Jesus Calling

 A friend told me that I should get this little devotion book a while ago and my mom has sent me numerous facebook messages with the contents for the day attached, but it wasn't until I went home in May that I actually saw the book in real life.  My mom gave me her copy before I came back to Guatemala because it had encouraged me so much in so little time.  So I have been reading it every morning (or evening when I don't have the time in the AM) and EVERY DAY God speaks to me through the words of the devotion.  Seriously, sometimes I feel like the author asked God what Susan Fidler would be going through on that very day before she wrote the words.  All this to say that I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone.  It is called Jesus Calling and it is written by Sarah Young.  Part of today's devotion says:

Rest in Me, my child.  Give your mind a break from planning and trying to anticipate what will happen.  Pray continually, asking My Spirit to take charge of the details of the day.  Remember that you are on a journey with Me.  When you try to peer into the future and plan for every possibility, you ignore your constant Companion who sustains you moment by moment.

God, Thank you for this reminder.  Help me and everyone else who reads this to keep in mind that we are on a journey with you that requires us to relinquish OUR control and constantly seek You.  Thank you for your faithfulness!!!

Wedding Update

 Hello everyone!  I hope this update finds you well and enjoying your summer!  We have been BUSY over the past month and I can't believe how fast it has flown by.  First let's go back to May.  What an emotional month!  All in all it was a month of God showing His faithfulness, even though OUR plans didn't come out like we thought.  I got to go home for a week in May for more of a business minded trip so that I could get paperwork and fingerprints done so that our wedding here in Guatemala can be legal.  While I was home I got to spend some wonderful time with friends and family.  I also had a time of huge blessings on May 15th (which would have been the wedding day) where my mom and sisters hosted a bridal shower for me.  I loved seeing so many familiar faces and hearing so many encouraging words from the ladies in my life.  I also got to spend some good quality time with my girls, Layne, a pregnant Denise, and a very pregnant Erin.  It was a wonderful trip home and I was so blessed by my time with everyone. 

 Then I came back to Guatemala to prepare for outreach with the Discipleship Training School I have been working with since February.  We went to Puerto San Jose, which is where the wedding is going to be.  It was a time where God moved in the ministries and it was amazing.  I thought that we would have some time to be able to make some wedding plans, but really the only thing that we got done was finding a place (which is a big deal, but I was hoping to get even more done.) The place we found is gorgeous, right on the beach, and has housing for my mom, my dad, and Carol and Mikayla Feil who will all be coming to Guatemala for the wedding.

Now we are back at the base in Guatemala City for a few days rest before we go to another outreach location for two weeks.  This will be my last part of the outreach with the school, since I will only have two weeks afterward to plan the wedding.  I am feeling the stress of it all for sure, especially financially.  There are so many little details that take money and it all adds up. 

I would like to as you all to be praying for Mario and I as we go through this time.  It is an exciting time of new things, but it can also be a time of stress.  We are trying to enjoy it and take it all in, but there are times where seeing the big picture can be so very overwhelming.  Please pray for these things:

-That our paperwork process here in Guatemala would go quickly and smoothly so that we can have our civil and religious ceremony together (without the paperwork and the civil ceremony, we can't have a religious ceremony)

-That the funds that we need to complete the wedding plans would come in time to be able to do everything we need to do.

-That our relationship would grow stronger as we prepare for this new step in both of our lives

Thank you very much for your prayers.  Also, if you feel that you would like to help us out financially with the wedding, please let me know and I will send you more information on how to make that possible. 

We are so thankful to have such wonderful family and friends in our lives!!!