Seeking

This past month, the Lord provided the resources and time for Husband and I to travel to Italy with Jacob and Zach, and we had a good time! We have wanted to take them since Jacob's senior year in high-school, 2019-2020, but were prevented during the shut-down. Our initial planning, then, planted a seed for missions and Italy.  For that trip, Husband reached out to a missions organization. One church pastor from Italy responded, and Husband asked: "What is the need?" The answer was long-term, faithful laborers. We began to pray about long-term missions and Italy. Then the Lord moved us to Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church in December 2019. Since then, we have learned a ton about missions and had rich discussions and come alongside several missionaries, lifted countless prayers and gone on short-term trips. While many doors seemed to have been opening for Rome between 2022 and 2024, they were shut distinctly the week of Rick's graduation from Bible Training at the ...

Do you remember when the Israelites were fleeing from Egypt and the Pharoah, only to find themselves sandwiched in between the Red Sea on one side and the Egyptian army on the other? Exodus 14:10 and 14:12 says "...they [the Israelites] were very afraid and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord...[and Moses] it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness." Despite their fear and hopelessness, the Lord answers to Moses: " 'Tell the children of Israel to go forward...[they] shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea' " (vv.15-16). In this instance, there was valid reason for fear of death: "the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the Sea" (v.23). But the Lord "troubled the army" (v.24), "took off their chariot wheels" (v.25), 'brought the waters back upon them' (v.26), until "not so much as one of them remained" (v.28). While ...

Ciao beloved (ciao means hello in Italian)! Thank you for your faithful prayers and friendship. This will be a short and bitter-sweet update. Recently, we were notified that the opportunity for us to serve in Italy is closed. While we are thankful for God's clear direction, it is not without a sting. We have grown fond of the people in Rome, the culture and already started cultivating relationships. But by His grace, we trust the His redirection and timing. Please continue interceding for us and the Italian church (photo below), as there are also some changes and challenges there. We will remain seeking, knocking and serving, as the Lord leads. Ciao Italia (it also means goodbye)! Praise Reports: Husband and I had the privilege of attending the annual IBCD (Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship) conference (first photo below);  He and I also enjoyed a great time with our Caregroup for a picnic (second photo below); and I started working full-time for UCR on June 4th, a...

With my Husband's bible training complete, the follow up question we have been getting the most is: so what's next, followed up with, will you guys be sent to the mission field now? The short answer is we do not know what is next, only God does  ( James 4:13-16 ).  I will never forget when we visited Cornerstone and spoke with the missions pastor for the first time. He said 'the church will disciple you, but there is no guarantee we will send you. Missionaries do not send themselves - churches do . Root yourselves here, and let us get to know you. We want to see how you respond when the sheep bite and if He will confirm this desire.' That was sobering, but we were confident in the Lord's leading us.  If you had asked me then, are we ready to be sent? I would have confidently exclaimed, YES!!! But four and a half years later, I am so thankful He did not allow us to go, when we had the opportunity. We were not ready. Are we ready now? That would be a question for our...

Happy July, beloved! This month, Husband and I would like to share more details on our wedding anniversary trip to Cancun, Mexico and one on the horizon to Queretaro, Mexico, in hope to stimulate praise and prayer.  At the beginning of June, Husband and I had the blessing of traveling to 'la jungla' - the jungle in Cancun - to celebrate our 8th year of marriage (May23rd). One concept Husband has been learning at the Training Center , and I have been reaping the benefits of, is for the man to take the lead and ' get away with his wife' (Song of Solomon 7:11 ) . With uncertainty at work since January 31, fiscally, it seemed unwise to proceed with our travel plans. Below that, I did not want to go so far away for so long just the two of us. By God's sovereign grace, I received counsel from a sister that exhorted me to submit to and rejoice in my husband's leading and trust the Lord for the provision of emotions to follow. My heart continues to melt under the warmin...

While I was in high school, one of my favorite songs was, "Come What May," from the musical Moulin Rouge. The sum of the song and film is this: this man and woman are changed and can overcome anything, because they are "in love" and now have each other. As a 16 year old teenager, this appealed to me; I, too, thought I could find myself in other things, experiences and people. I had yet to discover fullness being in Christ. But the Lord was and is so good to reveal that in order to know ourselves best and be most satisfied, is to know Him  ( John 4:13-14, 6:35 ). As believers, the reason we can face anything the Lord allows in our life, is because our sure and steady anchor is Christ alone. And while we are more than conquerors and have no reason to fear...believers still fret. Thankfully, we do not have to do this alone. This month, we want to share a few family updates, praises and ask for your faithful prayers, as He continues growing our confidence and trust in H...

Happy Spring Beloved! We pray you are growing in understanding of and fullness in God. The Lord has been doing much work growing, watering and planting this past month. Our update will be brief, sharing four key highlights - please join us as we praise Him - thank you for your faithful prayers and love. First, Johnny Gravino, the director of the Italian Theological Academy , ITA, taught at Cornerstone on a Sunday. He came to attend the annual  Shepherd's conference  at Grace Community Church, and our elder board invited him to preach (pictured below with one of our elders). It was a blessing for our brothers and sisters to meet and get to know him, especially as we continue praying about another opportunity to come alongside the work he, his wife and others are doing in Rome. This is the same gentleman we visited last summer. Husband was also able to spend some intimate time with him over coffee, and he shared how blessed he was.  Second, Husband and I were able to attend...

February brings much celebration to our home - me, Husband and both of our dad's have birthdays. I'll admit, I play the birthday card, because I enjoy spending time with people :D But as my D.O.B. neared, I was reflecting on my life as a whole, and especially since coming to Christ. The one thing that stands out is: the mercy of God - saving me, refining me and loving me.  To start, here is a bit of my testimony . I was raised catholic and attended church with my mom and older sister. Because of what I knew about God and what I did, like go to church, I believed I was going to heaven when I died. I thought I was a good person, or at least, good enough. In 2002, my dad who practiced no religion put his faith in Christ and "shared" Him with me. Shortly after, I prayed the "sinner's prayer," but my life was unchanged. Quite the opposite, I continued enjoying and walking towards sin. Another moral ritual, I now thought believing in Jesus and doing some of wh...