Homecoming

I've got about 46 days and 08 hours until I arrive in the states once again. I have this widget on my computer that is counting down. Every year I start listening to Christmas music earlier in anticipation of being at home. Those old Amy Grant songs hold memories of so many tree decoratings and fudge tastings. The melody takes me straight to those times.

But I'm at a loss to tell you where my home really is. Driving into Medellin always feels like coming home. But being with my family, that feels like home too. I value home so much that it's a crisis to not have a straight answer when people ask "Where do you call home?"

But then another song, not about Christmas, comes to mind. Steven says "Keep on looking ahead. Let your heart not forget: we are not home yet." The crisis isn't that I don't have a home, it's that I'm looking for a place to call home in the wrong place. We have a home that's coming, and let's not get too comfy until then.

Note to self: In the mean time what do I do? Answer: love God and cut out anything that's getting in the way of that.

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Us girls are having a blast living together. Really, I think this is the best roommate situation I've ever been in. We enjoy each other and talk about everything. We laugh and cry together, and thankful we laugh more than we cry. And we are making plans as well.

Mayer is looking for a place for her and the two girls to live. The babies' grandma will take care of the girls and Mayer through the last month of pregnancy and the first months afterwards. It's exciting to see here planning for her future, but also please pray that all of this works out. And that she continues with minimal complications.

That was quick

... yes, it was. I am now single... again. After spending more time together Hector and I realized we were not there for each other the way we had imagined. Without some significant changes, this is not the kind of married relationship we would want. So we are leaving that phase of our life behind.

These are a lot of changes for me right now in almost every area of my life. I'm really learning that "in our weakness he is strong."

God, when our vision gets fuzzy and the path isn't clear, remind us of your love and care, and guide us back to the path. Amen

Reflection

Oswald Chambers writes:

The key to the missionary's work is the authority of Jesus Christ, not the needs of the lost

That's comforting and puts me in my place at the same time. I like to meet needs. But whenever life seems to be getting more difficult, more complicated than before, it's probably because I have that wrong. It's probably because I'm responding to needs and not looking solely towards the authority of Jesus Christ. Because it's life: it's always complicated and there are always difficult situations. That doesn't change much. But God's authority is over us in whatever circumstance, and that never changes either.


P.S. I highly recommend that everyone read "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers

Home again

Mayer came home from the hospital today. She is doing much better, but now we have to be very careful with diet and exercise. We're trying to get into some kind of routine. While she was in the hospital we prayed every night before I left, but now we'll try to continue doing devotions every night before bed along with Lorena. The biggest thing for her is emotional support. Two doctors mentioned to me that many of the complications are brought on my emotional stress and instability.

We are so glad to have her back at home and doing well.

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I think I need to add myself to the prayer requests. It has been a heavy week, I think I've almost had my fill of stressful situations where something needs to be done, but I'm not sure what. Thank goodness we have a big and attentive God.

Blessings to everyone in the states. Enjoy the fall weather and football season extra for me!

Prayer Request

Please continue to keep Mayer in your prayers. Her pregnancy has had complications and she is still only 6 months along. Tonight she had to stay at the hospital because she has been having contractions and spotting and her belly is very small. I did get to hear the baby's heart beat, still good and strong. The baby appears to be alright, it is the mother that has been having health issues, and emotional stress as well. But we are trusting that despite the turmoil, God is taking care of his children and will help her through the pain.

Continuing

Good morning. We are now two weeks into outreach. The teams seem to be doing well, one is in the coast and the other team is in the capital: Bogota.

And as for us girls:

Lorena (on the left) is living with me so I'm not alone in the house. She is also studying dance in one of the major universities in Medellin. And Mayer (on the right) is our pregnant girl. We're getting along well, it's fun living and keeping house and cooking together. It almost feels like little girls playing house, expect it's for real.

It's exciting to have our first girl living with us, but without Cristina being here, we are very limited in what we can offer. We're both great, and well prepared, for counseling sessions. But even though Cristina and I are clear in the goals we want to accomplish when we help girls, but we don't have curriculum or the steps to go about doing it. Conversations and counseling sessions are one thing, but living 24/7 with someone is quite different. Starting something new means there is always more to get ready than I realized! Please keep us in your prayers: Mayer with her pregnancy complications and me with the providing the best support I can.

Big News

First of all, I now have a boyfriend! This week Hector and I announced it formally to the base, the university students, and King's Kids. It's been quite the week. We've been friends over a year, but pretty intentional in getting to know each other for a few months. It all started when my dad was here teaching and Hector was doing a lot of the translating...

So here's the scoop on the boy: he's 26. And, yes, he is Colombian, but his English is better than my Spanish. He's been working some at the base with the DTS and in King's Kids. He's also studying upper-level English so that he can do more translating. We are both pretty outgoing and serving oriented. He has been helping us a bit in Esperanzas de Vida, too. So we are pretty happy doing missions work together.


The other big news is that I will have a pregnant girl living with me during outreach. All of the students leave for outreach tonight along with Cristina. So our girl will be moving in with me on Wednesday. She is 22 and has 2-year-old daughter. She is 6 months along and has been having some complications; this week she was spotting quite a bit. Right now all we can really offer is food and a place to live and friendship. We will start having daily devotions together and that sort of thing, but I will really have to learn as I go.

It's so exciting! But as a ministry this will also require more resources. She is coming here without sheets or a towel or anything really. She will need baby clothes, money for doctor appointments. She is trying to work a little, but part time jobs are very difficult to find and she also has a two-year-old to care for. Cristina and I are looking for anyone who would be interested in sponsoring her through the end of this year. If anyone is interested or would like some more information, please email me: rachelanman@yahoo.com

It's so neat to see how God is working. We have this big house that we had to use for the counseling school; but as soon as there is empty space, along come girls who really need this ministry. God is so faithful.


We just finished making a new ministry movie! We will have the English version out sometime this week so that you can see two of our girls and hear their experiences first hand!