Original Heart Made Joy, Fit

This photo was taken over a year ago on a visit to Okinawa, Japan, while on a four-month sabbatical from the Casa de Esperanza shelter.
I had gone to visit my daughter in October, and I remember the day I took this photo - it was the day that I DIDN'T want to get out of bed and visit a nearby town known for its amazing street shopping opportunities, but I went anyway, doing some fasting and praying along the way in hopes of hearing clearly from the Lord what my next step was in ministry.
The Lord definitely spoke to me that day - I was to return to the shelter, and He would restore the original joy I had while serving there in the beginning, which He has done.
Really wasn't sure what the 'fit' part meant - I would have a healthy heart again? Not that I have any heart problems, but the 'fit' part kind of fell away and was forgotten, until last month.
Most of my friends know that I have been praying for that perfect 'helpmate' (over 15 years), and each time I tried to 'seek' one, the Lord would just say 'no, be patient and wait, and I will do it.'
After almost 16 years of waiting, my patience had worn thin, until just last month, something really amazing and exciting happened - the Lord blessed me with this amazing friendship, this amazing young lady, and to say that this feels like the perfect 'fit', would be an understatement.
Please pray for us, that God would work out every single detail, and as the Lord has said, "He causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose for them."
Shalom and Love
Walt aka C.L.

"I Need Cover Fire . . . "

"For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer."
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
Last year while crossing the border into Tijuana (see photo), I was harassed, pulled over, ridiculed, fined, held in custody for hours, threatened, sent back to the U.S. a number of times, and almost had my car impounded once. All this happened when I tried to do things legitimately so I WOULDN'T get hassled. All I was trying to do was bring blessings (supplies, clothes, food) to the people of Ensenada. The enemy is a liar, a thug, and a thief!
The truth is, I was ready to give up - I didn't want to bring anything across ever again and hassle with those border people.
When I got back from a four month sabbatical in January, I made it a point to have a U.S. cell phone with me at all times so I could text message everyone back home just minutes before hitting the border, asking everyone to pray for God's favor and traveling mercies as I attempted to bring more 'blessings' to Mexico.
In the last six months, I have probably crossed that border into Tijuana as many times as I did the previous year, and only by the grace of God and your prayers, I have NEVER been stopped!!! Praise Him!!!
I will admit I get this sick feeling in my stomach just as I'm entering the border wondering, "Lord, is this the one time I'm gonna get stopped and detained?"
Then when I finally reach the other side of that entrance gate (Mexico in red letters) and get the 'green' light to pass on thru, I just start praising the Lord and rejoicing because I KNOW that my homies back home have prayed for me, and I get to drive on thru to Ensenada with a huge smile on my face!
I have sent that text to pray so many times, it has become automatic for me -- ALWAYS send the text before reaching the border, "I need cover fire!" aka, please pray for me.
And for whatever reason, the Lord has seen fit to honor your prayers every single time!
Today for the first time just after crossing, it occurred to me that the Lord could 'allow' me to get hassled, harassed, and test my faith and patience like it was tested to the maximum last year.
But I praise the Lord that not once have I had do deal with any border agents, and that truly has been a huge blessing for me. I can't even begin to explain to all who receive my text via my cell phone, just how much I appreciate your prayers as I cross that border one more time. I am indebted to you.
Truly the prayers of my righteous friends availeth much!
Much love, from south of that border crossing I use to hate.
Shalom.
C.L.

A Word From The Lord . . .

I'm always praying, asking, seeking, knocking, petitioning, wrestling, listening . . . "Lord, am I in the right spot? Am I suppose to go home yet?"
This is the Word the Lord gave me this morning, with some very clear direction where I'm suppose to be, after everything I've experienced since I first arrived in Mexico way back in 2007.
Psalms 37:3-11

"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He will do it.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgement as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.
Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; and you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.
But the humble will inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant prosperity."

The above photo was taken from the hills just behind the small community of Cantu, overlooking the inlet from Punta Banda, with Ensenada hidden in the fog in the distance.
The Lord is faithful.
C.L.

New Kid On The Block . . .

My newest grandson - Samuel-Noah Walter Requejo, born three weeks ago, chillin' with his sister Victoria. Got to see him for the first time this last weekend. God is sooooo good!
Shalom
C.L.

Piedras Negras - Black Rocks

This is a funny story that can only be told thru the Lord's amazing sense of humor and timing. Back in November (see related story and photo below dated Dec 28th) I remember the Lord had told me that He would restore the original joy I once had when I first started working at Casa Esperanza way back in late 2007 & 2008. Those were the days when I spent most of the time with my kids - just hanging out with them like a dad.
This last year as co-director was a challenge to say the least, and the enemy had robbed me of a lot of that joy I once had in those early years - but in just these last three weeks after my return from sabbatical, this is exactly what the Lord is doing! Restoring the joy of just ministering to my kids, hanging out with my kids, and having the opportunity to love and treat them like my very own. I praise God for that.
So last Saturday after meeting three missionaries from Cali at the toll booth in Ensenada, the Lord again reminded me of what He was going to do this year - restore my joy of serving here, because truthfully part of it had been stolen.
As we were driving back into town the Lord brought to mind the time when I was a kid and how excited I use to get driving down with my parents to visit family in Ensenada. I would always ask, "are we near the black rocks yet? Have we reached the black rocks!?" I knew that once we reached that location (see photo), Ensenada was just around the corner, and that 10-hour drive was about to end! Do you remember 55mph speed limits?
God has this amazing way of knitting our lives together and showing us His purpose - I was reminded of that joy as a kid entering Ensenada, and then recalled where the Lord had first taken me when I came back as an adult in 2007 - a friend and I would go out to Las Piedras Negras Saturday mornings with food and gospel tracts to witness to the homeless and the drug addicts. That was exciting. We saw some radical stuff there, and we also saw God do radical stuff.
So last Sunday when I took out the Casa family for a boat ride in the harbor, the Lord again tweaked my heart and just very quietly spoke to me as those Black Rocks came into view again - He was going to restore EVERYTHING the enemy had stolen from me. The joy and excitement that comes from serving the Lord.
We serve an awesome God.
Shalom
C.L.

Das Boot - Get Ready

Last week on my way to the Casa I saw this amazing boat out in the harbor - one of the largest cruise ships I have ever seen in the bay of Ensenada. So I grabbed my camera and went to take a 'shot' near the big Mexican flag downtown. The cool thing was as I was snapping away a loudspeaker came on and I heard someone (the captain?) giving his passengers directions - couldn't really make out the words, but immediately the Lord put on my heart the story of Noah, and how God had given him direction to build the ark because the flood was coming - to board the boat with his family so that they would be saved.
Then again the Lord reminded me that we are currently living as in the 'days of Noah', and that the captain of the ship, Jesus Christ, is coming again to save His family, and God is giving us direction in these last days to be ready. For some of you you may not want to hear this, but this is exactly how the Lord speaks to me. The Lord is coming very soon, and I'm always praying that my entire family will 'board' with me. Let that be our prayer for all of our families.
Shalom
C.L.