Week One: Mexico Mission!

The first week of Mexico has been so blessed.  We had a short term trip with us.  And what I great way to start out the mission! With a renewing of fire and love for Evangelization and the poor.  
During one of my daily prayer times I asked the Lord to give me a verse for my year of missions.  He gave me Psalm 27.   This Psalm is beautiful and speaks to me of no matter what trials come my way, each day I will live for God’s Kingdom.

The Lord is my light and my salvation—

   whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life—

   of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked advance against me

   to devour me,

it is my enemies and my foes

   who will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me,

   my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,

   even then I will be confident.

One thing I ask from the Lord,

   this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

   all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the Lord

   and to seek him in his temple.

For in the day of trouble

   he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent

   and set me high upon a rock.

Then my head will be exalted

   above the enemies who surround me;

at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;

   I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Hear my voice when I call, Lord;

   be merciful to me and answer me.

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”

   Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Do not hide your face from me,

   do not turn your servant away in anger;

   you have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

   God my Savior.

Though my father and mother forsake me,

   the Lord will receive me.

Teach me your way, Lord;

   lead me in a straight path

   because of my oppressors.

Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,

   for false witnesses rise up against me,

   spouting malicious accusations.

I remain confident of this:

   I will see the goodness of the Lord

   in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord;

   be strong and take heart

   and wait for the Lord.

Annnnnddddd...

I can now announce where I'm being sent for my first year as a single missionary!

General Cepeda Mexico! 

I am so blessed to be sent with two families and two other ladies.  The Quinn Family, the Martin Family, Megan and Madi.

Ecuador Trip 2

I first watched the movie The Lord of the Rings when I was 10 years old. I'm now almost 18 and I've seen the trilogy more times than I can count; needless to say I'm a huge fan.    At the very end of The Return of the King when Frodo starts to narrate again, talking about how they leave Gondor and head back to Hobbitton I always get a lump in my throat. I can't help but say, "No, stay, don't go back. Just stay." 
As I left Quito, heading to the airport, to fly back home I was telling myself the same thing.
"No, stay, don't go back. Just stay."  God worked in wonderful ways on the trip and I didn't want to leave.
Leading up to the trip I prayed that those on the trip would have open hearts and minds. God answered that prayer 100%.    I came into the trip only know one of the teens, but even in that one week of getting to know them, I saw so much change.   I saw their hearts open to the children we played with, and the adults we talked and prayed over.  I saw their minds open to the great task of missions.  I was so blessed.
One of the main things I love about Ecuador is how hard we have to work to go to small communities.  One day we hike hours to a community, and once we get there we usually start a game of soccer with the kids. It's exhausting but so rewarding. Your legs ache, but as you sing and hold the hand of a small child you know it's worth it.
I was also just so blessed to be back in missions.  I wake up each morning and I know my goal. Sometimes, when I'm back stateside, it's easy to get sidetracked. In missions everything you do is for Him.
Another thing is being surrounded by likeminded people. Not only are you going through a life changing journey, but so are the 20 or so other people with you. And it's so amazing to see them change, to hear their testimonies of God's grace and serve along side them.
Missions is not just me going to another country and teaching people about God. It's also God teaching me through them.  This reminds me of a verse from Sirach: "As you have used us to show them your holiness, so now use them to show us your glory."

Praise God!

Singing at a community

 

Ryan and Matthew (our full time missionaries)  with two of the girls on the trip

Quito 

Singing

 Dirty after a long hike

 

 

 

Update

Today we remember the trial and death of Jesus, who came to earth to die for all of us, for those who know Him today and those who may never know Him.  That thought boggles my mind.  As a Catholic I've always known that he died for my sins, but for the past few weeks I've been reflecting on the fact that he also died for the sins of people who may never know He lived.   It was this thought, and the sadness I felt knowing that people in this world are living and dying without knowing of His mighty love and mercy, that has set a fire in my heart to continue missions apart from my family.
August of this year I'm going to turn 18, and I know there are many options for me to pursue. For about 4 years now I've wanted to get my certification to be a practicing midwife, this is something still on my heart but it doesn't seem as important now.
Many of my friends are going on to college, but that too doesn't seem as important.  What seems most important living a life, and preaching a gospel that will save souls, all with the help of Christ.
So a couple days ago I gave my application to be a full time missionary with FMC. (fmcmissions.com)
My missionary training, called Intake, starts in September.  I ask everyone to pray for me as I prepare for training.

Pictures of the Philippines

Christmas Day

Last night we went to midnight mass, it was beautiful. We went up to the Benedictine Monastery. Then we came back down and had snacks with our friends and the Alvarez family. This morning we opened up presents and skyped with some family. Today was a crazy day. We went to two birthday parties and also to a Christmas gathering. Having tropical weather and sweating today made it hard to believe it was Christmas. But today was very blessed.   I'm so thankful to be in missions again.








I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed Christmas,



Abi

Typhoon Days

I've been going over what happened in my mind, but I still have not come to a ''post worthy'' conclusion.  So I'll just say a little something. On Tuesday the typhoon hit us, kicked off our electricity and left us without water, but besides that we were good. Our new but good friends Kring and Ramon and their two kids came over. We played games, played the guitar and read as the wind and rain battered outside. By that night we had 21 other people in our house.  That made a total of 32 people in our four bedroom house. All I can say is I was so incredibly blessed to share our house, our beds and food with these wonderful people. 
Abi

We are called to Love

For the past two days I have been reading this book called The Irresistible Revolution.  And then this morning in our Liturgy of the hours we read Romans 12:13-21.  It's something that I've read many many many times before, and it's always been like:
"Yeah, it's a nice reading." And then I forget about it.      But today, it spoke to me an a whole new level. Here's what it says.

 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.  Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.  On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

And this reading struck me because this is what we are called to do. Share with those in need. Live in harmony with one another.  It's so easy, and I am guilty of this myself, to simply believe it's just something to read and then forget.  But Paul wrote this to the Romans, telling them this is the way they had to live.   If they had to live it? Why don't we?   

I lived in the ghetto of St. Lucia, where people were murdered across the street and we heard the gunshots.  I've lived in the dirt, in the trash, with people who could be called "unloveable''.  It wasn't fun for me, it wasn't easy.   It's easy to want to go back to the states, get married live a ''good Christian life'', raise ''good Christian kids.''   How do I do what I know I'm supposed to do?   The only answer I can come up with, and one I find echoed in The Irresistible Revolution, is to love.

If you love someone you're willing to do anything for them.  I have to love God in order to love that Romans verse.

My human love is not strong enough for that.  I pray that God gives me more of His love.

Pictures of the Philippines

Mass at the monastery

Monastery bells.

Alvarez's porch

Stairs at the Alvarez's House                                Bible Study night

Street outside the house

 

More at the monastery.

Isla Bonita

 

 

 

 

More later!

 

Back to Missions we Go!

Today we bought our tickets to fly to the Philippines!  Everyone is dancing with joy. God has blessed with cheap tickets, both to our home state of Oregon and to the Philippines.
It seems almost unreal, we really are flying out into missions again.   We fly to Oregon on Oct 30 and we will be there until Nov 11th.  

Please keep us in your prayers.
Abi

Babysitting

Here are some pictures of my day today, babysitting some of the kids!  

 

 

Watching Veggie Tales

It's easy to watch them when they are all busy with a movie. ;)

Trying to get the baby to smile.

God bless your day,
Abi

Community

I don't usually post many pictures so I'm trying to take and post more.  Today being the first Saturday of the month we have community work day.  So after morning prayers we get together and are given different jobs around Big Woods.  These pictures are of Mom and the little kids, the blond ones are all our kids. ;)

 

 The best way to help little people work is to turn into a game!

 Because of the storm we had we have tons of branches everywhere, the job of the kids was to pick them up and put them into piles.

It was fun to watch them, they were so cute. :D

 

 



They had to see who picked up the most the fastest.

I tried to get a picture of our house but I didn't quite get all of it. :)

Good job!

 

I hope everyone has a great day!

 

Abi

Stateside Mission

A week ago today my father, and three of my siblings, and I came back from Joplin MO. We went there to lead a work mission trip.  Six students from New York came down to help work on some projects. I wasn't very excited about going on this trip, I would have much rather stay at home with the rest of my family. But God did amazing things on that trip.  Every night I went to bed sore and aching, and every morning I woke with renewed strength. I made some wonderful friends, and watched the group turn into MISSIONARIES.  Its amazing how close people become when working selflessly side by side for the furthering of the Kingdom.   Being back on the mission field changed my heart. It's amazing how much God has to do that for us. And yet He never stops.
I'm very excited to go on more mission trips this year. :)

God Bless!
Abi

Prayer for today

Here is a great prayer to start the day our, its from the LOTH.

Lord,
May everything we do begin with your inspiration, continue with your help, and reach perfection under your guidance.  We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. 


Amen.


God bless you all!
Abi

St. Nicholas Day

Here are some pictures of our St. Nicholas Day (on Dec 6). The night before all 16 of us kids left out our shoes for our parents to fill with candy. In the morning we woke up to chocolate, oranges and socks. :)

Waking up in the morning!


Peeking at the shoes. :)

Little Boys.

Shoes are full of candy.

Everyone

Isaac has new socks.

Us girls in the ''Hen House''.

Lots of chocolate!

Little Girls

Everyone got fuzzy Christmas socks. :)

God Bless!

Abi

At Big Woods

Well here I am. Back at Big Woods. And it is good to be back here. Although I can't help but say its funny to be back in warm(er) weather and have the problem of misquitoes in December. :) It has been a blessing to see this years Intake, it has just been so great to be back again.
I can't really even think of anything else to say other than, I'm glad to be back. I'll post agian later with some pics.

God Bless!
Abi

Helping the Poor in Spirit

One day when we were riding the bus down from the mountains back to Castries I saw a young girl, perhaps 18 at the oldest, walking the streets. She was a very pretty girl, with long silky black hair, and beautiful eyes, however, her clothes were typical ghetto clothes. Not really ratty, but skimpy kinda like a designer copy. She had a young baby on her hip, when we caught each other’s eyes, even for those few seconds, what I saw in her eyes tore my heart. I have never seen so much despair; she looked like she didn’t hope anymore. When we passed her I wished with all my heart that I could have got off the bus and talked to her. I don’t know why she looked that way, that might not have been what she felt like, but somehow when I saw her, I knew that’s how she felt. Days after she still haunted me, I wonder what I would have done, could I have talked to her, I’m a shy person; I don’t like talking to people. Would I have had the courage to stop her? Would I have been able to help? I would like to say I said a prayer for her, but I didn’t think about that till much later.

The poor here are different than the poor that we found in Mexico, they don’t just need food, clothes, houses, they do sometimes need that, but their needs are something much deeper. It’s spiritual. Its like that girl, she probably has a house, a boyfriend, some sort of a job, but she still had that hopeless look. Why? It’s a deep longing that they, as we all do, try to fill with what the world offers. Drugs, sex, money, power. But let’s face it; those don’t fill that hole, that longing. Only God can. Now that might sound easy, well then we just tell them about God and bang! Everything is better. Unfortunately the real world isn’t that easy, because we are a fallen humanity. What would you do if something like this happened to you? Would you be able to stop and help? Would you be able to pray for the person? I hope that God will be able to send me people like this to help.

Quick Post

This is just a quick post to say that SSME starts tomorrow! I'm so excited about it. :D All but two of the participants are here, they come tonight at 10:00 ish. This month is going to be so packed! But amazing. Its great to see the senior missionaries again, and meet a new little one. Next time I post I'll try to post pics. :D
Blessings,
Abi

June

June is going to be a busy but fun filled month. Today our missionary partner Sid is going down to pick up some more missionaries!! I can't remember if I told y'all or not so I tell you again. This month we are having a group down and with them we are doing SSME. Its a month long school where you learn head on what missionary life is like. We are all very excited about it, there will be four missionaries who help to lead it, James among them. Then next week the participants will come and then it starts.

More updates soon!

Abi

People of St. Lucia

In one of my posts I shared some things we do here in St. Lucia. Today I'm going to talk about some people we know.

At this point in our life we have three boys that come over at night, sometimes up to five. Their ages range from 12 to 17. They come and spend some time, eat supper and then say our night prayers with us. Its a lot of fun having them over, they play with the little kids, do some school and just kind of hang out.

We also have some girls that come over on Sundays and others days durring the week. Their names are Jessica and Ericka, and are 21 and 23. Jessica is praying about being a nun in Italy, we are all very excited about that. Ericka is the older sister, right now she is in the hospital because she has sickle cell. Please pray for her! They are both a lot of fun, and I know that I am very glad for their friendship as I know very few girls my age. :D

On Sundays we have something of a Sunday School in which over 50 kids come. One boy, age 9 is the son of Jessica and Erick's friend. He is very funny and has an adorable smile. When I went to a Karaoke night at our parish I learned that he can't raise his eyebrows one at a time. So now when ever I see him I'll raise one eyebrow and smile, he will grin back and try to raise his eyebrow too. When he finally gives up we will burst into a fit of laughter.

Here at our house we live underneath 5 nuns. All of them are wonderful women of God, but my favorite has to be Sister Rosemary. She is training to be a doctor and has come to St. Lucia from Tanzania. She loves Issac!! Its so cute to see her playing with him. Now that he is walking she bought him some shoes. :D

These are just a few of the friends we have here. God has blessed us so much!