Nesting Nomads.
I know that the words "Nesting" and "Nomad" aren't typically paired in the same thought, as they appear to be contradictions. Well, those two words seem to be the most fitting to describe what we have been up to lately. We are busy as usual, but making time when we find free moments to settle back into our Florida condo. Not gonna lie at all, we have super mixed emotions about being back in Florida for a while. Time with family and friends who know and love us has been priceless and we wouldn't trade it for the world. But we cant get over missing our new Nashville friends either! The last couple months have been filled with planning and scheduling and of course some traveling too. Our most recent travels took us to Nashville, Kentucky and Orlando! We were gone for 2 1/2 weeks, but didnt stop! We caught up with friends, Pedro spoke at a youth camp, I was in a wedding, we shot a tv episode, had a few photoshoots, and somehow managed to make it to Disney for the Vega family vacation! We are taking advantage of every second we have and know that we are exactly where we are supposed to be right now. God is so faithful, He's doing things through us that we could never do on our own.
Checking In.
Since I last blogged, we (as promised) shot our first episode of MXTV. In fact we have since shot 3 episodes! The first took place on the east coast of Florida in Ormond Beach. The second one we shot in Nashville, TN and the third in Atlanta, GA. The footage is being edited by the production team now and we will share it when its ready.We are having such a blast doing MXTV and are learning so much along the way. Hope In Motion Institute has also begun and is off to an unbelievable start! We have an incredible group of leaders in the line up and we are confident that students lives will be changed! Thankful doesnt even begin to describe how we feel. Our leaders are making HUGE sacrifices to be involved this summer. Our fantabulous team believes in what Hope In Motion does and is passionate about investing in these kids' lives. Week 1 was an amazing success with the students getting to know each other. We can already see a sense of community developing among the kids as they begin to open up to us and each other.We still have financial and material needs for both of these ministries so please spread the word to those who may be able to help. Since both MXTV and Hope In Motion are non-profit organizations, funding has to be raised. Please pray that God will provide us with the means to continue to do the work He has cut out for us!
Since I last blogged, we (as promised) shot our first episode of MXTV. In fact we have since shot 3 episodes! The first took place on the east coast of Florida in Ormond Beach. The second one we shot in Nashville, TN and the third in Atlanta, GA. The footage is being edited by the production team now and we will share it when its ready.We are having such a blast doing MXTV and are learning so much along the way. Hope In Motion Institute has also begun and is off to an unbelievable start! We have an incredible group of leaders in the line up and we are confident that students lives will be changed! Thankful doesnt even begin to describe how we feel. Our leaders are making HUGE sacrifices to be involved this summer. Our fantabulous team believes in what Hope In Motion does and is passionate about investing in these kids' lives. Week 1 was an amazing success with the students getting to know each other. We can already see a sense of community developing among the kids as they begin to open up to us and each other.We still have financial and material needs for both of these ministries so please spread the word to those who may be able to help. Since both MXTV and Hope In Motion are non-profit organizations, funding has to be raised. Please pray that God will provide us with the means to continue to do the work He has cut out for us!
The Process.
One of our favorite quotes is "The Process facilitates the Promise." This is something that over the years we have continued to remind ourselves....and still tell ourselves today. This statement could not be more true for us and serves as such a source of encouragement in times of hardship. We have officially entered into the season of our nomadic life where we have to travel separately quite a bit. We have been so fortunate thus far to do the majority of our traveling together since we have been married. However, this summer will be crazy between Hope In Motion Institute and touring festivals. People often ask us "How do you guys stay sane with all you have going on?" Our response is simple, "We take it one day at a time, together." With that in mind, pray that God will strengthen us to support each other and be united even when we may physically be in different places. It is in times like this when we are so grateful for the communication skills we have developed over the last 7 years of our relationship. It just goes to show that God really does prepare us for what He has prepared for us.
Sidenote.
I have to take a second to brag on Pedro. He is such an amazing provider. I am so thankful for the manor in which he leads me. He is by far the most hardworking person I know. He juggles so many different roles and passions and does so eloquently with balance and patience. I am so challenged by his integrity and genuine devotion to Christ. I love that he is so strong but humble. He is strong about what he believes but not stubborn to think that he knows it all. He makes me want to be a better person by the way he is always longing to learn from everyone around him. I feel so at peace knowing that I am always safe with him by my side.
Today.
Today we have been married for 11 months....CRAZY. These 11 months truly have been the best 11 months of our relationship to date. We loved being friends, then we loved dating, then we loved being engaged, and now we love being married. Its funny how you think you love someone as much as it is possible and then before you know it, you love them even more. It truly astounds me how after 7 years together, we keep falling more in love. I'm not trying to be mushy, just being honest. People say that the first year of marriage is the hardest, at it has definitely come with many uncertainties and outside chaos, but internally, between the two of us, we couldn't be better. Everything is trial and error and quite frankly, we have learned that it is better to be wrong in most cases than to be right. It is mind-blowing to think that everyday there is someone waking up beside you who genuinely wants to do all they can to make your day better. Not only do we pursue knowing God deeper everyday, but we pursue each other's hearts and how to become better for the other. This journey we are on is one filled with excitement and I cannot wait to see what the rest of our life together will entail. I share all this in hopes that those who read this will know that love can be new every morning, it can grow and not fail, it can fall down but always find its way back up. I hope that our love is contagious. Start today to approach every relationship with true grace, not just a talked about grace but an acted on grace. You can radically change the temperature in your relationships by making a conscious effort to outdo the other person in kindness, rather than spitefully keeping record of wrongs. We can choose to love with a love that doesnt fade but instead flourishes.
Action.Sometimes one word, one moment and even one statistic can change everything. Like in the story of Cinderella, one shoe changed her future! For us it was one statistic that turned our world around. We recently heard that "26,000 kids around the world will breathe their last breath today due to starvation." That seriously does not sit well and keeps us up at night. That right there is why we do what we do. People dont always understand why we arent concerned with having a 401k, owning a home, having a cozy job with health benefits, or the "American dream." But our dream is to give all we can to those in need, to hold nothing back and go wherever we are led. It may not be normal but its the only way we know how to be. It certainly is grounds for uneasiness at times and involves risk, but how can we expect to truly be led unless we are first made blind, right? We often battle with thoughts of selling all we own and traveling around the world to serve communities and bring them a message of hope. But as for now we are being faithful to what our creator has set before us, where we are at. And so we fervently strive through our imperfection to be Hope In Motion.
Until next time...
The Nomad Newlyweds
