(this picture is of my class at school.. just 8 of us!)Hey loved ones, sorry I have been a little late with my blog. I just have not been in the “mood” to do it lately but now I am so, I am taking this opportunity to write now! ☺ I hope you all are doing great and continually drawing closer to Christ! I have been EXTREMELY blessed with people like you in my life. I take so much for granted and I just want to make sure you all know how much I love and appreciate you. Many of you who read my blog are the very ones who have poured truth and love into my life and have helped make me who I am today. THANK YOU! Thank you for each prayer and kind word you have ever given or spoken to me! Also thank you for showing me a life lived for Christ and being a good example for me to follow. I hope you continue to pour into others lives like you have poured into mine. Thanks ☺ Gracias!
The past two weeks have been full of some ups and downs- but mostly ups and through the downs I am learning. So I praise God for the past two weeks of my life! He continues to be faithful in my life and teaching me how to become more like His Son. Last (last) Wednesday, September 23-25, my school went out to a camp called Zion. I had been there before but it has been a loooooooong time and I just had vague memories. One of those memories was trying to climb up a mountain (Mt. Zion) with my mom and some guys from the church. Lets just say we were not quite ready for that hike. ☺ But anyway, the 7th thru 12th graders all went for a time of spiritual revival and fellowship with one another. The bus ride there was long and bumpy but those times are some of my favorite because you get to talk with people and the scenery was incredible. At Zion we broke up into two teams and played a whole bunch of games. One of my favorites was playing ‘Capture the Flag’ at ten at night in the pitch-dark. I was freaked out and scared beyond my wits because I could not see a thing and I did not want to run into any creature that was lurking in the trees or bin the brush. I just kind of stood there and watched people and was extremely relived when a girl from my team found the flag! We also played a gross food game where people had to eat crazy things like onions covered in toothpaste and coffee grounds (DIonna ate that and saw her breakfast soon after!) and someone else had to eat a lime. It was crazy; luckily (or thank God) I only had to eat some crackers! The worship time was amazing. There is something special about worshipping God while you are in the middle of nowhere with mountains surrounding you on every side- like you could reach out and touch God. On Thursday morning we got up extremely early to go hiking up Mt. Zion. What an experience that was! I loved every minute of it! It was tough at times but so rewarding when you could stand at the top and look around and see God’s masterpiece radiating in the sunlight. Dionna and her teacher had taken their guitars up top and they lead one of the coolest worship times ever. Praise God! One of my big prayers right now is to see everyone in the high school come to know Christ and desire to have an intimate relationship with Him. I see God working already in some of my peers’ hearts but we need to be praying hard! Camp was a great experience and I really enjoyed getting to know many people better and praising the God of the universe and God of my life.
Last Sunday I got to return to the cancer hospital that I went to a few weeks ago. WOOOOOOOOOW! God is humbling and teaching me how I need to constantly be telling others about what He is doing in my life. PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW! How foolish is it for me to say I believe in Christ and yet neglect sharing that love with others. My faith is worthless if it is not in action. This time we took a guitar and some sock puppets in. We got to visit a 3-year-old girl whose mom was only 18-years-old. The niña (girl) was absolutely beautiful and precious. She was timid with us but really liked the puppets. In the different rooms we sang and prayed with people and just loved on them with the love poured on us by Christ. Being at the hospital reminds me never to take my health for granted. The people crowded around when we played the guitar and we were simply honored to be Jesus’ hands and feet that day. Please be praying for those suffering and that they may come to know the suffering is temporary and the only hope is found in Jesus Christ. I can not wait to go back!
WOW I can not believe it is already October. Time flies and I have almost been in Venezuela for two months. If I did not believe in Christ I would not be here. Plain and simple. This month is the 10th anniversary for the Casarapa Church. This is the church David and Donna (my aunt and uncle) helped to start. This is also the church my family was part of when we lived here 8 years ago. This is the church that has stolen my heart and the place where Christ is teaching me so much right now. This weekend an evangelist came in speak and I went to hear him with my aunt and uncle. You know when you listen to a sermon and you feel like the preacher is speaking directly into your heart and right at your face? His message was about carencias (the lacks and needs) of our lives. We each have external (human needs- food, sleep, etc) and internal needs (love, joy, peace, etc). God did not make us to be empty inside and He is the only one who can fill us- or else we are miserable. Ps 23:1 (I verse I have known my whole life but forgot its meaning) “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not WANT!” Is God all I want? Jesus says He is the Bread of Life. And the origin of the word “bread” means “everything.” Wow this really spoke to me and this is what God has been working on me lately. I am currently reading a book by John Piper called “A Hunger for God.” This book has challenged me in so many ways, especially with putting God above food. Do I want God more than food? How hungry am I for God? Often times I find myself trying to be “filled” and “satisfied” with everything in life BUT God. This needs to change, God please never stop transforming my heart!
This past week has been crazy! Dionna (my cousin who is my age) got invited by another soccer team in Caracas to go play at a tournament in Brazil! We had been praying for her decision all week, and on Friday morning she took off for Brazil until October 18. I am going to miss her so much! But I am so excited to see how God will use her and just excited about what an experience and opportunity this is for her! Dionna has helped me so much since I have been here in Venezuela. She helps to keep me sane and has encouraged me in some of the difficult times I have had here. Her heart is set on Christ and I am privileged to know her! Please keep her in your prayers!
Also I cannot wait to talk to my dad this weekend! He has been in Africa the past few weeks with a group from my church in Indiana. One of the coolest things about his trip was that he got to put in the water purifier system that my youth group raised money for! God is so awesome. This water system is going to provide clean water for over three schools with over 1600 kids total! HOW INCREDIBLE! Most of those kids suffer from worms because of the unclean water they drink. This water system was totally a God thing and it is so cool to see how my youth group is able to help those in Kenya! I am really looking forward to talking to him sometime this weekend about his trip and about what God did while they were there. I miss my parents so much but I have a peace because I know this is where God and I want to be this year.
That is all about I have for now. Praise God that my Spanish is coming along. I really really like my tutor! She has me memorizing Bible verses in Spanish that I can use at the hospital and we also pray together after my class. Praise God for the friendships I am developing with those at church and school. Praise God for the opportunity I have here. Praise God for the Casarapa Church. Praise God for his love and mercy and for Caracas.
Unworthy servant,
Mariah Brooke
Here is a link to my facebook pictures if you want to look at them :
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2454430&op=1&o=global&view=global&subj=503614515&id=503614515#/profile.php?id=503614515&v=photos
