From the Heart of Skyler

  When I was asked to write a blog post I was a little intimidated by the idea. What would I write? What would I say? But then I realized it doesn’t matter what I say, it’s what God wants to say through me. If I seek him, he will guide my words and direct my thoughts to mirror his glory.

  Since I moved here life has changed dramatically - a new country, a new culture, a new home, a new school, and new friends. With all these changes, my faith has been challenged in many ways. I miss home. I miss all the memories of friends and family, but I know God wants me to look ahead and trust what he has planned for me here (Proverbs 4:25 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you). Even though I know all this in my head, deep down my heart still feels the weight of grief from leaving all that I knew. I feel as though a piece of my heart has been ripped away that only Jesus can mend, but it has been hard for me to let him. I don’t want to give up everything I hold onto so dearly. This is where faith and flesh collide.  Through all of this, God is showing me that HE is the only one I should cling to; He is the only one that can lift this burden of sorrow and fill my empty spaces. He is the only One that can carry me and set my feet on solid ground.  My faith will only be strong when I allow His arms to carry me.  Some encouragement my mom has given me along the way is:  You will never be able to fully experience all God has for you when both hands are still holding on behind you.  The more you let go back there, the more you will be able to embrace all God has for you here.  Walking by faith is trusting that God will carry you after loosening that grip and eventually repositioning your hands, holding tightly to Him.  It is my decision what and whom I will choose to hold onto - what lies behind me or in front of me - my burden or my God.  I have had to ask myself, "Do I believe what I say I believe?"  Do I truly trust God with my life?  It is here that His truths and His promises become real to me.  It is in this place, my faith is lived out and I learn to depend on God alone - remembering only one thing in life stays the same, one thing stays constant and that is Jesus. Jesus wants my faith to be that same way. Unwavering.  So much has changed but one thing is for sure - He is the one thing unchangeable!

  Going to the international school has been a turning point in my life as well as my faith. This is a great example of how God takes a hardship in life and uses it to bring about something good.  At first I had a hard time getting used to the concept of "regular" school. After being homeschooled your entire life and then going into school for your first year of high school, in a different country, is harder than it seems. I started school with the idea that it would be easy to stand firm in my faith - believing I was strong.  The problem was that “I” wasn’t.  I realized how much my faith had been lived out in my own strength.  As a result, my confidence began to waver and I felt as though my faith was at times compromised (where I blended in versus standing apart) only trying to fit in with the other students at my school.  Until now, my faith has never really been tested.  So what was it made of?

I neglected talking with God and being fully transparent with my family. I tried to fight this battle on my own. I regret some of the choices I made (or didn't make) to try and become someone I wasn’t. It took the weight of my conscience too heavy to bear, before I realized where I was heading. My parents always told me (as God says in His Word) to be in the world but not of it, but I was slipping into it. It all seems silly now; giving into the momentary satisfactions to become a part of the way of life here, but God in His mercy saved me. By God’s grace, he redirected my attention to what he was calling me to and who He was calling me to be. Even though I have made right with God and my parents, I still feel the world rising against me at times. It is a battlefield out there.  But God’s power and strength are there daily to help me and deliver me from it, and His Word is my best defense.  I just have to choose the right weapon. He is helping me become salt and light in El Salvador. He is teaching me to be His disciple.  This is not faith in what I know but faith lived out.  Peace in life comes when you stop riding the fence and firmly decide where you stand.  You cannot love God and the things of this world.  1 John 2:15 says, "Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them." As I spread my wings out in the world, my need for God becomes greater.  I now truly realize how much I need God everyday if I am going to live the life he created me for and face the temptations that daily come my way.

  Finding a true friend here has been challenging. I have made many friends at school but not many share the same values as me or are true followers of Jesus Christ. Part of the reason I came here was to use school as a mission’s field but still desiring a friend in the faith. I have been praying for that even before coming here. I started to worry. All the fears of not having a true friend rushed into my mind. It sucked the life right out of me. In that time, God revealed to me that HE needed to be that friend first.  After surrendering that to Him, God’s power revealed itself. He brought a girl about my age from church into my life. Her name is Maddie. We have gotten to know each other pretty well over these last months. Through God’s amazing works and far greater plans, she and her brother recently joined the school I go to. How crazy is that?  This was more than an answer to prayer because even though seeing them at church was great, having that connection at school has been even greater.  What seemed impossible, God made possible! He took that opportunity and answered my prayers in ways I never could have imagined by giving me a friend in the faith to walk beside every day. I am so grateful for the ways God shows me He is in the smallest details of my life and that He delights in giving good gifts to me.

   Through these experiences I’ve had, God has shown me what it really means to follow him. I had been reading the book "Not a Fan" by Kyle Idleman and watching a video series with my parents called “Christian”.  These have taught me more in depth of what a true follower of Jesus is; the difference between calling yourself a Christian and being a true disciple of Jesus. God is also teaching me that when we are called to do something (when God calls us by name), He wants our hands to be raised high. When our hands are raised, we allow God to work in us and accomplish his will in full surrender.  When we drop our hands, it's as if we are saying, “ I can do it all by myself.”  This is illustrated in the Bible with Moses.  When he lifted his hands, God did great things.  (As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel would win, but as soon as he put his hands down, the Amalekites would start to win Exodus 17:11).  That is what I want God to do in my life; with my hands raised high, I am victorious because God is then able to fight the battle for me.  I am so grateful God brought me here. I don’t care how much it has cost me, I am so thankful for what He has taught me over these past nine months.  I don’t think I could have learned what it truly means to follow Christ unless I moved here.  There was a need to test what my faith was made of.  James 1:2-4 "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  I pray that God will teach me immeasurably more than I can imagine, even more than He already has. He is making me complete!

I want to encourage you not to cling too tightly to what you have. It could be gone in an instant. Hold loosely to what was never yours to begin with and allow God's good and perfect will to be done and His glory to be seen.  Raise your hands high and watch God do immeasurably more than you ever could or thought possible.  I hope Jesus is your one and only (not just in words) for He is the only one who can fill your empty spaces and the only one that can carry your burdens and fight your battles victoriously - if you let him! Only He can take those burdens and make something good come from them.  He is carrying mine. Have you trusted him to carry yours?  Have you raised your hands in complete surrender to Him?

Thank you all for walking this journey with me even though we are thousands of miles apart :)  I love and miss you all!

Skyler Schuenke

Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. 
Turn my heart toward your statues and not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.
                                                 Psalm 119:35-37

 Maryfer, Steffany, Skyler and Maddie at Family Fun Day held at the International School

Sports Day during Spirit Week at School

One of my favorite parts of ministry…feeding the homeless with some of the Envision Wired staff!

My siblings and I participated in a school event called "Taste of the World".  Each class had a role in representing another country with food and dance. (Our friend Nestor from the ministry joined us)

My friend Maddie and I sampling food from other countries!

The ninth grade class representing "Spain" (my mission field)

Me and my friends Maryfer and Ms. Adrianna

A school event celebrating Mother's Day with some of the mom's and students from my class.

                                                                                                                                                                              

PRAYER REQUESTS

That I will not give in to the weight of the world and all of its temptations

Continue to be transparent and real with my friends at school 

That I will use every opportunity to love the people around me the way Jesus loves me even if it costs me something

PRAISE

That Maddie and her brother Jonah have joined my school

God has taught me that he is my one and only not just my second best

He has helped me let go of the grip back home and allowed me to look forward to what he has in store for me here

Praises & Prayers

First, we want you to know how eternally grateful we are for your continued support and prayers!  We are learning in ways we never expected to depend on God in ways we never knew we needed: to praise, seek and at times cry out in desperation for His sustaining grace.  Knowing we have people who faithfully walk this journey with us, is an invaluable gift, one we could never fully appreciate like we do living as foreigners in another country.  To fight the battles that lie before us each day, our power increases tenfold with angel armies by our side due to your continued prayers. 2 Kings 6:15-17 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city.  "Oh no, my lord!  What shall we do?" the servant asked.  "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered.  "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."  And Elisha prayed, "Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see."  Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. Those who are for us are more than those who are against us!  Oh Lord, open our eyes that we might see…we have nothing to fear!  As I look out my window with the view of the mountains surrounding the city, I thank God for the word picture He has given me…above those mountains are angel armies of God, filled with horses and chariots who surround us!  Through that, God has been ministering to me through Chris Tomlin's song "Whom Shall I Fear". Praises & Prayers We've had some exciting yet challenging experiences as of late.  Please join us as we give praise and ask for prayer over these more recent events. We've all suffered some stomach issues here, but this last week, I was hit with a terrible intestinal infection and had to be hospitalized for it.  Please pray for our overall health and protection from these at times dangerous diseases.  Thanking God for the wonderful care I received from both doctors and nurses (even with the language barrier :)  Remembering the God of angel armies is always by our side! Please pray for Skyler as she tore the tendon in her finger as well as fractured the bone when practicing volleyball during after school sports. Presidential elections took place a month ago and they a winner was not determined based on the outcome percentage.  Re-elections were last weekend and tension here is high between the two parties.  One party is claiming fraud and demanding a recount.  They declared FMLN left-wing party the winner at the end of this week.  Please pray for the future of this country and the safety of its people. Please lift our teammate Sara up in prayer.  She was not feeling well for weeks and was undergoing several tests to determine what was wrong.  The doctors have said she has a brain tumor that appears to be benign but they are saying she needs more testing.  At age 27 this is quite a shock and she is asking for prayer for her parents as they deal with this news and also her recent enrollment in the national health plan will go into effect very quickly. We mourn the loss of a 23 year old young man who attended CDA (our local Alliance Church).  The initial report through friends is that he was shot by the gangs.  Pastor Carlos needs your prayers right now as he feels a great burden for the youth and this is very difficult for him and the congregation, some of whom were very close to him. (second in from the right) Raeleigh has really been enjoying playing basketball at school this year.  Please pray for her coach, pictured here, whose been diagnosed with colon cancer and gone through several surgeries now.  The results were not favorable and he will not be returning this year. Before his surgery, Raeleigh made him a card in spanish and gave him a Wordless Book bracelet and pamphlet from DiscoveryLand explaining the Gospel.  We were able to say little in person due to the language barrier but praying God uses it whether to open his eyes to truth or comfort him in his time of need not knowing where his heart is with the Lord. We just celebrated "El Dia de la Mujer" (the day of the woman) in El Salvador at our Spanish School by listening to the past and present hardships of the women here and how they continue to fight for fair rights.  Our increased language learning is crucial for this ministry and has brought about the need to raise additional funds.  Please pray that God would supply abundantly for what we need (additional $6,000 over the next year and half). James new role over the next month at Metemorfosis.  This is a shoe factory that ministers to prisoners from work release programs as well as ex-prisonrs to train them a skill while giving them an opportunity to hear the truth of God and His Word through prayer/devotional time. We've had our first few short-term mission teams from the states this past month: A team building a fire pit for a Children's Home called Casa de mi Padre (My Father's House) A team listening as the National President gives prayer needs of the local and national church. A team from Sojourn Alliance doing evangelism in a neighborhood in Santa Ana. Celebrating with those who gave their lives to Christ! Another team doing construction on site. The International School, where the kids attend, received their certification that allows them to continue to be an International School(teach some classes in English and operate August through June).  The government made it difficult and some changes has to be made, but we are grateful this was completed! Our flag football team, rubbing shoulders with deportees each week, almost made it to the playoffs but more importantly has started developing relationships with other deportee players on the teams. Pray for this weekend as our staff has invited the playoff teams to a cookout at the local church followed by attending our church service at our church plant called Hungry.  A few have already started coming and we pray this event will open up doors and reach more of the unchurched. Gospel Alliance Church hearing the heart behind Vinculo de Amor (Love Link) where malnourished babies are nursed back to health. How one women makes a living growing and selling her own plants. Artist using his talent for good on the streets. We cannot thank our friends and family enough back home as well as Gospel Alliance Church (currently here) who so graciously surprises us with goodies from the States!  We thank God each time we remember you! Skyler and her friend from school, Maryfer.  Please pray God would continue to develop the relationship and give Skyler the right opportunity to share the Gospel as the Spirit leads. Raeleigh holding a baby pit bull.  Where else would she be?

Stripped Naked

A PIECE OF MY HEART

Yes you read it right!  Stripped Naked! That is not only how I have felt lately but the best way to describe what God is doing in my heart.  It is surely not a comfortable place to be not to mention a vulnerable place to be.  If you have kept up with my past blogs, you will remember "the waiting room" I was in…well now I think I've moved from "the waiting room" into "the Doctor's office" only to find more waiting.  Only this time, the waiting becomes a bit more uncomfortable.  The good thing about it...I am one step closer to hearing from the Doctor :)  All of it is drawing me closer to God, closer to the throne room, closer in His presence, closer to the whispers of His voice.  I believe what is happening is I am getting a spiritual physical!  As my heart is examined, more is revealed and more stripping is necessary.  So many times we think God is breaking us down to make us stronger, but I am learning God breaks us down to make us broken!  Humble...

I am watching God do the "stripping" process in my life; having to take me down a little more in order to build me up again His way, for His future purposes.  I fight God, and thankfully I am losing, just as Jacob and Paul discovered, when you fight with God and lose, you still win.  As Paul put it, "When I am weak, then I am strong.  HIS strength is made perfect in my weakness."  In order to be in that place, I must be made broken.  Broken of myself…my plans, my abilities, my desires, my expectations, my self-confidence, my pride.  In my nakedness, it is only me and God.  Everything else is stripped.  There are no accomplishments, no victories, no blessings…no hindrances.  It is just me and God.  It is in "the Doctor's room", when I am stripped of everything, that I am quiet enough to hear God's voice.  Because God knows how we are - he made us that way.  He knows we are more receptive to tenderness than to harshness.  He designed us to be more apt to remember whispers than shouts.  So He whispers.  The more I am stripped, the closer I am drawn to His presence and the more clear those whispers become.  What is the diagnosis?  More waiting.  More listening.  More revealing…and ultimately…more stripping.  All preparing me for "the Doctor's orders" when the "the Doctor calls".


LAYING IT DOWN

Recently, God has asked me to lay another area of my life down.  My plans for Makai.  As most of you know, I have homeschooled him since we have been here.  This decision was made due to his anxieties and fears as it relates to his safety and being separated from us.  Even though homeschooling is illegal in El Salvador, we were fortunate enough to be able to have this option given our temporary residency at this point.  These past weeks brought about some unexpected changes in our schedule and a new direction that would help equip us better for future ministry here. Part of what this means is the need to enroll ourselves in a more intense, formal spanish training program at a school here in San Salvador.  Who this impacts the most right now is Makai.  It will mean enrolling him in school.  This has not come without prayer and forethought.  We absolutely see God's hand in preparing us for this time.  Makai is at the school every day spending time while we are there for the girls after school activities and because it is a small school, most kids and teachers know him and can call him by name.  He has his spanish tutoring at the school 3 times per week with the lady who will end up being his actual teacher.  We never intended that to happen but it is where God led us…didn't realize He was already paving the way for his future.  So, we see the hand of God and trust God will use this for his good.

Please pray for this transition in these next weeks.  Pray as God prepares Makai's heart…pray as God prepares mine.  A mothers heart is hard to let go of, and selfishly, this mother does not want to give up her plan for him.   I must rest in the fact that God knows best and once again let go of my grip remembering he (Makai) is God's child first before he was ever mine.  God has put the pieces together so far…and He will, piece by piece, make a perfect workmanship    I know the benefit and need for the ministry to be able to understand, speak, read and write the language which limits us otherwise.  It is another part of me, my plans, my desires (wanting it all), being asked to lay them down before the King in humble surrender.  God's ways are not our ways…if I want to experience the fullness of God, I must not focus on the bigness of my need but on the bigness of my God and His abilities.  I never want to figure God out because I always want to be in constant amazement of who He is!  So there in lies the battle.  I want to figure it all out, but then I would miss the greatness of God and His glory!  So, more stripping necessary…

What God promises is a life of total transformation and a stripping of the former self in pursuit of godliness.  It comes with a cost!  God is teaching me less about being a Christian and more about what it means to be His disciple.  In the pursuit of godliness, one must be stripped naked…"throwing off everything that hinders them and the sin that so easily entangles"(Hebrews 12:1).  Unlike Eve, who was forced to stand naked before God, not only naked in her skin, but naked in her sin.  God, because of His remarkable grace and mercy, killed an innocent animal in order that she not be "naked in her skin" any longer.  And He gave his Son as an innocent lamb to the slaughter so that you and I would no longer be naked in our sin but rather clothed in righteousness.  So here I stand…stripped naked…only to be dressed in His righteousness alone!  My anchor holds within the veil!


OUR HAPPENINGS & EXPERIENCES

Staff training on dealing with addictions (useful as the ministry Broken exists to reach those who struggle with addictions and help rehabilitate them through Christ).

Visit from Carol and Roy: Member Care Counselors for Alliance.  Able to spend a short period of time talking through our transition as a family to El Salvador.  Received training on cultural change and transition.

Visit from Jim Malone, Vice President of International Ministries for the Christian & Missionary Alliance.  Gave staff a global overview of the C&MA, Envision and its vision.

Able to bring a little bit of tradition here by cutting down our first Christmas tree in El Salvador.  Not common but thankful to find a place with a tree farm who sells them :)

Asked to volunteer at the girls school to read a story and share an activity with two classes to celebrate reading week.  Was able to read a story about God's love and share the Gospel through the Wordless Book and hand out bracelets to all the kids.

Volunteered with other staff members in a nearby town called Quetzeltepeque for a Children's Christmas Outreach Program.  Shared the Christmas story and the Gospel message to nearly 75 mothers and children.

Hosted one of our interns over Christmas break by having him stay with us through the holidays.

Attended a candlelight Christmas Eve service…a beautiful picture painted of the Christmas story as we worshiped "The Savior" born to us.

Raeleigh adopted our newest member of the family for Christmas…a baby bunny named JoJo!

Skyler was asked to be part of the worship team for youth Sunday at Union Church.

Praising God for answered prayer as we received our Provisional Residential VISA.  A lengthy process  that went smoothly which determines whether you are able to stay in country for a certain length of time.  One step closer to getting our Residential VISA which is good for one year.

We have the privilege of using the Mullinax family jeep as our means of transportation while we are here as they have been blessed with a vehicle from the states.  I began driving in El Salvador recently which is not only an experience but an accomplishment.

Experienced another earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5.  Lots of shaking…lots of praying!

Volcano eruption in San Miguel leaving thousands of people displaced.  We felt the aftermath with smoke smell and ash.

Hiked the San Salvador/El Boqueron Volcano with Skyler, Raeleigh and friends which took us a total of 5 hours down to the crater and back to the top.

MINISTRY PRAYER REQUESTS

• Pray for the thousands of people displaced due to an erupting volcano in San Miguel and how the ministry might help in relief efforts.  Currently, the ashes have ceased but it is now emitting gasses with a possible threat of another explosion, this time with lava.

• Pray for the transition some of our staff will be making into a building close by the mission site that houses The Love Link (ministry that serves malnourished babies).  The extra space will allow staff to continue working when the construction starts on expanding the Envision building in a few months in order to open up more space at Wired.

• Pray for wisdom in timing and decision-making for the opportunities God puts in our path for the development of new ministry partnerships.

• Pray for the coordination of a flag football team with the members of Wired staff who would participate in an organized league with the purpose of rubbing shoulders with deportees who will make up a majority of those teams.

• Pray for the baby steps being taken for a start-up church to reach the thousands of deportees (men and women) coming into San Salvador by the month.  Pray for creative, outside the box ways to reach them and the opportunity to connect them to the church.

• Pray for God to raise up future interns for short and long-term ministry at Envision.  The ministry is expanding rapidly and will need additional staff to fulfill current and anticipated ministry needs.

• Pray the enemy does not have his way within the ministry by the division of relationships but for unity and single-mindedness as we preserve and represent the body of Christ.

PERSONAL PRAYER REQUESTS

• Pray for our daily walk with the Lord, to seek His face, cling to His Word, rest in His lordship as He strips us free of that which stands in the way of running the race marked out before us.

• Our family and the transition to our schedule as we move forward with language school and Makai to the International School.

• Pray for the additional funds needed ($6,000 total for both James and I) to do the necessary language courses over the next year and half.

• Praise God for answered prayer:  we have all been healthy, safe and provided for.  God is developing new friendships for our family.  One in particular is a like-minded, Christian friend for Skyler named Maddie.  Please continue to lift our physical needs up in prayer.

• Pray for our mindfulness, balance and living out our relationship priorities:  God, spouse, children, ministry…

Makai sharing the Gospel and handing out Wordless Book bracelets

Training with Member Care from the Alliance on "transition"

Tree farm where we cut our first Christmas tree in El Salvador

Mullinax kids and ours loaded up with our Christmas trees

Volunteered at International School sharing story about God's love through the Gospel

On our way to the village in Quetzeltepeque

Sharing the Christmas story

Serving the kids at Father's Heart

Serving a Christmas meal to the men and women and their families of Metamorfosis, 

      a ministry providing job skills and employment to ex-gang and ex-prisoners.

Celebrating Christmas with some of our interns, Spencer (back) and Daniel (front)

Raeleigh making a gingerbread house with a friend from school

Christmas Eve candlelight service at Union Church

Skyler and Maddie

New member adopted into the family…JoJo

Merry Christmas from the Schuenke Family (at the home of Sam & Julie Hawkins,
missionaries in El Salvador for almost 30 years)

Raeleigh and Eseona

What will we find next roaming around in the house?

This is what Spencer (intern staying with us over Christmas) found and left for us one morning

Volcano errupted in San Miguel, El Salvador

Sam Hawkins, founder of Vinculo de Amor (Love Link) shown here on the front page
 of a local newspaper.  This is the organization we are partnering with and are currently
 moving some of our staff into their building.  They are widely recognized in El Salvador
 and have appeared in many newspaper articles and television news
 ---always in a positive light.

"Uniting El Salvador by a link of love".  It is both humbling and exciting to be a part of this
exciting ministry (words of our Site Leader, Ricardo Mullinax)

A breath-taking view of God's creation!

At the top of the San Salvador volcano, El Boqueron

The girls and a sweet friend, Maddie

Raeleigh braving the almost vertical obstacles :)

I am too old for this :)

A surprise from home…a suitcase of gluten free goodies and  Christmas gifts

Shirts to support our dear friends back home adopting from Lithuania