Peaches and cream!

Okay not really peaches and cream, just peaches with leche con avena (milk with almond extract) This stuff is the best stuff created since Sushi!! I'm loving it. I am calming down from last nights fight, thank God for the beautiful weather, and preparing for Spanish class.

I can't believe Bolivia keeps getting more and more beautiful with each passing day. It's so much more tropical in this time of year! I'm loving it. I feel like walking everywhere! Today I went to the boys home and played soccer with them and did a present project for some awesome pastors at home :) Not a big thing but I thinkthey will appreciate it! :)

20 more days until I go home and I'm really excited. Since I am coming back for a year in Febuary I have nothing sad to look forward to, only happy family and friends! I hope I can connect with some people I have sorta lost contect with, and just have fun catching up with my family!

Mmm :)

Planes!

I just made planes with my fifth grade class out of recycled material. Very fun and inexpensive! And after I had fun with Angel. Don't see surrogates, it's stupid. Did I mention I hate Halloween? Well I do. Even in a country that doesn't celebrate Halloween they have crap everywhere. I will be fasting and praying until the 2nd, join me if you feel led !

Eghhhgghh

Kyernan and Alannah my sisters have swine flu, please be praying.

Mmm blockade days.

Okay so first I will start by explaining why on earth there are blockades anyways. Usually there are blockades of the taxi and truffi drivers because the government is not giving them what they want. Here in Bolivia, when the people aren't getting what they want. they fight for it. And the sad thing is that it usually works. Yesterday there was a blockade blocking Quillacollo and Vinto, where I live. This means no going anywhere because we live in the boondocks and you can't get anywhere except on car or taxi. It was a nice, quiet day at home. Just the Pastors, Brie and I. We watched like five movies (none really that inter-

esting) and Pastora made some lasagna thing with spinach and alfredo and it was actually extremely delicious. Brie was really sick all day, but she is better now. I went for a swim, took a shower, read the bible. It was just a nice relaxing day in which nothing had to be done! (Except clean my room, which I did. )

Sometimes I get my room messy to clean it up again. It's a great stress reducer! (Not that I actually do this, or have that much stress, but I like cleaning for some reason.) I like doing the dishes and hanging clothes on the line, and cleaning my room and my bathroom. I think it is because the Pastora's love language is gifts and people doing things for her and so I want to let her know that I love her by cleaning. I never liked to clean at home, but it is what it is.

Also I have Spanish class today and I am skyping some good people after. My cousins, aunt, uncle and grandma, and also Hannah Shelton, hopefully. I like spying because it helps me feel connected. Sometimes I don't want to feel connected so I turn off my skype! I think it's easier to get UN-connected than connected. But anyways.

The blockades are a pain in the butt, but they allow time to do things that you wouldn't normally have time for. Like just sitting and getting to know people. Or listening to the birds, or listening to God.

I'm feeling philosophical so I'll stop now. :)

heh

Banana Bread!

mix:

12 Bananas

1/3 c. Milk

1 1/2 c. Sugar

1 c. Oil

3 Eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

add:

3 c. Flour

2 tsp. Baking Soda

1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

Bake at 375

Birthday fun stuff!

I'm eighteen years old, but I feel the same. I mean, I don't feel eighteen but I don't feel any different in age than a week ago. But it was an awesome experience to have my birthday here in Cocha.

The first fun day was Friday, in which the kids had two parties for me with cakes that they baked themselves! (It was a chore to choke it down but it was worth it to see their faces!) And at night I had my cell group, which was super fun considering another cake, this time it was yummy! I love my cell girls. It was a great night of fellowship and renewal. I spoke about the youth encounter and about how the time is NOW. God didn't choose for you to follow Him at a young age just to sit there! It was a great night and the Spirit really was moving. We also felt led to do a special night for the pastors at youth the next day, so we designed shirts and figured out who was buying the flowers, the balloons, etc. Then at the end of the night some girls started fighting and it was just a bunch of MESS. I was talking to them about how the enemy would love to start disunity right after such an amazing time with God and each other, and by the next night it was resolved, thank you Lord!

On Saturday I woke up really early. Not on purpose but I think the excitement was unconsciously put in my head! I went downstairs and the pastors sang me happy birthday (they are so sweet) and Gave me my present, which so SO stinkin' thoughtful they really really shouldn't have. But it was a Tommy purse, genuine leather, SUPER cute. Along with a real Coach wallet! I was super stoked and blessed. Then I got to help Brie with a project at school, They filmed me modeling and being interviewed as an immigrant to Bolivia. How awkward! We had to do like like 344 times because I was laughing so much. And if I wasn't laughing, someone was laughing at me! But it was hilarious and fun all the same. Then we hopped in the pool for a bit and ti felt amazing in the nasty heat. Thank you Lord for a pool so close! Afte the pool I watched Grey Gardens with the Pastor (for the second time that day, I watched it with Brie really early.) And it is just SUCH an awesome movie. So creative and different. And that made me decide I want a perm. Like a finger wave-ish perm from the 30's. Who knows if I will actually do it though! Thennnn we just hung out until youth, which of course was an awesome time of Holy Spirit fire!! My friend Angel spoke about God's love and it was sooo powerful. What a man of God! We had the service shortened so we could do the blessing time for the Pastors and it was really just an awesome time of renewal for them. We washed their feet and prayed over them. Then I talked to my Dad and that was really nice, except it got me homesick, but I got over it ;)

Angel gave me a bad made of cardboard with my present in it. I open it a little late and it's a really cute teddy bear and a balloon that says "Te qierro" and then a Dvd case with two cd's in it. I was like what could this even be? But it was during church so I just decided to see it later. Then at the end of the night he came over and hugged me goodbye, and told me to make sure to watch he dvd he gave me. So in the car I got curious and put it in. I was so surprised at first all I could say was "HE DID NOT!" But it turns out that he went to the boys orphanage where I work, and got on tape ALL the boys individually telling me happy birthday and something really nice! I was just crying and laughing and thinking how insane he was for doing this! It was probably the best present I have ever received in my whole life. Then I went to bed with the teddy bear on my bed :) Just to clarify, we are just friends, reading the Bible and praying together and whatnot :)

Sunday we went to church and it was our call group's turn to be greeters but it was fun. Then we ate lunch at the Biter's house with a bunch of people with cup cakes and yummy tacos. Then Brie and I slept for forever in the afternoon randomly. We were all ready to get in the pool and then we fell asleep. hah, anyways after that a BUNCH of people, basically all of the youth group..went bowling for my birthday. My german shorties were there and it was so great to see them! I got a bunch of chocolate and Bon Bons because they are my favorite chocolates here, and just had a really nice time with all the people I love here in Bolivia (and let's not dwell on the fact that I suck at bowling and I lost) heh. But after we ate Anticucho (cow heart, my fave!) and Choco burgers with yummy picante and talked and talked. I loved my birthday weekend. It was one of the best birthdays so far! My only regrets is that I didn't talk to a certain few important people in my life that didn't wish me happy birthday, but really what am I gunna do?

Thank you Lord for such an awesome birthday filled with your presence and all the people I love here. Thank you for your provision and always loving me no matter what. Thank you for being my father and sustaining me through every hard time and every rough patch in my life. You are my Father, provider, faithful friend, redeemer, healer, love, and everything else. I would be nothing without you, God.

hah, guess what?

ONE DAY.

Alll natural almost 18 year old. I'm happy with who I am but I am always wanting to improve internally to be more like Christ. Woooo!

Woah.

Haha, where do I even start? Well there was a youth encounter this weekend and I was excited to see how God was going to work in my life, and renew things in the Spirit for me. Well the weekend went on, and I got some awesome revelations about the Word, but I really felt like God wanted to do more in me. So on Sunday morning at the conclusion of the encounter, we were at church and everyone was SO on fire in their worship, just praising God. The Spirit was soooo heavy in that room! (Like it is everywhere here, aha) But then one of my friends Paola came over with her mom Cynthia, and they just hugged me, so tight. I really felt the presence of the Lord in the hug, and I just broke down crying. I knew that God was about to do something huge in my life fro HIS glory!! So I was just worshipping and people kept coming over and hugging me and just giving me more of the love of the Spirit, and I was receiving it!!

Well there was a team of pastors visiting from San Diego, California, and their ministry was inner healing! Awesome right? Well one of the Pastors preached, and man was he SOO in the Spirit, I felt like everything he was saying was exactly what the church needed to hear! Just about how without God is your house (body, church), you have nothing! Amen. So I was just bawling all service and really feeling like God was calling me to prayer and fasting this week for two reasons. One, for the service of Beach Fellowship for revival and revelation on Sunday morning, and also because my birthday is coming up on Saturday and needed to pray and fast for the upcoming year, just that the Spirit would keep me accountable and I would be obedient to everything that God is calling me to do!

At the end of the service I went over to one of the ladies from the inner healing ministry and I really felt like she should pray for me! So I asked her and of course she said yes. We sat down and she just started speaking life over me and SUCH confirming prophetic words. How awesome right! I just really felt like what she was speaking over me was directly from the heart of the Father! She was saying how God is stretching me right now, but He is going to use my LOVE to minister! How I am going to be a fire woman for God (AMEN!) and how I need to not worry if God will leave me, because he will ALWAYS be with me! And this sounds very simple but I was struggling with that thought from the enemy all week. THEN even after that, I was praying around the church and Pastors Marcos and Jennifer called me over to get prayed for by the whole team from San Diego! RIght when they came over and laid their hands on me, the main pastor was like "WHOAAA God has so much in store for you. You are a pressure cooker, the Spirit is stirring in your life and it's about to EXPLODE! Wooooo it's happening now, isn't it!" And boy, haha it was SO happening. I just felt an overload of the Spirit that was so intense I was laughing and crying at the same time! HA! Pastor Jenn said "I really feel like you are called to live a consecrated life, and with that consecration will come the power of God in a pure way that the enemy has no foothold over!" And that is something God has been telling me that since I have been here in Bolivia.

How AWESOME is that!! I woke up this morning with a renewed joy and strength from the Lord I haven't felt in a really long time. I am so excited for this week and seeing the fruits of God in my life! Ha yayyyy.

And My birthday is Saturday so I'm excited :)

Schools closed for the week.

Two words - swine flu.

Home Alone, kind of.

So I went to the boys home yesterday and I was talking to my buddy Alberto.. ( He was the one that we brought to the conference to get healing from a severe car accident 4 months ago.) I couldn't believe what he told me! He said he actually walked from the front door to the back door by himself! This is such amazing news. Two months ago he couldn't even get out of bed!! I prayed with him and told him he has divine one d with him and told him he has divine purpose for the kingdom. He was crying, but it was a great time of fellowship and encouragement for both of us. A lot of the time we think of faith as something immediate, like "Oh Father I believe that right now you are going to provide, or right now you are going to heal." But a lot times faith is in perseverance and disciplined prayer. I don't know how many people I know who have prayed for years for family members to find Jesus, and their brothers or sisters are still going their own ways. But those people I know keep pressing in and keep praying, because they know in God's timing healing and relationship with God will come. And I think that it is important to God that we keep our covenant with Him in the form of disciplined prayer.

I am home alone this weekend with the Pastor's daughter Brie. Everyone has gone somewhere or another visiting and site seeing and what not. But it should be a good time of relaxation and restoration of relationships, we will see how it goes :)

AND I am for sure coming home on the 20th of November, which is really exciting for me because I will be able to be with my family for Thanksgiving! WOOOOT. Haha and I am traveling home with John and Erena and that should be really fun. I am really missing home, but at the same time taking every advantage here to do what I can to serve the people at the church and school. It's amazing how much Spanish I have learned in only two months!! God is awesome, and he equips and I right or am I right?