I first heard of Esperanza Viva when I was 10. An orphanage?
In Mexico? Sign me up! I honestly had my bag open and I was beginning to make a
list of things to pack when my mother explained to me that I couldn’t actually
go on the missions trip; I was too young. I begged, I pleaded, I cajoled, and I
prayed, and when I was 14, I finally got to go. Fresh off the plane, I got in
the van and took in the sights on the way to the orphanage: the way it smelled,
the late night air, the lights marking where civilization was and how they
abruptly began and ended, and I knew I was home.
That may sound ridiculous, but it’s true. Ever since I discovered the place, I can’t seem to get enough of it. No matter where I go, no matter what happens, there’s something about Mexico that makes me feel like I’m finally home. And while I know that I won’t live there for forever, because God has called me to other places as well, I know that it will be where I come back to, again and again. And I love that I have the opportunity to live and work there now.
I love my
job. Esperanza Viva is a multi-faceted ministry: they will find your strength
and put you to work. The children’s home takes in at-risk children; sometimes
for a few weeks, sometimes forever; and while feeding them, sheltering them and
educating them, also teaches them the Truth: How much Jesus loves them and what
he did to save them. The church attached to the ministry, Naciones, has the
goal of raising servant leaders to go out and reach the nations for Christ,
starting in their own backyard. The school of ministry, La Vina, equips Mexican
and American youth with the tools they need to begin ministry in earnest:
knowledge of basic Bible doctrine, evangelism skills, and discipline, along
with a multitude of other things. Those who finish La Vina and wish to keep
working at EV (like me!) are taken on as interns: usually they live in the
dorms with the children as supervisors and they are given jobs in the ministry
depending on their skills.
This is
what I am returning to: I will be a supervisor for the oldest girls-the
Chavas-who are 15-18 (more or less) and I will be working in the office,
helping with the ministry in any way I can. I am very excited, although a
little trepidatious to work with teens. However, I believe that the Lord is equipping
me for things in the future, and that’s my theme for this next year of my
internship: Preparation.
Recently I
was praying, and I realized that many of the things that God was speaking to me
really reflected a time of readying myself for what’s coming next in my life.
For example, I feel very strongly from God that He’s going to lead me to Rio de
Janiero, Brazil in the future. Is it gonna happen tomorrow? Well, no, but the
point is, it’s going to happen. So, in preparation for this, I’m going to begin
learning Brazilian Portuguese this year.
Also, I
have be honest, God kind of smacked me upside the head while I was in La Vina
with my own laziness. Thanks to my mother’s desire to nurture talent, I have
had all sorts of music lessons in various instruments, but I don’t play
anything. And why is that? Laziness. 100%. And the Lord kind of forced me to
address that. So this year, I will be working on improving my Piano and Guitar
skills, in the hopes of maybe one day joining a worship team, or at least being
good enough to help if need be.
While I’m
here, I am working on getting my Missionary Visa, so I can legally live in the
country, and raising support. It’s missionary work; it’s not a paid position,
so all of the staff need to raise the support they need to pay their bills. Right
now, I am at about 60% of my budget for the year, and I have the goal of
raising more sponsors while I am here. Honestly, this is my favorite part,
because it means I get to talk to people about what God is doing in my life,
and pray for them as well. It’s amazing, how much of a blessing it is to have
sponsors, because it means even when life isn’t going right, even when I’m
having a bad day or I feel like I can’t do something, I have people here who
are backing me up. People here who are praying for me, people who believe in me
and believe in what God is doing through me and through this ministry. Its
encouraging and fortifying to my soul. And it means that my bills get paid,
which is also good.
In reflection, I cannot help but ask, isn’t God good? He’s given me direction, he’s given me a place where I can obey his call for my life, and he’s given me all of you lovely people to help me. Thank you, immensely, for all of your continued prayer support-there is nothing better you could be doing. Please, pray for continued guidance for me from the Lord, as well as an outpouring of support. Pray for the continued hand of God over this ministry as it grows and expands, and for the safety of the children and the staff (not that it’s particularly dangerous, but prayer never hurts).
If you have any questions, or would like to sponsor me and are wondering how, please don’t hesitate to contact me on Facebook. I would love to hear from you!
In reflection, I cannot help but ask, isn’t God good? He’s given me direction, he’s given me a place where I can obey his call for my life, and he’s given me all of you lovely people to help me. Thank you, immensely, for all of your continued prayer support-there is nothing better you could be doing. Please, pray for continued guidance for me from the Lord, as well as an outpouring of support. Pray for the continued hand of God over this ministry as it grows and expands, and for the safety of the children and the staff (not that it’s particularly dangerous, but prayer never hurts).
If you have any questions, or would like to sponsor me and are wondering how, please don’t hesitate to contact me on Facebook. I would love to hear from you!
Thank
you, and God bless!
Alisha