Ministry Updates!

Hey Friends!!
I know its been a while and I'm sorry about that!!!
Its been a busy month and I am so excited about what God is doing.  This is going to be a longer post so bear with me please!!!

Here are some things that have been going on:

Mi Tesoro Especial Girls Home
Since I got here, our team has been praying about a ministry that we could involve ourselves in.  We were looking for a childrens home/orphanage and we really wanted to find one that was run by Guatemalans.  Our heart is to support the work of the local people here and raise up leaders here in Guatemala. After checking out some homes, talking to some folks, and praying, the Lord led us to Mi Tesoro Espcial (My Special Treasure). Mi Tesoro Especial is a girls home run by a christian Guatemalan couple who have 3 children of their own and felt led by the Lord to open up a home for adolescent girls.  They rent a property in a town called Chimaltenango, which is about a 35-45 minute drive from where we live.  Its not a huge space, but big enough for them for right now.  Currently, they have 11 girls in the home, ages 10-17.  Most have come from abusive homes, or had been living in the streets before they got to the home. 2 of the girls are there temporarily until January, then they will be transferred to another home as Mi Tesoro Especial can really only comfortably house 8.  Currently, the home is only supported by an organization called Orphan Resources International.  They provide staple food items once a month, and occasionaly help financially.  Their other income is rent that the directors recieve from the house they own, and occasional one-time donations.  Orphanges here do not recieve any support from the government. Needless to say, they still have some needs!  Carol and Cesar (the directors, house parents, spiritaul leaders, care givers, cooks, etc....) have done an excellent job with these girls but are aware of the fact that help is needed.  Last month, we met with Carol and Cesar and discussed some ideas we had about some ways we would like to serve them.  I wish you could have seen the way their eyes lit up when we told them we wanted to work with them!

In January, we are going to start teaching English to the girls.  This will help them in many ways...because they are teenagers, most are just a few years away from aging out of the system.  The parents are committed to keeping them in the home as long as they need to be, however, learning English will help them get jobs (being bi-lingual can open many doors here and expand their choices).

They have a nice sized spaced in the back where we would like to help them plant and grow a vegetable garden.  This way they could grow their own vegetables which should lhelp them with the cost of food.

We also want to do some jewelry making with the girls.  We'd like them to learn how to do that on their own so they could sell it and help provide income for the home.  We'd like to be able to provide ways for them to have opportunities to become self sufficient.  Victoria (my roommate and partner in crime here!) have been looking at different ways to make cool jewelry with some recycled items.  We've seen some pretty cool things, we just need to learn how to make them so we could teach the girls!!  So if you have any ideas or suggestions, I'd love to hear them!!  :)

Those projects are all for the new year.  In the meantime, we wanted to get to know the girls and start building relationships with them.  So, last week, we went to the girls home to have a "fun day" with them.  We had a couple here from the States that were here on a missions trip and we took them along!  It was a great day and we really got to know the girls and hear their stories!

Next month, we are going to have a Christmas party with them.  We will be taking everything we need to make Christmas cookies and will bake and decorate with them and just continue to develop our relationships with them.  We are hoping to have gifts for all of them as well.

I am so excited about working with these girls.  I know God is going to do amazing things!  I also believe working at the home is going to open some doors to work with the rest of the community.  And those of you that know me well know my heart for community development!!!! So thats exciting!

Some of the girls during our fun day!



Girls dormitory...a Canadian team came this past summer and built this for them...the girls painted the outside





Bathroom and shower....there is one out here and one inside...for 11 girls!!




Backyard area where we would like to build a garden


MK Youth Group.....Now called "Outlanders Youth Group"
Working with the MK youth has been an incredible experience for me. The kids are great and alot of fun.  One thing that I noticed and more so recently, is that although these kids are the children of missionaries, go to a christian school, and are inundated with christianity, no one (at least for a good percentage of them) is really ministering to them.  For many of them, this is the only "youth group" they know, and I'm convinced that most of them, don't even fully understand that.  Doing youth group here is so different than from what I know in the States, but God is giving me such a burden for these teens.  As a team, we are trying to challenge them and most imprtantly, create an enviornment for them where they can have true, deep encounters with God.  I believe that God is stirring something in these teens...I can see it and that makes me excited! This past weekend, they had a lock in that was sponsered by the school.  Victoria and I were asked to be sponsers and unfortuanlaty we couldn't go and stay because we had to leave at 5am the next morning to minister somewhere else (more on that later).  However, Vicotria was asked to give her testimony (early in the schedule, so we could go) and I went with her because I really wanted to go and pray with the students.  She gave her testimony and a word of encouragement.  She then asked who needed prayer and so many students raised their hands.  It was such a privallage for me to be able to pray for them.  My desire is that when they leave the field to go to college or to go back to the States, or wherever, that they can say...."I encountered God in Guatemala like never before!" 

Visitors from the States
Last week, we had some guests come ans stay with us.  Victoria has a friend from high school who wanted to come on a missions trip with her husband.  They came specifially for the skate ministry since her husband is an avid skater.  Last year, they had been praying for an oppurtunity for a trip, and thought....it would be even cooler if there was a ministry that had something to do with skating (they had no idea skate ministries existed!).  The next day they recieved Victorias newletter which talked about Altitud (Altitude,the skate ministry John founded here).  A year later, they came and were able to do some skate ministry themselves.  It was an awesome time and we got to see God work in Josh and Rebecca's life while they were here.

During their stay, we went up to Coban (about 4 hours north) where it was cold!!!! I felt like I was in Chicago again!!!  Ok, well it was only cold the first day! Anyway, there is a missionary that lives up there who started a skate ministry about a year ago.  We were able to spend some time there.  Josh shared his testimony with the skaters and Josh and Rebecca blessed one of the skaters with a brand new skateboard. 

Josh sharing his testimony with the skaters

Skaters who came up for prayer

We also, went to the girls home with them, visited the National Cemetary, took them to see the city dump, and then we spent a few days at the Skater of the Year event (an event put on by Altitud every year).  Josh was one of the judges and blessed the winners with some skate hardware, and some decks (yup, Im learning the skate lingo!!!).  It was a fantastic time with them and I look forward to seeing what God will do with their lives.

Ministry in Mazantenango
Yesterday, we had the oppurtunity to minister at a youth conference in Mazantenango.  Mazantenango is about 3 hours away and close to the coast, so it was nice and hot!!  :)  The weather here can change from one city to the next because of the difference in altitude.  I love living here!!
Anyhow, there were about 200 youth there from different Assemblies of God churches.  During the first session, John conducted a workshop for the leaders and Victoria and I "tag teamed" a sermon.  It was my first time preaching in spanish!  God helped me!  We spoke about being a witness for Christ, no matter the cost.  Many times, we say "I would give my life for God if someone put a gun to my head" and that may be true, but are we willing to give up things in our daily life to be a witness for Christ.  Are we willing to give up our time, relationships, our popularity?  We challenged the youth at the end and many of them came to the front.  We were able to pray with many teenagers and we were blessed by it.  In the second session everyone stayed together.  John preached a very powerful word and many students came up to recieve the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Its so exciting for me to see God move in the lives of teens!

Preaching the Word



Victoria challenging the youth!



Church we ministered at...has been under construction for 4 years

Next week in Thanksgiving and I am looking forward to that......the day after....no black Friday here....just black sand....we are going to the beach!!!  Thats right...be jealous!!!  Now that wasn't very godly huh!!!  Im just teasing! 

God is doing incredible things here in Guatemala, every day.  Not just through our ministries, but through ministries all over the country.  These last 2 weeks I have gotten to hear about what God is doing in so many places throughout the country...from Coban to Xela.....from the countrysides to the inner city slums...God is moving!!!

Praise Reports
God has provided and I have a vehicle.  Its a Honda CRV (or as my BFF Madelynn would say...a Cicely Rosario Vehicle) and she is great....its a girl and I still need a name....I'll take suggestions
It was really a blessing because it was in my price range, and the seller told me if anything went wrong withing the first month or so, he would fix it at no charge (thats unheard of here!!!!)  God is good!!!

I'm so thankful for the way God is moving in the youth group here....

God has kept me safe......I have been close to shootings and I have seen car accidents that had we been there 5 minutes sooner, it would of been us! Thank God we were stopped by the traffic police (just routine stops..we didn't do anything wrong!) who kept us from getting there right when the accident happened...
God has shown himself to be my protector

Prayer Requests

Please continue to pray for our team (John, Dina, Victoria, and myself).  Pray that God would lead us in everything we do and for continued safety

Our ministry at the girls home

Financial support...currently my support has dropped almost 30%...Please pray that God would provide in abundance!

Also, some of you may know that before I left, I had this abscess on my leg that became very painful and eventaully, I had to go to the ER, have an incession done to drain it...It was not big, but it was all very painful. Well, lately, I have seen signs of the same thing on the same leg.....I literallt lay hands on myself and pray that they don't grow to the point of me having to go to the hospital.  Its worked!  Now there is another one starting to come out.  Theres no rhyme or reason to them, but apparently once you get one, you are prone to get them more....Please pray that they just stop coming up.

I know I say this in every email and blog, but thank you all sooo much for your prayers and support.  I can't say it enough. I feel so incredibly blessed to have the support that I do!  I love you all! 

Pa Lante y Pal Cielo!!!
Cece

Support:

If you would like to make a donation in my name, you can send a check with Acct. # 2949329 written in the memo and send the check to
Assemblies of God World Missions
1445 North Boonville Ave
Springfield, MO 65802-1894

If you would like to become a monthly contributor please email me for furthur information
For automatic credit card withdrawal you can print off and fill out the form with my account number (2949329) on the website below… then send it to the AGWM address posted above.

http://ag.org/contributorservices_PDF/CRCDAUTH.pdf

Contact Me!!!
Here is my contact information
Email: cro1780@gmail 
FaceBook:  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=726036343
Skype Name: Cicely Rosario
Home Address:
9A Calle A 8-59 Casa 14 Condominio Las Mercedes

Zona 8 de Mixco CD. San Cristobal
Guatemala, C.A.

Hey Everyone!
This is an email I sent about a month ago with an update and I thought I would post it here as well...
Quite a few things have happened since this email and I will post a new update soon!!!

Hi friends and families!

I pray you are all doing well. I just wanted to send an update to let you know what I have been up here in Guatemala.


I praise God because things are going well and He has really helped me adjust quickly to living in Guatemala. Its definitely different that Chicago, but I am quickly making this home.



Here are some ministry updates:



We have a youth group for the missionary kids called Outlanders. One of the youth came up with this name because we are in this world but not of it. Many of these teens have not had a youth group of their own, and certainly not one like the kind we have in the States. We are trying to be as relevant to them as we can and meet the unique needs that these teens have. We have about 35-45 teens on any given Wednesday. Its a unique challenge as well because it is an interdenominational group, but God has been moving and breaking through some barriers even in that area. 2 weeks ago we had an amazing service where the students were really yielded during our time of worship. I'm praising God because that is not the normal among these youth, but the Lord is starting to do a new thing.



A few weeks ago, we (our ministry team) began searching for a place where we could serve and invest our time and resources. As some of you may know, John and Dina (our team leaders), are in a transitional stage in their ministry. The focus is changing from youth evangelism to compassion ministry. In the meantime, we wanted to serve and offer our time and resources somewhere where there weren't missionaries already invested. There is sooooo much need in Guatemala, everywhere you turn there is a baby left abandoned, human trafficking, poverty, and crime. There is also alot of corruption. However, our goal is to bring hope and the light of Jesus to some of these places. We visited some different places and sought the Lord, individually and as a team. We felt that for this season we would invest ourselves in an adolescent girls home call "Mi Especial Tesoro" (my special treasure). There are 9 girls in this home ranging from the ages of 10-17. All have come from rough homes and devastating situations. It is a small home run by a christian Guatemala couple that is starting out. We are meeting with them this Friday to plan out how we can work together and share with them some of the things we would like to help them with.



Those are some of the things going on right now. I'm so excited because I can see Gods leading and direction, even if they are small steps and not giant leaps. The Lord has been so faithful to me and is really taking me deeper into His word and who He is. I'm so thankful for this season in my life.



I want to thank you all so much, both for your prayers and your financial support. Those go hand in hand when it comes to me being here. I am so thankful for your encouragement as well. Believe me, it means the world to me!



Here are some things you can pray for when you remember me;


On November 20, John, Victoria (my roommate) and I will be traveling to Maltazenango (about 4 hours from the city) to a youth convention. John will be providing a training for the youth leaders as well as preaching to the youth at one session. Victoria and I will also be preaching to the youth for one of the sessions. Please pray for us!

Pray for Gods leading and direction as we meet with the directors of the home on Friday.



Once again, thank you all so much for your love and support.



Love,

Cece

Top 10 Things I Miss From Home!

I know many of you wonder on a day to day basis "I wonder what are the top 10 things Cece misses from home" Well, wonder no more...Here they are (drum roll please!)

10. Target....oh how I miss the hours of browsing for anything from lotions to lunch

9. Old Navy's Clearance Rack....quite the lack of good deals here!

8. Flat land....I get so winded trying to run on these hilly roads...flat land makes me feel like Im in better shape!

7. The Dollar Store.....serioulsy, you don't even know how great it is to have one until you don't

6. Jibarito's.....although I didn't have them all the time....it was good to know I could have one whenever I wanted one....here, you have to order green plantains from the coast....by the time you get them, the cravings gone!!

5. Puerto Rican pastries/bakeries.....sure I can make them (theoretically at least!), but there are days when I really want some good flan or tembleque or budin.....mmmmm, my mouth is watering right now!

4. Nala the Impala......thats my car, she is back in Chicago.....although we are in the process, I haven't found a vehicle yet and I really miss having my own car

3. Chicago Tabernacle.....a place of becoming!

2. My friends......irreplacable

1. My family

So there it is folks.....

Don't get me wrong, I love, love, being here and this is quickly becoming home, but these are the things I wish were here with me in Guatemala!

Life in Guatemala

Hi Everyone!

I want to first apologize that I don't have any pictures up. My computer decided that its USB drive was going to stop reading anything I put into it. Therfore, I cannot upload pics, use my webcam, or upload anything. So, until I can figure out if and when it will get fixed....my words will have to do! So Sorry!

Aside from that, all is well in the land of the eternal spring. Right now we are in the rainy season, so it rained every day, almost all day for like the first 3 weeks I was here. Then, the sun showed up and shined its splendor on this beautiful country. Ok so thats a bit dramatic, but after 3 weeks of hardcore rain, thats how I felt!! Living here has been great though. I am so thankful to the Lord because my adjustment and transition has been rather smooth. Of course there are moments that I miss home (especially my family), but being here feels very natural for me. I know that that is the Lord.

There are many things here in Guatemala that remind me of home, for instance:
it could be 80 degrees one day and 60 the next
traffic is pretty bad
prices are pretty inflated
McDonalds, Wendy's, and Burger King
pot holes
PriceMart (which is just like Sams club, also owned by Walmart)

And then of course there are things that are nothing like home, for instance:
guards with riffles at banks, malls, and well pretty much everywhere!
random people (well they are not that random) with personal body guards
road construction that is not blocked off and constuction workers in everyday clothing and no hard hats
mud slides
beautiful mountain views

I really am enjoying living here and learning the culture. It has come in handy knowing spanish, however, there are still words that I don't understand or are used differently (gotta be careful there!).

As far as ministry goes, here are some updates;

A few weeks ago, we kicked off the youth group for the Missionary Kids that attend Christian Academy of Guatemala (its where the Musacchio kids attend). Many of these students have not had the youth group experience that many of us have had in the states. Our goal is to make it a place that is for them, where they will feel free to worship God and develop a deeper relationship with the Lord. I'm starting to get to know the students and I am looking forward to developing relationships with them. We have had a great turn out and the students are excited about it.

Currently, our ministry team is in a transitional stage. John and Dina feel the Lord leading them in a different direction and we are asking God to show us what is next. We have started visiting ministry sites, mostly orphanages and homes. There is so much need in Guatemala, and so much to be done, we really need the Lord to show us where we are suppossed to invest our time and resources. We have spent alot of time meeting and praying and seeking God for the next step. I know that something incredible is on the horizon.

God has really been meeting me in my time with Him. He is taking me deeper into His word and showing me that He really is the friend that sticks closer than a brother. I do have my moments where I REALLY start to miss everyone and feel a bit lonely, but God has comforted me and been so close to me. My time of worship with Him has also been incredibly sweet. He has kept my heart full.

I know that so many of you have been praying for me and I am so thankful for that!
Here are a few prayer requests;
Please pray for our ministry and the direction that God is taking us in
Pray that I find a good vehicle that is within my price range (been searching for 3 weeks now)
Pray that the Lord would continue to give me grace
Pray for my parents that I know are missing me a whole bunch and are still getting used to me being gone!

Again thank you all so much for your prayers, emails, and FB messages. You have NO IDEA how much they mean to me!

Until Next Time,
Pa Lante y Pa'l Cielo!

Cece

Considering Joy

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" James 1:2-4

If we are suppossed to consider it pure joy when we face trials, then I should be doing cartwheels, flips, and singing songs. I certainly have not been doing so. These last few weeks as I have been preparing to leave, the enemy has thrown any and every dart he could find at me. I can honestly say I have been attacked spiritually, emotionaly, and even physically. I won't go into details, but these last few weeks have been difficult. Although I am excited to leave and am definetly looking forward to this new season, with everything that has been going on, I felt as though I had lost some of my joy. I mentioned this to someone yesterday, and their response was, "well be encouraged because when the enemy attacks that hard, its for a reason". That slightly encouraged me.

But then this morning the Lord reminded me of these verses....consider it pure joy.....the very thing I felt I was losing. The Lord reminded me that all that is happening, truly is something to be joyful about. The verse says that through the testing of my faith I will gain perseverance, become mature, and eventually lack nothing. When I consider those things, as difficult as these past few weeks have been, I can joyfully praise the Lord. I say that I can joyfully praise Him, because joy is not a feeling. The scripture says to consider it pure joy, not to feel joy.I may not feel it all the time, but the joy comes in resting in God, and knowing that He is sovereign and in control of all things. When I focus on that, and not the trials, I can experience true joy.

"Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning!"
Psalm 30:5

Pa Lante y Pal Cielo!
Cece

Ready...Set....Go!

Praise be to the living God! I have officially raised all my support! God is so faithful.

I have been getting ready....I'm now all set....and soon....I will go!

10 months ago, on a missions trip Guatemala with the youth group from my church (Chicago Tabernacle), I sensed the Lord leading me to take a leap of faith and accept His calling. He was calling me to move to Guatemala and work as a missionary associate with the Mussachio family. The call was so clear and so specific that I could not help but to ultimately submit.

9 months ago, I submitted an application to the Assemblies of God World Missions Department (AGWM), and was accepted as a missionary associate. I began raising my support for the field.

8 months ago, I drove down to Springfield, Missouri, where the AGWM headquarters are located, and attended a week of intense training and orientation. At the end of the week, I was commissioned as an AG Missionary Associate.

For the last 9 months, I have sent letters, emails, FB messages, and I have spoken to many people asking them to pray about joining me in this endeavor by praying and supporting me financially.

2 weeks ago, I received word that I had reached my financial goal!

I cannot tell you how truly grateful I am to the Lord for each and every one of you. I have felt your prayers, I have received encouraging notes and cards that have really blessed me, and so many of you have stepped out in faith and given donations or pledges. My heart is so overwhelmed.

I have seen the hand of the Lord move on my behalf in so many ways. He has provided exceedingly and abundantly more than I could have ever asked or imagined! He has already provided my plane ticket home for Christmas!

I have had some trials during this season and sometimes, life just got hard, but our God who is gracious and compassionate, has tended to every detail. I have truly experienced the Faithful One during this time, and many times it was through all of you.

In 7 1/2 weeks (August 20th), I leave to my new home in Guatemala, arriving there exactly one year and a few weeks after He called me.

I really don't have the words to express my gratitude. Please know that I am eternally grateful! Once again, from the very bottom of my heart I thank you. I hope to continue to share with you all the amazing things that God is doing during this time.

Pa Lante y Pal Cielo!
Cece

His Sovereignty

So the original target date for me to leave was January. I am still here. Really, I can't leave until all my support is raised and that hasn't happened yet. Although I am excited to go and even a bit anxious to get started on the work of the Lord in Guatemala, I have a peace about still being here. One of the things I have learned and really experienced in my life is the sovereignty of God. I know that nothing happens without God knowing it because He ordains all things. If God would have wanted me in Guatemala in January, He, being the owner of all the silver and gold, owning all the cattle on a thousand hills, would have provided all the support I needed before then. He didn't. I know that I will get to Guatemala at the exact time that God wants me there. Not a moment sooner and surely not a moment later.

As I was praying and meditating about this, the Lord reminded me of the scripture that says "Are not 2 sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your (and my) Father. And even the very hairs on your head are numbered. So don't be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows". Matthew 10:29-31.

If God cares so much about the happenings in the life of a sparrow, how much more does He care about me, His daughter. The very one that He created in His image and calls His own. I mean, have you ever tried to count the number of hairs on your head? I don't know about you, but that number changes daily for me! I shed like crazy. And yet He never loses count. Who but our heavenly Father cares that deeply about us. There is not one detail in my life that God has missed. Me missing my original target date is not an oversight on God's behalf. Oh no, He is sovereign. I rest securely in knowing that the God who wills whether or not a sparrow that is sold for less than a penny falls to the ground, is the very same God who has called me to Guatemala. He is the one controlling the situation, He is the one making a way, and in HIS PERFECT TIMING, I will be well on my way to the country of eternal spring!

Pa Lante Y Pal Cielo! (Onward and Upward!)
Cece