At the Waterpark

Baptisms. God calls believers to be baptized once they have put their trust in our saving Lord Jesus Christ. It is a profession, not a saving device. It is a claim of faith, not a religious ritual. It is saying "My God, my faith, His life."

This past week I was blessed to be able to witness two Zaragoza boys' baptisms, Caleb and Alejandro. Alejandro has been with the Zaragozas for just ten months. Coming from awful conditions, he barely knew what love was. He had been passed from aunt, to grandma, to cousin; no body wanted him. Then, he reached the Zaragozas, not only did he become a part the Zaragoza family, he was adopted into the family of God. To see him standing in the water professing his faith in Jesus Christ was so powerful. Knowing how far he has come in just a short amount of time reminded me the saving power of our Lord.

After the baptisms, we spent the day swimming and enjoying the nice weather God had given us. There were two water slides at the pool, none of us could get down them as fast as we wished. So we began sliding down on plastic water rafts. Doing so, we obtained the wanted speed. A few pictures of the day below:

Still in one piece

Last night it was finally clear enough to see more than jupiter. Stars amaze me, I think we stayed out for 3 hours just gazing up towards the heavens. As I was pointing out Ursa Minor and the north star, it reminded me of the way home. North. Then I looked to the south, and realized I want to take another another step in that direction, but first, I have to take two steps back home. Its this whole thing of waiting on Gods timing, and taking steps (foward or backward) when he says step. Whether walking North or South, the motion of the step is the same. When we walk, we dont take little step, big step, a skip and a jump. We repeat the same motion. One after the other, step by step. I see it the same way when we walk with God. We have to take the same step of faith each time God moves us in the direction he wants us in. Fully trusting and relying on him in faith that he knows all.
Life here continues to go on. All the ladies had a wonderful time on their retreat this past weekend, the the house was still in one piece when they returned. Praise God. Saturday night, we had a fiesta in the living room, full with pizza and snacks! The little children really had a fun time playing the night away. Sunday was church, it was interesting, not much different than the average church in the usa. Except for the fact that it was all in Spanish. I had a friend translate for me, so that helped greatly with understanding the sermon. Afterwards we went out for tacos, which was an expierence all in itself. Stores and resturants are totally different, not even close to what we have in the usa. First, they are all right next to eachother, usually even connected. The enterence is like a garage door, so during the day, its up and everything is open. The specific place we went to looked just like a one car garage but painted and decorated inside. about 20 small tables and chairs placed throughout, and a counter in the front where they handeled the money and some of the food. Right infront of the building outside, one man was cooking our food on a cart. They would plate it up, and bring it to our table. So everything was done right infront of us. Pretty cool. Then we packed up and headed out for the hour ride home. We spent the rest of the evening playing, then stargazing when it was dark enough. Now, a monday morning, getting read to do crafts and games with the chidlren as soon as they are finished with their school.
As I stare out the window at the rolling hills, I think of all of you. Missing everyone greatly, Krista

Let go, let God

Having the love for words, yet an eye for photography, I have decided to begin a project: 101 Strangers with Stories. The purpose of this project is not only to challenge myself artistically and mentally, but to embrace the world of stories also. Everyone has a story, whether it's detailed and descriptive, or short and sweet. Whether it's love and emotion, or action and adventure. Whether it's childish memories, or adult fears. It's a story. My goal, is to unlock these stories that lay unidentified worldwide, by captivating words and intriguing photographs. As pictures and stories unfold, I wish to share them with the world through compiling everything into one book, maybe someday to be published. Joshua 1:9 says "Have I not commanded thee? Be thou strong and of good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee, withersoever thou goest." Looking into the near future, it's hard to just let go, let God. In my case, heading to Mexico in just a few short days is bringing many thoughts to my mind. The first step on an airplane, two weeks staying with people I barely know, different food and surroundings, being half way around the world! There are many reasons to be scared and afraid of what may come, but God says he is with us wherever we go. He says that since He is always with us, we need to be strong and courageous, fearless of what the future may bring us, trusting that God has already gone before us. When I was younger, I remember that whenever I would get scared at night in my bed, I would recite this verse many times over, usually until I fell asleep. But now, Joshua 1:9 has a new meaning in my mind. Collage, travelling, military, and family have become the common talk among my friends that are nearing this new stage of our lives. My little circle of friends and I are growing up, and we will soon be going our own ways. It's one thing to trust God with our own lives, our own futures, and our own plans, but sometimes it's hard to have faith that God knows whats best for our friends too. I'm an adventurist, I yearn to discover, captivate, and visually see the world. It's easy for me to see myself leaving my home...just not yet. But having lifetime friends go off to collage and the military, it's hard not to question God. However, God wants our trust and our faith, and He will give us the strength and the courage to triumph over every fear in our lives. We just have to let go, let God. In conclusion, my challenge both to you and myself, find other people's stories. Share whether you have just begun yours, in the middle, or have finally finished a chapter. Encourage the struggling, uplift the downtrodden, and congratulate the ends.