FOUR
Rest in Bed and Weep
Monday, Monday, How sweet you are! :)
Monday is usually my rest day. It's the day I pray, study, meditate and watch random movies on Netflix. I also eat too many snacks and nap in the middle of the day. Because of my crutches and my inability to move around today's plan was to stay in bed and rest, because I had such a full day yesterday. Can I just describe it as a full day? NO! I will call it a day full of miracles. I was asked to share a testimony at Times Square Church, during 6 pm service. My first reaction was- Oh no, impossible, I'm in pain, on crutches, I have a torn ligament. But then I checked my heart and I know God was leading me to do it, despite my circumstances. God took care of me all the way! I got a ride in to church, got a great seat with leg stretching abilities for the 3 pm service and was ready to share with a promise in my heart! As I shared the testimony of how my mom became a Christian about 7 months ago and her miraculous battle with cancer, I could feel my knee about to give out, it was trembling and I could feel super natural arms holding me up. God's grace is so precious! I was so blessed and touched to see that one of my oldest and friends parents (mom and dad) came to the altar to give their hearts to Christ. So, like I said, a day full of miracles! :)
So today Monday on my usual " Netflix " time I stumbled upon a documentary on North Korea. I mean I am up on current affairs and events, but this inside look at this country often referred to as " The Hermit Country" broke my heart. I was inspired to study and research later about Pastor Chun Ki Won, who has personally helped 700 people escape from North Korea. I also studied and read about our underground brothers and sisters in North Korea, who are persecuted and executed for their faith. Run over by steamrollers at times. The government has even set up mock underground churches to catch these people and send them to work camps, just like concentration camps. The largest of them just called "Number 22".
I wept for North Korea today for the people there that literally praise " Their Dear Leader" raising their hands in the same way we do to praise Jesus. I prayed for the Christians there and the young men whose picture I saw praying at a underground bible study.
I was reminded of what my former missions director and now friend Bettina once told me, if you don't know what to pray for, just look at a newspaper, God will show you. That phrase has always been dear to my heart. For me it's not that I don't know what to pray for, I just want to pray for what God wants me to pray for...
What does God want you to pray for today friend, a city, a neighborhood, a nation? Be open to His leading and direction. God will give you the wisdom on how to pray and you will have a sweet fellowship with Him as you intercede and He speaks to your heart.
~ let's not forget those who are on this adventure with us, and are suffering for their faith.
Cheers
Monday, March 28, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Three: Even when not in Brooklyn, it's a adventure!
Three:
Even when not in Brooklyn, the adventures never stop!
They called to give me the wonderful news that my car was ready on Tuesday afternoon, I was so happy! Unfortunately I was laying in bed in upstate New York with a leg brace that goes from the top of my thigh to the middle of my calf with a pair of dandy crutches staring at me. My car was in a shop in the last corner of Queens! It was then left to my darling husband to pick up the car after working two double shifts. He's a police officer and my own personal hero. We talked on the phone and looked at subway maps to have a strategy on his journey which we calculated would take about an hour and a half. I felt so bad for him, because for those who know me well, I despise the subway. I get hives thinking of it ( no, I really don't , but I feel like I do) I have tried to like it, trust me. Every time I ride I get followed by rats, my biggest phobia in life. And two people have had violent vomiting sprees right next to me. Not to mention, my favorite aroma of" I had scallions for breakfast" right on my face! Anyway, my husband undertook the task with gusto. When he returned with the car that night he told me this story which I thought was so great: I got in the train in Manhattan, with the Manhattan crowd, I felt safe and then little by little the Manhattan crowd started getting off one by one deserting me! I looked up and realized I was in East New York, and a mob of thugs got on the train and came right at me. They tried to corner me and then their leader yelled" C'mon, let's go mobbing!" My husband against ten gangsters! He stood up and proceeded to stare down the leader. They had a stare down until the next stop, and then he silently exited the train. It was like a western movie. He then walked in the rain for about 5 miles to pick up the car. My knight in shining armor!
The car returned home safely and so did he. Yesterday we went to the orthopedic surgeon and learned that I have torn ligaments on my knee and that I will be in cast and crutches for at least 6 weeks. So since yesterday my adventure has been to learn to walk in crutches and be stable. So far I've flung a crutch while walking, got a plastic bag stuck on one of my crutches and had one of them slide away in the icy snow in front of our house. We were not in Freedom Square this weekend, I am in so much pain! But I heard wonderful reports from one of our leaders of sweet worship and a record number of people attending both the service and the feeding program. The work of the Lord continues in strength, even when obstacles come our way. Why? How?Because God will equip you and bless you with people especially when you are in need. You know what i've been pondering about this week? Pain. In studying physical pain I learned that its our body's way of telling us something is wrong. I feel pain in my knee because my body is alerting me that something is wrong. How many of us are in pain or have hidden pains? I'm not talking about pain because you have a sick loved one, or because you are suffering because of a loss. I'm talking about pain because someone hurt you in the past, because you hurt someone, pain because you feel like you failed, or because you are keep playing a certain scenario in your head over and over again that brings you so much pain. Maybe you said too much or said too little, or maybe you stayed silent. Maybe the pain is there because it's an alarm to let you know that there is something wrong. You see no matter how much you try, pain is very hard to hide. I know this because I have dealt with both physical and emotional pain all my life. I have a defense mechanism, I try to rationalize my pain. I'll talk to myself and try to convince my pain that it's not there. Does it work? No way! The only way to deal with pain is to acknowledge it, target it's source and find a way to make it go away. This process is difficult, but worth it. When we get to the point that we deal with our pain it's such a sweet moment of freedom! As Christians, Jesus bore our pains for us, and He is familiar with pain. He does not look away at it, He knows it well.Even as I write this I am in pain, but I know in my heart that if I trust in the promises that Jesus has given me, I'm not alone. Is the road easy? No, but is NOT a road that we walk alone friends. Our sweet Lord is there every step, wiping every tear.
~ An adventure is better shared with your best friend.
Cheers!
Even when not in Brooklyn, the adventures never stop!
They called to give me the wonderful news that my car was ready on Tuesday afternoon, I was so happy! Unfortunately I was laying in bed in upstate New York with a leg brace that goes from the top of my thigh to the middle of my calf with a pair of dandy crutches staring at me. My car was in a shop in the last corner of Queens! It was then left to my darling husband to pick up the car after working two double shifts. He's a police officer and my own personal hero. We talked on the phone and looked at subway maps to have a strategy on his journey which we calculated would take about an hour and a half. I felt so bad for him, because for those who know me well, I despise the subway. I get hives thinking of it ( no, I really don't , but I feel like I do) I have tried to like it, trust me. Every time I ride I get followed by rats, my biggest phobia in life. And two people have had violent vomiting sprees right next to me. Not to mention, my favorite aroma of" I had scallions for breakfast" right on my face! Anyway, my husband undertook the task with gusto. When he returned with the car that night he told me this story which I thought was so great: I got in the train in Manhattan, with the Manhattan crowd, I felt safe and then little by little the Manhattan crowd started getting off one by one deserting me! I looked up and realized I was in East New York, and a mob of thugs got on the train and came right at me. They tried to corner me and then their leader yelled" C'mon, let's go mobbing!" My husband against ten gangsters! He stood up and proceeded to stare down the leader. They had a stare down until the next stop, and then he silently exited the train. It was like a western movie. He then walked in the rain for about 5 miles to pick up the car. My knight in shining armor!
The car returned home safely and so did he. Yesterday we went to the orthopedic surgeon and learned that I have torn ligaments on my knee and that I will be in cast and crutches for at least 6 weeks. So since yesterday my adventure has been to learn to walk in crutches and be stable. So far I've flung a crutch while walking, got a plastic bag stuck on one of my crutches and had one of them slide away in the icy snow in front of our house. We were not in Freedom Square this weekend, I am in so much pain! But I heard wonderful reports from one of our leaders of sweet worship and a record number of people attending both the service and the feeding program. The work of the Lord continues in strength, even when obstacles come our way. Why? How?Because God will equip you and bless you with people especially when you are in need. You know what i've been pondering about this week? Pain. In studying physical pain I learned that its our body's way of telling us something is wrong. I feel pain in my knee because my body is alerting me that something is wrong. How many of us are in pain or have hidden pains? I'm not talking about pain because you have a sick loved one, or because you are suffering because of a loss. I'm talking about pain because someone hurt you in the past, because you hurt someone, pain because you feel like you failed, or because you are keep playing a certain scenario in your head over and over again that brings you so much pain. Maybe you said too much or said too little, or maybe you stayed silent. Maybe the pain is there because it's an alarm to let you know that there is something wrong. You see no matter how much you try, pain is very hard to hide. I know this because I have dealt with both physical and emotional pain all my life. I have a defense mechanism, I try to rationalize my pain. I'll talk to myself and try to convince my pain that it's not there. Does it work? No way! The only way to deal with pain is to acknowledge it, target it's source and find a way to make it go away. This process is difficult, but worth it. When we get to the point that we deal with our pain it's such a sweet moment of freedom! As Christians, Jesus bore our pains for us, and He is familiar with pain. He does not look away at it, He knows it well.Even as I write this I am in pain, but I know in my heart that if I trust in the promises that Jesus has given me, I'm not alone. Is the road easy? No, but is NOT a road that we walk alone friends. Our sweet Lord is there every step, wiping every tear.
~ An adventure is better shared with your best friend.
Cheers!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
"W" Whatever!
TWO
"W"
Whatever! ( valley girl accent)
I was finally getting over acute bronchitis. The weather was looking wonderful, with spring breezes coming in the windows. I could hear the birds singing and chirping. The bronchitis had made my body extremely weak and I was pushing it to the limit. I was running the ministry as usual, caring for my husband and children.I was in the cycle of work, exhaustion, work, exhaustion. My car began to shake on the way down to Brooklyn last week and turned off at the tolls of the George Washington Bridge.I made it to a auto shop my friend suggested but it ended being pretty much right next to JFK airport, otherwise known as a far far away land. We got the news that the car would be there for at least a week. This car is our ministry car and family car so it took some time to adjust to the news. I was able to borrow another car for ministry Saturday and God was faithful to get me and 145 loaves of bread, pastries and cakes safely to Brooklyn. And one shopping bag of Chipotle donations. We had a wonderful prayer meeting and feed many hungry faces with a delicious chicken in cream sauce, green salad and rice. As I left the ministry storefront on Saturday afternoon I was thinking of all the things I could do starting Monday, take walks, work out, join a Zumba class, exercise, bake, etc. Basically I daydreamed of tons of post bronchitis activities. Monday morning I rested, prayed and studied. And at 4pm the little ones came home from school. We started a silly wrestling match on my bed. My son ran and cannonballed into me full speed, landing full force on my left knee. We all heard a loud popping noise! We looked and my kneecap was floating out of place, completely apart from the rest of my leg. I was looking at it and then I realized I was screaming at the top of my lungs and the next second the pain hit me, excruciating! Having had 3 children, various spinal taps, ear aches and such in the past. This pain was up there in the top! I shifted my leg slowly and we heard another pop, the knee cap went back into its place, but the pain was there. Gosh, we have no car, my husband is at work. Time to pray! The children helped me to immobilize my knee as much as they could. All I could think of was my activity list being flushed down the toilet. So back to the doctor, onto crutches and a huge leg brace, back to bed you go. Plans for the week were changed to: lay in bed and wobble to the bathroom as needed. Oh, and on top of that there will be pain involved and you will have to wear a huge brace ( soft cast) on your leg that will prevent you from being comfortable most of the 24 hours of the day. I am in the perfect setting to throw a big ole pity party, and invite sadness, depression, anger and frustration as my VIP guests. As a missionary in reality, if you can't walk you can't do. I can't drive to the mission, I can't shop for the food that will be cooked this week at the feeding program, I can't prepare the place for the youth on Friday. Not only can I not walk without crutches, but my car is somewhere in Queens. Totally shut down!
This is the point that I think of my dear friend Rebekah. You see I met Rebekah about 11 years ago when she first moved to NYC from California. We used to joke at her California sayings and we still do. I remember playing around and saying "whateveeer" and then making a W sign with our hands..
As a Christian, a minister, a wife, a mom and a friend I have to right now make that little hand sign to the enemy of my faith- whatever!!!!
This is what I mean:
Whatever attack may come
Whatever flood might cause me to feel like I'm about to drown
Whatever circumstance
Whatever battle
In tears and in joy
Whatever comes my way
Whatever way I get shut down
Whatever evil words may be whispered in my ear
Whatever way I may be tried to be stopped
Whatever!
I know that whatever happens
Anything that may occur
Nothing will stop Gods love and plan for me
Whatever happens to me He cares
Whatever comes my way,
Nothing absolutely nothing
Can separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus!
I don't know what your facing today friend, doubt, pain, anger, confusion. maybe you're just tired or maybe you're afraid. Maybe you feel like giving up on what called you to do, or maybe you feel as you don't really know what to do with your life. Join me today, as we put both our hands up and make the W hand sign, Whatever! Let's do it all day all week! Whatever comes our way nothing can separate us from the love of God!
I feel like dancing when I think of this, so right now in bed with this huge brace on my leg I'm shaking my shoulders in victory!
~ An adventure wouldn't be complete without some obstacles to learn from.
Cheers!
"W"
Whatever! ( valley girl accent)
I was finally getting over acute bronchitis. The weather was looking wonderful, with spring breezes coming in the windows. I could hear the birds singing and chirping. The bronchitis had made my body extremely weak and I was pushing it to the limit. I was running the ministry as usual, caring for my husband and children.I was in the cycle of work, exhaustion, work, exhaustion. My car began to shake on the way down to Brooklyn last week and turned off at the tolls of the George Washington Bridge.I made it to a auto shop my friend suggested but it ended being pretty much right next to JFK airport, otherwise known as a far far away land. We got the news that the car would be there for at least a week. This car is our ministry car and family car so it took some time to adjust to the news. I was able to borrow another car for ministry Saturday and God was faithful to get me and 145 loaves of bread, pastries and cakes safely to Brooklyn. And one shopping bag of Chipotle donations. We had a wonderful prayer meeting and feed many hungry faces with a delicious chicken in cream sauce, green salad and rice. As I left the ministry storefront on Saturday afternoon I was thinking of all the things I could do starting Monday, take walks, work out, join a Zumba class, exercise, bake, etc. Basically I daydreamed of tons of post bronchitis activities. Monday morning I rested, prayed and studied. And at 4pm the little ones came home from school. We started a silly wrestling match on my bed. My son ran and cannonballed into me full speed, landing full force on my left knee. We all heard a loud popping noise! We looked and my kneecap was floating out of place, completely apart from the rest of my leg. I was looking at it and then I realized I was screaming at the top of my lungs and the next second the pain hit me, excruciating! Having had 3 children, various spinal taps, ear aches and such in the past. This pain was up there in the top! I shifted my leg slowly and we heard another pop, the knee cap went back into its place, but the pain was there. Gosh, we have no car, my husband is at work. Time to pray! The children helped me to immobilize my knee as much as they could. All I could think of was my activity list being flushed down the toilet. So back to the doctor, onto crutches and a huge leg brace, back to bed you go. Plans for the week were changed to: lay in bed and wobble to the bathroom as needed. Oh, and on top of that there will be pain involved and you will have to wear a huge brace ( soft cast) on your leg that will prevent you from being comfortable most of the 24 hours of the day. I am in the perfect setting to throw a big ole pity party, and invite sadness, depression, anger and frustration as my VIP guests. As a missionary in reality, if you can't walk you can't do. I can't drive to the mission, I can't shop for the food that will be cooked this week at the feeding program, I can't prepare the place for the youth on Friday. Not only can I not walk without crutches, but my car is somewhere in Queens. Totally shut down!
This is the point that I think of my dear friend Rebekah. You see I met Rebekah about 11 years ago when she first moved to NYC from California. We used to joke at her California sayings and we still do. I remember playing around and saying "whateveeer" and then making a W sign with our hands..
As a Christian, a minister, a wife, a mom and a friend I have to right now make that little hand sign to the enemy of my faith- whatever!!!!
This is what I mean:
Whatever attack may come
Whatever flood might cause me to feel like I'm about to drown
Whatever circumstance
Whatever battle
In tears and in joy
Whatever comes my way
Whatever way I get shut down
Whatever evil words may be whispered in my ear
Whatever way I may be tried to be stopped
Whatever!
I know that whatever happens
Anything that may occur
Nothing will stop Gods love and plan for me
Whatever happens to me He cares
Whatever comes my way,
Nothing absolutely nothing
Can separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus!
I don't know what your facing today friend, doubt, pain, anger, confusion. maybe you're just tired or maybe you're afraid. Maybe you feel like giving up on what called you to do, or maybe you feel as you don't really know what to do with your life. Join me today, as we put both our hands up and make the W hand sign, Whatever! Let's do it all day all week! Whatever comes our way nothing can separate us from the love of God!
I feel like dancing when I think of this, so right now in bed with this huge brace on my leg I'm shaking my shoulders in victory!
~ An adventure wouldn't be complete without some obstacles to learn from.
Cheers!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
First Post
First post! Well no pressure there. What can I write that can make you interested and keep reading?How about I share an amazing story with you? I warn you my life is wonderfully out of the ordinary and out of the blue, anything can happen! Welcome to my adventures.
ONE-
The Lady That Plans Trips to Canada
When I was 18 years old I was a typical New York girl of my social circle. Parties, art shows, the ultimate after hours spot, friends, boyfriend,etc. Deep inside I was the loneliest girl in the world. I walked around with pain and sadness everyday, I lived a life consumed with confusion and melancholy. Day to day I struggled to take grip of everything all while feeling lost and abandoned. This feeling was so overwhelming that I yearned for an escape, that's why when my boyfriend proposed to me a trip to Canada with some senior citizens from his grandmothers church, as out of character as it sounded, I jumped to the idea. After all I was surrounded by so many insensitive insincere types, that I thought a weekend with old church ladies was exactly what I needed. We were to meet in front on the church. I arrived on time with my " raver type outfit" a baby tee and a short skirt with shell top adidas on my feet. My hair was cut short, a boy cut and dyed strawberry blond. The looks of all the ladies faces there was classic!They were all from a Pentecostal Spanish church and wearing long dresses and the hair to go with them. But from the back came one of them, rushing right to me and greeted me with so much love. She introduced herself and told me she organized this trip and many others to Canada.Throughout the entire trip she treated me with so much kindness ,warmth, love and acceptance. She made sure I slept well, ate well and got settled in my room properly. She was a very special person and she touched my heart during those three days of the trip. Years later I became a Christian at the age of 21, and through the years I always thought and remembered that woman. I was so sad when I learned from my husbands grandmother that she had passed away. I truly mourned her and wished that somehow I could have gotten to know her better or at least thanked her somehow. Unfortunately I forgot her name, I never really payed attention. And anyway she was just known as and referred to as "the lady who organizes trips to Canada"
Recently my good friends Rafael and Cindy Ruppert joined me at Freedom Square to help out on a Saturday.Freedom Square is an evangelistic feeding program in Brooklyn,NY. My husband and I are the ministers there. They blessed us so and shared their day with Rafael's mother, who became interested in joining the work in Brooklyn. My friend Rafael's mother began to work with us as a volunteer two weeks ago. I will also let you know that Cindy and Rafael's daughter is best friends with my daughter since the age of one, they are now 8. Last week Rafael's mom , Mrs. Carmen was chatting away with my husband in the Freedom Square kitchen. As they cooked and clean they got to know each other. She asked my husband, " Where is your family from?" and he answered " From the Lower East Side of Manhattan". As they continued speaking she asked if they went to church, my husband replied " Oh yeah, La Misionera on such and such street". She then said that she had grown up in that church, her and her husband. And my husband told her that that was his grandmother's church and that his mom and family had grown up attending that church as well. Here's the amazing part, this next question, my husband asked " Mrs. Ruppert, did you know a senior lady from that church that would organize trips to Canada?" Mrs. Ruppert replied " Yes, of course, that was my mother in law". Do you see? Can you understand how amazing and unbelievable!!! The kind warm lady that had touched my life and broken my sadness on that weekend to Canada when I was 18 years old ,that was my friend Rafael's grandmother! Can you believe it?
Yes, that senior citizen showed me love 18 years ago and touched my heart and now I realized that without knowing it her family has been so close to my heart for so many years. Did she pray for me on that trip, I wonder? I don't know, but I think so. What did I learn from this? Well yes, that we live in a small world, but also the importance and impact we can have on a young persons life. No matter how cold,how distant, how confused,how lost, if we show that person love and the true heart of Christ,God will be faithful!
Adventure is living a life with purpose!
~ Cheers
ONE-
The Lady That Plans Trips to Canada
When I was 18 years old I was a typical New York girl of my social circle. Parties, art shows, the ultimate after hours spot, friends, boyfriend,etc. Deep inside I was the loneliest girl in the world. I walked around with pain and sadness everyday, I lived a life consumed with confusion and melancholy. Day to day I struggled to take grip of everything all while feeling lost and abandoned. This feeling was so overwhelming that I yearned for an escape, that's why when my boyfriend proposed to me a trip to Canada with some senior citizens from his grandmothers church, as out of character as it sounded, I jumped to the idea. After all I was surrounded by so many insensitive insincere types, that I thought a weekend with old church ladies was exactly what I needed. We were to meet in front on the church. I arrived on time with my " raver type outfit" a baby tee and a short skirt with shell top adidas on my feet. My hair was cut short, a boy cut and dyed strawberry blond. The looks of all the ladies faces there was classic!They were all from a Pentecostal Spanish church and wearing long dresses and the hair to go with them. But from the back came one of them, rushing right to me and greeted me with so much love. She introduced herself and told me she organized this trip and many others to Canada.Throughout the entire trip she treated me with so much kindness ,warmth, love and acceptance. She made sure I slept well, ate well and got settled in my room properly. She was a very special person and she touched my heart during those three days of the trip. Years later I became a Christian at the age of 21, and through the years I always thought and remembered that woman. I was so sad when I learned from my husbands grandmother that she had passed away. I truly mourned her and wished that somehow I could have gotten to know her better or at least thanked her somehow. Unfortunately I forgot her name, I never really payed attention. And anyway she was just known as and referred to as "the lady who organizes trips to Canada"
Recently my good friends Rafael and Cindy Ruppert joined me at Freedom Square to help out on a Saturday.Freedom Square is an evangelistic feeding program in Brooklyn,NY. My husband and I are the ministers there. They blessed us so and shared their day with Rafael's mother, who became interested in joining the work in Brooklyn. My friend Rafael's mother began to work with us as a volunteer two weeks ago. I will also let you know that Cindy and Rafael's daughter is best friends with my daughter since the age of one, they are now 8. Last week Rafael's mom , Mrs. Carmen was chatting away with my husband in the Freedom Square kitchen. As they cooked and clean they got to know each other. She asked my husband, " Where is your family from?" and he answered " From the Lower East Side of Manhattan". As they continued speaking she asked if they went to church, my husband replied " Oh yeah, La Misionera on such and such street". She then said that she had grown up in that church, her and her husband. And my husband told her that that was his grandmother's church and that his mom and family had grown up attending that church as well. Here's the amazing part, this next question, my husband asked " Mrs. Ruppert, did you know a senior lady from that church that would organize trips to Canada?" Mrs. Ruppert replied " Yes, of course, that was my mother in law". Do you see? Can you understand how amazing and unbelievable!!! The kind warm lady that had touched my life and broken my sadness on that weekend to Canada when I was 18 years old ,that was my friend Rafael's grandmother! Can you believe it?
Yes, that senior citizen showed me love 18 years ago and touched my heart and now I realized that without knowing it her family has been so close to my heart for so many years. Did she pray for me on that trip, I wonder? I don't know, but I think so. What did I learn from this? Well yes, that we live in a small world, but also the importance and impact we can have on a young persons life. No matter how cold,how distant, how confused,how lost, if we show that person love and the true heart of Christ,God will be faithful!
Adventure is living a life with purpose!
~ Cheers
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