Excuse me, your ugly is showing: 2018 in review

as the year winds down, and a new one is cresting, my mind is racing, trying to weed through all the lessons i've learned this past year, while also trying to excite myself for all those that lay ahead.

this year brought a lot of firsts for me. for the very first time, i had a job wholly independent from my family. the adjustments it brought were completely unexpected. the things i have learned have been tattooed onto my mind, shaping me into someone almost wholly unrecognizable from who i was last year this time. independence, respect, work ethic, customer service, new skills, sharpening ones i already had...when i look back i feel like all i've done is grown. in just about every area. 

there were aspects of my character, i didn't realize people in my life just...put up with, until i was working with someone who wasn't going to. and it was in these ways that i grew that were most painful. i took it personally when i felt aspects of my personality were under attack, when what was being refined was my character. i could speak of the tact used, but what matters is that i was refined. and whether i liked method or not, i was made a better person. and i have some painful moments to be reminded of that by. 

just when i think i've been stretched and grown and refined enough, a new mirror is held in front of my ever learning but ugly character, and a new opportunity to grow is shoved down my throat, and placed into my tightly clenched fists. 

i have quoted many times my pop, who wisely says "people are messy" and this year i learned just how messy they can be. and as i learned how messy loving people is and how messy being a person is, i learned that when people are with people, the ugly comes out. let me tell y'all, 

the ugly. 

showed. 

up. 

i saw ugly in myself and others that i never even fathomed could be there. as my work situation has shifted, i went from working with one guy, to five women and boy was that a change. the honeymoon phase has ended, and the ugly is leaking out now as we all find our bearings with each other. i though we were in better shape than this, but we're learning new ways to deal with people as we learn to deal well with one another. new people: new things to learn about myself. 

amidst all the ugly i would say this: the ugly shows up, but 

always. 

choose. 

to learn. 

there are lessons in every small trial we face. there are always opportunities for our character to be refined. i didn't always view the ugly (mine or others) as opportunity to grow and change. i didn't always learn from every situation that left me feeling inadequate, or unsatisfied. but when i did, i was better for it. among all the ugly, learn, grow, repeat, there was one other thing, always available for the taking or the giving: grace. 

so.

much. 

grace.

at every short coming, at every failed attempt, or lack of attempt, at every new situation, or not-my-greatest-moments, in every moment of weakness, at the ugly of myself and those around me, there was grace on grace on grace for everyone involved. i wish i always remembered that, when moments felt beyond repair, that there was grace, but i remember it now. 

so go into 2019, ready to face the ugly, ready to learn, and ready to extend grace, to you, and those around you. happy new year, friends. 

Great is His Faithfulness: A guest post

Thank you, R. Andy, for writing this beautiful piece!

"The Lord is at work. There is beauty found in him even when there's none in me. The lilac and peach tea will smell just as sweet even when I screw up. The sun setting over the dogwood in streaks of gold and teal will be just as radient even when I feel like a failure. The first fireflies blinking in the spring brease will be just as thrilling even when I'm a mess. A glittering star peaking through an oak tree's branches is just as whimsical while I'm crumbling. The beauty of nature doesn't depend on me being perfect. It doesn't depend on me at all. All of this beauty comes from its creator and he is still marvellous even when I'm floundering. He is still God even when my life revolves around Netflix and procrastination. He is still good even when I do the things I shouldn't and obstain from doing the things I should. He is still looking after me even when I feel trapped in my own depravity. Nothing can change him. My doubts don't phase him, my failures don't take him by suprise. He knows me, he knows what it takes to bring me to my knees. He knows what is necessary to take the dust out of my eyes and remind me of my dependence on him. While I am filthy, repulsive and hopeless he is gentle, good, and loving. All the beauty of his creation points back to him. And he loves me. He has chosen to live in me. In all of his children. Even though nothing good can come from us he wants to have a relationship with us. He wants to work something beautiful in us. And it's subtle sometimes, only to be seen from the corner of your eye. But his grace is at work. His mercies are new every morning. Great is his faithfulness."

An Open Letter to the Church

Dear Church,

First and foremost, when I write the Church, I am essentially writing myself as well. So anything I say can and should apply to me as well.

This said, let me be as honest and transparent as I can be.

My heart aches at the state in which we currently find ourselves. This is a general assessment, because in the last two years, the Lord has led me through a number of different churches. A Baptist church, a Spanish church(also Baptist), a community church, a Calvary chapel, a traditional Baptist church, and most recently a nondenominational congregation.

Although some of these were one week visits, I still see it; in some more than others. But I see it nonetheless.

For some context, let me share where I'm coming from by way of a few verses:

"...let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24&25)

"So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." (Acts 2:21&22)

Do you see it?

Fellowship. Encouragement. Sharing meals(breaking of bread). Meeting together.

(source)

Oh church, where is this?

Where is the deep connection to one another in Christ? And why has it been passed up for a quick "I'll pray for you" and busy schedule. What on earth are we doing that is so much more important?

We allow things we say are "necessary" to rule our lives, and then we want to jump into some kind of neighborhood ministry with practical strangers.

How can you expect to minister to nonbelievers with people you don't know? I find this illogical. We're abandoning Christian fellowship for empty relationships in the name of "ministering to them". If we are ministering alone, we already aren't following a Biblical model, nor are we following the example set by Christ himself.

Why have we stopped ministering to each other? Think about this with me, as a Christian, individuals need to know that the community of believers is still around them.

This has not been the case for me in recent years.

I'm not saying that I've been abandoned by the church, as some feel they have been, but I am saying, I see no evident community.

No investment in one another. No joy in doing life together. No real relationship.

Church, why is this the case? Why are we no longer being the network of believers designed by Christ? Why is our answer to "how are you?" always "I'm good!" And why, when someone does decide to be honest, and share "I'm struggling" are we so irritated? Because we're so busy we don't want to deal with someone else's problems.

Church! This isn't Biblical! We're called to listen and minister when someone is struggling! That's what it means to "bear one another's burdens" (and so fulfill the law of Christ Galatians 6:2). But we've built up such a shell of busy, busy, busy, that we are scared to share. We overthink, "what will people think if I was really honest?" This ought not be. But it is. Why? Why have we let ourselves come to this place?

Church, if we are not encouraging one another, building one another up, teaching and training one another, I dare say even admonishing one another, how do we think we can be Christ to others unless we are Christ to each other? This is the family. If it's not right in here, it can't be right out there.

Church, seek the Lord in all we do- and we will be doing His will. And when we do His will- we bring glory to His name.

Signed,
A member of the Church

Ginger goes again

Remember Ginger?

Well. She's going again.

Its times like these I imagine I resemble a lot of "Peter Pan" or "Anne Shirley" tendencies: a yearning desire for absolutely nothing to change.

But the harsh, cold, true reality is that you can't hold back time. You can't wish it to stop, or to rewind. Time presses on with more endurance than anything else I know or know of. Time changes things we wish to stay the same. Time presses forward, and the more we wish it to hold on, we miss where time has brought us at that moment.

But the thing more consistent than even time itself is God. ("Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8) And that consistent God is ever faithful, not just to me, but to Ginger as well.

Ginger, as you go, remember that the loving and faithful hand of the Father is on you and all your ways. Know that though time and distance are between us for this season, you are always dear to my heart, and never far from my thoughts. 

Allow the Son to be the light by which you shine. You are so endearing, and lovely, dear Ginger. Let the Father use that! I get overwhelmed thinking of the ways He could. ("For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:5&6; "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:5

I don't know how life will look for you in the coming months; and I dare say neither do you. I know you pray. I love to hear you pray. But sometimes, the words just don't come for any of us. When those times come, take comfort. Your shouts of joy or your wails of grief or your moans of confusion or your silence of thankfulness are each heard, and understood. The Father knows. He kind of thought of everything :). ("...the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Romans 8:26)

That passage is pretty cool. It goes on to say, that "he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." (Through vs. 30) 

Ginger I don't know what being adults is going to look like for either of us. Where that will take us, and who it will shape us into. But please know that I am praying for you, wherever you go, will love you however He creates you to be, and will visit you, no matter where He calls you to live!

(Ginger and I spent a lot of time together this summer, but this is the only picture we got. Two of our dearest friends between us!) 

Happy Birthday! (Lots in Feb.!)

Dear AH,

While browsing photos of us, I couldn't help but find this one particularly interesting to me. None of the others seemed to sum you and I up quite so well. And, your face is slightly adorable. So I had to chose this one! :)

Well AH, ITS YO BIRTHDAY! :) I hope you have felt loved, and blessed, and cherished and celebrated to all heights this weekend! Its been fun doting on you, because you're so easy to dote on!

Hottie, I love you very much! And I am so thankful that I get to have you as an example in my life. I learn so much from you every single day: how to be an adult daughter, what to do with a screaming baby, how to clean the fan blades, how to make tutus. You teach me how to be tender to the Father, and how to make sure mom and dad have my heart. You teach me what it means to love with out question, and how to give of yourself, and then keep giving. You've taught me the grace of keeping my mouth shut, and my hands open. You have taught me how to laugh at mistakes and dance like a white girl. You've taught me how to share my heart (Carazon a carazon? :)) and how to trust the right people.

You are my best friend...and I get to have you as a sister...AND a sister in Christ?! How did I get to be so blessed??


Happy birthday my beautiful sister!

Que Dios te bendiga mi hermana amada, hoy, y mañana, y siempre!

~MW

15 facts Friday

Why not, ya know?

1. I have four sisters, and our ages spans 17 years. We got the best looks when Little was born! :) 
2. I recently became ESL certified(English as a second language) and have class of Spanish speakers I co-teach with my sister, AH.
3. I still don't have my license(and I turn 20 this year).
4. My favorite hoodie is a hand-me-down from my brother-in-law. 
5. My dad, second born nephew, and myself all share a middle name. (As well as several distant family members.) 
6. In continuation of the last fact, only one other female in the family also has it(as far as I am aware at least). 
7. I am the first of my immediate family to have been 100% home-educated. My older sister went to pre-K and I pride myself on never having received alternate education ;)
8. I have never traveled out of the country, but I hope to go to Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, or El Salvador soon! (These are just the first places on my list :)
9. Both of my grandma's were able to be in the delivery room when I was born, and my dad's mom actually named me!
10. For my birthday, my parents gave me a queen sized bed; however I still sleep to one edge of it as if it were my old twin bed. I'm slowly working my way to the middle!
11. My favorite Disney princess/movies are: Mulan, Beauty and the Beast, and Tangled. For my 16th birthday, my parents got me the special edition of B&B, per my request.
12. Although I love a good romance novel, my most read and enjoyed authors are Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti. (Christian thriller/horror) 
13. I'm not much of an animal person, but I one day hope to own three dogs: A basset hound, a blood hound, and a beagle. 
14. I have visited Philadelphia three times and LOVE it! (Not being punny...)
15. And last and definitely not most important, I am the only Android user in my family. Everyone else either has dumb phones...or Iphones! O.o

A year in Review:

This has been one of those years, where I look back on it, and I have one thought: "I wouldn't trade it, but God, please never give it to me again!"

This year, like any, had its ups and downs. But I feel like these were on the dramatic/big side and thus felt like I've been on a roller coaster for the past 12 months. So hitting the big stuff:

(A snapshot from January)

January: If you recall this post, my year started off kind of rocky. By my own choices I found myself in the slumps by January. People talk about the new year as a "starting over" time, but I had never experienced it quite like this. In addition to starting off a little rocky, it was my final semester of school. I had worried my brain for months about finishing school and finding a job or taking classes and not being sure what was next, so January was bitter sweet. I went on my final youth retreat, and honestly, I don't remember much of it.

February: In February we journeyed to DC for AH's birthday. I enjoy trave

(DC birthday excursion)

ling a lot, so this was my highlight this month! We did a lot of walking around and eating of some amazing food! (Panas was the best for me!)The Little also had a birthday and turned 12, making me feel ancient.

March: Not a whole lot happened in March, except for the only "big" snow, EP's first anniversary and my oldest nephew's fourth birthday.

However, April began the busy season for me, and I feel like maybe that hasn't stopp

(Me and the birthday boy from March)

ed yet! My third nephew made his grand entrance into the world! How much love you can have for such a little person never ceases to amaze me! Also, I got the privilege of traveling to Philadelphia with the student pastor, his wife and one other student who just happens to be a good pal of mine. It was a unique experience to say the least. We kind of went as a "prep" trip for the missions trip that we took in June. We got to meet the pastor we'd be working with and see the church and area ahead of time, as well as tour the area we'd be staying in. The student pastor and his wife are from the area so they took us around to some of their favorite places, and it was fun seeing a local's point of view without a large group to tote around. I enjoyed the quality time with just a few others.

(Graduation with Ginger)

May: This was when things really started getting busy for me! I graduated in May! (Along side one of my dear friends! Which was such a blessing, since neither of us wanted to have the spotlight all to ourselves, and we had talked about this for years, both being homeschooled! :) After graduation, I spent a week back in DC with my sister's family. It was nice to get away from the norm and spend the extra time with her and my nephews! Only a few days later, I went to the beach with some friends. It's been kind of a tradition in my church for the juniors and seniors to get away for a few days towards the end of the school year. So off we went. I was a lobster. On a more solemn note, we lost a nephew to heaven this month. All that love you build up for a person and not meeting them. The suspense of waiting for Heaven to hold the little one is hard. It was not a fun or easy thing to pack on to such a busy time already. Although the season may have been busy, my Angel nephew is not forgotten and little Enoch Barnett, my other nephews and brothers are all waiting for us.

(Philadelphia skyline)

(Quince Princess)

In June I went back to Philadelphia for the missions trip and honestly, I love this city so much! In this month was one of the coolest and most special things I've ever done. Both DC and Philadelphia are special to me, for different reasons. The earlier part of June held a different, cool and amazing experience for me. One of my dear friends celebrated her 15th birthday. Although she was born here, she is El Salvadorean and had a traditional quinceañera. She had a big princess dress and a few of the traditional tokens or ceremonies of a quince. However, since she is a believer, she chose not to do a lot of them; she just chose a few that were special to her, instead of the extensive ceremony. We also have a large homeschool convention that we attend every June and the past several years I've volunteered in the children's program. It's about 22 hours of volunteer service, all said and done. And I love it! This past year especially I got to know a handful of girls that I've kept in fairly good contact with (facebook is good for this, as well as instagram).

(4th of July with the sisters)

By July I was somewhat worn out from a whirlwind two months that proceeded it. I was thankful for what felt like at the time, a dramatic halt in life. We had our one or two fourth of July celebrations and celebrated my nephew's second birthday. Other than that July was slower-paced for the most part.

August was much fuller. I went roller skating for the first time in YEARS! It was an absolute blast! I also sang with the Spanish church for a community event, finished my time with my youth group, went on a weekend conference with AH and spent a weekend at a friend's house with a few other girls. The five of us are pretty good friends, and all homeschooled. We range in ages from 15 to 19 and enjoy being together. My grandfather got really sick, and we stepped up our involvement with them. In pleasant weather, I go over once every other week and mow for them and my cousin cleans indoors.

(sibling picture from the beach, 2013)

The end of August/beginning of September came biting with a brain tumor. A unpleasant experience to the max. God's hand was seen all throughout it, though, and even still we can see how He worked; at the time it was little things, and looking back, bigger things. God has chosen to heal J this side of heaven and for that we are SO thankful! (You can read J's journey here) He is now undergoing radiation treatments and is halfway done! The hope is that the radiation kills off anything that was leftover after his second surgery and he will be officially cancer free. Keep praying for the Father to be glorified! Along with this, my family's yearly vacation had been planned for just days after his first surgery, and since there was a lot invested in the trip and enough people at home to take care of him, we went ahead and went. It was nice to be away for a while. When we got home we jumped in with two feet. Life was crazy, far from normal, and working forward with incredible speeds. The Little started 7th grade, and AH began homeschooling Yenny (who's quince we celebrated). "Madhouse" doesn't even begin to describe life at this point!

(My birthday dessert)

(Yenny, the Little and I "planning" fundraising)

In addition to being here for school, Yenny and I felt very burdened to help raise some funds for J. So when October rolled around we had our first two fundraisers! The first one we had nothing to do with, save Yenny singing. We held a benefit concert and raised far more than any of us had expected. A few short, crazy weeks later we had event #2 and held a dinner. (Too many people trying to plan! :) Oh well, both were blessed events!) In the weeks in between the two, Yenny and I (along with LOADS of help from other adults) spent a lot of time seeking donations from local businesses and even some bigger stores like Kroger) also, my family went apple picking and spent a day in the mountains. This was very nice and felt a bit like the calm before the storm! I also began nannying! Crazy month! But all too quickly, October drew to a close and I celebrated my 19th birthday! My sister made me lomo saltado (a Peruvian dish) and my mom made me these tasty little raspberry chocolate tarts. DELICIOUS.

(Gettysburg with the fam)

November rolled around and it was a bit of "big event let down". All of the sudden everything I had spent my whole month pouring into was over. I got to go to a Chris Tomlin concert with my oldest sister, her husband and their oldest. It was a blast! Later on we traveled to Pennsylvania for a weekend in Gettysburg and I got some bangs to change up my look a littl
e. Towards the end of the month things got a little busy again with Thanksgiving, Black Friday (an actual event in my house), and a surprise birthday party for my oldest sister. This was one of the best/coolest Thanksgivings ever! I loved every second of the weekend!

(FINALLY!)

Although December is a fairly busy season, I didn't go to any Christmas parties or events this year. Even though I always look forward to it, I was thankful for my evenings to be mostly at home. I enjoyed family time in the Bible leading up to the birth of Christ, and making an ornament for different key events along the way. I did, however, get to meet up with a friend that I have been talking to via social media for over two years. She's moved closer to me, and so we've already enjoyed a closer-distance friendship!

That brings me up
to this week. We spent Christmas morning here at home with just us five. We were then joined by EP and MrP. And a little later on for brunch by my mom's family. In the afternoon we had Christmas with Dad's side of the family and then we left Thursday morning to spend the weekend with Meg and her family. It was nice, overall, even if somewhat chaotic.

To look back on the year is both good and odd to me. I started this post, almost with a "WOE is me" attitude, thinking "Oh SO much has happened!" And a lot has, but not nearly as much as I thought had. It feels like a lot, and of course there are things I chose not to make public that will stay in my heart to ponder. However overall, God was with me through all the ups, downs, ins and outs of my year, and for it I now look at the year and can say "Its ok." Am I making any sense??? :)

Merry Christmas from the Sibs at National Harbor!

God has brought me a loooong way since last December, and for that I am most thankful. I'll just briefly say a few things He's taught me:

~To trust Him, and His unfailing will. No matter what circumstances I face.
~We often see our circumstances with a very distorted view of flawed human analysis, seeing things as far worse than they really are.
~God has my parents as my parents for my benefit, and to talk to them is a greater blessing than I had ever imagined possible before this year.
~The Father works ALL things together for the good of those who LOVE Him!

May each of you have a blessed NEW YEAR with all things bright and new!

Blessings to each of you!

~Mal

The story of a Ginger friend

Once upon a time, two little girls grew up together. They went to each others' houses a lot, and spent the night often. They got to do a lot of cool things together:

They went to a horse farm when they were little. And one time, they were pirates:

They were very apart of each others' lives. They had a pretty cool childhood together. When they got just a little older, they decided, "hey, we actually like being friends." As if they didn't already do a lot together, they started doing more and more together. They became apart of so much. One thanksgiving, they even spent the night with each other! These girls were inseparable!

Over the next few years they had some pretty cool adventures:

they got cool Indian shirts at a festival

they got to go to the zoo together!

oh and one time, they were ninjas for a while

they were free entertainment to their families, because they're just so funny

 

they made each other laugh, a lot!

they made messes...

...and new friends

and then, they graduated...TOGETHER!

They're grown up now. (Note, not ALL grown up ;)) And that crazy red-headed girl is off following the greatest call of her life: making disciples. She will be leaving the country soon. She's been gone for a few months, training already, and the other girl misses her terrible. But more than all that missing, she is so proud of her. Because she can't imagine having all these wonderful memories with someone more amazing! This ginger is another sister. Loved by her family, and cherished by so many. They're still very dear friends, and skype once a week as time allows. But on the edge of adulthood, they see how the Father is working to use them best to His glory in different parts of the world. Although the girl is sad to see her friend leave for a time, she can't imagine her firey-haired, partner in crime doing anything less than EXACTLY what The Lord wants of her.

To follow this amazing gal's journey across the Nations, visit her blog.

I love you so much girl and I'm praying for you as you GO! :)

Training

While most other 18 or so year olds are in school, gaining all that book knowledge, I too am working like a mad woman on my "studies". I don't have midterms, or fall breaks, but I do have to work hard at it. It's somewhat rewarding at the end of the day to feel tired, and know things got done. And it's been fun developing and falling into a routine. I was thinking today as I was bustling around about that idea; study and work. I feel like I'm in an incredible opportunity. My mom works two days a week, and is still a homeschool momma, my other sister nannys and is very active in helping take care of things with J and medical stuff, and homeschools someone else right now. By default (and I happen to believe, by God's great design) it means I get to play mommy! (Because in addition to housework, I get to nanny a beautiful little girl three days a week). I get to clean, cook, do laundry, dishes, and tidy up. These are things that are often viewed as monotonous chores, and on some given days, I too feel that they carry some sense of drudgery. However for the most part, I do enjoy working around the house. And when I finish my work, I enjoy writing (sometimes on the blog:)) or creating something in the kitchen. I am enjoying finding His joy on the journey and seeing where He has me. Some days, I wish it was different, but other days, I wouldn't change one thing about how life is going.

In addition to being a home-maker in the making, I'm deeply involved in fundraising for J. My friend and I had our first event on Saturday (pictures and post to come!) and we were so blessed at the response! Both from our church family, and the community around us that came out to either serve or support. Although the day of the event presented its troubling pressures, we worked through them, and the dinner itself turned out wonderful! By the end of it, we looked at each other, at the success God gave to our cause, and said "we can do this again!" (honestly, God totally blessed this thing! Can't wait to share all about it!) The night before the event, M and I looked at each other and we agreed on this point: we felt very good. We felt like we weren't just living for us anymore, we had something bigger we were doing that was beyond just us and our circle. Its incredible to me how when you're no longer looking to receive, giving is so much more rewarding.

I'm learning so much, and loving every second of it! :) Keep praying for my learning heart!

(Untitled Post)

It's one of those "nothing I have to say is remotely related to anything else I have to say, and thus I have no creative title to encompass it all" posts.

This past weekend, one of my best friends decided to take me out for my birthday and it was a great start to celebrating my birthday! (any reason to celebrate, right?) She took me to get my very first pedicure! (FELT WONDERFUL!) And then we tried on horrible looking formal dresses for the fun of it and then walked down to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory! It was absolutely delicious! Then we went to a friend's birthday celebration for just a little bit, and then went back to her house to watch the movie I got her older brother for his birthday last month! It was a great afternoon, and we really enjoyed just catching up! With my life, that hasn't happened much right now!

This week is major crunch time for me! We had out first official fundraiser on the 5th of this month, but this coming Saturday is the first one that M and I have planned. We're a combination of nervous and excited! We've had a lot of help from some ladies in our lives, and for them we are sooo very thankful and wouldn't be able to do any of this without them! (my very own AH being one of them!)

We decided early on, that since this fundraiser was coming from a Latino community that we should do some traditional food. Her mamma, being from El Salvador, and also being the one who was cooking picked our food. It's awesome having women so willing to help us! We began searching for some donations from different stores. After asking some local Latino markets, we were donated over 45lbs of JASMINE rice, 40lbs of chicken and money enough to purchase the rest of the food! God has met every need we have had, and gone over and above our wildest dreams and prayers! M and I are completely floored. Even when we have despaired about different things, someone steps up and helps us out, and we are so grateful. We see the Father's hand heavy upon this event and cannot wait to see how He works on Saturday!

In other news, I got a part-time nannying job! She's a beautiful little nine week old beauty! She has my whole family wrapped and I love it! She's a very good baby, and even when she isn't feeling well isn't ugly about it, but just pathetic, which makes those cuddles extra special. She had her shots today, and was not a very happy little lady, and still was sweet. This job is perfect for this season in my life, because I get to stay at home, and it's only three afternoons a week. So I am able to be apart of this family and an active member of what is going on. (Also super helpful for all the planning I've been doing for fundraising!)

My life is pretty much consumed with these things, and we'll see what else God has in store. I've enjoyed serving the body of Christ this way, and wouldn't trade on second of crazy for anything!

Look for pictures soon! :) (And a finished blog!)

Best Friend:

Dear best friend,

You are not one person, you are many. And you are all so dear to my heart!

You are married with three beautiful, wonderful boys.

At least for a season, I get to see you every single day. And I love that!

People say I'm walking in your shadow, but I think I'm just following one of the greatest leaders I know.

You're growing up so fast, and I'm loving the little teenager you're becoming!

Best friend, I'm glad you're not one person. That would be so boring. I'm so glad I have such different people I get to love so very, very much!

You live in another state. (But I'm ridiculously proud of you for where you are!)

You are my El Salvadorean mini-me, and my part-time room mate.

You're my partner in crime. Your house is literally my second home..

Best friend, I wouldn't trade you, any of you, for the world. Thank you for being there for me, with me and by me for everything. I love you all and thank God for you frequently!

~Mal

Still in Prayer

He made it through surgery with flying colors, but we're still in prayer for our dear friend. God is writing a marvelous story through him, and we're on our knees, praying that angels carry him through the next few weeks and months.

I got to go and see him before we left for vacation (yeah I am pretty sure the weeks leading up to it this year couldn't have been any crazier for us!) He is super loopy and thus we were super entertained by his comments. He was making us laugh at how and what he was saying, and we were thankful to see his humorous side. However, his serious side was there as well, and that was also a comfort. He began quoting verses (in English and Spanish) as well as muttering in his dialect, and repeating the phrases of Japanese he has learned. It was crazy. Brain surgery, and still sitting here quoting more verses than the rest of us, in FOUR languages! My sister and I were able to see him happy, awake, and conversing. Oh how WONDERFUL our Father truly is!!

In other news, as previously mentioned, WE'RE ON VACATION! It truly couldn't have been a crazier time for us to leave, and certainly wasn't very easy getting here, but alas, here we are; and, all things considered, safe and sound. The whole family was able to make it! All husbands and nephews included, it makes quite a houseful! I love the constant chatter and conversation, while one brother is watching football, one nephew is cooing happily and two others are playing "army guys" and the ice cream maker is hard at work preparing a delicious treat. It's the chaos I draw comfort from. Having my whole family together is perfection for me!

Pictures to come! :)

Please continue to pray for J, and you can get updates from another perspective here. My sister has been such a blessing to everyone there, and been very active and present. Her heart is even more involved than mine, and so her updates are even more personal; (whereas he is a friend of mine, she has been even more involved with this church longer than myself.)

~Mal

Photo Friday

(My sister told me I use too many words when I blog, so I'm doing a PhotoFriday :))

(The little mister I watch often. He's almost two.)

(Two of my really good friends who decided to
 hack my phone :))

(The baby my sister nanny's)

(Thai food with my sister for my birthday!)

(Out as a family to a Japanese Steak House!)

(Me and one of my good friends goofing off after class.
He's actually the nephew of that guy up there^^)

(Senior picture preview! Credit to my lovely sister, Meg,
for this shot!) 

(Ahh! I love these guys! My friend and I have
dubbed them tio(uncle), mamma, and papa. I value
them a lot, and am thankful
they all put up with me!:))

(1/3 of my youth group at our Christmas party!)

(I can't believe I get to ride this beauty more often!
#soexcited)

(Family Christmas outing) 

(Most of my youth group, plus a good amount of alumni)

(My uncle and I)

(More time with the crazies)

(Matching Indian blouses!)

(My beautiful sisters and I :))