Medical Outreach!

This week begins our Spring Medical Outreach. We have a group coming from the states and we also have some local doctors joining us to go into a small town here in Guatemala and give medical care and the love of Jesus!

We are going into a town that is involved in a lot of witchcraft and things of the sort. We know that God is stronger than any other power and are so looking forward to seeing how He can change the lives of the people there!

We are expected to see at least 2,500 patients, and each person who receives medical care will also be presented with the opportunity to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior! We have also teamed up with a local church in the area, so that when people accept Jesus as their Lord, they will be able to get connected in church, which will help them grow in their relationship with God and in discipleship!

Please be praying for us, as it will be a very busy week (but completely worth it)! I look forward to sharing some of the great things that happen!

Have a wonderful day!

Hola!

Well, it is hard to believe that I have been in Guatemala for almost 2 months now!!!! WOW!!! It is becoming more and more like home everyday! The people are great and I really am enjoying all of the things that I get to do!

Working in the school is fun, usually. The children are great and make me smile! They have a great way of making you feel special. Last week I was sick and so I was not able to go to the school for two days (I had a really bad cold or something, but I was told that since the viruses here are different that it can hit me pretty hard until my body gets used to it), anyways, when I got back to the school there were Get Well pictures all over the desk. So sweet!

Teaching children to read can be complicated, especially when you are teaching them to read in a second language. We are working on phonics and sounds, I have even downloaded some of the books my mom used with my siblings and me when were little. I've been working on a workbook with all different practice sheets for the children to do at home, and I also want to take some of the books that we have and read them onto a CD, like a book on tape. One of the difficult things about teaching the children to read in English is that the majority of their parents don't speak English, so they cannot read to them, and also when the children are practicing, their parents do not know if they are pronouncing the words correctly. That is why I think the CDs will help, because then they will be able to hear the proper pronunciation.

I have also been able to teach some of the chapels with the children. I really enjoy doing that! I love it when the children start to understand Biblical concepts and begin to apply them to their lives. Take the love of God for instance, I mean, people "know" that God loves them, but their comes a point when it really clicks, and someone understands that they are loved and it changes their entire life! This is what I love to see and it is why I am here! It's great!

God is so good! I really am glad to be here and I am looking forward to what else He has in store!

Guatemala - My New Home

So.... I have now been in Guatemala for 3 weeks now! YAY!! I am still working on getting my internet to work properly, so therefore I haven't written... sorry... but very soon, I am quite certain that it will work fabulously :-)

I am getting settled into my new home. I have a small, but cute apartment. My mom came with me for my first week here, and she was a wonderful help. I must admit that as much as I love to travel, I dislike packing and unpacking! So, my mom helped me unpack and arrange things and get them organized. She also was able to meet a lot of the people that I will be working with too. Plus, she taught me how to cook that week. Now, my mom has been trying to teach me how to cook ever since I was little, but I had no interest in learning how... but, now that I am going to get married, and since I know that Jonathan doesn't want to eat tomato soup and grilled cheese everyday (I don't know why not though), I figured that it was a wonderful time to learn. We had a grand time, it was very nice to have some mother-daughter time. She's the best mom in the world!!!

I have started working in the school and am really enjoying it. In the mornings I work with the first graders. I just love little kiddos and they are so fun! The school teaches in English, so the younger students are learning the language and how to communicate. It's a lot of fun! The first graders are only in school until noon, so in the afternoon I work with the upper school. All of the different grade levels are in a classroom together, and there are three teachers. The curriculum that they use is one where they can work on their own a lot, so it works out pretty well. I have been teaching a lot of math lately. I really enjoyed math, so it has been fun and I love it when the students catch on. Of course, I have been doing the same assignments as the students before I teach them, so that I can make sure that I remember everything correctly... haha.

I love the fact that I get to work with all of the students in the school. I am praying that not only will they grow strong in their academics, but they will also learn and understand how much Jesus loves them, and also that I will be an instrument of God's love to them.

Once I get acclamated to the routine in the school and I know more of how my schedule will work, I will begin working in other areas, such as the the children's ministry at the church, with the Bible Institute and of course with the medical and evangelistic campaigns. I am so excited about all of the opportunities that God has given me to serve. He is so faithful and living for Him is the best life in the world!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support! It is an honor to be able to serve the people of Guatemala, I am so thankful that God has placed me here!

I'm Engaged!!!!!

I am soooooooo excited to be engaged to Jonathan Asbun!!!!!! He is a wonderful gift from God and I am so thankful for God's goodness and faithfulness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jonathan is also a missionary with Living Water Teaching and he has committed to serving in Guatemala for the next four years! Isn't that awesome?!!!

Continue reading for my totally girly perspective of how we met and fell in love...

Background & How We Met

I met Jonathan for the first time while leading mission trip to Guatemala in July of 2008. He was assigned to be the translator for one of my team members and myself. That in itself is really cool, because I usually don't ask for a translator, but I was feeling a little rusty on my Spanish and wanted to make sure that I was using the proper words when sharing the Gospel with people so I requested a translator, and that's how we met. I obviously had to spend a good amount of time with him and so I was able to see how he treated people, how much he loved Jesus, and I saw how passionate he was about sharing the love of Jesus with others. Plus, I felt completely comfortable around him. I must admit, I was intrigued, which is a big deal, because I don't think I have ever really been intrigued by a guy before ;-)

I will admit, I did get a little annoyed that I was intrigued by a guy that I would likely never see again. I mean, he was from Bolivia, studying in Guatemala, and would probably be going back to Bolivia in a year or so... Out of all the guys in the world to intrigue me, it had to be someone far away and practically impossible. So, I decided to be thankful that God had sent me a great guy friend to remind me of the type of guy that I was waiting to meet (I seriously wrote about that in my journal that week, how by meeting Jonathan I was encouraged that there was someone still out there for me with the character traits I wanted in a guy, but as much as I thought Jonathan was great, I thought it was impossible, so I tried not to think about him).

During that trip, I spent a lot of time praying and seeking God. I felt as though God was calling me to a new level of surrender. I think that every time we walk through the process of surrender, that we feel as though there is nothing else to lay at the feet of Jesus, but with time we are once again finding the beauty of surrender. And when that happens as hard as it seems to lay down our man-made hopes and dreams, we can look back at the faithfulness of our wonderful Father and know that it doesn't matter how great our plans are, that a life given in full surrender to him, is indeed the best life of all!

It was during the prayer and the Bible reading and the seeking that I sensed great changed coming in my life. I felt as though God was preparing my heart for full-time missions. I started feeling as though God wanted me to move to Guatemala to be a missionary. I didn't mention it to anyone, I wanted to go home and pray some more, I wanted to make sure that I knew it was God and that I wasn't making a decision based on my surroundings.

So, I came back to Charlotte and continued praying, I still felt that it was what I was supposed to do, so I talked about it with some close mentors of mine, and was encouraged to begin the process of applying. By December, my applications had been approved and I was set to go for a month of training in February.

I was so excited, I knew that I was walking on the path that God had for me. Some people would ask me about when I wanted to get married, and I admit the thought was there in my mind, but I knew that God had called me to Guatemala for at least the next four years, so I was prepared to return to the states in my thirties and still single. Seriously, the desire to be married was there, but one of the things you find in surrendering to God's plan, is that your desire to walk in His will is stronger that that, so if it meant that I was going to be single forever, I was going to fulfill his plan!

So, I went to Guatemala in February for my training and guess who I saw? Jonathan! And boy, was I still intrigued! But, I just knew he would be going back to Bolivia and so I determined that I couldn't think about him. So, I stayed focused on my training. One day while in the dining hall on the Mission's Campus, we talked for a little while and he told me that he was actually going through the same application/training process that I was to become a full time missionary to Guatemala and that his four year commitment would start about the same time as mine! What?!!!! What was that beautiful music in my ears? He, Jonathan, the only guy to ever intrigue me, the one that I kept shoving out of my head, was going to be a missionary to Guatemala, at the same place and the same time I was? Well, as excited as I was on the inside, I was very polite on the outside. "Well, that's very nice." is all that I said. Haha! There was no way that I was going to tell him that a choir of angels was singing "The Hallelujah Chorus" around my head. I mean, God was talking to both of us about becoming missionaries and neither of us knew about it.

From there, I still tried to forget about him. I knew I was in Guatemala on a mission. Distractions were not allowed! So, when I realized (with lots of thought and prayer) that maybe this wasn't a distraction, I discussed it with a trusted missionary friend and got the thumbs up. He did the same. So, with time we began a closer friendship and it slowly, but surely began to develop into so much more! And now... we are going to get married!!!!

The Proposal

So, Jonathan came to the states for some training and itineration. While here, he was to come to Charlotte to meet and spend the holidays with my family (I went to Bolivia to meet his family over Thanksgiving). Well, on December 23rd we drove up to Asheville, NC to visit the Biltmore Estate, which is one of my favorite places. It is the biggest privately owned home in the United States, built by the Vanderbilts. It's beautiful and so full of history. We were going to a fancy dinner at the Biltmore Inn and then we were going on a Candlelight Christmas Tour of the home. I was so excited! Well, in all honesty, I was hoping he would propose because I thought it would be the perfect place and we were so dressed up, but I didn't know if he would, or if he had a ring, or anything. On top of that he was so calm during dinner, and I had always heard that the guys could never eat before proposing, but he didn't seem to have that problem ;-) haha! Well, it was between the entree and dessert that I saw him reach into his pocket... and then suddenly, the server appeared with coffee... so, I tried to read his face, did the sudden coffee appearance throw him off? Was he going to propose? Was my life about to forever be changed? So... he reached into his pocket again, I was hoping... and then he started telling me how wonderful I am (which I could write about for awhile because there are so many wonderful things about me, just kidding) and then he gave me the absolute most beautiful ring, EVER!!! It was so wonderful!!! I was soooooooo happy, I still am, of course!!!! It was a perfect proposal!!!!

I am so thankful for God's amazing goodness and grace! He is so faithful and His plans for our lives are so much better than anything we could ever hope or dream of!!!!

We don't know what all God has in store, but we do know that He is so good and we are so glad that He brought us together to serve Him and to share His amazing love with the world!!!

My Vision

One of my favorite verses is found in Psalm 119:89, it says, "I see the limits to everything human, but the horizons can't contain Your commands (MSG)." How true is that? Sometimes when I think about the dreams and visions that I have thoughts like, "who am I to do these things", or "how is that even possible", or "seriously, I know all the reasons why I should not be the one God chooses" come to mind. But, God in all of His faithfulness chooses to use us!!!!! His plans for us are so good, they are beyond anything we could ever imagine! The Word says that the horizons can't even contain His commands! WOW! So, as we trust in Him, and yield ourselves to Him, and believe what His Word says about us, He will open the doors and use us!

I have written out my visions along with a brief explanation. I am so looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds!!

• To serve as a missionary in Guatemala. To work with children in the school, church, and villages, teaching them the Word, so they in turn can change their nation! To work with the Bible Institute, so that more people will be trained and able to reach their communities. To serve on outreach trips to various towns, helping with youth and medical teams. I believe that my time serving with Living Water Teaching in Guatemala, is going to be an amazing time of helping and reaching people and also a great time of preparation. There are so many areas that I will be able to help with, but there is also so much for me to learn, and LWT has been in Guatemala for 30 years, so they have so much experience and knowledge that I can glean from. I know that God is going to use this time to get me ready for what else He has in store.
• To go wherever the Lord leads, no matter the country, culture, or conditions; to be willing and available to reach the hurting and helpless with the precious love of Jesus! I was recently asked which country was my favorite, out of all the ones I have been to. My answer was that all of them were. Each place that I have been from Nicaragua to Singapore to Afghanistan have all been so very different, difficult and wonderful all at the same time. I loved all of the experiences because I know that it was exactly where God wanted me to be. That is how I want it to be forever. Wherever the Lord leads, is where I want to be, I will learn languages, customs, and more "roughing it" skills, if God so leads, in an effort to reach the world for Christ!
• To establish a program where teens can spend a year after high school being trained in ministry, missions, and leadership development. I would like to have a program where students can take a year after high school and dedicate it to service. Through this program students will take Bible classes, study Spanish (or whatever language is spoken in the country where their program is), and do practical missions. This program will be one that I believe will have a lasting impact on the lives of those who participate. Also, this program will be one that focuses on preparing the student to have a focus on others as opposed to themselves, and to develop a life of service, no matter what career they decide to pursue.
• To help launch Bible Schools, where locals can be taught and trained, and in turn can begin to teach and train others, thereby having a multiplication effect on reaching each nation! I am a firm believer in the old saying, "give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." There are many places where the Word has not been taught, or where missionaries go occasionally and evangelize, but where there is no discipleship. By starting Bible Schools in towns and villages, the Word is taught to the local people, discipling them in the Word, and preparing them to impact their community, so that in turn they train others. I believe that by opening Bible Schools, it also helps people take ownership and leadership instead of looking to the missionaries and pastors as their sole source of spiritual development. The multiplication effect that this has is infinite!
• To open a missions training facility that focuses on the Word, language and culture, equipping missionaries to go to the ends of the earth. Missions is so incredibly important, and my desire is to help prepare missionaries to take the Word of God throughout the world. There is so much that goes into moving to another country. Many times it involves a new language, different customs, clothing, food, and accomodations. There have been so many people who were excellent in their career, rather businessmen or ministers, that when they moved to another country to do the same thing they were doing in theirs, failed. Many times this was due to culture shock and not understanding the customs and language. I believe that by equipping those who desire to be missionaries with the Word first and foremost, but also with an understanding of the culture in which they will live, along with language training, and internships, that this will help further prepare them for successful ministry. I can so see having a campus where missionaries can go to get focused training for the country where they will go, it will be equipped with a language lab where they can receive classes in any language imagined, where they can learn the administrative policies of their focus area and all the other things that would help them reach the world more effectively.

I would love for you to join with me and share in this vision! The whole purpose of this is to reach people with God's love! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me! Trust me, I'm passionate about this, so any chance to discuss it is always welcome!

I appreciate your prayers and financial support in making this vision possible!

Guatemala Newsletter - October 2009

I am so excited about all that God is doing!!! He is so incredibly faithful!!!!!

Here is my newsletter for October. It tells about my vision, what has been going on, how to support and more! Hope you like it!

Living Spiritually

I went through some old notebooks and things and a notecard fell out that I had written the following quote on:

"To grow spiritually means to live increasingly as Jesus would in our unique place-- to perceive what Jesus would perceive if He looked through our eyes, to think what He would think, to feel what He would feel, and therefore to do what He would do."

So many times people think spiritual growth comes from getting more knowledge, and don't get me wrong, we do need to learn and study (trust me, I am a nerd when it comes to school, learning and studying), but our true spiritual growth is reflected when we are putting into practice what we have learned.

I am Christ's representative, therefore, no matter where I am, what I am doing, who I am with, I should be Jesus to the people around me. When I see people, I should see them with Christ's eyes, which are always full of love and compassion; the thoughts and meditations of my heart should be pleasing to Him. The feelings I experience should be those that He would feel.

That is my desire! Oh, I am fully aware that I have a LONG way to go, but as we seek Him with all our heart, as we get to know Him and what He truly thinks about us, then we can look at this world that is in need of His love, and see, think and feel what He would and in turn our actions will reflect the love that goes beyond anything that we could ever deserve and exceeds even the greatest imagination!

So here's to reaching the world with the amazing, unconditional, extravagant, overwhelming love of our wonderful Savior! May we love them well!

Pray.

Today I had the wonderful priviledge of teaching about missions at chapel for The Branch Christian Academy. I was very excited, as I love missions and I love kids, so teaching kids about missions was PERFECT! :-) Today's focus was on prayer, specifically praying for missionaries and other countries.

While everyone is not called to pick up and move to another country, I do believe that we are all called to be involved with missions and one way is to pray for others. Praying for missionaries is very important and needed. Ephesians 6:18-19 says, "Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike." It is important to pray for believers that are all over the world and to pray that God will give us all the right words to say, so that people can understand Jesus' amazing love!

Matthew 9:37-38 says, "He said to his disciples, 'The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.'" There are people all over the world, in every country, every city, town and village that need to know about Jesus, this verse is a reminder to pray for those who are going to share God's love and to also pray that more will go.

I shared an acronym of the word BLESS with the students as a way to remember things to pray about for missionaries, I find it to be quite helpful and would absolutely love it, if you would pray for these things for me.

B-body (health and safety)
L-labor (work and activities)
E-emotions (thoughts and feelings)
S-social (family and friends)
S-spiritual (time and growth in their personal walk with God).

The Bible says in James 5:16 that, "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." So I would feel very "blessed" if you would pray for me as I prepare to move to Guatemala and as I am there. I look forward to seeing the wonderful results!

Thank you!

Putting My Life On Hold?

I have heard a variety of responses from people about my moving to Guatemala to be a missionary, but there is one that I have been pondering a lot lately. Several people have commented on how great it is that I am willing to put my life on hold to go serve people in another country. I completely understand what they mean when they say it, as there are many other things that I could be doing, but there are plenty of other things that everyone could be doing, right?

The thing is that when you are following God's plan for your life and you are pursuing Him, then it doesn't matter where you go, what you are doing, or what you are "giving up," you will not be putting your life on hold. I know this to be a fact! In the beautiful surrender of laying down my desires, my plans, my selfishness, I find that instead of putting my life on hold, or giving up everything, that I am in fact walking into an abundance of life, of sheer joy and complete peace. It is so wonderful!

It is hard to explain exactly what I mean, but I would suppose that it is similar to the feeling of joy that comes with parenthood. Well, I am not a parent, so this is totally based on my observations and on what I hope to feel when I am a mother, so we'll see... I know that parents sacrifice a lot for their children, I know mine did, and I am sure that there are plenty of other things that a parent could do with their time, money, and possessions, but something about seeing their children grow and learn and fulfill their dreams, becomes their life, they find great joy in them, and they know that no matter the sacrifices that they had to make, that they wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I sure hope that makes sense, but that is how it is for me. I know that I may not have the typical life, that there are conveniences that I am going to be giving up, that there will likely be times where I wonder what I was thinking, but in the midst of it, I will know deep down inside, that this was meant to be.

I truly believe that the plans that God has for us are good. That He exceeds our hopes and dreams, and that He has an amazing way of giving us the best surprises! So, here I am so excited to be walking into this new season of life, savoring each moment, and knowing that in Him comes the fullness of joy!

Arms Open Wide

I absolutely love the "Tear Down the Walls" CD by Hillsong United! Today as I was driving, the song "Arms Open Wide" came on and I had to keep playing it over and over. It is a beautiful song and so reflects my heart. I love it! So, here are the words:

Take my life I lay it down
At the cross where I am found
All I have I give to You oh God

Take my hands and make them clean
Keep my heart in purity
That I may walk in all You have for me

Oh here I stand
Arms open wide
Oh I am Yours
And You are mine

Take my moments and my days
Let each breath that I take
Be ever only for You oh God

My whole life is Yours
I give it all
Surrendered to Your Name
And forever I will pray
Have Your way
Have Your way

Oh here I stand
Arms open wide
Oh I am Yours
And You are mine


I want to walk in all that God has for me! I surrender completely to Him! May I walk with clean hands and a pure heart! And may every moment, every breath, every day be lived for His glory!

Be Strong & Courageous

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:6-9 (NLT)

Thou shalt move to Guatemala!

Okay, so it wasn't an audible voice and I didn't hear those exact words, but there is no doubt in my mind or my heart that moving to Guatemala is right where I am supposed to be.

As I have mentioned before, I have always loved missions. I first started learning about missions when I was about 7 years old, and I wanted to go on trips to help people ever since then. I remember crying at the airport when I was 10 because my parents were going on a mission trip, and I wasn't crying because I was going to miss them (even though I was going to), I was crying because I didn't get to go. Twelve was the "golden age" to go on a mission trip, so 2 weeks after my twelfth birthday, I boarded a plane to Mexico, and I haven't stopped going since then.

I knew that missions would always be a part of my life. I wasn't sure how it would all unfold, but I knew that I was going to live internationally and serve others. I studied International Relations in college, I knew that having this background would be helpful, I understand government relations, and this degree can help me get into countries where having only a Bible degree would keep me out. For awhile, I thought I might work in the Foreign Service, but then I realized that it wasn't really my heart. I did want to help people and bring humanitarian relief, but more importantly I wanted to minister to the biggest need that people have and that is knowing Jesus personally, and experiencing His great love and that missions was the avenue that God wanted to use me in!

So... last year in July, as I was leading a missions team of youth to Guatemala from my church, The Branch, I began feeling that change was on it's way. It's hard to describe exactly what the "feeling" felt like, but it was as if the Holy Spirit was preparing my heart for what was to come. I knew that some changes were about to take place in my life, and I knew that God was doing it all, and so I began to dig into the Word even more and just prayed that I would be led by His peace and that I would know what to do.

That trip was a great time of surrender. I think that word has become the theme of the past couple of years of my life. Surrender is a beautiful thing. It is also very difficult at times. Many times in order for us to walk in the fullness of all that God has for us, we have to let go of our own plans and ideas. Such was the case for me, I am a planner, I schedule everything and I like to know what is going to happen and when. Of course, I know that the plans that God has for me will be better than my own, but that doesn't mean that laying down my dreams gets easier, it's painful, it's frustrating, it's confusing, and it's absolutely BEAUTIFUL! When we decide to let go of everything we are holding onto for comfort, for fulfillment, and we give it all to God, He picks us up and totally amazes us!

When I was in Guatemala last summer, I began reading Psalm 37, this is a familiar passage, but I knew that God was speaking to me through it. The first part that spoke to me were verses 3&4 which say, "Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desires." WOW! I had read this verse so many times, but it was now jumping off the page. Suddenly, I was felt like I should write down my heart's desires. The funny thing is that when I started writing down the things that I really did want and desire more than anything, my self-made plans didn't really match up, I had ideas and plans and I thought it was what I wanted, but when I really sat down and thought about it, I had made those plans a long time ago, and since I am a planner, I just wanted to accomplish the goal. Hmmmm, not really the AMAZING dreams that I thought I was holding onto, huh?

So, I decided to surrender. I went over everything and told God that I laid every idea I had about what my life should be, how it should look, what I should do, where I should be, EVERYTHING at His feet! It was a tearful time, full of peace and joy! I knew that His ways are higher, but then after surrendering, I was able once again to experience His ways, and can I just say that they are SO GOOD! Isaiah 55:8-9 (NLT) says, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." Well, I knew that verse, but honestly, I was trying to figure it out, because ummm.... I think I have a good imagination and I can think of some pretty awesome stuff, so beyond anything I could imagine, had to be pretty crazy, right?

Well, He did it, I surrendered, and He did far beyone anything I could imagine, and He did it in EVERY area of my life. I know that I have been led by Him every step of the way, the paths He has taken me down are very different than anything I would plan, and THANK THE LORD that they are, because they are SO AMAZING, I mean literally they are BEYOND ANYTHING I COULD IMAGINE, hmmm, exactly how the Word says it would be.

So, that's that, and now I am going to move to Guatemala, and the joy that comes from obedience is wonderful, I love it, and I am excited to see how it all unfolds. The Bible doesn't promise that it will be easy, but it promises that He is there every step of the way, and that our lives will be full of peace, joy, hope, love and everything else that we need! YAY FOR HIS FAITHFULNESS AND GRACE!! He is soooooooo good!

Guatemala - Before the "Big Move" - Finances

As with any move, there are a lot of expenses that come into play.

Besides the monthly support that I need to raise, there are some other "pre-move" expenses that have to be covered and planned for. There is the training, the shipping of my items, and various legal fees. I also will take some intensive Spanish training when I first arrive to Guatemala, so I have to have those fees covered. I believe that about $1500 will cover all of that.

In addition to that, I have to find a car...

I need a car while in Guatemala for obvious reasons, I have to go places... It is not safe for me to ride on the buses there, and I am not allowed to travel alone, unless I am in a car.

I need to get a car that is in good condition and that can withstand really bumpy, often unpaved roads. The driving there is pretty crazy, and so I would like to get a SUV, so that I feel more protected, and so that I can sit higher up and see what is ahead (to change lanes there, you just pass in whatever lane you want going whatever direction and I will be living in the mountains, so it's curvy, therefore I like to know what's ahead). I would also like to get a Toyota, Nissan, or Mazda, because those are common cars there, and so I can get them repaired or worked on more easily, without having to ship parts from the states.n I think my ideal car would be something like a Toyota 4Runner.

I can either buy a car in Guatemala or in the states. There are pros and cons to both. Buying a car in Guatemala will cost more than it does here, plus, there is no way to research if the car has had any issues in the past, but there is less paperwork to be done, and I don't have to pay the high tax fee to bring it in from the states. Getting a car in the states means that there is more paperwork, and the car has to be paid off before it can be taken out of the country. Plus, I have to pay the taxes and shipping to get it into Guatemala. But, the cars from here usually cost less and they can be checked out more thoroughly. So, I am weighing the options. I believe that I will look for a car in the states, and see what I find... I know that God will lead me to the right one for the right price and it will all fall into place, and that He will provide for all the needs.

I really am learning to trust A LOT. I know I have said it over and over, but His faithfulness is so great and I love the fact that we can be led by His peace! When we know we are in His will, then we can trust confidently that He is faithful who promised and that He has it all worked out!

Guatemala - Monthly Finances

Fundraising... oh, the exciting word! I must admit that the thought of fundraising can loom quite strongly over the excitement of moving to Guatemala. I am the type of person who likes to work hard for my employer, prove that I am worth the investment and therefore EARN the money that I make. Hmmmm... needless to say, the fundraising process is one in which God is stretching me, teaching me to trust, and reminding me that some things just can't be earned.

As a missionary, I am responsible to raise all of my support. This support covers all of my living expenses (housing, food, transportation, etc), legal fees (and there are quite a few for moving and residency issues), travel, organization fees (15%), required insurance, as well as covering costs for outreaches and other ministry involvement.

My goal is to raise $2000/month in committed support. This would be more than enough to cover my expenses, plus there would be some leftover to use for additional ministry items, emergency expenses, etc.

Before I can move to Guatemala, I must have at least $1200 in committed monthly support. This is a requirement from Living Water Teaching to assure that when missionaries move there, they have some backing and that they will at least be able to cover their basic personal living expenses.

Please prayerfully consider becoming one of my sponsers. I believe that myself and Living Water Teaching are good ground to sow into. The missionaries of Living Water Teaching are hard workers, and are determined to fulfill the call of God on their lives, and I am thankful and honored to be joining them.

If you would like to support me, please contact me at karadixonmissions@gmail.com. I can give you more information on how the support process works and the different ways in which you can help!

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully." And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, He will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. II Corinthians 9:7-11 (NLT)

All of my support is ran through Living Water Teaching. Checks can be made payable to Living Water Teaching, and in the memo section please write my missionary number, which is 11500. (Donations are tax-deductible, LWT is a 501(c)3 organization).

Guatemala - Before the "Big Move" - To Do's

Moving is quite a job. I just moved from my apartment, back into my parent's home so that I can save money towards my move to Guatemala and so that I can have more quality time with them before I leave. That packing experience was... exhausting, because I had to go ahead and pack the things to ship to Guatemala, pack things to go to my parent's house and then pack things that I would need to store for a little while. I did have some amazing friends helping me out, which was greatly appreciated!!!!!

So, I get to move again in six months and I am pumped about all that entails! For now though, there are tons of things that have to get done in order for that to happen.

First, I will be going to Oklahoma for some training. I will be working in Living Water Teaching's school, and therefore, my week in Oklahoma will consist of training on how the school works, the curriculum, classroom management, etc. From there I will go down to Texas to Living Water's headquarters to meet all of the stateside staff, finish up some paperwork and contracts, and get the rest of the logistical things taken care of.

Living Water ships a container with all the Shoebox gifts and other items to Guatemala each year. It takes several months for the container to get to Guatemala and clear customs, so everything that I want shipped has to get to Texas by August. So, I have to ship everything from Charlotte to Texas really soon! So, I decided to drive to OK and TX so that I can load up the car with as much as possible, and therefore save some shipping cost at least on the Charlotte to Texas segment (I never knew how expensive shipping was), and then I will ship the rest of the stuff later.

Hmmmm... there is a lot to do, and sometimes I begin to feel overwhelmed with everything, because all of this is on top of all my regular responsibilities, but then I am reminded that God has it all figured out and that it will all get taken care of! I am soooooooooooo thankful for my God who cares about every detail of our lives! His faithful love is forever!!!!

Guatemala Newsletter

Here is a look at my first newsletter for Guatemala! I am so looking forward to moving there! I know that is where God wants me for the next season of my life! So, take a look... Oh, and if you click on each page, it will show you a bigger version so that you can actually read it ;-)

All About Living Water Teaching

Living Water Teaching is the organization that I will be serving with in Guatemala. The picture above is from their 2008 Bible School Graduation. The heart of Living Water Teaching is the Bible Institutes. By training students in the Word of God and ministry skills LWT is able to have exponential growth in their effectiveness and outreaches. Through the Bible Institutes throughout Central and South America students are able to learn, grow and return to their home prepared to reach their community, country and the world for Christ!


Here is more background information about them, along with their Vision, and Tenants of Faith.

Background Info

After dissolving their Ohio construction firm in 1976, Jim and Marion Zirkle and their three children moved to Broken Arrow, OK. During two years of intense study in God’s Word, Jim was presented with an opportunity to minister to a group of missionaries working in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. It was during this time of ministry that the Spirit of God called him to Central America. Soon afterwards, the vision that today guides the entire ministry began to unfold.

Living Water Teaching was started in 1979 by the Zirkles. Since then, the work of this ministry has grown to include outreaches in eleven countries around the world. The Word of God is going forth by way of Bible schools, evangelistic campaigns, medical clinics, Operation Shoebox, and through the ministries of the graduates of the Bible Institutes in each of these countries.

When their Douglas DC-3 aircraft went down on November 1, 1998, taking the lives of Marion’s husband, son, son-in-law, two missionaries, and six group members from the United States, she knew that the vision was not completed. She picked up the mantle on that fateful night, and by the grace of God, continues running with the vision of changing Central America for Jesus.

On July 12, 2003, Marion married Pastor Clarence Wright and they, along with the Living Water Teaching family, are taking the gospel to Belize, Cuba, Mexico, the six countries in Central America, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay in South America.

Living Water Teaching is in its 30th year on the field and has currently graduated over 29,000 Bible school students. The ministry has seen over 700,000 born again over the last 29 years. More than 100 denominational groups have trusted us to train their leaders and young people. The commission of Living Water Teaching is to make disciples, and send them out to do the same.


Vision

The Vision of Living Water Teaching (As directed by the Holy Spirit)

• Convert My people to the Word, not to religion.
• Train them in righteousness.
• Show them by example My power to change lives by giving spiritual conditioning to their spirits, by way of the Word.
• You are to train My sent ones to go on and do greater than I have shown you by building on your errors and successes.
• The vision is transferable, but My commission is not! You are to carry it forth into all of Central America.
• Trouble the waters of Central America as the angel troubled the waters of Bethesda. Trouble them with faith, healing, and salvation.

Tenants of Faith

The program and activities of Living Water Teaching shall be based upon and at all times shall be consistent with the following beliefs:

• The Bible is the mind of Christ, and it is the inspired and only infallible and authoritative Word of God. II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:19-21; Hebrews 4:12.
• There is one God manifested in three personalities: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Isaiah 45:5,6; I John 5:7; Matthew 28:19.
• The reality of Satan and his present control over unregenerated man does exist. I Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:11, 12; II Corinthians 4:4.
  

Christianity is based upon the following:

• The deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-17; John 10:30.
• Born of the Virgin Mary. Luke 1:26-35; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23.
• His sinless life. Hebrews 4:15; I Peter 2:22; II Corinthians 5:21.
• His miracles. John 3:2, 11:45, 20:30.
• His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood. Isaiah 53:4,5; I Peter 2:21-24; Colossians 1:14.
• His body resurrection. I Peter 1:21; Galatians 1:1; Romans 1:4.
• His ascension to the right hand of the Father. Acts 1:19-11; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1.
• His personal return in power and glory as Lord of Lords and Kings of Kings. Matthew 24:30, 25:31; Thessalonians 1:7-10.
• The fall of man and his lost of estate, which makes necessary a rebirth through confession and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 3:23, 5:12-21, 10:9,10; I Corinthians 15:21,22.
• The reconciliation of man to God by substitutionary death and shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:5-10; II Corinthians 5:18.
• The resurrection of believers into everlasting life and blessing in Heaven, and the resurrection of unbelievers unto everlasting punishment in the torments of Hell. John 5:28,19; I Thessalonians 4:16-18; Mark 16:16.
• The present supernatural ministry of the Holy Spirit, Who bestows the spiritual gifts of: the word of Wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, various kinds of tongues, in and among the believers on the Earth since the day of Pentecost and continuing until our Lords return. I Corinthians 12; John 16:7, 13:15; Ephesians 4:8.

For more information about Living Water Teaching, please visit their website at: http://www.livingwaterteaching.org/.

Youth Guatemala Trip

I just returned from Guatemala yesterday! It was an amazing trip! I had the wonderful honor of leading a team from my church's youth group. Boy was it fun! These teens are hilarious, they had me laughing, hard. They have so much joy and know how to enjoy life, moment by moment. More than that though, they truly love God! Their desire to serve God and to share His love with people is so inspiring and encouraging! These teens are seeking God each day, determined to fulfill all of His dreams for their lives, and I am so thankful that God gave me the opportunity to help with that!

While in Guatemala, we went to a town called Santo Tomas La Union, and ministered in parks, bus terminals, various communities and other similar locations. We performed dramas that shared of God's love, and how He is the only one that can fill that void in our lives. The Gospel was presented, and then we went and shared with the people who watched the dramas. It was so great to see the team walk in boldness, unashamed of their love for Jesus, and passionate about wanting others to experience the love, joy, hope and future that He gives! Approximately 335 people gave their hearts to the Lord! Isn't that awesome?!

My desire is to help people, and help them in turn help others. So, having the opportunity to help train teens for missions and watch what God does in their lives just brings me great joy! God used them to do so much this past week, and at the same time, He did so much in them!

God is so good and His faithful love never ends!

I'm In! I'm In! I'm In!

So, as I have mentioned I am in Guatemala doing my Missionary Training for moving here to serve! Well, this month (which is almost over, sigh, so sad), has been busy, tiring, fun and amazing! The purpose of the month was for me to learn about every aspect of Living Water Teaching and everything that they do, and also to prepare for my moving here, and everything that has to be done with that. It was also a time of observation, the leadership watching me, me watching them, living life here, seeing if it is a good fit and if I could make it.



Well, on Thursday I had to go before members of the board and answer numerous questions, it was a type of final interview before the final decision was to be made as to if I would be accepted as a Living Water Teaching Missionary. So, the exciting news is... I'm in! They accepted me, so I am now a missionary with them! Yay! Well, I will actually be moving in about 10 months, but when I return home this Thursday (sigh again, so not ready to leave), I will begin getting things in order and start the support aspect of being a missionary.



I cannot even begin to explain how great this month has been. You know how it is when something happens and you want so bad to share it, but you feel as though no words that you could use would be able to get the point across? That is how I feel!



God's faithfulness has been overwhelming! I mean, I just can't describe it! He has SURPRISED me in so many ways! My questions have been answered, my concerns, all cleared up, my doubts, turned into confidence, everything is lining up.

What is it?

So, I am getting used to life in Guatemala. I have now been here two weeks, so I am halfway through my orientation. I have to say that I am loving it here! The people are great, the ministry is awesome, and my Spanish is improving (I think). I am really enjoying spending time with the missionaries and with the Bible School students. It's a lot of fun!

I will admit that there are a few things that are "different" than what I am used to...

For instance, I have to ask someone what it is that we're eating, at least once a day. There are some dishes that I love, and umm, there are others that, well let's just say, I can force them down IF I must (thankfully, I don't have to though). It's not that the food is bad, it's just different than what I am used to and so my taste buds, are well, growing? Hmmm.

Then there is the fact that I have to get up a lot earlier than I usually do. This isn't a big deal for normal people, but then there's me... I do not like mornings. The only mornings that I enjoy waking up are the one's where I don't have anywhere to be, so I can sleep without setting an alarm and wake up when it was no longer morning ;) Don't get me wrong, once I am up and getting ready, I am fine and excited about the day, it's just the initial process of waking up. You can ask everyone who works at the Branch, they have seen me way too many times dragging in, without make-up, and with wet hair, because I just wouldn't let the alarm win.

Okay, so let's add to the morning thing. Imagine using 6 blankets (and 2 pair of pj's) because it is so cold and there is not heat in the house. Okay, so how cold do you think you will be when you finally do wake up to the alarm and have to get out of that warm bed? I mean I can't walk around with 6 blankets to get ready.

And the water. There are hot water heaters, but I don't think it gets very hot. I mean, the way I can tell if the pilot light is lit on the heater or if it went out and I need to go light it (they have different heaters here, you have to light them with a match or a lighter), is that if the water is cold but I can breathe, then it's working, if it is so cold that I lose my breath, then I need to make a trip outside to light the heater.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, so you'll know, it's really the little things that you begin to miss from home. But the main reason I wanted to talk about it is that I STILL LOVE IT HERE! I'll admit that I don't like cold showers or some of the food, or some of the other things, but so what! I would go through that day in and day out if necessary, because I know that missions is what I am called to do. Plus, I can just rejoice and be thankful because I have experienced worse conditions too.

During my orientation, I have been watching videos from Pastor Jim Zirkle, who was the founder of Living Water Teaching, here in Guatemala. One of the videos is on the burden vs. the call. He said that often times people are burdened for the nations and they know something needs to happen. But what does a burden do? It weighs you down, it makes life hard and often miserable. He gave a simple example of how you can tell the difference between a burden and a call. He said that the man with the burden and the man with the call both go on a mission trip. They both have to take cold showers, they both have to eat food that they have no idea what it is, they have to deal with the bugs, they go to wash their clothes and hang them to dry and then it rains and the clothes are soaked, they have to sleep on hard beds, their hairdryers won't work, etc. Now they both go home and the person with the burden says, "Lord, thank you for missions, I will support the ministry, I will help however I can, but please do not ever send me there." The person with the call says, "Lord, please send me back, I want to be there!"

I am that called person. I know it! Now, let me just tell you that I like my modern things, I like to straighten my hair and wear make-up and have heat and warm showers. In fact, I think people that love camping are CRAZY. Why would someone leave their comfortable home, to sleep on the ground in a tent, and have to build a fire? It makes no sense to me. But for missions, I somehow have the gift to be able to endure it, and want to have more. It doesn't mean that it is never frustrating, or that it doesn't get old. What it does mean is that I am called. True joy comes when you are walking in the plan that God has for you, it doesn't come with all the conveniences of technology and money (although I do appreciate those), but if you are right where you are supposed to be, you can look at any obstacle with a gleam in your eye, and revel in the the joy of serving the Lord right where you are!

Life isn't always easy, in fact, it can be very hard at times. But when I look back at the hard times that I know I was in the middle of God's plan, for some reason I don't see all the hard things I endured, I remember it being hard, but it has all been covered with the joy and peace and love of walking this life hand in hand with Jesus and all I can do is look back and smile!

Don't settle for convenient and easy! Go after whatever it is God has for you! Seek Him first in everyting and those desires that you have will come to pass! The life He has for you is beyond your wildest dreams! So Live it!