Just a normal day with HIM!

Hello everybody, many of you might know that I started going to a Ywam DTS school in Costa Rica. This is a discipleship program that works deeply in your character and relationship with God. I have seen Gods hand acting in my life in and amazing way ever since November 2010, starting with his provision for everything that regards my trip to Costa Rica. The program consists in 3 months of lecture and 2 month of outreach to any part of the world. My school started in January and ever since we have been waiting to know were out outreach phase will be. Today our leaders told our team where is this going to be and well the answer they received through prayer was Peru. 
Our team has 8 students and 3 staff so we are 11 in total the cost of the trip including one month of outreach in Costa Rica is $2000 out of which $630 were already provided by God. Three of the members of our team are in the same situation I’m in. But we all believe that greater is the One who we adore that any problem or circumstance that we could face. I believe that Jesus will provide for the needs of those who are working for his purpose. Speaking of purpose when we arrive to Peru our team will be working in Lima the capital city, with various ministries such as homless people, churches, youth groups, kids and everything that God puts in our way. During these first 3 months of lecture phase God has thought our group to depend on Him and to wait in Him to guide us. It has been hard for many of the members, God has even put people on our team that were meant to leave it, as His process is not the same for everyone of His sheep. But through every difficulty we have learned to see the hand God acting in every situation. We have acknowledged Him in all our ways, and we trust that he will guide our path. 
Today I come to you with two requests the first of all is for prayer for our group and for the other two groups that are going to Colombia and to Ecuador. Since when you work for the kingdom of heaven you are also working against the kingdom of Satan, and he usually responds to this type of work with attacks. Prayer will really come in handy for us, we will be praying for this too and we shall resist the enemy so he would flee away from us. The other request has to do with our financial part of the outreach, the whole team has a deficit of $4025, and we have to pay at least $1000 each for this Friday meaning the 18th of March or at least know that our money is on the way. So if you feel that you should support me, our team or any of the other teams please let me know so we can talk about ways for you to send me the money.
I believe that my God is the owner of the Gold and the silver and that he can provide for the expansion of his kingdom. Let us be part of this expansion of the kingdom, the true kingdom. Help us change lives, and one more thing pray for us so that the we would die totally to ourselves and surrender to do what the Lord calls us to do in every moment of our outreach. 

May God bless you according to his will
Ricky Zepeda

Faith is limted by us

Wow it’s been such a long time since I last posted something here. To be exact since November 3^rd almost two months. As you can imagine many things have happened in my life during there almost two months. I’m going to try to be very general since so much has happened. Ohh by the way I’m fine nothing happened to me, I know I got lost but I simply was busy all I can tell you is that God is so faithful.

Well in my last blog posts I talked about what God has been doing in my life and how he planted a vision and a seed in my heart. This seed called love grew up and turned into a tree that is about to give fruit. I’m so excited to see what kind of fruit will I give J. I have talked about my trips outside of the country and the dreams that came out from them, I said how I wanted to start a missionary school in Costa Rica in January. Talked about how hard was for a latino to gather the money for this kind of school more when it costs $ 2500, just the school not including living expenses or tickets. But God is so great that he provided me with $1700 dollars through a very kind group of missionaries who decided to give me that HUGE amount. I remember when a I asked God If it was ok to do that missionary school and how he told me “Do whatever you want” and with this I see how he’s got my back in all of this and how he trusts in that wisdom he placed on me to take decisions. He’s trusts in it so much that he told me what he told me J. By the way the group of missionaries of which I’m talking about it the same group I practically leaded here in Honduras for two weeks (the one a speak about in my last blog post..) if you want more details you can read it there..for now just know that were/are amazing..not because they helped me to pay a big part of the missionary school but they were so amazing that they decided to let me be friends with them…I truly do love this team which taught me a lot of leadership. I’m felt so overwhelmed on how they believed in me, my vision and the ministry that God has placed in my hands. Speaking of that ministry in Italy it hasn’t really started yet but I know he’s placed it in my hands I just have to figure out a way to start it..I know he will show me, I just have to be patient everything at a time. First I will finish that 5 month missionary school and then the next step will be whatever he considers it’s necessary for me to reach that vision.

Well speaking more about what he has done in my life; as a provider he has benn like soo amazing and great he’s provided everything I need for this missionary school. I had a list of things I need for the school like personal things and some little extras and he’s provided each and every single one of them and he’s given to me the way I wanted them. I have been receiving other donations from random people and friends. I think I’m covering the life expense funds that I needed, what I need now is a laptop since I want to keep blogging, stay in contact with my friends, the prayer group which I’m a member of through skype (Italian prayer group). I have been doing everything I can to get this laptop but well nothing seems to click, so today I said well Lord I done everything you can humanly do, now I Leave it to your hands, which has me thrilled because when I usually reach this point is when he starts acting like crazy. But if it’s not his will I’m totally cool and happy with it.

I know that when you let everything in the Lords hands is when the fire, thunder and miracles start to happen. But before letting everything in his hands we have to work as hard as we can, believing that what he promised will be accomplished. Walking as if it will happen, as a friend told me once “Ricky do everything that is humanly possible and The Lord will do everything that seems impossible”.  By the way I graduated from the university the 20^th o November, now I have a marketing degree. As a marketing majored I always criticize and look for logos and marketing elements, one of the most biblical slogans I’ve ever read is the one that says “impossible is nothing” from Adidas. For some people this slogan can be a simple catchy phrase but it’s so strong that I know that anyone who has read it remembers it. This is because it’s based on a true element from the bible Philippians 4:13; the word of God never comes back empty. When you live according his promises, living them feeling and remembering them each day big things will happen. Take this from a guy who has been seeing his hand on a daily basis for the last two months.

Soon I will be traveling, please pray for me, pray for his guidance over my life, for humbleness for I know that big things will be done through me,  for provision of the Lord. Speaking of which thanks to the Lord now I have a bank account in the United states in Bank of America, which is so amazing because I live in Honduras (1000 miles away) and he managed a way so I could open an account without even going to the States. So if you guys know someone who’s willing to help me with that contact me at hectorzep86@gmail.com.

But what I really want from you is your prayer, please tell me if you pray for me so I can add you to my prayer list..I bless each and every one of you, your lives and I ask the Lord to illuminate your path and your mind may his will be your dreams AMEN!

The illogic is His logic!

Ok, here I am once again starting up with my nocturnal blogging sessions could I get some inspirational snaps..haha, I guess I aint getting none of those though J I guess that the peace that the night offer relaxes me and really sharpens my senses to what ever God wants to tell me.

You guys know how I usually talk in past tense through all of my last blog posts? (dont answer) well yeah thats how it is, but today im going to be making an exception. Since there is soo mucho going on in my life these days, that It would be selfish of me to keep it to my self for a long time. Because let me explain, as Im writing about my background and past stories, new things are going on so we could say my blog isint a “live broadcast blog”. Anyways, this week a group from the missionary base from costa rica I went arrived. These guys are soo talented God is moving through what they do in so many ways. By the way im in charge of their agenda during their 2 week stay in Honduras, they’ve only been here for like to days and so much has happened we have been working mainly in schools preaching about God and about their work as missionaries. Plus we have also worked with this ministry called solid rock that my church started up in one of the poorest parts of my city. This project works with kids who live in a very bad economic situation, plus they also live in very dangerous places were the could be very easily influenced by gangsters of friends to doing or selling drugs. Please pray for this, really pray for us, for the ministry that we are going to be doing throughout the whole country in the next weeks, I will really appreciate this and I know that the group would really appreciate this.

Speaking of other things I would really like to thank you guys for taking your time to read the blog, in the last three weeks my blogs (3 translations) have received like 1,100 visits which is pretty much for someone or better say “no one” like I am, and I mean this like in a popularity focused way. Imagine if each one of those visitors helped me with a dollar to finance my dream to go to a misionary school in Costa Rica it would be rally cool. But well to be realistic ive only raisen up like $1.49 hahaha…but Im soo really hppy that im raising up some money though. By the way I rose up this money by the people who click on the publicity placed by google on the side of the blog.. so this is pretty cool.

So at the end all of tis missionary training school I want to do has a center point or vision that I consider that God gave me, and this is were I start talking about the vision God gave me and the heart He gave me towards Italy. Its sucha a funny story the way he plated this love in me. So the year was 2004 an exchange student had arrived to one of my friends house in my hometown Teguciglpa. So my friend asks me if I want to join him so we could go and pick up-recieve this person. So naturally I said yes because Im a very willing person (but I´ll talk about  that in another occasion), so we went to pick this exchange student an well the student resulted to be an Italian girl who was very pretty. Yes I know what are you thinking of, this guy started learning Italian because he liked this Italian pretty girl..”how romantic..or how stupid”  but yeah I guess I was romantic or stupid but that’s life when you are young and single. So yes I started to try to learn Italian by myself, in the end nothing happened with the girl as you would’ve deducted if you read my first blog post (october 8^th). The only thing that happened was that my love for the Italian language was still there and a growth towards the Italian culture was planted in my heart. All of this story took place during those times I talked about before those times I call “living in a double life” (and by this I mean being a Christian but living as if I wasn’t). I continued learning Italian on a random base. Never went to school to learn I pretty much studied by myself with material that –I got from the internet. One day, two or three years ago I got this software to learn Italian, really good program that I started using to study, which really leveled me up to a writing and speaking level. The thing is that one year ago, after changing my life and deciding to live for Jesus I was at a level (Italian) where I could pray in Italian. I remember my first prayer in italiano..that day I gave up that language, my Italian to him..It was so nice to say Jesus in another language..GESU!! so nice!! But nicer is the response God gave to this prayer. Two or three weeks later our youth group was receiving word of how we were going to raise up a ministry in Italy..when we received this word, I was just overwhelmed of how faithful great and graceful is Him!! This was one year ago, before everything I wrote in me second blog post had taken place. Ever since I received that promise, (I said I because since I’m part of the group I took this promise as mine) I started working and moving so this promise could be fulfilled soon, so I kept sharpening up my italian , I just started trying to make contact with Italian Christian people, or someone who could help us work on this promise that God had given us. One year went by and well there was no results, I had my eyed focused on the prize, but no results = disincouragement. Then all of the things I described on blog post # 2 happened ad well after I got back from Costa Rica God continued to work in me in huge ways, very big ways Italy related ways..haha. God brought people to my life great people, this guy called Hugo Paulini added me randomly to facebook and he went straight forward and asked me if I wanted to be  missionary in Italy, that he is recruiting young latin American guys like me to work part time or dedicate their whole life to work in Italy as a missionary. As I was reading this guys request a tear dropped from my eye, and I realized how great was the Lord and how walking on water towards what he has promised us does really work. As long as we honor him, he will honor us. Also its such a  nice and helpful thing that I started this blog because it has brought connection to my life that are so related to my vision for Italy and love for this country. An Italian lady from Napoli added me on facebook, she told me she read my blog and testimony and she told me she wanted to read it on her church. This was literally too much for me, really too much. But you guys know what..God is Too much!!  Now im really good friends with his lady and now we have prayer conference calls with another whole bunch of Italians through skype which is soo great  so powerful and Im soo thankful with God for that. You know my dream is to go to Italy to to raise up a very strong ministry there, I want to go to Napoli and to Lucca, two cities that I feel God wants me to go to. To Napoli because for some reason like 90% of my Christian Italian friends are from Napoli and in Lucca so I can help my missionary friend Hugo there. But before fulfilling that dream God is really asking me to go through his process first, to grow up in him to build myself in him so when the time comes I can be ready for whatever happens or comes to me. So first things first, and by this I mean doing the missionary school in Costa Rica, for which God will provide and well He is already providing.   

As the bible says, god works in mysterious ways that we don’t know about or that we cant understand. Let me talk to you about something I thought of a couple months ago while I was preparing a message for my church youth group. I was reading Genesis chapter 1, im not posting it since its too long but I will talk about the process of the creation. He created everything in seven days and if you read carefully after he created each thing he created at the end of the day “he saw that every thing he made was good” and when he created men and women he also saw that it was good, since he repeats so many times that it was good I assume that it was pretty or really GOOD!! If id ask you how did God created men some could say that at his own image and they’ll be right. But God also created men NAKED!! I mean he saw us naked and saw that it was good, for these time we live in that could be kind of illogic, if you doubt it..tell me what would happen if I showed up to the church naked..its no wise its no intelligent not logic. But God the king our king though naked men were and are good. For us humans this could be logic less, but this situation explains the ways he works, and also how is ways of working and seeing things aren’t always going to be the same ways we work or think. But what we have to know is that we have to be ready to assimilate whatever he tells us or wants us to be or do. Sometimes we might think its or time to do things in God, and it might seem  right but some other times things need to be paused, so other things can happen, things that are requirements for what we paused in the first time. This might be or seem illogic but God will glorify himself in our obedience. Be careful because the enemy will try to take advantage of these type of  situations to just plant his lays and make you pause things that shouldnt be pauses.  As long as we hav our eyes on him, and our hearts clean he will guide us through any storm just trust him and in his “illogical” ways of thinking, beacse his ways are the best!

Obedience: The Master KEY!

I started this blog like two weeks ago (13 days), and the response I have received from my friends and family has been amazing for me. Plus it has expanded my horizon, now I’m meeting new people that I know that are going to be a blessing for my life, some of them already are. Thank you guys for the comments, wall posts on my facebook and simply for taking the time to read whatever comes to my mind.

                I want you to know that if you’re receiving, or feeling that my blog is blessing your life in anyway its not because of me. Its because the Lord loves you so much that he gave this assignment to me. An assignment that as well is being a big blessing for my life. Ever since I started writing my blog I’m constantly worried about it to fullfil its purpose, (the main purpose of this blog is to bless you). Because of this every time I sit in front of the computer to “blog” I pray so I can receive guidance from the holy spirit, so it isnt just me that is writing. This is Him guiding me to tell you what you need to hear.

Sometimes we need someone to tell us about Gods plans and they way he is going to work, but its funny to know that we don’t need someone to tell us about what God wants or someone to guide us because if you have the Holy spirit in your heart, he’s always there to be our guide. We just have to be more ”presto” to hear what he´s saying, have our hearts willing to execute his orders. This last thing has a lot to do with the experience I had in Costa Rica, yeah yeah…I didn’t forget that I told you about this, to tell you the truth as I started writing I thought I wasn’t going to write about this today. Now I’m not really sure if this story will encourage you or whatever, but it’s such a nice story that I just can’t help feeling that I have to tell it to you; I’m not sure if I’ll keep up with what I said last..and by this I mean you crying with this story. So if you have your tissue box there, I’m not sure you are going to need it but who knows.

When I got the news about my trip to Costa Rica once again I was worried about, what God was going to do after I told my youth pastor about this he told me I could go there and support a ministry raising up there in a town called San Ramon, plus I have this friend Jacobus scott, I met here very quick like 2 minutes, and he left, we became friends through the internet. He’s a missionary from South Africa he just visited church, when I saw him I was like I NEED TO TALK TO HIM..( no homo)..haha..i just felt like it, well 40 minutes passed and still no Ricky talking to Jacobus..thing is I went to him because I saw he was leaving, we had just time to exchange emails. Well he told me he was going to be in Costa Rica during the same time I was going to be there, in the same city and he told me should meet and do some ministry. So YEAH!!!!!..purpose seemed to be there, but I always had in my mind  that this was just my plan, and was open for ANY changes he wanted to make. Plus a new missionary team from the Costa Rica base was coming to Honduras, so it was a perfect chance to meet the leaders of the team!

The first day in Costa Rica I went to drop my sister to the airport at twelve, and well yeah I was practically ALONE, I knew some people from the missionary base, but we weren’t like really good friends, I mean I love them but you know, no long relationships  were already developed. That same day, new students arrived so we waited all day on the airport, it was pretty much a bah!..day..well I did meet nice people..VERY NICE.

Anyways let me point you out the highlights of my trip to Costa Rica, First thing that happened was that the me preaching to the ministry in San Ramon WAS CANCELLED!.. when this happened, I was like… Lord! So what’s my purpose of being here!!.. but once again I rememberd how his process with me had been in the last months, so yeah..once again said..ok Lord its in your hands I trust you! That same night I met someone the lord sent all the way from Minnesota, just for me..and I like to say he sent me from Honduras for him. I met him as I was donig some breakdance moves..hah..his name is David, he’s parent to one of the girls who arrived to start the new DTS (discipleship training school)  by the way this base is from this organization called ywam (heres the link to their website if you want to know more http://ywam.com/).  I just met this guy and well, we alked for like 5 hours we went to bed like at 2am that night. This has such a big meaning to me, this long conversation confirmed what God was turning me into. I told my friend David that I never had done such thing, 5 hours with a 49 year old man confirmed me becoming a man in God. Weeks before I was battling with the way people treated me (like a kid), I told him about how hard it was for me to talk to an adult without feeling uncomfortable, and how I didn’t felt like a real 24 year old MAN! ! and I told him how I wanted to become that man for the Lord, and was wishing for someone to pray for me and for this, but then realized that God bought me the right to fight my own battles and to play with the stars of the team (remember my first blog). So I fought my own battle and prayed for this and declared myself as a MAN! This conversation with David was a confirmation, as I was telling this to David tears started dropping from his eyes and he told me..Ricky..now I know why God brought me all the way from Minnesota. He told about how he had been going through the same road, and gave me words that just rose me up, and I did the same for him we prayed a lot, and agreed that during that time we had gone from strangers to really close friends. After that time we had other similar times in different places till the day he left.

Remember this; those who have this same struggle I HAD!

1 Timothy 4:12 

¹²Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

Don’t just read it..own it ..make it yours part of your daily thinking!

I met another David during this journey, another Big blessing to my life, He’s from New Zeland, he instructed me in many things. Helped me clear my mind and also told me more about how this missionary organization worked, because still even though I was there I wasn’t really convinced about this YWAM concept, since many people start being faithful to an organization and instead of Jesus..or GOD, but he cleared that to me too.

So this is the part where I received, now God also wanted me to GIVE! As I said new students were arriving for the new DTS, I pretty much became good friends with all of them. Well I felt a lot of love coming from them to me. It was just so amazing ..so I did received a bit more huh.. Anyways God sent me there to raise up and unify that new team. But over all he sent me to serve them, I well I found this out through my stay there because he was constantly telling me to talk to one of the, or to give word to someone in specific. This one time he told me to gather all the team and just give them a  word. This happened as I was reading about when the disciples were trying to fish all night but weren’t successful till the morning when Jesus came and told them to try one last time and they obeyed. When God told me to do this, first thing in my mind was: I’m nobody in this ywam base with what authority am I going to gather these entire 17 or more people class? But well I just went to sleep since this happened like at 11pm. Next day I had a good time of reading and growing up in him (one of the things that I found there..peace and time to grow up in him) but by the night, while I was in dinner God told me SO YOU ALREADY TALKED TO THEM..and I was like..eeehhh…ehhh..wooooopps!!! And still without wanting I started gathering them up. Thinking about something I read that day..God calls his soldiers to the battle but in every army there are heroes among those soldiers, Heroes are the ones that have something different..Something good that differences them from the rest. Moist of the time heroes do things, great things they wouldn’t have done if they weren’t brave enough to. So I remembered this and told my self I want to be a HERO IN HIS ARMY!! But for this I have to be brave enough to obey his orders without questioning. So I gathered them and before starting to talk I said to myself what are you going to say, but I knew He had my back so I just started. I encouraged them to honor the Lord, I talked about how they were just starting a missionary school, and how even though they were just starting and the motivation was strong there would be a time where it wouldn’t be easy, and in those hard times is when the Lord will come to you and tell you to try once again. You have to be ready to obey the Lord in these times, because if you obey this you harvest will be huge, like the disciples when they obeyed the Lord. The fished soo much that the boat was almost sinking. And told the how the obedience without question was important. Doing that is what leaded me to talk to them and bless them. I told them how much I loved, LOVE them! And offer them my house as their house (offer still valid). If anyone of them is reading this right now remember this experience because it happened and He directed it just for you..and this same thing goes for everybody else…we just have to obey, even though we’re tired from trying and trying  to fish all night, and even if we don’t fish nothing if he tells us to do it again, we DO IT!..results are gonna be..the biggest catch you’ve ever had. This speaks a lot of the power of obedience..but that’s another story.

The time for me to go back to Honduras was near, and well I just didn’t wanted to go, but my budget (provided by the Lord) wasn’t enough to stay more. I was leaving Thursday morning, but the Lord provided me with some money through my friend Dennis and his family. I do really thank him because those two days he gave me were of blessing and would change my mind and plans for the next six to eight months. First of all one of the nights the Lord, tested me in honoring and obeying him..by evangelizing prostitutes and homosexuals. One of the girls from the base asked me if I wanted to go with her and a friend and to tell you the truth this is a weakness I have and I said no. But then I thought about how God gave me that extra day in the base, so I just ran to her and honored what he had done and given me. I went with hem and it was like one of my best times in Cost Rica, I learned a lot and received a lot, just because I obeyed him. Imagine my loss if I wouldn’t had obeyed him! Well next afternoon I talked with my friend David from New Zeland who was giving class and told him about my growth during my 10 days in the base, and he told me he had seen me grow during that time, but he also told me that he saw I knew little of the word, when he said that It hit me!!!...I thought I knew a loit but he’s right. But there in the base my growth went on exponentially..but this isn’t enough, David was Right..after this he told me ..you should do your DTS here, next one starts in January, I also recommend you to be staff here on the base before you start your dts, since you’ve grown while here this would be good for you, and I agreed, but he told me before you take any decision go pray ask him for permission for this. So I went to pray to the prayer room in the base, and this was so funny and nice of Him, I hadn’t even started praying when he said to me “do whatever you want”   I then started laughing..and told him as I laughed..let me pray at least!! Since I had my answer I just started singing and praising Him and left. David and I talked to the leaders of the base about this and well now the first steps to the process that will change my life have already started!

The DECISION IS MADE IM STARTING A DTS IN JANUARY 2010 AND IM GOING TO BE STAFFING FOR A MONTH IN THE YWAM BASE OF SAN JOSE COSTA RICA.

As I said in my last blog, the economic situation of my family is not good at all, 7 years of economic crisis..hmm doesn’t sound healthy..well it isn’t..haha its funny that I laugh after saying this, but the Lord has thought me to be happy when I have and happy when I don’t..it reminds me of:

Phillipians 4:12 ¹²I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

I think that’s what he wants us to be like, not dependant on our situation, but tottaly dependant on him. Having a lot or having nothing should be worthless, now I understand this and I’m thankful for those 7 years of lack in my house that made me understand that. My prayer is that you guys don’t have to go through this to realize, UNDERSTAND   and save this in your hearts. I won’t lie it's a very tough ride.

 You know I wanted to start my DTS (missionary school)in September 2010 but there were two reasons for me not to:

1.       I had to go back to Honduras because one week after I left Costa Rica I had the my university thesis exam for my Bachelors Degree in Marketing. Which I already finished and passed. Which really does complete that testimony of the thesis paper. I do thank God for this ..very much !

2.       Second reason was because I wasn’t economically prepared you know my family situation plus I was in the university = no job so cash levels = to zero.

Any ways the situation is still the same, difference is that I have no university compromise, so now I trust in the Lord that my time has come. Now let me quote again

 Phillipians 4:12-16  ¹⁰I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.¹²I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

 ¹⁴Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. ¹⁵Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only;¹⁶for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.

                
       Another "problem" that came out is that since there are missionary teams coming down to Honduras I'm responsible for them. I'm not quite able to get a job, since they require my all of my time, for translating and manging their agenda here. Plus graduation is until the 18th of November, date in which I'm going to legally have my marketing degree. I dont really want to start my career with a job and then quiting in January. So it's quite a ituation that restricts my funds for the missioanry school. But you know something, I trust that God haves my back on this..so I'll just keep trusting in Him as I've done through this past months, beacuse from this is were his glory will show!!


       On the right side of my blog page I posted a paypal button that says “DONATE” if you feel like donating you could be like the church of the Phillipians to me and the I’ll say the same thing Paul said on verse sixteen, but instead of “Thessalonica” it would be “Costa Rica”. This only if you want to support me J! DTS costs are $1000.00 lecture phase and an aproximate of $2000.00 outreach phase (outreach can be in any part of the world, based on prayer), plus other expenses that are needed like bus tickets, and other monthly expenses, the course is aproximatly 6 months plus one month of staffing $200. So if you want to donate do it ..if not dont..hahaha..im funny..ahaha..or NOT!


  Now maybe you have noticed I translate this blog into spanish and ITALIAN, on my next blog Im going to be talking about my vision and the love the Lord has planted on me for Italy, and how it’s recently being fulfilled.

I will end talking a little bit more about obedience and I’ll give you some information about how to contact me, people who can give reference of myself as well as my church.

                I think that OBEDIENCE is the key to every door and promise that is in the bible. God is constantly asking us to do something for him, in other words to obey him. No matter in what point of our lives we are, He will always require us in many cases when we are busy. Like the disciples who were working when the lord told them that he would make them fishers of men. What if they would’ve decided that they wouldn’t obey? Nothing that they lived would’ve happened, think about this..maybe Jesus told this same thing to someone else of whom we don’t know nothing because he didn’t obeyed, since he didn’t obeyed his name wasn’t written on the bible. He didn’t had the chance to know the son of God and hang out with HIM! Just because he decided that the worldly things were more important, oohh what a big loss, how would you feel If you were that guy who didn’t obeyed and after seeing him traveling, doing miracles and then realizing he is the son of God??? At least I know I would regret it all my life. My advice is OBEY Him..don’t regret! Because if you obey him in everything, he will guide you, respond you, take you places you’ve never been to and do things you never dreamed of doing. JUST OBEY! Even though if he asks crazy stuff in exchange like he did with the disciples, like leaving everything behind..family ..house..friends possessions are worth nothing; remember Phillipians 4:12

My name is Hector Ricardo Zepeda I live in Tegucigalpa Honduras I go to Iglesia Cristocentro, the facebook link of the church is on the right side of my blog it’s a logo that says “25th anniversary” I’ve attended that church for 24 years. You could ask there for me but ask for Hector Zepeda son, the father would be the co-pastor. The name of my church pastors are Belizario Perello and Beverly Chambers. If you want any other references post a coment so I can read it…MAY GOD BLESS YOU BROTHERS! 

This was supposed to be my shortes blog entry but well I guess I just obeyed Him!

Revival Journey!

I don’t know why, but I’m I always feel more inspired when I write at night, the problem with this is that I’m struggling with me falling asleep with my forehead on top of the keyboardJ.  Well I hope you liked my first blog post; wow me writing..hmm..or posting blogs..who would’ve thought. This makes me think about how do we change in God, and how being with him is a path of constant change, and how wouldn’t it be like this if the goal is to be at the height of the perfect one (JESUS).

Before I go deeper into how God is constantly changing us and taking us through paths that we don’t know, let me finish what I started two days ago. YES!!   I know it was a long post and YES..there more to it. But how could I stay put and say nothing about the process that God has taken me through in the last 6 months of this year. Most when this phase of the process ended two days ago. I guess the ending of this phase was what really motivated me to share with the world my testimony and created in me the need to share it with my friends and with any random person that happens to read my blog (His blog; because of Him I writing).

So this year (2010) started of pretty good, the leadership from the youth group and I  (plus some other guys) from the 3^rd of January till the 10^th of January yup yup 7 days of straight fasting it was pretty hardcore, most for me because it was the first time that I did such a thing..I f you don’t believe me I’ll post some pictures of how skinny I am now…hahaha..or check my facebook (non-facebook friends are welcomed to add me I like new people in my life! facebook.com/hzepeda1 no stalkers please or yes..anyways). Thing is it was really powerfull thing. I felt pretty motivated..but after a few weeks after I stated feeling so empty, so consumed by the  internship I had to do for the university.

So yeah emptiness came to my life, more than emptiness I fell purposeless, even though I was a youth leader, I felt like I was doing things just to do them. I mean I love Jesus I LOVE GOD but it was so tasteless for me. You how the Paul talks to the Ephesians about that “evil day” I really felt I was going through that period of time in my life. This evil day lasted like 6 to 7 months of this 2010.

You know how wonderful is God and how his plans and wonders are perfect and new each day! Well I do know and I saw it this year. Even though I was going through my evil day God started a process of revival, in strength, grace, wisdom and faith in my life. This started in Mat this year; I had finished my university internship now in Honduran universities even for a bachelor’s degree you have to write a thesis paper (100 page minimum). I started this process in May (yes same time God started my renewal process), for this you have to create a graduation file and do a theme proposal. I did this and I just had to wait for my theme to be approved. So I waited the time I had to and when I went to see if it was approved, the dean told me I had to wait some more time, this happened like  times. At the 4^th time they told me the dean had quit his job and had lost my file, they told me I couldn’t do my thesis paper and that I wasn’t in the graduation list for 2010 (I had to wait till 2011). WHAT!!! I said, but couldn’t do anything, just got really mad, but said ok God it’s all in your hands, I don’t win nothing with getting mad.

Time passed by, now it was July and a missionary team from an organization came and I offered myself as a translator for free. They were staying here for a week and I was going to be with them fulltime during the whole week. The first day they were here we went to a prayer walk, at that time I received a call from the university the were telling me they would give me a chance to do my thesis but I had to hand it in 3 weeks..yes 3 WEEKS…!!!..tres semanas!!...tre settiemne!!! I wasn’t happy I was concerned and told God what do you want me to DO!!!!!...you bring this group to me, and at the same time you give me this once in a life time chance; because people from the university told me, we never do this but with you we are making an exception (NOTE: usual thesis time given by the university is 3 months). I took the challenge but, also decided that I would work with the missionary group, so I gave up one of my three weeks to HIM. I don’t regret doing this because that week opened my eyes, and gave me an injection of life and purpose. It was pure evangelism, talking to alcoholics, prostitutes, homosexuals, youth groups, people on the universities and malls. Pure fire in my life, plus developed friendships. That week went by and the team left to its base in Costa Rica, now I had only two week to finish my thesis, I had already started it and had 35/100 pages done, I was SOO tense. That week went by and I went to the university to fix some paper work (I was soo tense), as I did this the new dean cam and told me, “you know what, we are going to give you 10 more days so you can finish your thesis” I was like Whatt!! 10 more day. God is so amazing he  gave me back the week I gave up plus 3 days, he gave me the necessary time because without those days  wouldn’t had been able to hand in my thesis.

After I handed out my thesis, felt soo tense, that I just wanted a vacation a relief and since my missionary friends were graduating..plus other reasons..I wanted to go to Costa Rica and visit  to have a nice time. But always in my mind was the thought that my trip there had to have a purpose for the kingdom. Well I got the money to go to CR in a day, but then I thought of the economic situation of my family, and realized it wasn’t wise to spend money on that..(7 years of heavy economic lack).so O said ok Lord its in your hands, next day one of my friends in the Costa Rican missionary house told me that he/she was going tto pay for my ticket and I was like hmmm..its not correct accept this but I wanted it soo bad..so I said..”ok yes”, next day I recieve an email telling me that it wasn’t possible to give me the ticket..once again I said Ok Lord…it’s in your hands.

One week later my sister was offered a mission trip to Mexico for 3 months, payed by a missionary family she said yes but since she’s my little sister my parents take special care of her. The missionary bought her ticket out from San Jose CR, and my dad didn’t like this cuz he didn’t liked she had to take an 18 hour bus ride alone to Costa Rica so the missionary guy said “what if Ricky Goes with her to CR?” then they asked me…after being asked I was like WHAT!! God is soo great he gave me what I wanted, but he saw that my first trip was going to be all about my friends and not me so he threw away what wasn’t good for me, refocused the whole purpose of my trip to his purpose and sent me. I paid nothing; I even received more money from him so I could stay more in a such a wonderful way, just the way I asked he gave and he gave more then what I needed. Ok here I stop telling about my recent story but there’s more I’m going to be talking about what was Gods purpose for me going to Costa Rica..I was SUCH A GREAT PURPOSE you won’t want to miss it..just so you know you might want to have some tissues close to you.

Let me just tell you about how God will change your lives if you decide to let go of everything you have, if you let go of who you are, and let him be whatever He wants to be in you. When we do this, its when God starts working at it fullest, let’s not limit him. If you feel you are going through you “evil day” always remember about Ephesians 6:11-16 ¹¹Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  That’s how you will resist this, and remember that while we are holding our positions on the battle, he’s always with us, working with us and glorifying himself through us using us, but WE HAVE TO HOLD ON THAT POSITION! Honor him!!..honor his love for us!, who are we to deserve his LOVE??..we are just full of his grace..let’s show others how to always hold on the battle J

I so glad I’m doing things I thought I’d never do because I know it will be blessing for at least one person in this world, and that is enough for me. Please post comments and post your blogs links so I can read them and so mu friends could read them too…SPREAD THE LOVE!!!

How I was dead!

Hey there Blogger,

Yes it’s me Ricky, for those of you who don’t know me I am Hector Ricardo Zepeda Ramos but call me Ricky :D . Let me give you guys a “little” intro to this blog about how I went from death to life and about the adventure of being alive; as I AM ALIVE NOW!

It all started in 1986 I was born with asthma, but was healed by the power of prayer through my grandmother. This made my parents wonder about the power of prayer and the power of the God my grandmother adored. So they tried this so called Christian life that she lived.

So I grew up in a Christian home through all my childhood, I pretty much lived a normal childhood, went to a bilingual school since I was 4 years old, pretty good school second best in my country. A lot of rich kids went to my school really high class (as in sons of ambassadors, congressman, governors and high class business people); all this because the grace of God. Since my family wasn’t that rich, this marked my life because of the economic status difference. Making eat easy for kids to mock me about what I didn’t have or for what I had. Most of my school years were years of humiliation and suffering, but above this I always could find happiness in my life. As I grew up this stopped being something important to me or stopped hurting me.

As for my growth in God, you couldn’t really tell if there’s growth or not I just went to church, listened and left. If I could recall the highlight of my life in Christ during my first 18 year of my life, it would be easy to count them with my finger. There are three high lights that I consider the ones that affected the whole path of my life to this day.

-          The day I accepted Christ: which was really nice, since I remember that day, in the middle of the service I told my parent from nothing “I want to accept Christ as my savior”.  I wanted it so much that my parents interrupted the service to tell the pastor what I wanted. He said ok let’s do the prayer I went to the front and suddenly all of the kids from church joined me in this prayer in front of the whole church. (This was at the age of 10)    

-          When I was 11 eleven I gave all my relationships, my love life and sexual areas to God, during church service. I consider this a highlight for how it affected me through my whole life.

-          The day I was baptized, or the day I sealed the deal with God, compromising myself to him, or at least that’s what I thought then.

Funny is that when I was 7 years old I tried to commit suicide, I didn’t remember this till a couple years ago when my mom remembered me about how she came to my room one afternoon with a rope tied to my neck ready to just jump to my death. Funny is how she came back from her job with a perfect timing, even though she never came back home from her job.

Going on with my normal and non godly life, I go to high school with different objectives and trying to be different. I changed school since I failed 6^th grade, I was in Pinares School, now I switched to the International School, (4^th best school). High school was pretty normal, but in this time was the time when I started getting away from my commitments with. Started partying in clubs since I was 14 years old (thanks to my older cousin who got me into the clubs with no problem). With the clubs came drinks and the birth of an addiction to cigarettes. I went pretty hardcore on parties, I learned how to break dance, so I was pretty famous among the party scene, not only in school parties but other random parties, people who I didn’t met, knew my name and shouted it when I break danced. I even appeared once in a magazine as I danced.  

When I started the university thing started to go a little more hardcore, my addiction was stronger, new addictions like gambling in casinos came to my life and the parties started to get wilder. Lost like two and a half years of university because of this.

During all this time of parties, and disorder in my life I could still see Gods hand acting in my life, I can remember how constantly came to my mind a voice saying, hey this is not good, what are you doing or saying stop. I knew it was God talking to me, and sometimes in the middle of a party I’d pray and ask for forgiveness; but this rarely happened. I could see how God took that promise I made when I was 11, the one of the relationships and sexual life. As he constantly took away girls from my life, this is how it worked same patter always. I likes a girl she liked me, and when something was about to happen or start he took her out of my life, and by out of my life I mean, he sent her to another country. As I am a picky guy because I grew up in my mom’s salon watching beautiful women at the magazines, I rarely liked a girl. But the ones I liked, he took away. Many times at parties and clubs I had chances of being with girls or doing stuff people usually do with girls at parties, but well I just didn’t saw these chances till I got home and thought about my night. Then I said WHAT!!!...I had this chance and I wasted it. This constantly happened to me, and I mean I not stupid to miss that so many times. That what man or most man life and look for constantly. The only logic/illogic explanation I find for this is that he was blinding me and taking care of me. Keeping me pure till this day, that’s why I never had a girl friend or some type of REAL relationship with a girl in my life.

God was so good with me that even when I was out of his way, he gave me the wishes of my heart, like when he gave me my first trip to the United States, which I really wanted since I was a kid. He gave this to me free of charge, and I’m talking about a 3 month trip, worth for like at least $ 4,000. I remember the day I was leaving my country Honduras for the first time May 30^th 2008. I remember it really well because that day I left, the plane I took to El Salvador went back to Honduras and crashed. I wasn’t in the plane but I was there in its last safe flight. Funny is that, my mom had dreamed about this the night before the accident. In the dream she saw a plane crashed, and a women talking about this kid a kid who died in the plane, weird is that this woman said that this kid was already dead; she said he died when he was 7. Suddenly my mom remembered that was the age I had when I tried to commit suicide, so she started praying for me and well here I am, still alive.

      After I came back from this trip, I started the same routine, parties, clubs and went to church every Sunday. I call this living a double life, and that’s what it was. I had one of my friends who after I came back of the trip started to get along with my church youth pastor. My friend was telling me about how they had poker nights just for fun. By this time gambling wasn’t a problem for me no more, but I still liked playing poker so I started attending to these games. Well suddenly after attending so many times to these games I found out that these people from the youth group became my friends and well, I started to get more into Gods things. Till the point that I was a youth co-pastor at my church, from nothing I quitted smoking which had been my biggest struggle for so many years. I just thought I had to honor the gift God gave me by healing me from asthma remember?

I’m going to end this first and introductory blog post by telling you about the third time God saved my life. I was going to this YWAM base in Honduras with all the leadership from the youth group. So yeah, we had to travel to another city like 3 hours away from our city. While we were on the road one of the wheels of the car popped, and the car went out of control. My friend Peter who was driving the car had two options, one crash with the mountain or two turn right and go onto an abyss. So he chose to crash with the mountain. I was sitting on the back part of the car, we crashed straight to the mountain with the front side if the car. Funny and weird thing is that me and other two friends flew of the back door glass of the car. Even weirder is that we landed in front of the car, by the mountain, perfectly placed one of my friends even had a backpack under his head when my other friends fond him. There was nobody else but us there.

This is what I remember of the crash, seeing the front collision, hearing it and the feeling something pulled me from the back, then I went unconscious and then woke up placed by the mountain side. Results from the accident were: zero casualties, just some hurt and minor injuries (really minor injuries). The car was destroyed like in an 75%. I like to think it was angels that saved us…I’ll draw a quick paint art so you can have an idea of how we flew in a physically impossible way. So that’s how God saved my life for the third time.

Well you know actually that’s the 4th time he saves my life, because He saved my life even before I was born. When he sent his one and only son to take my place, and to suffer everything that I was supposed to suffer just because He loved me.  Ohh man that’s pure power, Imagine all the suffering he went through, and when he was going through this, the only thing that kept him going on was what he felt for us LOVE! TRUE LOVE; love that suffers it all that takes it all, because that is love he is the biggest expression of love. He even started saving people who didn’t deserved to be saved before he died in the cross, I mean imagine Barrabass, huh!? Never thought of that or maybe. Jesus saved him, he did saved him, he took his place in the losers team, in the team of the ones destined to death in a prison a prison of fire and torment. Imagine what came through barrabass head when he heard that the people wanted him instead of Jesus. I mean if barrabas was conscious of all the things he had done, I think he wondered..who is this guy who the people think that is worst than me (knowing what he was; an animal). I think he asked about who was this guy who took his place, and maybe just maybe somebody told him, this guy who took your place didn’t do anything wrong but preach Gods word. That’s how it is for many people now, they just ask themselves who am I to be worthy of the sacrifice of someone’s life, less worthy of Gods son life. But this is how I works, GRACE…that’s the word. When we receive something by grace is when we receive something that we don’t deserve. He just loves us and did what he did because of this LOVE. Maybe Barrabas never understood this, (since it says nothing else about barrabas in the bible), but we know the reason LOVE!!!..lets honor that LOVE…lets live the way He wants us to live!!

Read, his word to know how to live the Bible or

B.I.B.L.E.

Basic

Instructions

Before

Leaving

Earth

                This been said I’m going to continue to write more about my life, my path and my walk with HIM! I’ll keep you updated!..hope you liked it J