It's almost December??

The last few weeks have been insane, between the mission, work, and travelling, it's slightly overwhelming.  I had started a blog 2 weeks ago, and had gotten 3 sentences written, and then I got distracted and completely forgot about it and it sat untouched on my computer, until today.  So if you will bear with me, I will write one long post and catch you up!

We as a mission partner with a podiatrist every year and they come in and provide our guests with a full foot exam, toenail trim, and then we give them a few pairs of socks and a pair of brand new shoes.  We spend 2 hours as a team helping our guests with their needs.  It's a great way to kick off the colder season.  Some of the people that come in have shoes that are worn through that they were given last year.  I've even seen some people with 2 or 3 pairs of socks on to protect their feet from the weather because their shoes have stopped doing their job.  My heart broke when I saw the way some of their feet looked, but my heart was warmed to see the people that came to help others.  As I was ushering in the guests to the chairs where they had their exams, I realized just how many of them I knew.  And not just knew their names, but knew their lives.  I came home overwhelmed with the enormity of what God has entrusted to me.  To be involved with these people and get to make a difference in their lives impacts me more than I ever thought possible.

Flash forward a week, and the next big event happened.  We also partner with a church, and a grocery store, and set up our truck and the church comes over after service and purchases the needed groceries for a Thanksgiving meal for a family in need.  We can't provide for all the needy families for Thanksgiving without their help.  

 

They have coordinated with the grocery store to order 300 complete meals. The meals included turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, mac and cheese, apples, oranges, corn, green beans, kidney beans, rice, cranberry jelly, cake mix, icing, and pumpkin pie. 

                  

Sorry for all the pictures, but I couldn't use words to explain the enormity of the amount of food that we received.  The entire room was packed with food as we brought it back to the mission and sorted it by food type.  There was so much work, but it was so much fun.  The laughter and friendship and teamwork that was exhibited was beautiful.   It's a perfect example of the way the body of Christ should function.  Coming together to serve.  The love of Christ displayed in action.  I hope as the days draw darker that we as the body of Christ can more often come together to love and worship through service.

As always, if you need prayer or have questions, or just need someone to talk to to: crucibleandcrown@gmail.com

You can call me the Honorary Latina

For anyone that has known me very long at all, you know that I LOVE everything Latin.  The culture, the food, the language, the music, all of it.  Since I've moved to New Jersey, I have been exposed to so much of all of it.  There are times that I walk home from work and almost feel like I'm back in Colombia.  The restaurants, the music blasting out of the restaurants, even the Italian Ice street vendor reminds me of Colombia.

Not long after I moved up to Jersey, God led me to the English ministry of a Hispanic church.  I went to this church and immediately felt at home.  These people took me in and made me a part of their church family.  Within my first month, I was talking to Pastor Bernie and he called me an "honorary Latina".  I felt so honored!!  

So now we will flash forward a few months, and God laid on the hearts of my pastors to open StreetLight Church.  From the moment I heard about it, I knew that God was asking me to go there. It was very difficult for me to do, and for the first time in my adult life I was tempted to be overtly disobedient to God.  I'm not saying that I'm 100 percent obedient because I'm human, but generally when I know very clearly that God is asking something of me, I follow where He leads.  But this time, I was very tempted to do what I wanted.  These people had become so dear to me and I couldn't imagine my life without them in it.  

But after much prayer, and fighting with God, I decided to do what I knew He wanted.  I sat down and had a very difficult conversation first with one of the leaders, and then with Pastor Bernie.  Both of them were so understanding but more than that they encouraged me to be obedient. They encouraged me to follow what God had laid on my heart.  They prayed for me and sent me out into the fullness of what God had for me. I walked out of church that night uncertain if I would see them again.  Not because of a lack of desire but because life is so busy.  And for a few months I didn't, with the exception of a very fun Thanksgiving dinner with the pastor and family.  

But God in His incredible wisdom and mercy and blessing brought me back to them.  Now I get to see them pretty much on a weekly basis.  And in some ways I feel like I'm more a part of them now than I was before.  These people have become my "Hispanic family".  And it has been better than I could've imagined.  I have found a family in them, and I know that they pray for me, and they love me, and encourage me.  I could list them all individually and tell each of the ways that they bless me but then I would be here all night.  But I have to give much credit to Hubie and Ivette and Pastor Bernie and Lorraine and their children.  My first Sunday, Ivette chased me down outside the church just to greet me.  And when she brought me back inside and introduced me to her husband who now lovingly calls me "L-dog".  The ways that God has used them in my life are innumerable.  And Pastor Bernie's family.  Oh my, they are in so many ways my Aaron and Hur.  God seems to make it happen that when I am feeling weak and need a little extra support they are there.  When my arms are falling and I feel like the battle is being lost, they swoop in and raise my arms back up and remind me of the awesomeness that is our God.  The role they play is different than any of the other people in my life, but it is one that is much needed.

All of this is to say that God gave me the best of both worlds! That's how God works, if we will let go of what we want God gives us way better than we could have hoped!! Tonight at a young adult gathering Pastor Bernie spoke about staying the course, and keeping God at the center of all we do, and being willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of God's call and will for our lives.  It was so encouraging, and something that we all need to remember daily.  If other things become more important than God, than we are placing idols in God's role!  My prayer is that each of you will remember this, and that God will help you keep him in the number one spot in your heart!  

As always here is my contact information: crucibleandcrown@gmail.com.  Love you all!! <3 nbsp="">

Coats, Coats, and Coats

For obvious reasons the fall/winter are the busiest times of the year for the mission, and November is an especially busy month.  We kicked off the month of November in FANTASTIC fashion.  Last Sunday we spent the day sorting coats from our coat drive.  There's something awesome about getting together with God's people to do something to help others.  We spent somewhere around 2 hours digging through donated coats to separate them by men, women, and children's styles, and then to further separate them into sizes.  It was incredible to see the assortment of coats that people had donated just to help those in need. There was a lot of work, but the good thing was that we had lots of hands.  And as the old adage says many hands make the work light.  And it was.  Not only did it not seem like much work, but we had a great time doing it.  I am going to insert a picture here showing just how much fun we had, but if you know Paul (my pastor) please don't tell him that I posted this. Although in my defense he just said he'd better not see it on Instagram.

With all of the unrest in the middle east, there have been an influx of refugees, and we have been working with the IRC (International Rescue Committee) to provide them with services.  This has been an interesting and difficult challenge because of the language barrier, and as the one in charge of the food pantry, I have seen many of those issues firsthand.  A lack of understanding causes much confusion.  But I see only on a small scale the enormity of these issues.  The IRC requested some help with coats for some of these refugees.  Many of these refugees have never seen winter or snow, and have no real concept of cold, so we agreed.  When they sent us the list there were 175 names on that list.  We opened the first day simply for those with the IRC.  They sent their interpreters, and at the end of the day we had given out 162 coats.  Unfortunately due to the constraints of my job, I wasn't able to be there for the coat give away days, but the stories I heard from the people that were able to be there make my  heart glad.  The workers of the Mission had to explain to the people that they needed heavy coats and that the light jackets they were picking up would not be sufficient to keep them warm.  But knowing that we were able to give coats to people that had none, and that have no concept even of their need for one, and that I had a part in that even if it was ever so small, makes my heart glad.  

I don't know if any of the people that came in to receive coats will turn from their faith, which I'm guessing is primarily Muslim, but that's not our concern.  Our job is to be obedient to help those that God has sent us, and at least this day, the ones that He sent us were these refugees from the Middle East.  

In the 3 days we gave out coats, the total amount given out was over 360 coats!  That's 360 people that got a way to be warm that didn't have it before! 

Please be in prayer as we enter this season where we fight to reach so many, and the need is great. Also be in prayer for the leaders of the Mission as they strive to be obedient in what God calls them to, and wise to know what He is asking!  

As always reach out to me if you need prayer or are interested in more information: crucibleandcrown@gmail.com