The Help of God
Sharing the love of Jesus
Peace in the Storm
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
The command found in the first part of this verse is definitely easier said than done. Anxiety and fear have become very common parts of our society on every social level, among every race, gender, and age. How do we react to the unexpected storms we must weather throughout life? More often than not, we start biting our nails, worrying incessantly about our situation, and trying to figure out how to “fix it”. However the Bible counsels us to try a different approach. When life gets tough and we hit bumps (or pits that seem like black holes) in the road, our best hope is to turn to the only One who has real control over all things.
As many of you know, we are only a short time away from meeting our second son, who could come any day now. What many of you do not know is that we had a bit of a “scare” a few weeks ago. I had some symptoms that made me think I was just getting a cold (low-grade fever, headache, and achy bones) until a rash popped up a couple days later. And then that rash spread all over. I called and made an appointment with the doctor that Monday and was told it was probably something viral, but they said they would test me for multiple things, “just in case”. I got a call Wednesday afternoon telling me I tested positive for Zika and they had already scheduled me with a Maternal Fetal specialist in Harlingen for the next day. I wish I could say that I didn’t worry, but I know that wouldn’t fool anyone. As a human being, and especially a mother expecting a child, the fear of the unknown can bring on a feeling of panic. I thank God for my wise and supportive husband, who’s first response was, “Let’s pray.” He reminded me to turn my thoughts to God and not to allow the news to get me worried. It was a tiring couple of weeks with doctor visits almost every other day and emotionally draining due to the uncertainty of everything, but the entire time I had an incredible sense of peace, and I know it is a peace that only God can provide. We still don’t know if I actually had Zika or not, because the follow-up confirmation test (which came back negative) was not done in a timely fashion, so what they tell me is that it’s still possible I had Zika but it was out of my system by the time the second test was done. Or it was just dengue or West Nile that gave a false positive for Zika. This is so new that they don’t have the tests available to determine if you have been exposed in the past, they only have the ability to see if you have it now. They have done two advanced ultrasounds to measure and check everything you could possibly imagine with the baby, and by the grace of God everything looks perfect! The specialist told me that he saw nothing to be concerned about, to which I was able to respond, “I know. God’s in control and has been protecting this baby since Day 1.” We thank God for this experience because we know God has been using it to strengthen our faith and to teach us to trust Him with the unknown. When the baby is born he will still have to undergo testing to see if he has been infected with Zika, but we know that regardless of the outcome, God is in control, He is Lord, and He knew about this well before we did. It’s up to us to trust the unknown to our God who is and can be known, our God who is sovereign and good, our God who has great plans for this precious baby. We thank you for your prayers, love, and support as we anxiously await the arrival of blessing #2! :)
On a different note, despite being absent due to doctor visits and other scheduling conflicts, we have seen numbers go up at the mission! We average between 15-20 adults and 25-35 kids every Friday at our small group and we hit just over 60 (combined total) at our October birthday celebration for kids and adults who had birthdays over the last couple months! God is doing great things in the neighborhood and we are blessed to be a part of it. We ask for your prayers, that God will send help as the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. We are in need of more people to help, especially for classes in the upcoming weeks as we will be taking care of a new baby and adapting to changes in our family dynamics. Please pray that God will send the right people who have a heart to serve and love on these kids and their families. God has also been opening doors for us in ministry and we ask that you help us pray for direction and guidance, that we make decisions according to God’s will and not our own.
Thank you again for your love and support, and above all, for keeping our family in your prayers. We hope you know that you have our unending gratitude and appreciation! May God bless you and your loved ones!
In Christ,
Eleazar, Drisana, Elliam, and baby Garza
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- Praying with the adults at our small group.
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- Kids’ lesson at small group.
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- Getting ready for a drama we did for parents.
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- New play set built by Eleazar!
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- Weekly classes!
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- Weekly classes!
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- Praying for birthday boys/girls over last few months.
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- Small group.
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- Baby Garza :)
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