shalom everybody!!

man guys...seriously u guys gotta go to this place!!! its really amazing...just the experience of bein here wit gods people.... i have to say...touring is really hard for me..i have found out i dont do well wit a bunch of americans altogether...its pretty hard...i always seem to get lost or somethin cause i want to stay far away from them....but its been so life changing too!!....
not only tourin....but we had a prophecy conference the other day..AMAZING! this general guy was speaking about when we die n we come to jesus at the gates of heaven...he said that most people see themselves walking to the gates standing tall n a white robe wit a straight face waitin to get in..... but in reality we should we runnin and skidding down to the gates wit blood and dirt on our faces...not bein able to get up tired...exahausted...n being able to say to jesus.... man jesus...ive been fightin the good fight...
isnt that neat?? it gives us a total push to keep runnin in this race....as we talked about the wars to come..n already happened... we talked about the even more important war...the spiritual war... personally i hear about the war n iraq or iran...n think. oh yea that stinks but i cant do n e thing bout it... but its the spiritual war that is even greater..n we can do something... so just an encouragment...but the people here r amazin its so neat to see this life style...
well enjoy da pics... laugh at them... go ahead...thats y i took them...cant wait to show u guys more...

mandy...
hey jesus washed our feet, lets kiss his toe jam.... cause he's got our backs like a kick me sign...

Embarrassing Moment owed to the sea

Okay, so we all are curious and today was one of those days for me. Yes yes yes, curiosity killed the cat, and i was the cat.

I was outside me apartment waiting for a friend, and i decided to take a gander of the sea and see how clear it was. Mind you, it was a bleak day and i was sportin my Rainbows (of course) and black capris (thanks kym) and my sweater. I was to the edge of the mini dock and as my left foot stepped on the corner, i noticed that it was just as quickly up in the air. My right foot tried to catch its balance, but unfortunately moss is NOT the best kind of gripping terrane. So before i knew it both feet and lags and waste were submerged in the sea and my elbows were now paddling in the moss for support. Fortunately one elbow managed to strike gold and i was able to wheem my way onto the concrete dock. I looked around and noticed a dog. Phew! This victimized dog was able to witness this monumental bitter-sweet embarrassment in my life. As i uncomfortably gaited my way to the stairs, my mind began to create a less-embarrassing scenario to why half my body was soaking. In the end i came to terms with the fact that I was the lucky one and there was no need to make a cover. I mean, how often can I say i fell into the Mediterranean Sea?

Oprah's church...

 yyoyo guys this is just something i just came across and i thought it was very interesting and sad at the same time. You guys should check it out. seriously.

peace

well.....cya later...im off to da HOLY LAND!!!
IZZZZZREAL!!!
fo sho...
ill hollar when im back!!
mandy

WHAT A BLESSING!!

oh man so the sun finally is coming out!!! it was such a beautiful day!!! i got to go on 2 walks!! ... i got to make my first jar of sun tea...jeremy if u read this...which i doubt u do... but i did think of all the tea we would drink....REDICULOUS!...ummm it is soooo good... i have to hide it or everyone will steal it..haha i cant wait to all the sweet tea in kentucky this summer!!

Ephesians Homework

Ephesians- Ch 2                                                           Anna Chaparro
1.4.08

The second chapter of Ephesians is loaded with scriptures for the believer that is convicted and brings many things into remembrance. Paul first gives us multiple examples of our life before Christ has entered it. It allows us to see our lifestyle and the lost ways of our flesh. We truly did deserve nothing but the wrath of God; we still do in a sense, for it’s only by the grace of God that we don’t have to. Barclay really hones in on the true meaning of sin. It is more than us doing “bad things”; it is us failing to hit the target of life. When we realize what sin is, we see it come to life as an actual aspect of life, and not some theologian term for imperfection. Though we are forgiven and cleansed for our sins, it is always apart of our lives. It kills innocence that may never be returned, it kills ideals of temptation, and it kills the will. Barclay uses a piece from highly proclaimed author Oscar Wilde and his realization of sin in his life. A man that had “it all” in life ended his life in the words “The gods had given me almost everything…Tired of being on heights I deliberately went to the depths in search for new sensation…ceased to be lord over myself. I was no longer captain of my own soul, and did not know it. I allowed pleasure to dominate me. I ended in horrible disgrace” What an incredible paradox we see; that desire is a bad master. Even if your desires are minor, may no one think that through escaping the grosser sins of the body, the sins of the flesh have been avoided. As we go on to see the heart of repentance in 2:4 Paul beautifully reminds us of Who can restore this loss of innocence. Whenever people realize that they have sinned and they are often weighed down by the feeling that they dare not approach God. But we must remember, as Isaiah shared the same acknowledgement with you and me in Isaiah 6:5, we must remember that no matter what we are like, the door is open to the presence of God. How lucky are we to not have to confess to a man who claims the name priest, or get on our knees to climb some steps that are claimed to be “holy”? Jesus tells us to come as we are. The grace of Jesus Christ rekindles the ideals which chronic sin has extinguished. And by that very rekindling, life begins ascending again. As we have our relationship with Christ, He reminds us that we cannot enter the Kingdom with works. It’s so refreshing to know that we don’t have to have a time sheet to turn in when we go to heaven. NO, but instead that our relationship to God, our salvation will naturally produce the urge to love and serve one another. We can never earn God’s love, but we can and must show how thankful we are for it by seeking a life that will bring joy to His heart. He has accepted us as citizens (11-12) in God’s family and he has completely unified all of us. How refreshing is it to know that we do not have to change our ethnicity or origin to have a relationship with Christ? Yes, it’s by the peace and love of God that we have all nations and tongues. It is Jesus’ purpose not that we should turn all people into one nation, but that there should be Christian Indians and Christian Africans whose unity lies in their Christianity. We have an oneness in Christ, and He had provided a home where the Spirit of Christ can dwell and where everyone that truly loves Him can meet in that Spirit (18).
Paul gives so much encouragement in this letter to the Ephesians. It is such a comforting thing to know that we all have a peace in Christ, and that we can all obtain it no matter what wretched state we are in. God is so good as I can’t get over the fact that we deserve His wrath so much, and yet, instead He invites us into His family. That is love; and THAT is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.

Infection

So, moral of the story.. DO NOT BITE YOUR CUTICLES .... or you will get an infection. So i woke up the other day to find 9 fingers... 9FINGERS?!?! .. yes, 9, and one that was the size of my face! ugh... so i asked around and they rushed me to Brenda to see if i could get it lanced.... okay, so the term lanced is new to me. at forst i was down with it... and then i see this lady come to me with a hot needle and a hand to squeeze. yes yes yes, she proceeded to stick it into the hot tip of my finger which was discolored by the green puss and blood, more formerly known as my middle finger. As she opened it, she squeezed it, and asked me if it hurt. I as politely as i could said, "Uh huh. yes. yup. sure. oh yeah" As i thought it was all coming to an end, i learned it was only the beginning, because she told me that nothing came out and that we need to surface it more so that we can drain it later. 

So, this has been my life for that last three days. I have discovered a local chemist "pharmacist" here, which politely gives perscriptioned drugs over the counter. So, my friend Paul told me i had a "gordo finger" and got me some Pennisylan.. of so he thinks. haha but, ive been taking them and it seems to have gone down. so im happy.

but yes people, dont bite your cuticles in spain... it just wraps you up.

with love and a fat finger, 

anna