To The Best Year Of My Life (So Far)

Looking back on this past year, I've been through a lot of stuff:

• Important stuff has been stolen from me
• I've been in excruciating pain
• I've been threatened
• My patience has been tried countless times in so many ways
• Amazing people have left my life
• At one point, I was living off the least I possibly could
• I've broken down several times
• I've thought of giving up and moving on

After it all, though, I can definitely say:

It was worth it.

All of it. I don't think there is a single thing I would have changed. Would I like my amazing laptop back? Yes. Would I rather have skipped all of the pain and sickness and stress that I went through? Most definitely. Would it have been nice to get rid of all the trouble and have a perfect year? You bet. But, because of these things that have occurred in my life, I gained something more valuable than all of the niceness that I could have received: a stronger faith in my God. After every one of these things that happened to me, I always did my best to direct it to God and give it to Him. Was it easy? You'd be crazy if you thought it was. It's never easy to just give something up like that. As humans, we want to have control over everything. We want to know what is going to happen when and why it's going to happen. The thing is, though, when we try it on our own, we fail. Every time. Maybe not right away, but it falls in the end. There's always something not perfect in everything we try on our own. Yeah, maybe you have that dream car or house you've always wanted, but you went through innumerable amounts of stress, and still are, due to working to pay that off. Maybe that amazing job is all you could ever imagine, but it's caused you to draw away from your family and friends due to your unfair boss giving you unreal hours, and now you're thinking it over. Maybe you've become super popular and everyone's your friend, but you're never sure who actually is your friend and who's just using you. I'm not saying that God's going to make you super popular and have everyone love you, but the point I'm trying to get across is that when you do it on your own power, something is bound to fail. It's true. I've learned that the hard way so many times. But, after I realized what I was doing wrong, I looked to God and placed it in His hands. And EVERY time, He comes through. It may not be right away, but He does. And the more I did it, the more simple it was to do it. I look back on everything, and so many good things have come from my stronger faith in God. It has really helped me persevere and make change in my little neighborhood of Terrazas II in Tijuana, Mexico:

• The kids’ program has grown from 12-15 avg. to 25-45 (30 avg.) weekly
• 28 new kids have come to the church because of the soccer team I started
• 12 of those kids come regularly
• 2 kids have learned how to read
• David (1^st kid) has gone from almost knowing his letters to reading short stories with ease
• Enrique (2^nd kid) has gone from almost knowing his letters to reading short paragraphs
• 8 kids have learned/are learning how to sing or play an instrument
• Brayan was practicing drums with the worship team due to this
• 20 people are learning English, 17 of them being kids
• 6 families receive in-home relational discipleship

After seeing all the amazing things God did through me this year, I can 100% say again that it was worth it. And this is just the general stuff. All of the spiritual and emotional chains and walls that I've seen broken has been indescribable. Seeing how much my kids have changed and been made new has got to be the greatest thing that has happened all year. And it all happened because I put it in His hands.

With that being said, I'm super pumped for what God has done this amazing year and what He is going to do and bring in this next chapter of my life!! Hopefully, you are, too. Just remember to place it in His hands. He's got this.

"...be content with what you have, for He has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'" - Hebrews 13:5b-6

October 2013 Newsletter

Here's the newsletter for October!¡ Again, I know it's late, so forgive me for that. Hopefully, I'll be on time this month. Also, I might start posting other things other than newsletters here. It's just that it's really hard to find the time to do so with my super busy schedule.

September 2013 Newsletter

Here's the September newsletter!¡ New things are happening here at Mision Familiar Bethlem, so be sure to check this out!¡

August 2013 Newsletter

It's that time of the month!¡ Well, it's a little late, but things have been so busy around here with soccer games and jealous kids and now music classes. I really have my hands full, haha.

If you or anyone you know is able to donate monthly, please do so by filling out the info on the side under Recurring Donations. I'm really riding the fine line with finances, and it would be such an amazing blessing if you could help me out. Not just for me, but for the kids, as well. Seriously. A huge portion of my money goes into things to help them, such as the kids food program on Saturdays, the kids' soccer teams (I have two now), English classes, and other events we're planning for the kids. With God's provision, you could be the reason why these kids have food every Saturday, are able to score that winning goal, or have a better education. Please consider this greatly, as you would be pouring so many blessings into these kids' lives.

To the few of you who are helping me out, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. Without your help, I wouldn't be able to show these kids the amazing love of Jesus through these practical things, let alone live. I seriously appreciate it so much. Through your generous support, I'm able to reach out to these kids on a daily basis, lend a helping hand, and to be there and console the broken-hearted, as you'll read about in this month's newsletter.

Anyway, here's the August newsletter!¡ Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and may God bless you abundantly!¡

July 2013 Newsletter

It's a little late, but here's the July 2013 newsletter!

If you have any questions/comments/concerns about any of the info in this newsletter,or any in general, feel free to contact me by email: daniel.ratz92@gmail.com.

Camp Is STILL Possible!!!

After making several arrangements and emails, the price for camp has changed A LOT. Now, it's only $80 per person! It's still a bit up there, but I know God can work miracles, and through YOU, He can! Only a few dollars have been donated so far, and we're still in need of a lot of help. The planned dates for camp, August 15-18, is coming up quick! If you or someone you know can donate ANY amount of money, it is 100% appreciated. Every little adds up!

Here's a list of the kids again that are on the list to go. Choose a kid or kids you would like to sponsor and put his/her/their name(s) in the for space in the donation form:

Boys:

• Carlos, age 8
• Samuel, age 10
• Israel, age 9
• Raul, age 7
• Alfonso, age 10
• Brian, age 8
• Sami, age 7
• Oscar, age 11
• Everardo, age 10
• Alan, age 9
• Osvaldo, age 11
• Estif, age 8
• Bryan, age 8
• Juan, age 8

Girls:

• Karla, age 11
• Estefani, age 10
• Noami, age 9
• Angela, age 11
• Danely, age 8
• Danitza, age 7
• Paola, age 10
• Melanie, age 10
• Angeles, age 10
• Miriam, age 10
• Clara, age 11

This will be a life-changing event for all of them, and you have the awesome opportunity to be a part of it! We also have 13 counselors going who also need funding, so if you feel led to sponsor one of them, feel free to do so! Also, funding for camp supplies/games/crafts is also needed. Whatever you decide to do, make sure to specify which you are donating for in the for space on the donation form. You can do so by clicking on the yellow Donate button on the side under One-Time Donations. Again, ANY amount is 100% appreciated, whether it be $5 or $500. It all adds up! Thank you for considering to be a part of changing these kids lives, as God is going to break chains and set lives free!!!

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." - Matthew 7:7-8

Help Make Camp Possible!

A few weeks back, I was reminiscing about how I was involved with kids camps last year and how awesome it was. Then, it hit me: why don't we do one here? Pastor Elvis had been mentioning about how he wanted to do camps for the teens and young adults, so why not for the kids? We started to talk, which now has turned into planning. We possibly might be having our FIRST EVER Kids's Camp here at Mision Familiar Bethlem!!! Unfortunately, the keyword is: possibly. That "We possibly might" can be changed to "We ARE" with YOUR help! And you can help in multiple ways:

• Pray. We need all the prayer we can get: for God to show us which kids need to go, for God to send us leaders to help with camp, for awesome ideas of things to do with the kids at camp.
• Donate camping items. It could be anything you might think we could use for camping: tents, pillows, sleeping bags, blankets, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, bug spray, sun block, flashlights with batteries, and whatever else you think would be useful.
• Donate craft/game items. This camp is something I want the kids to remember forever and look forward to every year. For that, I need several items to make this a super fun and exciting experience: several large tarps, TONS of baby shampoo, a giant, inflatable beach ball, TONS of water balloons, multiple rolls of different colored duct tape, an assortment of wood paint, thick, wooden picture frames that can be painted/drawn on (3x5), beach/sand toys, floaties, life jackets for kids, good walkie talkies (actual ones, not kid ones), shaving cream, square swim goggles for kids/adults, and anything else that you think would be useful/fun to do. I am open to ideas!
• Sponsoring a Child. Unfortunately, camp costs money, and almost all of these kids that want to go don't have the money for it. For one kid, it costs $120 to have an amazing experience at this camp. Not only with fun and games, but they will be entering into the love and presence of God in an environment where there aren't any distractions of home/chores/work getting in the way and where only God's true and amazing love is shown. We are planning on bringing around 20-30 kids to camp, and with your help, we can. Here's a list of kids that we are praying for to be able to come to camp and have their lives changed forever:

Boys:

• Carlos, age 8
• Samuel, age 10
• Israel, age 9
• Raul, age 7
• Alfonso, age 10
• Iliseo, age 7
• Bryan, age 8
• Sami, age 7
• Octavio, age 11
• Oscar, age 11
• Everardo, age 10
• Leo, age 9
• Alan, age 9

Girls:

• Karla, age 11
• Estefani, age 10
• Noami, age 9
• Angela, age 11
• Danely, age 8
• Danitza, age 7
• Sara, age 8
• Paola, age 10
• Melani, age 10

I will be adding  kids on this list once I find out about more kids that can go, and I will be updating the statuses of the kids once they get paid for, so be sure to keep watch on this list to see our progress! Also, our teachers/camp counselors need to be paid for to go (12 in total as of now, same price as the kids) and transportation costs need to be funded for, as well. If you have a van/bus you can donate, we would be more than happy to accept that, as well. We are planning on the camp being on August 16-18, so it's coming up fast! Please feel free to also pray for all of the finances to be covered.

If you would like to donate any items for camp, please contact me via email: daniel.ratz92@gmail.com

If you would like to sponsor a child, please do so by clicking the donate button on the side and, in the for space, indicate which child you wish to sponsor.

If you would like to sponsor a teacher/camp counselor, donate towards transportation costs, or would like to send a financial donation for a non-specific purpose, please feel free to do so as well by clicking the PayPal donate button on the side and indicate in the for section where you would like the money to go towards. If there isn't a specific purpose, be sure to put that in the for section.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for joining us in prayer, as God is going to move in these kids' lives like never before!

June 2013 Newsletter

Since I finally have a computer, I can make nice-looking newsletters!¡ Here's the one for this month of June:

In His Hands

Today in church, Pastor Elvis was saying something about placing everything in the hands of God or about Him blessing us or something along those lines, and he then called people to come to the front for prayer. Usually, at this point, I go and play background music for the altar call, but oneof the other band members did. I decided to go to the front and pray with the other people who were up front. Things have been really tight with money, and not having a computer really was making things hard. I have everything I need, but I want to be able to be able to bless the kids just a bit more. I prayed, "God, please provide a way for me to get a little bit extra money so that I can do something awesome for my kids. I know that You're providing all I need, but I want to do just a little bit more. Meet us all where we're at." He then spoke to me:

"Daniel, stop worrying. I've got you in My hands."

Tears started to well up in my eyes. In that moment, I knew it was God.

After church, I went to talk to the pastor. I've been trying for a while now to buy a nice computer for really, really cheap, but it's so hard when I don't have much money nor a job to get money. I asked Pastor Elvis if there was any way we could talk to his friend I was buying the computer from about letting me have it now and then paying the guy later once I could work and get the money. I have no idea why this wasn't brought up before, but Pastor Elvis suggested that I use his wife's computer that was in his office. After arranging things and testing it out, everything worked out! It's not perfect, but the computer works. It's enough to do what I need to do. I actually might have a possible job coming up soon, too!

Now that I have a computer, I'll be able to get out more updates about what's going on here and be able to get those newsletters made!

Also, I'll be posting a new video EVERY MONDAY on this YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/AWayWithWords24. I'm changing things up a bit, too.

Along with music, I'll be adding:

- Meet My Kids (interviews/crazy stuff with the kids I live with)

and

-Missionary Lyfe (an exaggerated vlog-series about what it's like living as a missionary in Tijuana, Mexico)

There's no particular order to what will come next, but it'll be one of the three EVERY MONDAY, so be sure to check me out and let all of your friends/family/neighbors/supermarket ladies know to SUBSCRIBE!¡

God is faithful.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

Technical Difficulties.......

I haven't been posting any new blogs due to my computer being stolen. I want to be able to add pictures and make it look nice, but it's hard to do that on an iPod. We will be getting a new computer at the church soon that isn't ancient, so I'll hopefully be able to do a bunch of updates with that. Also, there isn't a newsletter for the month of April, either. Hopefully, there will be one for May.

In the meantime, I post stuff about my time here on my Facebook and Twitter, so feel free to check them out! I only accept friend requests from people I know, but if you don't personally know me, send me a message so I can!

facebook.com/daniel.ratz92

Twitter: @Life_Of_Daniel

Livin' the Life of Job

So, for the past two weeks, things have been a bit challenging:

On April 1, which happens to be April Fools Day, is when it all started. I was planning with Pastor Elvis about the shirts for my kids's soccer team. My computer was almost out of batteries, so I grabbed my charger, plugged it in the kitchen, and placed it on the table. Now, Hermano Jesse told me before that if I were to do that, to put something over it so that no one could see it so that no one would steal it. I knew this, but the pastors were here, and their kids were at the table where I plugged it in, so I thought, "It's all good. Nothing is going to happen when the pastors are here, plus their kids."

Yeah, right.

I left the church, washed my clothes, and then remembered that I had told one of my kids that I would help them with something. I ran to his house since it was late, but didn't tell anyone. It was during that time that the pastors had left. When I came back, I went to check something on my laptop, and it was gone. GONE. I flipped out a bit, but then calmed down and thought, "Maybe Pastor borrowed it for something. He didn't ask, which makes me upset, but maybe he did. I checked upstairs, in the office, the kitchen again. Nothing. I then remembered that no one could get into my computer without the password, so why would Pastor have borrowed it? I then remembered the day and thought that someone was playing a joke on me, but I then realized that that is just an American thing. My last thought was that maybe Hermano Jesse wad teaching me a lesson. After telling him what happened, then calling Pastor and telling him, I realized that he wasn't teaching me a lesson. I was learning it the hard way. The weird thing about it, though, was that the person unplugged my charger and placed the cord nicely on the table instead of taking it. Also, my notebook was on top of my laptop, and that was neatly placed to the side, as well. Weird.

Fast forward to Sunday, April 7. That night, we had chicharon for dinner, which, after asking several times what it is, is pork rinds. They soak them in salsa verde and heat them up. The taste is good, but my stomach hurts a little afterward every time. This was the third time, so I was kind of expecting it. Only, this time, it wasn't just a little bit. It hurt that night all the way to last Sunday. A little Sunday night, a bit more Monday, a LOT Tuesday, and normal pain from Wednesday until last Sunday, digressing a bit every day. The first Sunday was also accompanied by a headache, which lasted until Tuesday, and it turned into a migraine on Monday night. It hurt so bad, I couldn't even walk. I spent Monday night and Tuesday resting. I had to cancel the English class for the kids on Tuesday because of my ill condition.

I had asked Hermano Jesse to pray for me on Tuesday, so he did. He then told me on Wednesday that maybe the devil had asked God for me, just like he asked God for Job. After looking back on what happened to me, it seemed to make sense. First, my possessions (laptop), then my health, just like Job. Thankfully, no one died here, like Job's kids and servants did. Pastor Jesse telling me that reminded me that I need to thank God through everything and give Him all the praise and honor, no matter what happens and even if I don't understand. So I did.

Thank God I'm better now. I really think the devil was out to get me. Too bad, for him, I'm not turning away. NOTHING will EVER separate me from what God has called me to do. NOTHING.

Satan isn't happy with me, guys.

March 2013 Newsletter

Here's the Mision Familiar Bethem newsletter for the month of March! I'm currently working with the parents of the family on the second page and will be posting updates about their progress. I might also be doing a documentary on them, but I'm unsure of that at the moment. Keep an eye out for updates about them.

Cerro

This is a video of the poorest area around where I live. It's called Cerro. I think it might actually be cero, which means "zero" in English. This video speaks for itself.

Searching For More [Than Just Toys]

I know I just posted a post yesterday, but, after what happened today, I had to share this:

I was outside chilling with Carlos and Jesús today, and, once again, I noticed a kid in the barranco (valley or ravine. It's where the people in this area throw their trash). This kid, however, seemed to be throwing bottles at someone. I thought he was trying to hit someone with them. Once he went down the ravine a bit, I walked over to it to see who else was down there.

He was with two other girls, whom I presumed were his sisters. Turns out, he was throwing the bottles to his older sister, who would inspect them, then toss them or keep them. It didn't look like she kept any of them, though. At one point, she smelled one of them. I really had no idea what they were doing. My mind went back to the day I met the one kid, Miguel (again, don't be confused with this Miguel). I thought that these kids were doing the same thing as him. After confirming with Carlos and Jesús about what the kids were doing, I felt the strongest pull to talk to them. I noticed that the oldest girl saw me looking at them, so I had to wait for the right moment to talk to them. Part of me didn't want to bother them, but I just kept saying to myself, "I have to talk to them, I have to talk to them..." Once I saw that they stopped and were talking to someone, I decided that I needed to go then. While I was walking to where the kids were, I asked for God to move me where He wanted me to go. Part of me expected God to stop me, only because I thought it was me wanting to talk to them. I have to keep reminding myself that it's not because of me that I'm here. It's because God gave me the heart, compassion, and the calling to help these kids.

As I got closer to them, I noticed that they had received a bag of rolls from the guy they talked to (I learned later that the guy they talked to worked at a rehab center. That's where he got the rolls from). As I got closer, I asked, "Wait, wait!" The three turned around and looked at me. "Why were looking in the trash over there?"
The oldest girl answered for the three of them, "We were looking for toys for her (referring to her little sister)." I thought to myself, That can't be true. They had to have been looking for something to sell or something like that. Even if that it was true, that's definitely not a good place to be looking for toys.
"Oh. What's your name?"
I can't remember the girls's names, but the boy's name is José. I can't remember the girl's names because they were names I hadn't heard before. I wanted to know their names, but, now thinking about it, I felt that might have been too forward. I don't know. I just wanted to help them.
"Oh, ok. Well, in the future, if you ever need help with anything, no matter what (I said this to show them that they wouldn't be a bother to me), I can help you. I live in the church over there, and, whenever you need to, come to the church, and we can help you."
"Ok, thank you."
She actually said something different, but then changed it to thank you. I'm not sure what it was, but I really hope it wasn't something like, "Yeah, right." For some reason, I feel that it was, but I really don't know.

As I walked away, I heard them say, "Hey, boy!" I turned around and went back to them. The older girl asked me if I could give her a dollar. She thought about what the word was in English, and then asked me. I guess she thought that I only had dollars since I was American. Oh, stereotypes. I'm not really sure why she said dollar in English when the word is the same in Spanish. She used the English pronunciation, too. Hmmm. I told her that I only had pesos and asked her what she needed them for. She said to buy two kilos of tortillas. I only had fifteen pesos on me that I could give to them, and  I told her about one of the stores that sells two kilos for eighteen pesos, which is pretty cheap (I accidentally said sixteen, though. I really hope everything went ok, still). She said that was fine, said thanks, and walked away.

I couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened. The older girl looked about 13 or 14, the boy was between 8 and 10, and the younger girl looked about 5. They all had ratted, dirty clothes. I knew that they had to be in the same situation as Miguel. About halfway back to the church, I froze. I just stood there as my eyes watered up. I couldn't get the thought out of my head that the only things they were possibly going to eat today were those rolls and some tortillas. I have no idea where they live or even if they have a place to live. I have no idea who their parents might be or if their parents even care about them. All I wanted to do in that moment was cry for them. I couldn't imagine living like that. Now, thinking about all of the times that I complained when I was younger about a certain food I don't like or a toy I didn't like, and my mom saying to me, "You better appreciate what you have. There's kids out there who don't have any of these things." Here they were. Right in front of me. And I talked to them. I just want to find them and bring them here to the church and help them with whatever they need. I want to be able to show them God's love and tell them how much God loves them and cares for them, truly. I want to let them know that there's more to live than what they're living.

Unfortunately, I can't hunt them down. I mean, I could walk up to every house and look for them, but then I'd probably get the cops called on me. Not about to let that happen. That's why there's such a great need for an orphanage in this area. There isn't one. The closest one that I know of is by the beach, and that's 40 minutes in a car, 1 1/2 hours by taxi, and I don't even know how long it would take to walk there. Pastor Elvis and I have been discussing it, and we are already making plans for an orphanage. Of course, it's just plans right now. We're looking to buy this one building two houses over from the church, plus adding two buildings like it to make the orphanage. Unfortunately, it costs a lot. We need your help:

1. Pray for us. A lot. Pray for God to bless us or send someone our way to bless us with what we need to start the orphanage. Pray that God continues to show us what we need to do to get it started. Pray that God opens the doors for us to get started.
2. If you can, donate. Anything is appreciated. Truly. We are starting a separate fund for just the orphanage. Anything that is donated for the orphanage will only go towards the orphanage.

Also, please, please pray for those kids. I truly cannot stop thinking about them. Pray that they actually come  to the church. I forgot to tell them about the program this Saturday (figures), but please pray that they somehow come to it. Pray that they come around here again so that I can tell them about it and help them more. More importantly, pray that they see that it's not me who's doing this. It's God who led me to do it. It's God who loves and cares so deeply for them. I do, too, but only because God has changed my heart, not me. Also pray that Miguel comes back around here, too. I've been saving bottles for him, and I have too many to fit in the bag. I need to give them to him. Also, I need to help him, too. All of these kids need God's amazing, indescribable love, and I won't stop until they all have it.

February 2013 Newsletter

Here's the newsletter for the church that I made! Unfortunately, it took me five hours to do. Hopefully, it won't take me that long to do the next one. EDIT: If you saw this already, I changed it so that it would fit on the blog page, plus, I fixed a couple typos.

Searching For More

About two days ago, I was chillin' with Carlos outside waiting for lunch to be ready. I think we might have been playing canicas or something. Anyway, once we finished a round of canicas, I looked up and saw a boy looking through the trash. He had a big bag with him, too. I remember seeing him the week before, but I think he might have been with someone, like a sister or something, so I didn't approach him before. Someone had told me that they were looking for bottles to sell. I thought maybe they were doing it for themselves to earn a quick buck, so that's the other reason I didn't approach him.

This time felt different.

I felt before that I should have approached him, but I thought that might have been my oh-look-a-kid-I-don't-know senses tingling, and that it was me that wanted to talk to him. I mean, of course I want to help all of the kids and get to know them all, but I didn't want to bother him and whoever was with him if it was just that. This time, I felt a strong pull to talk to him. God was telling me to. Estefani, Carlos's sister, was telling me that lunch was ready, but I didn't care. I was not about to put this off. I walked over to him and said, "Hey!"
He responded with a timid, "Hi."
"What are you doing?" I asked him, even though I was sure of what he was doing.
"Looking for bottles."
"Oh. Well, I don't think I have any to give you." I wanted to ask him why, but I didn't want to be too forward. "What's your name?"
"Miguel." (Don't be confused with the other Miguel. Many people here are named Miguel.)
"Nice to meet you. My name is Daniel. And, if you need something, I live in the church here, so, if you want, come to the church if you need something or help with something, ok?"
I'm not sure if he answered to me, but I think he might have just said ok. I then went to Carlos's house to eat lunch. Of course, I totally forgot to mention to Miguel about the kids' program the next day. Figures. Anyway, I told Carlos's dad about what happened, and he said that Miguel was just looking for bottles to sell. I knew that, but I told him that I felt something different, like there was more to the story.

Today, after discussing some things with Pastor Elvis, I mentioned this incident to him. He told me that whenever a kid does that, it's because his dad or mom told him to. Once the kid finds all the bottles he can carry, he brings them to his parent, the parent sells them, and then the parent uses that money for drugs or alcohol. I was a little set back when he said that. I had never really approached a kid who had been in that type of situation. If I had, I wasn't aware. Now, to know that this kid was probably lived this scenario gave me a deep compassion for him. Recalling the incident, I remember his pants and his shirt being dirty, and his face was dirty, too. No, it wasn't because kids just get dirty here. Yes, people are poor here, and kids do get dirty, but they normally stay clean and have clean clothes. He was neither clean nor had clean clothes. Plus, it was about 11 in the morning, so it was a bit early for a kid to have all of his clothes, plus his face, dirty. The point is, him being dirty didn't seem normal. I explained this to Pastor Elvis, and he told me that is why it would be great to have an orphanage here. Apparently, there's a lot more kids who live in that situation just around here. I have no idea how many more live that way in other areas. Thousands, possibly millions. Seriously. Last time I checked, there are 10 million orphans living in Mexico, and those are just the ones accounted for. A child is considered an orphan when one of their parents is dead, not both, so there are probably a lot more. Orphanages aren't only for orphans, though. They're also for abandoned or neglected children, which I feel Miguel is. Therefore, an orphanage here would be a great thing. The closest one in this area, that I know of, is about 40 minutes away in a car, an hour and a half/two hours by taxi, and I have no idea how long it would be to walk there. When we have one, it'll be close to the church here, which is great. Pastor Elvis and I are praying and planning this currently, but it's going to take a lot of praying and planning.

Please pray:

1) For a plan for the orphanage to come together at the right time.
2) For a building/land for the orphanage. We have one in mind, so pray that God will reveal to us if it's the right one. If not, then for God to show us another one.
3) For Miguel to come by here again. I feel dumb for not remembering to tell him about the program here, and I want to have the chance to invite him. Also, I know that he, in life, is searching for more than just bottles. He's searching for answers: Why he lives the way he lives. Why his parent(s) do what they do. If anyone really cares about him. If there's more to the life he's living.

Everyone thinks these things at one time or another. For that, they need to know that there is a loving, caring, merciful Heavenly Father who truly cares about their innermost being and only wants what's best for them. They need to know, as well, that God isn't doing this to them: it's Satan who's causing these things. They need to experience His amazing love and faithfulness and grace. Without Him, their lives are a complete mess, like a disassembled 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. But, with God, all the pieces come together. It takes time, but, once they learn how to put the pieces together, the mess is no more, but it's now a beautiful illustration of what God has done for them. Please join us in prayer, as we seek out the best plan to help kids like Miguel. Also, if you feel led to, donate to help start the orphanage. Unfortunately, these things cost money, as everything does, so we need all the financial help we can get. Make sure to clarify that it's meant to go towards the orphanage and not me, and I will make sure that it goes to the correct person for that. With all of your help, I know things will come together.

God's Got Bigger Plans

I've been back in Mexico for two weeks, and, man, has it been awesome. So much has happened in just these two weeks that if I were to type it all, no one would read it all, so I'm going to spare all the fine details.

None of the kids knew when I was coming back, so when I showed up, they were ecstatic. Well, most of them. Carlos, of course, was the most happy of them all. I got his reaction on video, which I'll be posting on my Facebook soon, and possibly on YouTube.

Me and Carlos wearing our Mexico soccer jerseys.
Trust me, he's happier than he looks.

The second day being back, I went over with pastor Elvis about everything I'll be doing, and I was really surprised at what he told me. I thought that I would just be helping out a lot more with the kids programs and stuff like that. Nope. I'm the kids' pastor. PASTOR. Never thought I'd be called that. Also, he wants me to be involved a lot more with the worship team. Before, I was just playing my acoustic and singing whenever they wanted me to. Now, Pastor Elvis wants me to start leading things with the worship team. Leading. Being the front man. Again, something else I've never considered myself. Although I haven't considered myself these things, I know I can do them. I have the ability to. I just need the courage, haha.

Ever since I've talked to Pastor Elvis, so many things have been running through my head: more ideas for the kids' program, another kids' service, starting a soccer team with the kids. I know that I need to take things one step at a time, but, now, I'm really excited to be pretty much in charge of the kids' program. I've been renovating things in the Saturday kids' program, such as adding Juegos Locos, which is pretty much like the games I did when I was at the Dallas Metro Dream Center, and adding the quiet seat prize, which will hopefully help keep the kids quiet during the lesson time. Hopefully. For example, if one of the teachers sees one of the kids being really quiet and paying really good attention, they'll get a ticket, and once they have enough tickets, they can get a prize. I think that's how it's going to work. I'm going to introduce it to them tomorrow, so, hopefully, it'll go over well. Also, Two days out of the week opened up, so, once I'm able to in the future, I'll do another kids' program in the evening on Wednesday and have soccer practice on Mondays. That'll give the kids things to do during the week so that they'll stay out of trouble and get more of Jesus, and more of Jesus is always a good thing.

We've also had two kids' programs so far. There were twenty-five kids at the first one and twenty-six at the second one. I was told that once I left, there were only ten kids that would come to the program. Now, it's doubled. Gloria a Dios. And I'm not going to stop there, either, haha. With the new things I've added to the program, I'm sure more kids will come, and that means more kids will receive Jesus. The best.

Anyway, that's enough for now. I'll be posting a lot of videos and possibly pictures on my Facebook, so look for those! Hopefully, I'll be getting better internet soon to do just that, haha.

¡Es Oficial! (Otra Vez)

Tomorrow, I'll be heading into Mexico and starting the HUGE, amazing calling that God has placed on my life. For now, I'm in San Diego, but it's all good. I'm leaving to Mexico in the morning. I think I can wait another 16 hours or so. I've waited three months, haha.

Here's a quick recap on what I'll be doing for those of you who haven't seen this post, or if you'd like to have a shortened version of what I'm doing:

I'll be going back to Mision Familiar Bethlem, the church I did work at before, and will continue to help the kids and people in the area. I'll be teaching English, helping run the Saturday Kids Program, be a part of the worship and drama team, visiting Niños de la Promesa, the orphanage I visited before, and be spreading God's amazing and true love, peace, and joy, along with everything else about Him. And, of course, I'll be doing my very best to tell everyone about how His love is available to us: through believing in His Son, Jesus Christ, and believing in what He did for us on the cross. I'll also be discussing with Pastor Elvis his plans of starting the orphanage he is dreaming of starting. Once the time is right, I'll intern at Niños de la Promesa, learn everything about how everything works and runs, and then return to Mision Familiar Bethlem and help Pastor Elvis accomplish his dream of having an orphanage.

That's it in a coco de mer shell, haha. Something else I want to address:

Doing what I'm doing is not about being comfortable.
It's not about making money.
It's not about making a name for myself.

It's about bringing God's kingdom to earth: His love, His joy, His peace, His care, His forgiveness, His divine healing power, His guidance, His everything. Nothing will ever change that.

Please continue to pray for God to open the hearts and eyes of all the people, young and old, to the only truth that can save them from the ways of this world. Pray that God uses me to touch them in ways that only He can. Pray that God sends me fresh, awesome ideas to bring to the kids program so that the kids will understand things easier and will bring more kids to it. Pray that God continues to provide not only for me, but for the kids, adults, and families in the area. Pray that His will be done.

I'll hopefully get internet soon in Mexico, but, until then, I won't have any communication to the states. I'll also be in Mexico for a year at least, so it'll be a while before I venture back to the Estados Unidos any time soon. Thank you all for supporting me, whether by reading this, praying for me, or supporting me financially. Everything is greatly appreciated. Truly. ¡Dios te bendiga para siempre!

Everything

So, for those of you who don't know, I had to come back to the states to raise more funds to be able to live in Mexico for what God has called me to do. So far, I have been in the states for three months, and, boy, has it been challenging. It seems like everything that could cause me stress has, and, unfortunately, more than usual. The devil has really been trying to bring me down. Through all of this, though, God has been testing me to see if I trust Him in every area of my life: spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally, and financially.

Spiritually, I've grown so much in the past two years. I've been living for Him and spending more time with Him more and more every single day, no matter what hardships come my way. I know that if I'm seeking His will and living full-heartedly for Him, nothing can come against me. "...for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" - Hebrews 13:5b-6

Emotionally, I've been all over the place: With myself, my parents, my family, my friends, everything. My dad has really tried me through all of this, telling me that I'm making a huge mistake, that this isn't worth anything. Through all of that, plus more that I won't go into due to length, I've turned to God for peace and joy, and He's provided it every time. Whether it be a little pick-me-up joy or absolute peace to stop me from sobbing uncontrollably, He's been there. "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." - 1 Peter 5:7

Physically, I've been restored. Not 100%, but it's getting there. When I came back from Mexico, I had injured my arm from picking up the kids and spinning them around, which I tend to do a lot, haha. Being back, the pain has left me, and I will continue to praise God and rebuke that pain en el nombre de Jesus! Also, I've had this hemorrhage on my eye for several years, and I was recently told that, worst case scenario, that it could also lead to eye cancer. It hasn't bothered me (pain, irritation), but I was told to get it checked, so I did. Not only was I told that I didn't have to pay for my co-pay, but I didn't have to pay for the $100 eye drops either. Within a week, the infection that was causing the hemorrhage to grow and be inflamed went completely away and is continuing to go away! "That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” " - Matthew 8:16-17

Mentally, I've been struggling with many thoughts coming to my head. So many inner battles from my past, plus what is going on now, has really tried to take a toll on me. Not only from my past, but what I've had numerous people tell me, such as what they think is best for my life and what I should do according to them. Those thoughts, plus my past, have been trying to sneak in on me, but as soon as the devil was about to have his way, God reminded me every time that I need to trust in Him always and that He'll guide my steps and that His way is best. I've been able to focus on what He has for me, rather than what others have thrown at me, and really have had true peace. "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6

Financially, which seemed to be the most difficult one (next to physically), He's provided all. He has so many times in the past, but, every single time, the amount has gotten bigger and bigger and bigger. The amount that I need now to live in Mexico is more money than I've ever had in my whole life combined. It seemed impossible. Seemed. God reminded me, "Daniel, I've provided for you every single time you've needed Me to. What would make this time any different? What is one measly number compared to Me?" As big as that number seemed, I knew that God was bigger. He created EVERYTHING. What was one number to Him? I still don't have everything I would like, but I have completely everything I need, as of today, which is all I truly want anyway. I know that if I somehow need more, then God will provide it. "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:19

I know this was a little lengthy, but I felt that I needed to share this with all of you. I know that with being a missionary, I need to trust God in EVERY area of my life and give EVERYTHING to Him. I can't hold on to anything. So, I want to encourage all of you with two things: 
1) No matter what area you may be struggling with in life, God hears you. He cares for you deeply, more than anything else (also see Matt. 6:25-34). He hears your cries. He listens to every single one of your prayers. Just keep looking to Him through it all, and, I promise, He WILL come through.
2) You HAVE to give everything to Him. Humans, by nature, want to have control. We want to have at least a little say in what goes on. It's hard for us to give a part of our lives completely away. Trust me. But, once you do, you won't regret it. When God is in control, He ONLY provides the best for you and what you can handle. Nothing more, but nothing less. What's better than God's best? And what's better than having the God of the universe take care of everything for you? All we have to do is look to Him in everything, live completely for Him, and He's got the rest.

Again, sorry for the length, but I just wanted to remind you all that God is alive and real, and He cares for you in EVERY aspect of your life!¡ I'm a living testimony!¡ Seek Him, and you won't regret it.

Also, not sure why everything is highlighted, but maybe it helps make it easier to read? Hopefully.