A touch of love-Part 4

A NEW STORY

There is a nineteen years old pregnant in Colombia. She lives with her parents and two brothers. The father of the baby said that he is not going to be responsible for him. Unfortunately, it’s SO common nowadays that in these situations, the father run away. She is half way through her university’s studies to be a Psychologist and thank God she could get a loan to pay for her studies. Her family is helping her as much as they can, and thank God, the health insurance that she has is covering all that she needs for delivering the baby.

I know this story very well because I am talking about my dad’s family. I grew up with my mom and my dad married another woman and they have a daughter and two boys. I am talking about my sister Paola, who I always call “Pao”.

I know you are thinking that she is too young to be pregnant and I agree. She is just going to be 20 on January, haven’t finish her studies and with a baby on its way. But I want to help her and I know exactly what the whole family is going through.

I was thinking about doing a baby shower for her, but it will be expensive to send her the gifts to Colombia, so that’s why I am writing this blog. If it worked for Lorena and Andrés, maybe, just maybe it can work for Pao and her baby too. She knows she is going to have a baby boy and she already call him by his name…Christian. She left the hospital today, after three days of being there, because it seems like Christian is going to be born ahead of time.

I had the idea of doing this like two or three month ago, but didn’t do it because I was afraid of what people could say or think. After talking to her today, I couldn’t sleep and needed to write all of this.

The clothes that Pao has for Christian was some that my dad bought and last Saturday she got more in a baby shower organized by her friends. She was SO happy showing me what they gave her and I am feeling SO blessed. I know exactly how hard it is for my dad and her mom to handle all of this, emotional and economically.

My idea is to send her some money so she can buy what she needs: bottles, pajamas, diapers, shampoo, soap and some other stuffs for the baby. If you have children, you probably know more about that and you can understand more the situation. They have no clue I am doing this, but I can’t wait to tell them it is from God.

I can give you my word that my only purpose is to show them that God cares for them, I can have her taking pictures of what she will get and post them on my blog or send them to your e-mail; I can write the name of the person who helps and the amount of money received so you can look at it. And when I send the money, I can have her scanning the receipt of when she gets the money there. I will also send her a card with the name of all of those who help. You could write to her too if you want and I will translate the message into Spanish.

I know this is weird to you and you are probably thinking that I am crazy. Well, maybe I am, but at least I am giving it a try and if it doesn’t work I won’t lose anything because I already lost the feeling of being afraid of asking.

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9)

Well, I am asking, seeking and knocking…we will see what happen next!

PS: If you are interested, if you really think that this is worth it and you feel in your heart helping, you can e-mail me at yadithlucia@hotmail.com for questions or more details if you want.

A touch of love-Part 3

MY STRATEGY

The same way we were able to help Andrés, I believe we can help more people. I pray for God to open the doors and my dream is on His hands. I told Craig (my husband) about it a few months ago and he told me that he will be in this with me that He will pray with me and for me; that he will walk by my side. That support makes me feel happy and secure that I am walking the way I am supposed to. Now, I not only have my prayers but his too.

The first step is to pray. I am praying for it, Craig is praying for it and you can help us to pray too.

The second step is to act. I started back in 2006 with Lorena and Andrés and I didn’t even know, but as I was praying about it and looking for a way to start, God brought to my mind that first time and I am glad it happened. But it didn’t happen because of me, but because of the Lord we serve. Who opens doors no one can shut and for all of the people who believed it and helped.

The third one is to write it all down. I am going to write every idea, e-mail and every strategy and proof of what I am doing and how it works.

And if you have ideas I would love to have them. Maybe you know people that can help and I don’t even know they exist.

A touch of love-Part 2

THE VERY FIRST TIME

Andrés was born with just one kidney and he had his first surgery when he was only three months old, for what I remember. His kidney wasn’t function very well and in that time the health insurance covered the cost of everything except one shot that an unknown man paid for him. Lorena (his mom) always says that it was an angel. It was a man that was at the hospital that day and saw her crying; after asking her what was going on, he gave her the money to pay the shot. Andrés came good out of the surgery although the doctors had told his mom that she needed to pray for a miracle and thank God, she got it! After that surgery he got another one, which the insurance covered too. When he was two years old the insurance refused to pay and with some people from the University we did different activities to collect the money to pay a third time. The Lord opened the doors and we got the money she needed at that time. It was at 2005 and the name for the big activity we did, one Sunday at the principal park of the city was “All together for Andrés”

Back in 2006, I was living at Coronado, Ca. I was attending to Living waters fellowship Church and my friend Lorena told me that she needed to take Andrés to the doctors again. They said about another surgery and there was no money to pay for it. This time there was no even money for the shot. That Sunday afternoon, I met a couple from Mexico. It was the first time I met them and they heard me talking to my friend by phone. They asked me what was going one and I shared the story with them. After I finished talking they gave me some money to send to my friend and I couldn’t believe it. Yes it is true that the Lord works in mysterious ways. I felt in my heart that I needed to help Lorena and that God was going to guide me. I shared the story with Pastor Gary from the church I was going to, and I asked him to let me share it with the people at the end of the praying meeting and see if they wanted to help. I remember that he looked at me and said: “Yadith, this is very important, you don’t have to wait until the end, you can talk to them now” and that was the first time I spoke in front of more than three persons, but the Lord was with me. They not only listening, but also helped. They helped Lorena and Andrés. Oh, I wish I had written all down. I don’t remember how much money we collect, it was like $500 I think and with the money the couple from Mexico had given to me, I sent it all to Colombia.

Lorena graduated from the University as a teacher of English and French as a second language and Andrés is going to be seven years old on March. His kidney works very well now and according to the doctors, he doesn’t need more surgeries…Praise God! Thanks to all of those who helped, may the LORD himself pay you back every penny you gave them!

A touch of love-Part 1

Before you read the rest of this blog I ask the Holy Spirit to touch your heart and to let you see through my words what I am trying to do without judging me. May God himself open your eyes so you can see that what I am trying to do is just helping someone who is in need.

One of my heart’s desires is to be able to help people around me; maybe that’s why I want to go to do missions. Four years ago, one of my friends shared an article from a magazine in Colombia. It was the story of a girl who created a non-profit organization to help people at her city that needed clothes, food and education. They didn’t say how, but even though she was living there, most of the help she had was from organizations of this country, the United States. Since I read that article I couldn’t take the idea of getting something like that and I did start already without even knowing. I don’t have a non-profit organization yet and have no clue about how to create one, but I’ve been able to help people I know, people the Lord has sent to my path for a reason.

When I was living at Coronado, Ca. the dream came to my mind again and I found myself thinking a name for it. If God provides a way for my dream to come true, I will call it “Pinceladas de amor”, which I translate as “ A Touch of love”. I chose that name because I may not be able to change the whole world, but if I can touch a life, if I can share a touch of love with someone, that will be the kind of difference that I want to make. Just one touch is enough to change someone’s life and it is worth it! I chose it in Spanish because I want to help people at my country, especially children. It is on my heart, it is a dream I have only shared with my husband a few months ago and now I am opening my heart to share it with you.

My broken heart!

Sometimes lives seems to be unfair and I've seen SO many things going on in my life that i just can't believe. I can not hold on to it anymore; my strength is gone and yet, I keep on telling myself that God is good, that He is in control and that whatever is a surprise for me, it is not for Him at all. I don't see any good coming of this path where my husband and I are walking, not by chance because none of us wanted or looked for sickness.

When I was in high school, I used to dream with my future and even though I wasn't close to God, I dreamed with a good husband who will hold me in his arms, a good man to share happiness and have a family with. Two kids, is being my dream. Once in a while I dreamed to adopt one and have one on my own, but I always dream that my husband will be close to me. "I won't have kids if I don't get married" I told myself SO many times.

Then I came to Christ and started walking the way He had ready for me. A few years later I met Craig. Since the beginning of our relationship I've seen how God's perfect plan worked; I've seen our lives as the perfect mix the LORD could do but today, as I write this message my heart is broken in thousands of pieces. Tears come from my heart and I just keep on telling myself that God is a good God and that Craig and I will glorify His name.

It's SO easy to ask for God's will to be done, but it's SO hard to see that the future seems unclear, that my dreams will may never come, that my happily ever after isn't true. I love Craig with all my heart and our desire is to go to missions, to have a family and grow up older. I have dreamed with the day that we will be home waiting for our grandkids to come to visit. I have dreamed in how many testimonies we are going to share with people from other countries about our Savior and today I am asking God one more time...Why? Why is all of this happening to us? What was it that we did wrong? Is it SO bad to want to serve you the way we want? Is it SO bad to still keep my dreams?

The God we serve, the LORD we know, is the one who gave us this incredible time as husband and wife with all the difficult circumstances that we have gone through; the same great LORD of Lords and KING of Kings, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the one who is and is to come. The God who called us when were sinners to be His people, the one who let us be together and become one flesh. The same God who promised me that all things work for good (romans 8:28), is the God that I am looking at today crying with my heart to ask Him for a miracle.

My husband has been sick for the past few months and it's getting worst, according to the doctors. I have to write that the bad news are according to the doctors, because my LORD can still change it, IF, and this is the hardest part, IF IT IS HIS WILL. There is a possibility that Craig may have a type of cancer that I don't even want to write, but there is a possibility for him to have one of those no one wants, EVER. So here I am writing my thoughts, reminding myself of how merciful my God is, trying to look at the situation with a smile. How hard it is to smile. And for some reason it's so hard for me to be upset with God. I want to, I want to tell Him that it is no fair, that we don't deserve all of this, but who am I to question Him? It came to my mind all the times that I have prayed and asked Him for His will to be done, and this time with my broken heart I am hoping to touch His heart so He change all of this in something good. I found myself with questions like: Am I not listening to you? Was not you the one who promised this and that? Am I getting crazy for all of this going on? Don't I know when is you who talks?

I can't be upset with Him and I thank Him for not letting me be, but I can't have the answers neither. I have to sit and look at my Father and tell Him with all that I am, "LORD, I know life isn't easy, I recognized you have Craig's life in your hands and it doesn't matter what the doctors said, you and only you have the last word. Father take my heart, don't take my husband yet, here I am still, and no matter what future is going to bring to my life, please do NEVER let me go. Hold me into your arms God, I don't want to be upset with you just because is not going to work for anything good, but if that day comes and I don't want to talk to you, please let me feel you and yield at me if you have to, but please don't let me walk without you. I don't understand why, I can not see the good of all of this, but beyond my understanding and my eyes, I know that you are working, that you are in control and I know that my husband and I will glorify your name. Help us to walk through, help me to see who you truly are and teach me how to be strong"

I know it is hard to believe, but it is also hard to understand. We have been married for only seven months (almost) and it has been the best time of my life but I just can't believe all that we have gone through.

My God is the one who made the earth and the Heavens, the creator of everything. My prayer today is for His perfect will to be done, and for my prayers to touch His heart. Join me with prayers please, as Craig and I walk in the valley of the shadow of death.

In Jesus Christ, blessings!

God's love and care

Blessings in the name of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ!

It's being amazing to see how much the LORD cares for us. Craig and I have been walking together for two years already but only seven months as husband and wife and it's being incredible! Everything since we met it's being unique, with a especial touch from God that amazed me SO badly. His perfect time for all that had happen, His love and care for both if us is just unbelievable but yet, So true!

We are truly thankful for all of you who have prayed for us; it hasn't being easy but both Craig and I, can stand at the presence of the Almighty one and tell Him: "Father, here we are. Still" Nothing can separate us from the love of God, no even sickness neither death will take us away from the presence of our LORD.

My surgery was last Thursday and as the surgeon told us, everything went great. There were no complications at all, I didn't have any pain and I was able to come home early Friday in the morning. My voice was fine and it is good; even in the house I had no pain...Hallelujah, Praise Him!

I was hoping the LORD would heal me; neither Craig and I wanted the surgery, but even though He chose not to answer us the way we wanted, He never left us, not even for a second. My biggest fair the day before the surgery was that Craig was going to be alone but the LORD told me not to be afraid of anything because He was in control and He was faithful! Craig was not alone and the LORD Himself gave Him peace that Craig said it was weird in the middle of all of that waiting period, but it is just the peace of God that transcends all understanding. We had prayed that I won't have pain and that my voice won't be affected and He cared that much, that I can truly say that the God we serve was with both, my husband and I during those hard times. He gave us peace, and show us who He is.

Sometimes there are situations on our lives that aren't clear for us, there is always things we don't understand, but how amazing is to believe and trust in who God is. We may not understand His ways, but we know that they are perfect! Our God is an awesome God, He is all powerful, He will never leave us not forsake us!

Thank you for the prayers and the food that our family in Christ provide for Craig and I in the last days. We are truly blessed and thankful with God for all of you and with you for letting Him use you the way He does!

Thank you.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6)