This last year, we left a piece of our heart in 11 different places on 3 different continents.
Thinking back, we are in awe. First at God, because wow. He is so good and so powerful. Seeing Him in different countries and cultures and completely out of the box we ever put Him in. We saw Him work miracles right in front of our eyes, and showed us what joy can be found in the simplicity of life. We learned lessons this year that will last with us for a lifetime. We have learned to make sure that everything we do is out of a response to God’s love and not a routine to check off of our list. This year, we have also seen the love from all of you. It’s been an amazing journey seeing the body of Christ coming together and working. We thank you. We could not have done this year without each one of you.
Our perspective about a lot of things is different now.
We go through a drive thru and think about how people could only dream about eating this kind of food in some of the places we visited. We go to an hour and a half church service and hear people complain about how “long” it went and remember the 5 hour church services in India and how the people there didn’t even want to stop worshiping the Lord. I pass by dance bars with loud music and flashy lights and flashback to the girls in Thailand that are trafficked and forced to dance in bars like that. We sleep in our warm comfy bed and and remember the homeless and beggars that sleep on the street. We don’t technically have a “home” anymore but we always have a welcoming home to stay in with our family and friends and think back to the refugees that we met and that became our friends and shared stories with us of how they don’t have a place to go at all… This is just small glimpses into how our thinking about so many things have shifted. We aren’t the same and I’m so thankful that we aren’t.
Not one thing that we do can make God love us more. Not if we read or pray more, not if we tithe more, if we go on a mission trip, or even if we never break a commandment again. He doesn’t care about us following rules. It’s because of His grace and that HE is LOVE. Out of that is what makes us want to serve Him with all that is inside of us. Living life for Him is an adventure and we never eat to stop.
Our God is so good.
We have seen poverty and heartache in the worst possible ways. America, yes, we do have problems, but life is so much more than political fights and who is wrong and who is right.
Jesus wasn’t a republican or a democrat.
His main goal was to do the work that His Father sent Him to do. He healed the sick and hung out with the outcast. He loved the woman who committed adultery. He loved those who were misplaced and had no where to go. Instead of us complaining about “refugees” coming into “our” land, let’s get to know them and realize they are actual human beings that are in need and have families. They have stories and real hearts and names. They are people who should not be defined by “refugees”.
Let’s stop screaming that abortion is wrong and actually get to know the woman and girls who feel like that is the only option for them. They have a past and are hurting. What can we do to help them and make sure they feel loved?
Let’s not ignore the homeless man on the street corner because we are afraid of him or think he is just a drug addict. Let’s buy him a meal and share the gospel with him. Plant that seed. You ever know if you are entertaining an angel.
Let’s stop judging other countries and saying how “unsafe” they are or how bad they do things and start praying for them and seeing what we can do to help.
America is not God.
There is only one God, and that is Jesus Christ.
The Messiah. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords. America is not His favorite. Yes, He has blessed us immensely, but there is no partiality with God. He loves us just as much as he loves the homeless man down the street. He loves you just as much as He loves the orphans in Swaziland. He loves America just as much as He loves Zimbabwe. And we could never even begin to grasp that love. Let’s make sure we always worship the Creator and not the creation.
This life goes in a blink of an eye. We can’t waste it being caught up in our own to do list. Getting out of our comfort zone is scary, but it is so worth it. Jesus will be by our side every step of the way.
It has been great being home, but we can’t wait to head back to Africa for another season. We have been home for a month and we leave in a month. We go back to Zimbabwe on January 16th. We would love all of the prayers we can get! We want to invite you to join in this journey with us! God has huge things in store for the country of Zimbabwe and we can’t wait to see the ways that He works there! Here is a link to find out more!
https://www.youcaring.com/ericandkrystalfrias-1018641
We are asking you to join us first in prayer, but also financially. We can’t do this without you guys. If you feel led to give anything at all, then click the link above! You can donate monthly, or give a one time donation. We even have a friend that the Lord put on his heart for us to be his monthly tithe. That touched us so much that Jesus called him to do that. It’s tax deductible as well!!!! It’s so cool to see the way that the Lord works and we can’t wait to see how He will provide this time around!
We love you all so much and we are so thankful. What an amazing journey we have been on with the Lord together as a family this year.
LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU!!!!!!!!
***This was our very first day in India-Month 1.. It’s crazy how time flies****
