Pueblo Escogido

This Sunday went very well, so thanks so much for your prayers and support.  I really felt God's peace and presence with me and instead of being self-conscious and preoccupied about whether or not I was pronouncing words right, I just let go and God did his thing.  It continues to amaze me how things go 100 times better whenever I rely on God instead of myself.  The message on Sunday focused on missions and disciple-making and how it should be the purpose of everybody and not just a select few.  It was really cool because I got to use the verse that inspired the name of my church.  "Pueblo Escogido" means chosen people and 1 Peter 2: 9 says, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."   They are a chosen people to declare the praises of God to share what God has done in their lives with others.  To reproduce the life they have in Christ in someone else.  This chapter also talks about Jesus as the living stone and how we, his believers, are the stones used to build the temple.  There's also a verse in Ephesians 2:20 that describes us as being a temple of God as well as in 1 Corinthians 3:16.  I think its very important that churches remember that the people are the church, not the building.  I got to use somethng I learned at UNC in the sermon.  My favorite class of all time was New Testament Archaeology.   My professor for that class is amazing she is a Dead Sea Scrolls expert and has led and been a part of many excavations in Israel and Greece.  I remember she showed us in class one day a picture of one of the earliest sites of the early church.  And I was stunned to see that there was no building, and no indication that there was ever a building there.  It was just an open-air field, dirt and sky.  The early church was just a group of people.  It really saddens me to see how some people care more for the building of the church than for the people inside of it, because God doesn't live in a building, he lives inside of His believers.

Some Prayer Requests

So, this coming Sunday will be my first opportunity to preach at church and I'm pretty nervous to be preaching in my second language, but excited at the same time.  I would really appreciate all of your support! 

This Tuesday my mom leaves for the Philippines.  She hasn't been home in ten years so she is going to have the time of her life.  I REALLY want to go back to the Philippines...my heart is there!  Its kind of hard to sneak into someone's suitcase when you're in a another country...haha.  Pray for her safety and for her time with our family. Also, pray for her as she will be sharing some Bible studies with her family.  Our family lives in the least evangelized part of the Philippines - Less than 2% are evangelized.  Its awesome to see how God is going to use my mom during her visit :) 

Learning new recipes :)

Lately, I've been learning how to make a lot of Venezuelan meals and I'm really excited about it.  Ever since I was little I've always loved cooking.  In fact growing up, I was the main cook in our house, so I feel very comfortable in the kitchen.  My favorite thing to cook is ethnic food, basically anything other than traditional American/Southern cuisine.  So, right now I'm in my happy place.  I get to learn how to cook with a whole new set of ingredients and I love the food here in Venezuela.  Some of my favorite dishes are Arepas, Patacones, Empanadas, Lomito Negro.  My favorite dish is Pollo Guisado and there is a lot more, but I can't remember them all. 

Arepas are like the biscuits or the bread of Venezuela.  They're made out of corn flour and shaped into a circle.  They can be grilled, fried or baked.  You just cut them in half and stuff meat and cheese if you have them on hand.  I love to eat mine just simple with ham and cheese.  They're probably the cheapest meal to make and they're very filling. 

Patacones remind me a lot of tostones if you have eaten at a Cuban or Spanish restaurant.  Basically they are plaintains,either green or yellow, that are smashed to form patties, and are then fried.  Patacones is another bread subsitute for Venezuelans.  The most popular way to eat them here is on the street where they serve Patacon cheeseburgers or chicken burgers.  I prefer to make them at home.  I like green plaintains, instead of the yellow ones and they're great with just ham and cheese as well. 

I have learned how to make Empanadas and it reminds me a lot of making lumpia with my mom, so for that reason alone it is one of my favorites. 

Lomito Negro is probably my favorite dish here in Zulia.  Its like roast beef in a decadent sweet yet savory sauce.  My mother-in-law is a genius in the kitchen and this is her best dish.  It is delicious!

However, my favorite dish above all is Pollo Guisado, or stewed chicken.  It reminds me a lot of Chicken Adobo from the Philippines.  Its just chicken in a pot with vegetables.  Its healthy and you can just cut up a whole chicken, so its not too expensive.

I always say that Venezuelans put cheese and mayonnaise on everything.  And its true they use so much mayonnaise...it was such a shock to me at first, because its something that I never really use.  But, I've learned that a little bit is okay.  All in all I think that Venezuelan cuisine is healthier than American in some aspects.  There's a lot less processed food here and sweets are not a big deal.  Dinner is a very small meal, my husband and I usually just have a sandwich.  Lunch is the main meal.   My tastes have changed a lot.  I don't care for sweets anymore, and I'm starting to like seafood.  Hopefully this will continue, so I will be better prepared for when I return to SE Asia :)

Happy Easter!!!

I hope that all of you are well!  Please know that I love you all so much and miss you all dearly, especially on Easter.  In Venezuela, Easter is no big deal (with protestant churches), in fact there are no family meals or special services.  And yes no chocolate bunnies or Easter egg hunts!  I can do without the latter, but I was missing the celebratory Easter service we usually have on Sunday and of course our Easter lunch at my aunt's house. 

However, Hebert and I did have a wonderful Easter.  Its the first one that we have spent together.  After church, we headed to "La Vereda del Lago" which is a beautiful park next to lake Maracaibo.  It reminds me a lot of Charleston/Central Park.  Its huge they have paintball, go-carts, concerts, clinics, a climbing wall, a water park, a zoo, and various gyms all inside the park.  Its really beautiful to walk around because there are lots of palm trees and its the only area in Maracaibo where there is a continuous breeze...hehe :)  You can see why its probably my favorite place in the city!  Hebert and I went with the youth of our church.  We had a picnic, played kick ball and volleyball, and went on a scavenger hunt.  It was really great to have the opportunity to get to know some of the youth better since we will be traveling with them this summer to a camp in the mountains.  I'm really excited about it the place is gorgeous and it is a much needed break from 100 degree weather. 

Speaking of summer, Hebert and I are really amazed at the opportunities that God has opened up for us this summer.  We will be doing a lot of traveling and mission work around Venezuela.  Here in Maracaibo, in Caracas, and in other parts of the country.  We would love to have you guys support us in prayer.

Maracaibo:
1) Pray for First Baptist Church of Alpharetta they will be coming down in June to work with us on a short-term mission trip.  Pray for the team's spiritual growth before, during, and after the trip.  Also pray for the people and the churches here in Venezuela that God will use this time to bring them closer to Him.

2) Pray for support and guidance for a new, developing ministry to feed around 500 families a month in Paraguishon, the city dump in Maracaibo.  Pray that this ministry will be more than just alimentation, but that we can reach these communities with the gospel as well.  We are thankful for our brother Mark from Georgia for his obedience to start this ministry. 

3) Pray for wisdom and guidance as I will be preaching April 25th at our church.  Its my first time ever to preach, but I am very humbled and glad to have this opportunity to share with our church. 

Caracas:
1) Pray for the Cirillo family from Georgia and for International Christian Schools in Caracas as we will be working with them this summer in building apartments for teachers, encouraging them, and working on some landscape projects at the school. 

Other areas:
1) Our church is invited to go on several mission trips around the country.  Hebert and I may go on one of these...I'll keep you updated, but please pray for our church and that our members will understand and be passionate about their role in missions.  We already have one member, a mother with 5 children, who has committed to go to Guyana on a mission trip this summer. 

Thank you all for your support and love!  Dios les bendiga grandemente!