It's unbelievable to me that this year is already coming to an end. It has been a beautiful, 
heartbreaking, wonderful, persevering, hopeful year of learning to be led more and more by the Spirit. At the beginning of this year, the Lord gave me this verse for 2013:
"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised."
-Hebrews 10:35-36
This year I started a new decade (turning 30 in November), became a resident of Nicaragua (por fin! Praise Jesus!!), built a wall to enclose the Abide land, continue to fight through the red tape of establishing a non-profit organization, moved into a new mission staff house, built up my biking endurance by biking out to La Isla every Saturday and to work most days, built beautifully deep relationships with so many dear families in Santa Matilde, successfully planned for an English class by writing lesson plans on my coffee cup while riding the public bus from Leon, welc
omed five new loves into my life during our baby boom this fall, fell completely in love with entire families, had volcano adventures on both Masaya and Telica (even went to Masaya while it was still erupting), attended a Bethel ministry conference in Matagalpa (and helped translate for the event), continued to speak life and love into beautiful kids and teenagers, celebrated three quinceneras for teenagers that I love with all my heart, spent more time in the local schools and conducted reading comprehension study, connected 8 children with counseling services, trained Cadence (pictured above) to join with me in the student sponsorship program and she provided much-needed help, saw 117 kids sponsored in 2013, began tutoring programs for our sponsorship kids, taught the sweetest dozen 5-6 year old girls through our Sunday school program, became a godmother to sweet baby Lisa Margarita 
and was blessed to be a part of her dedication (pictured right), fought for community and am seeing it grow, learned how to love with a mama's love, grew as a mom to my two sweet hijas, and was blessed to do life and ministry with an incredible group of people! I could not be more thankful for all that the Lord has done, is doing, and for all of you who are walking with me on this journey.
This year has been all that the Lord said that it would be. It has been a year of persevering in hope. There have been days that I've had to hold fast to the promises of the Lord when it feels like they will never come to pass. There have been days when things are growing more quickly than I can keep up. It's been amazing seeing our sponsorship program grow by leaps and bounds. It's been challenging working to refine the ways that we work with youth to see our teenagers push deeper into the heart of God. It's been beautiful seeing the Lord grow a mother's heart in me. It's required every bit of faith in me to continue to dream for the Abide home as everything moves forward at a snail's pace. This year has brought greater peace and rest to my heart in our new home. It's been both incredibly beautiful and challenging. So, just as the Lord spoke to my heart this time last year, it has been a year of holding on the confidence in Him, persevering when things seemed impossible or irreparably broken, following His leading and doing His will, and believing that He will bring to pass what He has promised. "I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed it, and I will do it." -Isaiah 46:11b
So, I say, bring on 2014 with its new adventures, celebrations, challenges, and triumphs. It's going to be a good year!
