Earplugs and Lemons and Limes, Oh My!

Ensenada and its beauty continues to amaze me. My friend Rachel came to visit me this weekend, and she couldn't stop exclaiming how beautiful the base and location was. Neither can I! Being here is such a blessing, especially because of my childhood in Mexico. Being here is like being home.

My new friend Gizel has been challenging me to work on my Spanish. I listen to the radio in Spanish when I get the chance and am planning to write sections in my blog entirely in Spanish (so pull out your Google translate!). Another cool thing, the DTS student from Costa Rica was complaining how he had to read the new book "Forgotten God" in Spanish, so I offered to trade with him. Now I've got about a page of words I need to translate, but it's been a good exercise of my vocabulary and understanding.

This last week's theme was the character and nature of God. Very revealing theme and week for me. It's not always easy to trust God, nor is it easy to face those questions we all have. Why this suffering if there's a loving God? Why do some get healed and others not? The truth is, not all the questions we have get answers, but I liked what our speaker John had to say. Besides pointing out that not everything that happens in the world is what God "wills" on us, he detailed a number of sources of suffering - the main one being the free will of humans. Choice gives us the freedom for great good and great evil, and all choices have consequences. 

Perfecting the sandal tan with a hike!

God has been moving in huge ways! Our Compassion in Action group prayed about Costa Rica this Sunday asking God to give us direction in ministries and location. Multiple people heard south along with the east, and a couple others heard limes or Limon. Guess where the city of Limon happens to be in Costa Rica? The southeast coast! So we're definitely going to Limon, and the entire group is continuing to pray about ministries we should be working with and cities we should target.                                                                                                                                                             Prayer is greatly appreciated, both for me and my fellow DTS students. Greater growth, greater faith, shaking off fear. It's so easy to let our fears of people or the future restrict us, so targeting those areas in prayer would be wonderful! I've been greatly blessed in that I have all my funds for outreach, but others still need money for plane tickets and such. Your prayers for them, that they can continue to step out in faith and trust that God will provide for them, would be a great encouragement. 

Thanks for reading! Until next week!