:) 3 weeks tmw

Happy Friday!!!! Feliz Viernes :)
This week has flown by so quickly and i didn't even realize it until yesterday- when i was reminded by my friend Jason... he told me i needed to update my blog hahaha- and i realized OH YEAAAA... so it has been a week since i have written last and so much has happened, so many things to come. So here we go!
     
Last Friday- I went to Glenview Baptist Church and on Friday nights is their youth service. It was so fantastic going to a service where it was all in spanish. I was a bit nervous but prior to the concert/dinner Jason, my new friend-Manuel and I practiced spanish together haha. Well, they didn't need the practice but i did... which helped me get into the mode of spanish. The concert was GREAT- i understood most of the music but these guys singing really shared so much testimony through their songs- i really loved it. It was great to be around 100+ youth, around my age, praising God. :) That night, 9 youth were saved and 4 got their relationships back with God. I was so excited to see my new brothers and sisters in Christ :) I am going back to that church tonight and i'm pretty stoked to see what God has in store for tonight. Pray that i meet more people there and make some more great friends.

all of the people eating after the concert at the church :) It was a blast!!!!

      Sunday we went to church in San Juan- they have a smaller Deaf church there with about 5 Deaf folk. Marsha and David told me that most of the CODAs dont' come with their parents because of the hearing church could not "handle" them. Since, they were not disciplined enough to sit in the classroom with the other students. When they told me that, i really thought to myself, "wow, that would really discourage me." So, instead going into the Deaf service- i went into the hearing service, once again all in spanish. First i went into the single adults Sunday School class which turned out to be me and two older cuban ladies haha. :) They were super sweet and i could understand their spanish haha they didn't speak as fast as Puerto Ricans do. Then, i sat in the worship service- and the first song they sung was Holy, Holy, Holy- growing up in the Deaf church, we would sign the hymns but i never knew what they sounded like- i remember the song Holy Holy Holy being signed in Deaf church... then one day when i went into the hearing service in the states (when i was younger) i  heard that song and i recongized it. Then, coming to Puerto Rico, all grown up... and i hear that song in Spanish.. i knew at that moment- that God was with me.. 3 different languages- the same song.. praising ONE GOD. I felt such peace and excitment :) We went out to eat with the Deaf and they all have such sweet spirits- pray for their growth in their leaderships so they can go and bring more Deaf and their children to the church :) Then we drove back to Juana Diaz ( to the missionaries house).
    
     The rest of the week was quite an adjustment for me- i wasn't staying in the office anymore, for the past week i have been staying at the missionaries house. There are two men from Tennessee who are here working on Puerto Rico Deaf Ministry vehicles. They have been such a blessing to us.. fixing all the problems on all the cars, vans, and truck. My favorite time all this week would be waking up super early (which was hard.. but i'll get over it haha) and driving by myself from Juana Diaz to Ponce. It is like a 20 min drive and i loved it. The sun was coming out, i would listen to my ipod, and just drive. There was so much traffic but i really loved the traffic because i could just praise God, by myself, in the car.. looking at HIS LOVELY creation.. and He would just prepare me for the day ahead of me.

 

"As i look of into the distance, watching the sun roll on by.. beautiful colors all around me oh.. painted all over the sky- the same hands that created all of this... they created you and i.. what a beautiful GOD"

- Shawn Mcdonald

All this week i have been prepraing for this Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday. I am going to Cayey on Sat, Hormigueros on Sunday, and Aibonito on Tuesday. I will be teaching CODAs and i am super excited. What i have in store is Matthew 14: 22-33. Where Jesus walks on the water and Peter gets out of the boat to meet Jesus. I am so excited about this lesson because it teaches so much. I want these kids and youth to know that they can trust Jesus with everything in their lives. They need to step out of the boat and look at Jesus- never keep their eyes off of Him. Also, that He catches us when we have fallen, when we cry out to Him... He is there. This is such a beautiful story- please pray for me this weekend that God will really help these youth and kids understand who HE IS. May all the glory be given to our Father!!! Also, be praying that someone will be willing to, last minute assist me tomorrow- last we were informed at this church there were 60 Deaf people and 25 CODAs- i hope that they all come again.. what an amazing praise. 

Also, this week we have been organizing the office- we have had so many donations come in, and we figured out we have had over 300 puzzles given to us.. haha- we have gone puzzle crazy in this office. Jason, Cristina,  and I cleaned out a lot stuff in the office. Cristina (Mercy's daugther- the sectary here) and i modeled some old glasses- we had tons of fun. :) let's just say we brought tons of joy to the office with our craziness. 

God is good... all is well and there is still so much more to come. Keep praying for this ministry, for money support, and that God keeps sending me encouragement here. This week i have gotten to speak to some of my friends which makes me SMILE. I love you all and miss you all. 

Off to church i go :) I'm gonna drive there tonight.. praise God i'm following Jason or i'd be lost... haha!

Paz y Amor (peace and love)