our 6'2" kindergartener

You all remember us telling you about Joe?  

To refresh you memories, he is the young man from the streets who is the top of the food chain in their world.  If the world of the street children was a kingdom, Joe would be the king and everyone else his loyal subjects.  We have watched Joe transform before our very eyes from a hard angry violent drunk into a soft hearted, soft spoken kind man who simply wants to lay hold of all Christ has for him.  

Last I updated you on him, we were in the states and were asking for prayer on his behalf because he had just asked Jesus into his heart.  

Here is what is AWESOME!!!  While we were in the states, he got himself to church EVERY SUNDAY!!!  We were told that he was diligently asking questions, started taking notes and wanted to know if he could get copies of SERMON NOTES!!!!! 

We have realized that Joe needs to be in a place where he gets some structure in his life, gets concentrated discipleship, and learns how to live off the streets.  SO GUESS WHAT!?  We learned that there is a TEEN CHALLENGE facility only 45 minutes away from us!!!!!!  Luis met with the director a few weeks ago and felt a real peace about moving forward with them.  Joe decided that he wanted to go take a look at the place so we took him there today for a visit.  

Wafuka made Joe feel at home, (poor dude...he was scared...I felt like I was taking one of my kids to kindergarten for the first time....a six foot one at that!)  He made it very clear to Joe that he is very very welcome, that he will be a part of a family there and that his life will be changed for the best!  He also encouraged him to take the paper work, go home and seriously consider the commitment.  Wafuka also spoke at great length that it is the heart that they work with, not the outward behavior.  If we allow God to change our hearts, our behavior follows...correct?  

Would you please pray for Joe??  Pray that he doesn’t let his fear dictate his decisions.  We can’t force him, for crying out loud, he is a grown man.  Pray that he has the courage to walk into this new unchartered waters of his life.  

BTW, HOW COOL IS IT THAT THERE IS A TEEN CHALLENGE IN ZAMBIA!!!?????  It was AWESOME!!!!!  We stood out in the yard and had a nice time talking about David Wilkerson how small the world is.  

Would you also pray for us....

We NEED a place to meet with the kids on the streets.  Every place we look at has some issue or another.  God has been clear that we are to be on the streets having church......we need his wisdom and guidance and the resources.  We want to give them a clean safe place where they can come and find a bit of refuge from the craziness of life. 

Pray that others want to join us out on the streets.  The job is great, and the need is HUGE!!

If you feel led to give to the work here please go to tscnyc.org / donate / missions / Morales Family Zambia

  

YOU ARE I AM!!

The weight of what I am facing personally was threatening to crush my spirit this morning.  The desire to throw in the proverbial towel was very very strong.  I sat on my bed weeping before Jesus.....

                 GOD I NEED TO KNOW YOUR HAND NOW OR I CAN’T MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY! 

Here is what God dropped into my heart...

 1. At the moment of my deepest pain and heartache, when all seems hopeless and the pressure of life threatens to crack my fragile hold, Jesus himself will walk out onto the waters of my soul and sweeten them by throwing himself in, turning it all into something praise worthy and beautiful!  It grants me the strength through his grace to worship in Spirit and in Truth!  

2. I cannot rely on the victories and the provisions of yesterday.  I have to actively go out every morning and gather his mercies that are new every morning.  If I don’t find myself in Jesus every day I will starve to death in my tent while his provision is waiting outside in the grass.  All I need is to go out and gather it.  

Here is a quote from a bible study that I am doing....

“He gives in perfect supply for the need. Our ratio of mercy matches our present need.  When the time arises and the need escalates, so does the grace required for us to make it!  God is always sufficient in a perfect proportion to our ned.  Every morning He has already set aside the omer for our daily need.  ....The mercy and grace of God are always there, available every day, prior to our need, and in direct proportion to every moments demand, but we must gather them!”

The Isrealites were given the provision they needed for the day, EVERY DAY!  Accept it or reject it, the provision was there for the taking, they just had to actively participate in gathering it!  WOW!!! 

The provision that we need is right there in front of our faces!  Do you need the grace to love?  Do you need the strength to serve your family?  Do you need the ability to train your children in the Lord?  Jesus is the Bread of Life!  He provided HIMSELF FAITHFULLY AND COMPLETELY EVERYDAY for the people in the desert!  WWWWWWOOOOOWWWWWWW!!!!!  

He has provided himself for us FAITHFULLY AND COMPLETELY!!!!  We just have to actively find ourselves in His word and crying out to him DAILY!  He is our provision!  

"You Are I Am"
Mercy Me, THE HURT AND THE HEALER  (the video is a tad corny, but the SONG ROCKS!!)

Some days are tough!

Lets face it, some mornings its hard to swing your feet over the side of the bed and make purchase with the floor.

Those mornings happen and you wish you could pull the covers over your head,  pray the kids don’t come and ask for their cereal and want you to referee the latest argument that has something to do with someone wearing somebody’s t-shirt  without asking permission from the offended party.  Your eye balls pound from the stress and you stand in the middle of it all with a cup of coffee and a t-shirt that declares to anyone who will pay attention   “I DON’T DO MORNINGS!”

 UGH!!!!!  LORD WHY!?  EVEN SO COME LORD JESUS!!!!

I had such a morning today.  YES, even missionaries in Africa have bad mornings!  Hard to imagine, I know…but we fight with our spouses, yell at our kids and forget to put a fresh roll of toilet paper in the bathroom before dinner guests come over…only to realize it WHEN IT IS MORBIDLY EMBARRASSINGLY TO LATE!!!

After shooing the kids out the door to school, I relished the momentary quiet, made myself another cup of coffee and sat down with my bible and here is what on my reading schedule for today……

PSALM 20

¹ May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
    may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
² May he send you help from the sanctuary
    and grant you support from Zion.
³ May he remember all your sacrifices
    and accept your burnt offerings.^[b]
4 May he give you the desire of your heart
    and make all your plans succeed.
⁵ May we shout for joy over your victory
    and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.

⁶ Now this I know:
    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.
⁷ Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
⁸ They are brought to their knees and fall,
    but we rise up and stand firm.
⁹ Lord, give victory to the king!
    Answer us when we call!

BE ENCOURAGED!!!!!!  God sees where you are and knows your needs!!  Let him fight for you and heal your heart!!!

musings and updates

 We are adjusting to a new way of life here.  Luis has been hired part time to teach Design and Technology at one of the International Schools here.  We have both become very involved in the workings of the office of South City Church and we continue in our work with the street kids.   In addition we have taken over the youth group at South City Church.  It is something that we have been praying about for a while and the timing is perfect.  OH IFORGOT, we have also moved into a new house!  PHEW!  

ALSO, I am employed as a full time chef, taxi service, event planner, homework helper, ….i.e. I am a mom.    

The girls are doing very well!  Amira is growing into quit the little lady.  She is loving her new teacher, Mrs. Venu .  Some of you might remember from the summer that she was afraid to start school with her.  Hannah joined the swim team and Brooklyn is riding her bike without training wheels.  That made me choke up the first time I saw that.  MY BABY!!!  

Our lives aren’t sensational or biography worthy.  We are just a normal average family obeying God and living our lives.   We make our mistakes and certainly we don’t “have it all together”.  Our hope and prayer is that our lives will please Jesus, that we will make an impact in our fox hole and that our girls will grow to be strong women of God who know His voice and love Him completely.  

What are we trusting God for at this point in our families adventure? 

•  We believe strongly that now is the time to move forward in our work with the street kids.  For almost a year we have been meeting them in the market, building trust and relationships.  But now we feel God’s leading to begin to look for a store front to start a more concentrated work from.  Please pray for God’s leading in this.  Our good friend Matali is appealing to the city council for permission to do this.  Pray for favor and provision and that a place will open up soon.  
• We need a new car.  Ours is SHOT!
•       Pray for our children’s safety.  
•      Pray for our marriage to be kept safe and secure
• Pray that we have the wisdom and understanding needed to work with the kids on the streets. 

How does God want you to be involved?  Do you send money?  Do you come visit and see for yourself? 

MOST CERTAINLY YOU PRAY!