Revelations

Once again an eventful week! The prositution ministry went great. We handed out some coffee and cookies and talked to some of the guys/girls. There were about 10 of us and we don't want to look like a big group taking pity on people so we take turns of a few people going out at a time talking to the people. Nothing too crazy happened while we were there which is good we just got to build more relationships which is essential in ministry and helping others. "They don't care about what you know until they know that you care" which is why such a huge part is getting to know the people you want to help and really letting them know they can trust you. Our last stop was the funnest for me. We went to the area where homosexual men were and talk to a few of them. One of them was an absolute character! He told me I looked like Amy Winehouse and was being absolutly hilarious. He only knew a few words in English but it was too funny when he would speak them because he would be making fun of us. "Whattt?? Oh my goshh no way! Like no way!" and other similar words like that but he knew all the popular musicians from the States. Which just shows that media is such a huge influence everywhere not only youth and people from the area they are in but also in other cultures where they don't even know the cultures. I'm so glad that people from other countries get to see shows we watch about people getting wasted and making fools of themselves and then listening to our popular music which does nothing but degrades women and talks about drugs and alcohol. I mean don't get me wrong I'm guilty of watching and listening to this music but I know that we are not all like that. The people in other countries assume we are that way which is such a bummer but I guess they will never know until they meet the good ones OR we make a difference we get people with good morals and aren't absolutly broken on the inside to get into the "role model" place so people look up to the ones that are going into the remote areas and helping others. But all I can do is "be the change I wish to see in the world" and I'm exactly where I need to be to do that in my opinion.

Sunday I went to Jaco, a beach on the Pacific side about 2 hours away from San Jose. The YWAM base runs a Children at Risk School which is 9 months long of learning about the issues children face and then doing an outreach to go and actually do something about it. There is one actually going on right now but they are on outreach in Jaco and have been for the past few months. They are working at this place called "the river" which is a bunch of houses on a water bank where in order to even get out you need to cross this river which at times can be a couple feet. There are houses on both sides and it is a very poor area. The children are living with abusive parents; sexually, emotionally, and physically. The ministry there started four years about with a church in Jaco and YWAM got in contact with them to do their outreach there a few years ago. Since then the Children at Risk School outreaches in Jaco and works with the Children there. Right now my good friend/roomate/team-mate Heidi's fiance and another guy are living in Jaco doing their outreach there. We wanted to go and look at the ministry again, I saw it a few weeks ago and Heidi spent some time there before she came to DTS, but another one of the girls in my DTS feels that God may be calling her to teach English to the kids there so thats what our primary purpose was to be there. We checked it out and met some of the people. We didn't spend too much time because there wansn't an organized ministry that day. Heidi and her fiance Isaac are actually going to be taking over that ministry once they get married so it is a really huge thing. Heidi is a nurse from upstate New York and Isaac is a missionary from a little village in Costa Rica. They have a crazy story of how they met and God has totally blessed that relationship. Heidi got called to missions and now let go of her right to have a job and make her own money to be a missionary for God and rely on Him 100% which is the main part of mission work for God. We need to be 100% reliant on Him and believe me He will provide, I'm here aren't I? They are the greatest couple I have ever met and have really talked me through a lot of issues that I have had to deal with due to my past. She is 27 and he is 28 and both are absolutely amazing! I wish you could meet them. They have both been to India and done mission work there. Their stories are incredible. They are getting married in December and I AM A BRIDESMAID :)

After the river we went on this beautiful hike up to a place that overlooks the beach. It used to be a very expensive resteraunt sometime back but not it is just the floor of it and pillars which held up the roof. It took a while to get up there but boy the whole way was absolutly amazing. It's so nice to get out of San José and really see the beauty of Costa Rica. We were in the Jungle looking at the beach!! I'll put some pictures up there. It was another great weekend with just as the title has said revelations.

God has recently put on my heart the desire to do a Children at Risk school in Tijuana, Mexico.

"The school focuses on disenfranchised children, such as orphans, street children, the handicapped and abused. The course content will be taught by ministry and social service professionals experienced in helping at-risk children. The CRS is for those who want to become advocates for at-risk children. This school will multiply leaders who in turn will champion the cause of children through social, political, judicial and spiritual intervention. Students experience God’s heart for justice, defending the cause of the fatherless, rescuing the poor, the weak and the oppressed. It also has an emphasis on human trafficking and will work regularly in the red light district of Tijuana throughout the lecture phase for hands on experience during the course."

That is from the website. Last night I was praying like crazy asking God to tell me if it is his disire for me to go or if I made it up myself. This morning during worship I continued to be reminded of this school and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get it out of my head. I told Him I guess this means you want me to do the school huh? So I started to be stubborn and said okay God if you want me to go to the school then confirm it, make it so obvious to me. After the worship service I was talking to a friend and another girl came up to me and told me she needed to tell me somthing. She has a word for me that God spoke to her. We were both shocked because we don't know eachother very well and we don't talk too much so when she told me she had a word for me it was a bit of a shock. What she told me confirmed it, God wants me in Tijuana, Mexico working with broken children. I don't care how "dangerous" it is when God calls you somewhere you don't disobey you don't come up with excuses. He knows what your concerns are and He takes care of that which makes the decisions He asks us to make so much easier!! When you know that He will take care of all the messy details all you have to do is raise your money and follow His will. He is the light for my path and I'm learning that more and more everyday. I am so excited He has revealed to me what I am supposed to do next. I thought that the "right" thing for me to do was a Bible school but obviously He has other plans for me. This school starts in January and it is 9 months long but 6 of the months are outreach which is optional. I am going to be starting school, college, next fall so if I were to do the Children at Risk school but only 3 months of outreach I could still start school next fall! It's funny how when He calls you to things He makes it just work out. The school is $3,100 but I am planning on putting together a video, selling photographs, doing a fundraising dinner, painting, and other things for fundraising. Now that I have experience in the mission field fundraising will be much easier. Then I'm off to school for nursing!

So that is a little bit of what is going on in my life! Whats going on in your life? Is everyone enjoying these blogs??

LOVE YOU ALL talk to you soon

http://www.ywamsandiegobaja.org/articles.aspx?id=27592

Here is the link for the school I want to do.