Completed Promises

Just over a year ago as i was praying about coming to Argentina, i was in church one night and received a vision from God. In this vision God showed me that a little girl and i were dancing. i asked God what this meant, and who the little girl is. He told me that i would find her in Argentina and that i needed to show her His love.
After arriving in Argentina, i continued to pray that the Holy Spirit would allow our paths to cross and that i would know for sure it was her. God then told me that i would find her on my outreach. I continued praying for her and began to sense that this girl needed someone to look up to. Even before meeting her, i felt a burden for the lack of relationship between her and her parents. With this revelation i felt more at peace that i would know who she would be when i meet her.

We left for outreach and i was still faithfully praying for this girl who needed the love of God. I asked fervently that the Holy Spirit would guide me, and as the weeks turned into months, i felt i needed to press deeper into God and His Word. The last week of the outreach arrived and i had not yet met her. i began praying and believing in faith that this promise would come to pass, that i had heard the voice of God, that there really was a girl who needed God's love. The second day we were in Santiago del Estero, we were working in the church getting ready for an event later in the week. A young girl walked in to the church as if it were her home. she looked so comfortable and at ease with the people from the church. i didn't really think anything of her... but then i felt like i should be ready, because the girl from my vision could come at any moment.

She walked around for awhile as we finished doing things, and then, as if i was the only person in the building, she walked straight up to me and said "Hi, I'm Paola, what's your name?" i told her my name and then she just kept talking. one of the first things she told me was that her parents are separated, her dad is living in another province, her mom doesn't like church, travels a lot and smokes, she lives with her Grandma and her mom (when she isn't away). I felt a tug on my heart, this is it, the little girl in my vision was now standing right in front of me! it was incredible, i began talking, not wanting to lose a second of time to tell her about God. she goes to the church, but i began telling her more about Jesus, the personal relationship we can have, and how we should strife to be more like God. it was so wonderful to be able to feel the presence of God so heavily upon me! i told the rest of my team that night and for the rest of the time there, i was spending time playing ping-pong, drawing pictures, and talking about God with Paola!
It was a wonderful privilege to be apart of something so simple, yet so rewarding!

Over and over again, i am reminded of the faithfulness of God. He has done so many great things in my life, i am in awe of the love He has shown to me and allowed me to show to others!

Outreach Pictures

Now that i have graduated from my Discipleship School, i have more time to write on my blog, so now i would like to show you all pictures from my outreach!

Dramas and Clowns




















Well...this is very long, so i will add more on the next post. i hope you enjoy seeing what i did!

Part of the family!

I am officially part of the YWAM International family! Last night was the graduation ceremony, which was soooo wonderful! I cried a lot with mixed emotions: reflecting on all that God has done in my life and all the amazing times i have had here, and realizing that some of my closest friends will be going back home to the new things God
has called them to. I am so glad that my mom was able to share this night with me as i close the door to one stage of my life and open another!
I have learned so much over the past few months, i don´t have words to express the love and appreciation i have for my best friend: God!
the last few weeks of outreach were great! we saw God´s hand move incredibly and i was able to share personal tesimony of the amazing God that i believe in, call my friend, and have a personal relationship with!
Along with finding my friend God in this time, i have met some really neat people that i hope to be life longs friends with! So many of them i count as sisters and brothers! They have already told my mom that i am their new sister, it´s such a blessing!

Outreach Update #3

We have just over one week until we complete the outreach. We will be graduating the 6th of September!!!
God has been doing incredible things in our lives! We spent nearly a month in Misiones and now are almost finished with a week of ministry here in Chaco.
This week has gone by really fast, but has been an incredible week of blessings and miracles!
One of the first days here, we were walking home after an activity with the youth and we were deciding what we were going to eat. Not having many options, it came down to noodles with salt and oil! Marianela and i really wanted meat along with our noodles, so we prayed as we walked. The girls and i have been staying in an apartment with a house attached in the back. As we arrived home and began preparing the dinner there was a knock on the door. The lady asked if we would like some cheese, we gladly said yes! We were so grateful to God that He had added a little more flavor to our meal! A few minutes later another knock on the door, this time the woman asked if we wanted meat that was left over from their dinner!!! Once again we gratefully accepted what was offered! Glory to God, He is so faithful! But God was not yet satisfied...that night not only did we eat noodles, but we ate noodles with cheese and meat...AND DESSERT!!!! it was a wonderful night of thanksgiving and praise to God!
His faithfulnees doesn´t stop there...
One day we had the opportunity to watch the semi-fianl Olympic Games, basketball game. The teams playing were the United States versus Argentina!!!! it was quite exciting! as we prepared to leave, Laura prayed ¨Lord, how nice it would be to watch it on a plasma, or big screen. we arrived at the restaurant and sat down to watch the game...a waiter came over and informed us that if we wanted to watch the game we needed to move to the second floor. we went up the stairs and there on the wall was a t.v. not just a big screen, but two huge screens!!!! thank you Lord!

Marianela has been praying for some jeans because more than one pair has ripped and been too severe for repairs...leaving her with just one pair of jeans...
She has been praying for quite some time and the other day, we were talking to one of the girls from the church and she happened to mention that there was a bunch of jeans that had been sitting in her closet and she had asked the Lord to show her who to give them to and up until now no one had been in need of jeans!
We are all so amazed at how faithful God is, even in the little silly detials.

okay.. one more story in case you haven´t grasped how faithful God is...
the day we were watching the basketball game, our leader, Naka, accidently left his backpack at the restaurant, but didn´t realize it for over 2 or 3 hours. this was not just any backpack, it had all the money for the outreach, plus documents and other important information. we all began interceding as Naka ran out the door and down the street. a few minutes later, we received a phone call from Naka...NOTHING was missing from the backpack!!!! Glory to God!

well...those are my stories for now...it´s really late and i should sleep.
May God surprise you with tons of blessings...even in the little ordinary things!

Outreach Update #2

Hello friends and family!
i hope you are all doing well. i am in Misiones right now. i´m in a
little town called Garuhape. this past week we were in another town
about 10 minutes away called Puerto Rico. it was incredible to see the
love and generousity flow through the people there.
we had services at the church every night of the week, which were
really great! Saturday and Sunday, there was a pastor from Brazil who
came and spoke. totaly powerful!!! really cool to hear someone speak
in portuegese as well!
i had the priveledges of sharing twice this week in the ¨celulas¨
(kind of like small groups, but more for evangelism purposes). the
first one i spoke about evangelism, and the second i spoke about God
being a personal god. they both went really well. i have not had a
translator at all, so i have really been learning a ton in Spanish!
God has been working in me soooo much. i am learning to open up and
share who i am, why i´m here and what God has and is continually doing
in my life. i am learning to put names to my enemies: loniness,
tiredness, self-deceit, passivity, apathy, etc.
my leader is really helping me, she gives me practical things to do in
defeating my enemies. so i have written a on a sheet of paper, that
every day i repeat: today i choice to walk in contrary to my enemies.¨
it is really helping!

please continue to pray that the Lord really guides and protects us.