blessings and adventures

Well I am sitting at the Akron airport waiting for my flight to Alabama. I feel so blessed to be able to travel down to visit some of my dearest friends and have a chance to relax. God is really blowing me away with this trip. It's just at the right time, as my seasonal job just finished and when I get back my new position in the Off the Wall ministry will begin. He's giving me some refreshment before this new season I believe!

Most of you are probably wondering what this new ministry is all about and how I got to be involved. Well, I'm not sure.haha I know what the ministry is about and generally what I will be doing but as to how this all happened I have no idea. God is just moving. Off the Wall is a discipleship ministry that brings in interns to raise them up as Godly men and women, in every aspect of their lives. So far there are only male interns but soon we will have girl interns as well! Two of my closest friends will be discipling the girls that come in, hopefully this will be happening in May!

My position in the ministry will be programming. I will be working one on one with one of the leaders to plan the different events and help them get the little things done so they can get all the other stuff done. It's very vague at this point if you haven't noticed.haha

Until the girl interns come in I will be living in the house with my 2 friends, to help with commute time and the community aspect. We believe it is very important to have a strong community within the ministry so everyone learning to live together will produce even more discipleship and teach us how to lead even better.

Some prayer requests with this new adventure are:

*a part time job
*financial support
*good communication between us friends while living together
*a cheap apartment or living conditions (for after May)
*smooth transition into my new position.=

Thanks for all your prayers and interest in what God is doing through me.

Much love.

Well, I have to apologize that I seem to have fallen off the face of the earth for the last few months. Life has been a little crazy and throwing curve balls left and right. I'll start off by telling you that I am home now. After much prayer and many conversations with those I trust, I believe this is the right thing for this season. God has spoken very clearly to just keep waiting. I'm not sure if I'm even waiting for an opportunity. I am solely waiting for Him. Though waiting is hard it is also a very sweet season to rely so wholly on God.

Obviously I don't know what my next step is but there are many doors that have opened up since I've been home. I feel like there is a specific place God is going to be sending me, and the other opportunities are more distractions than true open doors. Please be praying for me as I seek God's heart in this matter. Also that I am able to keep my focus on God and not the next ministry opportunity. I mean, He is the whole reason I'm doing this right?!lol I just know that in seasons like this it is so hard to not focus on what's next when I get that comfortable feeling at home. ("comfortable" really isn't comfortable for me.)

At the moment I am in Florida with my family. We're about to go on a cruise and just have some quality time. I love being with my family. I have to say that every single one of my family has inspired me in some way. Especially the Gingerich's. This weekend has reminded me of how blessed I am to have a family that lives in such faith. I am blessed to have been raised by and with such amazing people. I am so blessed.

Everything Good and New

God knows how to really get to my heart. He knows that I love surprises and I love to see Him show up in ways that I could never expect. It amazes me that He really cares about that and takes the time to love me the way I really receive it.

There are many things changing right now. I think my life is in the same seasonal cycle as the weather. It's a good thing I love fall because I am about to truly live out this season of transition and change in ways I never expected.

I will keep you all updated as more details unfold with the changes in my life.

Mucho love.

Love is the Theme

Worship is what we are made for, and to worship is to love. Not just to love God directly but to love Him through loving everyone else. We are all called worshipers but do we truly know how to worship? If the greatest commandment is love and the meaning of our lives is to love...then we are to LOVE. But how do we love? How do we live like Christ, loving everyone? We are to come to God and love Him, be intimate on a level that we never knew possible. Then, with unveiled faces, live that relationship out with everyone we encounter. This is not just about loving those we find unlovable in our flesh but, also about loving those we love with a new passion, a new purity, and unconditionally.

If we all pursued the life of Christ, the love of Christ, those around us could not doubt who we are and would deal with the true issue in their hearts instead of masking it with blame of the church.

Reaching Out

The last few days have been a lot of work and a lot of fun. Since we are a training mission base we, as staff, get to host a lot of people that want to do ministry in the city but don't have much time to go out and do the ministry ourselves. We count ourselves blessed to serve in the way we do but LOVE when we get to go do ministry ourselves. On Monday we went out to Colonia Sinaloa and helped a lady by building a wall around her property. It was a lot of hard work and the guys definitely got their share of labor for the day!


After working in the colonia we headed over to our director, Brent's, house and cleaned because they have been gone for a few weeks. It was nice to be able to serve those that serve us on a daily basis!

Then yesterday we headed to an orphanage! This is one of my favorite places to go in Mazatlan. Though most of the kids weren't there because they were out for the day, we still had a lot of fun playing with the kids and giving the "mama" of the orphanage some time to get things done. While us girls played with the kids the guys got some of the outside work done for them. They don't have much time to do those things since there are only 6 workers for a total of 32 children! Spending some one on one time with the few children that were there gave me a new view of the needs of this orphanage. Though the women working there want to help the children as much as they can, they just can't give them the attention and help that they need. Most of these children have disabilities and need intense physical therapy every day to keep their bodies and minds functioning to their greatest capacity. They need many more workers at this orphanage to give the children the attention they need and also so the workers don't get so worn out. There are so many needs here but only God can fulfill them all. As I have been challenged to pray, I challenge you to pray with me! Some of these children can have normal lives if they just get the help they need...Pray for more workers, specialized workers, compassionate doctors, and finances to take care of these little ones.

Thanks for taking the time to join with me in prayer over this.

Much love.

Rapid Movements

Everything seems to be going by so fast the last while. Since the Freedom Immersion in Washington I've been able to really see everything with new eyes and I'm wondering if these new eyes see everything in fast forward! It's true that, when you're having fun, time flies by!

I have to admit that for a while I wasn't having fun, I wasn't enjoying life. I was living in this gray colored world that I let myself fall into...when I think about it, it seems like a very hopeless situation. BUT redemption and true freedom have brought the color back into my life! It's amazing how someone can live knowing redemption and freedom their whole life, but never truly lets them clear the ugliness of their flesh. It's like having an Oncologist for a best friend, struggling with fatal cancer your whole life but never letting him treat you. That isn't even the best example...because redemption and freedom cover EVERYTHING. Since my eyes have been opened and things seem to be moving faster I am finding that it is very easy to get back into the "normal" mindset from before. Redemption and freedom of us is an every day thing. Though Christ's blood covers everything we as fallen beings tend to get into patterns and have a hard time getting out of them. I have to wake up every morning and declare that I am redeemed and that the patterns of old aren't part of who I am. Through that is a deeper relationship with Christ that really makes the long term difference, that will make us Christ-like in the end.

2 Corinthians 3 has really got me passionate about being like Christ and truly seeking Him out. We are unveiled and glowing God's glory...but there is an action that we are to take. We are to "turn" towards the Lord. I don't have the exact Greek translation of what "turn" in that verse really means but to me it means seeking Him, it means letting everything He has done for us truly resonate in us so that it can be revealed through us. Being a Christian is a relationship journey and turning towards Christ is the biggest part, knowing that every day we have to say we are living for Him and seeking after His heart. Turning towards God is living in relationship with Him and letting Him lead us...knowing that nothing we do is pointless or a small step when He has told us to do it.

It's amazing how the same concepts that I have been learning about my whole life have completely new meaning when I see them through open eyes and a truly transformed heart.

Here are some pictures from my trip to Washington!

Joy

I am experiencing joy like I have never experienced if before. There is a new freedom in my life that I didn't think was possible. I feel more ready for God to guide me than I have before. And I still have a long way to go in a lot of different areas in my life. This life is about living for God not my own desires and things that I think I have a "right" to. I want more revelation of this...

That's all for now.

Gifts from Daddy

Well I am in Washington! God completely provided in amazing ways! I still need some money but He is so faithful. I even have my ticket to go back to Mazatlan already. I am just blown away by how God just blesses His children so much. It breaks my heart really because He is just so full of love and wants us to be fulfilled...this fact still amazes me.

So far this trip has just been the most amazing, God-filled trip I have ever taken. It has been very peaceful ever since yesterday morning when I got up to get ready for the airport. I had time to really get ready and look nice for the first time in the last...well, who knows how long. I'm such a girl sometimes...I just love doing my hair and wearing make-up! Anyway, throughout the day I would get these feelings of sickness but I would just ask God to take them away and they would go. Just like that. I am realizing how often I forget who my Father is and that He wants me to be whole and not sick. I just need to ask Him and He will take care of me. Granted, we do live in a fallen world and sickness is part of that...but that's a whole other topic. So then when I was checking in and getting my tickets there was a mishap and I got to fly first class on BOTH of my flights all the way to Tacoma! It blessed my heart so much. I've never flown first class and it was pretty nice. Then once I got here it was instant blessing again. The girls I am staying with are so sweet and generous! Tricia even had a bottle of Fiji water waiting for me in the car when I got in! The little things are what get me. Tricia and I had a great talk about their church and what God is doing in the Body right now and it is just getting me so excited! God is moving in mighty ways, preparing us for BIG things. I am so ready and I want to be a part of this.

I'm sure I will be updating more often this week as I will be learning great new things and getting even more excited about what God is doing.

A Clear View

Sometimes I wonder what it would truly be like to see through God's eyes. What would it be like to love the undeserving so unconditionally? How do you see an unjust situation and not find someone to judge? I understand that God is the ultimate judge but right now through the covenant of Jesus Christ all God sees is His Son. One of my favorite speakers (and good friend of mine) puts it bluntly and explains that we need to see each other and treat each other as though we see Jesus. To love each other with a respect and caring heart. What a challenge...though I am convicted to do this to the best of my ability I am realizing right now that the only way to do this is to spend more time with Jesus Himself. How do we see Jesus in others when we don't the detail of His character and heart. He loved us so deeply He truly gave up everything. Can you imagine interacting with someone with such a huge heart? Such an unconditional love? What revelation it would be to simply know someone like that...let alone have a beautiful relationship! I consider myself unbelievably blessed and completely blown away. I am so thankful for the way God is opening up my eyes right now.

In news about my life, there are a lot of things coming up in the very near future. One of my best friends getting married in September, a seminar in WA state this month, a family cruise in November, my roommates wedding in BC, Canada in late October...the list will probably go on forever as these things just keep popping up. Life seems to never slow down and I also seem to not be staying healthy. I still have no clue what is wrong with me! But it is all in God's hands. I trust Him fully with my life and my health comes with that.

My new position is going beautifully! I get to work with one of my dearest friends every day and it is such a blessing to be able to get input from the wisdom God has provided her. We not only get a ton of work done but God has blessed me with being able to process different things that He is teaching me and growing me in every day life.

The biggest lesson I could ever learn right now is about His grace and how deep His love goes. No matter what I could ever do or even think about doing He has already covered it! This is something that we all know...but for me it is truly clicking right now. I am understanding that love on a whole new level! It is so excited for me because I feel like there is a whole new world to view through these opened eyes. God is just so good to me.

Prayer Items:
Supporters- Since I am going to be starting a new year here (August starts my next term) my supporters are done with their season of giving to me and have chosen to not keep supporting me. I respect that a lot and know that they are going to be blessed so much for giving so generously. But I am now needing more support.
One time gifts- For the next few months I have many things to do outside of Mexico (fore mentioned events) and I need air fare and ways to pay for these things. Since support is my income this is the only way I have to pay for these things.
Health- Though I went home to get better this didn't necessarily happen. We eliminated quite a few possibilities and I actually started feeling a little better until now, while I am back in Mexico. I also know that traveling so much in the next few months is going to be hard on my body as well. But God is bigger than the bacteria that keep making me sick.
Rest- I need rest but I haven't been able to sleep much at all. (this could have something to do with me not feeling good all the time)

Please be praying with me about these things. Sometimes it is just easier when you know those you love are praying with you.

Love you all and good night.

A flame in my heart

I have found that I am just a very passionate person. I get excited about the great things and quite undeniably angry about the unjust ones. This blog is dedicated to something I find absolutely repulsive. Something that I want to see a difference in and hearts set on fire to fight for those being treated unfairly. There are children all over the world being trafficked (bought and sold like they are just some drug to get a fix) only to be raped and brutally beaten...these children should not have a price placed on their lives let alone have their childhood ripped from their hands. For many of these children, they lose their "value" once they are used for a certain amount of time and tossed in the garbage like a used up dirty rag doll. I hate to be so harsh in what I say but it is how they are viewed in the eyes of their kidnappers. There are some that are kept and used for farther prostitution as they grow but rarely see the sunlight. Some children in Russia do not even make it through their first hour of life because they are kidnapped from the hospital for use of their organs in different nations around the world. I know many of you have heard plenty about this, but for those of you who haven't I want to challenge you to research this, to find out what you can do to help. There are many easy ways to help organizations save the lives of these children. For those of you who know about this already I challenge you to dig deeper, to let the passion of saving their lives set aflame in your hearts once again.

I've known about this for a very long time now and have been praying about what my part is in saving these children's lives...but I am finally seeing that it starts here. I am going to try to do my part in letting those I love and care about be aware of the injustice happening around the world. Please be praying for those who are working with the prevention and abolition of these horrible acts.

There are many organizations working to restore these children and abolish the trafficking but my suggestion is to start researching love146.org It is an organization that many of my friends and I have become very aware of and is leading many different movements in saving the lives of these children.

Praise God for the lives we are able to live and the freedom we experience every day! I hope this awareness refreshes your view of life and the blessings God has given you.

Love you all.

Where Did Neverland Go?

Everyone is growing up. A lot of my friends are getting married or having babies. This year is the year that is marking new territory for many of my loved ones. I'm realizing that I fit in this category as well. I'm barely squeezing in but I am definitely growing up. Though I am not engaged and definitely NOT pregnant, I am being placed in leadership, being stretched, and going to the next level on all my gifts and passions. God is placing more responsibility on my shoulders and I am learning what to do with it. The hardest thing is knowing that nothing is going to be the same. I love change but I would like for the things I am moving from to stay the same...yes, I am very selfsh. I just want my lost boys to stay lost and not have babies!haha As in the movie Hook I would like to move on and become that business woman but when I come back to neverland everything is the same. In my neverland tale I wouldn't forget my lost boys though. I would visit often. With all of this nonsensical talk I am just saying that I never want to say bye. Like I said before, I am selfish.

God is ridding that in my life though. Teaching me how to cherish friendships but not hold on. To give Him glory even when I don't know how to say my farewells (in most cases my, "see you laters"). So in line with my life lesson for the day...Farewell Neverland. Hello today.

My favorite part is that in my Neverland, my lost boys are growing with me and I will see them very soon. Never saying good bye, because we are all living for the same purpose. We are all found by the same one that is teaching us how to live in glory.

As our ministry is growing we are needing to expand our resources! It's really exciting to see God provide the things we need and the creative way things come in. There are a few things God has challenged us as staff to raise money for. We've turned it into a fun little competition. We are in 4 groups; air conditioning, shade (for our eating area), bunk beds, and vans. Most of these things are to accommodate our visiting teams and Homes of Hope teams. We have so many people coming in this summer so they're all necessities for the next couple months. The team I am on is raising money for the vans! It's exciting because this is the project that requires the most money. We are seeing our faith stretched to different limits. I would like to invite you guys to be a part of our team. We need prayer teammates and people that know people. We are really looking for people to donate the vans or to give us a good discount. If we buy the vans in the States then it will cost $3,000 just to bring them across the border. I mainly want you guys to pray with me about this because we really need them but, if you know anyone that has a generous heart and a 12 passenger van let me know.

With other news, I am coming home! I'm really excited about it though my main reason to come home is to go to the doctor. I've been sick and I'm finally going to be getting better! This will also give me a break so I can rest a bit before the busy summer starts and gets crazy. If you are from Ohio and want to get together and chat just let me know!

Covered in Feathers

<sup>One of my most common struggles is fear. What do I have to fear? Nothing. But I still struggle and I still need to be reminded of who my Father is. Harmony (a good friend and mentor of mine) told me to read Psalm 91 a couple times a day until I have a better understanding of who God is as my protector, and just reading it a couple times this morning has blown me away.
In every way possible He protects us. He allows us see what happens to the wicked in the world but keeps us from any harm they could do. We have to choose to be protected. I have to choose to trust Him and trust how mighty He is. In verse 1 it says, "Those...will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty," that word "Almighty" is Shaddai in Hebrew. Though Wikipedia is not always reliable, I found a definition of Shaddai on there that I really like.

Shaddai- a form of the grammatical plural of excellence; commonly used in the phrase 'El Shaddai' (omnipotent divinity).

Not only is God a protector He is excellent at what He does. He has every angle covered and He is divine. He is beautiful while He protects. The phrase "omnipotent divinity" opens my eyes to a different view of God, so holy and so beautiful. He chooses to protect me and I choose to love and trust Him. It's quite the Cinderella story. God chooses me, covered in rags, to be His princess because He only sees what He has made me to be, the image of His son (beautiful, perfect, pure, holy, and compassionate). What wonderful revelation to know my Protector protects me because He loves me. I know this revelation seems so obvious to most people but to me it's life changing and I feel like my eyes are being opened to see colors brighter and more clear.</sup>


Psalm 91
¹ Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
³ For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
⁵ Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
⁶ Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
⁷ Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
⁸ Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.

⁹ If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
¹⁰ no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
¹¹ For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
¹² They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
¹³ You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

¹⁴ The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
¹⁵ When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
¹⁶ I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”

My Thoughts for the Night

Tonight was a good night. Most of the DTS leaves tomorrow for outreach so we had a commissioning dinner for them. A Brazilian soup and yummy sweet and sour chicken were on the menu. After the long time of setting up, serving, and then cleaning up the dinner 2 of my friends and I went to applebees to just get away for a little bit. We definitely enjoyed our boneless buffalo wings, it's a rare occasion to enjoy such a delicacy here.haha After a mini girls night we went and hung out with a couple of our friends and now I am just relaxing before I go to bed. It's amazing how much I need to wind down after every day, no matter how late it is.

My most recent thoughts have been about relationship. My friends mean the world to me but what am I willing to do for them? What does it mean to really be a good friend? I suppose I've been there for my friends when they need the most and I would jump on a plane in a second if they needed me now, but what about the small things? The small things count the most, at least that's what I've been told, and I rarely do those small things. A little text here and there yeah, but do I keep them updated on my life and where my heart is. Not like I would if I was there with them. I need quality time and I'm realizing it is so selfish of me to define friendship by quality time because I don't have that time to spend with people anymore. True friendship is much deeper than the times we are physically in the same place sharing our hearts. True friendship can surpass the boundaries. I have those friendships because I have amazing friends. No matter what the distance my friends are constantly there for me. I appreciate them more than I could every explain. I am so blessed. And that's just with my friends. I am also blessed with the greatest family. We all have our quirks but I love us so much. They are a treasure that I don't deserve in the least. I'm really mushy right now, I'm not sure why, but I just wanted to share my thoughts.

I've also been seeking after God. That sounds so obvious because of what I've chosen to do with my life right now but I'm finding the real meaning of that. I am determined to understand what it means to seek after God. Seeking is not just a desire, seeking is putting action to the longing in my heart to know God deeper. But what does the action of seeking God look like? What is strategic in seeking God? What part of Him does He want me to seek after right now? I think I am to seek after His character at the moment. Take initiative to study and live through His heart and get some understanding of His love. I really want to take time out of life to study. To dedicate a certain amount of time to really find what it means for us to live like Christ, to understand the Kingdom more clearly. I love learning and I want to be knowledgable about my King.
Well, I am exhausted now. It is entirely too late.
Good night everyone.
In Love,
Tasha

Picture Post!

I just wanted to give you all a visual of what's going on here. Sorry I don't keep up with pictures more often. I hope you enjoy!

Trip Home before Christmas


Grandpa and I in his new room

Autumn Rose and I

Making Christmas candies!

SNL at the cafe

Masquerade!
New Years Eve Party at the Madsen House

Everyone made their own mask

Engagement Party-
Treasure Island Theme

Night Out at Allegro

Lupis and I eating the best cheesecake! Yum!

Valentine's Day Breakfast

The Jan. DTS guys made breakfast for all of us girls! ...they even dressed in white.

Carnaval Outreach

Preparation for the beauty salon

Carnaval worship

Brenda's Birthday Party

Birthday girl and I

Surprise Bridal Shower for Arey!

Surprise Arey!!!

the winning team :-)

Skate Ministry