OCHO: 8 ways you can help!

2011 is here! In just a few months I am believing that God is going to make a way for me to get to Ecuador! If you would like to partner with me and help make a diffierence here are some ways you can help.

1. Pray: Check out the needs listed on the right of this page! Pray that I can receive final clearance to leave by April 2011.
2. Give: Any amount will help. All donations are tax-deductible. Click the tabs at the top. THANK YOU!
3. Monthly Support: Sign up to give monthly support while I am on the field. Starts at $5 a month.
4. Share My Story: The AG wrote an article about my testimony! Share this link or post it to your facebook. http://rss.ag.org/articles/detail.cfm?RSS_RSSContentID=17849&RSS_OriginatingChannelID=1072&RSS_OriginatingRSSFeedID=1045&RSS_Source=search
5. Hire Me: Check out my Graphic Design portfolio by clicking the link below. I am willing to do Graphic Design for donations as well as clean houses, baby sit, house sit, dog sit, and well I will just sit there too. haha just kidding.http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/album.php?aid=2323677&id=23203613&fbid=724483951423
6. Stay Connected: Keep up to date by following me on twitter, becoming my friend on facebook, and messaging me through email.
7. Attend Events: Coming soon.... Leah's Closet, The She Tea, Photoshop Basics Luncheon, Moving Sale, & More!!!
8. Subscribe: Subscribe to this blog!

Thank you!!!

Take Number........

It is so fascinating to me what a New Year will do to people. Well maybe I can only speak for myself, but a day away from a brand new beginning and I have started listing my resolutions! Why!?! So I can beat myself up every year on December 31st for not perfectly completing the goals I had set 365 days earlier! Oh the torture!  Well right now….here I am sitting in my room thinking & reflecting upon the past year. Not my best to say the least.  Soooo in discouragement I get out the notepad, turn on some inspirational music and before you know it, everything is cupcakes and rainbows again. Oh I feel so organized! I think I even lost 10 lbs , well maybe not. haha. It reminded me of one of those movie moments. You know the point in the movie where everything speeds up, the dramatic yet motivating music starts playing, and in one take you see everything work out perfectly! Well if only it were that easy!  I think I am on take number 9, 371.

Then….. the movie comes to the last scene, suddenly a long pause and it finally hits me. Its been there all year, all 365 days right in front of me……. yet it took me all of this time and one bad day to be reminded that even in the midst of my failures and all my imperfections God is not keeping count!! So why am I?  The solution to a great year has to be better than that!

So here it goes…. I am tearing up my list and starting over! This year will be spent enjoying God, getting to know Him so much more. Yes this may be a resolution but I am taking a new approach! Instead of listing all of the things I need to change about myself I am listing the things that don’t change. Things like the promises that God has given me, dreams for Ecuador, scripture, and things that I know about the character of God that will get me through the year ahead. Someone asked me just the other day. Who is God to you?  It sounds like a simple question, but it’s so complex. Think about it. I am hoping by the end of this year I will Know who God is to me in such a way that in 365 days my piece of paper will have turned into a novel! We can never know our creator enough! I am ready for an awesome year fulfilled by personally knowing God, being surrounded by His presence, and being immersed in His word! I believe the more we know God the more the little things will line up, and yes that even includes losing a few pounds! Woo hoo! haha 2011 oh how wonderful you shall be! 

An update:

I still need around $10,000 to get to Ecuador. This will allow me to attend language school in Costa Rica and work in Ecuador for the next 2 years. I am praying for a miracle to leave by April! I am also searching for monthly donors. No gift is too small.  All of the donations are processed through the Assemblies of God and are tax-deductible. If interested just click on the tabs above.  Also if you have any questions or would like more information please don’t hesitate to ask. Thank you so much for reading this and I will keep you updated on how your prayers and giving are helping make a difference in the lives of thousands of people across the world!

Feliz Ano Nuevo! 

There is no place like home.....

This past Sunday I went back to where it all began and had the privilege to speak at Dallas First Assembly of God, the church I grew up in. It's so true when they say that "There is no place like home". There could never be a thank you card, gift, or words to express how grateful I am for sending such a special lady from that very church to pick me up every Wednesday and Sunday for years until I was able to drive myself. That simple act of kindness without a doubt changed my entire life and gave me a family to love and a place to call home. But most of all being part of that church cultivated the most important relationship I will ever have in my life. It was there that I met my Savior, my Father, and very best friend. 

I can't believe it has already been 5 years since I left for ministry school. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made but there were many times that I remember wishing I could be just like Dorothy, click my heels and be right back at home in the church I have always loved so much. Well, while sitting there in the sweet presence of God this past Sunday during service, I could not help but be reminded of God's faithfulness and how far He has brought me.  One of the most broken times in my life was right after my papi's (dad) death. My life just turned upside down. There were days that I didn't even get out of bed. I had no desire for God and I pretty much just gave up. I quit church, just quit life. I found things of this world to acts as band-aids to cover up the hurt and I did things just to feel good in the moment. BUT, GOD! Just like the scripture says.... BUT GOD! who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)  Ephesians 2:4. Yes, BUT GOD!, because of His great love and mercy for me, He sent someone to remind me of who I was. A friend  of mine called to say the tough things, to "call me out" so to speak. I was headed nowhere fast, but GOD!! How many times have you had a BUT GOD moment? Has God sent someone at just the right time for you? It's crazy to think about. I can't believe that I had actually had forgotten this pivotal moment of my life. If it were not for her call, I can honestly say that I do not know where I would be today. She invited me to spend the weekend in Griffin, GA. It was that weekend that God brought me back to Him and broke my heart for ministry. And for the last five years Griffin has been the place I call home. 

I said all of that to say....God loves us individually. He is a personal God. Sometimes it is so easy to blend in with this world, to do the norm, and to live life without purpose. Imagine a God so big that despite the billions of people in this world that He still has time for you. The problem is can we find time for Him? Do we really want to be a part of the individual, personal, and creative plan He has designed for us? Maybe someone reading this needs a BUT GOD moment. Maybe reading this could be that moment for you. Remember that God has not and will never leave you no matter where you are.  The phone is always ringing. We just have to answer. Most likely home is calling. There have been a few places that I call home. I believe that each of them have been a part of God's amazing plan for me.  They say "home is where the heart is". If thats true, then since my heart belongs to God, I can truly say there is no place like home. So I challenge you to look back at where God has brought you from, find your BUT GOD moments, and get excited because it only gets better from here!


PS: Thank you to Dallas AG for the amazing blessing this past weekend! I can't wait to see how God uses it to fulfill His beautiful purpose for the people of Ecuador! 

The Breakdown

Ok so the time has come!!! Ahhhhhh!!!! Reality is setting in and reality is that I NEED YOUR HELP! God has really been humbling me lately because I do not want to ask for help..... I sometimes feel like a spoiled child. I have too much, so I feel so undeserving to ask for anything. But this week I was reminded that I am a Child of the Most High! Call it spoiled if you must, but I know that He has everything taken care of! I am an heir to everything He has and so are you! Sometimes we are just so afraid to ask for what already belongs to us! This week my amazing friend Audrey Kuruvilla spoke in our Young Adults service. She shared about a story we are most likely familiar with, "The Prodigal Son". However, she gave it a little twist when she mentioned the other brother. There were actually three sons but we forget about the other two because well its, "The Prodigal Son's" story after all. So I just want to share a little snippet of her sermon with you! The story is found in Luke 11:15-32. Take some time to read it. But here is a little summary for you. 

We all know that the Prodigal Son basically just went buck wild.  The Bible says “he took his inheritance and squandered with prostitutes". So needless to say, it was B-A-D. The prodigal takes his father's money, spends it on bad things, a famine breaks over the land and it affects everyone. He becomes a little desperate and we know the end of the story to be when the prodigal returns. The father comes running to him and then there is a celebration! No hard feelings, nothing, but forgiveness and love! This story is so awesome because it shows us an amazing picture of the father's love for us! Man! I just love the Lord! Ok so read on a little bit!  In verse 25, there is a twist! The mysterious just as important older brother enters the plot! This is when it gets good! He is sooo ticked! How would you feel!? You have been the good kid all your life, you are out working hard in the field, when all of a sudden your prostitute squandering brother comes home and gets to have a party and eat the biggest fattest calf right in the middle of a famine!!!!! Yeah anger! Steaming anger! Oh not to mention he has never even gotten a goat in the good times! Ok well let’s read the father's response: v.31 "My son, the father said, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours". Really! Ok Dad! So all I had to do is ask!?! That son lived with his father but never really knew him. He had no idea that his dad was so loving, so giving, and so awesome! His dad could not understand why the son was so upset. He just thought that the son knew that everything he had was his! I don’t know about you but that just really got me! We love God, we are with Him, but we forget that everything He has belongs to us! We just have to know Him well enough to ask for it! So enough is enough! Let’s really get to know God and quit looking at what everyone else has and start asking for what is rightfully ours! He loves us so much! We don’t have to work and be slaves to God! We simply just need to get to know Him.

So before this amazing sermon last week I had what I call a BREAKDOWN!  You know the ugly cry kind of breakdown! Haha I just kept telling the Lord that I could not ask people for money! Well if you know about missions, you kind of don’t have a choice. So in the midst of the breakdown God being God just made it all make sense! He reminded me that I am not asking for myself but I am asking for someone else. The inheritance that God has promised me is not money. The inheritance is His perfect plan for my life. I have asked for Him to make a way for me to get to Ecuador! It’s something I want.  It’s my dream to help others! This dream has always been there, my Father has always had this dream waiting for me just to ask Him for it! So that brings me to this! I have asked God and I know He will answer. And, now that I made it through the breakdown, I have a question to ask you! Will you help me?!

To keep the breakdown alive haha, I decided to break it down. I need the following number of people to commit to give one of the amounts listed each month.

Monthly Pledge:          
$5-     7 people
$10-   18 people
$15-   20 people
$20-   14 people
$25-   20 people

$50-   12 people

$75-   2 people
$100- 2 people

If you would like to become a monthly supporter while I am on the field you may do so by clicking the tab at the top of the homepage. All donations are tax deductible and will be processed securely by the Assemblies of God. You may also give a one time donation if you would like! Thank you for taking the time to read this! I honestly cannot thank you enough for you prayers and love! If you have any questions please email me at leah.diaz@ma.agmd.org! THANK YOU!





People, Places, & Heels

This week has been unforgettable. I wish that each of you could be here to meet the Missionaries and to hear their stories. I have been so impacted by just being surrounded by people who have such tenacious courage and passion for the calling God has placed in their lives.Hearing testimony after testimony I cannot help but be reminded of when God first broke my heart for Missions. Ever since I was a little girl I have had the opportunity to travel the world. To date I have traveled to 23 countries. I have seen some of the most beautiful places, eaten the best and weirdest foods, and taken every tour humanly possible.  Most of my childhood memories consist of my grandparents dragging me from one museum to the next, one palace to another. In my short 25 years I have experienced more than some people have experienced in a lifetime.  

At 19 years old my papi (dad) died. It was the very brokenness of losing my father that led me to finding my place in God’s story.  I finally answered His call and found myself in Bible College. I remember that one of the things that I was excited about the most was the opportunity to travel during school. Note that I said travel. I had not quite grasped the concept of Missions. Little did I know, God knew exactly what He was doing in my life. So, into my first year the time came for me to go on my very first mission’s trip. And let me tell you, I had NO fear. I took pride in the fact that  “I”, was a world traveler. My passport already had stamps, and “I” was ready to take on anything. Funny.

Today a missionary asked a group of missionaries, including myself how we felt when we first stepped onto the Mission Field. There were stories of brokenness, readiness, and faith throughout the room. I did not raise my hand, because honestly I remember stepping off the plane in Nicaragua thinking, “this is going to be so much fun, I wonder what sights we will see”.  Now don’t get me wrong, traveling can be fun. There are places in this world that I still want to see.  But here I was in one of the poorest countries in the world, completely clueless.  Nothing could have prepared me for what came next. To make a long story short, I bathed in buckets and had no AC. Forget 4 Star hotels and Room Service. Whats funny is I think I even brought heels on that trip. Haha. I know, what was I thinking? Well during that week God began to break my heart for people. The commercials that we see “save a child’s life for a dollar a day”. Well they became a reality. We ministered to thousands of people. We saw miracles, deaf ears literally opened. I remember going to a landfill in which people built their homes out of garbage, the children were so diseased that we were asked not to touch them. People were so hungry and lost. I had never seen anything like this before.I will never forget that a classmate of mine was carrying a bag of rice that broke and people came running and crawling on the ground for just a few grains.

Needless to say, by the end of that trip I was a changed person with a new heart.  I understood that it really is possible to be called to people and not just be in awe of a new place. I caught a glimpse of the heart of God. Sometimes people say to me “ you are living a dream”. I would agree with this, only because its God’s dream. Others say,  “You are so lucky “to have seen so much. Maybe so, but I count myself blessed because I have been able to serve people and see their lives changed. Anyone can do it as long as they are willing. The truth is that there are needs everywhere, because there are people everywhere. Even in the U.S. there is still so much to be done. A little saying that has stuck with me from Bible College simply says, “I GET TO DO THIS”. It’s not a job, it’s not a trip, it’s a calling, I just get to do this for people, and especially for God. 

Confession: I am bringing heels to Ecuador. Pray for me.

Eddie and the Mecca

So this week I have the privilege of being in Springfield, MO for Missionary Training and orientation. Words can’t even truly describe all that God is instilling in me and it is only day 2.  I am bursting with excitement and humility and I just wanted to share a few things with you that have really impacted me so far.

First of all, within the Assemblies of God Springfield is known as the Mecca. It’s a little funny but to help those who may not understand that lingo, its kind of like visiting the White House. At first, I was a little intimidated because I felt like the President was going to walk out at any moment and I would have no idea what to do. Haha ok maybe that’s a little extreme, but I am at the very place where some of the greatest Heroes and Heroines of Faith have been established. It is amazing.  

On Sunday, I visited this church here called Central Assembly, and I just want to give props to the Pastor because he is a Pastor to Pastors! That has to be tough. The church is filled with men and women who have given their life to the Gospel and its unbelievable to see how they are still reaching this city for Christ. I almost just want to tell them to REST; you have done your work. But the truth is they promised to give their entire lives and it isn’t over yet. God is not finished. In that service I met a man named Eddie, now Eddie is an elderly man, he was not the best dressed, his coat had holes, it was a little dirty, but he had on a bright red tie, perfectly tied. In worship I could not help but notice his passion, his shaky hands, and how his heart loved to worship.  And then to go beyond that during the message I caught a glimpse his BIBLE. I know what you are thinking. Pay attention to the message Leah. Oh and I apologize for the picture. So wrong, I know. Haha. I can get distracted, but there was something about this man that brought tears to my eyes. His bible was old, worn, marked, and the pages were barely readable. His love for God was so evident in his smile. It just got me thinking. Here I am in a church that still does things a little bit traditional. They did not have the most creative media, they were still wearing suits and ties, and dresses, maybe they weren’t trendy enough, but they knew how to pray, they LOVED God’s word, and they knew how to worship.  I thought to myself. I want to be like Eddie, when I get old. I don’t know if he was a Pastor or a just a simple man that loved God. All I know is that I want God to look at me and smile through me because I have loved him, respected Him, and reverenced in His presence.  I want to wear symbols of sacrifice that show my work unto the Lord, not just titles. Now please understand, I’m not saying that we can’t be creative, or draw people in as this world and creativity is constantly changing. Those things are good. I just want the young person to understand and I speak to myself when I say that there is something to be said about those who have paved the way. It is an honor to know them. It is beautiful to hear their stories and to learn from who they are and to carry their legacies and testimonies to others.  

On another note and I realize this may be long winded. But my mind is bursting! So bear with me.  Coming into this whole Missionary thing, I thought I knew more than what I actually do. I work at one the greatest Mission’s Churches in the Nation. I am constantly surrounded with the greatest people, teachers, and Pastors, but I still have a lot to learn. I have realized that God is doing something in my life that is unlike what he is doing in your life! He has a unique purpose for each of us, but that just it. It is His purpose not mine. It can be exciting but really scary. However, I want to make a promise to each of you that support me, and when I say support, that can be a multitude of things. For one, you cannot put a price tag on prayer. So I THANK YOU!. At first I thought asking for money would be a horrifying experience. God quickly reminded me. “You are not asking for yourself Leah, you are asking for someone else, and most of all you are asking for me”. So my promise to each of you is, that I by the Grace of God, everything that I do in the Nation of Ecuador and for the rest of my life will be because God purposed it. He owns it all. It is His nation, His money, and His people I am just blessed enough to be a part of it! Thank you again for reading this and most importantly thank you for your prayers and support! (oh and can I just say I met the president of the AG, and he is really cool, human just like the rest of us) haha.

-Leah

Never Say Never

Looking at this little girl its hard to imagine that she could one day be grown up enough to pack her bags and travel to the other side of the world all by herself.  Well I’m sure you know but in case you don’t, that little girl is me, and that one day is here.  This March by faith, I will be packing my bags to serve in the beautiful country of Ecuador.  This is the first of many more thoughts and updates to come as God uses me to do what I never thought possible. 

Over the last few months, the phrase “Never say Never” has really hit home. For instance, I never thought the day would come that I would be 25. Yes 25, for some reason that number is just ugly to me. Now if you are 25 or older please don’t be offended. It’s not that I see 25 as old, although I have found a few gray hairs here and there. lol. It's just that I never thought life would have gotten here so fast. At least once a day I find myself saying, “where did time go”?  Not only where has time gone but what have I done with the time that I have had. There is a scripture in Habbakkuk 1:5 that has become a theme verse to me for this moment in my life. It says, "Look at the nations and watch, and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." This is my prayer for Ecuador, really it is my prayer for this generation. I am so tired of the same ol' same ol'.... In the past year I have heard stories of at least 16 people that once loved the Lord and proclaimed to be radical Christians completely give up and walk away. In the news lately, Pastors have gotten the spotlight for adultery, lying, greed and more. You hear stories like this and say I would "never" do something like that. We use that word so lightly, but can I just say that it is only by the Grace of God that we have not done something like that. The only thing that separates us from sin is knowing God, truly knowing Him. So, why are the elite of God walking away, the called? Christians today seem to know it all, and not know Him. We have heard everything there is to hear, we know all the right things to say and do, and then every week becomes a routine and not a relationship. Just like other relationships, the butterflies fade and the honeymoon is over, and then what? It seems like we are too smart for our own good sometimes.Going back to the scripture. It says “I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told."  Today more than ever there needs to be an urgency to see God move in a new way! We have to fight for it! This scripture promises us that we are going to be a part of something that we could not imagine, something we have “never” been told. Did you know that the word “never” is completely opposite in the Kingdom of God? It is replaced with words such as always, constantly, continuously, endlessly, ever, forever, perpetually. There will always be more of God, He is constantly working on our behalf, and He will forever be a God of the impossible. I am ready to pursue God for something unbelievable, something I don’t know, because trust me when I say, I don’t know it all. As I take a step of faith into this exciting chapter of my life, gray hair and all I am not wasting any more time! I am believing for God to do something crazy and new… in my life, in Ecuador, and in this Generation. What are you believing for?