Emmanuel!

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matthew 1:23 KJV)

Emmanuel ... God With Us. Why is it that I relegate a name with so much meaning to the confines of Christmas and the manger scene? Not that the Nativity is not a miraculous moment and time to be appreciated deeply, but there is so much more. What an amazing failure to limit the meaning to that!

Today, I find myself learning the meaning in a whole new way. I again find myself on a plane going back to Puerto Rico unexpectedly. This time, leaving behind a whole new group of friends that have become as family in the Potter's Field Ranch in Montana. As I leave them, I go to Puerto Rico to the funeral of the father I barely knew and to meet my siblings.

My comfort is that God is with me, He is my Emmanuel! Not only at Christmas, not on a picture or in a movie scene, but here, now, alive, real, and with me, going through the intense moment.

My time at PFR is two thirds complete before commissioning and going to Costa Rica for 6 months. I have about 4 more weeks left. Everything that is going on was the furthest thing from my mind when I began this time. I didn't think I would need to step away from the classes and training before completing, but the Lord is not surprised.  He knew it before I came. He also knew that He would be coming with me.

I am missing going to Habitat for Humanity with my team and I am sure I will miss many other things, yet I have very few days to accomplish the mission the Lord is sending me on now. I will be returning to Montana on Sunday and I know I must stay focused on what is at hand.

For many years, I have longed to meet my brother and sister, with no real knowledge of how I could accomplish it. The only contact I knew was a phone number that is no longer in service and the names are not as unique as mine. Now, with excitement and some nervousness, I anticipate meeting them in the coming days. I have been in communication with my uncle Hector, my dad's brother. I have exchanged messages with my brother Omar and I briefly talked to him and we will be talking tomorrow.

Please keep us in your prayers.