More on a mama's heart and surrender...

So this month has brought so many amazing opportunities with the girls on our campus! It's so fun to experience God move and change my heart with time! The first time that I experienced Casa Bernabe, God totally wrecked me but He did so through the sweet smiles and heart-wrenching cries of the three, four and five year olds on campus. Ministry looks so different this time around and part of the blessing of being a part of the youth here is that the youth now ARE those exact three, four and five year olds.

So one of the most enjoyable things I did this month was plan a retreat for our "Quince" group. It was SO much FUN!!! We are so thankful for the way that God has empowered Living Stones in Reno, NV to come alongside this group of young people to help prepare them for their futures.

The retreat has been an idea that has occupied our minds much of late and at the heart of it, the desire to address such issues as higiene, pure relationships and of course sex...the good, the bad and the ugly. We were so blessed by the way that God provided and pulled every detail together. The hotel that we stayed in offered bungalows with kichens which allowed for Quince to plan their meals and then we all went shopping together. It was great for the kids to come face to face with the reality of what it really takes, financially, to feed that many of them. They had a budget and the girls had to put things back due to lack of funds which was a really amazing experience. They talked through it...made decisions but in the end still ate like queens!

The sessions were informal which made for a family like environment and the girls responded so well! Throughout the two days I was able to connect with girls that I've really not known before and I was able to really build up relationships with others. Sometimes we experience things in life and we ask..."How could this happen? How could God possibly use this for His glory?" I've asked these questions alot in my life and honestly each time I think there is no way, God shows up in a big way, turns the challenges into something usuable in His Kingdom and gets the GLORY! I truly feel like that is what happened during our two days together. Every adult present was able to speak into these lives in such pivotal ways.

I've had some revelations this month that ONLY a LOVING Father could give. For the past five years I've begged the Lord for a house full of boys and the ability to stay at home and minister to and raise up God-fearing men. Well, I have two full time jobs, try to manage Stefan's homeschool and so the term "stay at home mom"....pretty much not a reality! However as I mentioned in my last post God recently opened a door for me to become a foster parent. While I totally believe that this is an opportunity that God has given, I have also felt Him gently nudging my heart, gently asking me what it is that I truly desire to do. Is it to be that stay at home mom....which would take a miracle by the way.....
OR
Is it to be a social worker, a youth worker, a disciple maker????? It is not that both aren't possible but reality is that it's really challenging to do it all and do it well. So tonight I lay my mama's heart, my need for reorgainization and my desire to serve King Jesus at HIS feet in surrender....
Lord have your way...not my will but yours be done!