Joram’s Day!

The beginning of February we welcomed a new STINTer to Mexico City. Joram is from Holland. He is officially our first International STINTer outside of the USA. He is also a great addition to our team! He exemplifies a willingness to learn the Spanish language, a positive attitude and a love for God. He also amazes us with his gifts /talents that God has lovingly poured in his life. One of his major skills is having the ear for music and languages. For his special 23rd birthday, he came to our home for dinner, dessert, and entertainment! We played some HILARIOUS games and for our last treat Joram serenaded us with awesome Dutch songs as he walked out the door!

Valentine's Day Bliss!!

Honestly, Valentines Day is a sweet joy not that there is a significant person in my life to spoil me crazy, but the fact that LOVE is in the air. As this Valentines day was nearing this year, I had plans to attend Katie’s birthday party, with nothing else in mind for this special day. However, I had a sense, a touch, a special inclination from God that softly spoke in my heart that said something like, “Remember me. I am your first love. I am the one who wants to show you my love. Spend time with me, the Lover of your Soul. There will be no other who will satisfy your heart desire as I will.” This brought a smile to my face…I truly began to feel giddy. So I chose Feb. 14, 2009 to spend time with God, to go on a “date” with God. I must say it was a real treat! I truly felt loved! This is how this day occurred. Woke up with a smile and prayed for His presence and love to be ever so real this day. I took a nice long spa, meditating on His Word and singing some. Just relaxing... I then fancied myself up. When one truly take the time to look good, your entire being looks and feels good! I then invited my roommate, Mandy to go on the date with me traveling the town. It is better with two or three join together, simply to share the wonderful blessings during this day. We prayed together as we walked, simply talking to God as if He was right there with us! …long story short….Our Valentines Day was just a beautiful reminder that He is always with us, who loves and blesses those who truly seek to spend time with the Lover of our Soul. But why wait for next Valentines Day to experience God’s love? When will you set the time to go on a “date” with your heavenly loving perfect God?

Late but still GREAT! :-)

Kind of feelings left out a little? Please forgive my tardy blog. A lot has been happening and it has just been a busy mess…but Thank God it is getting straightened out each day, one piece at a time. Here are some new brief updates that occurred!

12/23-1/11/2009
Back at home for the holidays! It was a blessing to be back in the states! Sometimes I think that my dearly loved family and friends don’t really miss me since I don’t hear much of them. However, it goes the other way around too, where I don’t really send out ‘hello’s’ much to my dear friends and family as I’d like. It was truly a treat though to see many in such a short time! For those who I met and hung out with, I thank you for your precious time and kind uplifting words. They are as precious jewels to me. Thank you!
I think something that was noticeable for my family, friends and for myself is the fact that even if I may be gone for four months or more, I am still the same person – Melissa. I still carry my same genes and personalities. I do hope though to change and become more like Christ, but even through that I am still the flesh that I was born with.

12/28-1/1/09
I went to the Winter Conference in San Diego to share about Mexico City to university students. There were about 700 students there. Praise God for the hearts of university students to take that step of faith to attend a conference away from home, to be encouraged and challenged in their faith with God. I truly believe God spoke to me in his quietness about the sole story I had about Mexico and all that He is doing. I felt honored and highly responsible to share my story to these students as much and as often as I can! So then…back at home…

1/1-1/10
Whenever and however I could share my story I took that chance! I never done this before, but because of my love for Mexico and the awesome things that God did, I felt that this story would glorify His name and so I shared. Through a PowerPoint presentation, I shared my team, the vision, pictures of Mexico and stories and events that took place for just those four months! It was awesome! God provided the words to speak and the excitement to share!

1/11-1/22
From Mexico City straight to Cuernavaca (2 hrs away) I left to study Spanish and connect with new teammates; Colby and Chris. Colby is from North Carolina and Chris is from New Jersey! They both are awesome people with hearts for the students in our Language School. Whenever we had the opportunity, we shared our love, our views and even set up a couple Bible Studies! It was such an great time and a perfect place to rest a little prior to Mexico City!

1/23-Present
Back in Mexico (D.F) City! Excited and ready to begin the New Year! The first week was a week of relaxing and catching up with what was left, organizing, and spending GREAT quality time with God! It has been such an remarkable time learning about the Love God has for me and the ‘heart’ matter!

Enfoque Mexico then had a HUGE reunion meeting for students and staff to share about Mission Acapulco! We had around 55 students arriving! What a great time to connect again to share love and to encourage to come to this life-changing conference! Honestly, we are hoping to have around 500 people to show up! Can we make it? I don’t know, but please pray for us! I know that when students come together to worship God and center their time in His presence God will do BIG thing in their hearts! Please pray for this event!

The following week was team preparation and growth! We now have two new STINTers in our group – Ale and Sandra! They finished raising up support, YIPPPEEE! This week we really spend a good chunk of time learning about our gifts, personalities and goals for this team so that we can be unified as a body of believers serving and living for the Lord to increase His Kingdom!

And now the mission is on Go! Go and Share, Go and Tell!

Please pray for God’s guidance for there is TONS we can do, but if it isn’t what God desires or wills for us, it will just be a matter of wasting time! May we Hear His leading and guiding voice!

“For You are great, and do wonderous things; You alone are God. Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore”

(Psalms 86:10-12)

A Hit To The Heart

To my dear friends and family,

I am on a journey, a journey called Life. I believe you too would say that your life is a journey for we are never or should we ever be completely satisfied with exactly where we are at. I pray that on your journey you are learning and growing in your relationship with God. He will help you as you open your heart, being transparent with Him….I know this, because of my experience….Let me share with you something that God is really sharing light to.

If I never have shared it with you my name, Melissa, in Greek means Honeybee. As a joke, I tell myself and others that I am sweet yet with a sting. I think I still carry that idea to this day…hoping the sting will diminish away. Another part of being the “honeybee” is the busyness. Please forgive me first of all for saying or excusing myself off from enjoying your presence with the excuse for being busy. This is my big weakness to this day. I know now where it roots from.

Busyness roots from deep within my very being– searching for self…for my identity here on this earth. A question we ask ourselves – or should someday face is “What is the purpose of my life? What should be the satisfying end goal?” I wonder what you would say. Mine has been in the mix of personal goals such as becoming well-taken care of, being a godly woman of God so people can see. I also sought to someday have a family, to be desirable for my future husband, to love and be loved, to have children (if that is what God so desires), to have a place I can have a home to care and protect. Then I find myself trying to achieve academic goals for my future career. I wanted to aim to get the BA maybe a Master in Elementary Education, to have a Minor in Spanish or at least be considered bilingual. Will there be an end? Will I be ever satisfied? I am not saying having goals is a bad thing, I’m just saying is that what you focus in search for your identity? For I have found my very identity as being synonymous with activity. Wouldn’t you agree? When someone ask tell me about yourself, who are you? Wouldn’t you share what you do? Wouldn’t you identify yourself as a student? An employee of some job? Wouldn’t you label yourself as that? I know the American culture has infected me with the worth of my self is based on my performance of what I do or know how to do? Wouldn’t you agree?

We alls search for something deep within our hearts. We all search to satisfy this deep longing inside of purpose/meaning. For this is such an aching in my heart. Even as Christians, we have found God, but seek more when that “satisfaction” doesn’t seem strong enough. We think we need more Bible studies, more time in prayer. We find ourselves praying for God to “do” this, or for him to help us “do” – a bit on the surface of our skin rather than any deep place within wouldn’t you say? Oh how this is a battle that rages from within me in experiencing life not as a passion, but as burdensome, heavy, and exhausting.

Do you want to know what your purpose is? It really isn’t that difficult, but I bet at least once in your life we have forgotten what it may be. Let’s look to the Word and see if there is any answers to the question about our purpose in life…
_ 1 John 5:11-12 = And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
_ Col 3:3 = For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
_ John 17:3 = Now this is eternal life : that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

The Answer: “To know God and enjoy knowing him forever”

Do you want to know God? Or KNOW God?

BAD NEWS: Let me stop here for I have already written a page – If you desire to read of KNOWING God, let me know…if not check out the book that has been the light for my blind eyes The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis & John Eldredge.

I do this only because I don’t know where you are at in your desire, in your thirst for God…it really isn’t my concern, but because you are God’s chosen people, one whom he has called to Himself, I care about your heart. I want you to live and do what you were called, purposed to do, “To know God and enjoy Him Forever.”

Thank you for your time,
May God challenges you and teach you more as you journey in this road called Life.
With much love!

Melissa Huerta

Blessed with Friends

Ending off a really good year! As I look back to the past four months, I honestly am humbled by what God has been doing in my life, in the ministry and the people here! The more we connect/dive into His Word, God will provide and take care of the rest. He knows our hearts and will divinely connect us EXACTLY where we need to go! I sincerely want to do HIS will, not my own. Thank you for your prayers! I believe that because of those prayers, the stronghold of Satan is weakening! Keep it up!

Here are some of the many people I met, connected and love!

La Superior de Education Fisica

I can’t believe the movements, the blessings that are coming from this school. Let’s rewind, just before Passion (in October) we had no connection. The following Saturday, after passing flyers out in Passion for students who wish to make a movement in their school, we met up at Candelaria. Here we received contact information from a girl name Laura and Ivan. In about a week, both Laura and Matias (a student who was not able to come that Saturday) decided that it was time to form a Christian group so they posted posters announcing the first meeting. One could have gotten discouraged after noticing that each poster was taken down during that entire week or when two professors came that Tuesday morning claiming the study to be an illegal activity in a government held school. However, Matias and Laura pursued in their meetings. God is at work in ESEF! It is amazing to see the growth!

Now, December, three months later, their group is getting stronger and recognized throughout their campus by students and professors! First, a Catholic professor fought for their studies since it teaches good morals. Then the open accessibility of a classroom for each meeting was provided. Another professor connected with the group, turned out that he is actually a youth pastor at his church.

Matias and Laura has been pouring out ideas to reach their campus. On Dia de Los Muertos, they actually used the idea of UNAM by setting up the room with dead people’s pictures, and in the center a mirror representing that we are dead without Christ. Then on culture week, they actually set up my dream of recreating the skit called “Everything.” They had a chance to present it at their school two times and at a church. Through it, students were touched! So many wonderful stories have been shared about these events. Just the other day, another professor, arrived at their Tuesday meeting and shared his testimony about how God has freed him from addiction to drugs and alcohol. That he was empty and lost without God and now he is free, enjoying each day with peace and love!
I sit in awe of how God did the work! He guided their steps! I just sat on the sidelines. What a blessing to be a part of God’s work, watching how He produces the good fruit as we diligently seek after Him!

Last Reunion of Leaders

12/6/08

All Enfoque teams had a student leader meeting and worship at the California-6 house in Mexico City. There was about 65 college believers together and animated, connected and encouraged in their ministry to share Jesus! It was great!! I could not believe how God has provided so many willing and ready! We ate, chatted, prayed together, shared the vision, invited students to Acapulco and enjoyed each other's company.

Some quick stories!
One guy from Claustro just accepted Christ the day before. He came to the group meeting to learn of our ministry and not only was given a Bible to read, but saw the love and the impact God has in our team. What a blessing for him to begin connecting already as he begins his journey in this new adventure with Christ.
One guy from another school, Pedro, who I had met during a parade, also came. He didn’t know anyone one so he invited a friend to come along. There he connected with Darren, one of the California-6 guys, and they are actually going to plan to meet up for a little fiesta this Friday to connect. Pray for him. I know that there may be some fears in making a movement in a school which he claims is very “not-Christian.” I know that with Darren, he will not only be encouraged by challenged in his walk! I am excited to see what will come from there!
So many people came!! I am again thankful for all your prayers! This is what ministry is about… loving people with God’s love, sharing the truth, connecting them with other Nationals so that they are challenged to step up in faith and live OUT LOUD for God!