Quick update

These past few weeks have been some of the best but challenging weeks I've had. I'm sorry for not updating the blog but trust me there's a lot of stories to share. I've decided that I'm going to wait until I get home on July 31st to put alllll of the stories here. It will give me a chance to reflect and really share my heart with everyone. I know a lot of people look forward to reading my blog but check back the first week of August. Please pray for me for the next few days as I'm preparing to leave and for all the ministries to continue growing after we leave.

An amazing July forth weekend.

On Friday night we were invited to a missions celebration. A lot of missionaries from different states and countries gather to just fellowship together. It was the first time I got to see horses and real cowboys in Houston. There was amazing slow cooked brisket so I'm definitely moving to Texas just for the food! It was a comfort to just be in country land with the smell without having to get dirty! :)

On Saturday we were invited to someone's house from Second Baptist Church. Before I got there they said it was going to be more or less like a castle. It was absolutely gorgeous. The rules were...you can sleep in any bed you want. you can do your nails. you can have a massage. you can have your hair cut. you can swim in the pool. you can call home. It was fabulous. I went swimming which was a blessing in this heat. The girl's changing room was in the master bedroom which was like three rooms in itself. They didn't make any of the beds because they thought we would be more comfortable jumping into a messy bed. We had the whole day to sit back and just relax. They did cookout style foods which was like being at home :) Later that night everyone was going to watch a movie but I was really into my book so I took it upon myself to find me a cozy spot in one of the beds. They said we could sleep so I took it upon myself that I would do just that. Peaceful. Quiet. When you're in a room with 14 other girls there are times when you just need time to yourself and hear yourself think. Don't get me wrong I love all the girls but I like "me" time too! 

I'm starting week 6 and I'm still loving Houston but I'm missing home. I miss my family but I know I'm where God wants me to be so that's comfort. I love the outings on the weekends because they give you pieces that feel like home! 

More of July 5th...

I have learned so much about God and about myself. One thing I wanted to share is that in life we are going to have a lot going on ad some times it will seem unbearable. I know I'm dealing with a lot right not and there are times where I just want to get away. A verse that has really stuck out this week is 1 Corinthians 10: 13, " No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." At times I get frustrated because of things going on because I have no control of the outcome but last night I came to a point where I have peace. Things are going to happen that you have no control over but I know God is my strength. I just have to rely on Him. He's not going to let me go through anything that I can't handle. 

July 5th.

Just ending the fifth week there is a lot to look back on and to reflect. I'm not really sure where to start so this post be a little all over the place but it's all my thoughts. On Tuesday, June 30, we did a swap day of all the centers. It's a chance for each of us to get to experience the other centers and to see how they run things. The Gano team, which is my team, went to the Joy Mission Center. I had a lot of fears going into this day because I knew that they do the food pantry different than what I'm used to but I knew somehow I would get through the day. When the people arrive at Joy then sign in and get interviewed. After that we receive two papers, one paper goes with them to the clothing closet where they get five mins to get five things. After that time we have piles of food set up with their other paper which tells them when to come back. They bring their own bags to put their food in. The Gano food pantry does things a little different. We make bags for families of different families. Like there are families of 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, and 9-10. We hand the bags out the door so they never come in the food pantry. Both ways are efficient and at the end of the day I looked back and saw that God helped me the whole time. He took away all my fears and gave me the strength for the unknown. So that was swap day, I worked in the food pantry at Joy for the morning. 

Stories from my food pantry. 

I met an older guy named David and he normally doesn't come but this week he ran out of money and food and when he was thinking of somewhere he could go he thought of the Mission Centers. I've been thinking a while that it's a priority for me to have quiet time with God and I never said a word about quiet time to David. David thought started sharing with me about the importance of quiet time with God and really having our focus on God. It was like a message from God that it's important to him and for me to just have time with Him not letting anything else interfere. 

Willie Jean- His son was murdered a few months ago and he really seems to be struggling. I told him that I would pray for him. This is very common to this community. It's not just hispanic people that I see everyday but people of every race. Every race searching for something. A love that endures and never ends. 

This next story effected my week and my outlook on things. A guy named Samuel came to the door and his ticket said he was a homeless. I gave him his homeless bag and he went on his way. It was slow and I noticed he just went outside and sat on the sidewalk. I took this as an opportunity. I said hello, you know the normal conversation starters. He then began to tell e his life story. He has 6 children and his 1 yr. old is not allowed to see him. He pulled up his shirt and showed me his scars from stab wounds. I was like whoa this is something I don't need to be handling so I started to go inside and just kept telling him that I would pray for him. He seemed to have a solution to all his problems though and that's when he pointed to a can of beer behind the food pantry door. This is where I started having a problem. You're not parenting your kids because you are too busy being drunk. This brought up so many emotions with my biological father having no place in my life. I realized that there are a lot of feelings that I always put off of dealing with. I realized that there's a lot of things I have to deal with including the process of forgiveness. This isn't a easy road to begin but in the long run it's worth the time. There's no point building up that bitterness when Christ can be your peace. Another thing I learned that in ministry you have to have a fine line between letting your personal things interfere with ministering to people. You can use your experiences to reach out to people but there has to be a line where you don't let your emotions get the best of you. This wasn't a bridge that I would have expected but at the end of the day I realized that God was teaching me. There really is not miraculous end to the story except that I told him that I would pray for him and I will.