are you in?

One of the papers I'm writing for this semester deals with social justice. As believers, have we taken the responsibility to get involved in serving the hungry, orphan and abused?

This following video puts into words what I've been writing about for one of my classes: social responsibility. Jesus called us out to share the good news with the nations. And as we share His love with the suffering, don't forget that we were also called to serve by becoming the least of all, in order to bring His name glory. Will you be part of the problem or the solution?

where does time go?

So it's almost the end of the semester and I can't believe I have two papers due in only two weeks. Yikes! I really need to get started on the writing because I'm not one of those geniuses who can pull an all night paper.

But as I was reflecting on the past couple of months, I realized there's a lot that has happened and thankful for the many opportunities I've had to serve. Just to give you an idea, I've been involved in teaching sunday school (youth), learning and helping at the Hispanic Institute in Louisville, youth activities, trunk-o-treat, hanging out with friends, and enjoying time with family. God is certainly good all the time.

Here's a pic of trunk-o-treat at church. My sister decorated her car as a whale and I was one of the props...a seaweed...lol!


I'm getting ready to make some decisions for the following year. Please pray with me as I finish the semester. That God will give me the energy to put my thoughts on paper clearly. For diligence to study for finals. And for guidance as I make decisions about where to invest my time next semester.

Marathon!

I have several marathon running friends, but I've never actually considered running one myself. So, when one of my friends asked a few years ago if I wanted to join her, my natural response was "are you crazy?"

Yet, today I stand before you with the news that I'll be running a marathon in Austin, Texas on February 2010! How did this happen? My dear friend came to see me in South Africa and one evening (very late) while discussing potential adventures, a long run was unexpectedly suggested and out of pure joy of her company, I responded with "absolutely!"

If you know me, you know that once I give my word, there's no going back. Here I am. Preparing for the longest run of my life. Can I do it? I will certainly aim to finish and will. But everything requires preparation, encouragement, and support. That's the very reason I'm writing about my goal. So when you see me feel free to ask about the training.

In addition to running, I'll also be raising money for International Justice Mission. I figure when the miles start adding up I'll need a little extra motivation. IJM is a human rights organization that seeks justice for individuals facing slavery and other forms of oppression. I heard about them after one of my South African friends let me borrow one of her christian cd's. One of the bands supported the organization and when I got on the internet to learn more about their work, I was impressed with their love for God and dedication to seek justice.

So take some time to check out my fundraising page, Gaby's Run for Justice, pray the training goes well, and give to IJM!

another birthday!

Yep! 45% of the fam has their birthdays in august, the other 45% in september and then there's me.

The other little boy is now 12 years old and and he reminds me a lot of my dad. To commemorate the day, I got him a "man" sport watch and teased him that now he can't be late for breakfast--lucky guy doesn't have a lot to be late for.

Although this little guy has a lot of qualities, one aspect of his character that I love is his joyful attitude. Of course he gets angry like many of us, but it doesn't last very long. I believe one of the reasons God calls life a gift is because we're able to experience a reflection of His character through people. In our family a reflection of His goodness is demonstrated, as a gift to our family, through Andres' joy. That's why we're celebrating!



"Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence." Psalm 21:6

pleasant perfume

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of taking another road trip. Where to? Mayfield, Kentucky. I didn’t even know that little town existed until a couple of weeks ago.

The round trip took a total of 8 hrs and over that period of time I reflected on the last couple of months. It was good to drive in silence for long stretches, listen to music, and sing at the top of my lungs. Although driving is usually a very therapeutic activity for me, I haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying it this much since the semester began at Southern.

So the purpose of my trip was to speak at Primera Iglesia Bautista in Mayfield. I met pastor Jaime at the Southern Baptist Convention and reconnected with him and his wife, Ana Rocio, at a training a couple of weeks ago. As the Eliza Brodus Offering is being collected this coming Sunday, the couple wanted to encourage the group to give to missions and hear from someone who had previously done mission work.

I was encouraged to meet the members and hear about the different blessings they had received over the course of the years. As always, I shared my story, how God continues to use me in his ministry, and how all of us have a gift we can use for God's glory.

[from left to right some of the members: Mereni, Raul, Philemon, Ana Rocio, and pastor Jaime]

Like many other times, I think I received more than I gave, because many were talking about the renewing of their hearts in order to pursue holiness. And I was reminded of the song I heard a few weeks ago called ‘Tal Como Soy’ or ‘Just as I am’ in English, but not the well-known tune. This one is completely different.

The line I love the most…grato perfume, yo quiero ser Senor = I want to be a pleasant perfume...



…and the reason I like it so much is because often I feel like I don’t have much to offer. When this happens I’m reminded of David’s song in Psalm 51:16-17

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

So go out this week and smell good for God!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ESTEBAN!

Yes, the little boy turned 14 years old today. He's certainly a fine young man and consider him a huge blessing. It seems like only yesterday I held him in my arms and thought he looked so fragile. Awww!

The boy is slowly becoming a man. So this is my prayer for you 'little' brother as you seek to honor God with your life:









"The LORD bless you
and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace."

Number 6:24-26

And the grand prize goes to...

...the Salazar boys! wohooooo! Today the boys collected their grand prize from Mortenson Family Dentistry. What was the prize?



That's right! An ipod touch. Wow! I'm still a little speechless because in our family we usually don't win anything. But thanks to Eunice and her pic abilities, we all decided to participate in taking pics of the boys over the summer with the dentistry logo. There were categories of most pics and most creative, but after we submitted the boys entries separately, on Tuesday we got a phone call they had won jointly. And we're totally fine sharing so that was no problem.

Once we arrived at the office, the secretary said, "are you guys excited about your dolls?" Andres' face was priceless, but I didn't have my nifty camera around to share the moment. Needless to say, once we found out it was the grand prize, we were all ecstatic.

So during dinner time the boys thanked God for the meal and the ipod He provided. I was touched with their ability to already recognize God's providence in the little, material things of life!

World Fest

I think this is one of the most interesting festivals Louisville has to offer. This year was definitely the best one up to date. There was more food options, music, and room to eat.

So what is World Fest? It's a festival where all nationalities in Louisville are represented and show off their culture. Everything from food to crafts, music, and games. Just to give you an idea of the variety of cultures in Louisville, here are some of the ones I remember at the top of my head: Ecuador (yay), Mexico, Colombia, China, Japan, Turkey, Greece, Iraq, Sudan, Peru, and many others. Hard to believe, but incredible to notice that God is really bringing the nations to the U.S.A.



In addition to all the fun stuff, there are also booths for different organizations who work with internationals or deal with intercultural subjects and people. The organization I works for, Kentucky Refugee Ministries, was certainly present as well as business' informing visitors about their services in other languages. Talk about information over load.

I think the best part about attending this year were the Quitumbes: an ecuadorian folkloric dance and band group from Ecuador. Ah, my home country represented. I guess it's becoming a tradition for the Salazar siblings to hang out over labor day weekend and although my little brothers will tell you they only go for the food, the exposure to different cultures is of incredible benefit.

So if you want to join us next year, give us a call. It's a lovely way to spend the afternoon enjoying the world and praying for the nations.