BRIGADA 40 Service Project

(Widow House built near Chichicastenango)

Since the moment we were asked to led the youth of Casa Bernabe, we've had a passion to see a new generation rise up among the young people we serve. A generation committed to recognize needs within the community and compassionately extend their hands to make a difference.  It's not difficult to see that the community at large is deeply in need. With the erruption of the Pacaya Volcano, Tropical Storm Agatha and other natural disasters the need in Guatemala is both profound and urgent.

BRIGADA 40 was privileged to serve Chimaltenango a few months ago through the sharing of beans, rice and the GOSPEL. It was a truly impacting experience for our youth group and we are anxious to again be able to give out of what the LORD has so graciously provided us!

We'd like to ask for your prayers as we prepare to journey to Chichicastenango with a group of 12 youth to build houses for widows in that area. The picture above is of a home we recently visited. Our hope is to be able to build 4 houses just like this one over the span of 3 days. We are so excited to have Living Stones from Reno, NV joining us on this project and have just been amazed by God's provision!

Our 12 youth will be working over the next 3 months in order to contribute to the project. As we prepare to invest in these 12 youth and build houses for 4 different families we ask that you would stand with us in prayer. Please pray that God would hand pick the families we are to bless, that we would be wise in our planning and that God would open doors for us to invest in these youth.

THANK YOU for your love, prayers and willingness to journey with us! BLESSINGS!!!!

II Peter 1:5-8

"For this ver reason, make every effort to ad to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge; and to knowledge self-control; and to self-control, perservance; and to perservance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness, love. For IF you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they willkeep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our LORD Jesus Christ."

God is GOOD and His continued presence in our lives continually amazes me! I find myself more and more grateful for the way that GOD shelters our community, for the way He provides for us through HIS beautiful people, for the way He brings JOY through the giggles and pitter-patter of little feet! I am GRATEFUL!

This passage of scripture has been our focus this year in Brigada (youth group) and each time I read it I am challenged. Challenged to make effort in my faith, challenged to not grow weary in doing good, challenged to pursue knowledge as as for a hidden treasure, to call my thoughts and actions into obedience thus expressing self-control....I am challenged to be KIND...to truly LOVE my brothers.....I am convicted and empowered to journey on striving for all these...

"Then I looked up-and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand! I asked, 'Where are you going?'

He answered to me, "To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is." Then the angel who was speaking to me left, and another angel came to meet him and said to him:

RUN, tell that young man, 'Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. And I myself will be a WALL of FIRE around it,' declares the LORD, 'and I will be it's glory within.'" Zechariah 2:1-5

As I think of the events of the past weeks around our world and specifically here in Guatemala I am reminded of this BEAUTIFUL passage of scripture. Here at Casa Bernabe we have experienced the presence of the LORD expressed so mightily in HIS WALL of FIRE around us, sheltering us and protecting us time and time again! With the earthquake, volcano and tropical storm there was great potential for an affect an our lives and the life of our minsitry BUT GOD in HIS mercy has so sheltered us!

We covet your prayers for the community that surrounds us and for the nation we serve!

Strawberry Cheesecake and Chocolate Coffee

Some of my most favorite things in life....cheesecake, coffee and FLOWERS! God has been so good to give our family a little patio that we have FILLED with beautiful flowers which greet us each morning with their BEAUTY.

Tonight as I sip on chocolate coffee, give a spelling test and ponder the past weeks I'm AMAZED at the God I serve and the way HE empowers HIS children to do MORE than they feel capable of doing, to LOVE deeper than they can comprehend and to SERVE beyond what they feel their strength will allow. The past weeks have been a whirlwind of events, inspiring a mirage of emotions and ushering in exhaustion. I am comforted by Matthew 11....

"Come to me, all all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you REST. Take my yoke upon you, and LEARN from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you WILL FIND REST for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Last week I had the honor of sharing God's WORD during our weekly youth meeting. Normally I am so nervous about speaking in front of ANYONE in Spanish BUT God was so good to shower me with peace about the whole ordeal. Still I didn't have a WORD that I truly felt was from HIM. At the last moment God began to speak to my heart about this AMAZING love story. Everyone loves a good love story and as God led me to Hosea, He began to challenge my heart in relation to our tendancy as Christians to play the harlot. We know the truth and yet so often deny the power thereof!

I thought about the first real love letter I ever received. It was a cold November morning and there on my snow covered windshield was a letter to me from a man who was pursuing my heart. Talk about BEAUTIFUL! I still remember what I felt and as I took a walk down memory lane God began to challenge my heart. What things distract me....facebook, work, even ministry from this beautiful relationship with the LIVING GOD?

The fun part of falling in love is getting to know the other person, their likes - dislikes, their character...especially under pressure.....experiencing LIFE together. Falling in love with the Living God is much the same and through his precious WORD we get to know His amazing character, the things that overjoy his heart and the ways that we continually break it. As we walk through life in this intimate relationship our experience is so much sweeter....and it goes on and on and on FOREVER!

Oh that He might help me to push through the distractions and obstacles and presser deeper into HIS HEART!

Answered Prayers....

Praise GOD!!!! He's provided us with a beauiful vehicle.....

We are so excited to finally have a car of our own! Which means on our weekends off we can take a break from our beautiful campus and enjoy some sweet r & r.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! For praying with us, for standing with us believing for this miracle....

Coffee, Chocolate and Cheese (Take 2)

I've used this blog more often that not to share about all that God is doing here on our mountainside in Guatemala. But lately I've just felt led to share a bit about what God is doing in us...hence the title...
"Coffee, Chocolate and Cheese..."
A little background: Years ago during my first years of service I lived with some AMAZING women in our baby house. We were all single and either adopting or fostering children. Often we'd find ourselves gathered around the kitchen table at 9:00p.m. or later for coffee, chocolate of some kind and a snack which usually included cheese in one form or another. It was a time of GREAT encouragment to my soul and accountability for my weak heart! In those times, around that table I didn't feel so alone....didn't so much notice that I was single...didn't so much miss my husband. I felt so satisfied in the LORD and so grateful for the dear friends that He was allowing me to fellowship with and glean from.
So as I considered sharing more personal thoughts through this blog I thought "Coffee, chocolate and cheese" would make a great title!

Each Sunday church is different! Different worship team, different preacher...etc. Normall Stefan and I take the three year olds out for Sunday School but today there was a special group of volunteers who came in to take our place, giving Stefan and I the opportunity to stay in "big church." Worship was AMAZING...and I really felt the LORD confirming some words that He had been speaking to me in private. Earlier I journaled about living a "surrendered life." Job lived a surrendered life without question....when life was falling in around him what did he do? WORSHIP....yes that's right, the man got on his face and worshiped the LIVING GOD. Now that is surrender! In the midst of crisis, trauma....UNREAL brokenness, Job didn't turn to his friends, he didn't run to his pastor or spiritual advisor, he didn't kill himself....HE WORSHIPED!
In the midst of our circumstances...good, bad or otherwise do we find ourselves grateful? My heart is convicted....
I deeply desire to live a life TOTALLY surrendered to the LIVING GOD. I want to reflect HIS glory in every desicion, attitude and response.
Challenged to live this week a bit different than the last...

Coffee, Chocolate and Cheese....

Life gets so busy....at times it seems to fly by at the speed of light! With 160 kids our lives are nothing less than an adventure....sometimes more challenging than we feel capable of handling, sometimes more sorrowful than our hearts feel able to bear and sometimes so JOYFUL that cups overflow....

In the midst of our ministry and role here at Casa Bernabe, Stefan and I continue to grow as a family! It's been almost nine years since my little bundle of JOY was born and my mind reels as I look back and see the MIGHTY, COMPASSIONATE hand of God over our lives! Yesterday while on a tour of our facilities he came to me with a mirage of needs. As I attended him I listened to a dear friend TESTIFY to the GOODNESS of GOD through our story! At times it's so challenging to be a single mama, to work more than full time here in this ministry, to homeschool and somewhere in there still be me.....but I am learning more and more about what it truly means to live a SURRENDERED life.

Several months ago in the midst of more sorrow than I felt capable of bearing I began to ask, "GOD, seriously what is it that you want from me?" Stefan was struggling with the absence of a daddy in his life and I was feeling responsible, I was working through several really difficult situations with our children here at CB and just feeling ready to be a mama to a house instead of a Social Worker....there again knowing that without my husband that would be impossible. In that brokenness the questions in my heart were a deep ocean and I felt hopeless to change anything, incapable of taking the pain, the frustration....
"God, seriously what is it that you want from me?" I TRULY felt that I was living a surrendered life.....it took weeks but in the silence God began to reveal to me the picture of a crucible and an intense fire. What does GOD want from me? He wants to see His own GLORIOUS reflection in ALL that I Am.... AND in order to acheive those results the fire must get hotter, PRIDE must be destroyed, my "I CAN DO IT....OR better yet....I WILL DO IT MYSELF" attitude has to be crucified, my plans must become submissive to HIS purpose and I must be willing everyday to TRULY live a LIFE fully surrendered to the LIVING GOD.

Today as we prepare to worship with 160 children my prayer is that God will continue to refine me as a mama...that I might attend the needs, wants and desires of my precious little Stefan with WISDOM, that I might be a living example of the ONE that I serve....and that as a community we would be unified in seeking RESTORATION in the GOD who lives, moves among us and LOVES us more than we could ever imagine.

Holy Week...

Service Project @ the dump in Chimaltenango

Since the beginning of time we as humans have been FORGETFUL! We forget everything from where we last left our keys to AMAZING experiencing had at the hand of a GRACIOUS and LIVING God! Often we live within our circumstances as though they are exclusive...that is to say that those circumstances are all that matter. AND thus we FORGET about the world around us, the trials our "brothers and sisters" are experiencing....famine, war, abuse, abandonment, etc.

In our community here I think it is even easier to FORGET. We live on the side of the mountain and EVERYTHING we need is here. It's rare that we experience life apart from this place....you could even say that we live in a bubble! That is not to say it's utopia but it's a place that is certainly sheltered from the world. As we've considered these things, we felt led by the Holy Spirit to incorporate service projects as a part of the VISION for youth group in 2010.

Honestly as we planned it was a HUGE step of FAITH. We felt led to do some sort of project in the city dump but for months had no response from the ministry located there. Then, sort of out of the blue some great friends, Charlie and Pat Reynolds introduced us to a new ministry beginning in their city at the dump. So we made a trip out there to visit them but also to explore partnership possibilities.

After MUCH planning our youth - - BRIGADA 40 began to prepare through a 40 day fast in which they each chose to give up an element of life, something important to them in order to make more room in their lives for the presence of the LORD. On the last day of that fast we called an optional but communal fast among BRIGADA in order to prepare specifically for the service project out in Chimaltenango. WHAT an AMAZING day it was! The youth arrived, the majority having chosen to fast, they jumped into the prep process....sorting and bagging beans and rice, wrapping gifts of hygiene products, cutting fruit and practicing a program through which they would present the GOSPEL. It was AMAZING!

No complaining, no bad attitudes....And at the end we spent time in small groups praying over the activity instead of eating.

As I pondered the events of the day it occured to me that the FAST was ENJOYABLE! And the Lord led me to Isaiah 58...

"Is not this the fast that I choose:

To LOOSE the bonds of wickedness,

to UNDO the straps of the yoke,

to LET the oppressed go free,

And to BREAK every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, "HERE I AM."

THE FAST WAS ENJOYABLE!

The next day at 8:00a.m. we headed to Chimaltenango for the service project...

BRIGADA 40 served at Pat and Charlie's school and it's surrounding community and then at the Chimaltenango dump as well. Our hearts were so tender and the Spirit of God moved among us and through us mightily! And the Lord continues to work among us....

OUR CHALLENGE: To REMEMBER this new found perspective and to walk in GRATEFULNESS!