Mi Familia

Here are some of my favorite people in the entire world!

The Larson's Story

So I kind of have these friends. Not really, but kind of. I went to school with Matt and knew Lauren through mutual friends. I heard from people that they were pregnant and decided to check up on them on their blog (because I am a blog stalker). I soon learned how amazing these people are and how, no matter what comes up in their life, they will give God all of the glory in everything. They started blogging about their baby when they found out they were pregnant, but I really started paying attention when Lauren went to the hospital at around 22 or 23 weeks because she was going into early labor. I remember praying so hard that she would not have this baby yet. It felt like such a long journey of prayer at the time, but I had no idea what was to come.



Lauren Made it to 35 weeks and had Life Larson on 7/31/08. Life got sick very quickly and had to be care flighted to Children's Medical Center. She was struggling through a virus, and pulmonary hypertension. Its crazy to think that it has only been almost one month since little life was born. I feel like I have been praying for a year. Anyway, she was hooked up to this machine called an ECMO machine that basically helped her body to function. I am pretty sure it did everything for her. I am obviously not a doctor so I will not even begin to try to explain what was going on.





All I know is that it has been almost one month. Life is not in the clear yet, but she got to go home today. I feel like I need to meet this little girl. She is a miracle and her parents have given God the glory every step of the way. I strongly encourage you to read their blog. You can really start in May if you want to get the entire story. The way that they write this blog is so wonderful. You really get a glimpse into their life, their thoughts, and their souls. It has been an amazing experience to be able to pray hard for this little girl and see how God has continued to heal her and give her life. She is a true testimony of God's grace, mercy, and love.

Never Cared Before

So, I have never ever cared before about my future to the extent where I am actually wondering what the next step in my life is. I have always known the next step before I have ever gotten to it. I knew I wanted to go to Texas A&M and find a husband. I basically did that. I never prayed about it. I did what I wanted to do and that was that. I never worried over which college I would go to. I never stressed about my major in college because I didn't really care what it was. My plan was to get married (check) to a good looking guy (check) with a good job (check) who loves Jesus (check). My plan after that was to work for about two or three years, have a baby, have another baby, have another baby, raise those babies, have grandkids, retire, travel and maybe get a beach house. The typical American dream....





I really think that it was not until Guatemala that I decided that that is not what God wants for us. I don't think God is up in Heaven going "Yes! She got that house she has always wanted! I'm so proud of her!" or "Oh good. They have their three children and are living quite comfortably." I don't think there is anything wrong with having the basics (I LOVE the basics plus some more), but when did we, as Christians, decide that we could spend our money on whatever we wanted while there are children suffering and starving all over the world, when there are children down the street that don't have parents, when there are people in countries that have never heard the gospel? When did we decide that as long as we go to church, volunteer, and give our 10% that that is enough? When did we decide as a church and followers of Christ that that was ok? I don't see anywhere in the Bible that says that that is ok. I see Jesus commanding us to do His work. Plus, He is ALWAYS talking about money in the Bible and how we need to be careful with it. He blatantly states that its harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven than for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle! Why do we ignore this?


I know its not literally talking about an actual eye in a needle, but still...


Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am still at home on my butt. We have a nice apartment, and I do not want for anything. I don't have it all figured out, but for the first time in my life, I have decided that I only want to do what HE wants me to do. He has given me eternal life, why can't I offer him more than my 10%? Its His anyway.

So, I am confused. I am praying. I just want to do what He wants me to do. That's why I am constantly talking about Guatemala, or going back to school for a Bible degree, or adopting lots of kiddos. I am constantly talking about these things because for the first time in my life, I am actually trying to figure out what He wants. It is stressful. I am going to try not to go by my plan. I am going to try to put myself last and Him first. I am going to try to serve others. I know I will fail, but I at least want to try..... In conclusion: To the three people that read my blog, you are going to have to hear more and more about me being confused and trying to figure out what in the world I am supposed to do with my life because this is the first time I have ever actually wondered..... fun fun

Clean Water

Matthew 10:42
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."




So, our kids in La Arenera do not drink clean water. They rarely have water, but when they do, its not ever clean. They are always getting parasites and getting sick. We did not realize this was happening until this year. We decided to do something about it. I think it is unacceptable for children and their parents to be drinking water that is slowly killing them so do other people in our mission group. Thats why we have decided to do something about it.














Once we get the ok from CAM to set up a seperate fund for water filters, we will start to raise money for these water filters that are pictured above. They are gravity filtering water filters and they can filter up to 10 gallons in only 4 hours! We are wanting to travel down there in December and we need to purchase about 110 for only $40 a piece. We feel like this is a real blessing that we have found these filters. My brother Mark found this organization that makes them. It is called Helps International and they support Guatemala specifically. It is a real blessing because we can fly there and pick up the filters in Guatemala City right next to the airport.







When we get there in December we will have everyone in the village come to a hygiene class in order to "earn" the filters. Mark had a good point. We dont want to take away any of the little pride that these people have by giving them more and more and more. So, they have to come earn the filters by learning about hygiene stuff. Im also really excited about it because we have a lot of people that are interested in going with us in December. I think God has His hand on this project. Hopefully we will be able to raise enough money to get the filters. Ill keep you posted so that you can donate if you are interested:)

1,2,3,4 I Declare a Thumb War

So, we have started breaking of guys and girls in our homegroup so that the guys can give their testimonies to the guys and the girls to the girls. It has been great. The girls have really gotten to know eachother, as have the guys. It has just been really good because everyone can let down their guard. After the guys are finished with thier testimony they come back over to our apartment and we finish up. So each night a different couple gives their testimony. John and I went the first week. Allison and Randy went the second week, and for the third week we had to do a thumb war to see who would go next. Robert and Tiffany lost, so they have to go this next Wednesday. Im very excited to hear it. They have an awesome story about how they met. Anyway, here are pictures.

Listening, Hearing, and then Doing

So I have just been confused lately. I dont know what we are supposed to do with our lives. I feel like God wants us to do more than just sit at home and go to church on Sundays. I feel that as Christians we are called to do way more than we do. I don't want to do these things because I want to earn my way into Heaven, but I want to do them because we are commanded to do them. If we are really God's children, why wouldn't we have have the desire do to these things? One of the main things I want to do is move to Guatemala and mission to the kids and women in Rio Hondo. I really really want to go but at the same time, I do not want to leave my family. I am obsessed with my family. Its odd, but I have a really great relationship with all of them and am very close to them. I cannot imagine being away from my parents and my grandma. (Im hoping Mark, Erin, and Ryann Cate would be with us in Guatemala...so im not counting them.)I have other selfish reasons why I dont want to go. In Rio Hondo (and Guatemala in general) it is not safe. It is not safe for a woman to be out at night by herself. I cannot imagine not being able to step out to the nearest fast food place to get dinner for me and John or run to the grocery store to pick up some stuff that we need. My life would change. We would be the white people in the village and we would always be looking over our shoulders to make sure that we are safe. That is scarry. That is difficult. And, that is out of my comfort level. BUT at the same time, I feel called. I feel like I think God has commanded me to go. I was reading last night and I came accross these verses.




23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"

24The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is[e] to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

26The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"

27Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

28Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"


29"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last first."









Of course I have read these verses before, but you know when you are reading the Bible and you can just tell that God is talking to you? That God is speaking directly to you? I took verse 29 as a command, not as a way to earn my way into heaven. I felt like God was showing me this verse because it is what I have been struggling with. I dont want to leave my family, but Im pretty sure that God has asked me to....next question...Has He asked John to?....We are praying about that. Its not like we can pick up and leave right now though. We have debt and Im pretty sure God does not want us skipping out on that. But maybe in the next year we will go. I know it takes a lot of preperation, but Im looking forward to it. My prayer in all of this is that I will follow God's will. Im worried that I will follow my own, and I do not want to do that. I think its pretty clear that I am obsessed with those kids down there, so I dont want to go because I want to go, I want to go because that is where God is calling me to go. I wish He would just write it out for me on a piece of paper or a wall.






Here is the other verse that spoke to me last night as I was reading.

"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

Mark 9:37

Floating The River

We went this last weekend with our homegroup to float the Guadalupe. It was good times until it started pouring down rain on us in the freezing water. It was a very good bonding time though. After that we went to the Gristmill for dinner and waited for over two hours in the rain to get a table. It is experiences like this where you really see everyone's true personality come out....I learned a lot about everyone because I'm pretty sure I am the only one that was in a pissy mood by then (John was kind of pissy). Everyone had a pretty good attitude about it, but come on.. we waited two hours to get seated, I asked for ranch on the side of my salad and they loaded the entire salad with ranch, then they brought me my soup with no spoon, so I asked for a spoon and they brought me a freaking tea spoon (10 minutes later)to eat my soup....not cool.

Here are some pictures

More Guatemala Pics...I miss them!