Heidi and Baby David

Wonderful church service this morning. It was amazing to me what people would drive through to get to church service today, but we stilled gathered together today. After much help on Friday from many of the people of our congregation spending hours of of talking buckets of water out of the kitchen and medical clinic of the church, we were able to meet.

Heidi and baby David were also in the service today. I've been wanting to bring them food for a few days, but was unable because of the storm. I brought the food with me, but found out that I could only get to their home by walking there. So, we agreed to meet at the local school at 3pm and she would walk with us to her home.

My friend Lauren and I drove to the local school where we were greeted by Heidi holding her baby and a little girl that was living with her also. We carried the food down the road and then down a dirt hill. At the bottom of the hill was a huge lake of water that the rains from the storm had left. It was only yards away from Heidi's humble home. Her home was very humble, but at least she had a portion of someones house to live in. She explained that she was able to live there for another month, but that usually it takes almost 2 months for them to pay for one months rent. After this month she wasn't sure if they'd be out looking again or not. Her husband was away working wherever he could to see how much money he could make. In the mean time, his daughter from a previous marriage was brought back to live with him.

After spending some time talking with Heidi in her home, I asked Lauren to ask her much it was to rent the house for the month. It was about $60 dollars. Actually a little less. My heart broke for her. She wanted to work to help bring in some money, but how could she with a 2 month old baby completely dependent on her, plus she now had a little girl living with her as well. Her food would have to come from people that new her need. Her little baby didn't look completely healthy to me. I wondered if he was getting enough to eat.

In the next two days I will be on a quest for diapers, Infamil, powered milk for the little girl and other staples that can keep because Heidi has no refrigerator. Lauren invited her family over to the orphanage Tuesday night for dinner at her house. It will be hard to take Heidi back to her home after her dinner, but we are learning to give what we have to give as the LORD provides.

As the LORD provides support for our family, anything extra will be going to help people like Heidi, or the breakfast ministry in Tijuana, or however else the LORD directs. We are just vessels for God to give through. All of my needs are met when I need them. As the LORD moves on the hearts of people to send support, it is exciting to see that it's usually the same time that an unknown need comes up. God is so faithful.

So Many Needs

Yesterday afternoon our third storm of the week came through. There's a river that now flows through the orphanage. You can see the waterfall flowing for the mesa behind the orphanage. It's quite a sight. It runs through the center of the orphanage across the road and into the fields.

In the afternoon, Lauren and Becca asked if I would like to go deliver some food to a family down the road. We had to walk because the roads are not accessible by car due to mud. It wasn't too far down the road when we came to a little grandma and grandpa huddled in the rain around a small fire. They had some wood boards blocking the wind and a small pot on the fire. She was so grateful for us coming and gave us all hugs. She told us that she didn't know how she was going to make tortillas with the wind and rain. I was blown away. This lady had no complaints. In fact she kept saying that Jesus was with her.

I learned a lot in that short moment. This couple sleeps in a van at night and during the day they herd goats. "It's not even close to what I picture myself doing at their age," I thought. "I wonder how old they really are." My friend Lauren guessed them to be just a few years older than I . Not sure how much she was joking.

There are so many needs here in La Mision. It could easily get overwhelming, but for the comfort of knowing that the Holy Spirit directs us to who He wants us to help and how to do it. Recently I heard that a young lady Heidi was in need of food for her and her baby David. Heidi is a girl that we held a baby shower for when I first arrive at DOFO. She found the LORD as her savior a few weeks after the baby shower and soon after that had her baby dedicated to the LORD. Now, because of lack of income, her husband has left to look for work and her and her baby have no food. I fixed some soup that I'd like to take to her, but I can't reach her by car right now. I may be walking a mile for Jesus this afternoon. I can't bare the thought that a young mom with a little baby is huddled in a tiny shell of a house not able to nurse her baby because she has no food for herself.

This story is sure to continue in flowing blogs.

God Can Use Anything, Anyone

Wow! It's been too long since I've posted something. Recently, my pastors from Green Valley Christian Center of Watsonville came down with a team from our church family. It was great to see everyone, but I was very touched that they would take the time to come and see what God has done through about 1/3 to 1/2 of our congregation. What I mean by that is that there are few people at my home church that haven't been to Door of Faith Orphanage. If they haven't, someone in their family has or they sponsor children at the orphanage. I could tell it was a lot for my pastors to take in for their short trip. It had to feel great to know that their influence was reaching down to Baja whether they had been coming or not.

It was a real picture to me of the different gifts represented in the body of Christ. People discipling and equipping believers are just as important as the ones that live out what they've been equipped to do. I've also noticed that when people come to Mexico, they discover that they do have gifts and abilities that may get overlooked in the states. Shopping, cooking, hugging, smiling, lifting, moving, hanging things up, taking things down, loading, unloading, washing, painting, driving, praying, reading, etc. are all things that God can use.

Letting God use the ordinary things into healing times, teaching times, learning times brings tremendous joy not only to the "doer", but to God. Today for instance, I asked children what they wanted for their birthday. Seems ordinary enough. But God uses it to teach me Spanish, build relationships with children, build relationships with sponsors, and give hope to children that could be forgotten, but their not. They've been brought to Door of Faith by God, not Social Services.

I also taught eight little boys how to play the card game "Go Fish". Since we've had tremendously stormy weather this week the children here have been staying inside. Not the end of the world, but staying inside for long periods of time, especially for little boys is not an easy task. Knowing this, I dropped by the little boys dorm and saw their faithful, smiling yet exhausted dorm mom watching a movie with them. Within minutes of me sitting down I was climbed on, hugged, kissed, called mommy, my pockets were searched, my ears were yelled in and I was talked to by several at the same time. I absolutely loved it! (Partly because I knew that I could leave at any time.) How that dorm mom does it day in and day out is amazing.

All this to say God uses the prayers of some, the money of others, influence, parenting, teachers, bad life experiences and good ones and mixes them together to shape us for service. Don't ever underestimate the power of a faithful smile every time you greet someone, or the kindness of tying a shoe. All of these things are things God can use to show His great love for all people everywhere.

Happy New Year!

We spent New Year's Eve at church for a special service. Great time of worship, youth and adults singing special music, a time of teaching from our pastor. It was wonderful, but I have to admit my favorite part is how we brought the new year in together. At about 20 minutes before midnight, the entire church congregation came to the front and joined their arms around each other. As we stood there arm in arm we sang a song in Spanish that says "I'm hungry for You, Lord. I love your presence and I'm hungry for you." Then we began to pray, the pastor closed in prayer followed by a count down to midnight. Everyone began hugging each other and wishing everyone a happy new year. What I really loved was that it didn't matter if you were a first time visitor or had been attending for many years. Everyone received a fair amount of hugs and wishes.

When all the hugging and wishing finished, we went downstairs for pasole (soup) and fellowship. While most of us were eating and talking, Tyler was outside having fun with the confetti filled eggs I had bought him to bring in the year a little differently than the rest of us!

On New Year's Day many of us went to DJ and Lynette's other home off of the orphanage property. They mostly use if for hosting occasions like were having that day. Numerous volley ball games, a little soccer, someone even brought their bow and arrow to show us how he hunts. Music was playing, kids were laughing, and a good time was had by all.

As I took in all that was happening, I once again observed many things that I love about the people I'm surrounded with. First of all, as soon as I got out of my van, people were so glad to see me. I was greeted with many "Hey Robin! Sit over here" or "How are you? Happy New Year!" Once I sat down to watch volley ball the pastor asked me what he could get me to drink. Then I saw something in the children that I hadn't observed before. Children that I didn't even know were offering me chips from their single serving bags of chips. And not just offering to me, but they seemed to be going to every adult around the volley ball game. If everyone had took them up on their offer they easily could have handed all their chips and had been left with none.

I'm used to attending a friendly church. In fact my church is known for being very friendly. But this was outside of the walls of the church building. This group of people were from our church in Mexico and another in Sinaloa. I guess you could say, I just haven't met a Mexican with an "attitude" yet. Even when I was turned around in Tijuana the other day, everyone I asked was glad to help. It's like going to Walmart, but you're outside and people offer to help you. (Speaking of Walmart, I was just there today, and no one offered to help. It might be because they don't speak English, I'm not sure. Everyone's nice, but it's funny that in Walmart I'm not asked if I need help. Go figure.)