Answering God's Call

Hello again!   I   know I keep saying I will keep up with my blog but due to my hectic schedule I completely forget about it. Well God is calling me once again to share with you, on what He is up to in my life. The biggest news is that He's called me to renew my visa so I will be serving for another year. If you asked me in March if I wanted another year, I would have honestly told you "no". This is a difficult life and I just wanted normalcy for a change. Through prayer, God told me He was not done with me yet. Now I am starting to see why.  This blog also  started as a way to connect to my family wherever I was in the world but now God is asking me to think BIGGER. Without further delay, let's catch you up.      First off, our family at Hogar Nino Dios has grown by 3 new children!! We have a set of siblings Omar and Juan, and another little boy Seif. They are a little more rambunctious than our other children, so learning with them has been a handful. For me, it has

My birthday in Bethlehem….AGAIN! Two years ago I was blessed to be in the place of Jesus’ birth on my birthday hear God tell me "Happy Birthday Elizabeth, Welcome home." I thought that day was a once in a lifetime gift, but like always God’s plan is always greater than my own. I was planning on settling down in Hawaii for a bit but that day changed the trajectory of my life. Well what I thought was going to be of my life, He's always known that that's not where I was staying. In this life we hear a lot about settling. Settling for a job that pays the bills. Settling for a partner that isn’t who you want but is good enough. Settling for a life that you didn’t want but kind of happened. The thing is though you can never “settle” for God’s plan for your life. He allows you to settle for distractions. He allows you to settle for your own plan. He allows you to walk away from the gifts He has for you. He allows all this because He loves you and wants you to freely choose t

     One year ago, on December 17 at 2pm I was introduced to Hogar Ninos Dios. It was not only a home for disabled people but for anyone who walked through the front doors. If you are in Hogar, you are family.  I still remember my first day. The first thing I heard was music and children laughing echoing down the stairs. I came in the middle of a Christmas party in which some locals brought the children toys and treats. They also brought much needed household supplies including a mountain of diapers. The greatest gift, to me,  was their presence with the children. They were dancing and playing and just celebrating life. The joy that filled the house, I learned, was not just a seasonal thing, it is something that encompasses the home throughout the year.  I come across a lot of people that look at the children and see only what they lack. You can look at the children and see what they lack physically and mentally. They also lack the opportunities and resources that are found in the Unit

Greetings from Hogar Ninos Dios: The Home of the Child God. The nuns chose this name because in each of the 35 special needs children (and adults) that they serve are faces of the child Jesus. As many of you know I spent 4 months over Christmas and Easter in Bethlehem working with these children and now I am back! I was never able to fully put into words my time here because I experienced a love that was indescribable. It is a love that is keeps me here despite what is going on between Gaza and Israel.  A little backstory of where I am. I am in Bethlehem The current war is in Gaza but we do not know if it will spill into our part of the country. There have been a few stray missiles (without casualties) but the main bloodshed is on the border of Gaza. Hopefully the bloodshed will end and both sides will work towards a peaceful coexistence.  I appreciate all the love and support I have received over the past weeks. God has sent his angels to guard our home and I am forever grat

June 25  Even with the early departure I got up to have an hour alone with God. I was able to take in a little more of the events of yesterday but also prepare myself for walking the Via Dolorosa. This is the route that Jesus took up Golgotha or Calvary, while carrying the cross. In the Catholic Church we have a tradition called the Stations of the Cross which we pray during the season of Lent. This reminds us of the different steps he had to take on his journey up Calvary where he was crucified and then died. I bought a bible with medallion depictions of the stations a few days ago, so I brought it along to further immerse myself in his passion during quiet prayer time.  We started the stations before the sun started rising. Out of reverence some of us took off our shoes and many of our women veiled their heads. I was barefoot to walk in solidarity with Christ. I know the stones weren't the rocky paths he walked but the cold stones grounded me in prayer. We had a light cross to ca

June 22     Today I cherished my last sunrise swim in the Sea of Galilee. I thanked God for the little big things of this trip. I know it is a contradiction, but swimming for sunrise was a little thing in and of itself but swimming for sunrise in the Sea of Galilee is quite a big thing. What I experience or do may be considered small but in the context of where I am, it is quite the opposite- hence, the little big things. It was also my roommates birthday! She celebrates today and I celebrate tomorrow. We figured this out after they paired us as roommates. It is nice to be able to share the experience with someone else on the trip. I didn't want to say goodbye to the sea but in that moment I made it my resolve that I would be back to the Holy Lands, no matter what the cost.      Our first stop of the day was Cana. At a wedding feast in Cana Jesus performed His first miracle. He changed water into wine at the request of His mother (Jn 2:1-11). Growing up I did not see this as a '