the Walk of the Worthy

"so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, 
fully pleasing to him..." 

~ Colossians 1:10a ~

We're learning a lot about prayer right now, specifically praying through Scripture and allowing the Word to guide us in seeking and asking of God. Below you will find updates in each of the main areas of work in Granada, and below those, prayer requests for each. Please feel free to pick and choose what you'd like to join in prayer over. We hope that you delight in it as we are, asking God for that which He already hopes and longs for, and pours out in abundance over us. Love you guys!

Pantanal Ministry

Pantanal's ministry is currently focusing on training people to take care of the earth that God has given us by doing a trash cleanup on the outskirts of a property that El Puente just purchased. There are a few objectives for this trash cleanup, but the main focus is to have the community understand that God has given us the earth and, with that, a charge to take care of this gift. The secondary objectives are to get the property clean so the community will stop using it as a dump which will pave the way for us to develop the property for the Education Center. We also hope to clean an area so that we can play soccer and use that as a way to reach youth in the surrounding neighborhood. On the edge of the soccer field we want to build a small shelter so that we can host our Thursday Bible study there.

Prayer Requests:

James 1:2-5 - That the leaders may have strength through the times when the ministry is difficult

John 1:1-18 - Those who live in the community would really come to know God in the fullness of his Glory

John 3:3-15 - That the youth would come into a true life-changing relationship with Jesus.

Short-Term Teams and Interns

We just had three short-term trips come through Granada. One of the trips was a medical team that hosted four different clinics here in Granada. They also had a ministry team that went out and focused on Pantanal, specifically the kids in the area. This was only the second team we have ever had do an outreach in Pantanal. They were followed up by the next team who worked in Pantanal as well as a handful of other ministry sites. All three teams did great work for the Kingdom. We will be hosting our next team in June, meaning right now we are focusing on setting up all the ministry sites so that we are ready for the teams when they arrive. 

Prayer Requests:

Colossians 1:9-14 - That the teams would be soaking themselves in the Word as they prepare to come down here and work for the Lord. The only way they are going to know they are working in a manner worth of the Lord is if they are filled with the knowledge of God's will. Pray that the Scriptures would open up to them and they would have a clear understanding of what God wants from them.

Ephesians 6:10-19 - Pray for the Spiritual protection of the teams as they prepare in advance for the work they are going to do here. Pray that they would seek God and not be distracted by the schemes of the devil.

Romans 12:1-2 - That the teams would have a clear mind as they pray, prepare, and come.

Romans 11:33-36 - That they would see God's glory in this whole process!

Children's Church

We have recently, under much salvation-working fear and trembling, started to provide Children's Church at both services (1^st and 3^rd Sundays of each month). We are now steadily serving 60+ children as a team of 7 teachers with 3 separate classes, ages 3-7, 8-11, and 12-15. We are learning what it means to meditate on the Word day and night and to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9). We are also focusing on the following scriptures to fortify us as teachers and administrators: Deuteronomy 7:9, Ephesians 4:11-16, Psalms 32:8, and Proverbs 22:6. We are going to begin working through the book “Shepherding a Child's Heart” by Tedd Tripp in June. God has been amazing at showing me what he is capable of when I trust Him to handle such a God-sized task!

Prayer Requests:

Deuteronomy 7:9 – to KNOW THEREFORE THAT THE LORD OUR GOD IS GOD

Joshua 1:6-9 - to be strong and courageous in what God has commanded us to do, to meditate on His Word day and night in order to have sound teaching and deep encouragement,

Ephesians 4:11-16 - to be taught sound doctrine and disciple the children as God has charged teachers and shepherds to do, to mature them so as to not be tossed by the winds of doctrine but as to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Psalms 32:8 & Proverbs 22:6 – for God to instruct us and teach us in the way we should go and counsel us with His eye upon us, and that we would then train up the children in the way they should go, so that they would not turn from it and would lead their country into Godliness.

Character Development

The church-wide word for this month is Fiel, or Faithful. We are into our second month of Faithful, and it has been a FANTASTIC kick-off for the character development program that Bethany and I began praying about back in October. I am so thrilled. I have learned about God's faithfulness and my own during women's group, Jicaro, Children's Church, personal life with finances, and among friends in the church. It has been amazing to see God really bust this program open throughout the church body. We will start April with Bondad, Kindness, and I look forward to seeing God work in my heart and in the church. Should be great!

Prayer Requests:

Deuteronomy 7:9 – to KNOW THEREFORE THAT THE LORD OUR GOD IS GOD, THE FAITHFUL GOD WHO KEEPS COVENANT AND STEADFAST LOVE WITH THOSE WHO LOVE HIM AND KEEP HIS COMMANDS, TO A THOUSAND GENERATIONS.

Philippians 2:2 – that we would be like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose,

Philippians 2:5, 12-13 – that we as a body would learn to take on the attitude of Christ as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is GOD who works in us to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Romans 12:2 – that we would no longer be conformed to this world but would be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we will be able to test and approve what God's will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

Ephesians 4:11-16, Galatians 5:22-25 – that we would grow in maturity to attain the full measure of the stature of Christ, and that we would bear the fruit the Spirit alive and active within us.

theJicaro Project

Jicaro has been growing, and so has my responsibility and reliance on God. Praise God for that! I have been focusing more so on the character development side of Jicaro, being more intentional to displaying a specific verse that pertains to the Character Development word of the month (Fiel/Faithful) and to have a guest speaker once a month to talk about one of the 3 core matters of Jicaro (outside of raising money for Vida Joven). The topics that we have covered/plan to cover are money management, character development, and job preparation. Charles shared on the first Thursday in March about budgeting (the first segment) sharing God's way of planning for the future and honoring Him with finances, and April holds a special mock interview segment to set a platform for a local business owner and employee to share employer expectations and employee expectation fulfillment. I am so excited to see what I planned last year actually come to fruition this year! God has been amazingly humbling in positioning me to fully rely on Him to accomplish every Thursday and Monday of Jicaro. I am amazed at the Joy of serving UNDER Him. He accomplishes so much!

I have also enjoyed the relationship opportunities and challenges that have come with working with Jicaro. Boys come and go and we attempt to manage them well while producing quality products and maintaining order in another language. And relationships are finally bearing fruit among the women! It took me a long time to really grow those relationships, but they are deepening now and really blessing me to have them.

Prayer Requests:

Philippians 2:1-11 – that I would have the attitude of Christ, that we managers would be like-minded, that we would have the same love, that we would be humble in our obedience, that I would trust God to accomplish his will – HIS PERFECT WILL – so that I will be obedient as Christ was obedient.

Hebrews 11:8 – that I would be faithful like Abraham, to obey God even when I don't know where I'm going.

James 1:19 – that I would be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry – throughout ANYTHING that happens, to have patience to endure and lead with grace.

Philippians 4:6-7 – that I would not be anxious but would present my requests, my prayers and petitions with thanksgiving, to God so that the peace of God will guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:14-17 – to know God's Word well in order to thoroughly equipped for every good work

Every Day Life.....

We have been blessed with two lovely roommates, and it has been so good to have a consistent household since September. We have had visitors come and go, but we have been so blessed to be able to grow in community as we serve alongside one another, discipling one another, building each other up in the Word, praying together, chilling, laughing, playing, fiesta-ing for holidays....we have been blessed. I am so thankful for the joy and growth that has come with living in community.

We have been facing challenges with Ingrid, our neighbor, but she is also growing and receiving love with some victories. We pray together before each Bible study, that she is able to behave well, respecter her teachers and other kids, listen, sit still, etc. She has taken to copying Scripture during Wednesday Bible studies, and that seems to be just right for her. She is pushing back against those who show her love and kindness, and we are learning to love unconditionally. I'm quite convinced of God's mutual benefit project going on between us. She has been memorizing Psalm 139:14, and I have been praying for God to completely capture her heart and to help me deal with her out of His love and not according to her sin, as it says God does with us in Psalm 103:10-12. I am believing God for the miracle of her complete salvation and turning from craving evil. I am so jealous for her to truly know and be with God. We are concerned that she may have ADD/ADHD as she is very flighty and has a hard time concentrating whatsoever, and I'm sure that much of her background has not contributed positively to her behavior, so please be in prayer. We are attempting to help her figure out how to live with it, but we also feel like some counseling would prove helpful as well. I am praying for God to be the Great Counselor and to provide someone to work this through for her.

a date with the King?...
Visit Don's 365 Project for the deets...

Don and I are doing quite well. We are battling through submitting our finances to God, maintaining balanced schedules that honor God, and spending time together outside of ministry, just us, just fun. God is faithful to answer our every prayer, especially those that honor Him, so I am not taken over by any amount of fear for these items, only by Fear of Him. We are grateful for all that He has poured out on us, all that He has worked through us.


Prayer Requests:

Philippians 2:1-4 – that we, our roommates, and staff would be like-minded, that in humility we would consider others better than ourselves and that we would look not to our own interests but to the interests of others.

Colossians 1:10-12 – Please pray without ceasing that God would fill us with the knowledge of His will...that we may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God....that we might have great endurance and patience, with great thanksgiving.

Romans 12:9-12 – Let our love be sincere, that we would be devoted to one another in brotherly love, honoring one another above ourselves, not lacking in Spiritual fervor, serving the Lord together, joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Psalm 103 – for Ingrid, for God to completely transform and heal her, for us to deal with her out of love and to train her up in the way she should go, that her soul would cry “Bless the LORD.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – our wedding verses—that we would be a cord of three strands, lifting one another up in prayer as we slip and fall, so that we may have a good return for our work

Ecclesiastes 9:9 – that Don would always Enjoy Life with His Wife=)