Bienvenido Caleb Andres

First Night at the Hospital ~ 2 hours old

On Wednesday, September 24th, 2008 we welcomed baby Caleb Andres (pronounced Kah-leb), into the world!!! He is a healthy little boy, with all his fingers and toes, and just as cute as he can be! I'm going to have to guess on what time he was actually delivered....I'll say between 6:10-6:15 p.m. When a baby is delivered in the maternity ward, they push a buzzer which makes a sound something between a door bell and the firehouse alarm to indicate a new baby has been born. Five of these alarm sounds went off during that time period!

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I was given the privilege of naming him! (Don't worry...I haven't promised my life away, or committed to being his "godmother") I was a little uncertain about this, but after being told on several occasions that he would have no name until I decided, I gave in! Yolima had told me several times before that she like my brother's name, Caleb Andres (Caleb Andrew in English) so after triple-checking that she really like it...he now has a name! And a great one at that! :)

He is precious!

Thank you so much for your prayers for Yolima! I am very happy to report that her surgery went well and she is recovering with relatively little pain (which is an absolute miracle!) Please continue to lift her up, as she is recovering back in her little "house" pretty much by herself. Thankfully she has a very kind neighbor who has been bringing her meals every day, and she was able to leave the older children with their godmother for a few weeks. This is an added blessing! The father (Robinson) has showed up for 10 minute periods here and there, but has been pretty absent during the whole process. Please pray for his heart, that the Lord would draw him back into the Word and that he would be the husband and father the Lord desires him to be.

First Smile captured on camera!!

Let me tell ya....we are extremely BLESSED to have the kind of medical care we receive in the States. The clinic where Yolima was at is for the women who are extremely poor...that being said, they make their patients bring their own SHEETS for their beds, and even asked for other odd items like the nylon that's going to be used in the surgery! I was in shock. Americans are rich whether we think we are or not.

Thank you again for your faithful prayers!!

Pray for Yolima

(Yolima & two of her younger children (in our laps), with me and my little buddy Andres)

Hey guys...I just wanted to ask you for your collective prayers! I have a friend named Yolima who I have been discipling for a few months now. She has had a very difficult past and is living in a very hard current situation.

Tomorrow (Wed) she is going to have a scheduled cesarian to deliver her 4th child. She has had 3 previous c-sections, so this one is very dangerous. The don't use the same kinds of procedures we have in the states...they cut you vertically, making recovery very long and painful. She is very fearful and worried about the surgery and then what will happen when they come home. The father plays a passive/abusive role in the family, therefore her mind is focused on how she will feed & care for her children.

Please pray that she would put her Trust in her heavenly Father! That He would comfort her and bring to mind some of the scripture we have been studying. Pray that her surgery goes smoothly, and that she is able to recover quickly. Pray that the Lord would give me wisdom and discernment in how to minister to my new friend!

Thank you for your prayers! ~Sarah :)

Ministry Update! :)

Here are some long awaited updates on what's been happening! Ministry has changed pace a bit as we are in a short recess from having volunteer teams here every month. So now I have more time to focus on getting back into ministry in the communities. One praise is that I now have a co-teacher to help lead Children's Church. It was too much to try to handle 20-30 kids on my own! Please pray for me as I encourage this new leader in stepping up into her new role. I have started back my discipleship class with one of the ladies near my house church. I am really enjoying getting to know her and see her learn from God's Word. I'm also "trying" to re-learn how to play the guitar, haha, so that I can begin to help with worship during our Thursday groups. In one of our ministry sites, our house church groups have doubled...so we are in need of extra hands! It's so amazing to see the Lord work in the hearts of the people, and then as they grow in the Word to see their hearts begin to feel for the lostness around them. That is our hearts desire, not only bring them the Truth, but then to see them in turn burdened for the lost and join the mission to share with others!

Prayer Requests:

• Please continue to lift me up, along with both my teams (Refuge Team & VIC Team) We truly want to see Colombia changed by the love of Christ.
• Pray that the Lord would strengthen us to keep going in those moments when we are exhausted or overwhelmed with the work load.
• Pray that we would receive an extra dose of encouragement and resolve to be intentional about building relationships, especially with the people who aren't always easy to love.
• Pray for the maturity of our church leaders, that they would learn how to love unconditionally and walk in obedience to God's Word.
• Pray for me personally to continue to seek the Lord with a hunger and thirst for knowledge and understanding of His Word.

Thank you for your continued encouragement and prayers! :) ~Sarah

Check out our leader in the center.....our "Chief Indian"and the rest of the tribe, haha!

What would Bible Study be like without the cows?

Pam, this is for Brooke....this little girl didn't want her picture taken either! haha!

They came out in the masses when we had a free clinic...the needs are truly great. Please pray for healing in this land...physical and spiritual healing!

You know I can't resist pictures of these adorable children! Their hearts reflect in their eyes...

Three boys from my Sunday School class...patiently waiting in line to see the nurse.

This is a video of the kids from our "mother church". They came to my little house church to encourage our congregation and to lead a special service for the children. The song they are singing says this.....

I will praise Him from my Heart, I will praise Him with my Voice (2x) And if I am missing my Voice, I will praise Him with my Hands, And if I am missing my hands, I will praise Him with my Feet, And if I am missing my feet, I will praise Him with my Soul, And if I am missing my Soul...it's because I am with Him!

Good Stuff from Beth...

Ok, here's my update on what the Lord has used to impact my heart this week. I just finished up week 3 of Beth Moore's study of Daniel.

"For people with TRUE CONVICTIONS certain decisions have already been made. There's no need for discussion." When trials or temptations come that would threaten to "rock our world," what a difference it would make to already know where we stand.

Beth was also focusing on Loyalty. She said, "'Loyal' is not something we suddenly are at the flash-moment of testing. It's something we already were that surfaces in the test." She then went on to ask if we had personally made the decision to be loyal to Christ?

Both of these examples reminded me of a precious person in my life...my sweet cousin Amber. Amber has always had a strong faith and was never ashamed to declare that she believed her God is Good. When her husband Chad's accident happened and they began the long journey to recovery...she already knew her response: God is good, all the time. Even when the life she knew had been turned upside down, she was convinced that HE is still a good God.

Even when we don't understand Lord, you remind us of your Goodness and your Faithfulness! Of this I am certain...you are receiving Glory through these situations in our lives that we don't always understand. Build our faith and Refine it through the fire.

They taught us to say, "That's interesting..."

I would love to forget the experience of what I encountered tonight...but it's just too funny not to share this with ya'll.

Where it all began...
Today I went out to C.C. to teach a Bible Study to a new friend of mine, Yolima, and stayed after to attend Wed. night prayer meeting near my house church. After our prayer meeting I went back to the home where our house church is located. This particular family of 3 have become some of my favorite friends. I usually hang out at their house before and after church events and feel "at home" with them. So tonight, as usual, Nyibis (the mom) and I were talking about what she was going to prepare for supper and "arguing" over who was going to pay for it. haha. Then she started to talk about this "Bufet" that she was going to cook...."Hm..." I thought, "that sounds a lot like a "buffet" at a restaurant. I wonder what kind of spread she's going to fix!" (but deep down I know this is too good to be true!)

So I went on to ask her what exactly IS "bufet." First off, she laughed (bad sign) and then went on to try to explain to me, "It's part of the cow's insides....it's located close to the liver...but it's not the liver or the intestines...or the stomach...." At this point I have no idea WHAT a "bufet" is...I only know that it's going to be something I'm NOT going to want to eat!!! Needless to say, we cooked the "bufet" which at this point was still unrecognizable to me as anything specific....and then we sat down to eat. (Enter scene...husband Helber)....Nyibis explains to him that I have never had "bufet" before and does he remember what they call it in English....(visual...I'm already on my 3rd bite of "bufet" and commenting as they taught us to say at FPO..."That's interesting!") ....as I'm chewing on my 3rd bite of "bufet" Helber blurts out..."It's the cows LUNG!" He even picked his up and started showing me where the air comes out of!!!!

Ok...at this point I'm almost gagging....all at once I can see that yes, it does resemble a lung...not that I'd ever imagined eating one before...but there I was. By the grace of God (and I really mean that!) I finished 1 of the 2 lungs on my plate. I told them, which IS true, that I'm trying to eat lighter meals at night time, and that I was getting full! AHHHHHH!!

So...I'd finished the lung and I was doing everything in my ability not to visualize it, smell it, or taste what was left of the flavor in my mouth! Helber, who works as a Motorcycle Taxi, drove me to the main road where I found a taxi.....The taxi driver proceeds to FLY over every bump in the road, slamming us back down to earth after each hill. I feel my stomach churning and my face turning different shades of green, as the taxi driver laughs out loud continually to the "Love Match" radio program!!!

Well...I'm writing this, so you know I made it home alive and in one piece! Thankfully my sweet roomie was baking Chocolate Chip cookies...the real kind, with ingredients from the US!! Woohoo!! After brushing my teeth, drinking some juice...and 2 cookies...hmm...the memory still haunts my stomach! But I will survive!

To all of you living overseas....you can probably relate to what I've just experience...maybe you've even ate something worse! And to those of you living in the US...be thankful you haven't seen the meat markets overseas! You'd flip out! I have to say that Americans do waste a lot more food by not eating or selling some of the extra parts of animals...but sometimes...I think we have a justified reason!!!

Good Stuff....

Our sunsets can be absolutely beautiful....God's creation astounds me!

Here are two of my favorite quotes from the Daniel study last week....

"We will live lives of integrity on purpose...

or we will not do it at all."

"CONSISTENCY. Godliness is never accidental.

Neither is victory coincidental.

Both stem up from daily RESOLVE."

You rock Beth Moore! I am loving this study and I'm only just beginning! :)

"Have nothing to do with godless myths or old wives tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." 1 Timothy 4:7-8

Time after Time

This is something that my friend Michael wrote. He is serving in the North Africa & Middle East region of the world. I'm always encouraged by his experiences and what the Lord is teaching him. I was convicted after I read this because it resonated true within my own heart.


"Time after Time" by M. M.

How many times will I say I am sorry,
to return to my same old ways day after day.

How many times will you ask me to stand,
only to remain in silence again and again.

How many times will you show me your beauty and glory all around,
only to pass through the day never seeing your splendor that abounds.

Awaken your Spirit that lives in me,
that I might exist as the servant you desire me to be.

How many times will I gaze upon your faithfulness,
only to doubt moment after moment.

How many times will I taste your goodness,
only to seek after the things you hate minute after minute.

How many times will you demonstrate your love for me,
only to walk as one who cannot see.

Turn my affections to thee,
that I might live in the grace that sets me free.