Alisha in Mexico!

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!

Thank you, and God bless!

Alisha