He's Moving!!!

Dear faithful friends and supporters,

Thank you so much for the many ways that you hold us up as we serve here. We don't say this lightly. Your prayers are moving the heart of God and we're seeing fruit- PTL!

We've asked for prayer over the last several months for unity within our team. We're not going to lie and say that it has been simple trying to remain unified with a team made up of three different nationalities. And in fact, because it's been so challenging, we've ended up a team of two nationalities for the moment.

For Steve and me, all of last year felt like a spiritual chemical peel- a year of the Lord peeling off the layers of our self-dependence/reliance, the ideas of what ministry would look like here, the timeline in which God would really move, and the people He would use to accomplish His purposes. So, inspite of a painful "peel," we feel like we're on the uphill, yet this time around making a concerted effort to remain deeply dependent on Jesus and not on ourselves!

Steve had the privilege of attending a Global Impact Celebration in Indiana back in November. While there, all the missionaries who participated had a time of sharing and ministry with one another. It was there that Steve received the first Word from the Lord that this year (2007) would be a year of restoration. Just weeks later, our pastor preached on this year being a year of restoration; I felt in my spirit that the Lord was specifically encouraging US through the message. Then, a few weeks after that, Isabel shared with us that during one of her prayer times the Lord had clearly spoken to her about this being a year of restoration. Amen! So- we are expectant for all the ways the Lord plans to bring restoration. Praise God for the ways that we are seeing His restoring Hand already this year!

1. We've already experienced restoration in our team as we're now at a much more unified place. Don't stop praying for unity though! Disunity is what the enemy will continually strive to bring among the Body of Christ so that we are incapable of showing the love of Christ. See Rom. 15:5,6 & Acts 4:32,33.

2. Many of you have been praying for a young mom named Karina for whom the Lord has burdened my heart. Just in case you're not sure who I'm talking about, she's a 21 year old mother of two little boys- 5 and 1, and has been married since she was 15. Her husband is 28 and is an alcoholic. I just recently learned that he was brought to Monterrey from a rural area in Mexico at the age of 13 to start working. It was at that point that he started drinking to fill emotional voids he felt because of his life's circumstances. Well, Karina recently discovered a voice mail on his cell phone from another woman. Though he denied it, Karina believes he's been having an affair with someone. The norm here is that if you decide you don't want to be married anymore, you simply pack up your wife and children and drop them off at the wife's parents house. The end. Well, thankfully, things haven't moved to that point yet. But the weekend that Karina discovered this message, she sunk into a deep dispair, feeling like she was worth absolutely nothing. She went into their outhouse and began cutting herself with a knife. She was ready to take her life. After some time though, her 5 year old Carlitos began yelling for his mom, thank you Jesus. His voice brought her to reality that she has two little ones to care for and to love. She stopped cutting herself and left the bathroom. A couple days later, she wrote me a letter about it all and sent it home with Steve to give to me. Well, the same day that she wrote me the letter, a Christmas package arrived here- yes, in early February (thank you Mexican customs!). That package was sent in early December from the Zuerns in Albany, GA (you guys are awesome!). The lack of timeliness of the mail system here seemed frustrating when we all realized it took almost 2 months for the package to make it here. But God used that perfectly, I believe! So the package arrives, and in the box is a package specifically for Karina! I called Karina the next morning and picked her and her children up to come to our place so I could get her out of her environment for a little bit and speak into her life. I was able to give her that package from the Zuerns, and she was absolutely blown away that someone who doesn't even know her would send her a gift! What a perfect demonstration of the love God has for this young girl!!!! Just several days later, Karina attended a prayer time that Isabel is leading on Fridays in the community and made the decision to accept Christ as her Savior!!!!!! Please continue to pray for this family, and for Karina as the enemy will certainly be attacking her even stronger to try to pull her away from her decision to follow Jesus.

3. Six years ago, a young married girl named Elizabeth was about 6 months pregnant. She developed preeclampsia that wasn't caught in time. The short story is that she lost her baby, she lost her ability to walk and talk, and her arms/hands were left super tense with her hands curled inward. Shortly after this tragedy, someone shot her husband and he was killed. For years, people have been praying for this girl! Yesterday, Steve went by to visit her and had the privilege of hearing about a complete miracle!!!!! On November 11th, Elizabeth's mom was really restless feeling. Laying in bed that night she felt strongly that she and her daughter needed to get up and pray, so they did. A little later that night, half-asleep, she heard the Lord say to her that life was about to change. The next morning while the mom was cooking in the kitchen, she heard someone say, "Mama!" She heard it, left the kitchen to check, but didn't see anyone and didn't think that it could have been her daughter. Well, again, someone called out, "Mama!" This time, she went to her daughter and said, "Did you call me? Did you speak?" She replied, "Si (yes)!" Guys-- this girl hasn't spoken for 6 years. She began speaking that day(the 12th) and by the 15th she was carrying on conversations with her brothers. God is a God of restoration!

I have to confess something, though. When Steve came home last night and shared the story with me, my mind half-way rejoiced and half-way began thinking, "Well, maybe she just finally put forth the effort and the words came out." However, since last night, I've felt really convicted about my own unbelief. I say that I believe that God still moves like we read in His Word, and yet when I see something like this happen, my mind wants to package it up all nicely and have a logical explanation for it. But God is not restrained by human logic! He can and does work however He chooses to bring glory to His name! In my time with the Lord this morning, I asked God for forgiveness and asked Him to change me, to cure me, of my unbelief. I then read Matthew 11. The Lord spoke to me through this passage. Matthew 11:20 says, "Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed." Later, in verses 23 & 24 He says, "If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you." Oh Lord, help my unbelief! How often I am guilty of this same sin...and to think that Jesus considers it such a stench that He says even Sodom (Even SODOM, Lord?!) would have remained to this day if it had seen these miracles! Ouch! Thank you for your grace and mercy, and for reminding me to give YOU the glory when you move and not to try to package up a miracle into a logical explanation.

There's more that I could write today, but for now, I think you've probably had enough to read. Again, THANK YOU for your prayers! Oh yes--- and our baby is due in 2 weeks. Please pray for an easy, smooth delivery! We'll keep you posted!

With love,
Heather