Summer in Oakland,ca

Youth conferance: Instagram

my girls

   Well summer is almost over :(  Sad because it will be back to homeschooling). Moving on..  This summer has been pretty relaxing for us.The weather here is great unlike last summer it was very hot. We have had many trips to the beach. I took the girls to  Alameda and had many walks there on the beach but everytime we went it was so cool we never stayed long. We did enjoy observing our first Sandcastle contest. The tide was so low we were able to  walk out a bit far. Not as far as some were going though.  We went to the Alameda County Fair and it was AWESOME! Definately going again. We explored all the exhibits, ate deep fried twinkies, listed to some ametuar singers, watched a clown show, and of course let the girls get on rides.  Of caourse went to the park and Lake Merritt, Maybe going to a kite festival this week.Went a memorial Day service at the Oakland cemetary. After all that I have so many pictures I do not know what to do with them.

KJV:Instagram

  Something I have stumbled upon was Instagram. An app on the phone or tablet you can use to enhance your pictures. Its allows you to take a pciture and share them instatnly over the site. I think the amazing think about it is I have viewed pictures from Ireland, Spain, Greece, London, China, Kentucky, New York, Detroit, San Franscisco, San Diego, and I can go on and on. It is amazing how many people take pictures, some of just things but mostly the beauty that one can catch with their camera or phone through their own eyes.  There are many people out there enjoying the wonders of God's Creations, ocean, animals, plants, flowers, people. I have enjoyed seeing how many are sharing God's word. Some may not like it but many do.

Alameda County Fair

  Oakland..It has been a fun summer so far. I have explored many parts and know that we have much prayer and footwork to do here when it comes to our ministry. Many lost that need to be saved and that need to enjoy the beautiful things the Lord has given us. In October Seaside Baptist Church will have been here for one year. It has been exciting and challenging at the same time. Sometiems its like we are trying to break down a wall and are barely making a crack in it. Its hard work but we will do our best with the Lord's help. Excited for what the new year to come has for Seaside Baptist Church

Lake Merritt

Mother's Day in Oakand,ca

    "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness." Proverbs 31:27   this is a verse that reminds me of my monther and grandmother. As a little girl I can always see my mother cleaning or decorating, cooking, something. She was never one to just lay on the couch. Serving her family was something she did without complaining. As I think about that I can also see my grandmother the same way. I guess that is where she learned it from.

     My grandmother had 5 girls and 3 boys, I don't think there was time to rest.  As we would go to visit or she would watch us as my mom went to work she had us cleaning, dusting, sweeping, mopping, cleaning beans, raking leaves, picking up the peacans that fell off the tree etc. I remember I would try to get out of doing that work but not all the time. We did complain but I am glad she did that for us.  I remember her many times waving to me to come into her room and have me dust her dresser, i loved seeing all the jewlery and perfumes and knick knacks she had. When Iwas done she would say now lets pray for your uncle or mom or someone the Lord had put on her heart. Sometimes they were short prayers and sometimes they were looong prayers :) but I love knowing that my grandma cared for people even though she was a bit tough and rarely shared loving words. Behind closed doors she would give her heart to the Lord. Not many peopel can say that they had a grandmother like that. Now I have my kids and sometimes we are praying and one will say "get the pillow,  that is what Lola said to to do when we pray."  It brings a smile to my face because I know it will be something lovely for them to remember when they get older.




If momma aint happy no body is either.

    Well we have been in Oakland for ten months now. Seaside Bapitst church has been going for six months already.We are averaging about 12 people a month including us. Honestly I am not down about the numbers, I mean there have been challenges passing out our tracts, alot of people just flat out refuse our invites.  There are alot of weird roads and hills, and stairs` so that has challenged me when taking theclittle ones. Going with my husband to pass them out is easier then going by myself. My almost 2 year old can get a bit demanding and I have one daughter who likes to keep running ahead and I keep telling her to walk with us. I am in that paranoid stage I guess, I keep thinking any minute a van is going to stop and pull her in.  Then I scold myself and ask God to forgive me for not trusting he is taking care of us..

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     So my home schooling has been a challenge for me. The Lord has really tested me in this area and I can say I humbly failed the test. My spirit was not good at all. After attending two conferances in February I came home and finally talked to my husband and we figured out the problem. I let my priorities get mixed up. I did not  have God first in my life. I have been a christian for 10 years and i thought I would know if this would happen. Apparentlly not. the key was that I had to humble my self and we know that is a hard thing as a mom. We are supposed to have it all together, meals, school, husband, church, house work, etc. So I just am trying to take it day by day. As looked through my bible and the Lord gave me a verse. I am putting this here not for people to feel sorry for me as a reminder that it is easy to think we have things under control when we don't. I think the worst thing about this was the anger i felt for having to homeschool. It was really ruling my spirit at home.

 Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Everytime I feel like I am not doing ok that verse has popped into my head.

Holidays in Oakland

    Our November started out good, we had some visitors at church that month, we even have a woman who has been faithfully coming to our church and bible study since the end of October. I was pretty thankful that the kids or I had not been sick for November and December, well Olivia got a cold but it wasn't to bad. We did not have to miss church.  I had been praying we wouldn't miss because my nephews and another little boy have been coming to church and at the moment I am the nursery worker. It has been a little challenging to teach my kids, I am already homeschooling them and now their Sunday School teacher. At the other churches we had attended I always worked in the nursery( expect V.B.S. twice) so this is something kind of new for me. Also trying to get a lesson in and some songs is new to me. Well let rephrase that, its different than doing a devotional at home. Some days it was easy and some days not, depending if any little babies came in. Something that was nice to hear the other day from my oldest daughter was, " Wow! Mom  that was a good story I think you are my favorite teacher now."

Family Photo: Robinson, Perry, and Ruiz

Young Adults from pastor Fongs Church singing for us.

    As December rolled in we lost our piano player but that was ok, my cousin Esther filled in and helped. It is weird how satan comes in and attacks by using other Christians. Praise the Lord for this trial. It made pray more for my husband, it was more toward him and it hurt to see that happen. We had our van stolen, before Thanksgiving then someone broke into the other car. Then just little things here and there. Our Christams special was great, my girls sang and I was so proud of them. They were so happy when their dad introduced them as Seaside Baptists choir. I cant wait for the next time they sing.

Opening days at Seaside Baptist Church

   After much praying and handing out tracts we finally started our first service. We were very excited and had many churches,family members and co-workers come and encourage us. We had Pastor and Mrs. Tharp come and that was encouraging especially since they had their fall carnival going on at Central Valley Baptist Church. Pastor and Mrs. Fong from Heritage Baptist Church in San Leandro along with a group of girls who sang some special songs for us. Pastor and Mrs. Chantigian from Hopewell Baptist Church in Alameda came with some help for me also in the nursery, that was a blessing. Then their was Pastor Strouf and Bro. Ortiz. We had a total of 49 people that day. The Lord also had blessed us with two families that are willing and ready to serve. They sing, play piano and are always ready to go soul winning.

   Since the service started we have had a bible study at our house with the ladies and this weekend Golden State Baptist College had a group of college students come and help us with getting some more tracts out. We had a good response, which led to the woman who came today.

   As the holidays approach I am praying it will lead more people to come and visit . We are very thankful for all of the prayers from everyone.

Starting Seaside Baptist Church

How exciting, in one week my husband will preach his first message at Seaside Baptist Church in Oakland,ca. For now we will be meeting a the Presbyterian Park Blvd. church. They will be letting us use the gym and nursery for one month. I gues it will be our trial month. Praise the Lord though that we get to start services somewhere. We are nervous but excited. My husband has his goals for the church and I have some also but not any differant then his but as a christian wife: to reach ladies who have not accepted Jesus as their savior, reach ladies who are saved but have strayed from the christian life(going to church , bible reading, praying, serving God), to let ladies know that their is a baptist church Oakland, ca that still sings Old Fashioned hymns, goes out soul-winning, and has a heart for missionaries.I hope that is not to much to ask for but it is a start.I will be posting pictures after our first Sunday.

Teaching and learning

Well it has been a great week. The Lord has answered many prayers and showed how great he is. I have been homeschooling Laura for a week and I had stressed so much about it, but every time I got frustrated I would stop and ask the Lord to help me explain things to her clearly and without getting upset at her. I had been feeling so ... stupid I guess is the word that comes to mind. How can I teach a child?, I kept feeling like I was not smart enough or not fun and inventive enough. Then I thought of how many men in the bible that God used who I am sure did not believe they could do what he asked. Noah built the ark and we know that was not just some little sailboat. I have also been trying to do devotions with them at the same time and I believe it has helped not just them but me also.

We also may be able to use a church building to begin some services for Seaside Baptist Church, we will know soon enough. Then we were able to go to pastors conferance once night and that was a blessing. There are always great preachers there at North Valley Baptist Church. It was just great though to see so many people our age still working in the ministry. Even though some quit there are still many who stick it out.

Proverbs 8:17 " I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.