"Let me go home I've had my run baby I'm done I gotta go home..."

My last day here. I´m COMING HOME!!!!! hugs, kisses, tears, laughter, joy, greatfulness, sadness...it´s all so overwhelming! I´m incredibly grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to witness his work in a small town in South America. :) I had no idea what I was getting into when I first came here when I was 16. No idea how much this place would capture my heart and how the Lord was going to use this place in my life.

It´s raining and did all last night too. Becuase of the condition of the roads were not sure if the bus will leave for Santa Cruz tonight. Were talking about other options, other village bus stops or maybe Andreas bringing us but if the roads are real bad, nothing will be able to get through. It´s possible I won´t be able to get to Santa Cruz in time and will have to reschedule my flight. I´m struggling because my heart is all set on getting home. All packed and ready!! Please pray the rain stops and if we do leave we have a safe trip to Santa Cruz. I know like everything else this trip the situation is in God´s hands...the best place to be. I just need to trust Him and be patient. Everyone here is kindly reminding me that God is in control of the weather......so that means God must want me to just stay here. :)

The retreat is going VERY well! It´s nice seeing all the pastors and/or their wives.I was sitting in the session yesterday and just couldn´t believe I was there. Hearing reports of what´s going on in all the villages and being there during the time of prayer....hearing them cry out to God for help. I´ll never forget it.

I was just talking to Joanna online and I asked if the kids were excited I was coming home...

joanna: yeah
i was talkin to mel a couple days ago
and asked if she was excited
and she's like "JUUUU-DAAA!"
"Ju-da comin' home!!"
"we're having a paaaaaaarty!"

Cannot WAIT to see her. :)

Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragment these last three months. I am so grateful for you and am so incredibly blessed to be living life with you. What a trip. :) See you all very soon!!! :)

Love, Julia

Goodbyes have started...

It is very hot today in Entre Rios! I want to jump in a pool right now! Angela and I decided to stay in Entre Rios this weekend since we just went to Las Abras last weekend. Friday night I had the party for the teenage girls. There were about 13 there. It was so much fun!

The girls love the movie and we had a short but good talk afterwards about love and purity. They freaked out when I played the song "Only Hope" on the piano. They had me write down the words for them so they can learn it. Guido and I played and I sang the song in Church yesterday. I've never done something like that before but it was a lot of fun! Saturday was Pepe's birthday so I made an Oreo cake and we had a party in the afternoon.

feliz cumpleaños Pepe!! Best friends :) Marcos (Tim Matayo's son) Abby, Saphie, & Joas

We then all played basketball for a while before the youth meeting. After the youth meeting Angela and I went out to eat hamburgers with Beto and his friend Daniel. Lots of fun...can't wait for an American hamburger though! :)

Yesterday, I was really blessed during the church service. Guido's message was amazing on following where God leads you and listening and obeying. Hebrews 3:15 "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." The service lasted 3 hours but was amazing! The worship was full of dancing and the time of communion was powerful. They prayed for me and shared some encouraging things with me since that was my last church service with them. I was able to share with them about my time here and of course started tearing up...:). I love this place. It doesn´t help when they are like, "Why can´t you just stay here, we'll tell your family and friends." They already have a husband picked out for me and I even have a Godmother of the cake (Abby & Joas´s grandma) and Andreas says he'll be the godfather of the rings...:) What do you think Dad? ;) Just kidding...of course!

Worship rehearsal Sunday night!

Tonight starts the monthly leadership retreat and it goes until Thursday. The days are full of teaching, worship, and just spending time together and resting. A lot of the pastors are very busy. Tim Matayo is currently working on building two houses to get income, as well as maintaining his field of crops which is an hour away as well as pastoring...as well as being a father and husband. ...so if they can take the couple days off for the retreat it's really nice.

Crafts with the kids...thank you Kathy!!

making masks :)

Two more days in Entre Rios!! Wednesday night Angela and I leave on the bus for Santa Cruz! We'll get in around lunch time Thursday, spend the night at the YWAM base there (!) and then early Friday morning is my flight into MIAMI!!!!! :)

Please pray the next few days I would see areas to serve, ways to encourage, and people to share the gospel with. I can't believe I'm on my last couple of days here. It's going to be hard to leave them. Please pray for the pastors, worship leaders, and their wives during the retreat. Hope you all have a wonderful week! I'll check in before I leave. Love, Julia

P.S. Scabies are gone. :) yay

April Fools Y´all!!!!!!

Ok, so I had to. I'm still coming home in a week!! And I am beyond excited :) Your e-mails freaking out were hysterical.

In other news, looks like I have scabies from Las Abras, either that or really bad spider bites all over. A trip back to San Juan hospital may be in store for me. YES! :) Hopefully no shots in the butt this time. ;)

In other news, I'm really craving oatmeal pies. I have no idea where random cravings like that come from!

And I'll leave you with some hysterical quotes from my three year old sister Melody. My mom posted the following on her blog...

Melody (who's 3): "Mooooomm, Ben just told me to shut up. He's stubborn."
Mom: "And what are you?"
Melody: "A hypocrite!"

A while back, Ben hurt himself, and as I was trying to fix him up with a bandage, Melody came and patted him on the arm and said consolingly, "It's all right, son!"

When two of the other kids were arguing recently, she planted herself right between them and yelled, "Guys! It's over! It's over!"

I have been trying to get Melody to stop sucking her thumb and Ben to stop sucking his fingers. Usually when we are sitting on the couch reading, I have to reach over and pull them out. Yesterday, I yanked Ben's fingers out, and Melody said, "Mom, take my thumb out, too!"

Now she's trying to sneak out to the back porch with a cup of milk. There is a straw in it, and the milk is all bubbled up. I told her to come back inside, and she said, "I'm trying to make a milkshake!"

I cannot wait to see all of them!!!!

Andreas, Angela and I may be going to Las Abras again this weekend! I kinda want to stay in Entre Rios since it's my last weekend here but we will see. I'll just go with the flow, and if we go then it will be amazing because I love that place!

One WEEK!!!
Love,
Julia

Wednesday News...

I got a visa extension and I'm staying till the Mission:X trip this summer!!!

Love, Julia

*Behold, I am making all things new* :) Revelation 21

We got back late last night from our third time to Las Abras. :)

"The pleasure of travelling *****" (five star!)

Driver taking a quick nap before leaving

To get to San Jocesito you have to take two buses. Our first bus left us off at the stop and after waiting an hour the second bus finally came except it was packed full. We couldn't stay there all night seeing it was just Angela and I, so we had to resort to getting in the back of this thing (below) for the remaining two hour trip... :)

There were about 15 of us back there. The truck started off and all of us slid to the other side. I'm a very vocal person and I laugh really loud when I'm nervous but I didn't want to embarrass Angela so I tried to act like it was an everyday commute, nothing scary about the back tires going a little off the side of the mountain!!!! We got there fine :) Beautiful view crossing the bridge early in the morning. This is at Abuela's house. She is the grandmother and greatgrandmother to most of the kids in Las Abras. She's catching one of her chickens here for our lunch.

We had a kids meeting Saturday afternoon and that night we had one for the adults. Sunday morning we had a meeting for both. I shared Saturday night the message I gave in San Josecito on loving others, including your enemies. In Las Abras, families are always fighting with each other. Someone's pigs got into someone's corn, someone stole someone's chicken.... It's hard for the adults to grow there because they do not know how to read and can't read the Bible.
The kids love the puppets!! They don't know yet that it's actually us. Angela does an amazing job!! Playing in the field after the kids meeting Santiego's grandson. He's 7 but so small! He has no teeth either but is the cutest kid ever!

Here he is after crossing a stream with us..his pants all rolled up :)

They feed you good in the country! After a bowl of chicken soup, a plate of rice, potatoes and spicy chicken, they gave us each a huge piece of watermellon. Amazing!!

Aleida :)
Rosie!!

I was thinking about three months ago when we first went to Las Abras and how things have changed since then. My first time there I tried to shelter myself so much. I would inspect the kids' heads for lice before picking them up. I would scan the grass before sitting down making sure there were no spiders. I would look at their hands, hesitating before holding them because they had warts on them. Most of the kids have scabies. I would wince when a mother handed me her baby that didn't have a diaper because a lot of the kids have worms there. I was very fearful. Yes, there is wisdom in being careful with such things but it was hindering me so much! A little kid falls and cries so you want to rock them, you can't worry about their lice. To become their friends and share Jesus with them you have to play with them, hold their hands, kiss them, show them affection. So you just pray!! Lord, please protect me from all this things!! :)
We have been to Las Abras three times, and I have learned so much and enjoyed each time. Hiking makes you think a lot. This hike back I was thinking a lot about heaven. Mainly because each time I go to Las Abras I am so affected by Santiego (the man who has one arm and who has a crippled leg).

I always break down when I see him worshiping with his one arm. There are a lot of disabled people in Las Abras. "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away" Revelation 21:4. One day, Santiego will have no pain. :) He will be able to worship with both hands! To think of all those who are blind, what a sight they will see! Those who are mute or deaf! Think about it for a minute...it's overwhelming to think of them entering heaven!! I hope I can stand at the gate and watch people enter. I came back and read notes from one of Spurgeon's sermons on suffering... Be encouraged!!

No Tears in Heaven
August 6th, 1865
C. H. Spurgeon(1834-1892)

"The night is dark, but the morning comes. Over the hills of darkness the day breaks forth. It may be that the road is rough, but its end is almost in view, you have been climbing up the steep sides of the mountain, and from the top of it you can view your glorious inheritance. True the grave is still before you, but your Lord has snatched the sting from death, and the victory from the grave. Do not, O burdened spirit, limit yourself to the confining miseries of the present hour, but let your eye gaze with fondness on the enjoyment of the past, and view with equal love the infinite blessings of eternity past, when you did not exist, but when God chose you for himself, and wrote your name in his book of life; and then let your glance flash forward to eternity future, to see the mercies which will be yours even here on earth, and the glories which are stored up for you beyond the skies."

Love Spurgeon! Have a wonderful week!

Love, Julia