Week Three Update

3 lunches down. 3rd Forge Tonight.
It's been a crazy few weeks.
Thankfully we have not run out of food.
Students have all been fed.
And not only physically
but spiritually as well.
So many students are hungry-
seeking something greater
than what they've always known.

Some desire to give up 1 semester
to serve as a missionary.

One girl sincerely wanted a Bible.
What a beautiful thing
to place it in her hands
that she may read and
come to know more of this
man named Jesus.

One student spends time with
Muslim students, they listen
to each others beliefs she has
been able to share who Jesus is.
She prays and then they do.
She loves them without motivations.
At the same time praying
that God would save them.

How grateful I am for He who loved us
without condition.
Who loved in the midst of our sinfulness.
He loved us in that lowest point.
He loved us too much to leave us there.
He desired to show His glory & beauty
through our redemption.
Who bore our sins and covered us
with His beauty.
Giving us opportunity to be freed
from shame & guilt.
That we may live in freedom.
May He be glorified.

Its a New Year!

I can't believe that its already time for a new semester! We're jumping right into it though. Friday and Saturday we had tons of fun moving new freshman into their dorms. It reached 102 both days so we were really hot, but it was totally worth it! Families always appreciate the help and its a blessing to be able to serve them with something as simple as carrying their child's possessions to the third floor. One of the girls has even connected with us at both involvement fairs and is excited to be involved this semester. Funny that she was probably one of the ones that I thought would be least interested, but we invited her anyways and how wrong I was. She is a sweet kid and even is bringing her friend around. I look forward to seeing what God does in their lives this semester.

Saturday night we had a cookout and met a few other students who were bored and decided to come eat some free food. One of the girls was really interested and said, 'I wish I could come to your Bible studies, but I'm not Baptist' What a shame... JUST KIDDING! I told her that she is totally welcome and she even said, 'I'm not sure about free lunch, but I really want to come to the Bible studies!' Usually, not always, but usually kids mainly just want free food; we through in some Spiritual food for them as well though. They may think all they need is a sandwich, but we know that they need Jesus and that they will come to that realization at some point. Sunday and Tuesday were involvement fairs and we met a bunch of kids there which was also really fun. All of the in between time we stay busy preparing for the semester, meeting with kids, and contacting kids that we've already met.
It is a crazy few weeks, but full of excitement and anticipation. We know that He has great things in store for UTSA and we desire to see these 29,000 students realize their need for Him. We had a beautiful prayer gathering today. Outside about 50 feet from the President's Picnic at which they served thousands of kids burgers, veggieburgers and hot dogs. There was loud music, excited chatter, and a really nice, cool breeze. All reminding us that we are here for a purpose and a visual reminder that there are so many students right before us who are broken and dying... may our hearts be broken for them as His is.

Vacation and MORE

I arrived in Costa Rica on Friday(June 25), we stayed in San Jose for two days, exploring the city. We tried to find the bus station and ended up walking through the red light district and the most dangerous part of CR without really knowing it. God protected us!



Then we went to Monteverde for a few days and hiked up a mountain and ziplined through the cloudforest. It was one of the most gorgeous things I’ve ever seen!






Then we went back to San Jose and visited Bekah’s school and her family that she lived with.



On Friday we took a day trip to Manuel Antonio—one of the most beautiful beaches in CR and we agree! The trip home and Saturday were two very memorable days, but not that fun. As we were traveling back I started feeling really sick and started praying really hard that I would not throw up on the bus! I started getting really hot and naseaus—at this point I feel so horrible that I want to die, it’s a really horrible feeling and then I pass out. Embarrassing! Bekah taps my shoulder and wakes me up, ‘are you ok?!’ I said NO! I felt horrible, she switched me seats so I could sit by the window and get the cool breeze on my face. We still had two hours to go until we were ‘home’! Those two hours went really slow, but we finally got back and a taxi driver was there to get us, he starts hitting on us and I was so sick and about to throw up all over his car—poor Bekah had to handle everything. The guy ended up charging us double… I guess he thought he was pretty charming and worth more than the other taxi rides. We didn’t have that much money with us, so tough for him, he only got like 1.5 times what the ride should have cost. We made it inside and I ended up in bed for 24 hours. I was so upset because it was our last day and we were going to go meet a missionary whose family Kristen met in Bolivia and I really wanted to meet her! I told Bekah she should go alone because I was not able to go anywhere. She did go and her and Kari returned about 40 minutes later with crackers, something to drink and medicine. I felt so loved and special. They were going to go eat breakfast and then Bekah was going to go souvenier shopping. I was really worried for her safety because I was supposed to go and be with her to protect her. That’s what big sisters do! As she walked out the door I started crying of frustration and I felt like a failure because I was supposed to take care of her and I was sick in bed and she was taking care of me! But God spoke to me at that moment and told me that He’s got this! And a verse that I had read the day before came to mind: Luke 12:6-7 ‘Aren’t two sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet, not one sparrow is forgotten by God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows!’ He knows my sister, He can take care of her much better than I can. And I really had no option other than to trust Him. He does take really good care of her; of US!






This is one of the times when God has dealt harshly with me, but ever so beautifully. First off, I felt kind of bad and selfish for going on vacation. God is doing so much throughout the world and has so much for us to do, who am I to take a week, take money that could be spent better elsewhere all on myself. (Granted--Bekah and I travel super-frugally! I’m pretty positive we spend way less money on vacation than when we’re home.)
That week of vacation was one of the greatest times in my life where God just broke me and made me see a lot of my weaknesses. I guess we have a tendency to compare ourselves vertically… with those around us. Its easier on me this way because I definitely come up looking pretty good and I feel good about myself and how good I am. And God must be pretty satisfied with me! But, when I focus on myself and how I measure up to HIM, I fall so short of what He requires—which is perfection(Matt 5:48). And all I can do is fall at His feet and ask that He forgive me.
Who am I to stand before the God of the universe and tell Him that I deserve anything! He was perfect and yet loved such imperfect, selfish and horrible people so much that He sent His son to die for us so that we could have a relationship with Him and bring Him honor. What love. What Grace. What beauty.
Not that I think I’ll take a vacation ever again ;) But I think a week away was really wonderful and gave Him space to work in my life because I was totally away from everything I knew—except Bekah—and He took advantage of that time and working in my life very strongly. I praise Him for this!

A Place of Hope

Hope Gardens is a place for women and children who have been in abusive relationships and have chosen to leave, but needed a safe place to be with their children. Hope Gardens work with helping these women to get jobs and to transition back into society. We went and played games with the kids… something kind of like fugitive where we are all running in the dark, trying to smuggle Bibles to the finish line but if you get caught by the ‘police’ you have to go to ‘jail’. Its pretty much the most fun game ever! I got separated from my team and was wandering around aimlessly when a little girl named Mia asked what we were doing, I told her we were playing a game, did she want to come along. She ran up to me, took my hand and we went to ask her mom. We picked up her sister who was probably 5 and took off running. I guess we weren’t suspects because we made it all the way to the finish line without anyone chasing us! Mia and her sister—whose name I can’t remember—were having such a blast playing with the bigger kids. On our way back down the hill, Mia disappeared. The sister got really nervous, so we went on a search behind the apartments and it was really dark, she was really scared. I told her that this was an adventure and it was fun, she said she didn’t like adventures. Then we started walking through the little opening and the sprinklers came on! I picked her up and ran through them and she was laughing; afterwards, I said, ‘see, adventures are fun!’ and she informed me that that wasn’t fun. What can you say to that?! We gathered with all of the students to pray together and to say goodbye. Mia gave me a big hug and said she was going to miss me, then she took her barrette out of her hair and gave it to me ‘so that you don’t forget me,’ she said.


I wonder how many people come into her life and leave just like we did. But she didn’t hold back, she loved on us, she sang her heart out and even prayed the closing prayer as we left. I hope that I never do forget a little girl name Mia who didn’t assume that we were going to leave, but she maybe knew it, but she loved us anyways.

Two Really Cool Guys

Adrian and Ben work with Mosaic as part of Serve LA. They took time out of their busy schedules to come and hang out with us and share with us their thoughts on loving others and serving God. It was a really wonderful time of hearing them sharing their passions and here are some of my favorite things they said: “God is already having the conversation with the world.” –Ben. We are privileged to jump in and be a part of it. “My filter for the world is really hopeful. The world is full of possibility. Redemption is God’s Idea. Whenever I see anything that is broken being restored-I know that is God.” –Adrian. I loved their thoughts and their humble hearts. They want to serve in whatever way they can and they just love people along the way. I was very inspired by them!

Stop the Busyness and Share a Table

We arrived at LAX on Tuesday, May 18th, jumped on the enterprise shuttle and that was the beginning to an amazing adventure. After we went to Enterprise and got our CIA/Drug-dealer/Cool mom Suburbans(funny how a Suburban can be mistaken for three very different roles, but we got all of those in LA), we went to a California MUST: In-n-Out Burgers. The place was pretty busy and our group of twenty took up every empty table and then some. Brian and I were standing in the opening waiting for a table to open up, just chilling out. A man and woman were dressed business-y in the corner and they cleared their stuff of the space next to them and invited us to sit down with them. We sat down and started chatting; turns out they were from Dallas and had flown in real quick to do some business and were now headed back to the airport to go to the next stop. We shared stories about what we were doing in LA and before we knew it, it was time for them to leave. I smile at this very nice break in a busy day and reflect on their kindness and thoughtfulness to invite us to sit down. We were blessed to join in on their conversation and a few minutes of their lives.

A Brief History

Rewind two years...

I was a student at the Baptist University of the Americas. Studying to earn by BA in Biblical Theological Studies. I wanted to serve God. I didn't know how or why or where or when, I just believed that He had called me to serve; so the best step for me was to go to Bible school to prepare.

Then my lovely twin leaves to Bolivia for a whole year to work with children. I was kind of jealous--that is what I wanted to do, but I had to finish school. I guess in my mind, to 'be a missionary' you have to go to a far away country and learn another language. So, even though I was in Bible school, I still had a lot to learn!

But, I graduated anyways... I knew that I wanted to work in ministry and looked through many positions which all fell through. So I worked two temporary full-time jobs at a Western store and Subway. Over 70 hours a week in jobs that I knew would not last for long. I prayed that God would give me a job and would wait and wait to get phone calls. Finally in the end of July I found an opening on the BGCT Website that they were looking for a full-time intern to work with the Baptist Student Ministry at the University of Texas, San Antonio. I loved being involved in campus ministry my first two years at community college, so I decided to submit my resume.

I told my friend Belkys about it and was kind of excited about the possibility. She told me that she knew the director's wife and wrote a letter to the director. I don't know what she said, but the next day I got a call from the BGCT and they asked if I could have an interview the following day.
I had two interviews and then I waited. I quit both jobs before I had the official word; I guess I just knew that the internship was going to work out. But all together I think within two weeks I was on the job. I didn't have any idea what to expect and boy, has it been a ride.
God has taught me probably 500x more in this context than in any course I took in college. However, I am so grateful for that foundation that I received.

Kevin is a wonderful man of God who has been such a tremendous teacher and encourager. I learn a lot from Him and am so grateful that God has brought him to UTSA to lead the BSM.

Here are some of the tremendous blessings that God allows Kevin and I to work with everyday. These kids are so great! We get to encourage, challenge and love them and in turn we are encouraged, challenged and they even love us ;) We are so blessed.
I have ten billion stories that I would love to share about the BSM; about 'my kids,' about things that we have seen Him do, about things He has taught me... I just don't know where to start. So, I guess that will wait until the next post...