Grace - blog

It is very HOT in Bullhead!

noreply@blogspirit.com (Grace) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:35:00 +0300

Well, I am pretty much ready for summer to be over here...it's been a normal 115-120 this month everyday...

We do things differently here in th desert that i am sure seem very strange to others...I left my brand new $2.50 big-buttoned calculator in my car accidently one afternoon, and the sun warped it completely! My bible cover has a permanent cuvature from it's time in the sweltering heat. When you hate to get buckled because the metal is a gazillion degrees and you are scared to death that it might sear your skin.

We have a swamp-cooler...joy pure joy! For the vast majority of people that have no idea what a swamp cooler is...it's a big box, with a large squirrel cage in it...there are 3 large pads that go around it and those pads are sprayed on the inside with water, as the squirrel cage spins it pushes (what is supposed to be) cool moist air into our home. But seeing as how we have been having so much humidity it renders our swamper close to useless.. therefore it is normally 90-95 degrees inside our home..

But it's good missionary training.. *smiles*

Life's been going pretty good here in beautiful Bullhead City. My first attempt at teaching Spanish is almost finished...it's been a blast! It's had it's ups and downs. but there have been about 4 diligent students and I am so blessed to be a part of it. More people are going to join the class in a couple of weeks and I am very optomistic.

I might be able to teach an ESL class to the parents of the Jr. High that is just down the street...so that's also exciting. Lastly i'll be doing the water ministry on the corner where the kids get out of school. I am excited to see what the Lord would like to do with that.

Please pray that the Lord will continue to provide all of my needs...He's faithful.

You are in my prayers as well...Grace

Update for May, June and half of July.

noreply@blogspirit.com (Grace) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:59:42 +0300

May-June-July 2008

Where to begin? Thank you all for your continuing prayers and support. Please forgive me for not keeping you updated as I should. I know that without information from me it is hard to pray specifically for what is going on.

Well coming home from Peru was a very big culture shock, as I was expecting. Even now 2.5 months later I miss my dear friends from Peru everyday!

Going from the beginning of winter to the beginning of an Arizona summer was shocking as well. It took me about three days to be able to breath properly as in Lima it is extremely humid and in Arizona is very DRY!

It was a great blessing to see my mom and family and especially the people from church that I know have been so faithful throughout this past year.

The Lord blessed me with the opportunity to be able to share a video presentation that I made of my time in Peru with several different people and groups. I love being able to show everyone the fruit that the Lord brought through my time in Lima, Peru .

BECOMING A MISSIONARY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA !

The Lord put it on my heart to return to the USA to work on starting a Christian ESL School here in Arizona just like I had done in Lima . There is about 45% Hispanic population in Bullhead City , which is where I live, and virtually no one reaching out to this culture within our culture.

I have been teaching for the last 6 weeks two nights a week teaching ESL at the Community College here in my town, all of my students are women and they are all very receptive to the Lord.

I had no intention of teaching Spanish in coming home, but several people from church have had a desire to learn Spanish to be able to reach out to our community. So for the past two weeks I have been teaching 13 people Spanish. We meet twice a week, and they are learning scripture in Spanish and also worship songs in Spanish. Two of my Mexican students from the college are even coming to the class and helping me teach. Please pray for them their names are Silvia and Bertha. They are here in the states for only 4 more months on working visas but are both extremely receptive to the Lord.

I pray that in the future we will have a Christian ESL school a Christian Spanish school, also that we will have a Spanish Church service too. There are limitless possibilities with our God!

Please pray that the Lord will give me more opportunities to reach out into the Latino community here in Bullhead, and that He will put this same desire on more people’s hearts.

The Living water Ministry is going great. We have given out about 1,000 water bottles in the last 3 weeks and talked to many people about the love of Jesus. This is also a way that the Lord is using us to reach out to the lost in Las Vegas and Laughlin, NV .

I am also continuing to work on making a Christian ESL Curriculum. It is coming along really well and I am so excited to see what the Lord’s going to do with it.

Once again thank you for your prayers and continued support.

God bless you and keep you!

I would love to hear about what the Lord’s doing in your lives, or if you would like to get together and fellowship. Please write to me at gracehensley@hotmail.com

p.s. If you are interested in supporting me as a missionary here in the USA please donate online at this site.

http://www.sgwm.com/missionaries/php?id=143

SHaring about my year in Peru

noreply@blogspirit.com (Grace) — Sat, 31 May 2008 05:55:00 +0300

Shalom, Hola, Hello!! (Don't forget to check out the words in fushia below)

Well I have been back in the USA for almost a month. And it has been a whirlwind of excitement.

First of all thank you so much for all of your prayers as I left Peru. It was very difficult to leave all of the absolutely amazing brothers and sisters that I made there. The work is continuing strong and I know that the Lord had me there to start the work that He wanted and now He is working through other leaders there.

So great to remember that all along it is God's work and only He receives all of the glory for the success! Praise God!

Coming back to the dry, hot desert was also shocking as in Lima it is extremely humid. So for about three days it was very difficult to breath. Not having driven for over a year it was nice to get behind the wheel although with gas being so high i try not to stay there to long *smiles*

A great blessing my dear friend Kate whom I met while I was in Peru came here to Arizona for a week and we were able to go to Phoenix and meet with and encourage some other people that had been previous students in Peru as well. It was lovely to see them and be encouraged by what the Lord's doing in their lives.

Also the day that Kate left my best friend of 24 years, Kathryn flew in from Oklahoma with her 2 year old and 11 month old. It was so refreshing to see her and her beautiful children. We went to California to see her in-laws and also to Oceanside where we have other friends that have been praying and supporting me. It was just an incredible time to come back and be able to touch base with so many of the people that are so important in my life.

I will be sharing all about this past year and what God has done on

Thursday,

June 5th

6:00-8:30

at Calvary Chapel Bullhead City. (1690 Newberry Dr.)

Please come I would so love to meet you and talk with you.

There will be food and drinks provided also I will be showing a video that I made so you can actually SEE how it was!

If you have any questions please contact me at gracehensley@hotmail.com

If you are interested in continuing to support me as I am a missionary here in the USA. I will be starting a Christian ESL school here in Bullhead City,AZ and reaching out to the Latino population. You can donate online through... http://www.sgwm.com/missionaries.php?id=143 There will be a little button on the right hand side that says "donate to Grace Hensley"

Thank you so much for all of your prayers!

See you on Thursday!

In Jesus, Grace

April in Lima, Peru.

noreply@blogspirit.com (Grace) — Mon, 05 May 2008 01:29:20 +0300

"But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." 2 Tim. 4:5

I have experienced so many different emotions this month. It is hard to believe that my year in Peru is now over. It was such a life changing experience that I will cherish and continue to learn from in years to come.

During this month I was able to invite several families over for dinner. It was a great blessing to get to know my students and their families on a much more personal level.

They have all lived such interesting lives. I can't even imagine experiencing the hardships that some of them have gone though. Through the Lord they have overcome all these things and have such joy and peace. They were a great encouragement to me.

This little lady's name is Sofia. She has a fruit shop around the corner from the Bible College. Her son Carlos has been coming to the English classes for the last 4 semesters. He has learned a lot of English, but most of all He has drawn closer to the Lord. It was so great to hear about their lives, where the Lord has brought them from and where the Lord is leading them.

In coming to Peru it was never my intention to create a school that was dependent upon me. The Lord gave me His wisdom in order to organize and start the school. It has been my prayer that the Lord would be the center of everything and that He would remain in complete control.

All of the students completed their final exams and almost all of them moved up to the next level. They are all growing in their confidence and enjoying the classes. The best part however is that they are inviting their non-Christian friends and neighbors to come to the English school, and to church.

Thank you so much for your prayers about the Lord providing a new director in my place. He did. Her name is Rachel Mach, please keep her in your prayers.

Classes start May 5 so she has a lot to do in order to get everything ready. Please continue to pray for the students that will be coming this semester.

My last week in Lima was filled with such bittersweet emotions. I knew that the Lord had called me to go back to Bullhead City, Arizona and establish an Christian English School there. But at the same time my heart ached to remain with the amazing Peruvians that had become not just my students and my friends but my family!

The Lord is faithful and i know that if it is His will I will return to Lima someday soon perhaps not long term, but like Paul to encourage and comfort the body of Christ there.

About 10 of the Peruvians came to the airport to send me off. That was such a huge blessing to see all of their love to come out so late and be there for me.

My flight left Lima at about midnight and got to Ft. Lauderdale at 6:00 am. I had a layover till 12:00 pm but it was totally God because I had the opportunity to talk with a lady there in the airport and encourage her in her walk with the Lord.

At noon I left Ft. Lauderdale and went to Orlando. I had to switch planes again and left Orlando at 2:00 pm. My plane stopped in Albuquerque for about 40 minutes and then finally to Las Vegas where my Mom picked me up from the airport.

We went out to dinner with my sister and niece. It was a nice time to be with them and share a little bit about what the Lord has been doing in Peru.

This morning I went to church in my Peruvian outfit, and was blessed to see everyone. Some time this next week I'll have a time that I can share with the whole body the great work that has been started in Lima. Peru.

This is a picture of me and my Pastor after church today

Now I am here in Bullhead City, Arizona. I am now a national missionary to the United States of America. The Lord has put it on my heart to reach out to the Latino population here.

During the next couple of weeks please join me in prayer as it is my heart's desire to start an English school here in Bullhead. There is a lot of preparation that goes into starting a school many materials that need to be purchased, and teachers that need to be trained. But the most important part is that everything is covered in prayer.

Perhaps you or your church might be interested in hearing about how to start an English as a Second Language school at your church. I would be glad to come and share how the Lord has used this ministry to bring so many people to Him.

Thank you so much for continuing to prayerfully support me in this new ministry. I know that the Lord will be glorified and that many people with come to Him.

May God richly bless you and keep you. I would love to hear from you.

En Cristo, Grace

(This is a picture of me and my Mom. She was very thankful to have me back home)

An Amazing week!

noreply@blogspirit.com (Grace) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:15:00 +0300

Where to start....

Prayer..."Dear God, Thank you so much for the privilege to come here to Peru and serve You. Thank you for allowing me to have this opportunity to minister and love the people here. God thank you for this amazing week that was full of all your great blessings. Please help me to seek you more and to fall in love with you more each day."

"Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 15:19-20

Last weekend like I told you we weren't able to go to the zoo, but we did go to a retreat like center about an hour outside of Lima. We were supposed to leave at 8:00 but seeing as we are in a South American country we left at 9:00.

I had rented a bus to hold 50 people. But there were over 70 so some people had to take a different bus. But we all got there about the same time.

We played tug of war, had a three legged race, water balloon toss, played soccer, basketball, and everyone went swimming." We had games testing the students memory of the Bible Verses...We had prayer and worship and Alejandro one of the Peruvian teachers shared a wonderful message with everyone from the Bible.

We spent virtually all day there and had an amazing time of fellowship and relaxation. (Thanks so much Mrs. B)

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Finals Week

So my last class ended last night it was bittersweet...I am so happy as all of my students passed to the next level, but I am a little sad because I won't be their teacher anymore.

I know that the Lord has His hand in all of this though and that He has raised up great teachers with talent and most importantly love for Him.

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Conversation Club

Perhaps some of you are unaware that we have been having a conversation club every Friday. It has been such a great class because it is so unconventional, many times we would go to the park, or to an ice cream parlor, or to my apartment or an apartment of a student in the class.

It has been such a blessing to really just sit down with them and listen about their lives and their experiances. To pray with each of them and see God working in their lives.

Abel is a student from this class and shared with us this last week that he has just started reading his Bible again for the first time since he was a little boy. He said that because of the classes and how we are always talking about Jesus and the Bible he wants to learn more about Him and He is realizing that there is something missing in his life. Please keep him in your prayers...his whole family is Mormon and he doesn't realize the difference between Christianity and Mormanism yet.

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Last Days in Lima

Not counting today I have 11 days left...I have so many things that I would like to do before leaving and many people that I would like to spend time with. Please pray that the Lord will give me enough time to finish all of my obligations and have time to spend with everyone.

Please also keep Rachel Mach in your prayers. She is going to be taking my position when I leave. I have been training her, but this coming week she will be gone on a mission trip and I will be leaving three days after she gets back. The next semester starts May 5th. So there is a lot for her to do and a lot for me to teach her.

There are also going to be two classes going on every morning and three classes being taught simultaneously at night. There are more and more people coming which is a blessing, but the space that we have for classrooms is very limited. Please pray that the Lord will provide another location for the English school if that is His will.

Also an announcement! We are going to be having a Basic class starting on Saturday and it will be using the new Christian curriculum that another English teacher and I developed last semester. We will be using stories from the Bible to teach English and Godly principals.

God's doing amazing things...and I know that He has great things planned for Bullhead City, Arizona as well. *smiles*

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THANK YOU!

Without your prayers and support over this last year none of this would have been possible.

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:23-25

Thank you for being part of this ministry!

May God richly bless you and keep you...En Cristo, Grace

If you are interested in supporting me as a missionary please go to http://www.sgwm.com/missionaries.php?id=143 you can donate online at this website.

An Amazing week!

noreply@blogspirit.com (Grace) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:03:47 +0300

Where to start....

Prayer..."Dear God, Thank you so much for the privilage to come here to Peru and serve You. Thank you for allowing me to have this opportunity to minister and love the people here. God thank you for this amazing week that was full of all your great blessings. Please help me to seek you more and to fall in love with you more each day."

"Bretheren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 15:19-20

I had rented a bus to hold 50 people. But there were over 70 so some people had to take a different bus. But we all got there about the same time.

We spent virtually all day there and had an amazing time of fellowship and relaxation. (Thanks so much Mrs. B)

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Finals Week

So my last class ended last night

Change of plans

noreply@blogspirit.com (Grace) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:21:51 +0300

Well...so I thought that we would be going to the Zoo tomorrow. But we aren't going to be going there because they didn't end up giving us the discount. Which initially I was prretty bummed about.

But the Lord took complete control of everything and provided a new location about an hour outside of Lima where a student of mine helps maintain an orpahanage retreat center. I asked her if we would be able to use that location since no one is there this weekend and she said YES!

It has a pool and grass and a basketball court and large barb-b-que. We are going to be playing tug of war and having potato sack races tons of games like that. But most importantly we are going to be sharing the love of Jesus with the numerous non-believers that are going to be coming.

We are going to have a time of worship and prayer...I know that the Lord is going to do amazing things. Please keep it all in your prayers.

Thanks so so much...together we are reaching our world for Christ....

Grace

March 08 Lima, Peru

noreply@blogspirit.com (Grace) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:06:38 +0300

And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. Psalm 9:10

I can not even begin to describe what a blessing this month has been, but I will try. 

A little background….My parents were divorced when I was about 3 years old. My mother has been an absolutely amazing example to me of a Godly woman. She raised me with a strong foundation in the Lord and for that I am eternally grateful.

During my time here a Peruvian family has befriended me and it has been such a blessing to spend special occasions with them…Christmas, my birthday, their birthdays, New Years, Easter. Well it just so happens that this last week was the parents 30th wedding anniversary, so all their children and I planned a surprise for them. We took them out to Friday’s for dinner and then got them a hotel room for the night. They weren’t believers when they got married, and they’d never spent the night at a nice hotel. We decorated the room and they were so surprised! Pedro even carried Juanita over the threshold. I never got to do these kinds of things for my parents, and this family wouldn’t have had the resources to do this themselves. I know that they were blessed and so was God’s heart in seeing 30 years of faithfulness and obedience. So thank you for being a part of that special day!

English classes: As of this date we only have two more weeks of English classes until the end of this semester. I have seen the Lord’s hand in this program since its foundation. People are getting saved and growing closer to the Lord.

It is difficult to leave something that I love so much, but I know that this is God’s timing as He has raised up another director of the school. Rachel will be taking my position and teaching 3-4 classes, also another American missionary named Natalie will be teaching a class and the Lord is still raising up national bilingual Peruvians that would like to be part of this ministry.

With all of that said and done I will still miss each and everyone of my students, some I have spent more than 180 hours with so we are all very close. The Lord has done more than let me be an English teacher he has made these classes into families and friends.

Last night I threw a costume party for all the English students and Bible college students. It was a great success. There were about 50-60 people here. I took all my furniture out of my room and everyone was dancing together. It was beautiful to see the interaction and fellowship shared in the body of Christ.

The end of the semester party for the students at the Zoo is next weekend!! Please pray as many of them will be bringing unsaved friends and family and this will give us an opportunity to reach out to them and show them the love of God.

Returning to the mission field…I will be going to another mission field called Bullhead City, Arizona in three and a half weeks. There is so much that the Lord has put on my heart to do there. Please join me in prayer as I would like to reach out to the Latino population in my town. There is a huge barrier in our city dividing it racially through language, culture and economic status.

During this next year please pray about continuing to support me as a native missionary to my own home town. I will be entering a new culture once again as I face re-entry shock into American culture and reaching out to the huge Mexican population with the love of Jesus Christ

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and faithful support. I would love to come and visit each and every one of you. I will be creating a video and power point to share what the Lord’s been doing here.

Please pray for the Lords provision as there is a $100 tax when I leave Peru, also the airline that I am flying home with has a charge of $100 for my third piece of luggage. I still have 3.5 weeks here and there is a lot to do and a lot more that the Lord wants to do!

Thank you, I love you all so much and am looking forward to seeing you!!

En Cristo, Grace

What are you going to do for Ressurection Sunday?

noreply@blogspirit.com (Grace) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 21:49:12 +0200

Well it's Holy week here in Peru, or Spring break in the USA. What are you plans? Go on a vacation, go to the beach? Read that book you've been wanting to get to for so long but haven't found the time. I don't know what your plans are but whatever they are be sure to remember what this weekend is all about.

It's about remembering what Jesus did for YOU! It's not about the Easter bunny or egg hunting, or going out on the lake...We all need to read through a Gospel and recall the life that Jesus led that led him to the cross.

And then this Sunday if you go to church... meditate on what a powerful God we serve. The sacrifce that Jesus made on the cross for our sins was accepted by God, and Jesus did it joyfully...because he knew that because of his death we would live forever with Him.

Perhaps all this sounds crazy to you...but it is the truth...and truth is absolute!

God bless you

Grace

Blessings this week

noreply@blogspirit.com (Grace) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 17:32:29 +0200

This week has been so amazing! Thank you so much for your prayers as I can see God answering them everyday!

First off...My dear friend Mrs. Bratt donated enough money so that We'll be able to have a party at the Zoo at the end of the semester for all the students!

Secondly-The Lord provided a vechicle for me when I get back to Bullhead

Thirdly-A dear Childhood friend contacted me and she is now seeking the Lord. Please keep her in your prayers her name is Jenny.

Fouthly-I was able to witness to a girl in the market. I shared the entire gospel with her, and she is going to, Lord willing, come to church tonight.

Fiftly- I bought my plane ticket home I will be leaving on April 30th and getting to Bullhead the evening of May 1st.

This week the Lord has also taught me not to take things that have been entrusted to me not so seriously, not to make them "my own"

For almost the entire time that i have been serving here I have been making breakfast at the bible college. We only have an hour to make it for like 30 people...so it is a little stressful. We also don't just make breakfast, but a huge fruit salad and we have been making smoothies. Well this last week the person that is in charge of the students hours in the kitchen told me that He changed everything there will be no more smoothies and he changed the menu. Amazingly I was kind of okay. A couple of weeks ago I would have gotten really upset, but the Lord is helping me showing me that I am just a servant it's not my place or right to get upset about things as I am just in His service.

Well that's what the Lord is teaching me... if you want to contact me my e-mail is gracehensley@hotmail.com. If you are interested in supporting this ministry please go to www.sgwm.com under Latin America there you'll see a missionaries tab I am there. You can click on my picture and see what's going on here and donate if you'd like to.