Seeking

During a meeting with Israel Contreras, the pastor at Iglesia Biblica Misionera (IBM church), he encouraged our Short Term Missions team of 7 to ask the Lord why He would send us to Queretaro, Mexico and consider the impact would outlast the week. Every time I pause to consider, there is a new facet for which to remain in awe! But one thing we want to highlight about our trip is God's gift to peel back the curtain to see a glimpse of that future day by witnessing  unity in the body, in service and in the hope & need we all share today .  STM Team + Pastor Isra (blue shirt behind wife Maru) & wife Maru (pink pants) @ IBM church on Sunday Our team stayed in 4 different houses of IBM church members, and we were welcomed like family - given their bedrooms, time and love. Before we even arrived, our host husband reached out to mine asking if I preferred almond or coconut milk, since I am sensitive to dairy. Late on our travel day, I was eager to get "home" to rest, tho...

In the event we have not spoken, my Father-in-law, Jose Valadez, went home to be with the Lord on November 3.  I was listening to an old message from my pastor saying, 'anyone can point out someone's failure; it takes spiritual eyes to see that which the Lord is doing in their life.'  This mont h, we want to share a bit about Apa’s life-how he loved, served and grew [in the Lord]-because telling his story, brings glory to God and points us to Christ.  First, during his memorial service, more than one person stated, "he loved in his own way." As I was trying to process their words, this phrase did not settle well with me. Thankfully, the Spirit brought to remembrance 1 Corinthians 13 . While individuals express love differently from one another, the word sets a perfect standard and Jesus demonstrated it perfectly in real life. Though I cannot recall a single time Jose told me, "I love you," I know he loved me; he was patient, kind, was not easily provoked...

During a time of discouragement, a dear sister gifted me, "Dark Clouds Deep Mercy, Discovering the Grace of Lament" by Mark Vroegop. As our family enters a season of growing in lament, we would like to share a few encouragements with you as we tread this broken world together: "...turn, complain, ask, and trust" (29). "... every lament is a prayer. A statement of faith ...the honest cry of a hurting heart wrestling with the paradox of pain and the promise of God's goodness...how you live between a hard life and God's promises" (26, 84). When suffering comes, my desire is for it to pass, as quickly as possible, but this, "...can circumvent the opportunity afforded in lament - to give a person permission to wrestle with sorrow instead of rushing to end it. Lament provides a place for both feelings and truth" (19, 165)." We do not ignore or pretend our pain away; we must learn to see through and respond to it properly. Acknowledge our...

Beloved, it is that time of year when the season is about to change and students are going back to school. Recently, in a Q&A, a young lady shared her testimony and call to serve as a missionary with bible translation. She defined her "spiritually dry season" as a time of being lonely with unmet expectations, in a region where there are no thriving, strong or welcoming churches - she had to bear her burdens alone, apart from her strong church family and look straight to the Lord. This summer, while reading "God does His best Work with Empty," by Nancy Guthrie, it was made clear I am naturally dry and empty, but Christ is faithful to continue providing Himself  (see Philippians 4:19 and Romans 8:32 ). In her book, Nancy hones in on the perspective of seeing emptiness in our life as a pre-planned opportunity for God to personally fill us in ways no one and nothing else can. Instead, we tend to quickly and regularly feed on our 'disappointment or frustration...

"There [at Puteoli] we [Paul, prisoners and guard] found some brethren, and were invited to stay with them for seven days; and thus* we came to Rome" (Acts 28:14, NASB; *see Acts 13-28 for Paul's rugged missionary life). Husband and I are back from our vision trip to Rome and would like to share about meeting the Italian theological Academy (ITA) missionary team, visiting the local church and assessing whether this could be where the Lord would have us relocate to serve. The ITA team consists of three main leaders (+3 associate professors in Genoa and Florence): Johnny Gravino (missionary), Cesare Albanessi (missionary) and Sebastian Mendez (ITA graduate now pastor). The Gravinos and Alabanessis are in Rome, and the Mendezes are in Messina which is near Sicily in the south. The academy serves to build the church by  training and equipping men to understand and properly divide the word (click here  for more info), with a goal to plant a church in Rome . ITA classes have ...

Happy New Year Beloved! To start off 2022, Husband and I would love to hear from YOU :D What is one area we can be praying for you and what can we give praise to the Lord for 2021 , together? You can respond directly to this email or "enter your comment" at the bottom of the blog post. Also, we would like to share our vision, too. For those that do not know, several years ago, Husband and the boys started writing out their annual goals on a poster board. Since getting married, we now get a little more creative and hang them on the wall as a reminder and encouragement. (Enjoy the PJs :D) Top priorities for us include our relationship with the Lord, each other and others . We want to better use our gifts, resources and time, to the building up of His bride and kingdom . And I am reminded Christ and the Spirit live in us, to carry it out . You and I are precisely where He has us for the good work before us.  As you may be aware, we leave for Rome this Sunday, January 8. This wee...

  Fall is in the air, and my Valadez men are loving it! I am a summer girl myself, but the change of colors and smells humble me to God's creativity and wisdom with seasons. This past month, our church has resumed various ministries, Husband continues with TC and we have been enriched by various interactions with the body of Christ and time in scripture and prayer. We are still praying about attending the bible conference in Rome, January 2022, because travel restrictions continue changing. Additional praise reports and prayer requests are noted below. Please let us know how we can praise with or pray for you. Also, we would like to share three  encouragements from John Bunyan's classic, "The Pilgrim's Progress," published in 1678: 1. the life of a believer is transient, 2. provided for, and 3. tested by sin, but God is gracious. Husband and I had the pleasure of reading this book with others from our church earlier in the year, and we highly recommend it (and I w...