Mexican Week!

This week we have a group of 40 Mexicans staying at the ranch.  They are formed into three teams and ministering at three different churches this week.  Linn and I and Matt and Amanda were in charge of figuring out the schedule and getting them going.  It has been a lot of work but has paid off because they are doing well.  Tonight we had a prayer and share time and we had quite a few of them share what God is doing at their churches.  It is really amazing to be able to equip the Mexicans to reach their own people.

Adah is doing really well.  She is smiling so much and even laughed the other day.  I'm waiting for the laughing to be really constant!  I love it so much.  Today I gave her the nickname "Sunshine" because she wakes up with a smile on her face.  That is the best way to wake up.

One of our interns, Kylie, has been sick for the past few days with stomach issues.  I have her here at the house trying to nurse her back to health.  So I have a baby and a teenager right now.  I love it!

After this week, we have three more weeks.  Next week we have 4 teams coming in from the states to do outreach.  The last two weeks of the summer we don't have any teams coming in, but we will be doing construction with the interns during on the of the weeks and the other week we'll be debriefing and may take a trip up to LA to begin moving the office down to San Diego.

3 months!

Adah is 3 months old today!  I am so excited.  She is getting so big and strong.  I am so happy to see her smiling, holding her head up, and standing on her own two feet.  Last Thursday and Friday she was eating almost every hour.  Going through a growth spurt for sure.  I am so thankful that I am able to feed her.  It is such a blessing to see her growing everyday after eating from Mommy.

We took a break this past weekend and went up to San Diego.  It was really relaxing.  Last week was really busy for both of us, but Linn worked 16 hour days.  I am so proud to be his wife.  He helped to lead the outreach to the church, and also helped direct the camp.  We had an amazing worship team here last week, called Out of Hiding.  Check them out at www.holyfireministries.com  The lead guitarist went to High School with Linn.  On Friday night we had a staff worship time, and it was the most powerful time of worship that I have experienced in years.  I love Jesus so much.  I just want him to live completely through me.  I don't want what I do to be about me at all, but all about HIM.

Today the interns are going to Mexicali to visit YUGO's work there.  Linn and I and Matt and Amanda are going to brainstorm for next week.  We will have 45 Mexican youth coming in next week to do ministry.  They will be going to three different churches.  It will be an amazing thing to be able to mobilize the Mexican people to reach their own people.

5 Years!

Linn and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary this past Thursday.  What a blessing to celebrate with our daughter.  She was our anniversary gift this year.  Our friends, Matt and Amanda, who are here on staff with us this summer, celebrated their 2 year anniversary on Wednesday, so we got to go out to eat together on Thursday night.  We had the whole restaurant to ourselves!  That's not really a good thing, though, because it means that there is absolutely no tourism in Rosarito right now, which is a huge part of Rosarito's economy.  In some of the poorer areas, children are going hungry because of the downturn.

This coming week we have one team here from the San Jose area.  They have come to Mexico every year for at least a decade, if not longer.  It will be awesome having them here...we always have lots of fun with them.  The YUGO staff is also doing an outreach this week.  The team will be made up of the interns, Matt and Amanda as leaders, the band Out of Hiding, and the Canote Family.  We are a pretty big team, but the church we are going to this week always has lots of kids.  So we're looking forward to a REALLY busy week.  I'm not planning on going out with the team this year.  There is a lot of behind the scenes work that needs to be taken care of, so I'm going to be doing that.  I'm thankful that God has been so faithful to provide the extra staff that we needed this summer in order to make up for what I'm not able to do on the front lines this year.  God is using me as a major support system for Linn and for the other leaders, which is the vision I had from God for this summer.  I really enjoy being unseen...it's kind of fun watching things happen and knowing that I played a major part in making them happen...but nobody else knows what I did!

Pray that many people would accept Christ's message of hope this week.  We've already faced many obstacles, so we know that this week is going to be amazing!!!

Twisted ankle!

So I stepped out of the house today, landed weird on my foot, and rolled my ankle.  It immediately started swelling!  I was holding Adah in her sling, and thank God, she didn't fall out onto the gravel.  The angels were protecting us.  I just landed on my bum.  My ankle doesn't hurt unless I walk on it, put weight on it, or move it.  Other than that, it's all good. : )  Having gone through a long labor with Adah only 2 1/2 months ago, it really doesn't seem that bad!

I still have a cold, but I'm more focused on my ankle, so it's not as bad.  We have one team coming in this week from Canada.  They just arrived and will be headed to evening chapel, then to bed.  They DROVE here from Canada on a big bus.  That's what I call a long drive!  We're thankful that they are here to do ministry this week.  There are so many churches here that are desperate for teams to come and help out at their church.  They don't get a lot of support, so they are so thankful when the teams come to help them out.  And we always end up getting blessed so much in return!  One of the team members from the US a couple weeks ago said that he feels like he spends his whole year planning for the week he comes home to Mexico.  It does feel like a spiritual home.  The Mexican people are so warm and loving.

Ask God for wisdom if you lack it.  I have the privilege of leading and mentoring three young women this summer.  At times it is hard to know how to help them and guide them, but today I asked God to pour out his wisdom and he did.  I love being here, in the middle of God's will for my life.  I pray that all of you who read this will find his will for you.  Really the center of God's will is just loving him, and following what he says to do each moment.  It's really as simple as that, although it seems so hard to live out sometimes!  It is an amazing feeling in those moments when we can get it right.

Cold

Hey peoples:

I have a cold, I'm probably overworked.  Adah is doing well.  She is finally taking a pacifier, which I am happy about because it makes her happy and contented when she is fussy!  I'm also happy that she has found her fingers...also calming to her.  I would rather her use her fingers or thumb because she always has that with her!  I sucked my thumb for many years, and it provided me comfort, so I hope that she will too.  I know some people might not think that's the best idea, but I think it's cool.

Life here is amazing.  God is so faithful.  This year our good friends from San Diego, Matt and Amanda House are here with us working with the interns right alongside us.  They have been an amazing blessing from God.  They have just jumped right in.  Amanda is so much like me that it's actually rather creepy at times.  Like...we got married in the same week in July (but different years), we have the same flip flops, same clothes style, same way we talk to babies, same fear of looking at our bank statement, etc.  It's so awesome to have a sister here...I miss mine so much!  We would not be able to do what we're doing this year without them.

Today the kids from YUGO's children's home came and played at the ranch.  They had a good time here.

That's all for now.

beach day!

This will be a quick one.  Today was our beach day!  It was pretty fun we had lunch on Coronado Island and hung out all day there.  The water was freezing as always yet better than sweating out in the hot sun.  Basically every one here this summer went and we all had a great time.  I being the cool guy that I am decided to wear my old swim trunks that were a little worn.  While playing a little team game of lets keep the volleyball up for a long time the shorts finally had enough and ripped where else but by the crotch.  Thankfully I had another pair of shorts to wear over them and crisis averted.  There was a time actually two times when it seemed like the ocean decided not to make a noise.  The waters would constantly crash against the sand giving this white noise.  However there was a time when it seemed as if the waves stopped.  It was eery and I seriously thought to myself for the 2 seconds the noise stopped "is this the end?"  You know like the end of the world.  It was pretty neat.  I'm not sure why I'm sharing this.  I guess cause for that very brief moment it felt like the world stopped.  The ocean decided to quit and I just made me think of could the of the world be like this.  Everything even the oceans themselves pause and acknowledge the Master.  God is that great and I am so blessed to be able to serve Him.  He is so powerful commander of all things here on earth yet He takes the time to speak to me and listen to me and help me.  Wow what a great God we serve.  

Peace,

Linn Kong