7 DAYS! + A Word From My Heart

I just wanted to send out a quick update now that there are only 7 DAYS UNTIL DTS VANCOUVER STARTS!!!

AHHHHH!!!

God is so sooo great and He keeps reminding me of His steadfast love and magnificent power every day. Sometimes in the business of life and the never-ending or changing routine, we can, I can get so stuck or blind at the many blessings and opportunities right in front of us.

One of my favorite bonuses for being a Christian is getting to decide every day to take hold of the Joy God wants to give me. To always have an excuse to be happy and spread that joy to others. Granted...It's not always easy and I am definitely not the best at it all the time. It does take work to turn the focus toward God and off of self. To take time to value someone else's happiness over yourself or to just simply spread that smile across your face even when the day is not as you planned. And hear me out when I am not saying tuck all your emotions down so no one can see them, God certainly does not want that. At times it is good to let it out, let people around you see that we are all human no matter what walk we're on, but as a Christain, we don't have to let problems, gossip, fears, or hurt define us or how we treat others. God does care immensely for the problems you and I are facing and He hears us when we cry out. He walked this journey too and sacrificed greatly, so we could someday be with Him in paradise. It was "HIS JOY SET BEFORE HIM." Walking with Joy and perseverance becomes our real testimony and what really is believed and accepted before any talk.

I've seen how God's Joy has worked in and through my life unto others and I pray that you would look for opportunities to be that light too. You might not think you are doing much but just give it to the Lord and He will fulfill the rest.

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That was Isabella's word of the day haha... Thank for reading and please comment below if you have anything you would like to add or questions!

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UPDATE
I just finished my last day of work last Friday and officially said goodbye to my co-workers today. I will truly miss working at the vet clinic and everyone there....
This week I will be getting things ready to pack, getting some friend/family hangout time in and loving up on my furry family before I head out next Tuesday morning!!

***Also, don't know if you have checked out my support page recently, but God provided the funds for the first part of my DTS journey!! Thank You LORD! Please keep in your prayers that I will not worry about the rest. Don't forget to also go on over to my support page and see where I am exactly with raising funds and if God puts it on your heart to give, please know that I am beyond grateful no matter the donation size.

God is good all the time and all the time God is good.

[Love We Don't Deserve]

Tonight, my mom and I took the opportunity to go check out the YWAM base in Salem, OR and to attend their open worship night. We knew no one going in and really didn't even know where we were supposed to go haha, but I want to give a big shoutout to Jordan for greeting my mom and me with a smile and for making us feel welcomed after just meeting her! 
It was so awesome to actually be on a YWAM base and to see a small glimpse of what it might be like when I go. 

We did not know what to expect, but what I experienced is way beyond words. Jesus filled that room and even though there were only about twelve of us there (including the worship band), His Spirit was so powerful!
One of the guys there actually shared that when he was looking around and saw such a small group he was kinda bummed, but God was impressing on his heart that He had twelve disciples to begin with and that close-knit group of twelve grew into what is tens of thousands of people today!
It doesn't have to start with a huge crowd of people... if each person in that group of twelve lives like they have just received the most extraordinary, extravagant gift ever, lives all around them will be forever changed!

On the topic of the most extraordinary, extravagant gift ever, I want to share with you about LOVE. Not the kind that comes and goes depending on how you feel about someone. Nor is it to be earned or taken away. This kind of LOVE surpasses ALL UNDERSTANDING and it is the most beautiful kind of love out there.

Our Omnipotent God

I wasn't planning on blogging today, but I feel that God is directing me to share this really powerful message with you all. This is a message that He has been really growing me in and showing me that it is indeed true! I also feel that it is really important and is a really big "influencer" in our Christian walk of faith.

If you believe, work hard and desire God first, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

I said ANYTHING!

God might be calling you to do something extraordinary! Maybe it's something that has been on your heart for a long time. But if you don't take that first step in faith it might never happen.

I was just reminded yesterday, in a message from Pastor Chris (Church of the Highlands), that God WILL call you to do things that require more than you have. This is because God doesn't want you to go off on your own, depend on your own strength, and leave Him behind! He wants to be your guide. Your provider. Your counselor.

Funny enough, I was just listening to a message this morning from Pastor Steven Furtick (over at Elevation Church), about how our relationship with God is "By Invitation Only." In his message, he said (paraphrasing here) that God wants to show up, direct our path, and help out, but He will only step in if an INVITATION is EXTENDED to Him. Meaning that if someone never wanted anything to do with God (😢), He won't just pop into their life (usually, but He can do whatever He wants like He did with Saul!😁) and say "I give you my Word but you don't listen. Straighten up!" 

God gave us all free will and that free will includes being able to decide whether or not you are going to invite God along on your journey called life!

So please, wherever you are, have the DESIRE to INVITE God into your situation. Into your troubles. And also into your times of peace. 

GOD WILL SHOW UP! Maybe not in the way you thought or maybe you don't understand it in that moment, but He WILL BE THERE!

TRUST IN HIM FOR ALL THINGS

INVITE HIM ON ALL JOURNEYS
and

KNOW THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE WITH OUR OMNIPOTENT GOD!!!  

I hope that this encouraged someone tonight and I want you to know that these are NOT my words. In fact, as I was proof-reading this post, I was thinking to myself... WOW, I really needed to hear this! These are God's Words! 

Have a blessed night (or day)!

{GUATEMALA LOVE}

"Therefore, as you go, disciple people in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit . . ."  ~ Matt. 28:19

Hi all! I hope everyone is having an awesome summer! My summer has been great and flying so by fast! 

Now that the summer is almost up, get ready for this throwback and read about some of the amazing things that God did on my trip to Guatemala and also get ready to see some awesome pictures!!

To start off, I want to give you a little more background info about this mission trip. My church has partnered with a missionary in Guatemala for the past 10 years and started taking teams down there ever since the beginning. My church has grown in its love for Guatemala and what the Lord is doing there. Since 2007, my church also started a sponsorship program with a private non-Christian school and now the program has grown and expanded to our missionary's own school.

~ TEN DAYS FAR FROM HOME ~

//  D A Y  1  //

It felt so good to be back in Guatemala (as this was my second time)! Our first day was filled with touring around Antigua, learning some history, and then going to our missionary's school to get started on a couple of our planned projects.

This is one of the main Catholic Churches in Antigua, Guatemala

The arch downtown

This is a Mayan market

An outdoor street market that we walked past

The courtyard of the school and the three new picnic tables that our guys put together 

The freshly painted sky blue bathroom 

//  D A Y  2  //

Our second day there was Sunday and another fun day for the group. First on our agenda was Church, and I have to say that worshiping the Lord with strangers in another land was an experience that I know the Holy Spirit was involved in. All our hearts were focused on One, even though the language barrier kept our minds from understanding it all. It amazing me that when we are focused on the Lord, language, color, ethnic backgrounds, or disabilities cease to exist and what is left is LOVE.

The place where we went to Church (this building is a school, we went to Church in a tent behind it)

After Church, we got to go back to Antigua to have lunch and to do some souvenir shopping.

        

Also, in the main square, there are people that are selling all kinds of jewelry, toys, food, and instruments. The ones that get me are the kids that are trying to make a living by selling different things, like these two little boys below. When I see them, I can not help but ask "Why are they out here?" "Are they all alone?" "Are they forced to sell items?" All these questions I know will probably never be answered for me and I just pray that God has His hands in their little lives. Being in a country that has a high percentage of children that often have to fend for themselves is heartbreaking and I thank the missionaries that devote their lives to help and be there for these children. 

       

//  D A Y  3  //

Oh, how I was so excited for this day! for this was Monday and the start to a week with precious kiddos! 

They start their day off in a big circle to sing, dance, and just get their bodies moving together

An essential part of their day is worshiping the Lord and it was such a pleasure to worship with these kiddos. Most of these kids live in small areas with a lot of people, do not have clean water, wear worn-out clothes and shoes, and some have to walk close to an hour just to get to school. To realize all that they go through and to yet see them sing their heart out to the Lord is overwhelming. It reminds me that I could never go through anything too bad that I could not still lift my hands and eyes to my one true King.


After we were done at Light of the World school, our next stop was at the San Lucas school.
 
They were all so excited about our visit and decked out the whole school!

We did basically the same VBS program at this school, except with a wider range of students. I was on the recreational team and so I got to help with different games and basically just hang out with the students.
   

Monday was also a very emotional day, as we visited the city dump and a place called Kairos House.

What amazes me, is all the trash that we throw away and how it ends up. More than a couple football fields in length and width is a landfill full of toys we wanted so badly, plastics of all sorts, and more. Worst of all in this dump, there are real people living among the trash and making a very little living off what they can find to recycle. For most of them, this is all they know and so are stuck in this cycle of life.  

Some people have asked, "Why can't you just move these people to a better place with the tools that they need to succeed?" It is not that simple, as it is a mindset. To change the outcome of a situation, the person's mindset must be changed first. 

There is an organization in Guatemala City, right out side of the dump, that walks along side these people. Their goal is to empower the people to make significant changes in their lives, their communities, and their nation. I would highly recommend you to check them out and to just pray over what they are doing. Check out Potter's House by clicking on the link. http://pottershouse.org.gt/

To tell you about Casa Kairos is to share with you just how God provides, how His mercy and grace resides in this house, and how His LOVE is just surrounding His children. Kairos is the Greek word for God's timing and for that to be the name of this house is so touching, as this place is sorta like a Ronald McDonald house. As in Guatemala when people are getting treated in a hospital, they cannot stay there and so a couple seeking God for guidance (after going through a similar experience) decided to open a house where families could stay while member(s) are getting treatment.

An abundance of HOPE, GRACE, FAITH, and LOVE radiates through this home and to meet people who fully place their trust in God's hands, is inspiring. These people are INSPIRING, ENCOURAGING, OVERCOMERS, and ROLE-MODELS. 

I met this little boy, named Cami, and his mom at Casa Kairos. He was so adorable with new shoes on his feet, a panda bear in his lap, and one of the biggest smiles stretched across his face. His mom was telling us how there is a defect in his legs that keeps them from bending and it was so heartwarming and touching to see how much his mom appreciated and gave thanks to the Lord for the smallest things. It just opened my eyes to see them keep a smile with all they have gone through.

http://www.cmmhost.com/kairosguatemala/home/

//  D A Y  4  //

This was the classroom I was assigned to and I have to say that I just love these kiddos! <3
Oh and sorry for the blurry picture

As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post (which probably feels like miles away :D), our Church started a sponsorship program for children in both of the school that we visit. With that program, once a year all the sponsors put together a packed zip-lock bag for their child/children and then the mission team delivers them. This time around I had more of a privilege to be a part of this area and to really see the impact their American families have on them. 

The peace sign is universal!

This year the kids were surprised with the addition of new shoes!

     

//  D A Y  5  //

Day 5 was another day having fun at both schools and so here are a few photos:)

We also got to hand out friendship bracelets to everyone and toothbrush sets to the kids at LOTW!

    

      

After we were done for the day at the schools, it was time to do some house visits. House visits are for the people who came that had a sponsor child. They are able to pack extra things for the whole family and then go visit and spend time with the family at their house. The extra people (like me) get to go with of course! :D

On our way to one of our visits

//  D A Y  6  //

Well, the four days spent at the school were amazing and I could have stayed there forever, but this day was our final day and goodbyes had to be said :( Perhaps maybe not total goodbyes, as I know that our paths will cross again in some way.

   

The kids even put on a little play for us. It was the story of Joseph. 

  

Can I just take them all home???

// D A Y S  7  &  8  //

Our last two days in Guatemala were kinda like our regroup days. We got to go to a lake and just have fun together and enjoy our last days in our home FAR from home. 

The End :)

WOW! If you are reading this right now, I want to thank you, thank you for sticking with this very long blog post!! <3 <3 It means a lot to me when people take time to read my posts and I appreciate all of you!!

This post took me a while to write and I am glad that I have finally finished it so that I could share with you guys a little of what I experienced.

If you ever have the opportunity to go on a mission trip, I would totally recommend it!! God will use your life in incredible ways and He will also change it by using the people you thought you would change. Trust me! It is definitely WORTH IT!!

Thank you all again!!!

Blessings,

Izzy<3

P.S. I took most of these pictures, but some were taken by other team members.