A Picture Worth a Thousand Thoughts

I would like to post a picture.

I would love to know your thoughts.

Really.

What are your thoughts when you see this.

Please feel free to comment. Or email. Or call. Or come over to my house.

We can talk if you want.

Or you can share your thoughts and we don't ever have to talk.

I just want to know...

After looking at this picture...

What. Do. You. Think.

I know what I think.



Her name is Faith.

(Sweet girl)

What if I told you...

this is her drinking water,

this is where she bathes,

where she washes her clothes,

where her little brothers and sisters drink from,

where they bathe,

where they wash their clothes,

where the animals drink.

There is no other water for MILES around.

This. Is. It.

Just curious, what are you thinking?

I know what I'm thinking.

I'm thinking how frustrated I get at times when I have to drive to Whole Foods and fill up my 11 gallons of fresh, mineral filled water for .49 each just so we have super fresh drinking water.

I'm thinking about how frustrated I get when I'm in the middle of filling up my steaming hot bubble bath and the water goes cold because my kids used all the hot water.

I'm thinking about how the plumbing is weak in our first bathroom and I have to plunge the toilet at lease 4 times a month.

I'm thinking about how I get frustrated when I accidentally wash a load of clothes in hot water and not cold.

I'm thinking about how shamefully ungrateful I am for what I have.

Shamefully.

Ungrateful.

It's bad.

I have no idea what it means to "need" anything.

I'm ashamed of my heart.

And to think MILLIONS of people,
people just like you and I,
live like this precious little girl Faith.

She walks several miles a DAY to fill up water here.

HERE.

I'm ready to have my world rocked.

I need it.

It can't be about me anymore.

It simply can not.

"If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need

but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?"

1 John 3:17 

My Bio- Uganda Trip 2012

I am so excited.

I can hardly believe that...

I AM GOING TO UGANDA!

Mighty-God!

Here is my 'bio' that I sent for my team to get to know me better.

My name is Robin Maiocca. I am a 34 year old stay-at-home momma to 3 beautiful little children: Hannah 7, Christopher 5 and Phoebe 2. I have many passions in life but the most important to me are the following: My relationship with Jesus. I simply love Jesus. I see Jesus in everything. I love the WORD of God. I love to worship Him in song (even though I can’t sing). Jesus saved me from a life of despair, emptiness and chasing all the things of this world and He alone is my Rock and my Salvation. I do not fear man. I only have the fear of the Lord and with that; I know I can move mountains. My second passion in life is orphans. I simply love the children. Jesus has blessed me with a love I can not explain for these beautiful faces. I started a small fundraising-ministry called “Bread FOR Life” where I bake and sell pumpkin and lemon bread. It’s so simple. 100% of all money raised goes directly to the needs of orphans and right now we have raised $5,800 since December 11, 2011 and I have donated it all to the Sanyu Babies Home in Uganda. For my friends and church family here in Petaluma, CA this ministry has literally changed lives and brought an awareness to our community of the orphan crisis and I am ecstatic to say, it’s just the beginning. My third most important passion in life is healthy, natural living. I believe that the Lord has blessed us with everything we need to maintain healthy strong bodies by being completely aware of the things we inject and ingest. I prayed for wisdom in bringing up my children natural and healthy and I am pleased to say, with 3 little children we have not been to the doctor in almost 2 years because of the power of prayer. I praise God for the things I have learned and been reveled. This world says to do it one way, I say, do it God’s way!

I am so excited about this upcoming trip to Uganda. I know the Lord is powerfully at work in my heart and the hearts of others on this trip. It will be a crossroad and a breaking point for me and I couldn’t be more ready to be completely broke for the sake of LORD!

Questions:

1) What will the average day look like as far as what we will be doing? What areas /villages will be traveling?

2) Is there anything we can pack and bring for the children? If so, like what? Toys, clothes, Bibles, blankets, etc?

3) Can we visit Amazima and meet Katie Davis and see her ministry?

Woo-Hooooo!

"Summon your power, God^;

show us your strength, our God, as you have done before."

Psalm 68:28

The Meeting - Time to 'DIG'

"Let the one who is wise heed these things
and ponder the loving deeds of the LORD."

Psalm 107:43 

We recently held a meeting at our house to discuss “Bread FOR Life.”

We had five (A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.) husband & wife teams over for some

homemade chili and cornbread, fellowship and PRAYER.

A total of 12 adult and 3 children in my teeny-tiny little house.

Snugly, comfy and sweet!

We had no formal agenda, nor did we have anything written down to talk about.

Probably not the ‘smartest’ idea when you hold a meeting however,

we knew the Spirit would lead and I wasn’t worried about a thing!

We just knew we wanted to pray, talk and pray some more.

(The Lord has done such an amazing work in these folks

that it was easy to trust the Lord to speak powerfully through them).

I felt that I really needed to meet a group of mature Christian people

and seek wisdom in a multitude of spirit-filled councilors.

There has been such a stirring in my heart over this ministry

and I have been prompted to seek out prayer and bring together a ‘meeting of the minds’.

A time to sit around and talk about things

and see what the bigger picture is with BFL and what is the ultimate goal.

BFL was birthed in my heart out of the love for the orphan and a desperate desire

to raise awareness and money so that their basic needs could be met.

That was the prayer boiling over in my heart.

Out of that, ‘Bread FOR Life’ started and has truly made a huge impact on people’s lives.

(including my own)

As we sat talking, my pastor asked me a very profound question

that I think got everyone thinking.

He asked me,

“What is the big picture here? What would you like to see happen as an end result?

If you could have 'utopia' for this ministry, what would that look like?”

I basically said,

“Well the obvious would be to put a plate of food in front of these children and they could eat.

But then my heart asks, what about tomorrow? Where do they sleep? Do they have water?

Are they safe?... the questions go on.”

I then stated,

“You know, it’s funny, I wrote a blog post about this exact question.

It said this, ‘I want to move to Africa. Adopt a village.

Drill a well (water is LIFE). Build a church and a school.

Teach farming. Grow food and love LOVE; L.O.V.E. the people.’

I guess that would be 'utopia' for this ministry.”
(I wrote about the here: "Faces In Another Land")

I believe with everything in me that at that moment, things changed.

The Lord started to impart vision to us.

ALL OF US.

We started talking.  Things started to become very real to us.

There was an overwhelming sense of excitement in the room

that can only come from the Power of the Holy Spirit.

Do you know what I mean?

Have you ever experienced something like that?

When 12 people can come together in AGREEMENT and start bouncing off idea’s and then start seeing things very VERY clearly, and you know someONE else is running this meeting.

All we needed to do,

was come together and pray.

Ask the Lord to guide and direct our meeting.

We don’t need an agenda.

In fact, my agenda would have directed this meeting to who knows where.

What I am here to tell you today is that my God is on the move.

He is getting ready to MOVE BIG TIME!

As people shared idea’s and tears flowed (mostly mine. It’s just what I do.)

and hearts were being touch, the Lord was blessing us with a VISION.

A vision for His Kingdom, His children, His Church and His Glory.

What a Glorious place to be!

All I have to say, is when I go to Uganda in June,

I know I will be wrecked.

I will be broken.

I will be battered.

I will be undone.

And that is exactly where I want to be.

Because THEN I will be willing to do

WHATEVER. IT. IS. HE. HAS. FOR. US. TO. DO.

And by the way, these 10 people will be more-wrecked.

They will be more-broken.

They will be more-battered.

They will be more-undone.

Nobody will ever be the same again.

Church, are you ready for us?

Things are shaken… hold on!

It's time to DIG!!

In EXACTLY 3 months,

‘Bread FOR Life’ has raise a total of

$5,700!

I’ve always said:

“If we are willing, HE IS ABLE!”

I believe it more today than ever!

“He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs;

there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle.

They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest;

he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish.”

Psalm 107:35-38

The "Memo"

May I share something with you all?

Many wonder, "What has gottin into that girl?"

or maybe you have just disregarded me as

"Someone I can not relate to."

Either one, its still me:

little Miss. Robin Minder

or Mrs. Robin Maiocca.

I am no one special or claim to have a road to fame.

However, I am someone who sees my life as a vapor.

What does that mean?

Well, we are here today and gone tomorrow.

Does that not ring true?

We know it does.

We have all lost loved ones;

here today and GONE tomorrow.

So in the late night of my quiet sittings,

I have asked many, MANY questions.

What is this life for?

Why am I here?

I believe in GOD.

I absolutely believe in a Divine Creator

and a Savior of man. (Jesus)

Friend,

this world did not, could not, happen by “chance”.

Look at the beauty of creation!

There IS A CREATOR!

If you die now, today, what would happen to you?

Think about it.

What if I am right?

What if you stand before a Holy God...

then what?

Anyways, in the depths of my soul I know there is more to this life.

I know it.

I believe it and now I will live it.

I want to share with you a blog post from

a now dear-friend that the Lord used to set my soul on fire.

Made me "WAKE-UP" to the world around me

and stop living for myself.

I pray you read it and see where this “crazy girl” is coming from.

(and going)

Maybe, you too, can catch fire and we can be

crazy, freaky, lost-our-minds, looney-toons for Christ together.

I tell you what, I would not change it for

ANYTHING

this world has to offer.

(I have tasted much of what is there and I tell you what, it is not satisfying. You are ALWAYS searching for more! Always!)

I know, I’ve become coo-coo for Jesus and I LOVE IT!

 One of the best things I have ever read

(apart from the Holy Word of God!)

...

"Did you get the memo?"

I didn't.

Click Here and be blessed, encouraged and CHALLENGED!

Thank you Linny (A Place Called Simplicity) for your boldness and love in writing this post!

It has officially rocked my world!

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.

But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love."

Galatians 5:13

Just wired some more... WOO-HOO!

It's true!

We just wired ANOTHER
$2,500.00
to Sanyu Babies' Home.

Woo-Hoo! In a BIG way!

Praise GOD for "Bread FOR Life"!

All-in-all...
Jesus really IS the Bread FOR Life.

His children.

His ministry.

His heart... will stop at nothing.

All we need to do...
is...
take THAT step.

You know....

THAT FIRST step of faith and HE will do the rest!

He will do the rest.

Thank you Jesus!

$5,300 raised since December 11, 2011.
Yea, I'd say that's a God-Thing!

A.L.L. H.I.M.


"So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
James 2:17