Blessed beyond Belief

  July 3rd we had our most beautiful day in missions. That day, after 2 months of preparation,  we watched 16 of the kids we love and serve receive their sacraments(a mix of Baptism, Confession, 1st Communion, Confirmation) and one couple, who had lived together for 18 years and have 4 kids, receive the sacrament of Marriage!

     

  Now I have to tell the story of Emilia(our bride). About 1-2 weeks before the wedding, I brought some dresses to her house to try on. She wanted something very simple. Out of the 4 I brought, she found one that she really liked. I told her that she should come to the house and look at the others, because I had a feeling she might find one she liked more. She stopped by our house a couple days later and tried on several other dresses. She found one that she REALLY liked. It fit well and looked beautiful on her. She took it home so she could show it to her daughter. Two days later, she shows back up at the house and tells me that the dress wont fit! I couldn't believe it. How weird, right? I told her, "We have one more. Let's see if it will fit". (My parents had arrived the day before and brought my dress). And believe it or not, it fit perfectly. Her face lit up and we knew this was the one. How amazing that this woman who I have grown to know and love was to wear MY dress! The funny thing is, about 3 weeks before, Dave said to me "I think your dress would be perfect for Emilia!" Haha. He didn't know how right he was! (Sidenote: Although they are not smiling in the photos, the couple truly was extremely happy. Here, it is normal not to smile in photos)

Ricardo, Emilia, and their family

The day of the fiesta was perfect. The weather was beautiful(not the usual stifling heat you encounter at 12 pm in the desert). The people were smiling and excited. You would have thought we had given them a million dollars. But in all reality, they received something that day so much better than money; the graces of the sacraments. You could feel the graces poured out as each person received their sacraments. In that moment, I knew that we were here for a reason. Of course I have always known God sent us here for a reason. But  in this moment, I realized that without God working through us, these people may have never received their sacraments. There in that moment, I knew we had in some small way fulfilled our purpose as missionaries. And to see Emilia walk down the "aisle" of the chapel, wearing my dress, was truly indescribable.What an incredible God we have who would not only allow me to be part of this day, but then to top it off, He would give me the blessing of seeing Emilia wear my wedding dress. Thank you Jesus for the gift it is to be missionaries! Everything we've given up and sacrificed is totally worth it and I wouldn't trade this life for anything!

Me and my "ahijados"(Godchildren). Here you have a Godparent for every sacrament.

Dave and his ahijados

My Mom and Dad got to place the lasso on the couple. They felt very honored and blessed to do this! Ricardo and Emilia were really happy that my parents were able to do it as well(Here during the wedding ceremony, they place a lasso around the couple which symbolizes their unity)

Throwing the bouquet.....the Brides daughter caught it:)

Throwback: Dave and I on our wedding day. 8 1/2 years ago!

Visitors!

Sorry for a long time between posts. Andrea's parents were visiting and we had a lightning storm that fried our phone and laptop.
The visit from Andrea's parents was very blessed. The kids loved every minute. And we loved being able to catch up and spend time together and have an opportunity to show them exactly what it is we do. They were able to meet the people we love and serve and to spend time serving them with us. The opportunity to serve with your family in missions is truly indescribable. We thank the Lord for the gift of this visit. Thank you Mom and Dad for the tremendous amount of love and support you have given us! And thank you for teaching us how to truly love and serve.

Not sure who had more fun on the slide

We've got another little girly girl on our hands. Lu LOVES getting her nails painted!

Happy 2nd Birthday Lucy!

2 years ago today, I was eating a hotdog and celebrating 4th of July at a friends house. Little did I know the plans God made for us that day. Little did I know that my dear, sweet,daughter was being born!

Lucy, you are the light of our lives. You bring us joy at every moment. Especially the moments that are the most difficult, there you are smiling. You remind us that we should be joyful in every moment. I can never explain how blessed I feel to be chosen as your Mom. What a gift you are to this world! I thank the Lord every day for the gift of you. Happy 2nd Birthday my dear, sweet little angel. Thank you for teaching me so much about joy and about selfless, perfect love. 

Thought Log 1:Preparing for the worst case scenario....

I was speaking with a friend of mine a couple weeks ago; shooting the breeze about mission life and what is going on with the people we are serving, and he said something that has stuck with me.  Right now, we have many people in the United States and elsewhere around the world preparing for the "end of the world scenario."  The worst case scenario for them would be to not have water, sufficient food, power, appropriate bathroom facilities, running water, etc.  To prepare for this they build huge bunkers, stock them with food, water, and other things.  Others do things like storing food and water, buying gold (for when the market crashes), stocking up on guns, medicine.  At first glance, this seems like preparedness, like looking out for the future.

The problem is this, many people all throughout the world are living this "worst case scenario" right now!  How many people will go without sufficient food, water, clothing, shelter...tonight.  While many are sitting on stores of so many of the necessities of life for an event that is the ever elusive possibility,  millions will go hungry tonight, sleep in the cold, and possibly even die of thirst.

Reality check:  the only end-of-the-world scenario we need to be preparing for is the second coming of Christ!  This is the apocalypse that comes with eternal significance and judgment.  What will we tell Jesus when he asks us, "did you give food to the needy and drink to the thirsty?"  Is the just answer going to be, "well I had a lot stored away, but that was for me and my family."

Matthew 6: 25-34: "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?  And why are you anxious about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.  "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day."