Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año!

While we're enjoying a few weeks off in Alabama with family, We'd like to share with you all a few moments from December, our Christmas Card and our update letter! 

Jonah and Leslie

Jonah's graduation

Christmas Crafts!

Roasting marshmallows! 

Bracelets and Bible study with the girls!

Paola's Quinceañera 

"Merry Christmas!                                                                                                                                                                                                  

We’d like to start by saying thank you for your support, prayers, calls, texts, and even “likes.” We feel every bit of it and are blessed to have you all in our circle. Married life and ministry has been wonderful to say the least. This summer we worked alongside mission teams as some experienced Mexico for the first time. It’s a joy to see team members form a bond with a family or child from the colonia. God alone can create this bond, and we have seen first-hand how it can change the life of us “gringos” forever! Now that we live in McAllen and serve in Reynosa regularly, the bonds that we have formed have grown into love for our new family members across the border! 

At a Quinceañera (15th birthday party) last spring, I (Emily), observed young women who were young girls when we first met them. My heart broke to see the choices that they have made that are taking them farther away from the Lord. And so, this summer I stepped out of my comfort zone and began inviting girls to a small group. Now, I have a core group of about 8-10 girls who attend regularly. It’s been amazing to see them grow closer in their faith and in their relationship as friends. I’m so thankful for them and what I’ve learned in this journey. 

For reasons out of our control, the girls’ school was no longer an option for our students that were attending or me as a teacher. The girls who are American citizens (along with one of their brothers) now attend a private school in McAllen, TX! Along with others, it’s a privilege to help them continue their education in the US. They’re amazing kids and hard workers. I couldn’t be more proud of them and how they’ve grown.

On days that we spend in Mexico, we visit with families, learn more about their needs, and spend time with the kids. Because of the THOUSANDS of dollars you all have given, we are able to help with school costs, take over groceries, medicines, and diapers, help pay for doctor’s appointments and braces, or just bless a family that God puts on our hearts. I was talking to one of the moms the other day (she and her husband also do ministry in other parts of Mexico), She said, “It’s amazing how God works. Others give to you and Jonah, so that you can help us. Then we can help others, and then someday they can help others, too.” Your support doesn’t just impact us and the people we come in contact with, it’s spreading far and wide! How BIG is our God!

In other exciting news I (Jonah) decided to pursue a profession as an EMT and my goal is to one day be a paramedic. I graduated as an EMT Basic on December 12 and will start working soon to help provide for our family. I’ll be able spend more time with Emily in Mexico because of new skills and my work schedule. I’m also working on my Spanish, of course. For now, I hang out with the younger kids and hope to be able to lead them well as they grow into young men. 

This Christmas we celebrate the greatest gift God gave to us: His Son Jesus. 

Through grace we have been saved and it is a privilege to be able to share the gospel!

We love you all and God bless — Jonah and Emily Riley 

Read for updates: emilyimchele2819.blogspot.com

Contact for more info: emilymichele2819@gmail.com

Donate to support: paypal.me/emilymichele2819"

Thanks for reading and praying for us!  We're so excited for what 2016 will bring! 

Check back with us next month for more updates! 

Community in Photos

Community

For each month's blog, I usually look back on pictures for inspiration. Today I realized that this month, I was deep in community! Why is community so important? In community you are held accountable, you love others while also being loved back, there is spiritual growth, and seriously lots of fun! This month my community was all ages, three states, and two countries! I served and was served, taught and was taught, loved and was loved, celebrated life and mourned life. Be in the moment. Be in community. This is how we grow!

Mexico

Texas

Alabama

This month I was challenged, I loved and felt loved, I grew, and I laughed. 

Join me starting ... now!

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Romans 12:15

And These Hallelujahs Be Multiplied!

"Your love is like radiant diamonds

Bursting inside us we cannot contain

Your love will surely come find us

Like blazing wild fires singing Your name

God of mercy sweet love of mine

I have surrendered to Your design

May this offering stretch across the skies

And these Hallelujahs be multiplied"

Multiplied, NEEDTOBREATHE

"These hallelujahs be multiplied" can mean something different for everyone. Today when I listened to the song, that lyric spoke to me in this way: that we need to take our hallelujahs and use them to multiply, not just the hallelujahs being shouted, but the people shouting them! God's love is so big that we shouldn't be able to contain it inside, sharing it with everyone! Whether you say that you are a  missionary or not, if you are a follower of Christ, you are a missionary. 

Jesus said in John 14:15, 

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments." 

What are His commandments?  

Matthew 22: 36-39 says,  “'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?' And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" 

Matthew 28:19 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,"

Love God, Love your Neighbors, Make Disciples.

Now what does this mean for me as a Christian? 

It means that not just those of us who go on mission trips, or who were called to a specific place (to relocate for missions) are missionaries. It's all of us who are followers of Christ, all of us who love Christ. Your mission field may be your home, your community, your church, your child's school or softball team, but it's you, you are called to be a missionary. If this is new information for you, don't let it scare you, let it excite you! Making disciples should be a number one priority in our lives, and a privilege! 

What does that look like?

Should I have to quit my job? Some of you may be called to do that yes, but you ARE called to serve within your work! It may be that coworker who comes in with their problems every day and you've been giving them advice but you have never shared Christ. You don't share scripture because you think it won't help. You don't share how Christ changed your life, because you think they don't want to listen.  If you are truly following Christ and you are full of the Holy Spirit, people should be able to see that light in you daily: in your actions, in your words, how you treat people, and the type of conversations you have. It looks like stepping out of your comfort zone to love people that before you may not have given a second thought, teaching others what your mentors taught you, what you have learned from your own studies, sharing that Jesus came to save us and how he did it. Live your life for Christ. No, you don't have to move, quit your job, and raise funds to go somewhere to share the gospel unless you truly feel God is calling you to do so. If we all did that, there would be no-one to provide the funding, but we do all need to be sharing the gospel where we are at the moment. 

Here lately, I haven't been in the word like I should be. I shared this with my teenagers during prayer requests (it's important to be honest about personal struggles with people you are ministering to). I asked for prayer to be closer to God, because if I'm not where I need to be in my walk, how can I shine that light for others and share His love? I think what happened is the stress of feeling that it is all on me. This is all lies of course, but sometimes that's how I feel, that I have to go daily and share the love of Christ because there are people's lives on the line and it's my job to help them. I think a lot of us that are in full time ministry go through phases like this. Earlier I shared Matthew 28:19 that says to go make disciples, but Jesus continues in Matthew 28:20 by saying he will be with us. Our job is to love, teach, and share how Jesus has changed our lives. It is not our job to change their hearts and save their souls. That's where the Holy Spirit comes in. Thank goodness for that! I am flawed, but Jesus is perfect. Knowing He is with me is so amazing!

Jesus has the power to save. God sent his Son and sacrificed Him in order that we might be saved by Him. We shine His light and Share His love. We can't make the decision for the people, that part is between them and God. We pray that we have spoken truth and that when the time comes, they will say yes and accept Jesus as their savior, and those Hallelujahs be multiplied! 

I have so much comfort in knowing that the one who saved me is the one who goes with me daily to talk to these families to talk to these teenagers. He guides me in my words and my actions, and then when the time is right they decide to be followers too. Not because I did it, not because it was all on me, but because Jesus changes their hearts, saves their souls and I have the privilege of being a part of the process. So do you! Now go Shine!

Being Available

|This is a long one so bear with me..I should really blog more often to avoid the long-ness..|

A question I've been asked a lot lately is, so what is you schedule like? This has been a month of trial and error, adjustments, actual trials, and many blessings! As many of you know, I am not teaching at the girls school. With that door closing, many have opened. If you missed the post on Facebook, here it is again:

"This is so hard to write,but many of you have been asking about the girls so here goes. Due to circumstances out of my control, I will not be returning to the girls' school. Even though I won't be their teacher, I will be able to maintain all the relationships I made with them and visit them!  I am so thankful for everything I learned there and how much I grew. With this change, God has opened many doors for Jonah and me and I can't wait to share what those are!" 

-from Facebook  August 10, 2015

This seems like a strange thing to say, but not teaching this year has opened up the door of availability. Some weeks are more calm, and most weeks are crazy busy and full of opportunities for ministry on both sides of the border. Here's what that looks like:

Oh...Before I say more, another one of those doors is that Jonah is going to school this semester to earn his EMT Basic Certificate! He loves it so far and is learning so many wonderful skills for his future job and the mission field! 

I, along with others, have committed to getting a few of our American citizens from Reynosa to school and back every day in a new school. Two are girls that were with me at the girls school, and the other is a sibling who is experiencing education in the US for the first time! I make them lunch, get them from the bridge, take them to school, pick them up, and then take them home. It has taken a while for them to adjust to getting up early and has been a frustrating process, but I think we are finally getting in a groove and it has become more comfortable. I have seen growth in all three of them and am so proud of how hard they are trying! We couldn't do this without their sponsors, so thank you guys so so much! I can't wait to see what the future holds for them! 

This year, I also have 10 other students on the Mexico side with sponsors which is amazing. Many of those are middle and high school students, which is a big deal considering most of their parents didn't complete their education! This generation of students will have more opportunities for good jobs in the future and a better future for their children. Celebrate that with me! I love delivering letters and gifts to them and others who made special relationships this summer. The look on their faces when they hear from you guys makes the bad days better and the good days amazing!

Along with meeting with the girls weekly, two have celebrated their fifteenth birthdays and we were able to attend their XV años to support them and their families! This is one of my favorite parts of the Mexican Culture. One of the moms said something that really stuck with me. We asked her if she needed anything else to get ready for the party and she said, "No, I think we have everything. Everyone has come together, even if they can only give a grain of sand, everyone has pitched in." |Even if they can only give a grain of sand...| It was true. We went to the party and you could see all the little grains of sand who had donated, decorated, cooked, cleaned, planned, and it all came together for a beautiful celebration of a beautiful girl. We should be more like that, by the way. 

So. My schedule is: striving to be available. What does being available really mean? It means being able to do all those things above and the flexibility to change that up, add to, take away, whatever God calls us to do daily.  When we tie ourselves down to such a strict schedule, even in full time ministry, it takes away that availability. We shut our eyes to doors that are being opened and opportunities God is trying to reveal to us because we know we won't have time. It doesn't fit in the schedule we have made for ourselves. I'm not really sure what the solution is. The world we live in today is so much about schedules that we can't change it one day to help a friend or family member. Even with this new schedule, I catch myself putting limitations, time frames, etc. 

I'm having trouble knowing how to close this one, because I really don't know how to put a solution into words. I don't have one. My dear friend Kerrie Williams said it really well in a recent blog called Being over Doing. 

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Romans 12:2 ESV