Transformation

I love seeing transformation! Normally as humans we tend to think, “he’s always going to be like that” or “she’s never going to change”. But we have a God who is good, who is powerful, and who is actively changing hearts and lives! The Bible is packed full of examples of people who, by God’s grace, experienced radical transformations of their lives. People like Zacchaeus, Mary Magdalene and Paul who were never the same again after encountering Jesus. 

This fall I’ve been talking to our Monday Night Bible study group about transformation because life-long alcoholics need constant refocusing from their daily desires to a life of placing their eyes on Jesus, who by His Spirit, gives us the power to live changed lives. The group is eclectic, and many are just showing up for a free meal and a smile, but others come and pour out their hearts to the Lord and find strength in Him. I remember the blessing of seeing Victor’s life changed and the privilege when he asked us to baptize him. And we’re rejoicing that our boy Julio has just reached one year of being sober for the first time in over ten years. (Thank you for praying for him last year!)

This has been an especially important topic in our home as it’s been an incredibly challenging year. Honestly, I’ve thought about quitting the ministry more times this year than all the previous 15 years combined! We have some hard hearts in our home, and the daily grind of life with a family full of children from broken homes has been hard. We love them so much, and we know that God loves them even more than we do. So we’re praying that He would transform their hearts. The hardest thing is that we want to see it happen quickly! It’s hard to be patient and loving. It’s hard to be joyful when the kids are angry and resentful. And so we need your prayers!

Our Kids

Karla has been with us the longest at over 10 years. Last year she needed to move away from our home for a family issue, and we missed her terribly! But in April she was able to return to our home. She’s a smart girl, working remotely all day and then taking nightly college classes. Sandra lived with us for three years in the past when she was in high school, and she moved back in with us this year. She’s studying social work on the weekends and is a great help to us during the week where she helps with cooking and organization of the home.

Geovany just graduated from high school two weeks ago! But the road to graduation was really difficult. He has had auditory issues his whole life, and he started suffering from severe ear infections in the spring. Then in May he started having epileptic seizures. He was hospitalized three times, but now the seizures have been stopped and the infections are under control. He even had measles and missed a few weeks of school for that. So it was wonderful to celebrate his graduation with him in October. He’s now working at a local McDonald’s and would love to continue to study architecture in college.

The sisters Ana and Nohemí also finished their school year a few weeks ago. Ana is 15 years old and is going into 9th grade. Nohemí is 13 and is going into 8th grade. Both love going to swimming classes with Margaret and Bella each week, and they’re excited about starting ballet classes. Suddenly receiving custody of them in October of last year was the biggest surprise to us. As we celebrated a year together, we’re grateful for the growth that we’ve had. And we ask for your prayers for them as the transition has been very challenging. We’re starting family counseling sessions with the ministry “All God’s Children” which opened a new office in our town this year. And we’re very grateful to have the help that they provide. And Jeremías, the older brother of Ana and Nohemí, moved into an apartment with a friend a few months ago. We continue to see him regularly and encourage him in his relationship with his sisters.

Margaret is about to turn 14 and is in 8th grade. She continues to be home schooled and is very independent. And Bella is 7 years old and in 2nd grade. She’s a socialite and loves to be with her friends at school. Both love swimming and gymnastics and are the sweetest girls we could hope for. 

This year has been especially challenging for Margaret. We’ve had many different kids in our home for all of her life, so having a busy house full of kids is nothing new to her. But until now, the kids have all been older than her, and it’s been a big adjustment for her to suddenly be a middle child between Ana and Nohemí. I’ve watched as she’s changed multiple times between excitement about having new friends over to frustration with their anger and bad attitudes. And I’ve been most touched this summer as she’s desired to pray regularly for them that God would change their hearts.

Prayer Requests

• For our children, that God would continue to change their hearts and give them peace.
• For Yuliza and me, that God would give us wisdom and fill us with love and patience.

Thank You

Thank you so much for your continued support over the years! It’s such a blessing to be able to focus on the ministry and not have to worry about paying the bills! We’re truly grateful for your consistency and generosity. We do ask that you would keep us in your prayers regularly. I know that I haven’t sent a newsletter recently, and I apologize for that. But we ask that you continue to lift our home up in prayer.

Thank you so much, and God bless you!
Brent, Yuliza, Margaret & Isabella

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:9–11 (NIV)