I can't believe I've been home for two weeks. I still dream about mexico.
I miss it so much, but i know Gods work does not stop just because we've left.
I will always carry everything he has taught me in Mexico. How desperate I am for him, how I need alone time with him, how I need to keep my eyes on him and not myself... ever, how satisfying it is just to know him, how he always always always provides. how i have never regretted listening to his voice, how he takes care of us even when we are wrapped up in ourselves, how ministry is a blessing to be able to do, how its Gods work and not ours.
thank you all for all your support! I wish I could tell you how much your help has impacted my life and the lives of others but I don't think there are enough words. So, all I can simply say is thank you! I will never forget your help! Thank you!
Love
Jesi Zinn
Friday, August 19, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Lead me to the cross
Hello all :D
Less than two weeks left. It's so bittersweet. I miss you all so much, but it's going to be so heart breaking to leave the people here.
Stories :]
The other night we were trying to get all the older kids together. A few interested came out for the games... and as the night went on more and more started to become interested and come out. By the end of the night, they all came out to hear Rebekah's tesimony about her first year teaching and were so interested that they were asking questions by the end of the night :] When she finished talking they were all saying "That's all??" "Isn't there more?" <3
There's so many stories but I have to go!
Love
Jesi Zinn
PS pray God we continue to keep our eyes on God and not ourselves as we come to the end and we begin to get tired <3
Less than two weeks left. It's so bittersweet. I miss you all so much, but it's going to be so heart breaking to leave the people here.
Stories :]
The other night we were trying to get all the older kids together. A few interested came out for the games... and as the night went on more and more started to become interested and come out. By the end of the night, they all came out to hear Rebekah's tesimony about her first year teaching and were so interested that they were asking questions by the end of the night :] When she finished talking they were all saying "That's all??" "Isn't there more?" <3
There's so many stories but I have to go!
Love
Jesi Zinn
PS pray God we continue to keep our eyes on God and not ourselves as we come to the end and we begin to get tired <3
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Love like Hurricane
Sometimes I wonder how Jesus doesn't say, "Father, I love my church, i really do... but they rarely talk to me. and when they do talk to me, I feel like they don't mean the words they say. they're always cheating on me. they never understand me. and after all the things i do for them they rarely say thank you. all they want is more and more and more. i feel so used. i ask them to listen to me because i have never given them reason not to and they alwyas listen to someone else. what kind of relationship is this?? i give the gifts and they ignore me. they never cry on my shoulder but someone elses. they're so immature and so proud of the fact that they hurt me. they say they love me, and then are ashamed of our relationship. they are so embarrased of me. they never talk about me to anyone else. they never want to know me. they lack any spirit. any gift you see in them, father, is really me.thats anoher thing... they even take the works i accomplish and claim it for themselves... etc etc etc."
i think of this in light of my own relationship with my boyfriend. If he acted like that I would deem him a "bad" boyfriend and no i wouldnt be head over heels for him. However, we treat Jesus like that every single day and he puts up with us. actually... he loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). He is head over heels for us. He loves us more deeply than anyone could ever love anyone else on earth... he loves us more than the whole world combined could love Jesus. he is head over heels for a lover who cheats and lies. For someone who simply, at their best, could not love him back as much as he loves us. More than that... Jesus is the ultimate love. He is the epitome of love. no love can compare to him. He encompasses a fatherly love, the closeness of a romantic love, the need of a best friend love and, foremost, the love of a savior. He is the only one that will always be there for us. Jesus is my first love. In every way. He has been with me since before my parents and will be with me for the rest of eternity. no one can replace him or even come close.
Those were just some thoughts I've been having.
story time :]
That little boy in my picture on the blog is named Santiago Gutierrez. I do not have favorites at Casa Hogar, but that little boy pulls on my heart. However, lately, he's been throwing me and a lot of other people here the cold shoulder. It hurt me personally. I wrote about it in my personal journal. However, last night he asked to talk. He opened up about problems with some other kids from his school. I prayed for him and encouraged him to pray. He then told me his life story and shared he didn't feel important. Then I told him how much he has meant to me and past interns and other kids at Casa Hogar and countless other people. Pray for him. <3
Another story is: July 4th! we celebrated Independence day with the kids! Us interns threw a parade with music and balloons and confetti! Then we made a ton of cake for everyone! (Thank you again supporters for donating, we were able to do this for them with ministry money :D ). hahaha it was fun. Of course, this is acapulco, but it was fun to show the kids some American pride ahhaha.
Well I have to go,
Love,
Jesi
i think of this in light of my own relationship with my boyfriend. If he acted like that I would deem him a "bad" boyfriend and no i wouldnt be head over heels for him. However, we treat Jesus like that every single day and he puts up with us. actually... he loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). He is head over heels for us. He loves us more deeply than anyone could ever love anyone else on earth... he loves us more than the whole world combined could love Jesus. he is head over heels for a lover who cheats and lies. For someone who simply, at their best, could not love him back as much as he loves us. More than that... Jesus is the ultimate love. He is the epitome of love. no love can compare to him. He encompasses a fatherly love, the closeness of a romantic love, the need of a best friend love and, foremost, the love of a savior. He is the only one that will always be there for us. Jesus is my first love. In every way. He has been with me since before my parents and will be with me for the rest of eternity. no one can replace him or even come close.
Those were just some thoughts I've been having.
story time :]
That little boy in my picture on the blog is named Santiago Gutierrez. I do not have favorites at Casa Hogar, but that little boy pulls on my heart. However, lately, he's been throwing me and a lot of other people here the cold shoulder. It hurt me personally. I wrote about it in my personal journal. However, last night he asked to talk. He opened up about problems with some other kids from his school. I prayed for him and encouraged him to pray. He then told me his life story and shared he didn't feel important. Then I told him how much he has meant to me and past interns and other kids at Casa Hogar and countless other people. Pray for him. <3
Another story is: July 4th! we celebrated Independence day with the kids! Us interns threw a parade with music and balloons and confetti! Then we made a ton of cake for everyone! (Thank you again supporters for donating, we were able to do this for them with ministry money :D ). hahaha it was fun. Of course, this is acapulco, but it was fun to show the kids some American pride ahhaha.
Well I have to go,
Love,
Jesi
Thursday, June 30, 2011
God wrote "I love you" everywhere
Last night a storm came through acapulco and all the lights went out. After slipping and sliding in the rain us interns all got together lit some candles and worshipped our God.
During our last 3 weeks... can you believe it?? we're gonig to be setting a lot of ministry time just us interns with the kids. we have a ton of fun games and talks we want to have with the younger kids. with the older kids we're doing a soccer tourney and splitting up girls and guys to get on a deeper level with.
being here is a blessing. everyday i'm living with 60 plus of my favorite people. I came here to serve but I've been served more through these kids love. Even just the little things... I took a little girl Liz to the tienda down the street and she said "you bought me sabritas... i want to buy you a taco" and she held out 4 little pesos (the equivalent of 40 cents).
Continue to pray for energy and God's will to be done <3
love,
jesi
During our last 3 weeks... can you believe it?? we're gonig to be setting a lot of ministry time just us interns with the kids. we have a ton of fun games and talks we want to have with the younger kids. with the older kids we're doing a soccer tourney and splitting up girls and guys to get on a deeper level with.
being here is a blessing. everyday i'm living with 60 plus of my favorite people. I came here to serve but I've been served more through these kids love. Even just the little things... I took a little girl Liz to the tienda down the street and she said "you bought me sabritas... i want to buy you a taco" and she held out 4 little pesos (the equivalent of 40 cents).
Continue to pray for energy and God's will to be done <3
love,
jesi
Friday, June 24, 2011
Heart of Worship
Today one of the girls who has been here for about 6 or 7 years left Casa Hogar. She went back with her family. Her name is olimar. I miss her so much. It's so strange to have her gone... The other girls who live with her cried a lot today. Pray she has a comfortable transition back to home. Me, lauren and Rebekah (the fifth intern who just came in yesterday!!) spent the night up in the girls dorms last night. I love spending the nights up there :] They pull out three or four mattresses and a bunch of us huddle on them and fall asleep squished in the heat hahaha but its so fun.
Trinity also left today... Thank you Trinity for all you did for Casa Hogar. Thank you so much for leaving us leftover food and shampoo and conditioner hahah <3 you guys were such a blessing to have here. They conducted VBS and games for the kids most nights. One night they took the kids out for some paintballing. I went, too. It was... AWESOME. The older boys especially enjoyed it. Again, you guys were such a blessing to have here! Thank you for coming! It was hard to say goodbye, especially, as some of my close friends and brother had to leave me. But I know they'll go home and tell everyone how God worked in their lives.
What we really need to stress is the return of teams. Teams mean more to these kids than just finances. It's a time where they can be loved by others (the staff here loves the children SOOOO much! but they can't always run around like teams can or buy and bring them gifts as Casa Hogar isn't rich).
So, I have been asked to update my blogs more so that's what I will do :]
Love,
Jesi
Trinity also left today... Thank you Trinity for all you did for Casa Hogar. Thank you so much for leaving us leftover food and shampoo and conditioner hahah <3 you guys were such a blessing to have here. They conducted VBS and games for the kids most nights. One night they took the kids out for some paintballing. I went, too. It was... AWESOME. The older boys especially enjoyed it. Again, you guys were such a blessing to have here! Thank you for coming! It was hard to say goodbye, especially, as some of my close friends and brother had to leave me. But I know they'll go home and tell everyone how God worked in their lives.
What we really need to stress is the return of teams. Teams mean more to these kids than just finances. It's a time where they can be loved by others (the staff here loves the children SOOOO much! but they can't always run around like teams can or buy and bring them gifts as Casa Hogar isn't rich).
So, I have been asked to update my blogs more so that's what I will do :]
Love,
Jesi
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
The Hands of the Potter
Casa Hogar.... it's indescribable. Being here and spending time with these children is an endless string of words describing joy hahaha <3
Pray specifically that Lauren and I would be able to bond and get into deeper relationships with the older girls. Also, pray that Eric and Hardy could find a way to make strong relationships with the older boys. It is a constant desire in our heart.
Love,
Jesi <3
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Update!!
Dear friends,
There is so much to say but so little time.
I'll begin with the children then talk about what we are donig here and then how God is changing my heart.
These children are so precious. Yes, they have their bad sides (one child comes to mind specifically hahaha), but all in all it's hard not to fall completely in love with them. There are children who live here and there are teenagers and young adults. Casa hogar is a home. It is a place where children who are unwanted can live. They can't be adopted however because Casa Hogar IS their home.
Some live here because their families were too poor or in too bad of a situation to raise their children so chlidren are brought here to Casa Hogar. However, a majority of the chlidren come from sad backgrounds of neglect and abuse. You can see the evidence in their physical scars and emotional ones. A lot of them were brought up learning that hitting is how to teach others. They remain very quiet about whatever is wrong in their life, but just being there for the kids or teens or anyone here is enough.
Despite their pasts, the kids are normally very joyous and playful. They play soccer frequently. They play with eachother and with us interns :] The staff here has an immense amount of compassion and are so easy to talk to! (Btw, all this interaction is improving my spanish immensely :D )
Normally, during the summer teams from the states come here to Casa Hogar for a week to spend time with the children and help with construction. Sadly, most of them aren't coming due to the economy and their fear of the drug related violence in acapulco :/ So this summer will be different from past interns summers. We do construction without teams and help prepare meals for the kids and clean around Casa Hogar. Us inerns visit sobre el Puente (a ministry for kids who live on the streets as they remain involved in drugs and other various thing and can't live at Casa Hogar) and help out there. Many stories from Sobre El puente. Most of our time is spent loving and being with the children (my favorite :] ). We do homework with them and hang around and play soccer and games and it's my favorite. I get to know the kids the most during these times and get so much closer to them. I get to see sides of them I had never seen before (like sadness, anger, jealousy) that I get to be involved in with love. But they continually show their little angelicness too :]
Lastly, God is working on my heart immensely. My time here gives me so much one on one time with God. Also, the orphans have been a tool God has been using in me. I keep seeing his Mercy... that's the biggest one.
In future blogs I will not summarize but rather tell stories of what's going on here. It's much more powerful that way. basically.... God has placed me in a place full of love hungry orphans. Through all this God is molding me.
Until next time.... Love,
Jesi
There is so much to say but so little time.
I'll begin with the children then talk about what we are donig here and then how God is changing my heart.
These children are so precious. Yes, they have their bad sides (one child comes to mind specifically hahaha), but all in all it's hard not to fall completely in love with them. There are children who live here and there are teenagers and young adults. Casa hogar is a home. It is a place where children who are unwanted can live. They can't be adopted however because Casa Hogar IS their home.
Some live here because their families were too poor or in too bad of a situation to raise their children so chlidren are brought here to Casa Hogar. However, a majority of the chlidren come from sad backgrounds of neglect and abuse. You can see the evidence in their physical scars and emotional ones. A lot of them were brought up learning that hitting is how to teach others. They remain very quiet about whatever is wrong in their life, but just being there for the kids or teens or anyone here is enough.
Despite their pasts, the kids are normally very joyous and playful. They play soccer frequently. They play with eachother and with us interns :] The staff here has an immense amount of compassion and are so easy to talk to! (Btw, all this interaction is improving my spanish immensely :D )
Normally, during the summer teams from the states come here to Casa Hogar for a week to spend time with the children and help with construction. Sadly, most of them aren't coming due to the economy and their fear of the drug related violence in acapulco :/ So this summer will be different from past interns summers. We do construction without teams and help prepare meals for the kids and clean around Casa Hogar. Us inerns visit sobre el Puente (a ministry for kids who live on the streets as they remain involved in drugs and other various thing and can't live at Casa Hogar) and help out there. Many stories from Sobre El puente. Most of our time is spent loving and being with the children (my favorite :] ). We do homework with them and hang around and play soccer and games and it's my favorite. I get to know the kids the most during these times and get so much closer to them. I get to see sides of them I had never seen before (like sadness, anger, jealousy) that I get to be involved in with love. But they continually show their little angelicness too :]
Lastly, God is working on my heart immensely. My time here gives me so much one on one time with God. Also, the orphans have been a tool God has been using in me. I keep seeing his Mercy... that's the biggest one.
In future blogs I will not summarize but rather tell stories of what's going on here. It's much more powerful that way. basically.... God has placed me in a place full of love hungry orphans. Through all this God is molding me.
Until next time.... Love,
Jesi
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)