Happy Birthday, Sweet Friend!

Jan (aka Mrs. Van Dellen),

The Lord's blessings be upon you
in all you do. May this coming year
be full of the evidence of His grace
and the experience of His joy.

















With love ~ The Ortegas

Not So Ordinary Everyday Moments

Steadfast in Love for the Brethern

It has been our joy this past year to share with you from the lives of our persecuted brothers and sisters. Thank you to all who have joined us in praying for our family across the globe, rejoicing in the victories of Christ in their lives and holding them continually before the Lord in their difficulties. Our hearts are continually drawn toward these dear ones participating in the fellowship of suffering for Christ as we are encouraged and inspired by God's work in their lives. In this last post of the year on their behalf, we encourage all of you to remain steadfast in loving these precious saints through prayer and any of the other avenues available that we have shared throughout this year. May they ever be on our hearts and in our prayers as dear to us as our physical families. Here a few quotes that have encouraged us to think more for the Kingdom than for ourselves.

Found in a child's journal in the
rubble of a Jewish ghetto in Poland
after it was bombed by the Nazis:

"God, I do not ask you to make my life easy;
I do ask you to make me strong."

The prayer of a church under
persecution in Vietnam:

"We are not praying that our borders be opened.
We are praying that heaven be opened."

Pastor Richard Wurmbrand
Founder of Voice of the Martyrs:

"If you are not willing
to die for what is in the Bible,
you should not give money for Bibles.
Because if you give,
we will smuggle more Bibles.
And if we smuggle more Bibles,
there will be more martyrs."

www.persecution.com

Happy Birthday, Josiah!

At fourteen, you are growing in leaps and bounds;
eating enough to keep a small village alive;
and burning energy at the rate of a speeding train.
While your newly attained stature
(now taller than Mama)
and new depth of voice
(headed for baritone)
are evidence of your growth,
the evidence that brings us the most joy
is the refining of your character
we see the Lord working in you day after day.

We are delighted to see you working
to become the man God has called you to be.
Remember, this work is possible by God's grace alone -
completed only through His strength and mercy.
The Lord be with you always!

Love ~ Papa and Mama

Nuggets for Thought

"You will never
change your life
until you change
something you
do daily.
The secret of
your success is
found in your
daily routine."

John C. Maxwell

"To do a common thing
uncommonly well brings success."
Henry John Heinz

"Everybody can be great . . .
because anybody can serve.
You don't have to
have a college degree to serve.
You don't have to
make your subject and verb agree to serve.
You only need a heart full of grace.
A soul generated by love."
Martin Luther King Jr.

"All the
beautiful
sentiments
in the world
weigh less
than a single
lovely action."

James Russel Lowell

"He who is afraid
of doing too much
always does too little."
German Proverb

Quotes from "Success One Day at a Time" by John C. Maxwell

The True Beauty Of Autumn -And Its Story

Where is the true beauty of autumn held?

It is held in the colorful trees,
It is told by the many leaves,
And it is spread abroad by the breeze.

The leaves proclaim the story,
Of the Christian's death to self.
The leaves proclaim the story,
In their colors full of wealth.

As autumn comes, the leaves change,
To magnificently beautiful dressage.
In death through vibrant colors,
We come to understand their message.

As Christians die to self,
The Saviour's beauty shines.
Death to self is life in Christ,
In this His love we find.

So learn a lesson,
Amongst the trees,
Learn a lesson,
Amidst the golden leaves.

By: Moriah Ortega

Dedicated to Mama who taught me this lesson.
I love you.

Extreme . . . .

encouragement . . . extreme power . . . . extreme relief . . . actually all of these apply. However, I think just plain EXTREME best describes the following testimony.

BANGLADESH:

The evangelist, Andrew, stared into the gun, wondering why the man didn't fire. The assassin grew frustrated, then frightened, and finally he fled from the room.

The phone rang, and Andrew found himself talking to the man who had come to kill him minutes earlier.

"The Muslim leaders offered me a big reward to kill you," the would be assassin explained. "I rode across Bangladesh to come to your office. The reward was mine. I was ready to shoot, but I couldn't pull the trigger." The evangelist praised the Lord for protection.

Andrew found it somewhat comical. "So what can I do for you now?" he asked.

"Sir, I still can't move my arm, and it's because of you! Can you help me?"

Right on the phone Andrew prayed, and instantly the man regained full use of his arm. Astounded by the miracle, he returned to the evangelist's office and began to ask questions about this "Jesus" of whom the Muslim leaders seemed to be afraid.

The evangelist patiently explained the good news of Jesus' love, even offering tea to the man who'd come to kill him. After forty-five minutes, the man prayed to receive Jesus into his own heart. The former hit man's ministry now is to destroy the works of the devil. To this day, he is a fellow missionary in Bangladesh.

The assassin's would-be murder attempt was a comedy in errors. If it were a movie, the audience would have cheered aloud when the protagonist, Andrew, came onto the scene. Like any good movie hero, Andrew did not just defeat his enemy's plans. He confounded them, even to the point of having tea with the hit-man-turned-convert. This was not going according to the plan. The devil constantly has to go back to the drawing board to rethink his plans for our destruction. Andrew was not a victim of his circumstances, and neither are you. If he had been shot, his death also would have been a witness, and so will you. Unlike the devil's schemes, God's plans for your life cannot be thwarted.

"I know that you (Lord) can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted."

Job 42:2

Quoted from "Extreme Devotion"
published through Voice of the Martyrs.

Recent Hunter's Moon

Last Thursday, 10/25/07, was the night of the hunter's moon. The moon appeared larger that night than any other night of the year. While these photos don't due justice to the actually size of the moon looming overhead that night - you can tell by the detail you can see in the variations on the moon's surface that this was a spectacular sight.

A Pretty Drive

Hindsight - 20/20

The following words are inscribed on the tomb of an Anglican bishop in Westminster Abby (1100 A.D.)

When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country.

But it, too, seemed immovable.

As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.

And now as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize: If I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family.

From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country, and, who knows, I may have even changed the world.

Something to think on . . . .

Dark Weather

We have had quite the run of gray days - the skies full of dark storm clouds. In the last couple of weeks the sun's activities have been well hidden from view by an ever present gray blanket of clouds. For me, so many days without sunshine begin to feel weary and discouraging. However, God in His faithfulness, encourages us even in the day to day. This morning our family worship time included the reading of Psalm 97 and tucked away in verses 1-2 we found this profoundly new perspective on "gloomy" weather. I quote "The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne." Wow! It's right there - The LORD reigns - clouds and thick darkness surround him. A good reminder of His ever-present glory and greatness. So my heart rejoices as the cloudy weather no longer brings gloom but cheer to my heart with another evidence of His presence.

MEET HENRY!

The newest member of the Ortega "farm".

Joe's birthday gift this year.
Yes, he picked this one out himself.
This five month old little guy
is fifteen pounds of puppy energy and mischief.

What a cutie!!

WHO IS HENRY??

To find out, stay tuned . . . .

Extreme Devotion

Recently, our family has been blessed by a daily devotional titled "Extreme Devotion." Published by The Voice of the Martyrs, it draws daily thoughts from Scripture giving examples of these truths lived out, by God's grace alone, in the lives of persecuted believers both past and present. One common factor in the lives of believers is the presence of trials. The testimonies are inspiring and the devotionals both inspiring and challenging. Our devotional reading from yesterday really struck a cord with us.

"We don't have to go looking for trouble. It already has our address. Jesus often reminded his disciples that trials are part of daily living. Seeking God more earnestly does not mean seeking more trouble for our lives. No, the benefit of seeking a deeper relationship with God is to better prepare us for the inevitable. We don't have a choice about what troubles come our way. However, we can choose to have a relationship with God that prepares us for trouble. Some trials may mean losing our lives for Christ's sake. Yet this is not the real sacrifice. The extreme sacrifice must come long before. We must sacrifice selfishness at every level in order to develop intimacy with God ahead of time. When we have sacrificed all to pursue a preeminent relationship with Christ, we will have already done the hardest part."

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers,
in view of God's mercy,
to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy and pleasing to God -
this is your spiritual act of worship."

Romans 12:1

Our Little Rosebud

Hadassah is having a birthday today.
It is simply amazing how fast she is
growing up. We all knew she couldn't
be the baby forever. However, I
don't know that we expected her
to be such a young lady so soon.
At six she is quite the capable worker
and blesses us in so many ways
offering her help to everyone
around her.

Happy Birthday Precious!!

Your sunny smile,
cheerful ways
and sweet songs
are a true blessing.

We love you!!

Precious Moments

Josiah enjoying some time
with his lil' pal, Michael.




















From our visit with the Swansons in June.

Patriachal Celebration

Happy Birthday

to our
Beloved Patriach!

The children put together a wonderful
birthday concert for Papa. Since he was
off yesterday, they gave it to him then.
There was an assortment of musical numbers,
Scripture reading, a poem recitation
and more. Even tho' some of the
children were still recouperating from
a nasty cold/flu, they all did a great job!
















"His Eye Is On the Sparrow"
(an original arrangement)






















"I've Been Redeemed"

















"Just As I Am"






















"I'll Fly Away"






















"When Father Prays" (poem)






















"Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing"






















"Old Fashion Revival"

















"There's a Promise"

















"Jesus Saves"


















Papa - enjoying every moment!

Happy Birthday, Papa ~
With our love ~ The Ortega Chil'en

The Value of Personal Participation

A few months ago, we posted this picture of Lap Ma and his wife with a small blurb on their situation. Now that we have learned more about them, we wanted to update you on their situation and share with you the tremendous effect the ministry of encouragement (via letters) has had in their lives.




















Vietnam, 1982 ~

"I refuse to give you my church!" Pastor Lap Ma courageously faced the communists. They came with guns and demanded that he sign papers that would have linked his church to the communist party.

Lap Ma explained, "The Communists want to control pastors as their tool. Every month you must report what activities you are doing, who is the strongest Christian, who is sharing the Gospel, who is going to the army. You must become the police in your church."

The government was furious with his lack of cooperation. Since he was the leader of many pastors in other areas of Vietnam, the Communists made him an example, hoping that the pastors under him would decide to follow the government. Twenty-eight pastors in that district wrote to the government about Lap Ma's case - and all were called to the police station and threatened.

Because he refused to cooperate, Lap Ma and his family were forced into exile by the government. Their clothing, books, letters, and property were confiscated. For twelve-and-a-half years, they were forced to live alone in remote areas on the Mekong Delta, unable to leave.

When Christians around the world heard of his arrest, many wrote letters, both to Pastor Lap Ma and to the government. Because of the international attention focused on his case, the police now allow him to leave his village and receive visitors - as long as he first gets their approval. Pastor Lap Ma and his family have received over 3,000 letters from Christians around the world. Just knowing that someone is thinking of them encourages them for days.

"I devour every letter we receive and meditate on the Scriptures shared in them. I then share these words of encouragement and the Scriptures in Vietnamese with my family. We are glad and encouraged in spirit for the messages in them.

"I read these letters with prayers and tears, because I know our Father never will leave us. Even in these years of great trial and persecution, my eleven children did not stop serving the Lord. All of them love the Lord and are serving the Lord full-time.

Lap Ma and his family remain in exile today secretly spreading the Gospel.

Would you encourage a persecuted Christian family? Your letters make a big difference in their lives. (Not all can write back. In some countries it can cost an entire week's wages to send a letter overseas!)

Or perhaps you would write a letter to the government on their behalf. These letters often mean the difference between life and death, jail and freedom for those who are persecuted for their faith. What a wonderful way to identify with them and serve the Lord through service to our persecuted brothers and sisters.

One of the best things about this opportunity is that anyone, literally, anyone can write a letter sending encouragement to those on the "front lines" and thus participate in the furtherance of the Gospel and be a blessing to many.

To write a letter to a persecuted Christian or to find out how to contact government officials on their behalf visit www.persecution.com.

Me? Worry?

Worry ~ watch out, it will get you. The Bible is very clear that worry is not a pastime Christians are allowed to indulge in and yet it seems to creep up on us. We are lulled into believing that worry is an unavoidable hazard of living on earth. Since it is "unavoidable" we tend to expect it and accept it as it comes. Oh, sure, many of us struggle with worry but not against worry. We struggle to live with it instead of resisting it. Beware, the fall from worry to fear is short and certain.

Confession ~ At this point, I must confess that I have found the battle against worry to be difficult to chart, let alone win. I have been a captive to worry far too much of the time for one who is in the Lord's army. I speak not from the position of heart-rushing victory but from a place of repeated defeat. I have been defeated so many times, that I thought perhaps I had lost whatever fight was in me. In that dejected place, I was met with the gentle urging of the Lord to take a different approach - to get off the defense and take the offense. So, I began to prayerfully study the Biblical battle-plan and adhere to the Captain's strategy. I freely admit that I am a weak, often fearful soldier who cannot secure victory against this giant. However, I am also a hopeful, delighted saint because God uses the weak to express His glory in this fallen world and my victory has already been attained in the work of Christ, all I need do is learn to walk in it. In studying and sorting through the application of truth, I have found comfort entering into the Lord's rest and strength relying on His word. Perhaps some aspect of my journey would encourage another and so I share the following.

Worry ~ It begins small and grows to gargantuan heights in a very short amount of time. It goes from a passing thought to an obsession; from a moment of concern to hours of lost sleep; from a stray thought to out-right fear in a matter of days or even hours. It slips into our minds as a muggy breeze that quickly turns into a tornado tearing through our grip on the truth and throwing our thoughts into an ever swirling turmoil.

Worry ~ Worry is the enemy infiltrating our camp. What do you do with an enemy? You take it captive and turn it over to a higher ranking officer. It is our clearly defined responsible to take every thought captive to Christ - take each thought and force it to come under the authority of Christ submitting it to the truth of God's word. Prisoners of war don't run the camp! When the truth is the measure of our responses to life, worry looses the battle. It is not enough to know the truth, one must believe it without any shadow of doubt.

The Battle ~ This is serious, worry is believing the lie of Satan instead of the truth of God. The battle takes place in our minds and is fought best on our knees. When we worry, aren't we, in essence, asking, "Will God come through?" In that, we are inferring that God's word just may not be true. Clinging to God's faithfulness and sovereignty and unfailing character is how one begins to eradicate worry from their camp. The enemy's attack will not cease and so we must be ever diligent, always keeping watch, clinging continually.

Victory ~ Our victory comes when we abide in God's truth, day-by-day, moment-by-moment. It is not enough to know the truth, we must learn to live as if every promise of God, every word of the Scriptures is true. So vividly true that our lives are constantly affected by our ongoing interaction with the truth. God's truth must become a greater reality to us than the circumstances of the world in which we live. The victory is already ours in Christ, our journey is learning to walk in the victory.

Authors ~ The mode of operation gives the author away ~

Worry ~ kills our joy; steals our peace and methodically destroys our relationship with God. It follows that Satan, the one who kills, steals and destroys is the author of worry. Definitely an author not worth endorsing.

Faith ~ brings joy; builds peace and maintains our relationship with God. Faith is also reflective of it's author. How precious is Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith. How sweet it is to walk in the light of God's truth.

So, the next time someone causally remarks,
"Oh, don't worry about it."

Take it to heart;
draw the line in the sand;
and take the enemy captive.

A Beautiful Summer Afternoon

Several weeks back, we had the pleasure of spending an absolutely beautiful summer afternoon of fellowship with several church families at the Webb's farm. The weather was so nice and the company was great. A wonderful time was had by all.




















One of our gracious hostesses.

















All those young men and plenty of space to roam.






















Samantha Hirst, enjoying a romp.






















One happy little camper.






















Thanks to Dustin for sharing Rosie!






















Riding was enjoyed from the youngest . . .






















. . . to the . . . uhhh . . . the tallest :0)





















There were smiles all around.