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As most of you know I have spent the last 2 years in my hometown, Whittier, CA. Although it was through a turn of unexpected events that I came to be here, I have been extremely grateful for all the wonderful opportunities to serve God and serve others while here. By God's grace I've had the privilege of serving as a leader/mentor at my former high school, Whittier Christian. In addition, I was able to rejoin the congregation at My (New) Friends House church. I've reconnected with several people I had lost contact with over the years, re-established important ties, and built many significant new ones. As I look back on this season I often think how I never would have chosen this for myself, however, I have a deep sense of joy and appreciation to the Lord for choosing this path for me.

Even though I am grateful to be home my heart is truly to serve the Lord in other parts of the world-whether short term or long term. Recently, an opportunity has presented itself to work with a Masters Commission team in Brazil. During this time I will be engaged in full-time ministry, networking with local churches and partnering organizations, while gaining a heart for world-wide evangelism.


Masters Commission Brazil is a training program based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil and is on the verge of expanding to other parts of South American, as well as, other parts of the world. The program specializes in reaching out to the street kids of local slums, ministering in orphanages and brothels, while encouraging local churches to help those who are hurting in their communities. They partner with organizations, such as Youth With a Mission (YWAM), International Justice Mission (IJM), The Dream Project, Hope Unlimited, and Rahab House, Cambodia. For more information you can visit their website by clicking on the icon.

I am very excited about what lies ahead in this new season of my life. By following my blog you will be able to come on this journey with me!

"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of the darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6

The Unashamed Truth: It's Something Worth Dying For

Last week I attended the Calvary Chapel Missions Conference in Murrieta, CA. After the extremely, LONG drive I was only able to sit in on 2 major sessions-the first more interesting than the second. For 1 1/2 hours I listened to a man share his testimony of living in an Iranian holding cell for 8 months (It is worth noting that while he was sharing his story of being in prison he had a smile on his face that could light up the entire conference room). With his Iranian accent he said, "I have never experienced so much joy in my entire life than in those 8 months." He was arrested for telling the Islamic officials of how he was a "Muslim turned Christian." He found the opportunity thrilling to be able to share how Jesus changed his life to the guards who arrested him and the fact that they were recording "Jesus Christ is Lord" in the official police report.

And as I sat there I thought to myself, "This guy is absolutely insane!" Yet, I was challenged to ask myself, "How far would I be willing to go to share my testimony with others? How much would I be willing to risk for the sake of Jesus Christ?"

At the age of 28, I am still able to be categorized as a "young adult." Being that I am in my late 20's I'm in the position to look at my age group with a different perspective than when I was 21. And this thing one QUESTION keeps repeating itself in my mind over and over again...IF SO MANY PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO GIVE THEIR LIVES TO SOMETHING...WHY NOT IT BE FOR THE CAUSE OF CHRIST????

My generation is looking for, chasing after, and READY to give their lives to something that is worth dying for...Why NOT it be for TRUTH. What is this TRUTH? That one man was willing to say, "I'll die for YOU" (Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us").

The Essence of Christmas: A Moment of Stillness

"es·sence" (sns)n.
1. The intrinsic or indispensable properties that serve to characterize or identify something.
2. The most important ingredient; the crucial element.
3. The inherent, unchanging nature of a thing or class of things.
4. An extract that has the fundamental properties of a substance in concentrated form.

"When you think of all the things that capture the essence of Christmas, what comes to mind?
It might be, decorating the Christmas tree while listening to Christmas music. Perhaps, it's the smell of freshly baked goodies, sipping hot cocoa, while watching your favorite Christmas movies with loved ones. Personally, I've always enjoyed taking a drive late at night to gaze upon the beauty of every family's unique display of Christmas lights and lawn characters.



ALL these things, and more, can hold those special places in our hearts that over time begin to define the very essence of Christmas for us.

Last Christmas I was having difficulty in finding the joy and warmth of the season. I couldn't put my finger on why, I just was. To top it all off, one of my students approached me and asked me to share something special about Christmas to the entire student body. I had no idea what I was going to say. A few days later, my perspective changed while I was in Target shopping with my mother.

I came across the section of the snow globes. I slowly approached them, reached out, picked one up and asked my mother, "How is that one tiny object-something so small- has the ability to capture something so timeless?" There I was, standing in the middle of the crazy Christmas mob but I didn't take notice of them. It was like one of those freeze frame moments where time was standing still just for me while everyone else around me was moving at light speed.
In that moment, I found myself lost in the beauty of this snow globe. It was as if this item (made of glass and water) had captured my heart in such a way that I would have given anything to travel into this place for no other reason than just to be there. This "somewhere" became special to me- where the snow flakes sparkle, trees of the forest are decorated with ornaments and stars, and the sound of the wind plays Christmas music.

Immediately, I heard the Lord speak to my heart and say, "In the same way this snow globe is designed to capture the essence of Christmas and captivate a depth in your heart is the same way the birth of my son was designed to capture MY ESSENCE."

I thought about it for a while, how the moment Jesus popped his head out of Mary's womb and began to cry (as all newborns do), all at once, God-the Creator of the Universe- had designed it to show us-mankind-His essence. In one shape, one form, Jesus Christ, was carefully hand-crafted to reflect the passion and the beauty of the skilled artisan, GOD.

In the book of Luke it says that Mary, after all that had been told to her about what would take place, that when she looked upon her baby she treasured all the things in her heart and pondered on it (Luke 2:19). Mary found the beauty of the moment. Her heart was captured by the essence of her God, the One who had promised her it would all come to pass. The shepherds said to themselves, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem and see this thing that happened..."(Luke 2: 15). They did what it took to travel into the place of this timeless moment for no other reason than just to be there. The earth stood still for everyone who was present that day. That day, the hope of the world took the form of a baby boy.

And while I was standing there in Target, I suddenly realized the reason why I was having such a hard time getting into the "Christmas Spirit." It was because my image of Jesus had been too small.

Christmas can be such a busy time for us that we become very troubled and worried about all the preparations and "to-do" lists. So much so, that we forget to stop and remember the ONE thing that is needed (Luke 10:38-42)

What is your image of Jesus this Christmas?
Are you so focused on the baby wrapped in the cloth, lying in the manger, that you forget to treasure in your heart and ponder on the beauty of the moment he was born?
Do your thoughts of him during this time of the year stir up a sense of awe and amazement that leaves you speechless?
When you gaze upon your image of Jesus is your heart captivated in such a way that leaves you longing to travel off to a far away place just to be with him?
Do you, when you imagine the birth of Jesus, understand what the angel meant when he said: "Today, in the town of David, a SAVIOR has been born to you; he IS Christ the LORD."
Has Christ captured the essence of God in your life?
Maybe you're finding it difficult to believe in God because you hear of all the good things He does for others but never see them happen in your life. Here's my encouragement: Ask God to help re-shape your image of Jesus to the way He originally designed it be.
Next time you see a snow globe, let it be a reminder of the essence of God portrayed through Jesus Christ. And as you ponder on it, let it become a treasure in your heart.

The tag on this particular snow globe reads: "ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND EXCELLENT WORKMANSHIP ARE A REFLECTION OF EACH ARTIST'S UNIQUE SKILL AND PASSION." It was through Jesus that God made a way for each US to be a reflection of His essence.
Let others be captured by God's essence through you this Christmas.

Merry Christmas

Perseverance Was My Friend

I arrived and departed within what felt like a short breath. 

In a span of six weeks the Lord was faithful to show Himself strong on my behalf once again. 

It felt so good to be back in Bradford, England. I was truly blessed to be back in my house, back at MMUK, and back at ALC. It was summer, sunny, and beautiful! Everything and everyone had felt so much lighter. It was the same country only it seemed full of more life. I had given myself a day to recover from jet lag and then immediately jumped back into the swing of things. 

Friday night was youth night. Saturday was 1 pound 50 burger, chips, and movie night. Sunday was morning and evening service. Monday was back to work! I had to meet the new residents and learn about their progress in the program. This time I was more confident in the fact that I had something to offer. 

As the weeks progressed so did my walk with God. I was determined to make the most out of my time there and expect much from the Lord as I poured out everything I had into others. I reunited with Penny and her family. I made more of an effort to spend quality time with my friends from ALC and make new ones (which I did). Most of all, I spent as many shifts possible at MMUK. 

God had provided all I needed for me to take care of my financial responsibilities, basic needs, and even enjoy some leisure. On my time off I would take jogs in the nearby park, set a blanket out, and read my Bible. I even received a bike on loan. In it all, the Lord was not short in revealing Himself to me through brokeness. There were areas I was still needing fullness of healing in my life and I knew God had taken me back to receive it. I needed to be in a place where I was being poured into with TRUTH and God had met me there in Bradford to open my eyes to who I was in Him. 

I was the woman who had pesevered to receive His love for me in this past year of adventure, heartache, lonliness, and growth. I was becoming more of the woman He had set out for me to be. I had looked back on the year and saw that Peseverance was my friend. 

Since I've Been Gone

Here is a "filler" for the past 5 months I've spent in the U.S.- short, sweet, and simple.

• During my time in Bradford God had given me more than I could have asked for or imagined.
• I loved the church, program, and people here so much I didn't want to leave.
• I knew I had to go home to renew my visa though.
• When I left I had the support of Mercy Ministries staff to do whatever it took so that I could come back with a long-term visa.
• We filled out the application with UK Border Agency and submitted it.
• We found it cost 400 pounds to do that and didn't have the funds.
• A few weeks later, God provided the money. We sent the payment in.
• We waited a month for a response to the application.
• A border agency rep came out to the Mercy home to assess the property and interview the Program Manger.
• We waited another month to hear the final results.
• Finally, based on a technicality, the application was not approved.
• Meanwhile, I was working in the States to save money for my return to UK.
• I planned my return to Bradford with the intent of finishing what I had started last year.
• After an excruciating and long journey from L.A I arrived back in Bradford, UK.
• It's almost as if I never left.

My God is Greater

"My God reigns, His love will never fail me
My God reigns, He's ruling over all
In all my life, in every situation
I know...MY GOD IS GREATER
My God is over all"

It was on February 7th that I was singing these lyrics in a worship session when God showed me He truly reigned in every situation. I was standing in Abundant Life Church for a conference with my eyes closed and could see back to the very moment I began to cry out to God about coming to Bradford and serving with Mercy Ministries UK. I could remember how I never thought it would happen. I remembered how people tried to discourage me in my desire to even want to come. I could see the moments I almost gave up in pursuing this desire because so many other obstacles were in the way (i.e. finances, visa, relationships, personal insecurities and fears, etc). But in all of it My God was GREATER.

I could see the day before I left Chama, NM when I received twice the money in donations I had saved in 7 months. I could see the time I got to the airport not having a clue where I would stay when I arrived in London and getting an e-mail in my "junk mail" from someone confirming they had one bed for me to stay for only a small fee each night. I could see the time I was forgotten at the airport in New York without a anywhere to go and an old friend took me under her family's roof without hesitation. I could see when I got to London and was welcomed by a wonderful, loving family. I could see the first day I visited the Mercy home and was overwhelmed with joy because I had waited so long for the day to arrive. I could see when someone handed me 100 pounds cash that I had only met that day in church. I could see when someone informed me I was receiving 100 pounds a month for the entire year of my internship from an anonymous donor. I could see the day I met Penny and how she let me into her life full of inspiration and heart. I could see all the moments I went without food or cash and someone called me over to their place for a meal or a gave me a lift. I could see how I was in a city so unattractive but filled with amazing, good works of the Lord and I got to be a part of it.

There I was, on that day. I went back to Whittier, California with a hope for my future knowing that I couldn't deny my God's love never fails me. Now, here I am 5 months later back in Bradford UK like it's home for me.

Going Back to Cali

On August 29th 2008 I entered the post of London, England. I got off the plane, received clearance through customs, and walked onto the land that God, before-hand, promised to give me (“I will give you every place you set your foot, as I promised Moses”-Joshua 1:3). It was hot, crowded, and definitely very British. After a few weeks, the honeymoon period faded and I came to see England for what it was: cold, cruel, wet, grey, and…did I mention cold? Yet, I made a commitment to Mercy Ministries and I intended on keeping it. Now, the time has for me to make another decision, one that chooses to fight for the dream that God planted in my heart.

On February 8th, I will be returning back to Southern California in hopes of renewing my visa. Other agendas for returning home include: spending time with family, friends, mentors; situating finances; visiting the brand new Mercy Ministries in Northern California; and advocating Mercy Ministries International to various organizations.
In the past 4 ½ months God has revealed to me more than I can ever express and post in a blog. Next month, I have faith that God will use 4 ½ weeks to prepare my heart, to test my willingness to fight for my destiny, and keep me longing for the love I have for MMUK.
I can’t wait to see you all!


Prayer Requests:
• Safe journey back to California
• Adequate time zone adjustment
• Opportunities to raise and earn money while in the States
• Abundance of God’s favor on my visa application
• Opportunity to speak words of encouragement to those at home
• Wisdom on how to share my journey thus far at Mercy with those back home
• Wisdom with making responsible decisions regarding re-entering the UK