Learning to Listen to God's Whispers

Recently, I listened to Bill Hybels speak on listening to when God whispers something to you. I was so moved by what he had to say, because I have been trying hard to be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit. I've tended to over analyze what God is whispering to me in the past. I've questioned if it was just a thought that popped into my head or was it really God. Sometimes I've taken so long with my analyzing every aspect that I've missed my opportunity. So, I've really been trying to believe that when I'm asking God to lead and direct my thoughts and lead me in the direction He wants me to go, that He is! I'm realizing now that I need to seize the moment before the opportunity is lost.

Today I went to Ensenada to walk the entire river colony with Hector and Maribel. The purpose was not to give out food, but to build relationship. Hector and Maribel brought fliers with Bible verses on them to pass out. People were actually asking if they could have a flier. They seem so hungry for God. It's like they just don't know who or what they're looking for and yet they are very open to receiving anything we have to give. Hector told them that the flier was a ticket to a big party in heaven. If they wanted to know more they could find him when he was walking around or they could call him.

While Hector would visit with the men in the colony, Maribel and I hung out with the kids. I brought some coloring books, crayons and some Playdough at the recommendation of my friend Dave Hessler from the Breakfast Club in Tijuana. It turned out to be a great way for me to build relationships with the children and their Mom's.

While I was sitting on the side of the dirt road coloring with kids and making things out of Playdough for the kids, I noticed that Hector was standing on an open lot in the colony. There was nothing on it. In fact the lot next to it was vacant as well. Then it dawned on me that these two lots were where 4 houses had burned down a few months ago. The people that had lived there had been displaced (who knows where) and one of the owners had temporarily moved next door until he had enough money to join his father who had been displaced.

After Hector spent some time talking with the owner of the property, he talked with me and Maribel about the possibilities of purchasing that lot and making it a base for us to give out the dispensas, or maybe have some events for the kids. If you took this dream a little further it could eventually become a community center or maybe even.....a place to hold church services! I asked about the lot next to it. No one seemed to know who owned it at the time. I told Hector we needed to ask God for that lot too. So, I walked on to the second lot, held my arms out wide and asked God for that lot too. I asked God to help us find the person who owned it and for Him to bless us greatly so that we could bless others. When I finished praying, I saw Hector talking to the owner of that lot. He was going to contact Hector with a price for that property when he had a price.

We continued to walk the colony dirt road and talk with the different families that had been coming to get their dispensas of food every other week. Some asked if I had any photos of them yet, but no one was asking us for any food or blankets. They just enjoyed talking with us. One man told us if we would give out dispensas close to his house that we could use his house as a place to give them out and that he would clean out the who park area to host us. Another lady gave us homemade tortillas that she was making on her stove outside her house. I noticed that she had turned a metal trash bin upside down, cut an opening in the side to burn wood and turn the bottom of the bin, (which had now become the top) into a hot surface to heat up tortillas. We then stopped at little Rosita's house where we talked with her mom and a played with her daughter Elizabeth with some Playdough. Just as we had given out about 100 fliers with Bible verses and were coming up at the end of the colony, we were met by a young mother of two. Her son Jonathon was next to her while she carried her very young baby girl. She had been looking for us. She asked Hector what church we were from. He just told her that we were Christians. She said she noticed how we kept coming back and were getting to know the people. She told us of previous groups of Americans had come, on occasion, but they stopped coming. We had caught her attention because we kept coming back on a regular basis. She asked us if we could get a mattress for her little boy because it was getting crowded on their bed to sleep four people. She invited us to her house to show us why she needed a bed for her little boy. As we got closer to her house she told us that she wished we would build a church nearby for the people to go to so that they could be refreshed. (Interesting) She also said that she was embarrassed to ask us for a mattress. I told her through Maribel that when she made a request, we would take that request to God. "Never be embarrassed to ask", I said. "Let's ask God and see what He provides."

So, it's been quite a day for my finite mind. Never saw this coming. I thought I would just color with some kids today and it looks like God had bigger plans. Please pray about this property with us. If the LORD leads you help out in a financial way, you can send a check to:

Robin Schmidt
PO Box 6434
Chula Vista, CA. 91909

Please mark in the Memo Dios Me Ve or Ensenada and the entire amount will go towards the property or the building on the property.

With God all things are possible.

Planting, Watering and God Makes it Grow

"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have on e purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor." 1 Corinthians 3:7-8

We have been visiting the river colony almost 2 months and already we are beginning to see people coming to us for prayer. Today, was the first time, to my knowledge that we passed out some fliers with Bible verses on them with the dispensas of food. After everyone present was taken care of, we noticed that some either had come back or waited so they could request prayer. We have not shared the gospel to this point. But the precious people of this colony are recognizing that we are Christians by our love.

Before we gave out food, Hector addressed the people. He told them that the food that we brought would last them 2 maybe 3 days at the most, but we also have something that would last for eternity. Then he stopped and started helping us dispense the food. It was strange, I thought, but I'm learning that Hector is a fisher of men. He puts "bait" out all the time and then watches to see who is hungry.

Today we prayed with a lady Suzy for the second time. The first time we met her she had informed us that she had found her son buried in the river colony. She was still grieving and asked us to pray for her. When she came today, she told us how hungry she was for more of God and that she was a Christian, but didn't know the Bible that well yet. She was asking if we could help her with a group of people that she had been gathering in her home to learn about God. Apparently, she was learning along with the people she was having over.

After talking with her, Hector presented me with a challenge. He asked if I'd like to help teach the Bible to a group of ladies. My response was not what I had expected. Think about it. I don't speak Spanish fluently by any stretch of the words. I just learned this lady's name is Suzy and now I'm being asked if I'd be willing to teach the Bible to a group of ladies. My response was "what day? What day does she want the class ? Let me check with DJ and at the orphanage and see what I can do."

I'm trying so hard not to try and figure out how something is going to work out. Everything in me wants to see if I can pull something off before I say "yes". God's kingdom is upside down. I'm learning also that the weaker I am, the stronger He is. The less I can "pull off" in my own strength, skills, or talents, the more glory He receives. I am in over my head and never has my life been so exciting and full of joy. It will be interesting to see where the LORD takes me in this adventure.

After that encounter, the two sisters, Noemi and Alejandra that I've mentioned before came to us. Noemi asked us if we would pray for her family. Apparently her mother's health was being affected by the way the siblings were treating each other. If you remember past blogs about these two sisters, they had told us that their mother was a Christian and that they had been taught about Jesus, but were not living for Him. Now Noemi was very concerned for her mother's health. Apparently she had had a heart attack because of the stress in relationships in the family.

Again, Hector was used by the LORD to speak to these girls. He talked to them for a while and then I told them my testimony of God's provision in my life. Through Hector interpreting for me, I shared how God had provided for me time and time again, but that was not the reason I was there. Nor was I there to tell them that God would take away their problems. I told them how I was convinced God loved me, and that God had a place prepared for me in heaven. I was there to let the colony know that God loved them. I told them how they already knew that they needed to put their trust in God. They were trying to solve their own problems and meet their own needs when God was waiting for them to trust Him. After I was done, Hector continued with telling them that they needed to look for God with all their heart. We could pray for them, but they needed to pray themselves. Noemi asked what time Hector's church started. And before I knew it, Hector was telling these sisters that we were going to start a Bible class and would they be interested.

Before we left I met one more lady today. Her name was Maria and she had waited a long time to talk to us. She wasn't asking for prayer, but for a baby over sewing machine. I thought that was an odd request until she explained that her house had been robbed and someone took her machine. She was wondering if we could purchase one for her in the states and then she would purchase it from us. So, now I will be looking for a Baby Over sewing machine. I asked her to bring a sample of boys pants that she new how to sew the next time we came back in 2 weeks. She said for a top and pants she charged 50 pesos. That's not even $5! I asked if she would be interested in teaching ladies how to sew. She wasn't interested for the mere fact that then she would be losing business if she taught others. So then I told her I might be interested in buying some pants from her. I got to thinking. If we gave this lady too much business, maybe she would consider teaching someone else to help her keep up with a blessed sewing business.

Learning to Pray First

Yesterday, I a thought about taking dispensas to the river colony, I have to admit I was nervous. All I could think about was how I had only planned for 50 dispensas and just a few days ago, my list grew to 140 families. I started asking people to pray that we would have enough dispensas. I was thinking more dispensas, but God had different plans.

You see, when we arrived, many of the people that had received dispensas on Thursday weren't even waiting in line for anything. So, we got all the way up to #134 on our list before running out of food. We added more people to the list and I even had some time to play with the little kids for awhile.

Kings Day

Last Thursday was a holiday in Mexico called Kings Day. It's in celebration of the kings that came to visit the baby Jesus. It's a tradition to receive still another present on this day. As I was preparing gifts for our 100 plus kids at the orphanage, I received a phone call from my friend Hector.

Hector had a friend, Mike McDonald, that was on his way with family and friends to pass out toys, beanies, gloves, socks, clothes and food to the people living in the river colony. Hector asked if I would join them with my list of names of the people that were on our list to receive dispensas. I came with my little list not knowing what was about to happen.

As four cars followed Hector to the river colony, I noticed that Hector once again was taking us the back way in. As we climbed a muddy dirt hill, our friend Mike got stuck in the mud. The people living nearby jumped up to help and attached Mike's car to Hector's truck, Hector was able to easily pull him up out of the mud.

I was next to cross the mud. I hesitated at first, but then I remembered that my car was all wheel drive. I remembered back to when I had purchased this particular car that I had decided that I wouldn't be needing all wheel drive, but that the car just happened to come with it. When I went up the hill I had no problem at all. I smiled and thought to myself, "God knew before me that I would need that all wheel drive today."

When we arrived at "our spot" to set up, I was overwhelmed with the crowd that was waiting for us. It was about 200 or 300 people. This was more than I had expected or planned for. I actually had to honk my horn to get people to let me park my car. It was scary yet exciting all at the same time.

The children were lined up to receive their toys in one area and I helped with dispensing food, beanies, gloves, and clothes in another area. The family that came to help brought a generous amount of things to give away. By the end of the day, my list of 35 families grew to 140!

It was a very long day, but a good day. During that long day, I was able to meet one of the family members that had just lost their home to a fire a few weeks ago. Also, Hector and I prayed with a mother at her request. She had found her adult son buried in the colony and was grieving the loss of her son. It was difficult not to be able to communicate how sorry I was for her loss, but I was glad that with Hector's help we were able to pray with her.