Ines Izarnotegui Lay

Hello!
So, I am here at the Girls Home… I feel like a teenage mom with teenage daughters.

They are all between 12 and 15 years old. And EVEYBODY tells me they are tough… but I haven’t experience that yet. I love them and I am amazed at how much they listen to me.
Of course when it is time to do chores they bring out their evil personalities and I have to watch it or they bite… but, I am 10 years older… I bite harder! Hahaha…
Yesterday I took 5 of them to the park, and a couple cops drove by and the girls started yelling: “Help! Help! I am being kidnapped!” I felt like they would come and ask “where is the adult?” totally overlooking at me. Seriously, all of them weight more than me… That’s not hard is it?

Ah! Sad note: I lost my camera…if you could still call that a camera (?) I had it at the amusement park on Friday, and I don’t have it anymore… I don’t know when I lost it or if I got it stolen. It was a piece of crap already but I think that is exactly the only reason why I would miss it. That camera has been with me through a LOT. I don’t think it was worth any money. I had some great pictures of the girls on the rides… but thankfully I had downloaded everything else… it could have been a good piece for the museum of my life one day. Don’t you think? That is why now I’ll post a picture from my visit in May.

I think I am called to be here at this particular time, until the end of August. And I am SO thankful that I scheduled to come here for a month before I even got the job offer. It is just another time of many where I experience how God schedules my life perfectly without me knowing it. I have no idea where I will be at this time next year, but He does, and He lets me know just what I need to know. All I have to do is be ready to go for it and enjoy the ride!

I know this life is like a vapor in the wind, and though we have so much to do, that is exactly why God knows best where and when it will all happen and I have nothing to loose, therefore nothing to be anxious about.

I am starting to think that I will change the whole idea about coming to the Home.
There are a lot of needs here, but I know I am not called to do everything that needs to be done.

With the years, in my life I have learnt to just seek after God’s heart and trust that He speaks to me so I can tell where I am supposed to be. All I want to do is please His heart, and He has taught me that what’s in my heart is also in His heart! I used to have doubts about things I desired, but He has told me many times that the very reason why I want those things is because He wants (and has) that for me. Is early, maybe I am just mumbling in my writing, hehe, but this is how I feel… and we Latin people are ALL about emotions aren’t we?

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” Matthew 6:33
“…for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” Phil. 2:13

I went to Church last night and this verse really encouraged me!!

“The LORD turned to him (me?) and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel …Am I not sending you?” Judges 6:14

So… regardless of how I feel, I go! I mean.. I am here!
The decision about moving to Arequipa is still not clear yet, but I know God will make things clear on time. I am not patient at all, so, I am going to try to distract myself doing what I can for now and maybe I won’t realize that time is passing by and God will surprise me with His plan again!

We are done with my Church’s missions trip. We have an Iglesia Bíblica Emmanuel here in Arequipa and that is where I have been staying since I got here. The pastor lives in the second story and they gave me a room

We had around 160 people between 14 - 40 years old maybe. The trip was for the 3 youth ministries from my Church. (more…)