The Bad Trade Off

While living in the jungle I experienced many trials that differed from any trial I had ever experienced in the States. One of those being the dire feeling of hunger. A constant craving for chocolate, ice cream, Dad´s bbq, Chik-Fil-A, pizza, etc. My mind would wander off daydreaming of winning the lottery in Wendys hamburgers or a year supply of Ben and Jerry´s ice cream. Crazy things happen to you in the jungle!



During our approximate 5 months of training in the jungle, we were allowed a small allowance each week to buy food from the market. In an effort to push us to our breaking point, our boss J would occasionally limit our budget, forcing us to learn to ration our food and learn to go without. We all attempted to ration our food as carefully as we could but, unfortunately, due to our American mindset of eating excessively and for pleasure, this was a struggle.



One week we ate rice and beans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for several days. One can imagine the results of such. That made for very long nights as we were squeezed elbow to elbow in a small wooden truck bed. The situation only worsened as time went by. One of our friends, an older Xtremer, brought us some fruit flavored fiber pills. We all tried one and were immediately hooked to the mouth-watering taste of sugar. I was the worst at controlling my daily dosage of pills. I found myself sneaking 2 and 3 at a time, and on average eating anywhere from 5 to 10 a day. You can probably guess what happened next!



As the effects of the fiber pills were setting in, my team began to get worried. They asked me all kinds of medical questions and couldn´t figure out what was happening. Not wanting them to find out, for fear of losing my sweet, fruit flavored friends, I blamed it on a parasite. No one knew of my secret addiction until they realized the bottle of fiber pills were almost empty. They immediately questioned me and after denying their accusations my red face and nervous twitch gave it away. Therefore, a new rule was set in place, that no one was to allow me to eat any more fiber pills. A couple days later I claimed it was a miracle that the stomach issues had disappeared, however, they didn´t think it was funny.



As I dreamed about food, home, a warm bed, hot shower, etc., I became very discontent and overwhelmed. After not having eaten in three days I reached my limit and left the girls to take a walk. Immediately I broke down as thoughts of leaving, quiting, and regret began to flood my mind. As I walked deeper into the jungle, my mind sank deeper into these negative thoughts. I began mulling over every negative aspect, difficulty, or trial I was facing: bug bites, infections, sickness, bland food, hunger pains, sleepless nights, hard continuous work, extreme heat and humidity, and having to give up my rights and desires.



The jungle was no longer beautiful, adventurous, and inviting, but suffocating, foreign, and miserable! I felt I was on the front lines being attacked right and left. At that point I fell to the ground holding the surrender flag and with everything in me cried out to God, ¨I´m done! I give up, I can´t do this any longer, I surrender! Please, if you love me send that 100 ft anaconda to eat me!¨



At that moment God reminded me of the story of Jacob and Esau. In that time the birthright was everything, your treasure, prize, and joy. This was your livelihood, the greatest blessing you could have. However, in a moment of weakness and desire Esau traded it for the temporal pleasure of a BOWL OF SOUP! Crazy, right? That is what I thought until God showed me how I was like Esau. My flesh was in a state of misery desiring that sweet feeling of comfort again. I was so busy focusing on the negative and whining about my discomfort that I was forgetting all the things God was doing in me.



I had been growing more than I ever had. Experiencing a true relationship with my Father. Daily, as my flesh was being crucified with Christ on the cross I was becoming one with Him. I don´t know any other way to put this except that I was falling in love with my maker! Never have I felt so much love within me. I loved taking walks with Jesus, just He and I walking together. We would talk, I would cry telling him of my struggle, and we would laugh together as I attempted to sing to Him. (Many of you know I am the one choirs tend to put in the back, claiming it´s a height issue.) Nevertheless, here I was ready to give it all away; trade this precious time in my life for temporal comfort and pleasure.



How many times do we do this in our daily lives? Excluding God fom our personal lives, relationships, work, decisions, even ministry for our own pride or comfort? Also, when facing trials we whine or complain, questioning His love, power, and soveriegnty. My prayer for you is that you recieve His love and will for your life in the many different forms it may come. The majority of the time He just wants your attention, love, and dependency on Him. Trust like Job in His unconditional love and wisdom for you , His beloved child.

Zeph. 3:17, Jer. 29:11

A Mountain Experience

The past couple of weeks my partner Misty and I have been living in a Quechua village in Bolivia. We stayed with a believer named Te Adora, who quickly became like our mama. The first couple of days I experienced something thats hard to describe. Our two bosses, Leah and Kelli, took us to the village where we would be living. We all had a great time laughing, talking, and getting to know our new family. I was feeling comfortable until the next morning when it was time for Leah and Kelli to leave. As I watched them drive off after hugging them bye, something within me broke. Immediately I was filled with emotion. I was scared, sad, and overwhelmed, like a little girl when her mom drops her off at her first day of school. Tears filled my eyes as I watched them fade away into the mountains into that once seemed so beautiful but now were new, different, and scary.



I was overwhelmed as I turned and headed toward the mud house that was now my new home with a new family, who spoke a new language, and had a completely different way of living. As I neared the house a million thoughts flooded my mind, and emotion swept through my heart sending adrenaline pumping wildy through my veins. I began to walk back very slowly, with each step being more painful as the first. I fought back tears as I entered the house to find a pot of food waiting for me to eat. I looked ate my partner Misty, gave the host a fake smile, and inwardly screamed, ¨What am I doing here! Ican´t do this, get me outof here!¨



The rest of the day the feelings worsened and finally when we left thier house to go to bed I burst into tears. I think I freaked Misty out crying for hours without much of an explination. We had done this many times before in the jungle for longer time periods. I just came out of jungle boot camp , nothing should faze me, what was going on? The next two days I became like a robot. Waking up and blocking off my emotions, putting on a big smile laughing an talking with the people but flooding my bed with tears at night.



By the third day we had a break to rest so I hiked up a mountain to get away and spend time alone with God. As I was up there I had what I call my ¨Moses moment.¨ While on the mountain, God met with me! It was a very windy afternoon the skys dark grey filled with rain clouds ready to burst, it was beautiful. I love storms, they always make me feel so close to the Lord. Watching his creation put on a show for him delcaring his power, beauty, and glory. I looked up at the clouds, closed my eyes and imagined myself at home on my grandma´s porch watching the storm.Immediately I felt at home. I began to cry and didn´t want to open my eyes.


At that moment God whispered to me, ¨Amy, if you go to distant lands, the farthest of places with the strangest faces, with me you are always home.¨ I will never leave you, I am with you Amy! At that moment the wind began to pick up and it blew so hard I thought I was going to be thrown off the mountain. I burst into tears as an incredible peace and joy flooded my heart. For the first time in the year of being away from my home, friends, family, and all I knew , I felt at home. My home is with my father wherever that may be. We are not of this world we are just passing through.

I felt my Dad, God, was wrapping His arms around me and as the wind rocked me to and fro I felt as though I were in his lap wrapped so tight in his arms and He was rocking me back and forth wiping the tears from my eyes saying don´t worry honey your home, your daddy is here. I felt those same feelings I had when I was a little girl and my mom would rock me to sleep becuase I had a bad dream. I could rest in her arms trusting her love for me, knowing she would not let anything happen to me.

The love He has for us is indescribable! He is waiting to love you. God almighty, Holy, Righteous, creator of all we see longs for you and me! The greatest mystery of all mankind the love of God! Read Matthew 10. 29-31 and Zepheniah 3:17. The very hairs on your head are numbered. He knows every tear that falls, and every up and down. He has a plan and purpose for your life.
To love Him and be loved by Him.
Gods Love!!

Get to Know the Team

I apologize, this blog is way overdue. I figured before I begin telling you stories about my team I should introduce you to them first. I am very blessed to be apart of such an amazing team. I truly feel as though I am experiencing in many ways what it felt to be apart of the first church mentioned in Acts. I am continually being challenged, held accountable, encouraged and because of that I am growing in many ways. So without further delay, meet the fam....

Meet The Boss Man, Jeremy Talifero. He is a big roughin, black wearin, tattoo sportin, pony tail hangin, Johnny Cash lovin, kinda guy. At first glance one might think he escaped from prison, or begin having sudden flashbacks of the big bully in elementary school; But WAIT, before you reach in your pocket to give him your lunch money, stop, and talk to the man, and you´ll realize that he´s actually a relatively nice guy!

All joking aside, Jeremy and his wife Susan have been leading the Xtreme Team with the IMB for many years now and have made a profound impact on my life and the lives of many who have had the privilege of being under their leadership.Although the classes we had each day in training were beneficial, watching their daily lives made the greatest impact in my life. Together they gave up their time, home, comfort, and most of all each other to pour into the lives of a couple young girls.

Just to give you a little run down of what training looked like. Every day J would come to our camp with Jeff, the walking post-it, or Susan, who would teach us stories or just be there to encourage and support us. Arriving at mid morning he would teach us for hours, sometimes missing lunch or just takin down two cans of raw tuna, and continuing the lesson, leaving late in the afternoon. After a long day of teaching, answering numerous questions, frequent bathroom breaks, and listening to many silly girl chats, he would head home; probably feeling the need to work on the car, work out, spit or whatever guys do, to regain his masculinity after spending a whole day with a bunch of crazy girls!

On a serious note God has blessed J with such a wise and discerning spirit unlike anyone I have ever met before. The wisdom and truth he pured into us with such a passion was something that kept our team going through those rough days. He might be a tough guy but it is clear his heart is so tender for the the Lord and His work. To me that's what makes the difference between a leader and a role model, and that is exactly what he became to all of us. I can´t lie, some days we did hate him, shooting him the evil eye and wishing Susan were there instead. Haha, J/K, maybe. Anyways, the impact he made on my life is a life long one and one that Will never be forgotten!

Meet Kelli the walking, talking, biblical concordance. One might think she is a theologian, but she is actually a pharmacist. One suggestion, don´t ever play Bible Trivia with her unless you´re on her team,lol. Kelli is one of my SC´s(Strategic Coordinators)or boss. She is a blast to be around and has become such a role model for me to look up to. Her knowledge of God´s word is unlike anyone I have ever met.She has the gift of teaching of which we all benefit, and she unknowingly spreads that passion to others around her. Her gift of teaching coupled with her passion for God´s word makes it impossible to become bored listening to her or content in your walk.

Meet Leah our Xtreme nurse. She is no bigger than a minute, but has a huge heart. Leah is also my SC and has, along with Kelli, gone through training with us. Leah is the most genuinely caring person I know. Her heart is so tender for the lost and sensitive to others around her. She has such a heart like Jesus and continually is serving others counting it as a true joy. Her gift of encouragement tagged with her silly personality makes it evident why everyone wants to be around her. I can honestly say her positive encouraging spirit is one of the major reasons I was able to make it through training. She clearly walks so close to the Lord and is a challenge to us all.

Meet My partner Misty. We couldn't be more different if we had been born on different planets,lol! She is tall, artistic, and unfortunately for me sarcastic:)Misty has an incredible sense of creativity. She has a certain eye for things that any normal person wouldn´t look twice at, but she can see the potential and turn it into something beautiful. In the same way she can look past the external and see the light and darkness in people and places. She has the spirit of discernment and in many situations this has proven to be very beneficial. I guess you can say I am naive in this area, and here in SA I have found there is usually meaning behind the pretty smile and nice guy act. I guess you can say she is my personal body guard and in many ways an answer to my parents prayers. She is a great friend, accountability partner, and team mate. I am very blessed to have her!

Praise the Lord! He uses the weak.....

1 Corinthians 1:26-31
"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

I am one of the weak ones He uses. I have close to no self-control when it comes to food, laziness, or anything that gratifies my flesh. I lack the discipline that I need to be in fervent prayer for the lost all around me. I realize others pray more for the work of the Lord to be done with our team than I do. I struggle not with loving my enemies but with loving my own sisters in Christ. I have been trying to please God with my actions, including the one of joining the Xtreme Team. I am a very impatient person. I am quick to be angry, fret, worry or get frustrated without even thinking of going to the Lord. I have perfected playing the role of hypocrite, especially in church. I often tell people I will or have been praying for them but never can seem to fit it in between all my selfish prayers for myself. I strive to please others around me and pretend to be more spiritual than I am.

Believe it or not, this list could go on and on but I hope this removes all doubt that I am by no means an "Xtreme Missionary", if there even is one. Please don´t be misled by the title. We are, as Jim Elliot says, "a bunch of nobodies trying to exalt a Somebody!" My purpose in writing this is not to lose prayer supporters, haha, but to make quite clear that, as Paul says, God uses the weak, foolish, and low in this world, so that no one can boast. Therefore, I boast in these weaknesses knowing fully that in spite of all these issues, and many more, God can use ANYONE. He does not demand perfection but a willing heart.

I wanted to clear up any misconceptions you might have had. Please know that the stories I will be sharing with you about this journey are all to the great glory of God. There were many times that I found myself on the verge of quitting, and I KNOW it was only by God´s mercy and grace that I am here right now able to write this to you. Praise the Lord that, in His rich love, He does not leave us how we are and, in His mercy, He does not give up on us. This time of training has proved to be a precious time of dying to myself, comforts, desires and drawing so close to my Savior who has proved time and time again to be more satisfying than anything I once desired.

I am sorry if this disappoints you. My purpose is not to leave you discouraged but rather encouraged knowing that God can use anyone and, in spite of all of our problems, God uses even those to bring you and others closer to Him. So if any of you are second guessing something the Lord has told you to do, know that we have all we need in Him. He will give you all you need to face the trials placed before you, and to obey his calling. He does not call the equipped but He equips the called. Oh what a promise, hope, and friend we have in Jesus.

Jungle Tales

WE ARE OUT OF THE JUNGLE ONLY TO GO BACK IN FOR TWO MORE MONTHS. THINGS HAVE BEEN REALLY BUSY AROUND HERE SO I HAVE NOT HAD MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO BLOG. I KNOW THERE ARE MANY WHO ARE ANXIOUS TO HEAR STORIES ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE IN THE COMMUNITES BUT UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS ONLY ENOUGH TIME TO GIVE A QUICK SUMMARY. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY AND SHORT SUMMARY.

FIRST, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR YOUR PRAYERS. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE POWER OF PRAYER SO AT WORK IN MY LIFE. THERE HAVE BEEEN MANY SITUATIONS THAT MY PARTNER AND TEAM HAVE FACED AND NEEDED GUIDANCE, WISDOM, OR STRENGTH TO GET THROUGH THE SITUATION AND EACH TIME GOD ANSWERED YOUR PRAYERS.

WELL I WILL JUST START WHERE I LEFT OFF. WHEN WE LEFT GUATEMALA FOR THE JUNGLE I WAS SO EXCITED AND A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT ENTERING TRAINING AND FACING THE HORRIBLE THINGS I HAD HEARD ABOUT THE JUNGLE. WHEN WE FIRST LANDED IN PUERTO MALDONADO THE AIRPORT WAS SO SMALL AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE JUNGLE. WE GOT OFF AND DECIDED TO WALK TO ANOTHER MISSSONARY´S HOUSE TO MEET THE REST OF OUR TEAM. AS WE WERE WALKING WITH OUR LARGE PACKS IN THE RAIN AND STRUGGING TO BREATHE THROUGH THE THICK HUMIDITY, WE RAN INTO AMANDA, OUR LEADER, AND THE OTHER GIRLS. THEY WERE HUDDLED AROUND, AND WE DIDN´T KNOW WHY UNTIL WE GOT CLOSE AND SAW MAMA LEE, ONE OF OUR MISSIONARIES, PLAYING WITH A HUGE TARANTULA. I COULDN´T BELIEVE IT. I THOUGHT IT HAD TO BE A PET OF HERS, BUT SHE SAID SHE HAD FOUND IT ON A POST AND JUST PICKED IT UP. THIS WAS THE START OF MY NEW LIFE IN THE JUNGLE.

WE HAD TWO WEEKS OF TRAINING IN THE JUNGLE. THIS CONSISTED OF CHOPPING FIREWOOD, GETTING AND PURIFYING WATER, COOKING IN SHIFTS FOR THE TEAM, PHYSICAL TRAINING, CLEANING WOUNDS, MEMORIZING BIBLE STORIES IN SPANISH, MEDICAL TRAINING, AND FIGHTING FOR SANITY WHILE TRYING TO SCRATCH BITES AND GET SOME DECENT SLEEP. OVERALL IT WAS SUCH A GROWING EXPERIENCE, AND THE LORD TAUGHT ME AN AMAZING AMOUNT.

AFTER TRAINING, WE ENTERED THE COMMUNITIES ON OUR OWN WITH A PARTNER. MY FIRST COMMUNITY WAS SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE. WE MET AND FELL IN LOVE WITH THREE WOMEN AND WERE ABLE TO SHARE OUR TESTIMONIES AND MANY BIBLE STORIES. AT FIRST IT WAS VERY HARD TO GET USED TO SHARING STORIES AND MEETING FOR HOUSE CHURCH BECAUSE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SITTING AND QUIETLY LISTENING WHEN SOMEONE IS SPEAKING. THE LIST COULD GO ON OF THINGS YOU CAN DO DURING CHURCH THAT WOULD NEVER BE SEEN OR DONE IN A CHURCH IN THE STATES. IT WAS QUITE COMICAL.

AFTER STAYING IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR 10 DAYS, WE SWITCHED PARTNERS AND ENTERED A DIFFERENT COMMUNITY. THIS NEXT COMMUNITY FOR ME WAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE. WE WERE NOT RECEIVED LIKE WE WERE IN THE FIRST COMMUNITY. IT WAS A CONSTANT STRUGGLE TO GET PEOPLE TO MEET AND LISTEN TO OUR STORIES. THIS WAS A COMMUNITY THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE VERY STRONG SPIRITUALLY. WE WERE SURPRISED WHEN WE GOT THERE AND SAW THAT NO ONE MET OR CARED TO MEET. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF STRONG BELIEVERS LEFT FROM THE CHURCH WHO EQUALLY WANTED TO MEET AND GROW CLOSER TO GOD. THEY WERE SO ENCOURAGING AND WE LOVED SPENDING TIME TALKING WITH THEM EACH DAY.

A BRIEF SUMARY OF WHAT A TYPICAL DAY LOOKED LIKE IN THE COMMUNITIES: WAKING UP AT 5, SPENDING 3-4 HOURS CUTTING GRASS IN THE FIELDS WITH MACHETES TO CREATE WALKING PATHS, COOKING WITH THE WOMEN FOR THE COMMUNITY, WASHING CLOTHES, HELPING WHEREVER NEEDED, AND HAVING PLENTY OF FREE TIME IN WHICH WE READ AND PRAYED. THROUGHOUT THE DAY, WE WOULD STAY IN PRAYER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNTIES, OUR FAMILES AND FRIENDS. IT WAS SO AWESOME TO EXPERIENCE THE JOY AND GROWTH OF BEING IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD THROUGHOUT THE DAY. I CHERISHED THOSE TIMES IN THE JUNGLE AND CAME TO THE REALIZATION OF THE EMPTINESS OF THE THINGS THAT I ONCE TREASURED AT HOME. NOTHING COMPARES TO THE FULFILLMENT OF BEING IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD AT ALL TIMES.

6 Weeks In A Nutshell

I wanted to do another blog summing up the past month and a half that I have been here in Guatemala. I am so grateful for my team here and I am very sad to be leaving. I am just so thankful that the Lord has blessed us with unity and a strong love for one another. This was one of my greatest concerns, and still is for the future. Our enemy works so heavily against the mighty work of God not only through the evil temptations and distractions of this world but with in the body itself. The church, the family of God, is the target of his aim and the one way he destroys what God is doing all over the world it is to create dissention among the believers.

I was asking some of my missionary friends what is the biggest threat to the spreading of the gospel, and the response I got astounded me. It is dissention among the missionaries or different teams that come. That is so sad! The Lord is moving among the hearts of people all over the world but it’s when we get there, the supposed good Christians or missionaries that they began to second guess when they can’t see the difference between our lives and theirs. If we can’t even love one another and get along, how is the world going to see a difference and want what we have.

I have never experienced such strong accountability before, which is so refreshing. This just reminds me of what the church should look like. Believe it or not we are supposed to be different and look different but so often it is the “church goers” who are known to be so judgmental or hateful toward others, or who restaurants dread the most on Sunday. Let’s not forget the greatest command is LOVE. What has happened to us? This is how the enemy is working the strongest against the move of God. It’s through us. Don’t be fooled believers he is just as much in a bar as he is the church.

I don’t know why the Lord laid it on my heart to write this blog but while I have been here, it has been made evident how believers are supposed to look and treat one another; unconditional love, continuing to forgive as God has forgiven you, continually lifting one another up in prayer and encouragement, holding one another accountable in love, and striving to protect the unity of the body.

Please also remember to lift up you pastor and men in leadership in prayer. They are the targets of a lot of the attacks because they lead the flock. Being the daughter of a pastor I know all to well the incredible attacks from the enemy against anyone who has surrendered their life to ministry. You will never know what these men of God face. It reminds me of a battle scene in Lord of the Rings. Our pastors are fighting in the front lines leading us against the enemy, taking on the bunt of the blow as we all fight for our King Jesus and the freedom of so many from the chains of bondage. That might sound cheesy but it is true.
I say all this to say God has been so good in keeping our team unified. I feel I am leaving family and my heart is broken yet my heart breaks even more for the blind people in the jungles. It is very bitter sweet. Please continue to lift up my team as well as be so sensitive and aware of the enemy’s tactics. What is more important, that you get your way or you prove yourself right in the middle of an argument, or that you strive to protect the unity of the body and in doing so shield the body not letting Satan have any foot hold. Let me just challenge you to read some of Jesus’ last words in the Garden of Gethsemane found in Matthew. Hopefully it will open your eyes like it did mine and move you to think more about the church as a family a body that is continually under the attack of the enemy and the importance of swallowing our pride humbling ourselves before one another and forgiving or asking for it. Thank you so much for all of your prayers they are truly felt, please don’t stop. I won’t be able to contact anyone or blog for at least a month if not three. I fly to Peru in one hour for jungle training and I will try to blog as soon as I get back. Love ya’ll so Much!
-Wholly His-
Amy Givens

Last Minute Updates

I first want to say a big thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with my blogs and praying for me. I have never felt the power of prayer over me like I have here. It brings me such comfort knowing that I am constantly being brought before the throne of God by so many believers.

The Lord has been teaching me so much about the power of praying specifically, and what it means to be a missionary. I have to admit the majority of my time here in guatemala I have been confused and discouraged about my role here. Before coming here I had some black and white views on what a missionary looks like and is supposed to do. I thought I was supposed to be uncomfortable plowing some field building some house or cleaning some one toothed mans mouth. But lets just say God has shattered that lie.

Although missionaries at times will find themselves in uncomfortble living situations in order to reach the lost it is not always the case. The Lord is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him! Yes I am leaving for the jungle tom, and I will most def. find myself miserable at times, God is not more glorified in us when we are uncomfortable or overworking ourselves in ministry. He simply wants us to be satisfied in him and be content in any and every situation knowing that He is enough.

This took a while to grasp because I was finding myself feeling guilty because I have been having such a great time here with my team and the people. But the truth is I am no different than any of you. We are all called to be missionaries. We are all called to live our lives in such a way that others see a difference and are drawn to that (or some cases are irritated). I think the reason it was so hard for me is because I felt I had to be apart of something bigger like building a house or doing some kind of street evangelism and although these are very affective methods and ones I am used to they are not the only way.
I have learned that just through living out my life and sharing my faith with whomever God puts in my life is one of the most powerful things you can do. I truly belive that there is a difference in my life and that God has absolutley changed my life and others see that. Our host families, teachers, and other random people God has allowed us to share with have all said that they have noticed a clear difference in us than the other groups of students who have come here. So just through living our lives there has been many questions raised and opportunities to share the gospel.
There has been alot of fruit from the relationships we have built here. A bible study has started with our teachers, bibles given, some recived for the first time, testimonies shared and lives changed. Some have rejected which is expected. I was on a bus talking with this girl from Ireland and we were having a good time talking utnil she asked me about what I was doing here and of course I see an open door I am gonna walk through it. I began sharing my testimony with her and her whole demeanor immediately changed. She became very irritated and angry. She told me she was the same faith as the people I was going to minister to in the jungle. She tried to explain to me how powerful it is to call on satan and speak to the different spirits. Her eyes didn't change colors and she didn't foam at the mouth, but I sure wouldn't have been surprised. I don't know if she was possessed at the time but you can imagine my eyes got real big and all the sudden my watch became really interesting.
I know I had some of the best training at the ILC but how can you be prepared for that? My mind just went back to the scripture in matthew where Jesus says; "don't be surprised when people reject you, they are not rejecting you but me." My heart broke for her as she continued to go on about how crazy I was.
I wasn't mad or upset just sad knowing that she is so BLINDED. It is so sad how many people are rejecting this awesome life changing relationship with Jesus, because they see it just as religion and nothing more. That is the saddest thing to me. Knowing that not only are people are dying and going into a eternity with out God but also that people are living with out this peace and joy that only comes from God.

Please pray for the peoples eyes to be opened and hearts softened. Although many reject some have been open to the gospel. I got to share with this guy form Denmark who is an atheist and was hard core against religion of any sort. He said it would take me a long time to talk him into believing in God. I shared my testimony with him and he was shocked with the passion I had in my life from God and listened intently to every word. He has been hanging out with us and said he was surprised at how much fun we had without having to get drunk or do anything crazy. We gave him a bible and he was really excited about reading it. And was dead set on reading it from beginning to end to see what the big deal is. The other week we passed by him in the market and he was reading it and told me he was going to stay home and just read it. God is GOOD! God is obviously working in his heart and that is just a testimony of the power of righteous prayers, a small group of eight believers simply living, loving and sharing Jesus.
Well I enter the jungle tom. the 17th and I will be training for one month with just my team. Then we will go to the city drop of our luggage and enter the jungle for three months at a time. There is still a great chance we will go to Bolivia at some point. Please pray for us. My team is Kelly, Leah, Lori, and Misty. Pray for us as we are about to go through really intense jungle fitness and survival training. I love you all and appreciate all the prayers the sweet cards I received for my birthday and the sweet comments on my blogs. I love you all! Special shout out to Aunt Gail, Gill, Nancy, Mary, Grandma Bowen, Mary, Uncle Joe, Tommy, Gary, Fred, Aunt Marsha, Tina, Grandma and Grandpa Givens! I pray for you all! I love you!

There´s Nothin Like Makin S´MORES Over Lava

Two weeks ago was one of my teammates birthday and we decided to hike up a volcanoe for her birthday. We hiked up Volcan Pikaya which is an active volcanoe in Guatemala. It was truly an amazing experience. I have never seen a prettier view than on the top of that volcanoe. The last half hour was so difficult because it was almost a straight vertical climb through dry crumbled lava. It was like climbing up mountain of sand. I would take three steps and still be in the same spot. It took so much just to get five feet. Our calves were killing us and we had to take several breathers just to get rested up for the next five steps.

As we were getting closer to the top we saw lava coming down near us.It scared us a little but it gave us the burst of energy we needed to get to the top. Once I finally made it to the top I was speechless, and if you know me that is very rare,haha. The wind was so viloent and the heat from the lava was burning my eyes.There aren´t words to describe what I saw. It was truly a spiritual moment. It reminded me of when I was in elementary school learning about volcanoes and looking at pictures of them in my textbook. Never would I have thought that I would be on top of one, let alone roasting marshmallows in the lava!
I like my marshmallows burnt (ppp girls) so I put mine in the lava to get it crispy like I would a fire. Yeah, they immediately went up in fames. Thankfully I had a little black crispy left for my cookie, and if you squint really hard you could see a little white left from the marshmallow.

I have to admit my highlight of the trip was when we began treking down the volcanoe and Lori and I let the group get way ahead of us so we could surf down the dry lava. We were going pretty fast and we got a couple cuts from the sharp lava but it was worth it. Arfter a couple spills we stopped and looked out at the sunsetting over some mountains and we just began singing and praising God. It was truly amazing.

Overall the trip was awesome and it wasn´t until the end that we found out that a week prior to our hike the volcanoe erupted while a another group was climbing up and they were all sent to the hospital. Yeah, I won´t be hiking up any more active volcanoes. One is enough, but it was worth it. Thankyo so much for all of your prayers. As you can see now they are beign answered.

I'm Liv'n in an Orphanage!

Wow, it's been an incredible adventure and we've only just arrived. Things are great with my family in San Juan. Our school for the orphans started last week. Everyday I wake up at 6am as the orphans begin trickling in our front door. I leave at 8am for school, which is ony a couple streets down from my house, and I arrive back home around 12. The moment I open my door I have 26 kids run and greet me with hugs and kisses. This starts the long routine of trying to pry them from as I walk with two on each leg and one in each arm. It truly is a site to see. It's not often you find a routine your used to here but, this one is mine. These kids live in poverty stricken areas with either a relative, or one parent. We feed, teach, and play with the kids until they are picked up at 6pm. I can't tell you how much I enjoy my family and having a orphanage right in my house.

It's so funny because the kids just cannot understand that I don't speak spanish. They can't comprehend why I can't understand them or talk clearly back to them. They treat me like I am a kid in an adults body. It reminds me of that movie, I am Sam or Jack. They all hold my hand and take me everywhere. They fight to care of me. It truly is one of the sweetest and funniest things I have ever experienced!

Yesterday, I finished washing the kid's dishes and I saw some little girls playing with some popcylce sticks so I started to play with them and pretend to give them makeovers with the sticks. They loved it! They were all crowding around to get thier hair brushed, makeup put on, and nails done, all with a popcycle stick. Then they sat me down and decided to give me one. For the next twenty minutes I had 20 little hands all my face. They were brushing my hair, painting my nails, fighting for my face, and one little girl who kept poking me in the eye with the popcycle stick. She didn't exactly understand how to use the stick. As if there is a certain way.

Lastly, they told me to open my mouth so they could brush my teeth. Oh yeah, I know what you're thinking, me too. But, I reluctantly opened wide not knowing where the sticks had been or what kind of germs where on them. Thankfully, that process wasn't that painful. By the end I had a face full of splinters, hair that looked like I stuck my finger in a socket, and the best part, I turned around and saw a little nino "boy" shoving all the sticks in his underwear! Needless to say, I quickly ran grabbed my tooth brush and began one of the longest teeth cleanings of my life.

Well, that is just a brief summary of what life is like in my house. Thank you for all of your prayers. You can't imagine how much I rely on them. I could not be here if it weren't for everyone of you. Please never underestimate the power of each prayer. God is really giving us incredible opportunities to share the gospel. Pray for our teachers, families, friends we have made in the city, and just our love for one another. Please check soon for my next Blog about my experience at the active volcano. CRAZY! Oh, and please pray for us this weekend. This Saturday we are going to rent motorcycles for a day and travel around Guatemala. I have never driven a motorcycle so I am a little nervous, but someone told me it's just like riding a bike just a little fast so I think I got it. Just pray! WEll I love you so much, and Juli Dees it was so good to hear from you!

I Made It!!!!

Well, sorry this has taken a while but as you can imagine it has been really crazy! We arrived safely to Guatemala last Friday, and as we were getting our luggage, I was talking and goofing off and then I realize that everyone had thier luggage already and the baggage claim was empty. At first I was a little frantic as I tried to use the little spanish I knew to tell the Airpot employee my luggage is not here. Then it was as if a peace came over me and I was just reminded who was really in control. I am so greatful for that moment of fear and peace that came form the Lord and set the pace for this journey.

After leaving the airport, we had no idea who we were stayng with, or how we were getting there so it was a little exciting and scary! Thankfully we spoted our guy with a little sign among what seemed like hundreds of other pèople yelling at us and holding up signs, yeah it was fun.When we arrived we were immediatly seperated from each other and put with our families. My family is so Awesome! We were all saying how it is so funny how our families match us perfectly. God definitely ordained who we would be living with.

Im my family I have a little sister who is 13, a younger brother who is 9, and two parents. I have so much fun talking with my little sister, Liz. She is a typical teenage girl. She reminds me of Kaylie, excpet she hugs me everywhere I go and holds my hand. My little brother Oto is sooooo fun! I love coming home from school and playing with him. He is such a little boy, always wanting to play around. He cheats at every game though! My mom, Rosa, is so funny, and let´s just say an extravert, which is unccomon for women around here. My dad, Cecilio, is gone working alot as a gardner.After dinner my family and I will turn up the music, dance, and sing and play games, oh we eat at 8 or 9 if i am lucky! My family is very loud, you can hear us down the street. My freinds laughed as they met my family and said i fit in perfectly with them. God is good!

My family, like just about everybody here, is Catholic. I have been able to share alot with them, although we cannot go deep in converstaions yet, due to my lack of spanish but God is really working through all of us among our families. We were all encouraged to spend time getting involved in volunteer work somewhere and of course my first thought was where´s the orphange. I have asked around to many people and the only orphanges are far from San Juan, which is where I live. I was begining to be really bumbed and just began praying about it.

Well, Yesterday at breakfast my mom told me she is a teacher also, and she teaches at her house. Then I realized why our house was painted bright pink and yellow with pictues of whinnie the pooh and little ninos everywhere. Then she explained she teaches orphans. They come to her housre at 6am and she feeds them and teaches them and then they leave at 2pm. When I told my team they couldn´t belive it, becuase they knew how much i was really bumbed out about not finding an orphanage to work in. God truly ordained where I am living. The school starts on thursday and I will wake up at 5 and help till I leave for school at 8 then when I return at 12 and help till the leave at 2pm. I am so excited!
Well i have to go but i will blog again soo because so much more has happened! Luv you guys!