Greetings from Matamoros, Mexico! God is continuing to do great things in the FYM team here. After a week of teaching from Scott Borg, we are all ready to work on aspects of our character that need improvement. We truly were blessed by his visit, as he had much wisdom to impart to each of us. He also brought the cold weather with him, so the FYMs got their first experience of the Matamoros winter. Now I’ll let the FYMs tell you what God had been doing in their lives recently.
I would love to thank those of you who are praying for my team and for how God is growing me individually-I feel it so strongly, like I am just surrounded by a bubble of prayer and like I’m being constantly lifted up. I’ve seen God moving really powerfully in the past week or so- we’ve had some cool times of being really honest as a team, bringing things out onto the table so that they can no longer secretly take root. Please continue to pray for us, that we would lay down pride and the different issues we’re struggling through so that God would have all of each one of us to work with and mold into the men and women He wants us to be. This week we had the blessing of having Scott Borg, AIM staffer, come speak to our team about character, and it was just so cool to be encouraged in traits like perseverance, responsibility, humility, wisdom, compassion, integrity, respect, self-control, devotion, selflessness, and courage. We all shared one or two things we would love to see ourselves grow in, so if you want to pray for me- please pray that God would develop in me a lifestyle of selflessness and service, that my pride would not puff up in me every time God starts to use me, that I would not serve because I have something to prove but simply as an overflow of the Holy Spirit within me. – Lauren
So this week in class we have been talking about building character. We were asked how we want to grow in our character. For me it is like this, I want to have courage to stand strong in the Lord and really be able to step out in faith and serve the Lord. I really feel like I am insecure in myself and want to be stronger. This morning in my quiet time I read in 2 kings 18-19 How King Hezekiah was pressed by the Assyrians and they were telling him how they were going to conquer his city but he kept the faith and God provided for him. He did not back down, and that is what I want for my life to stand up for what I believe in and not be ashamed to share the gospel. I know that I let others conquer me with words or just by talking about me but not anymore. I want to be able to step up and get ready for the battle and allow God to work through me. – Chad
Chad, Lauren & Jenny in las Granjas
I am so excited at the relationships that are being built. It has taken some time, but there are so many friendships that are growing, of course between my team and I but also with the locals here. For example there are some little girls that are neighbors of ours. Every time they see me walking up the street they come running! I know that they crave the attention and love that they are receiving from our team, but it is so much more. We are able to give an abundance of love because of the love that Christ has given to us. – Tamara
On Wednesdays and Fridays in the afternoon I visit people at the hospital just to spend time with them and listen to them and sometimes pray with them. The first week we were here we were told to pray about where God would lead us for our internships. I felt the Lord lay the hospital onto my heart. He gave me the strength to trust that this was where He wanted me even though I do not like hospitals. The hospital here is still one of the scariest places for me but the greatest gift in that is that I KNOW I can NOT walk in on my strength but on HIS ALONE. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” He promised me that when I am weak HE IS STRONG and this is so true and evident in my time at the hospital. We have made wonderful relationships with the patients sharing our trust in the Lord as a healer with them and listening to their hardships. We have learned to bear the burdens of those we meet in surrendering them to the Lord. It is getting easier to walk through the doors of the hospital because I can feel the Lord’s presence. – Laura
