I just got back from a week down in Mexico and let me tell you this, if I were to make a list of the best weeks of my life, this last week would take the number 1 spot. Let me explain.

I arrived on Monday the 15th with one goal in mind, find somewhere to live offsite for when I move down in May. The biggest hang up with this transition has been where I am going to live so that was my top priority and what I thought I'd be spending my whole week doing. I thought my week would be spent talking to people in town who may have a room for rent, looking at apartments in la mision and meeting with realtors but oh how wrong was I, God had other things in mind. It's amazing how quickly and clearly He made it know to me that this week was to be used for something else. There I was, mind set on spending a week in Mexico looking for somewhere to live and I kid you not within 2 hours of arriving on Monday a friend of mine at the orphanage came up to me and said "did you hear what Pastora (pastor's wife) said?" "no" I said, "I haven't." "I guess someone mentioned your name at the church and she said she would LOVE for Neto (me) to come live with us!" There it was, an entire week of work finished in 2 hours. Believe me I was so excited but puzzled at the same time. I went up to my room and sat on the bed and started praying. "LORD God, why am I here? 1 week of being here is me losing out on a weeks income. I thought you brought me down here this week to find somewhere to live. What do you have for me? Show me what you want to show me this week, show me why I'm here." Let's just say this, God's timing is nothing but perfect and there was a precise reason he had me at DOFO that week.



I went on with business as usual. Another volunteer and I made a run to a girl's house who used to live at the orphanage to say hi, then of course stopped by the panadaria for some scrumptious pastries and then up to pick one of the older girls up from school but still, no answer. Nothing had happened, things were just "normal" and as much as I was enjoying myself I started thinking I could be at Olive Garden right now working since I still have plenty of debt to pay off in 2 months. The next day however, God got the ball rolling.



I don't know exactly how to explain everything that happened in the next 5 days but my eyes were opened. Through testimonies and through God's word He made one thing very evident to me. Satan is real, the devil is real and he is doing and will continue to do everything he possibly can to pull me away from my walk with Christ and the closer I get, the harder he's going to pull. My entire Christian walk if you had asked me about Satan, demons or hell if you had asked if they existed I wouldn't have hesitated to say yes, of course they do the bible says so. But it was made real to me. Now I'm not saying I saw the devil or any demons or angles for that matter but God brought to my attention the severity of the spiritual warfare that goes on everyday all over the world. At first I was terrified, scared out of my mind then a friend came to me and said this "Ernesto, you can't give Satan that power that's exactly what he wants. The devils biggest tool is fear and in you being scared of Satan, you're giving him the glory. You must NOT fear anything but God. Take comfort in this, we win and Satan knows that." My friend was right what do I have to be afraid of? "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38, 39 At my old college group in Santa Clarita we used to play a song that were those exact words from Romans 8 and believe me that song rang through my head for the entire week and continues to play over and over everyday. It's not that the Satan that roams Mexico like a prowling lion is any different than the devil I've fought my entire life here in the States but his methods are different there. Here we are so vulnerable to Satan's subtle attacks whereas in the part of Mexico I'll be moving to Satan doesn't have the tools he has in the states to deceive us so he is forced to take a more direct approach, an approach I'd heard rumors of but never truly acknowledged existed. Here in the states those subtle attacks can be through something as seemingly innocent as a "hello kity" doll or through the media, dirty humor or even through politics. Here in the sates we've surrounded ourselves with earthly riches to the point where we've almost invited Satan to come and live next door to us ultimately resulting in a nation of sin corrupt people or "lukewarm" Christians. "So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth." Revelation 8:16 My heart is broken. I look around my fellow Christian friends and realize how many of them are "lukewarm" just going through the motions. I'VE BEEN THERE, I know the feeling and I know the comfort and security that the "lukewarm" lifestyle brings. But I desire that nobody would be spit out of the mouth of God. I am on my knees in anguish everyday thanking God for bringing me up out of the miry clay and setting me on fire for Him and pleading for the same to happen in my loved one's lives. I would love to sit her and expound on exact incidents and share with you specific stories but I feel that it would take me pages upon pages to fully explain everything that happen those last 5 days.I now know why God had me down there last week He was letting me know "this fight, isn't a joke and must be taken seriously." If I expect to fight as a warrior of Christ I must strive everyday to be pure and holy before the throne of God that no fault may be found within me. The first step of that process is cutting out the subtle tools of Satan that I've let corrupt my character for the last 20 years.



On a lighter note... I'm still here in P-ville and still trying to get financially ready for Mexico. Working the 2 jobs still at Denny's and Olive Garden but the income is not enough on it's own to get me down by my goal of May 1st. I know that for some of you even sending 1 dollar is impossible and that's ok. Be still and listen to the voice of God in your hearts if the holy spirit puts it on your heart to bless me financially, do it if not please lift me up in your prayers! It will be through God's provision alone that I raise the money needed by May 1st and it'll be through servants like yourselves through whom He works.

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603 canal street

Placerville, ca 95667

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En Su manos

Ernesto