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.