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.
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.
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