Spinning Plates

Hi friends!

Here is an update on what has been going on since I arrived.  Horizonte Global is officially up and running.  There have been a lot of long hours of administrative work, but now we are getting to the fun and HARDEST part: praying, planning of missionary trips, and developing leaders.

Horizonte Global is the missions' ministry of Horizonte Ensenada, and our vision is to mobilise Mexicans to plant and support churches in Mexico and around the world.  We have a mission to plant 100 churches in the next ten years, fully convinced that God wants to move and do a work around the world.  Beyond this, being the missions' ministry of the church, there are short-term trips throughout the year with the purpose of equipping people and broadening their understanding of making disciples of all the nations.  There are meetings that happen every month in which we also talk about the heart of God for the nations and pray for different ministries.  Horizonte Global is a resource for individuals and local churches who want to know: how to do missions, how to plan a mission's trip, and how to better support missionaries that are already in the field.  

As you can see, Horizonte Global encompasses A LOT of moving pieces.  So here are a few prayer requests:

• For God to send workers to His field.
• For wisdom, above all else, that He would be the One guiding and directing me to make the right decisions about the ministry.
• For continual provision of resources to accomplish everything He has put in our hands to do.

If you would like to know more about Horizonte Global, visit horizonteglobal.org

#777

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Mt. 7:7-8.

Welcome!!!

Thank you to all of you that prayed for me!! Less than a week after my last post I found a place to stay, and it is perfect.  It is two blocks from the church and less than a ten minute walk!! Praise the LORD!! He is good.  Want to hear something funny? When I talked to the landlady on the phone, even before seeing the place, I had a feeling I had found the place.  She explained to me how to get there and when to meet her, but she forgot to give me the number of the house… right before hanging up I said: “Wait, what is the number of the house?” “777”, she replied.  I smiled and thought, “Oh God, You are so funny.”

Now I pray that the LORD would use this place for His glory, that it would be a place where fellowship happens, where people feel comfortable, and His Spirit dwells; a place where His peace and power are felt.

May God be glorified!!

Arriba, Arriba!

I have made it to my destination... I arrived two nights ago safe and sound.  Thank you so much for your prayers!   God is good.
I am not settled yet, as I need to find a house to rent.  Please pray I can find one soon.  I can't wait to unpack everything and be truly settled.  I am currently staying with the pastor and his lovely family.  We've had a good time catching up.  I haven't had time to explore the city yet. In the next couple of days I'm going to check out a couple of places that are available for rent.  I hope to write another post soon to tell you about God's faithfulness in providing a place.

Bellow is a picture of Ensenada taken from the roof of the house I'm staying at (ocean to the left and mountains to the right).

PS- Don't be fooled by the nice blue skies... I'm freezing over here!

ETA

Hello friends,

Remember how I said that I'll be going to Mexico February/March time?  Well, there's been a slight change of plans.... I'm leaving for the West Coast in two days, and should be arriving in Mexico early this coming week.  Prayers for safe travels greatly appreciated.

William Booth

'Not called!' did you say?

'Not heard the call,' I think you should say.

Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face — whose mercy you have professed to obey — and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world.

William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army

Papayas and Ministry

" I sent you to reap for that which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors" John 4:38

This papaya tree sprouted in our backyard without anyone planting it.... One day I walked out the back door and there it was, growing.  It was the funniest and strangest thing.  As soon as I saw it, two years ago, I knew it would be featured on this blog at some point, because I knew it would eventually teach me a lesson.  This is the first year the tree gives fruit and boy, oh boy, are we excited.  It boggles my mind how this tree has grown and is now bearing fruit.  I didn't plant it, I didn't water it, and yet I am about to enjoy some yummy papaya shakes as soon as the fruit ripens.  

In the same way, God has opened a door.  I have been invited to move to Mexico and partake of the beginning of a new and wonderful ministry.  Come February/March, God willing, I will be moving to Baja California and become part of "Horizonte Global".  A ministry dedicated to train and equip local churches to fulfill the great commission of making disciples worldwide :)  We will train individuals that feel called to do missionary work, lead them in short-term mission trips, as well as train their local churches on what it means to send and support missionaries (both short-term and long-term).  The goal is to plant and establish churches worldwide in order to reach unreached people groups. 

The "crazy" part about this story, is that I did not go looking for this opportunity.  I had been praying about what to do after December.  A few options had come up and I was considering them; then, out of nowhere, a pastor friend of mine calls me up and offers me to become a part of Horizonte Global... "say what?!" I am very humbled and honored to go.  I know the church there has been laboring incessantly to bring this ministry about, and as I go join them I am very aware that God is sending me to reap that which I have not labored for, but He wants me to enjoy, that I may rejoice with those that have labored as well.

"Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'?  Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!  And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together." (John 4:35-36)

Let's do it right

I originally intended for this to be a longer post, but in the end I decided it would deter from the simplicity of the truth I want to share.

I was talking to a friend a couple of months ago about ministry, discipleship, God's purpose for His children, etc. and he said something I thought it was worth sharing with the world. The context of this particular quote is discipleship, but honestly it is true across the board, for ministry, friendship, and life in general. When I asked him what God had been speaking to him he said:

"stop using people to serve your vision, SERVE THEM."  

Wow!

Can I get an amen?

Let's be shepherds and not hirelings.

Love sacrificially and unconditionally.