 |
| Monterey with my awesome family (click on images for larger versions) |
 |
| Tim mimics the seals we saw :-P |
Last week I soaked up a week at Mount Hermon with my family and wonderful friends from my church (some of the regulars sure were missed though!).
I'm always encouraged after spending time with these people...
lots of laughter,
life sharing,
adventures,
and joy.
I also find myself refreshed by getting to meet with God. One of the things He showed me this week is that even if my work doesn't seem to directly influence people, I can use the money I make to do so. Thus, I CAN still help people in developing countries and ministries here by what I do have entrusted to me. This is so exciting!
A specific ministry that has been on my heart and mind for years is child sponsorship. I'm most familiar with World Vision, but I know there are other organizations out there that are doing similar work. The basic premise is that you pay about a dollar a day to help a kid get clean water from sustainable sources, healthy food, an education, etc.
It's wild to me that so little of my money can save someone's life.
For years, I've pushed aside the call to get involved with this because I never was consistently making money to be able to commit to it. But now I have a (albeit low-paying) steady job. And God showed me I can step out and love on another one of His kids.
So, with great excitement, I'd like to introduce you all to
Yadira Mendoza Huaraca
Yadira is almost 1 year old (bday Aug 12, 2011). I am just starting to learn more about her, her family, and her community, but I am pleased to report that her favorite activity is playing with musical rattles––we may have a future musician here! :-D
I was first drawn to her because she's from Peru, and I actually know something about Peru after visiting twice and spending time with kids there. It's a special place for me, which makes Yadira more precious. But I didn't know how to pick one child out of the many from Peru, until I saw Yadira, who shares the name of a friend and previous roommate. Having that positive name association makes loving Yadira more natural, even though I know so little about her. I don't expect she'll be able to write much herself for a while, but I hope to write letters to her, at least once a year and maybe more often. I hope I can get to know her.
I am honored by the idea that God can use me to help Yadira live. And this is such a natural extension of following Jesus that it feels as though I am taking another step towards LIVING out my faith instead of hiding/burying it inside.
I can't wait to see what's ahead!
