©  Focus on Jesus.  Focus on Souls.  ©

Half of a month has already gone in the new year.  I have spent quite some time in reviewing 2001 and preparing for 2002, although I feel new things have begun in October in the past few year.  Kids also asked the Lord to help them do the same. 

The focus for Sonya and Edmond in 2001 was obedience in the Lord.  Mom saw both improve greatly. They have, upon request, become mom's prayer partners.  Both are strong teammates to care for the youngsters during home-alone mothers' meetings and other events. 

The Lord's Review and Encouragement for Sonya

The Lord reviewed Sonya's progress and encouraged her last week that she could have done better regarding obedience.  In 2002, Sonya's focus will be to continue working on obedience, not to fight with her brother much, and to brush her teeth both in the morning and at night.  Sonya also needs to read one Bible chapter daily.

The Lord Revealed the Reason for Edmond's Anger

As for Edmond, mom felt his anger issue intensified toward the end of 2001.  Edmond's second quarter grade report showed that he did not work as hard as he had said he would.  The high degree of resistance and anger caused mom great frustration.  Few days ago, the Lord revealed to Edmond the reason why he became angrier in the latter half of 2001 after he had made improvement earlier.  Our nanny Lidia left us to care for her grandchildren in June.  She had been with us like a family for nine years.  Edmond grew with Lidia's love and care from two years of age to eleven.  Mom felt as if one arm was cut off from her and had to spend many mornings in the Lord to ease the pain.  She also felt it was just like another divorce.  She, however, did not realize the trauma would be as great on her son as on herself.  The Lord's word solved Edmond's anger mystery.  He also gave Edmond the focus in 2002: to control angel better.  Edmond has also made a conscious decision to improve his class time behavior and course work.

Yvonne's Review

Now, it's Yvonne's turn.  I asked the Lord to give me a review and, at the same time, know the Lord wanted me to review myself honestly.  This is so I will be prepared for more of his revelation and understanding this year.  2001 was a critical and turning year.  Frankly, I think it was a crazy year.  Many major and unexpected changes happened.  Someone says the hindsight is always the best sight.  Through all changes, the biggest gain was to be able to spend time with Jesus almost every morning for few hours.  In dealing with 9-11, tithing and offering, oppositions from brothers and sisters, frustration of raising children, and whatever the issue may be, I learned to ask for His idea first.  He helped me examine my heart.  Then, joy came when I knew He was with me.  Peace came when I knew my heart was clean and I had done all onto nobody but Jesus.  Before the heaviest test hit, He had already reserved a seasoned intercessor to mentor and pray with me.  During time of isolation and desperation, He directly used various Bible verses to strengthen and renew me.  Then, soon afterward, He gave me someone who was going though what I had just been trained to love and encourage.

A Point of No Return

In February, the Lord gave me an opportunity to change job.  I knew it was Him.  I knew I could not fail my vow to Him.  So, I put myself on a point of no return.  Then, the adventure started.  Much effort went into getting 401K funds consolidated and balance transferred so I can enjoy 'early retirement' from office work.  Yes, it was for survival I started daily morning fellowship with the Lord in our community jacuzzi, a.k.a. Yvonne's prayer pool.  Instead of through an employer, the Lord began a direct training program for me.  He sent me to two prayer trips and three other conferences for equipment.  Other than tithing to our home church, I continued major offering to other ministries for the spread of the Gospel.  At the end of each month, my nervous system went through a shock therapy.  I could only calm down after going back to Him and asking Him to repeat His promise to me again. 

Consecutive Housekeeper Changes

Three months into the faith walk, the Lord allowed our nanny Lidia, my right hand, to leave.  The severity of impact I have described in the paragraph about Edmond.  In July, the Lord brought Lillian as housekeeper and her husband John.  They both had traumatic childhood in alcoholic families.  It took all fibers of my being to pray, to serve their needs and maintain a balance of the employment relationship.  After coming back from the Awake Portugal crusades, the conflict of our values became unbearable.  I decided to let them go.  Indeed, this housekeeper change was a heavy experience for kids and me.  It turned out to be 40 days exactly.

Nanny Lidia visited us once and met Lillian.  Lidia expressed her observation and compassion, "I never thought there are poor Americans."  Lidia came from a broken home in El Salvador.  Her grandma brought her up together with many other siblings and street kids.  Every morning, her breakfast was one piece of bread of one cup of coffee.  For other meals, bread and beans if food was available.  Through all hardship,

she raised three children on her own.  More amazingly, God has blessed Lidia with great kindness for people around her. 

In mid August, the Lord brought Sandra for 40 days. All of us went through another adjustment period. She was an Economics graduate from a university in Honduras.  She became a widow with two daughters.  She came to America and worked for a friend for five years.  Then, the Lord put her in our home.  Sandra and I talked much about doubt and faith in God.  After 9-11, she decided to return to her mom and two girls in Honduras.

Not sure whether I could continue to handle such kind of household change every 40 days, I begged the Lord for mercy.  Either more strength for kids and me to serve Him through more housekeepers, or stability of having one good, long-term housekeeper.  The Lord brought our fourth lady Yolanda in October.  She is from Mexico and also a single mom.  So far we've been doing well.  May the Lord allow us to serve each other's family on a long term basis.

Training Intensified

After six months into the program, His training intensified after the Labor Day weekend.  He gently guided us for spiritual home transplantation.  We grew up in our small, warm and cozy church, Petra Vineyard Christian Fellowship.  Pastors faithfully discipled me for six years.  The pain of being transplanted in my particular circumstance was overwhelming.  I had not understood my spiritual root was so strong that the shaking would be as severe.  I could literally feel being dug up, cleaned up and put into another hole in a foreign garden.  While the Lord gave us the Eagle's Nest Ministries as our new local spiritual home He commanded my last assignment in Petra.  I stayed and prayed for Petra for three more months.  In December, we formally moved to our new home.  (We continue to have a strong tie with our first home.  I am still the bookkeeper on the expenditure side.)  Our new home church is much larger.  We probably will need a year or more to settle in.

Personally, I felt the impact of transplantation and 9-11 unfolded in parallel.  These two events seemed kicking me into a new level of maturity.  In addition to talking to the Holy Spirit, the insight of Juanita Bynum, Tommy Tenney, Morris Cerullo and other leaders provided much comfort, wisdom, strength and revelation.  The Lord provided many prayer directives through prophets on the Elijah List.  MCWE and other ministries have called for various fasts in different time periods.  I felt privileged to be part of the Almighty infantry and do what I could in the spiritual warfare.

After Thanksgiving, I asked the Lord, "Lord, you are bringing us onto the second phase of training.  Do you want me to find an office job?  I am not lazy.  I can find work and support ourselves, if You want me to."  Without hearing His voice, I started contacting a headhunter and looking into employment ads.  One late Saturday night, the Lord spoke to me using an article in Brother Cerullo's teaching.  In Genesis 25:2-6, the Lord appeared to Issac, "Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: Sojourn in this land and I will be with thee..."  Right then, I broke down and knew the Lord did not want me to go back to office work.

Focus for 2002

After Christmas 2001, I had about ten very quiet days.  The Lord used TBN programs and lots of other great ministers' teaching to give me rest and deepen my hunger for His presence and His glory.  After kids came home on January 8, the anger and rebellion issue resurfaced as a shockwave.  I understand one of the focuses in 2002 will be to even spend more time with children and help them seek the Lord and overcome disobedience and anger.  Reaching out to home alone mothers will be another focus.  Feeling nervous and unsure how to approach the adventure, the Lord reassured me using Zecharia 4:6, "...'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty."

For the YES family, 2002 will be a year of deeper understanding and knowledge of the Lord.  It will be a year to see many of the Lord's promises fulfilled.  We will strive to dwell in the shelter of the Most High and rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  He is our refuge and fortress and trust. [Psalm 91:1-2)  We look forward to achieving the maximum He allows in deepening the relationship with Him and sharing the Good News with others, in Home Alone Mothers' gatherings, the Santa Ana Street Outreach, and whatever the unexpected changes the Lord will bring.