Miracle Ball

I led the devotional at La Vida Nueva again on Saturday.  This week's theme was "Catching Miracles."  I chose that topic much earlier in the week because A. I like to focus on positive and hope-filled topics with the girls and B. because I felt comfortable doing it in Spanish!  I really didn't give any thought to the events already scheduled for the weekend.   My lovely assistant, Abby, made the Miracle Ball.

We began by recounting some of the miracles in the Bible.  Gina identified the first miracle, "When God created the heavens and earth!"  Abby offered up the battle of Jericho when the walls came a tumblin' down.  We compared songs about that event - Joshua fit the battle of Jericho, Jericho... and a Spanish version about the Israelites marching around the walls.  I acted out Jesus walking on water.  The conversation moved to today.  Does God still do miracles today?  Jazmin immediately responded, "Yes!  God did a miracle when He brought me here!"

The rest of the devotional was a discussion of how to receive, or catch, God's miracles.  Abby led the girls through a variety of scenarios illustrating how we position ourselves to receive miracles.  First we claim a miracle!  Then we need to be facing God, to pay attention, to get our hearts prepared by loving one another, to wait for God's time.  Finally, we need to trust God's plan rather than our own.  Abby demonstrated that the miracles God has in mind for us are often much better than we imagined.  She did this by tossing a bag of peanut M&Ms to each of the girls instead of the ball!  “God may decide that instead of a ball what you really need is a piece of chocolate!” 

This devotional was not the first time miracles had come up in the weekend.  Truly, every day here we see evidence of God's miracles in the faces of the children, the Alonzo kids, the new business owners in the micro-credit program...  It is nothing short of a miracle when an 87 year old, uneducated woman from La Cantera is able to start a business!






Friday evening was a celebration of 2 beautiful girls' 15th birthdays at their Quinceañera.  This is similar to a sweet 16 party but, at least at LAMB, with a religious component.  There was a lovely service in the chapel filled with symbolism, love, support, and the inherent miracle of these two beautiful lives, not to mention the miracle that brought them out of abuse and poverty to Casa Hogar, LAMB's Children's Home.  They were surrounded by children, also miraculously rescued, and adults who love and care for them in the name of Jesus Christ.  Their beauty was and is breathtaking.  (See the rest of the pictures here.)

 

Mirza and Wendy, epitome of grace and poise.

Speaking of Abby, she is the most recent example of the God's miraculous provision.  What makes an 18 year old defer her first semester of college to come live and work in Honduras?  She is living with Suzy, helping Suzy get her new home school off the ground.  She is a lovely, Spirit-filled, fun young woman blessing us all.  I am richly  blessed by her company this weekend  as I was last weekend! 

Finally, yesterday afternoon we celebrated the miracle of Suzy and her ministry with a surprise birthday party organized by the leadership team.  It would take an entire multi-volume set of books to describe what the Holy Spirit has done through Suzy.  Suffice it to say, her continued presence here is a testimony to the many miracles that God performs in our lives.  

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature...  2 Peter 1:3,4