Goodbye for Now, Miami

This post is long overdue. I had been putting it off because quite simply I had no idea how to say goodbye to those I love so dearly back home. However, I will attempt to do so now.

Miami holds a very special place in my heart. It is the place where I have been privileged to call home for the past thirty one years, the place where I met my husband and the place where God rescued me.

Back in August of 2010, my husband felt God nudge him about pursuing his seminary education full-time. He had been studying in Miami for about six months prior to that. However, he realized that God was calling him to step back from the ministry and dedicate himself fully to his studies. It didn't make perfect sense at first. For one, neither one of us had a job and we certainly didn't know where we would live. Secondly, both of us flee from the cold. We are Latins and love the Miami heat (both the climate and the warmth of the Hispanic community). Yet we were comforted in the midst of the process knowing that we had our family's unconditional support. Additionally, our church agreed that the timing was right for us to leave for some time as long as we promised to return after seminary and continue ministering at Doral Baptist Church.

All the signs were pointing us towards Louisville, Kentucky. Lucas' entire family lived there and it would be the first time since we've been married that they would all be together in the same city, no longer separated by a 1,000 plus miles. We had absolutely nothing holding us back in Miami except, of course, our hearts. However, when God calls you, He only gives you two options: 1. Obey and 2. Disobey. We chose the former.

Lucas has always said that the best place to be is in the center of God's will. We feel without a shadow of a doubt that we are in this place now. As difficult as it was to say goodbye to those we love, we did it out of obedience. It may have been full of tears but it was also full of immeasurable peace knowing that God would continue to prove His faithfulness to us, our family, and friends. Slowly we have seen all of the pieces of His puzzle fall into place. It has been said, that all good things come to an end, but we agree that this is just the beginning. ;)

To our family back home:

We are so grateful for a beautiful little tool called Skype in which we get to chat with you almost every day. Thank you for the support you have given us in the months leading up to the move and the day of the actual move. I don't see how we could've done it without you. God has truly blessed us with an amazing family who not only enable us but also encourage us to serve Him through their love in action.

To our church family:

Three years ago when we first met most of you, we had no idea you would actually become a part of our extended family. Words are incapable alone of describing what a special place each and everyone of you hold in our hearts. Just know that the reason why we are here is because we want to come back to Doral Baptist Church better equipped to serve and minister to you. Thank you for allowing us to take advantage of this opportunity.

To our friends:
My husband said it best, "you can replace almost anything but you can't replace friends." As we start cultivating new friendships here we know that we will never be able to replace you, nor would we ever want to. We will continue to pray for you even while we are away.

To our Crossfit Box, VIDA:

It has been a true privilege getting to know you these past 7 months and although our time was brief, it was life-changing. We will undoubtedly find a new box here but nothing will be like VIDA. We treasure our time spent with you. Most of you may never know this, but we pray for you often. It is our desire that you would not only find Him but fall in love with your maker.

What I love most about VBS is...

the opportunity that I have to share Christ's love with those that mean the world to me. Vivian was my second grade student during the 2009-2010 school year. Never in a million years would I have imagined that God would give me the opportunity to invite my former student to participate in our church's Vacation Bible School program. However, this year He allowed my dreams to come true.

Vivi, I started praying for you the summer of 2009 even before the first day of school. I knew the moment that I met you that you were a very special girl. Never forget that I love you dearly but there is someone out there that loves you more than I do and that is Jesus Christ.

Gracias Olguita por confiar en nosotros con tu tesoro. Ustedes verdaderamente son la razon que nosotros le sirvimos a Dios. Te quieremos mucho y nunca dejaremos de orar por tu familia hermosa.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Matthew 19:14

A Crazy Idea

This past Monday Lucas and I decided to get on with a very much needed "Winter Cleaning." Since we have a small one bedroom apartment, our closet space is very limited and we can't afford to save lots of stuff. Although I am very much a packrat and like to hold on to things because I justify, "We never know when we will need it," my husband managed to convince me that we could give away a few things. After all who needs more than 3 sets of bed sheets? Due in part to the cold temperatures and God working in his heart, he immediately knew that there were others who could make good use of our blankets and sheets right away.

Not so coincidentally that evening we received a text from Marianella letting us know that she was in the neighborhood with her boyfriend, Still and wanted to know if it was okay to stop by. Nothing better for us than having some good friends over for an impromptu dinner date. I asked my husband if he wanted to put the blankets away and I think that's when it hit him that we could go together to drop off the blankets. I admit that although it was a good idea, it was a bit crazy to drive to Downtown on such a cold and dark night to give out a few spare blankets. Little did I know that what I was about to witness with my bare eyes would change my life.

Still led us around the area in which over 20 homeless men and women could be found sleeping on top of cardboard boxes, bundled up inside layers of sheets and comforters and one or two that were cozily tucked away in their sleeping bags. However there was one truth behind that didn't take much observation for us to realize about each person sleeping on the streets. Regardless of the choices they had made in life or the circumstances that forced them onto the streets, they needed help.

On this particular night we only had two thick comforters to give away and half a dozen blankets. It broke our heart to see just how many people were out in the street braving the cold temperatures on their own. It wasn't long until we ran into an everyday hero. Her name I am not so sure of but she was an average looking lady probably in her early forties who drove all the way from Ft. Lauderdale to Downtown Miami to feed the homeless warm homemade soup. This was not a one time occurrence for her, she said that she tries to go every day to feed them. It was at that very moment that we could not deny the undeniable: we had to do something about it too.

We used our Facebook statuses to get the word out and request donations of used blankets and the respond was overwhelming. People wanted to help they just didn't know how. We had friends donate anything from used sweaters, to sweat pants, t-shirts and blankets. While others agreed to let us borrow their pots so that we could prepare a warm soup. Nella prepared her first chicken soup made from scratch and Lucas made a yummy tomato soup and another cheesy mushroom soup using borrowed jumbo pots from one of our favorite cooks, Anita. Still served as the donation collection picker-upper driving to a couple of houses to pick up the blankets. This time we had a new friend who wanted to embark on this journey with us and countless others backing us up through verbal commitments expressing their desire to help.

Honestly I don't know how we will be able to keep this up week after week but I think all of us agree that we can no longer sleep comfortably at night knowing that there are so many out there without the bare essentials. It was a reality check for me in which God clearly showed me how blessed I am. Never is one more aware of how blessed he/she is until one sees the needs of others from up close.

I personally got to talk to a charismatic man affectionately referred to as 'The Hillbilly' who non-chantly said he liked drugs and that was his reason for being on the streets. He said, "It was my choice, I know." He is probably not much older than I am and he told me he has been on the streets for six years. Although I was baffled by his words and the lifestyle he had chosen to continue an addiction, I couldn't help but feel compassion for this man who owned up to his mistakes and refused to make excuses for himself. I briefly mentioned that the only way we could change was with Jesus' help. I wish I could have said more. I wish I could've done more. At this point all I know is that I will be praying for Donnie (that's his real name) and asking the Lord to perform a miracle in which God's name will be exalted. It is my desire to see Donnie rehabilitated for the glory of God. That His life's story would lead others to God's feet.

I don't believe everyone has been called to go out in the streets at night and feed the homeless. However, do believe that God clearly cares about this case and he expects each of us to do our part. I can't tell you what God would have you do but I wish I could show you some of the images which are forever engrained in our hearts, the reality that can no longer be minimized in our minds, and the great need that these people, men and women very much like you and I have. It's like that story of the boy throwing in the starfish back into the sea. He admits that he can't save all of them but he attempts to save one at a time despite the discouragement and lack of unbelief he receives from others. I wish all of us could have that same attitude. Rather than being complacent with our mediocre Christianity I wish we could really live out that Crazy Love that Francis Chan so passionately speaks of in his book. A type of love that sounds crazy to the masses but is focused on others and not merely on meeting one's own needs and fulfilling our religious duties. The kind of love that God has called us to have for others and the fervor that drives us to care for those things that break God's heart.

We may not be able to eradicate world hunger, clothe all of those that are needy or provide shelter for them but surely we can do something about it. We can help feed one more person. We can provide hope to someone who thought life was not worth living. We can share our smile and encourage someone not to give up. We can give up some of our time and invest it in eternity. Then one day we will be able to have a conversation with God similar to this one found in Matthew 25:35-40, "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me." (emphasis mine)

I pray that your heart will break for the things that break God's heart and that you will have the courage to do something crazy about it.

"You've Got Something Stuck Between Your Teeth."

If this phrase, "You've got something stuck between your teeth" sounds familiar to you then you know all too well how embarrassing it can be when someone tells you that you've been talking to others and no one has told you that all along you had been making a fool of yourself. However if we are to consider who the people that tell us such things are, most of the time we will find that it is those that care too much for us to allow us to continue to look like a fool.

Recently this happened with me and a friend. As it turns out, I felt that there were some areas in which we were not being upfront and completely honest with each other. We avoided the issue at hand and began to make assumptions about how the other felt. Rather than approaching her with love and maturity to work out the issue, my pride got in the way and I allowed it to sit there day after day, week after week and sadly month after month. It eventually hindered the close friendship we once shared and threatened to destroy other relationships as well.

In my arrogance, I thought I knew exactly what was bothering her. I thought for sure that there was something wrong with her. To my surprise, she confronted me as best as she knew how about some changes she had noticed in me. I cautiously listened not only to her words but to her tone and the motive behind what she was sharing. I admit that initially, I was reluctant to see some of the areas that needed to be changed in me. I subtly tried to justify in my mind why her perspective of me could have changed so drastically. However I quickly realized that at that very moment I had a choice to make. I could choose to continue making excuses for myself or take it with a grain of salt and grow from it. Although it felt as if she was picking at my scab and I was afraid of the scar it could potentially leave behind, I knew the band-aid needed to come off. My wound needed to heal.

Today I am able to look back at that conversation we had over a nice, hot cup of coffee and an iced green tea lemonade and see how beneficial it was for us to talk candidly with each other. I appreciate her honesty with me and although it may have stung a bit, it has helped me to learn and grow from it. After we had that conversation, I have seen how it has strengthened our relationship because I chose to make necessary changes. I now understand why Solomon wrote these words in Proverbs 27:6, "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses."

I am thanking God for the life of my friend who loved me enough to share the truth even though she knew it could hurt me. I pray that others would always feel free to be themselves and not feel like they have to walk on eggshells around me as to not to hurt my feelings. It may take me a lifetime to learn how to do this but with God's help it's possible.

Night of Joy 2010

This past weekend our church's youth group took a trip to Orlando to attend Night of Joy 2010. We walked incessantly at the Magic Kingdom, climbed up seemingly endless stairs at Blizzard Beach, stuffed our faces to our heart's content at the Golden Corral, "fist pumped" or way through the rides, and praised God with some pretty spectacular bands. I know I've said this before but it can't be said enough, "My church family rocks!"

Enjoy some of the pictures I took with my camera.

Cata and Nicole on the way to NOJ

Wearing the super cool t-shirts Josh designed for us.

It's a Small World was closed hence the pouting lips.

The girls at the Race Track

The "fist pumpers" courtesy of Lucas

Part of my church family on the bus.

In front of the castle

Look at those faces. Every one is pooped out (This was after Blizzard Beach).

With our Senior Pastor, Pastor Carbonell.

While we waited in line.

Lucas and Mario

The guys on Space Mountain

Kevin spinning us as fast as he could on the Teacups.

Josh and Stefi, our Night of Joy event planners. Great job, guys! Shall we start fundraising for Rock the Universe?

NOJ 2010 was amazing...ready for 2011?


A special thanks to Josh and Stefi for planning NOJ 2010. You guys did a great job and made the trip unforgettable for everyone. Thank you.

Relentless Christianity '10

"Relentless Christianity" was the name of our first youth camp with Doral Baptist Church. It was a time in which the teens were exhorted from Paul's words found in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 to "run in such a way as to get the prize." Some experienced "church" for the first time, others had a genuine encounter with the Lord but all were able to witness God's love for them while there.

I've been to camp before so I was expecting to have a good time, but I never imagined just how much of a blessing this particular time at camp would be. I was able to experience camp from a totally new perspective. I was now back as one of the leaders. Quite humbling if you ask me when just six years prior, I attended my very first youth camp.

I do indeed consider it a great privilege that God has entrusted us with the spiritual lives of so many young people. Being able to love on and be loved by such a great group of teens and young adults is truly overwhelming for me.

I pray that what the kids experienced at camp, would not end there. I pray that they would continue to pursue God and live out a "Relentless Christianity" until death.

The girls' room at camp


Getting to know each other


With my husband


Our church band rocking out!


The special guest preacher and a good friend of my husband's, Rey de Armas.


One of the fun games we played.



Good times hanging out in the pool

Erick and Catalina

Our youth leaders

With a very special young lady we met at camp. One of the reasons we do what we do.

Two more reasons we do what we do.

At the "Awards Ceremony"

2010 was awesome. We'll keep pursuing Him relentlessly and we'll be ready for whatever God has in store for us in 2011.

Learning in the Midst of a Lonely Place

In lieu of "Good News Monday," today I will share one of the heavy burdens the Lord has placed on my heart. I feel compelled to share these insights with you and I hope you will join me in this journey of self-discovery. As you may already know, I am a pastor's wife and quite proud of it. However being a pastor's wife as great a privilege as it is, has it's downside. It is also a very lonely place. Someone once said that everybody knows the pastor's wife but nobody really knows the pastor's wife. This is so true. Although everyone knows who I am and knows my husband, few really know me.

If I am perfectly honest with you, I will have to admit that this is the toughest position I have ever been in. I love how my husband serves the Lord with his whole heart and even before we were married, I prayed for a man that would be committed to Christ first and foremost. Yet at times I find that I resent the church and activities that we are doing because I have to share my husband. It feels almost as if I have to compete with the church for my husband's attention. Don't get me wrong, Lucas is a great husband but I think the problem lies within me. I expect him to meet all of my needs and by doing so, I am giving him the place that is specifically reserved and designated for God alone. Ultimately, God is the only one capable of meeting my every single need.

I also find myself doing lots of things for my husband like preparing his PowerPoint presentation, printing the Sunday morning bulletin, setting up the projector and so forth. I want to make sure he is ready to preach and smoothen his transition from worship leader to pastor as much as possible. Yet many times, I question how much of this I do for God and how much I do for my husband. It's a fine line to walk and I believe there must be a clear distinction between the two but I find myself wavering back and forth between the two all too often.

I don't know what these discoveries imply. I don't even know where I stand in my relationship with the Lord at this very moment. One thing I do know. As tough as this is, I would not want it any other way because this is God's will for us. If my husband has been called to serve the Lord to this capacity then I will follow as best as I know how. I will strive to be a gracious contributor and not a greedy competitor in the story God is using us to write together.

Nobody really goes to school to learn how to be a pastor's wife. Basically it is something one learns along the way, primarily through experiences, prayer and a close relationship with the Lord. If you are a pastor's wife, I'd love to hear from you. Do you struggle like I do or have you ever? What did you find that helped you?

Dear Lord,
I know the enemy wants to destroy the family and so many times I feel like he targets the wife through her emotions. I am sorry for the times in which I could have done right yet allowed my feelings to get in the way and erred. Please forgive me. I ask that you would use even this to strengthen my relationship with you. I pray for all of the pastor's wives out there. I pray that on a day like today, that they would know the impact that they have, the significant role they play in their church and how much you want to use them for your kingdom. Lord, help me and any of my sister's in Christ struggling with this depend on you alone to meet all of our needs.

In Jesus' name,
AMEN

"A wise woman builds her home but the foolish woman tears it down with her own hands." Proverbs 14:1

Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman

I'm super excited about this bible study! I am finally participating in my first Beth Moore study titled "Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman." Before I signed up to participate I figured I would order the book from Liza and do it if and only if it was convenient. However Liza is so persistent that she made sure to follow-up with me. She called me last week to encourage me to begin doing my lessons. She also told me that it was a difficult study and would require a lot of self-discipline on my part. I am not going to lie, as she was speaking to me, in my mind all I was thinking of were the excuses I could use to get out of it (I'm too busy, I have homework to do, I need some time for myself, etc.). But God wouldn't let me bail out that easily and in my heart I knew that this was my opportunity, the opportunity I had been longing for without even knowing it.

So on Sunday evening, I began my first lesson. After about a good thirty minutes, studying the book, recording my responses and going back and forth in my bible for references, I was hooked. I'm already on Day 3 of this study and although we haven't actually had our first small group yet (that takes place this Thursday) I can tell that God has already begun doing great things through this.

For one, when I got up this morning, for the first time in a very long time, the first thing on my mind was not Facebook. I know, this is embarrassing for me to admit but I confess, I'm still addicted to Facebook. Things changed overnight somehow and when I got up, God was the first thing on my mind. I wanted and felt like I needed to spend time with Him. I was anxious to get right to business and not because I wanted to scratch it off my to do list but because I knew that it really was beneficial for me. And not like a vegetable beneficial where it's good for you but doesn't really taste so good. Nope, this is completely different. It's not only good for me but it's delicious.

I'm so glad that I accepted this challenge (and I say it is a challenge because it really is considering that I already host another women's small group, am taking two graduate courses, work full-time and actively support my hubby's ministry all the while starting my own ministry at Doral Baptist Church). I know that God is going to use this time invested in this study to strengthen my faith and relationship with Him. Will you join me on my journey? Whether you chose to pray with me or are motivated to purchase the book and start your own small group, may I encourage you to go for it. In the words of Beth Moore, "our status is infinitely higher as a servant in God's kingdom than a ruler in ours."

Atypical Sunday Mornings

One of my favorite parts of having a Sunday afternoon service is that on Saturday nights my hubby and I can still go on dates like we used to before he became a pastor. I know some of you reading would think, "You get to sleep in? Wow!" But quite frankly that's just an added bonus for my hubby. I'm a morning person and as soon as my eyes open up (usually never past 7 am) I am ready to begin my day.

Since our church service does not begin until 2:30 pm, I have tried different things over the course of this period to use my time wisely. One of the things I've tried recently is working out before church. I gotta tell you that it felt really awkward running on that treadmill and not sitting in a worship service rocking to "Amor Sin Condicion" on Sunday morning. But what made it even more peculiar was the fact that I wasn't alone. There were others who were there, too. Going on with their life without a hint of God. It was Sunday morning and it didn't seem that they had plans to go to church, which burdened my heart.

And why is it that my heart was troubled? They could've gone to church Saturday evening or maybe they don't do the whole church thing but still have a relationship with God. I hope it was the former and not the latter. You see, I don't believe that people are better because they attend church nor do I believe it is something we must do to get into heaven. However, what I do believe is that people that are not setting some time apart regularly to get involved with a community of believers are missing out BIG time.

You see my church IS my family. I wasn't created to do life alone. God created me to need people and to build friendships with those who would strengthen my walk with Him and those I could encourage along the way. Jesus says in Mark 3:35, "Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." Does that mean that if our family does not have a relationship with Jesus we need to excommunicate them? Absolutely not. What I interpret this to mean is that our church family, those who share the faith, are now also part of your family. We care for them as we would our own flesh and blood.

I don't pretend to have this church going concept down pat because quite frankly I don't. I struggle more than I may lead on to show with "going to church." On long weekends and teacher planning days, I would love to just pack up my bags and get away for a weekend with my husband but the truth of the matter is that it's just not something that we have the luxury of doing and probably something we will rarely ever get to do. You see my husband works 52 Sundays a year. Everything that he studies, prepares and prays for culminates on this very day, Sunday (rain or shine). And when I see my husband standing in front of the church and delivering God's word it makes it obvious why we do what we do. Any questions I may have had are instantly answered. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was made to do this and I was put in his life to stand by his side. I count this an honor and no weekend trip or get-away could or ever will take precedence over doing the will of God. Lucky for me, God has given me the entire summer off and I get to enjoy my hubby all to myself and travel then.

My friend, I don't know where you stand on your journey. I don't know what your status is. I don't even know if you believe in Christ or God for that matter. But I am here today to tell you not to waste your time. It is one of your most precious resources and as Benjamin Franklin once said, “Lost time is never found again.” Start today: Connect to a local church, discover your spiritual gifts and use them to serve Him. It's the very least you could do for Him. And trust me you won't be doing anyone a favor. Remember God doesn't need you, YOU need Him.

Will you devote the rest of your life living for Him? I promise you that there is no greater joy in life than this: Relentlessly pursuing your creator all the days of your life.

"Remember your Creator in the days of your youth. "
-Ecclesiastes 12:1 a

Blessing in Disguise

A little over a month and a half ago, our church was told that we had to pack up everything and go within 3 days. The dance studio that we were subleasing from unfortunately was no longer able to keep up with the rent and so as they moved, we had to go, too. What do you do with a whole church in only 72 hours? Where do you go?

For us, it seemed like the solution was simple. "We'll just go back to where we were before, the Hyatt Place in Doral." After all meeting at the Hyatt Place was relatively easy. (Relatively because the band still had to set-up and tear-down week after week) but at least the chairs were provided for us as was the coffee.

Shortly after Lucas and I arrived back in town that Saturday evening (we were driving back from our stay in Kentucky), the pastor was told that Hyatt Place would no longer be renting the conference room to any churches. Apparently, they didn't want to have their guests woken up in the morning with the sounds of our bands' rehearsal.

So what now? It's almost 11 pm and we have no place to meet for our Sunday morning service, the Sunday before Christmas. One of the most important days of the year as it is the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus and it is also a day when many people are seeking and want to visit church. The day with the highest number of visitors, second to Easter.

And this is where the church of Sweetwater comes in. They graciously opened their doors to us and allowed us to meet in their church. It was one of the best services we've ever had with Doral Baptist Church. The worship was amazing to say the very least and almost everyone was there despite the late and very short notice.

At first we felt like we were losing everything. How could this happen? What are we going to do? Where is God leading us now? These were only a few of the questions running through our minds. But God in His infinite wisdom was up to something.

Looking back at it today, having relocated to Sweetwater has been one of the biggest blessings for our church since the history of Doral Baptist Church. We have been able to meet and begin to establish friendships with our new church family at Sweetwater Baptist Church. They have been nothing short of amazing. Almost immediately our youth groups starting meeting together. And now we are beginning to make plans to collaborate on the Easter musical.

I feel right at home with our friends and extended church family at Sweetwater Baptist Church. And I don't think it's that we come from the same place, Cuba. I think the connection is deeper than where we were born. What brings us together is our faith and love for our Savior, Jesus Christ.

To our new friends at Sweetwater Baptist Church (los Cubanazos),

Thank you for welcoming us with open arms. At a time when we didn't really understand why God allowed us to be "homeless," you took us in. It seemed to be unclear what God was doing, but it is now evident to us that He has brought us together.

We will probably never be able to repay you for the kindness that you have demonstrated to us in that while we were perfect strangers, you took us in and made us part of your family. I feel confident in saying that I speak for everyone at DBC when I say that this has been a blessing in disguise.

Thank you! We love you guys!

"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." -Galatians 6:10

Sweetwater Baptist Church's Youth Group at Night of Joy



Today also happens to be Albert's birthday. Happy Birthday, Albertico!

What's so special about Wednesdays?

It’s Wednesday! “Why am I so excited up about it”, you ask. Well because tonight I get together with a group of wonderful ladies for our Women’s Small Group. We are currently reading a Women of Faith Bible Study titled Managing Your Moods.

But tonight is no ordinary night. Tonight we are having our first “Bible Study & Fondue” night at the home of one of the lovely ladies, Erika. I can already tell it probably won’t be the last.

Ever since I started getting involved in women’s ministry and small groups I have loved to share what the Lord is teaching me and listen to other ladies’ testimonies of how the Lord is at work in their lives. There is just something so powerful in building this type of bond with women that are in your same stage in life.

If you live in the Miami area and are interested in being a part of it, I encourage you to get a hold of me. You can send me an email or just leave a comment and I’ll make sure to get back to you with the details.

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
-Titus 2:3-4

Another special thing about this particular Wednesday is that it is one of my dearest friends' birthday. Happy Birthday, April! Miami misses you. ;)

Milestone in Ministry

This past Sunday my hubby a.k.a. Pastor Lucas got to baptize a very special young lady from our church. This young lady's name is Catalina and although she is only 12 years old, from the moment she stepped foot in Doral Baptist Church on that first day of VBS she has truly fallen in love with Christ. I see her passion and fervor in seeking Him and the way she has been able to share the joy she has in Christ with her friends.

Being able to witness this baptism was overwhelming for me not only because it was my hubby's first baptism but because Catalina means so much to us. Her heart is so pure and it is beautiful to see someone so young come to Christ and commit to living for Him.

Catalina, you may never know just how much you inspire and motivate me. It is people like you that give this thing that we do called church true purpose. I pray that the Lord will use you for great things. I see that He has already begun. Know that we are here for you and love you dearly.



Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
-Matthew 5:8

Why I do What I do

This past weekend has been anything but eventless. We have had the opportunity to participate in fun activites and hang out with cool people. The guys went to a Marlins vs. Mets baseball game while the ladies stayed in and had a party of their own at Doral Baptist Church's first "Women's Night In" complete with chocolate and makeovers. What else does a girl need?

On Saturday, we helped The Peralta Family load up the U-Haul and we had the privilege of sending them off with a prayer trusting that God will continue to provide for them. We also got to talk to two of the pre-teens from our church's youth group and give them a crash course on Christianity and what the bible says in regards to baptism.

And to think that the weekend isn't even over yet. If you are a committed Christian who serves at a local church then you know very well what I'm talking about. Sundays for us are the crème de la crème.

Needless to say the reason why I do what is 1.) God and 2.) People. (See picture below.)

I never could have imagined the fullness of life that I could experience only in Christ. And if you don't already know, I've got to tell you, "You don't know what you are missing out on."

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."
Galations 6:9-10

Trip to New Orleans

This past week, my hubby and I, along with 9 other members from our church including our Senior Pastor and his family, embarked on a road trip to New Orleans. The reason we were going up to New Orleans was because our church's worship team would be ministering to the people attending the 2nd Annual Congress of Hispanic Southern Baptists (Segundo Congreso Hispano Bautista Del Sur) through the worship.

We left Tuesday morning at around 7:30 am and arrived at 10:30 pm in New Orleans. We checked into our rooms in NOBTS and immediately went to bed. At first, I was hesitant about not being able to sleep in the same room with my hubby (the girls stayed in the Spurgeon Building while the boys slept in the Dodd Building) but it turned out to be such a wonderful experience. And to top it off we were the only ones in the dormitory and got the one room with the bathroom inside the room.

On Wednesday morning, after preparing a homemade breakfast in our room, we drove down to the French Quarter and snapped a ton of great pictures. My hubby was fascinated with the mystery of the city and although the kids were party poopers (didn't want to try the gumbo or jambalaya) we had lots of fun.



On Thursday, Manuel, the worship leader from one of the local churches showed us around the "Big Easy". He took us to the Riverwalk and the French Quarter but this time we actually got a glimpse of the local musicians playing the good ole jazz music in the streets of New Orleans. It was a fun and hot day.

Our Friday was pretty much booked from 7:30 am - 10:00 pm with the activities at "La Confraternidad". I got to attend an awesome conference taught by the hysterical and extremely knowledgeable Dr. David Lema, Jr. (One interesting fact: Dr. David Lema was actually the pastor that was preaching at Resurrection Baptist Church the first day I visited the church. It was on this day over 9 years ago that I knew that the only thing that was missing in my life was Jesus.) What a blessing! Afterwards, we went to a local dining spot that served authentic po boys sandwiches, I opted for a patty melt instead (the idea of eating old bread didn't really appeal to me but the boys did seem to enjoy their sandwiches).



And on Saturday after dropping off Benji (aka Hermano Benjamin) at the airport we packed our bags and attended the last day of the conference. The guys played in the band with the worship team from the local church and then Dr. Raul Vasquez delivered an outstandig message that really spoke to my heart. I renewed my commitment to serving Christ. Oh and "La Fiesta de Hispanidad" was wonderful. In Luki's words, "I've never seen so much free food in my life."

Our week in New Orleans was awesome and although it was a 14 hour drive each way (a little longer on the way up) I feel blessed to have been able to participate. I am really looking forward to next year's conference but I will say that I am reconsidering the whole roadtrip idea. I think a short airplane trip will be a better option for all of us. Let the fundraising begin!