The God Who Provides Anti-Malaria Pills

In about a month and a half I’ll be in Africa starting my adventure with Harvest School of Missions. I feel like a rubber band that’s stretched as far as it can be stretched. There are so many things to take care of. A few days ago I was feeling overwhelmed with the preparation process and other life changing events happening in my personal life. That day I whispered to God in my spirit, “God I’m needing an encouragement from you today!” By the end of the day I was exhausted but I made time to post a Facebook message on the Harvest School 21 group where my fellow classmates and staff post helpful information. A few days prior to this I found out that Thailand didn’t have the specific anti-malaria pills that I needed for my trip to Mozambique, Africa. So I had the idea of asking fellow classmates if they had extra anti-malaria pills that they could sell to me since I wasn’t able to buy them in Thailand. After a few minutes passed a classmate posted and said that she had extra pills for me because her pharmacist over prescribed the medication. She said, “Man’s mistakes are God’s preparation!” I was very blessed with the fact that God heard my heart’s cry and that He knew just how to encourage me. There is absolutely nothing my God cannot do!

If you feel led to partner with me financially for this exciting adventure, please click on this link. Thank you!

You can give online through Go To Nations, my missions agency, at

www.gotonations.org/ortega

By check or money order:

Payable to Go To Nations (write M461 on the memo field)

Mail to Go To Nations

P.O. Box 10305

Jacksonville, FL 32247

I’m Going to Disney World!

Yes, ever since I sensed God was telling me to go to Iris Ministries’ Harvest School of Missions in Mozambique, Africa and received the acceptance e-mail, I feel like a young child who’s about to go on her dream vacation with princesses and princes. Except this dream trip is taking me to a place that is not frequented by tourist and doesn’t have 5-star hotels with caviar and other fine delicacies. Instead, I’m going to a place where showers are a limited, food always consists of rice and beans, and creatures that I’ve never seen in my life before will confront me! The one thing that these two places have in common is that the people there are princesses and princes. This is my dream come true because I know this is the place where God will teach me, through His children there, what love looks like. This is the place where He will show Himself to me in a greater way so that I can love like He loves.

You can join me on this love adventure through your prayers and financial partnership.

Here’s how you can join:

-Pray for the opportunities God will give me to love like He loves, for divine health and safe travels.

-You can give online through Go To Nations, my missions agency, at

www.gotonations.org/ortega

-You can give by check or money order:

Payable to Go To Nations (write M461 on the memo field)

Mail to Go To Nations

P.O. Box 10305

Jacksonville, FL 32247

My Reward

The thirty-day countdown to leave my family to return to Thailand starts tomorrow. It’s painful to know that I’ll have to say good-bye for about a year and a half to those I love dearly, especially when my 7-year-old sister cries when I make domestic trips thinking that I’m never coming back. It’s during times like this that God reminds me of my destiny. 

He whispers in my ear through every spectacular sunrise and sunset that I witness that He is so much bigger than anything I will ever face in this life.  He reminds me that He loves my family more than I could ever love them and that He knows how to take good care of them. He also brings amazing leaders in my life like Sandra Kuehn to pave the way for other missionaries like me. 

With Sandra Kuehn-GTN Regional Director of South East Asia

I am a blessed woman because I have many women of faith like her who are genuine and transparent. God takes care of every detail of my life because He loves me and because He wants me to bring to Him His lost sons and daughters. As my reward for saying yes to His will I get to see many lives transformed by His amazing love. 

Frame hanging in Sandra's home :)

My New Name

Those of you who know me well know that I actually go by two names, Yolanda, my real name, and Jenny, my nickname. Jenny is my nickname because that was my mom’s original choice of name for me but then decided to name me after my beautiful grandmother. But a new friend has recently given me a new name. I was introduced to little Anabella as Yolanda and minutes after that she started calling me Lucinda. She used those two names interchangeably and it was the cutest thing to hear her sweet little voice say those names. We had an immediate connection and I played with her for most of the day. We had fun together. The interesting thing about the name Lucinda is the meaning. This name means illuminator or bringer of light. In a very unique way, little Anabella was declaring my destiny and life’s purpose which is to bring the Light of Jesus Christ into the darkest corners of the earth.

The Invitation to Dream Big

Dreaming big can be a scary thing to do. Sometimes the scariest part of the process is taking the giant leap of faith and crossing through the threshold. But somehow all the fear flees when we realize that the same God who invites us to dream big with Him is the same God who actually puts those dreams in us and has already placed all things in place for this dream to come to pass. Our only requirement is an abiding faith that is evident by our actions and declarations even before we see anything happening in the natural realm.

This year my Daddy has beckoned me to sit on His lap, lean on His chest and hear His heartbeat. As I listen to the melody of His heartbeat I am reminded that I have been invited to dream big and that I’m safe with Him. I have been invited to learn what it means to love like He loves and I’ll be going to the Harvest School of Missions in Mozambique, Africa from October to December 2014. I don’t have all the details figured out yet but that’s part of the adventure God is calling me to delight in with Him!

Discovering True Love

The week of Valentine’s me and a couple of missionary friends prepared some special gifts for the women working at a massage parlor. We wanted to give out some Valentine’s Day cards, rice-crispy treats, brownies, and a painting I did for them. The night was a success because they loved everything we brought to them. One lady even read the Valentine’s Day card out loud and was reading a scripture from 1 Corinthians 13.

Making a painting for them was something that was in my heart but I honestly wondered if I could start and finish in one day. I asked for divine help and prayed while working on it because I knew it would be something that would speak to the women there. It took me about 5 hours to complete it. The painting has Thai scripture, 1 Corinthians 13 & John 3, glued to the canvas, acrylic paint, and gold leaf. The painting also has the Thai word for love. For me, this painting is a prophetic declaration that they will one day discover and experience true love and as a result their hearts will be transformed into the likeness of their Creator. The painting was placed in the make-up/smoking room the night we took it to them. Since then, the painting has been temporarily placed in the storage room due to an upcoming holiday in Thailand. I’m praying and believing that when this painting is placed in that room it will continue to bring life in ways that I can’t fully see or understand. I’m excited to see how our relationship with these women will go deeper in the coming months!

What Does Light Invading Darkness Look Like?

For three nights I was blessed to lead a group of young women with YWAM out to the bar area to pray in our spirits as we built relationships with the women working there. We split into two groups and went to two different bars to connect with the women. At the bar I was at, the bar owner was happy we were there and even encouraged us to go again. As we were there I found out that there were a couple of new girls working there and they didn't talk as much with us. We still tried to make conversation with them and attempted to talk in Thai. While there, my eyes were opened to the fact that not only are the women there in bondage but men like the bar owner are in a state of despair.

On the last night I was with the visiting team of young ladies, we went back to the same bars we targeted to bring smiles to the faces of many women. We had some flowers for them with a special note. Some had a confused look on their faces when a flower was handed to them but regardless of their emotions, they all smiled at us even the ones that were very quiet the first few nights. The bar owner was touched by our act of love for women working at his bar. The last place we went to was the most impacting to me. We went to a massage parlor that is normally very strict with who goes in. We still tried anyway and had some flowers as a reason to being there. To make a long story short, it was a surreal moment for me as I, unknowingly, talked to the manager about giving the flowers to the women. He allowed us to go behind the display where the women were waiting to be picked by the number on their clothing to give them the flowers personally! Not being too conversational in Thai yet, boldness overpowered me to talk with the women and share about why we were there. From the inside looking out, the women can only see their reflection and can’t see who’s on the other side looking at them. We gave out all the flowers and noticed how some were very excited to get their flowers and some didn’t seem too impressed. Before we left a friend of mine who lives here asked the manager if we could keep coming back to bless the women and he reluctantly said yes.

By the end of the night I was left in awe at how God gave us divine favor to go into some of the darkest places to be His light and leave seeds of hope planted in the hearts of men and women. I am one who believes that no matter how dark the night may be, even one flicker of light expels darkness!