Together We Can Make a Difference!

It all began last Fall as I was working one day in the comfort of my home. My eyes were on the computer screen but my thoughts were very far away. "If I am doing what I love and enjoy, then why do I feel so empty inside?" was the question going around in my head. I tried to brush the thought aside, but as the days went by, the more I felt a strong burden growing inside of me, making me feel like my life had no true meaning, and no other purpose than only benefiting myself. 
While seeking the Lord about it, I came across the verse that says: "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." (1 Peter 4:10)
I was speechless. That was it! God had been putting in my heart that I needed to stop living only for myself, and start returning Him the gifts that He has given me by serving others.
I began to look for a way that I could do this. I really had no idea what the Lord wanted me to do next. But I prayed, and searched, and prayed some more! And it wasn't until March 29th 2015, that He sent the organization Arms of Jesus into my life. 
I still remember very well the words of Pastor Sam Martin, founder of AOJ, as he spoke the words:
"If any of you feels like God is calling you to surrender your all to Him, lift your hand, and I will pray for you."
Even though he was all the way in Guatemala, and I was only watching the live streaming of his sermon, I lifted my hand along with the others, and in that moment my life seemed to take a whole different direction.

As we sang this song at the end, I knew what I had to do next:

"I'm building an altar for You oh God, to lay my life upon it.
I'm building an altar for You oh God, to sacrifice my all.
I give my whole heart to You oh God, 
and choose to embrace Your will for me,
I give You my life for Your glory, take it now I pray."

The Arms of Jesus Children's Mission (armsofjesus.org) is an organization based in Ontario, Canada. And it's purpose is to provide food for the hungry, water for the thirsty, homes for the homeless, healing for the sick, as well as send teams from North America to participate in medical work, construction, relief, development and evangelism in different parts of the world, including: Guatemala. Where I am from.
God has called me to return to my country and serve Him there. I am not sure exactly all that lies ahead for me, but one thing I know for sure: "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps." (1 Peter 2:21)

I will be joining a team that leaves from Calgary, Alberta on October 1st, 2015 and will be working at the mission in Antigua Guatemala as a translator and part of of the missionary team until October 11th. 
My hope is also to document the lives of the children while I'm there, with the desire of helping people realize just how blessed we are here, and how so many people in the world are in need our help. I will create a video and photo-book to share with you when I come back to Canada on November 7th, 2015.

I am asking for your support on this immense new chapter in my life. I simply cannot accomplish it on my own.
Most importantly, I'd like to ask for your support in prayer. Please be praying that God would start preparing me and my team to serve Him wholeheartedly there, and that we may be able to make a difference, not only by helping with the children's physical needs, but by sharing God's love with them, and leading them to the arms of Jesus!

If you also feel led to give financially, you can do so online, on my website, or by mail. Any amount would be greatly appreciated! This will help to cover the 11 days that I'll be at the mission. And if there are any funds that I don't end up needing during this first trip, it will go to help the Arms of Jesus Children's Mission.

Online Fundraiser: YouCaring.com/laurasguatemalamissiontrip 
Website: www.laprostudio.com/mymission
or Mail cheques to:
Box 808
Milk River, Alberta
T0K 1M0
Canada

Thank you so much for reading, and for playing a role in this story. I so appreciate you!

Together we will make a difference!
Laura Maldonado

A Voice in the Wilderness

Have you ever wondered why God decided to place you in this time in history? 

As I think back on all the different time periods, significant men and women come to my mind who made an impact during their lifetime. And I can't help but wonder, could I ever become a person that will be remembered as someone who impacted the 21st century?

My answer for that is yes. YES! because I believe that every Christian's goal should be to make an impact during the time that we are given on earth. 

I never like to read the news, it literally makes my stomach sick every time that I do. But last week I decided that it would be a good idea to educate myself a little bit on what's going on in the world. Well, I wasn't too surprised when I noticed that page after page was filled with bad news, and the more I read, the more it hurt to see the condition that this world is in....And as I read I thought: "If it hurts me to read this, how much more must it hurt you Lord?" I couldn't continue. I shut it off and angrily thought to myself "If I was God, I would've destroyed us already!!" but then an answer seemed to reach my heart saying "For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath." (Deuteronomy 4:31) 

That is when I began to reflect on the amazing love that God has for the human race. Just to think that He came to suffer and die knowing that we would one day turn away from Him and constantly reject Him, makes me infinitely grateful. Yet His heart is grieved, and ours should be too.

Just because He is a merciful God, and hasn't wiped us off the face of the earth, doesn't mean that He isn't a righteous Judge, and that one day we will wake up and realize that His judgement has come and that it's too late for us to listen to the warnings that He lovingly sent our way time after time.

"For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, 
so will be the coming of the Son of Man."

Matthew 24:37-39 

The answer to the question I had been asking myself, what can I do to make an impact on earth? seemed to come while I reflected on all of this.

There is definitely something you and I can do to impact the world during our lives. We can pray for the condition of the human race, we can pray for each other as we battle against the pressures of the world day by day, we can rise up and be voices in the wilderness crying "Make straight the way for the Lord"!
There are people all around us who need to hear about His love for us, who desperately need our prayers for their hearts to surrender to their Creator. Oh yes, we can make an impact in this world!

Weekly Reminder:

"When I say to a wicked person, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood."

Ezekiel 3:18

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So that is something that has been on my heart for a while, and I wanted to share it with you.
As always, thank you for reading, and for your messages of encouragement to continue sharing a bit of my life on this blog.

Visiting the Remington Carriage Museum with friends.

Horse shoe tournament for Father's Day.

"Oh hello there!"

Canada Day fireworks!

Spending some time with friends in Montana!

I did very little editing to this picture I took the other night, the color of the moon was incredible!

Have a great week!