti loves her kids and wants to keep them together...under her roof. Despite a poor housing situation, little food, and health issues, including a protruding hernia (not sure if that's the official term), Oti isn't willing to give up.



This is where Oti would launder clothes. We're hoping
to be to able to provide a new washer and dryer for her.

Currently Oti and Ricardo, her oldest son, make a little money by selling fruit and candy on the street. But Oti has a dream. She wants to make money by starting a laundering service.We this family weekly, pray for them often and have purchased school clothes, supplies and are paying a tutor to help her kids. We've done work on her house; provided food and other needs as well.

Today Jenny the oldest daughter (11) showed me her 1st grade homework. I hugged her and told her how proud I was of her. She smiled BIG and hugged me back.

We hope the story of Oti and her kids will give you a glimpse into the lives of some of the people God called us to serve. Thanks for ALL your support. We couldn't be here helping without your involvement in our ministry.

12 days in.......

So we arrived in MX on Sept 8 after a week of travelling. Julie said it felt a little strange having one-way tickets to MX. But this is our new home. And it's great to be here. We have our apt and have bought most of our appliances, but since the container with all of our "stuff" in it has not arrived, we're still living with our generous friends and co-laborers, the Matt and Julie Cooper. We've already had a full 12 days. Much of our time has been spent either taking care of visa/residency stuff, getting our apt, and most importantly, serving with two teams, at Casa Hogar San Jose, Cass Hogar Esperanza, the DIF (an emergency shelter for kids) and a small rural community called Tres Reyes.

When we talked about a story for this blog post, we struggled to keep it to just one. We have been so blessed, but also so challenged by the work to be done, as our hearts break for these kids and families. But we landed on one story told by the picture below of Edgar.

Edgar is 20 years old. He is one of seven teens plus five others who are visiting us from our Monterrey campus. Edgar came to Cancun on his first mission trip to serve the orphans at San Jose and Esperanza. But the BEAUTY here is that he himself is an orphan. He lived in Casa Hogar Galena, outside Monterrey and then moved onto the Back2Back campus in Monterrey so he could finish high school and then go on to college where he's now studying sports science. He is here this week serving the orphans and impoverished because he too has a heart for and clearly understands what these kids are up against. So with Mari (5 yrs old) on his back he is giving back by loving and serving those in need, in much the same way that he was and is being loved so well by the Back2Back staff in Monterrey. Edgar's redemption story is the fruit of many investments made by so many others before us. That's what we're about! And I believe this is exactly what God has called our family to here in Cancun, Quintana Roo, MX. We're feel so privileged to be serving with Back2Back. Thanks to all who are helping make this possible, by partnering with us and supporting us.



These are three of the kids who live in the rural community called Tres Reyes. Back2Back has been able help a couple families in Tres Reyes; working on one home and building another. Gloria has six kids. Lucy, her oldest, is 16 and has a 11 month old baby named Ruth.

 
This is Gloria in her home. We delivered food, diapers, and other supplies that she desparately needed. And then we prayed over her and her family.





Nick was the life of the party as the kids at San Jose got horseback rides from him. It's sooo cool to see him laughing and playing with them and the joy on their faces as this big Americano gets down on the ground to give them a ride. Nick is doing awesome and has had a lot of fun both working and playing with the kids we serve. I'm so glad God is using him. The nuns at San Jose wanted to thank us so they served us an amazing meal of empanadas and tostadas.

Pastor Victor (the one in the white shirt) allowed us to serve him and his family and friends a meal. And then he told us his story of how God miraculously rescued him from a life of crime. After spending several years in prison for drugs and stealing, God invaded his life and made it clear that He had another plan for Victor. We are in awe of where he came from and how God is now using him. Victor has planted four other churches, and now pastors this church in Tres Reyes. B2B partnered with him to complete the roof on his church and provide a feeding program for the people in this community once per week this summer.  

Prayer for courage & strength

It was our last Sunday at Journey Church before we move and we are so blessed to be part of such an amazing community of believers. We have been asked several times over the past several weeks, "Isn't it going to be hard to leave all that's familiar and comfortable, to drop off Eliza at college, and move so far away?" Yes, it will be hard. It is hard, especially on days like yesterday when we say good bye to our Journey family, and many other close friends and our family. BUT, God has not called us to do the "easy" thing. And for us, His call is to GO. Go to Mexico and advocate for the orphans and the impoverished. And it is our belief, based on what we KNOW of God..."that He who has begun a good work [not an easy work] in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Please continue to pray for our final preparations.

Commisioning service at Journey Church 8-28-2011





Servanthood....a quote from Maxie Dunham

"The way most of us serve keeps us in control. 

We choose whom, when, where and how we will serve. 

We stay in charge. 

Jesus is calling for something else.  He is calling us to be servants. 

When we make this choice, we give up the right to be in charge. 

The amazing thing is that when we make this choice we experience great freedom. 

We become available and vulnerable, and we lose our fear of being stepped on, or manipulated, or taken advantage of.  Are not these our basic fears? 

We do not want to be in a position of weakness."

Creative Thinking!

On our recent trip to Chicago to get our Visa's we stopped by Lyon & Healy Harp factory to pick up a BIG shipping carton & foam padding to ship my harp to Mexico.  When we arrived they laughed when they heard we were going to try to fit the box & foam into our mini van....but we made it work.  We tied the box to the top of the van, securing it with rope through the windows.  The guys from L & H were so helpful!  Notice the top right corner of the picture...Erick had to hold the rope the entire way back from Chicago to Grand Rapids!   

Are we freakin out yet......? Nawwwww...

Many of our friends and family are asking us how we're doing now that we're three weeks away from departure. We thought it may be helpful to give you a "freak-o-meter" rating.....
A little about the last several weeks....

• Went to Indiana Wesleyan Univ for Eliza to compete in a photography competition for a scholarship. (she won first place!)
• Successfully completed a "mock-pack." We packed all our stuff up in boxes and bins, borrowed our church truck, got 10 friends to help, and loaded, then unloaded all our stuff. It went incredibly well...only took 1.5 hrs to pack and unpack and we had spare room on the truck. The mock-pack allowed us to see exactly how much we'll be able to fit on the 20' container in Miami.
• Shared our story (Julie & I) at Amway with 40-50 of my co-workers. It was blatantly Christian and the response from them was incredibly receptive. Many of them talked with me afterward and took a prayer card.
• Ended my time working at Amway, as of Friday, Aug 5. Whew, was that surreal. But the group I work with most closely with in HR threw me a little party and generously supported our work in MX. Thanks GTD team!!
• Went to east Michigan to attend a graduation open house for Eliza at Flint First Wesleyan Church. They have been so gracious and kind to our family. We feel like part of their church.
• Spoke at Whiteford Wesleyan Church in east Michigan to share our story. They are interested in sending teams down to work with us in MX. Thanks, Whiteford!!!
• Some of our long-time camping friends threw us a good-by (for now) party and blessed us with a special prayer book. We have many memories with these families as we have been friends for 10-15 years. Thanks ya'll. We love you!

Over the next few weeks before we leave we will......

• Send Nick off for the last year to Camp Barakel in northern Michigan. He's gone to this camp for the last five years with his best friend Grant.
• Drive to Dayton, OH with a small moving truck to a storage unit, to store anything that is not going to MX with us. We will also go to the Back2Back offices in Mason, OH for the first time to see the home office and staff.
• Drive to Chicago to the Mexican consulate to try to finalize our visa work. We pray that this trip will mean we don't have to go to Monterrey before we go to Quintana Roo. We will also pick up a packing container for Julie's harp.
• Have a few more mtgs with families to share our story.
• Attend two commissioning services (Kentwood Community Church and Journey).
• Say many good-byes and shed many more tears.

So, are we freakin out...not too much....okay, maybe a little. But we're trusting God all the more. And he has been soooo faithful and gracious throughout this transition; we know He is trustworthy. Thanks for all your prayers and blessings.

#4.....Discouragment

"See, the Lord your God has given you the land, go up and take possession of it as the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged." (Deut. 1:21)

I've told several people now that it feels like we're rounding the third turn in the Indy 500, and the checkered flag for this race is when we arrive in MX. As we get closer to that flag, the temptation to be discouraged by what we have yet to do and yet to raise can be overwhelming. There are so many things that we have to "figure" out that feel so far outside anything we've ever done, and we feel so at the mercy of others, it can press in pretty heavy at times. And my (Erick) way of dealing with this stress and discouragement sometimes is not pretty. Then when I don't handle it well, I get more discouraged with myself.

We know we need to look back and see how far God has brought us, but my human, rational side says, "We've still got soo much to do and soo far to go that the past feels almost irrelevant. And so I ask myself, "Is this really a journey I have the courage to continue?" But as Dean Vander Mey said in his article When All Hell Breaks Loose, "You see Satan seeks to discourage the beloved people of God so they no longer operate in faith. Satan [knows] full well that without faith it's impossible to please God" (Heb 11:6). So we press forward through the challenges that come with any new chapter of life, using faith daily as the weapon of choice when discouragement presses in.

"If Satan can get you divided, decived, and distracted from God's purposes and goals, you will end up very discouraged. If Satan's schemes work and you bite this bait, God's plans will go forward....but without [the Mowery family]. We will become P.O.Ws."

Erick climbing the wall at Family Camp

Eliza climbing the wall

#3...Deception

More and more I see the need to ask God to show me the areas in my life that I am being deceived.  I don't want to believe lies about Him, about me, or about others. I thought about this song the other day because it describes our journey so well. 

The Voice of Truth - Casting Crowns

Oh,what I would do to have the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is, and he's holding out His hand

But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,You you'll never win

But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

Here is a link to the video of the song. 
You can pause the music on the mixpod by pushing the ipod pause button to the left.

The Voice of Truth - Casting Crowns

I want to be able to discern what is true and what is a lie.  I want to listen & recognize God's voice...the Voice of TRUTH. 

Pray for Truth 

#2....Division

Since we began raising support to go on the mission field this next "D" has crept into our lives so many times.  Sometimes it is obvious but other times it is so subtle....but so destructive!  The second "D" is division.   Satan wants to create dissension, disunity, and discord in the body of believers.  Division in our marriages, our families, where we work and even at church.  A couple years ago when we faced a struggle in our marriage we began calling our family "team Mowery" because no matter what we are all on the same team.

Luke 11:17

Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.

My prayer is that God will help us see when we have reacted or responded "in the flesh" and not in "His Spirit."

Pray for Unity



4 Ways the devil tries to destroy us: The 1st "D"

Recently we were with some friends who shared with us the 4 "D's" that the devil uses to try to "destroy" us. It created good conversation and focused our prayers. The first D: Do you ever struggle wondering if a distraction in your life is from God or from satan?  Sometimes I do.  Recognizing distractions that are FROM God and those that are NOT isn't always easy. 

John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

1. Distraction (defintion): something that prevents you from giving your full attention.

It could be any of these things: interruption, disruption, mental confusion, disturbance, diversion, agitation, anxiety.

Lord help us to recognize distraction in our lives. Help us...

To be Focused

To have Clarity

To be alert

Hebrews 12:2 - Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.

1 Cor. 16:13 - Be on your guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be brave. Be Strong.

2 Cor. 10:3-5 - For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Pray for Focus

A Prayer for you today!

I love this prayer. 

It helps me to remember to surrender my day to God and trust His plan.

It's from the book: 

Always True by, James MacDonald

Father, thank you that you are able to accomplish what concerns me today. (Psalm 138:8  The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever - do not abandon the works of your hands). 

You are able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think

(Eph. 3:20). 

You are able because you are SOVEREIGN. 

There is nothing too hard for you! 

Continue to engrave on my heart the reality that I am to walk by faith. 

I believe what your word says, that YOU have made some

exceedingly great & precious promises to my heart.  Don't let the enemy snatch away this seed that you have sown, but let my life reflect the stability of knowing that you see and know and are at work on my behalf.

Thank you that YOU are in control.  In Jesus' strong name..... Amen

Looking Through a New Lens

We returned late Friday night from spending eight days with the Back2Back Cancun staff , and a few of those days with two other families, the Calwells and Stantons. This was the first time Julie, Eliza and Nick has seen where we will move to in September. On this trip we had several things we hoped to accomplish: look for housing, ask some logistical questions about visas, etc., serve the kids, and vacation a little.

Our first and biggest project was to mix cement and pour a roof for a family of five. 15 year old Noehmi, is lower-functioning, perhaps mildly mentally disabled. Several months ago Noehmi had a baby (Miriam), and has been receiving some services through the pregnancy resource center that B2B has partnered with through the DIF. Noehmi lives with her younger sister Blanca, who is in sixth grade, and her 17 year old brother who is no longer in school. These three teenagers live with their elderly grandparents and the grandfather in not in good health. Their mother passed away and their father, who had always supported them, has recently been sentenced to prison. Their current one-room house is being loaned to them by the father's former employer.

The house B2B is building is located in a part of town called Tres Reyes, or Three Kings. Families can buy plots of land that are 10 meters x 30 meters deep. It is on the far west outskirts of what is still Cancun, but has no running water, electricity, or sewage. Nonetheless, families who are able to buy land there are excited because it is a fresh start for them; it's something they can actually own and take ownership of.

It was hard work, mixing and hauling the concrete, and we were "good tired" at the end of the day. I think we probably moved some 100+ buckets of wet cement up a ladder to the mason, Enrique, who was on the roof.

We also had the privilege of taking the 14 kids from Casa Hogar San Jose, to the beach for the day. On the way to the beach the kids were screaming "La playa! La playa!" (the beach!) We were all responsible for one child to play with and keep track of, and we all had a great time.

The New Lens.....

Looking for housing - an apartment - required us to think differently than we ever have before, as we discussed what we'd need/want and where we would like to live. We narrowed our search down to two apts within walking distance of the Coopers and Davillas, which was a high priority for us, so we could feel like one team. We now pray that one of these two complexes will have a two-bedroom apt available for us in Sept.

It is a bit strange thinking that we will soon call Mexico home. Right now it feels like a ways off, but on this trip, it moved exponentially closer. The weather (hot and humid), the language (much to learn), the food (delicious), the people (LOVE them!).... Along with the excitement of moving to what God has called us to, is the aching feeling of leaving so much here. Admittedly, I try not to think too deep about the friends and family we will leave some 3000+ miles away. And yes, we do sometimes get blindsided by fear and questions and uncertainty. But it's these times when we remember who we call God, how He has equipped us and will continue to do so, and what an awesome adventure He's allowing us to live as we join Back2Back carrying out the work He has begun in Cancun, MX. I'm again reminded of the quote from Frederich Buechner.

The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.

Thank you God, for calling us to be part of the story you continue to write about how much you love and want to rescue the weak and fatherless.

Waiting, Trusting, Hoping

by: Erick Mowery

Sarah Young wrote a book: Jesus Calling. It's a kind of devotional book, and it has really encouraged and challenged me. Saturday's reading started with these words: WAITING - TRUSTING - HOPING. Let me share some of the reading with you. It captured me. It's written as if God is speaking...

Waiting, Trusting and Hoping are intricately connected, like golden strands interwoven to form a strong chain. Trusting is the central strand because it is the response from my children that I desire the most. Waiting and hoping embellish the central strand and strengthen the chain that connects you to me. Waiting for Me to work, with your eyes on Me, is evidence that you really do trust Me.

She goes on to say:
If you mouth the words "I trust you" while anxiously trying to make things go your way, your words will ring hollow.

God, I pray my words WON'T ring hollow.
"To you O Lord, I lift my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame." (Ps. 25:1-2)

He is our Rock...

Harp....my instrument of praise

Our house was on the market for 3 months and it sold in November. We moved in December and during that time we had to decide what to take with us, what to sell, and what to give away. There were so many decisions to be made. One decision we needed to make was if I should bring my harp with me to Mexico. When we were deciding what to do, we were reminded of the story when the Israelites left Egypt. They only had a short time to get ready to leave and yet in the process Miriam decided to pack her tambourine. She knew God would deliver them and she wanted to be ready to PRAISE HIM! I was so moved by this story because for 20 years my harp has been my instrument of PRAISE. I KNOW HE will DELIVER us. I KNOW HE has called us to Mexico and I want to be ready to praise him on the harp.

I'm learning new things everyday on this journey of faith. I have to let go and trust God is in control. Letting go...it's a daily thing for me. It can be a painful process but I don't want to live a life that is stuck in the past. God has great things ahead for us...

Isaiah 43:18-19
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up: do you not perceive it?


Duet. 31:6
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.