Learning, Growing, Teaching

 As I continue through this semester teaching college English, I am learning a lot of new ways to work through difficulties. I was not told how many hours my class would be until three weeks before the class began. I had to change the content of the class due to the number of hours being lessened. In order to create a curriculum, worksheets, and answer keys in time for the start of the class, I used AI. Yes, I the teacher, who is very much against AI, utilized it to create my class. The ease with which I was able to complete the lessons only made my stance against student usage of AI that much stronger. I could tell the AI creator to create a lesson, worksheet leaving out or adding in certain things, a test and answer keys, and it accomplished to where I only needed to tweak a few things. However, when I asked it to create a specific type of verb sheet, it made a mistake and failed in the subject verb agreement. This again proves that AI is only as good as the person who creates the information which the AI generator retrieves. You could apply this to the Christian life. Your doctrine, convictions, and standards will only be as good as the sources that you utilize to teach you these things. Using sources that do not agree with Scripture doctrinally, use perverted versions of Scripture, present worldly philosophy with a Christian twist... will lead to compromise in many areas, and can lead to compromise in doctrine.

Personal growth has been a difficult road over the last two years. God has given me many challenges, and I still have some to face. I have grown closer to God, developed a chain of prayer partners and encouragers, and have learned to view my problems in varying degrees of difficulty when I compare them to the difficulties many of my friends are facing. I have learned how to deal with people who are under me, how important it is to hear both sides of a conflict before making a decision, and how to trust that God is allowing others to make wrong decisions for a reason, and that I can learn from their wrong choices and perhaps reveal the blind spots that are the cause of those choices. Being a target is not easy, but I have learned to recognize that it is not the actual people who are the enemy, but Satan and his minions. I am already looking forward to the Spiritual Warfare Conference in April. I would encourage anyone who sees this to either try to come in person or sign up to watch online. It is life changing information.

Teaching is not all found in the classroom. God has opened the door for me to be a help to three families going through some difficulties. I have no idea why moms and wives are asking me, a single lady with no children, for advice on different matters in their families.  Besides these opportunities, I had the opportunity to share my full testimony with a family who has been through the ringer, physically, in the ministry, and spiritually. Because I shared my testimony two adults in the family felt an open door to share some of their hurts that they had never spoken about before. My trials have become a tool of triumph. I say to all who read this, become a victor not a victim of your past, and teach those you are influencing how to do the same.

Tickets to England are purchased! After 6 years of waiting on God's timing, walking through difficulties, and trusting God for the right price, I was able to book tickets for myself and a friend who will travel with me for two weeks. We will be in Blackpool with my Aunt Debra Smith and the new church she is helping to get off the ground. I will remain in Blackpool for a couple of months unless some of the people I have contacted in Europe need me sooner.

God is opening new doors that I thought might be closed to me. Please pray that I will have wisdom in decisions I make in these areas. One door is to enter Iran and some of the other Muslim countries which are rising up. I believe these countries will open, and I am praying God will allow them to be safe enough for me to travel to to spread the good news to people who have been denied it for so long. 

 As always, I still have a great unspoken request which has not yet been answered. Please pray that Satan can be bound from this situation so that those involved can walk freely in the grace and mercy of God. 

My mom is still dealing with many health issues. Please pray as my dad cares for her. Pray for wisdom as they make decisions about the future. My nephew Joel is waiting on several approvals from insurance in order to have a heart surgery in Boston. His mom, my sister Julie, is due with baby number 8 at the same time. Please pray for Julie, Andy, and Joel as there is a possibility Andy would not be home when Julie delivers the baby, and Julie may not get to be with Joel even for the preliminary testing week.

My finances are getting tight. I know t is God testing my trust, but I would ask that you pray that I can gain full-time support of $100 per month which would allow me to travel indefinitely without needing to come to the US to work. In the meantime, I am looking for online work which does not require me to be on a strict schedule due to traveling in different time zones. 

A New Year and New Semester of College

 The new semester started on January 12. I am teaching an English writing class and cooking the meals for the students. Because some students are graduating, we now have a smaller number. I believe God gave us the students He wanted here, and I look forward to serving them over the next few months. Please pray that God will do a work in the hearts of these students. 

 Due to the schedule I had last semester making me exhausted, I requested to be removed from the college payroll and to lessen my duties. I made this request in December. My hours with my foster care job had already been cut from 40 to 32. After my three week vacation, my client base dropped to five. My hours have now been cut to 20. I know God is testing my trust, and perhaps Satan is testing it too. Please pray that I can find online work to compensate for my personal needs for now, and please pray that God will allow more churches to take me on so that I can raise full-time support.

I am pursuing a home loan pre-approval to see what I can be approved for. I am praying for a monthly payment of $300. Finding a home that would meet that low of a payment is proving difficult. Please pray that God will reveal whether He wants me to purchase a home at this time or wait a while longer.

 I still have some difficulties to work through over the next few months. Please pray that I have wisdom in what I say and do. Please pray that those who listen to me will have spiritual discernment.

I plan to leave for England sometime between June 1and 3. I have a friend who also wants to travel with me to experience what I do. Please pray that God will provide a round trip flight for her for about $800. 

God is moving and working in my life in some mysterious ways. I cannot go into detail, but please pray that I will have wisdom and discernment in some personal decisions which I will need to make. Please pray God opens the doors I am to go through and closes those I should not go through.

I am so thankful for all who pray for me, support me, and encourage me. Were it not for my prayer warriors over the last few months, I do not know where I would be right now. 

Finally Christmas and a New College Semester

 We finished up the fall semester at Harvest Baptist Bible College with a Christmas banquet, finals, and Christmas parties. The beginning of December was busy for me with several other Christmas get togethers. 

On December 19, I left on a three week trip to visit family and share my missions ministry.  I was able to speak in two new churches where I encouraged others to step out and do what I do helping families overseas or small churches in the US. I was able to give an update in one of my supporting churches. I met two different missionary wives who for health reasons had to leave the field.  They were so thankful to meet someone who understands and has a burden to fill the needs of the wives. 

During my time away, I have been able to get a lot of rest after a very busy and stressful last six months. I was also able to.prepare my English class for the coming semester. Please pray that God will use me to help these students to become great communicators for Christ and to know the love and care I have for them to grow in Christ and reach their fullest potential. 

I will be very busy finishing up my foster care work by the end of April. Please pray that I have opportunity to witness to my clients. Please pray that I can speak to more churches and raise the fulltime support I need to be able to travel more and stay longer with families. 

Please pray also as we watch Iran and Venezuela open. I am already in touch with some people to try to enter Iran if it opens and is safe to enter. Jesus is coming soon, and I believe God is using President Trump  to be the tool that allows freedom in many closed countries. Will you join in supporting or going yourself to spread the Gospel when the doors open?

I have a goal of leaving by the end of May to travel to England. I plan to book refundable tickets due to my nephew having major heart surgery with a 4-6 week recovery just before I would leave. If he has any complications, I would plan to reschedule my trip so that I can help my sister who is due with her eighth baby at the same time as my nephew's surgery.

Please.pray that I will have wisdom as I consider the best option for housing or at least storage of my belongings when I leave in May. I am alao getting some health checkups done due to the stress I was under for the last few months causing me some concerns. Pray that all is well.

One last request is for my sending church pastor's oldest son, Luis Martinez, jr. He has some major health concerns and is going through a lot of tests. Please pray for wisdom on treatments and choice of doctors...

Thanksgiving-Being thankful in and for everything

 Another month is gone and with it the Thanksgiving holiday. Although I have heard preaching on being thankful in the hard circumstances or when you are actually facing a trial head on, this has been the first time I have put that into practice. Through the last month of trials I have dealt with, I have literally thanked God because the trials have taught me much. I am still going through these trials, and I would appreciate a lot of prayer. My biggest needs are rest and a clear mind.

 

We are just under three weeks away from Christmas break. Please pray that God will allow me to have some churches to speak in during the break as i am now raising full-time support. If you know of any churches in Ohio near Cincinnati or Dayton, I will be in that area from the 19th-22nd. If you know of any within an hour or two of Stockton, MO which is between Branson and Springfield, I will be in that area the week of Christmas. I am not sure where I will be during New Years, but I would consider traveling to a church that wanted me to come. I have created a short video explaining my need to raise full-time support.  If you know a pastor who might be interested in supporting a missionary helper, please send me an email, I will send the video.

Please keep one of my foster care clients in prayer. his one year old baby passed away due to a heart condition she was born with. Please pray God will give me the opportunity to share the hope of their baby being in heaven and the hope of the Gospel with them. Another of my foster care clients is back in jail and will be moved to rehab. Please pray that I can line up a good church for him to be involved with where he goes.

Please pray that God keeps my heart soft, that I have wisdom in this trial I am going through, and that I have listening ears in those that I need to talk to.  

Falling into Thanksgiving

 How in the world did I lose a whole month of updating? October was a very difficult month for me. I won't go into details, but mental, emotional, and spiritual warfare is so much harder than even dealing with tangible beings which I have seen a few times in my life due to ministry. It is even harder when the warfare is brought on by someone you respect. God has been growing me through this time, but it has not been easy, and there is still a lot for me to sift through and discern how to handle before everything is settled in my mind and heart. Please pray that I will continue to grow, have wisdom on how to deal with some things, and wisdom in what to say if something needs to be said.

I have learn d that I have gained some truly great friends during this time. I had a group of ladies praying for so many times during the month. Some knew a little about what I was going through, but most simply prayed for me. Although I have fri NDA through the years, these are the first ones that I have felt I could call on for prayer in this manner. Some shared Scriptures with me or sent me the encouraging texts throughout the month.  One friend mete spur of the moment several times to let me talk through some of my feelings. Another friend gave me money which allowed me to spend two nights in a hotel to try to relieve some of the high stress I was under. The same friend came and stayed the night with me at the hotel. Through all the hard things, God continually showed me He was watching out for me., was walking with me, and was speaking for me.

We finished midterms in October, and now we are in the homestretch of Thanksgiving, Finals and then Christmas break. I took some of the students out to see the northern lights. It was a fun kind of crazy night with us complaining out people turning on their car lights every so often and disrupting our viewing party. We had hot drinks and sweets afterwards 

The spirit among the students this year is very different from last year. While they are still young and have some maturing to do, they seem to be more spiritually minded. Please pray that they will grow in spiritual maturity as well as physical. Pray that God will protect them from Satan snares that are present even in Bible college.

We had our fall bus program last month. The kids had fun doing the various sp cial days. We had luau Sunday, and the bus workers made some silly hula videos. It really was one of my favorite days because of the fun spirit on the bus. Please pray that we can get our kids to ride faithfully throughout the winter, and pray that we can gain new riders from the contacts we have made.

I spent a few days with my sister in Southern Iowa this last month. Please pray for my nephew Joel. He will be having several tests, and the results will be sent to Boston to determine if he is a candidate for a different heart procedure than the third surgery he was scheduled to have soon. This new procedure might prevent him needing a heart transplant in the future.

Please pray for me. With th schedule I am keeping, the stress from last month, and a bit of worry that I may not keep fulltime hours with my foster care job, I have not been sleeping well. I also have not been able to focus on raising full time support for my missions ministry. Please pray that I can finish the video presentation I n Ed to send to pastors 

Please continue to pray that I can give the Gospel to my clients. I did find out one client is most likely saved. Please pray for Rambo whom I led to Christ awhile back. He will be moving out of my area soon. Pray that I can find a pastor who will work with him and help him to grow.

Pray for a lady nam d Diane and her family, and my client Deandr and his family that hey will come to church next Sunday night for pie and praise.

Pray also for my clients baby Kendyl who will have heart surgery tomorrow to put in a pump until they can do a transplant. She is about 1 year old.

Quick Update (More to come later)

 Things are busy for me right now with college work and foster care work. A month of class is behind us. Ignite Youth Missions Conference is upon us, and I'm excited about the opportunity to meet more missionaries. We are also in fall program on the bus route.

 

Please pray for my mental clarity and physical well being as things have been hectic with many late nights. Pray that our bus route will grow. There are many hindrances to the growth. Pray for the Ignite Conference that many young people will surrender to God's call on their lives. 

School Daze

 The first two weeks of school are behind us. I am excited by the students we have. There is a different spirit among them, and I am praying for a year of strong commitment to study, responsibility, and accountability. 

My schedule is extremely busy. Tuesday through Friday, I am working in the college office, cooking three meals a day for the students, and teaching English two days a week. I also work 30-40 hours a week in the foster care system.  Please pray that I can maintain the schedules and utilize help as needed. I have many ideas of making things run well and adding benefits to the students at the same time. 

Please pray for my foster care kids. I still have not had an open door for witnessing with many of them. Pray that God will use Charlie Kirks life to allow that door to open.

I paid off my truck! It's a blessing to know that God has provided so greatly for me that I paid it off in a year and two months.  Please pray as I now look into possibly purchasing property.

Please pray for the ongoing unspoken. I am spending this month in more focused prayer about this  I will make an important decision when this month is over.