Matt 21:21 "Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done."

On Sunday we had a women's Bible study on the obstacles to prayer and I was AGAIN reminded of the fact of if I pray in disbelief that God will work, my prayers are hindered. Please pray with me in faith for the "heart change" of these children here and the many other hurting children that we don't even know here in Magdalena and worldwide.

On Sunday afternoon, the boys and I hiked to the river. The riverbed was dry, but we walked and walked until we found water. They spent most of their time "fishing" with styrofoam cups, an old doily as a net:), and a stick with string but no hook. They were actually quite successful at catching really little fish in their styrofoam cups. On the way back, some of the older boys would run ahead and then hide and "attack" those of us who were following behind. One of the boys, Jose, (pictured, sitting in the river) has decided that he needs to be a "caballero" (gentlemen) and insists on escorting me everywhere. He bravely fought of our attackers with two sticks that served well as swords. God bless you! Thanks for your prayers. God is good, all the time!

Tarantula time!

The boys found a baby tarantula in their front room last night and kept it captive in a water bottle. Today peer pressure mounted and nearly everyone let it at least cross their hand. Gloria described it as a "friendly tarantula." Joel bravely pressured everyone to hold it...guacala! I think Joel missed his calling as a tarantula handler or something. The kids were more courageous than I, but after the kids began chanting for me to try, I caved to peer pressure. Carissa and I decided that this was a good step in overcoming our fear of large hairy tarantulas. (This one wasn't really hairy...baby steps) Carissa is calm and collected, even when there is a giant spider on her hand. The picture of Jeff is right after the spider leapt out of his hands.

Meet Gilberto (and Armando)

So stinkin' cute, huh? He lives here with his younger brother, Armando (in picture.) The boys have been at Imuris when I lived there, so I have had the opportunity to watch them grow. Their dad cares a lot about them, just can't provide for them right now, so they are here. In the picture, they are both in the front seat of the car, sharing a seat belt and now happy about it :)

Estoy Aquí

Psalms 115:1 "Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake."
-So, I made it! Yeah! Tuesday was a long day (b/c of waking up at 3:00 am and the 3 hours I gained.) Brandy picked me up in Phoenix and helped me find the car in the airport parking lot. It was quite the adventure. :) We went downtown and Seth took us to this little restaurant, that served amazing food. Brandy took me back to the airport where I met Gloria. (Photo of Seth/Brandy and Gloria included) We headed together down to Magdalena, but, SURPRISE, I took a wrong turn in Nogales and all the traffic lights weren't working and I am pretty sure drove through some traffic that even Bruce would have flinched at. :)

I am living in an adorable "casita" that is white with fuschia trim. I live with Carissa Schlipf. We can walk to the plaza in less than 10 minutes. It has a small back court yard that I would like to utilize for the neighbor kids and company. It has a lot of potential, but needs some additions...like a palm tree and Christmas lights and patio furniture. it does have a marvelous flowering bush in the corner.

The kids are doing well, please pray specifically for Gilberto. He is having a hard time respecting authority and seems to forget how much he is loved here. When one child has a bad attitude, it can spread like poison. (I should put a picture up of him, but at the risk of getting my camera and running into tarantulas in the dark, you all will have to wait.)

I haven't set up internet at my house yet, so it may be a little bit before I am regularly e-mailing and updating the blog. Now I am having problems attaching the pictures...I might have to figure something else out. Sorry, pictures to come. the kids are precious. You have to see fotos, they steal your heart.

To all the concerned parents: Jeff, Seth and Joel look healthy and say they are doing well. :)

Ya me voy...

"Ships are safe in the harbor-but that's not why they were built."

-On Sunday friends and family came over, it was humbling to realize all the love and support that surrounds me. I was again reminded of the power of prayer this weekend and am so thankful for this avenue to also support each of you.
-Amanda and Jess spent the weekend at my house as the "last hurrah" weekend. Jess leaves for India for one month on June 5th, so you can be prayerful for her.
-Mom and Dad have so graciously agreed to take me to the airport tomorrow morning. We are leaving at 4:00 a.m.
PSALM 67

Pictures to come...the computer isn't cooperating.

Jeff wants a picture up too...

Here is Jeff and his new favorite pet...the raccoon's name is Zorro...for today, it has already been Fester, Scooby, and Tito. (I want it to be Tito.)

Hula Hoop!

On Saturday, family came over to celebrate Mother's Day. Of course the hula hoops had to come out, but unfortunately I failed to impress the crowd. :( Chad was the tosser, he is pretty natural at it...I think we maybe missed our calling to be a part of the circus or something.

Student teaching pictures

Here are a few of the classes I student taught with. It was so sweet, on my last day of student teaching, they presented me with a gift of money that I used towards a digital camera. So, thanks to them, I can upload pictures!

trying to figure out how to upload pictures...

My roommate Heave and I at pictures for Stef's wedding.

Packing out...

I am packing out of the apartment right now. I can't believe how much stuff i had crammed into such a small area. I am preparing myself to clean the shower...scary, but someone has to do it. (normally Heather) I am rotating between being sentimental about leaving/overwhelmed with packing and cleaning/excited to move on...Tonight, I move back to Bluffton for a mad packing frenzy. I think I am going to have to downsize...especially my shoes.

As Will Bankston so eloquently puts it, "A blog is a great way to keep up on Amy's life, at your own pace."