Thanks Giving........................

Yesterday was one of my best days........

We got to do a thanks giving meal for 600 women, men and children who live in the streets in the Zona Norte Area in Tijuana. This is where they have been deported from the states and brought over the border with no way of getting home.

Stepping into the park was amazing, there was such a buzz, conversations, hugs, laughter, worship and love everywhere I looked!! This was such a special thing for everyone. It was a time to really celebrate their lives, and treasure them with the love that they deserve from God and us. It was a time to be family with them, as many peoples family, wives and children are in the states or different parts of Mexico. One man was telling me that he was trying to get 50pesos (40p, 25c) so he could get a ticket home to be with his wife and 2 children. He was trying to sell two little necklaces, but he has been there for months.

Ma y Baby

One lady who we know from week to week was enjoying the day yesterday. She was sharing her little 2 month baby with us and liking that we were holding the baby and making a fuss of him. She has been living in Zona Norte for a long time and she had the baby there. For me, I am still not understanding how this is possible for the baby to be well. I know God must have his hand of protection over both mum and baby, as it is a very dangerous place to be. Please continue to pray for this little family, that she will be able to find somewhere stable for her and the little babe soon.

This day was amazing,especially as this week in school we have been learning about the book of Job, which is a book about a man that was a God fearing man, who had everything. Satan took all Job had away: family, livestock and livelihood. God knew that Job loved him and knew he would stand true to Him. God blessed him abundantly for the later years of his life. In studying this book taught me so much more about how to be grateful for all I have and not to take that for granted, but also to know the immense power of God and that if I had nothing would God be enough for me? This was such a point for me to think and consider, is God really enough for me? If all else was gone, would I have complete faith and trust in him and him alone?!

Going to Zona Norte and seeing that these people have nothing around them but they are longing after God was a real life example and challenge for me in my faith and in my relationship with God!!  

Please take a few mins to have a look at our day
in Zona Norte!!! I like the share the fun with you all!!

Redemption.............................

This week in our community meeting we had the chance to listen to this Dan Brauman who was arrested in Iran for being a missionary and potentially being a spy!!

Things were desperate and he clung to who God was and His character as that was all that made sense to him in that time.

I sat listening, glued to what he was saying and seeing how He has such incredible faith in God in that time of hopelessness but he still offered Jesus' love to his Interrogator. The man that beat him daily.

This is the power and strength of God!!

Can you ever imagine.................................................

Ideally i would love to be speaking this to you so that you can close your eyes and imagine what you would be feeling and experiencing when i tell you this....................................

Can you imagine being pulled over by the Police one day and being asked for your paperwork, your licence, and you don't have it right so for us we would have a couple of weeks to take this to the Police Station, well not in the states. So they arrest you, put you in a cell, you don't get the chance to call home or anything, you don't have anything on you and you are then taken into a bus and you are driven to the Border of Mexico, Tijuana. This country is new to you, you have been brought up in the states all your life, you don't speak the language, know the culture and you have no phone, no identification, no money on you nothing and you are dropped the other side of the border where life is so very different to what you can imagine.

Maybe you can see the states through the border fence but you are a million years away from home, family, mum, dad, sons, daughters, husband, wife....................

The Border , San Diego is through the fence

Unlike home there is no homeless shelters, no food banks, no day center, no benefit help, just the concrete floor to sleep on and about 500 other men and women who have had the same experience who are looking for survival. Who are keeping a low profile so they don't get taken into the trafficking trade for sex or drugs.

Can you imagine this??!!

Zona Norte

Can you imagine not talking to family, not knowing when or if you will see your kids, spouse, parents, brothers, sisters again.....................

I cant imagine this, i cant imagine sleeping at night on the streets being scared, will you be jumped, mugged, robbed, raped, attacked.

This is miles from what you have been living in your house, working your job and maybe one day you ran a red light or were speeding................................

This is what i was asked to Imagine this morning and God really touched my heart, i felt His heart breaking for the people down in Zona Norte, Tijuana. Where hope seems non existent, happiness seems to be lost and real love is rare.

 Old lady works to get money as people wait in the Border Line!

Well this is where we are called too and this is where God longs us to be, this is where my heart longs to be, to love the way God loved us and to bring hope and family to these precious people who made a mistake, haven't we all done that one time or another...........

"The spirit of the lord God is upon me because he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted and proclaim freedom to the captives..... Isaiah 61 v 1-2

Falling face down................................ The Epic Journey..............

Falling face down because there is no other words to say what is happening in my heart!! In these last few weeks i have been studying the first 4 books of the Old testament. Maybe your thinking " oh that's going to be so boring I will not read any more but please don't go, stay and just read"

I was so like this when it comes to the Old testament and in fact just reading to be honest i would read a page of a book and think that was good going, well done Paula and walk off and do something else more fun!!

Well no chance of that in Bible school, but i love it!!!! We have been reading about Moses and the Israelite and their epic journey into the wilderness, in search of the Promised Land that God had prepared for them whilst learning and discovering How God loved them, what He is like and so much more!!

I have been seeing How Moses lead this whole group of crazy (and that putting it politely) people over miles and miles of desert. He said to God he couldn't do it and yeah in his own strength no he defiantly couldn't!! But that is the cool part we get to see how God provides food for them, water, safety, He provides laws, which bring protection, value, love and respect into peoples lives and families. We get to see how God pursues us, even when we walk away and turn our back and think we can do life without Him (Which i have done many times) We get to see all of this but God is still there tapping us on the shoulder or in our hearts saying " hey come be with me i love you, i will look out for you, i will provide for your every need"

Thank you beautiful people for supporting me!!

And yeah you know what i am learning every day how i need and want God in my life, He longs for me to be sharing his plans for the future of this world with me!! I am just me, not a high up person but he longs for this with each one of us, it doesn't matter who you are, where you have come from or anything else He wants your heart and will pursue you!!

I have seen God's provision this week in my finances, i needed just over $500, i had no idea where it would come from, but God put it on people's hearts to support me in this journey and to believe in the vision God has given me.
My heart is overwhelmed by the love He has for us and how He cares about the details of our life!! I thank you all so much for being with me, I am so grateful to you all and love to you all!!!!
I am still on this journey of faith and trusting God for everything, so please continue praying for me to learn, be safe in God and in Finances!!

A day in life of Me the CSBS student...........................

Welcome to my day...........................................
 " Oh really alarm seriously 6:30am already, ok time to start the day, I find the beginning is always hardest part of all!! So anyway you don't need to know about me showering, getting dressed, doing hair and make-up, that's standard!!

Cleaning time!!

So 8am in the classroom, I clean and make sure it is all nice free from ants and random crumbs from snakes that keep us going through lecture!!!

Class time!!

8:30am we have a base meeting, sharing, worship, praying and learning different things!! I like this time as we are all together in the morning.


Then we get coffee, because this is so the key to surviving in school ha ah ah I love it!! This is the first school I really love and wanna be here so that is so good!!! Oh and we have a new pet sheep as apart of the class!!

We make a chat for each chapter!!

Family lunch time, time to relax have fun, eat and the best is when its Mexican for sure!!

Then we have homework............... this takes most afternoon and most of the evening, so that's my life right now but I love learning and growing so much in what God has said and his plan for us!!

Some of my school friends!!

So I will be in this school for 9 months and i know it will be the best education i will ever get, I really love it and I know this is where is should be right now, I know this is my training time and after this i will be with the people in community. I am in need of support in prayer for discipline and financial support, I have some supporters who have helped me get this far and i am so happy and grateful that they are behind what God has spoken to me, but this isn't just my life this is a life i am living for God and you are all in this with me so please continue to partner with me I really value it!!


For each  quarter I need $2,180 (£1,343) This covers my food, utilities, accommodation, tuition, Internet and transport. So for this quarter I still need £350, If you feel like you would like to donate of support me monthly, please email me or leave a message here or you can look on www.ywamsandiegobaja.org and you can make a donation, just make sure that you say it is for me and place my name: Paula O'Sullivan.

Thank you for your prayers, love, friendship and support, it is amazing to do this with you all!!!

We always have a beautiful sunset each night!!! 

Being natuarally Supernatural....................

What I am  learning so much about is that I am here to love the way Jesus loves.................

If we look in the gospels at how Jesus was he would just be so freakin normal he was a man living in the normal world he walked in the streets he sat with people he talked with them, he ate and slept. He had his friends, he shared his life and loved in a very natural way to Him. He would have people walk up to him, because the Presence of God was so strong in him it drew people to him, they could see  difference in the way he loved, cared, had time for people and wasn't just busy and concerned with his own life.

He had nothing about "oh i need to do my shopping don't stop me", "i don't have time i need to get this done today". No he was available, he was willing, he wanted to be with people because he knew that was what his father wanted. He longed to be with people, he longed for them to know God and walk in his presence everyday.

So when i was on outreach there were times that i was frustrated and thought oh we are not doing much, but God has been showing me that He will work through the people that are available to him, that those who are longing after his presence are going to see the supernatural things happen when you are being natural in loving the way Jesus asks and walking in His presence daily.

This is something i am trying to learn and trying to live in as i long to see people knowing Jesus and knowing His love for them.

I know God is showing me that this is so not about me, its not about what i do and or the works and services that i do its about my character being in him and allowing Him to work through me and out of me and me laying down my wants and letting God be the first in my life!!

Love is the greatest aim, allow it to be what we long for and what we focus our hearts on in Jesus!!

 

Here are some treasures............................

 I want to introduce you to my friend, her name is Carol, she is like 8 years old, she lives in Brasil and our friendship started off with her staring at me, so i smile, she just stares and makes a funny face sticks her tongue out and walks away haa ha ha. I knew this would be fun!! Anyway after some days we become friends and i start to see her heart and her longing for love and friendship!! We became good friends and hung out lots, she would run up for hugs and play hide and seek with me and her younger sister!! One day we were waiting to leave for somewhere but ended up waiting 2 hours so i had the guitar and was playing songs and singing on the steps, anyway Carol comes and sits with me, i was singing in English so she didn't understand but she just stayed there and listened, so i started to make up songs about her and how Jesus sees her and how she is precious to Him and how beautiful she is to Him. She sat and looked at me the whole time so i carried on and on singing truth over her, when i finished she put her head on my arm, hugged my arm, looked me in the eyes smiled and walked off with a peace in her eyes, i knew Jesus had spoken to her heart through the songs. Jesus is bigger than any words or language, its just about His love that has no bounds!!

This day we went to an old peoples home, this was the first time the home had ever let any christian people in to visit. We took in flowers for the ladies, and sang to them, however after we had sang our one song to this little precious lady, I couldn't leave she held my hand and kept asking me to stay with her, i didn't want to leave either.

So I called Pepe over so we could play and sing more songs to her, we sang for a long time, but Jesus was with us, His peace was there and a real calmness came over the little lady, we prayed for her and loved her. I love that we had this chance to be here and share Jesus with these precious men and women. We can do our part and Jesus just does the rest.

So one morning we went out to the streets to pray and do whatever Jesus asked of us, so i was with 4 others we stopped in the road and prayed "Jesus just show us who you want to talk to", as soon as we said this we turned around and this little lady was standing right in front of us looking at us, so i said hi!!

This was the beginning of a fun journey we had no idea about But Jesus did!! She asked us to her house to pray, we said yeah ok, but first she lead us to a hairdressers in the street, we went in met the man and got to pray for him and his business, then she lead us to her sisters family house there were about 10 people there we got to sing, and pray for all of them, then we finally got to her house.

Ohhh something i forgot to tell you is she has a huge tumor on her shoulder. Anyway we met her mum and her nieces and her brother. Now her brother doesn't talk to anyone and especially not Christians, he is heavily into Macumba which is witchcraft that is practiced a lot in Brasil. So we sang with them and prayed for the family and shared why were there, all this time the brother is out the back of the house, well she asks us to go out an pray for him, it felt a bit awkward, but we went and spoke to him just normal things and we were laughing, we asked to pray for him and he said ok i suppose, so we did and then left.

Anyway the next day i was sitting in the church hall we were staying in with Pepe, Ami and Elaine who lived there. Martha the lady walks up and asks to talk so we all start to talk she is saying things about her past and we start to talk truth to her and pray for her heart, as this is happening i turn to Pepe and say am i going crazy or is the tumor getting smaller, He replied yes its is. This was done in English and she doesn't know any English, at that time she said to Elaine that she feels movement in her shoulder!!! I was freakin out ha aha ha Jesus was just healing her as truth was being spoke to her and she was praying for brokeness to leave her heart!! Anyway a few days later Pepe saw her in the street and she was on the way back from the Dr's and the Dr's said that it has miraculously got smaller!! Praise God he is working and was just doing His things and we get to watch!!

Oh and one more amazing part was 2 more days later she came back to the church to see us and she said that her brother has become a christian and isn't going to be part of the witchcraft anymore and that he is changed!! I know Jesus did some much in just us meeting this one precious lady in the road and doing what the Holy Spirit lead us to do. I love God's journey is so full of fun and adventure!!!

These are just some of the amazing people i had the privileged of meeting in Brasil, i will share more in another blog!!

Hidden Beauty...............

Living in the edge of the favelas in Rio De Janiro is an incredible experience, the structure and the community is so amazing I absolutely love it and really enjoy being here!!

You may think that is far from Beautiful as it is very different for us from home but I think it is so nice, however when you get past the concrete boxes and telegraph poles that are decorated heavily with wires and streamers which represent a drug pick up, there is such a beauty and hidden talent that is so exciting and busting of freshness.

These are the people that should be known for their talents of singing, dancing and loving well. They are so beautiful on the outside and amazingly beautiful on the inside too.

There is a real humbleness to the peoples characters and a real genuine friendliness, wait more than a friendliness, you feel like you are accepted and belong within minutes of arriving and we have never even met these people before but straight away you are taken into the families!!

People open their mouths to sing and a tear come to my eye and my heart is full of happiness as such a precious voice fills the streets that are full of kids playing, teens chillin and people just mingling.

This is what life should be like, we have so much to learn about relationship and loving well, we are being blessed daily by being here. We have been working with the children in this area and playing with them, loving them and showing them a hope in their future.

Even though there is such beauty that is here, there is also the other side of the community, which is ridden with drugs, mainly crack and witchcraft and heavy spirits. We are coming against this and bring the light, its so ironic how there is such darkness and such light in the same place but this light needs to be here as it will soon drown out the darkness!! 

Human Trafficking and the Sex Trade..................................

In School and our research for Outreach, it has become obvious to us that we will come into contact with those who are selling sex and of many of those adults and children will have been involved in being trafficked at some point or will be in danger of being trafficked.

As you know that we work in our red light district in Zona Norte Tijuana, this is a place where there is much trafficking in and out of the states and the rest of south America. This is trafficking people for selling Sex, Slave labour, and organ trafficking. In one club in Tijuana that we walk past we have been told that a couple sold their baby for $5,000 for organs! This is something that we cannot get our heads round and seem so far away from anything like this but actually its happening around us all.

I have been looking into the history of the Favelas in Rio De Janiro in Brazil, last year 3,000 people were trafficked for Sex. This is a huge number and this is only that recorded number there would have been many more that have gone under the raider!! Looking at where Brazilians are trafficked to is many countries in Europe including the United Kingdom!!

The Favelas came about in the early 1920's and it is where Military would live when they were home from the war, then later when the cities got larger, the government wanted the economy to grow therefore they pushed the poor people in each city out to the suburbs and there for the Favelas arose. This is like a cardboard city built up on the hills. There is a strong spirit of oppression and worthlessness, as they have been cast out of the city.

Many children from the age of 6 years old will come down from the Favelas and enter the tourist areas each night to work a 10 hour shift, looking for clients, many clients are tourists. They will be doing this to get whatever money they can and they will sell their bodies for £3.00 a time, this is what we would pay for a Starbucks coffee!!

God has been speaking to myself, Pepe and our Students about "Brazil looks a beautiful country on the outside and it is, but also God made the inside beautiful too, but there has been so much corruption that it has been so damaged and twisted,  it is in these times that He wants to restore and build up His beauty in this country from the inside out again!"

This is what we feel that we will be a part of, whilst we are there in Rio De Janiro, that we will go and speak truth, value and beauty into the people that we meet, that we will show them the love God has for them is pure and not the "love" that is shown to them by Man. God has been showing us this so much and we are all excited that we get to be a part of this too!! 

Nothing is impossible...................

So I have a fun story for you, as you know our DTS team are going on outreach for two months, this means we get to serve in other communities and support projects and churches and love the people we meet. 

So yesterday us staff were meeting with 4 individual students who are on the DTS to tell them that we needed to buy the plane tickets for our outreach today as the prices were going up and we leave in two weeks. In order to buy the tickets we needed $1,700 from each person. We had it from most the group but 4 people had either no money towards it or a very little amount. 

So we asked them to pray and speak with friends and family and if they got the money by the evening then we could book their tickets too. 

By the time it was Dinner 2 girls had pretty much all the money for the tickets which was incredible they had people calling them to donate and others just sending donations and pledges on line. Some were gifts from Students to Students too which was amazing to see the love between the group. Another student had about half the amount needed and one girl had none! 

Another student had no pennies at all, She also earlier in the week had to go and try and get a passport as she hadn't one due to some difficult circumstances but for a month or so it has looked as if it would be a really hard process to get the passport, but on Tuesday this week she walked in with a passport!! Oh we were so excited and screaming too!! It was amazing to see this happen for her!! 

After this hurdle was jumped, i knew the money would be the easier part. Anyway by 8pm that night she still had no money we prayed again and then someone walks up to her and says they will give her $500 then someone else donates a $100 then someone else $250 this was within 30mins!! We were crying haa haa and so amazed at how God had provided and was continuing to provide!! 

We then got some annymos donations and could use that for the flights so that night we were up to midnight buying the whole teams flights all the way to mexico City and Rio De Janiro Brazil!! 

We were laughing all night and so thankful to God's provision for our team!! 

God is so sneaky!!!

Ok so today i am going to tell you a crazy story of what God helped me with, its mental so please read it and    know that this is for real haa haa  it still makes me so like "what??????" But i love it!!!

I was shopping with Stephanie ( DTS Student) and Pepe (my friend and fellow DTS Staff), we are in Wallmart getting some shopping, so Stephanie and I are at the check out, so i pay by my bank card, i also needed to get some cash out so Stephanie and i went to the machine.

I put my bank card in the machine, it asked me to put in my PIN, select if I wanted to pay the charge and then asked me to select the amount I wanted to withdraw, so me and Stephanie were talking and waiting for the money to come out and take my card.

Anyway the machine didn’t give me any money and then it said on the screen that I needed to contact the bank. So I was a bit worried at this time as my card is from England and my bank too is back in England.

It was this local bank that I needed to contact, Pepe returns and we told him what was happening, so he called the bank and couldn't get through. Me and Stephanie prayed for the card to come out the machine. Pepe went to the customer Services and asked them for help, whilst he was talking with them, Stephanie and I continued to pray and I said “ Jesus I just want my card back, I don’t mind not having the money but just would like my card”

So the card doesn’t come out, we look in the bit where you put the card and I can see the card in there. I prayed again “ Ok God you will be done, whatever you are showing me or doing here, your will be done”

At that point I looked in my purse to check that I hadn’t put in my driving licence in the machine instead, looking in my purse I see my diving licence and then behind it was my bank card!!

I was like Stephanie, "look, look here is my bank card", she was like "what??"

She had watched me put the bank card in the machine; the machine had registered my card as it had asked for my PIN number and asked me if I would accept the charges. I only have one bank card too!! So we called Pepe back and showed him the card haa ha haa we were all freaking out and laughing and so amazed, God must have taken the card out the machine and placed it in my purse.

I know that this sounds crazy but God said this is the way I want you to live, to know that I can move mountains and I can do this kind of stuff!! 

Imagine how crazy this would have been if my card was stuck in the machine and i had no bank card, I would have had no access to money and it would have been hard, hard work for me to get a replacement, God's provision is awsome!!

Also i have used the card again in another cash point and it was working fine!!! Yeah Praise God!!!

Zona Norte Street Healings..............................

Ok so for those of you that have just joined viewing my Blog I want to fill you in.................

So Zona Norte is the area in Tijuana, Mexico right at the border of the USA, where the Deportees all sleep rough, there are families, women, children and men who are all living on the streets and who have nothing, and I mean nothing!! 

They don't have any government financial support or provision for food, clothes or medical provision, the only things they are given is food by the local churches and us.  

Ok lets get to the crazy stories.....................................

First my friend  who lives at the YWAM base with me, Raly, from Nigeria, last week she prayed for a man who is a deportee, he had really bad eyesight and couldn't see much at all. He would wear glasses and couldn't read, Raly offered to pray for his eye sight to be healed, to which he said "yes" too!! She prayed, nothing changed, she prayed again and nothing happened. During the week she continued to pray for his eyesight to return. So this Wednesday when we arrived at Zona Norte to feed to People, she saw the man, he didn't have his glasses on and Raly asked him how is your sight? He said that he can see 100% and that he can now read his bible and doesn't need to wear his glasses anymore, yeahhhhh God is good!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Next, a guy who has lived in Zona Norte for a couple of years, who I have known since last year, got his hand smashed up by a truck, the back of his whole hand was smashed up, skin broken, tendons broken, he went to hospital and had it stitched but it was a very bad job, he showed me his injury and it was so badly infected it was white, yellow, swollen and very bad, I felt very sick. 

As he is living on the streets he had no way of keeping it clean or his bandages clean either. So I asked if me and a friend could pray for him, he said "yes" so we did. Anyway we left and the next week  he came up to Raly, (as I couldn't go to Zona Norte that week), showed her his hand, it had scared up and the infection was gone. He was able to have movement in his fingers as he couldn't do before!!! 

God does  this stuff for real, its amazing!!

So I was leading the prayer walk in the red light district in Tijuana this week, there were 6 of us walking and praying for the women and Children who work in the red light area, also we pray for the men, the bouncers, doormen and the punters. 

We got to a street corner before we entered a street full of drug use and sex being sold, I felt like we needed to pray for Joy, that we would know the Joy of the lord with us and that we can take that pure, unselfish Joy into that place with us, we also prayed for people to be drawn to us for prayer and encouragement. As soon as we stopped praying we turned to cross the street and a man came up behind us with a guitar and was playing a really joyful song!! haa haa we laugh and continued walking and he followed us whilst he was playing and singing stills, so we walk this long street and we told him we didn't have any money but he didn't mind and just walked with us. 

We stopped walking and talked with him, he started to play a worship song in the middle of the street singing and playing, it was so funny many people were stopping to listen and look. It was so fun, we got to pray for him and prayed blessings on him, he was happy when he left!! God answers prays!!!

Its all about Identity and Intimacy....................

So just something I am wanting to share, you know when you learn something and you want everyone to know it too well this is one of them moments.............................

For the last few weeks in the DTS school the students have been learning about Intimacy with God, Fear of God and this week The Holy Spirit! We strive through life and have all these questions, doubts, fears, insecurities, questions and worries......... but you know what we don't need to have these attached to our lives we can live a life free of this and actually life in the freedom that God has promised us.

So your thinking "what the heck?" Well this is what its about............. God is in the trinity right and there is 3 in 1, God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit, so that is what Gods roles are, ok so the next step is to know our role and response to that. So our response to God the Father is to know our identity as a Son and Daughter of the creator of the earth, this is hugh and I know your probably thinking ... well that's quite a big thing to get your head around and yeah it is but ASK God and he will bring revelation to you of who He is and how he sees you as His Child, He adores you, cherishes you, delights in you and is so loving towards you. It says in the bible 

Matt 7 v 11, How much more will your father in heaven give good gifts to His children if we ask!! 

It's a challenge to us to step out and ask Him but believe me He does give incredible gifts, I was so scared of stepping out and asking for people to sponsor me as our culture is very much that we should be self sufficent, but I knew God called me into missions, so I stepped out came and he has provided the finance for me to do this, through others!!

Ok So our second response to God the Son is to know Jesus as a lover................ ok so some of you are freaking out right now and thinking that's a bit twisted hey?!! But it is about Intimacy on a emotional/spiritual level, closeness, really knowing someone on a personal level, longing to show that person everything you see in your day and sharing, spending time with and growing in a deep relationship. When we desire Jesus like this and long to spend time with Him and in His presence it brings freedom from fears, worries, insecurities and all that other rubbish stuff! This is where we start to understand our real true Identity that we were created for!! This is the most amazing, freeing revelation I have had and I know that this is who I am called to be as I have never felt this secure and content in my life ever!!

The 3rd response to the Holy Spirit is our ministry, this is our service and how we are to people around us, are we loving, caring, compassionate, serving and accepting to others. This is how we are called to be and it is through knowing God, Jesus and the holy spirit, having our Identity in Him and longing for intimacy with Him that we can live freely and loving towards everyone we meet!!

Mi Casa es tu casa.............

In Mexico they have a saying "Mi Casa es tu Casa" this means "My house is your house", this makes me so happy as this is meant in the most genuine way.

So I got to build a house with the Bible School students the other weekend, I was so excited to be able to help and build a house for a family!

                                                        Colonia style house, this is a nice one!
So it was a nice hot day haa haa which is good but when your labouring its a bit crazy but we had fun, the family were moving into a new neighbourhood, where we were building the new house, they had 3 children, one who is pregnant and the other two are in school. This family are precious, I had the privalidge to take them shopping to buy supplies for their new house. This bit is a surprise for them, we do a whip round and get some money from the building team and helpers and then we take the family to Wallmart, we raised about $300 for the family, it was so fun as the mum was like a child in a sweet shop for the first time she got things she had never tried before and got fun treats and meat and veg and cleaning products!!

For me this was the first time I have been shopping with the family and it was amazing to be there, I had to try and not cry in the store as I was thinking of being in the Mum's shoes and it must have been such an overwelming experience for her!! I was so thankful to God that I get to be a part of this ministry, that we get to share His love with others.

At the end of building the house we go round in a circle and say a prayer for the family or say something encouraging and then we give them the Keys, ususally the family go in the house at this point, but this family wanted to say something too, so the mum wanted to explain that she wanted to bring the women from her church round her house, but before she had been so embarrassed about her house she had never done this but now, she was crying as she was so happy she would be able to have people in her home and share her new house with everyone, also the teenage girl said the same thing that she can have her friends round and she will be happy and proud of her home, they little boy tried to say stuff but was very emotional and the dad  was just so thankful, he said that he was blown away by God's provision for him and his family, he cried which made me cry too!!

This house is not only for this family but we know this family will use it to share with their community, this was such a special house build for me. This house is one big room with a partition, it is about the size of a large double bedroom that we will have at home so it is very small but they are so greatful and willing to share everything that they have!!

This is a constant challenge to me in my life to share and bless others with what I have!!

What's important? what will last forever.............?

In 5 days I will start my journey to Mexico Via, Germany, Dominican Republic, Panama City, Mexico City and finally land in Tijuana on Tuesday 19th March in the evening ha haa haa!!

So i have been reminded and thinking of what is important to me and what will last forever...........

In the last 5 months God has been speaking to me about investing, this word has been on my mind over and over again!! He has been showing me what is important in life and what isn't. When I was in Mexico God started this for me and started to show me that I didn't really need to have much to completely feel content/ satisfied, but that all I needed was Him, family and friends. I didn't need all the boxes I had at home full of stuff that I didn't even remember I had haa haa haa!!

He used the Mexican culture to show me that relationships are what we are to invest in to love others excellently and to have time for people, to value them and to love them. I saw how relationships take priority in that culture over other things. God reminded me that we are to invest in Him, his word and to love like He has loved us!!

 "There are three things that will endure - faith, hope and love -  and the greatest of these is Love!!"

1 Corinthians 13 v 13

Now that it is so close to me leaving family and friends behind in Sunny (haa haa) England, It's so hard to leave as my heart is here so much, it will be so hard to leave but I know that God has prepared the way and has others for me to love, invest in and show them God!! This is so exciting for me and I am honoured I get to do this and it is now that I see how investing and loving wholeheartedly is what will keep my relationships real, deep and genuine, even though I maybe half the way round the world!

So saying all this I now get to spend the day with my Sister, Lilly and Benny to laugh, love and have so much fun, feeding the ducks and playing football!! 

 Love to you all, my next blog will be from Mexico eekkkkkkkk!!! 

Its that time.......................

Its time when we look back and reflect, time to think of all that has happened in the last year and think about what we want for this coming year, what we can change...............

Well i want to love excellently; make the most of every day; opportunity and to appreciate what i have!!

Why??? Well because during this last year i learnt how important life is, how precious it is and how it is worth more than anything money could ever buy. God has given me (and all of us) life and life to the full!!
As some of you know that Ben my nephew has been in and out of hospital on 3 different occasions since he was born in November 2012, this has been a real tough time for all of us, especially his mum and dad. When things like this happen, you realise what is important in life. I felt God carrying us, providing and giving peace in a horrible situation, God has been our strength, we have had a beautiful Christmas as family with two healthy muffins!! Thanks friends and family for loving, praying and helping us all xxxxx

I keep saying I will share stories from mexico too so here is one.......

We arrived to a very small town (Constitution Cuidad) in the middle of the desert after about an 8 hour drive in 39 degree heat, it was about 6pm we needed to eat, then do a church service at 6:30pm. So cutting it fine we ran to get some Tacos (got to be done we're in mexico, so yummy), got back to this tiny church of about 15 people and kids, it was a building with half a roof, half brick, wooden and plastic wall with a hole in the ground toilet, which some of us girls were so happy about hee hee!

We started the service, with testimonies, worship, Kids work, drama, a preach and then some prayer at the end. A little old frail lady went up the front for some prayer, my friend went to pray for her and he took another friend so he could translate. Anyway they realised she was deaf, they prayed and walked off, one of the guys felt God say to go and blow in her ear, He was like Really God??!! that's a little bit weird, anyway he did it, prayed God will heal her and left. We all got in the mini bus, exhausted but so excited as God had really blessed the church and the pastor, when one of the team asked, who blew in the little old ladies ear??, because she came up to me and said that someone had blown in her ear and she can now hear everything!!!!!!! Amazing if you ask me!!

Church in Constitution Cuidad, that's me hee hee!! 

I met a lady one night when we were giving out free hugs in Ensenada, she was on her own sitting on the wall looking out to the sea, i walked by her and showed her my free hug sign, she smiled and said "yes". We hugged and she needed a friendly hug, I said God Bless you and left as the others had carried on walking and my Spanish was very limited hee hee although I did try :)  I walked off to catch up with the others, but couldn't get Maria (the lady) out of my mind, I felt like I needed to go back and talk with her, so I got my friend who is Mexican, very helpful hee hee thanks sunshine!! We went back and she was there still!! She was ok with us joining her and talking, we spoke about life, she said she was in a bad place and had felt lost and lonely, I got to share some of my life with her and my story which she said she could relate to some of it, we got to pray with Maria and love her, she got emotional, so I asked what was wrong and she said that she used to walk along the beach all the time but she hadn't for many years as things in life had turned so bad. She said that tonight, she was in her house and for the first time in years she thought she would come out, she said " Tonight is significant for me, I used to know God but I was so full of guilt and shame that I didn't think I could go back to Him, but God wanted to speak to me tonight through you two". We were shocked that this was the first night she had been to the beach in years, It wasn't a coinsidence that we all met, it showed her how she is so important to God and that he loves her. When we left Maria you could see a lightness in her eyes and in her self, her face was full of happiness and peace.

So you know what, I loved this, I want to see more and more stories of God changing lives and I want to be able to show people God's love, I cant wait for this new year!!

                                                       Free Hugs!! Why Not!!?? Porque No!!

And last of all, I love that I can share my adventures with you all, I wish you all a real happy and fun new year :)