El Porvenir, Chiapas

After 25 hours of travel (planes, taxis, pick-up trucks, and walking)
we arrived at or destination- the little mountain town of El Porvenir,
Chiapas. Life here is very “simple”. To warm our toes and cook our
food we have a fire pit/stove. This same stove warms up our pot of
water to take a hot shower. The water comes from a large cement
container of water which is also used to flush the toilet. The wood to
burn to heat the stove is cut from the surrounding forest and the eggs
for breakfast are from the chickens running around the backyard.

(The woman cooking tortillas)

We have been working with the local church and also taking day trips
to near-by towns to support other churches.
I have spoken in churches, ran children´s programs, taught English,
spoke at woman´s groups, performed plays in the town square and much
more.

(English Class!)

By far my favorite outreach activity is hiking through the jungle to
share the Gospel with people who haven´t heard of Jesus. The way the
react is such a need for a savior is something that I have never seen
before.

One day we walked down a cement road for half-an-hour and then walked
along a little mud path for another hour walking around coffee fields,
through streams, and over a river to arrive at a family´s house. The
family was very welcoming and hospitable… that was after we scared
away the guard dogs! They were attentive to the testimonies we shared
and very interested in hearing how Jesus was sent to this earth to let
us be in relation with God again and be saved from our sins. We gave
the family a Bible and let them know how loved they are by the maker
of the Universe.

(Some of the houses we visited)

The way we share the gospel with the indigenous people is very unique.
After shadowing the pastor I learned that these people are very interested in parables from the Bible and will pay much more attention
if you directly relate it to the crops they harvest.

On the first of January we are packing up and heading North to the
state of Oaxaca. Our time here has been priceless and I look forward
to our next six weeks in different town of Oaxaca.

I would love to hear from you! Feel free to email me at
erosing@rams.colostate.edu or message me on facebook.

Our team would love your prayers for health and that the bed bugs that
are eating us would stay here and not hitch hike a ride to Oaxaca.
Take care and I wish you a Happy 2014!

( Between the clouds on top of the mountain... A priceless view on Christmas.)

A Quick Photo Update

The lecture phase of my school is over and from now on will be on the outreach phase. 

My outreach team is  made up of 8 students a a young couple as our leaders. We are from 5 different countries (Mexico, US, Cuba, Switzerland, South Korea) and age from 18 to 36 years old.

The most important is that we all have smiles on our faces and are going for the same reason: to share the gospel and love the people we work with. We are going to the most un-reached population  in Mexico.  (The green dots are un-reached people groups. The explosion of green dots is where we are going.)

I would love your prayers for the hearts of the people we are going to come in contact with, for our team's unity, and for safety as we travel for 21 hours on plains, trains, buses, and by feet! 

Enjoy your evening, I pray that it be filled with blessings and laughter like mine was!

Thanksgiving

Of all the thanksgiving celebrations I have participated in, this year was definitely the most rewarding.  I went with the YWAM base to Zona Norte (read earlier posts for more info) to bless the homeless & deported people with a sit-down Thanksgiving dinner. Along with this we washed and cut their hair. As dirty ran down the back of their head I realized how thankful I am for a shower. Some students performed a play about prostitutes, AIDS, drugs and then Jesus ultimately giving hope.  It was very well done and the reactions from the people were indescribable. We also had a mini service by a pastor who grew up in Zona Norte.

Me, being the social one, got to check in with my friends and hear how they are doing. Let me present one very special friend to you. Her name is Teresa. She is “state raised” but is living in Mexico because her husband was deported a few months ago. Last week I met her and we talked about her kids. She told me about her five children and how two were taken by social services. Then she looked up at me and said, “You know what? You remind me a lot of my 20 year old daughter.” Looking at
me again she commented, “You’re tall, and you are so happy, and you
look like her- especially your smile.” She started to cry telling me how she missed her and how life on the street is so tough. I gave her a hug like I would give my mother and she said, “but at least I know my daughter is safe in the US.”

Yesterday when I saw Teresa again she gave me a little update.  She
said she was able to get 20 pesos (1.60 USD) from washing a woman’s clothes yesterday. Showing me her cracked and dried hands from washing she began to cry.  These tears weren’t all that bad this time. “Emily, remember how you prayed for me last week?” She began to tell me, “I prayed before going out a day ago and I felt like someone was actually with me. Like someone was by my side.” She continued to tell me how she felt safe and protected. I went on saying God is always by your side, he wants to be in your life, and ultimately wants a relationship with you.  She replied, “I know, I felt Him then.” 

Would you partner with me in prayer and lift up all my homeless/deported friends of Zona Norte? They are God’s children just
as much as the preschoolers at Timberline Church are. They need love and prayer just as much as me and you do.

 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people
will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 )

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Zona Norte

The local ministry I work with is called Zona Norte. Translated into English it means the North Zone. This is the northern region of Tijuana know for the most human trafficking. It is a very broken area with everything from prostitution and child-slaves to drug cartels and deportee camps.

YWAM partners with a local church to give back to the deported men and
woman what the devil has stolen - joy, hope, love, ect. We spend Wednesday afternoon in the park and bring hot soup to the 80+ men and woman.

            (Lined up ready for food)

This ministry has so much spiritual warfare so we spend an hour praying, worshiping, and interceding for the precious people of Zona Norte. You can be involved too through your continued prayers for the men and woman. For example, while praying over a woman last week a drugged man decided to start screaming profanity. The devil isn't happy because God Is Moving in this area!

Last week a guy from the Bible School shared his testimony and then
gave people the option to accept Christ as their savior and symbolically throw away (in a trash can) any sin that was hindering them from having relation with God.

A guy named Jesu, that I had met a week ago, came up and said, "Emily,
can I through this away?" He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and threw them away. As I prayed for him and congratulated him, he wiped tear drops from his cheeks. It means so much for me to see a man that has hardened his heart by being deported, living in the canals, digging in the trash can for food, and living without family
in this country be able to cry. God is working in his heart.

                        (Jesu)

Another man pulled a bunch of needles out of his coat pocket and
dumped them in the trash can. 

A young woman named Sandra came up to me and wanted to re-accept JesusChrist to be Lord of her Life.

God is moving. God hears our prayers. God is good.

Thank you again for your support and prayers. If you have any
questions or just want to say hi I would love to talk! Email me at
erosing@rams.colostate.edu to set up a time.

Dios Puede (God is Able)!

Taco Ministry

Every week in class we have a new speaker come to teach a new topic. Last week’s topic was about Fear of the Lord. It was a rather confusing topic at the beginning but after I put it into practice it became much simpler.

One of the first things we talked about was giving up our rights to serve the God as Lord. Rights in this situation could mean finances, reputation, dreams, fashion, food, ect. I began to think about rights that just being American will give you. Can you think of a right that your country, society, or family has given you that would keep you from serving the Lord? If we want world evangelism then we have to be able to give up our rights.

Something that got my attention during lecture was a Joy Dawson quote,

“Fearing the Lord is caring more about God’s reaction than the

reaction of men.”

That is just what happened these past weekends – walking in fear of the Lord.

Some roommates and I went to a nearby beach town and walked around searching for opportunities to pray for people, share the gospel, or just smile and tell someone they are beautiful.

Around noon we sat down for lunch at a taco shop and asked God to bring us the family we had talked with the weekend before, or other people we could bless. As we were finishing up our homemade tacos, two little girls approached us selling bracelets and gum. My initial response, “no gracias” automatically rolled out of my mouth. Soon after I thought, “am I fearing man or the Lord?” All of a sudden what

we were learning in class became real. Was I holding on to my rights or letting them go to be a servant of the Lord? The Holy Spirit

convicted me to give up my rights to finances and reputation in order to choose to walk in fear of the Lord. We asked them, “tienen hambre?” (are you girls hungry?) A shy and timid “sí” came out of their mouths

so we bought them tacos and listen to their stories.

Over tacos and cola we learned that Alejandrina (age 12) and Angela (age 11) both like playing soccer, have siblings but don’t know how many, go to school in Tijuana, and sell bracelets & gum in their free time to help support their family. I’m sure there is plenty of their story we don’t know but I do know that that day they heard that they were loved by the God of this world, they are cared for by a Heavenly Father, that He is always by their side listening to their prayers, and that Jesus was sent by God to this world to die on the cross so that we could have a relationship with God.  This was all possible for simply deciding to walk in Fear of the Lord.

I encourage you to go about tomorrow walking in the fear of Lord because he has some amazing plans for you.  There might not be as many drug dealers or gang members to come in contact with, but there are people searching for hope in every nation, state, city, and neighborhood.

“For we are God’s Masterpiece . He has created us new in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” -Ephesians 2:10

I continue to pray for all the mothers, children, drunks, homeless, deported, drug dealers, guards, and American tourists that God has placed in my path through our “taco ministry” weekends. God is good. 

And finally, what I have been supper excited about…. For my outreach phase in December- February I will be in southern Mexico working with un-reached people groups in Oaxaca and Chiapas!! I am so excited for the ways that God will use our team to share his love!

Week One- Dolphins, Deportees & Dios, oh my!

If someone says “Tijuana” I would picture 9 News specials. Drug trafficking. Men with bullet-proof vests walking around desert land. A life-less area. I would hear gun-shots and screams of terror. I would smell sweat & blood. The sight of syringes and prostitutes would make me panic in terror.

I believe that God sees this city in a much different way. I think he sees each man’s desires and needs. He hears every cry from the hearts. And understands every situation. I challenge myself, how would God see this city? It might look a little bit like this:

Part of Tijuana you might not hear much about: Beautiful sunsets, Dolphins, Sea Lions & crashing waves.

If someone says “deported” I would think of metal bars holding back raged men. Hated people. To keep distance. The job of only the toughest men. Drugged & Drunk. Gangs.

But I believe God has a different name-tag for each one of these men & woman. One that would read: “loved”,” saved”, and“child of the most high”.

Within the first week I was challenged to see the deported men and woman through God’s eyes. Here are three People I was able to talk with:

His name is Jose. He was born in Mexico and lived in the US until he was deported. He spends the day selling gum on the streets to be able to give something to his mother (70 years old) who is sick. He has a great smile and would talk your ear off if you let him. God HEARS him.

Her name was Rosaurio and she had a precious face like any other 7 year old. A smile was nothing easy to get out of her but once she finally smiled my heart beat faster. She walked around the streets with her 4 other siblings & mother, looking for help after being kicked out of their house. She carried a little stuffed animal that look very well “loved.” She is a PRINCESS to the King! 

His name is Jaime, a man of courage. Born in Mexico City but lived in Los Angeles since he was 8. Somewhere on his timeline he was deported and now lived the same life as the other deportees. He hasn’t seen his family for over 10 years and his hardened heart was even seen on the outside. Home is a fenced off area filled with tents donated by the city. Along with another 200+ people, he is not wanted by the US or Mexico. The area has a direct sight of the Mexican Flag & the border. He is LOVED by the Lord.

My heart breaks for each man & woman in Zona Norte of Tijuana.  I know that the Devil comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy. And has done that to these Men & woman. I also know that we are here to give them back what Satan has taken from them. HOPE. LAUGHTER. JOY.SMILES. More than anything else we can help them have an eternal Life & relationship with Jesus Christ. 
So I chose to follow Christ and go to one of the most (mom close your eyes) dangerous places of Tijuana to share my God-given & contagious smile with people who tell me they belong nowhere. To fish for men.

If someone says "God Speaks" I might think of a man sitting on a a cliff, looking out in the distance while hearing some booming and deep voice. 

But with only 4 days of classes I have been learning about recognizing God voice because he speaks to everyone. When learning to hear God the "who" (knowing God) is more important than the "how"(how to hear God). Because he will speak o everyone in a very personal way. He is moving in the lives of every student and I look forward to where else he leads us. Something that really stuck out to me, when talking about having a relationship with God, was trust. Not only trusting in God, but can God trust me. I challenge myself, and challenge you as well, to ask yourself throughout the day if you are being trustworthy to God?

I would love to answer any questions you may have or hear how you are doing. Please do not send email because the internet here is almost non-existent but it would make my day to receive a snail-mail letter! Mail can be sent to the California office:

YWAM SDB

Emily Rosing (San Antonio DTS)

100 W 35th Street Suite R

National City, CA

91950

Gotta go, see ya in 2 weeks!

How It All Began

Colorado’s most famous phrase: “I’d Rather Be Fishing” can be found plastered on cars, windows, briefcases, ect. It is like a public announcement whatever they are doing in life is not as marvelous as fishing.  Notice how I use the word “they” because for the 17 years I have lived in the amazing state of Colorado, not once have I thought to myself, “I really wish I could stand on the side of a pond, be attacked by mosquitoes, watch the water evaporate, and trick a fish into eating a neon, sparkly worm-like piece of rubber!”

I have never enjoyed fishing in this sense but one of my favorite passages in the Bible revolves around fishing. In Matthew 4:19 Jesus tells these everyday fisherman to go follow Him and that He will teach them how to fish for people.  God tells each one of us that no matter how ordinary and un-special we think we are, we can be disciples too and fish for people.

For the longest time I thought this meant traveling to third-world countries and teaching bible stories to the village children or such activities that only “professional Christians” could do.  

That thought changed a little when years later I signed up for my first missions trip to South Padre Island, Texas to serve a bunch of partying college kids.  My only thoughts were, “The beach sounds really nice right now. I can speak Spanish, and I’m good at baking pancakes… so I guess I can use my skills to serve God?” God had so much more in store for me than I imagined. Yes, He used me, an ordinary person, to share the Gospel, relate to college students with my testimony, pray with scary college kids, and do all that while facing backwards in a 15-person van driven by pastor Reza! I saw so many hurting people turn to God’s strength and protection in this week. It started a burning passion in my heart to fish for people – to evangelize.

So how did I get from my experience on South Padre to this Discipleship Training School (DTS)?  It was only the second week at CSU and I was searching for different missions events, internships, summer programs and anything else that would get me across seas to evangelize more.  For every door that was opened there was something to close it – even when I asked God about it, I kept hearing a no. The more I listened I heard “Not yet, wait and learn.” I assumed this meant to stay at CSU. After I returning from the nine70 Guatemala missions trip I found this Compassion and Mercy DTS. It was a school that would first teach you and then send you to different parts of the world.  I started receiving conformation after conformation that this is where God wanted me to be. Every aspect that was keeping me from the programs I earlier researched was not a problem anymore:

I worried how I would financially afford the school and within the next week I got a call from my manager saying they would like to hire me back for the summer with a promotion. I worried about  getting out of the lease I signed on an apartment.  The girl who lived next door to me had just decided to stay at CSU and would love to take over my lease. I worried about letting Intervarsity (an on-campus ministry) down because I already accepted a leadership position for next year. They explained that they have been trying to kick-start the Latino ministry, La Fe, and it would be a blessing for them to use what I learn in Mexico to build the Latino ministry at CSU. And another big fear: how do I tell my Jewish father that I’m taking a year off from CSU to grow in my relationship to God and share his love all because God is telling me to?  After a long conversation my dad told me, “It’s obvious where your heart is. It’s with working with the poor and at-risk population. Like the work you did in Guatemala.” He is happy that I am following my heart. ­­­

This is a perfect example of 1 Peter 5:7, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

So as much as I dislike standing by the side of a mosquito infested ponds, I know these next 6 months will put me in challenging situations where I have to find joy in the fact that the sun is shining bright, there is water to swim in, and there are fish in the pond to eat.

 I’d love for you to follow my adventure as I set out on a quest September 19^th to become closer to God in order to serve where he says “serve” and to fish where he says “fish.” So yes, I’d Rather Be Fishing!

I would love to hear from you with any comments or questions. Feel free to email me at erosing@rams.colostate.edu or call/text me at 970 372 8098.

If you would like to support my trip please visit  http://www.ywamsandiegobaja.org/contact/payments-donations/. In the pull down menu choose “Tuition payment…” and mention Emily Rosing in the note section. Thank You!