"speak up for those who cant speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice." -proverbs 31:8-9

amigas...

i am so blessed to work very closely with these two lovely ladies. these two see my good side, my ugly side, they see me when im super clean and when im dirty (mexico dirty), they tell me when i stink and when i smell good, they work alongside of me and pray for me when we are apart, they hurt when i hurt, and laugh uncontrollably for NO reason at all. its so true when the bible says...

"...though one be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." -Proverbs 17:12

{bienvenidos a mi casa}

here is a quick tour through and around my new little home.

::front yard::

::my street::

::living room, dinning room, office::

::view from my desk::

::kitchen::

::bedroom::

so now you all need to come to {ensenada} and recieve the REAL tour. im waiting for you.

encouraging verses of the day:

psamls 13:

5~but i have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

6~i will sing unto the Lord, because He hath dealt bountifully with me.

psalms 14:

2~the Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see it there were any that did understand, and seek God.

psalms15:

1~Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

2~He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

mexico car wash---

{FULL} dependence

hola amigos. as most of you know i am now ending my fourth full day in Ensenada, Mexico. it has been a very good first four days.saturday we had a work day cleaning up the [ranch], getting it prepared for spring camp to start in about two weeks. several students from the bible college here, accompanied some of the staff of [genesis] pull weeds, paint tables, clean and paint the latrines, and do some other odd jobs. saturday night some friends and i went to a carnival that was taking place in downtown ensenada. there i got to consume my first mango with chili and lime of the year. YUM! sunday i went to the english church and was happy to see old friends i had made from last summer. Alex, another staff of [genesis] and his girlfriend Laura, went grocery shopping with me. i stocked my shelf full of good things to eat. monday we headed back to the ranch to do some more cleaning and prep work. we also handed out some food in a community that is really poor. houses as big as my bedroom, no heat in the houses, (the nights get really cold here in mexico) one bed for a family of 5-6, moms washing their clothes by hand, kids with old clothes, a man with a leg brace that was being held together by shoe laces, purple sores from the plastic rubbing into the back of his leg. the highlight of my day was getting to play a random pick-up game of soccer in the streets with the kids. i made all the goals for my team. (to bad they were all 3-4th graders.) ;)

today was spent in the office preparing camp supplies. i printed and cut 1000+ name tags. very mind dulling but IMPORTANT job. ;) i also helped sort through more donations and get care bags put together for the families in derango according to thier needs. THAT was a job. alex had fun playing dress-up.

lately this thing of TOTAL or FULL dependence on Jesus has been on the for front of my mind. maybe because im in another country, maybe becasue im out of my groove, out of my comfort zone, maybe because i find myself on a daily basis at the end of myself.

what does FULL dependence mean to you? how does/has God taught this to you? for me, it means not relying on my own ideas or agendas. God usually teaches this to me by allowing all the props to fall out from under me so He can show Himself strong in my life. He does this becasue He loves me. is it scary? YES. sometimes more then others.

right before i left the US, i was trying really hard to sell my car. i really wanted to sell it so that i would have that money to live on as im down here serving in mexico. i guess you could call it my back-up plan, just in case God couldnt sell enough cows to support me. "for all the animals of the forest are mine, and i own the cattle on a thousand hills." psalms 50:10

about a week before i left for mexico, it at all fell through. my car ended up having some major issues ontop of what i already knew and the potential buyer ended up not buying it. it was like God saying- "Tiffany. why cant you trust me? why cant you have full dependence on me? you know i love you. you know all my promises. you read them and understand but dont walk in light of them. trust me. i will take care of you." it was absolutley incredible the true peace and joy that came as soon as i gave it all over to HIM.

that same day someone came up to me and gave me a hundred dollar check. i was once again humbled by the amazing-ness of my Father. he always rewards us for our obediance. His timing is always different, but perfect, according to his purpose. Jim Elliot (one of my heros) words it so well...

"...israel doubtless wondered where God was taking them as they were led from the wilderness to wilderness- three months of wandering and no sight of the flowing land. here Jahweh tells them that His real purpose is not in the establishment of a commonwealth in the land, but in the bringing out of a perculiar people which was for Himself. The eagle is the lonely bird, dwelling in inaccessible crags, and its fledglings must learn that when borne on the parents wings, they are helpless and had best not struggle or endeavor to go on their own power. the best place for a young one is in a place where he must learn DEPENDENCE and OBEDIENCE- the success of his life depending on the latter of these."

depend on HIM people!

Dear Family and Friends,

I can’t believe it’s been eight months since I wrote my last support letter. In some ways it seems so long ago, with all the experiences God has brought me through. In the next few paragraphs I hope to give you a glimpse into the last eight months of my life and also the upcoming year.

My summer in Mexico was truly amazing. It’s hard to put it into words. I grew and learned a lot, while having the great privilege to meet some incredible Christians and love on 500+ kids. As each week came to a close and everyone said their tearful goodbyes the kids would ask me “Are you coming back next year?”, my answer was always “Si, si, si!” I came home in August and was happily reunited with my family. I jumped back into work, started helping out at a church Bible study, and spent time with family and friends. Though all of this has been amazing, I kept remembering the promise I made to the kids in Mexico. I started praying and asking God if He was really calling me back to Mexico. As I prayed, read scripture, and talked to family and friends; the calling did not leave.

March 3^rd, I will be leaving for Ensanada, Mexico. This time instead of two months, I have committed one year to Genesis Diez. Genesis Diez is an educational, non-profit organization that creates learning experiences for the orphan and migrant kids of Baja California, Mexico. The first part of my trip will be similar to what I already experienced last summer. I will help prepare for the summer camps and then we will put on another 9 weeks of camp for the kids. We take them hiking, swimming, put on theatrical skits, teach Bible lessons and ultimately give the kids a glimpse of God’s love. The rest of the year, I will work in the office and the surrounding communities.

This trip will provide an opportunity to meet the physical and spiritual needs of a community that is desperately in need. More than anything, I value your prayers for me, the team, and the lives that will be touched by God through us. Pray for safety, good health, smooth travel and financial support. Knowing I have your prayerful support gives me great peace as I leave my ‘comfort zone’ for a year.

Beyond your prayers, I would appreciate your financial support. Over the next year, my expenses will be around $4000. This is a very humble journey that God has called me to and I appreciate you standing with me in this way. Support monies can be sent to: Genesis Diez, PO Box 3883, Chula Vista CA 91909 with my name in the memo line. You can also watch for updates on my blog www.misstiffjoy.blogspot.com

With gratitude,

tiff

{alive and well}

I know how worried you all have been about me seeing my absents but you will be happy to know I'm quite well. Here's a list of things that have been rocking my world since you hear from me last... [enjoy]

~facebook

~car shopping

~jillian michaels 30 day body shred

~work, work, and more work...

~booking my ticket to mexico

~jewelry party

~getting organized

~purchasing my ipod touch

~meeting my sisters bf

~bus ministry

~caught up and beyond schedule to read my bible in a year

~feeding my face! (i love food!)

~big victories in my life!