This is El Jordán´s theme verse for this year:

 

 “Do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what is the good
and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Romans 12:2

 

What good is external change, no matter how delightful it looks, if the core is rotten? It is worth it to have your friends or acquaintances think you´re great… but be in complete rebellion to the ONE who holds the universe in the palm of His hand? Why expend all our effort, heart and soul into attaining “ALL” in this life but be empty handed when we greet eternity? Do we do any favors at El Jordán - applauding lifestyle changes in our girls that “look good” when demons lurk inside sneering… smirking and taunting when “their” girl has heard about God and the Bible, but staggers and falls into the mud yet again???

 

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world
and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,
the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”
Ephesians 2:1,2

 Transformation…

 

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature;
the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
 Now all these things are from God,
who reconciled us to Himself through Christ…”
2 Corinthians 5:17,18

 

We can all try to “mold” ourselves or others… but only GOD can make us NEW… change our substance, WHO we ARE… It can only be accomplished by God… In HIM we can pass from death to life… from the family of Satan to the Family of God… from condemnation to forgiveness… from darkness to light…

 

 

“So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way,  if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
Ephesians 4:17-25

 

We have our old ways of thinking and acting… they have been corrupted… and we need to walk in a NEW way… we need to lay aside the old self… renew our mind and put on our new self… Our change needs to start with TRANSFORMATION and work itself OUT…

 

That way we will be able to prove which is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God…

 

…and the overall warning… “don´t be conformed to this world…”  Don´t fall into the trap of believing this world´s lies! 

 

…so that is our “push” this year at El Jordán… our heart´s desire and prayer…

 

Yesterday, there was the “Good Students´ Outing” at El Jordán - for all the kids (from grade one to age 11) who got an average of 75% or more last year… Their moms dropped them off at 10:30 a.m. and came back to pick them up at 3 p.m.  Everything was great…except one mom didn´t show up…. nor did she answer her phone…

 

A couple hours later, a scared little 5 year old whisper finally answered Heidi´s call, “My mom is a little bit drunk…”

 

When we got to her room, the mom was passed out in the midst of the filth and stench of garbage, dirty clothes and rotten food…

 

The youngest girl was quiet, fearful and tearful as she recounted following her mom to a drinking joint… begging her to stop drinking and come home…  The older sister, 9 years old was emotionless and matter of fact:  we needed to be quiet… or else the mom might wake up, grab a knife…  we had to secure the door when we left so the mom wouldn´t wake up and escape… The girl shrugged her shoulders, “but she always escapes…”

 

Heidi stayed with the kids in the car (helping them memorize her phone number for any emergency); I checked on the mom and found her trying to stand up, patting herself down, looking for her money…

 

First she was shocked to see me… then angry, “Who brought you here?”…

 

“I study the Bible, I hear about His grace and mercy… but where is it?  I can´t change! I can´t!”

 

Then she tried to justify herself… “This is so-and-so´s fault… he doesn´t respect me…”

 

It was kind of useless to get into a deep conversation with someone who was drunk… I told her to come to El Jordán to talk when she wasn´t drunk…

 

…then she cried… “You are the only one who understands me…”  I don´t want to be the one who just comes beside them to comfort and “understand” them!!!  I want to FIGHT for them…

 

I said I wanted to pray before I left…  she struggled up to leave…

 

I said I wanted to pray for her…

 

That´s when her face changed.  Her eyes stared at me… cold and hard… her mouth twisted into a sneer…
                                                                                  
She obeyed the spirit at work in her… and stumbled out the door… out of the house… she crossed the road in front of cars and buses… she stumbled and fell… and then continued stumbling along her way…

 

Please stand with us in the gap…  Please intercede specifically as we battle for their lives…

 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Ephesians 6:12

 

Thank you for standing with us…

 

Corina