Mexico- Summer- Life

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Being that it is summer, I have no excuse not to post what has been going on in my life. The main theme that I have to share right now is the beauty of missions. The beauty of missions does not lie in its difference, it does not lie in its difficulty. The beauty of missions lies in its absolute applicability to every individual who is living. Each and every person, when truly following God, becomes a missionary. This is particularly difficult for me to grasp. I love being in foreign countries, serving my brothers and sisters, preaching the gospel, and living radically for Christ. Because of this, it is hard for me to hold on to the beauty of the life God has given me.

This past year, being in the United States for the third year in a row, has been difficult in that regard. I sometimes forget that this is where God wants me right now. I cannot understand God's plan. I still do not know why He called my family out of foreign missions, but I do know that He knows. I also know that even in my reluctance to be here, He has blessed me abundantly.

Because I haven't posted much this year, I will share a bit of what has gone on. First off, the school that I attend has been a tremendous blessing to me. God has sent me some very good friends who draw me closer to Himself, and teach me how to be the stateside missionary that I want to be.

Also, my lifelong friend Hollis and I started a group called "Faith in Action". We started it about 5 months ago now, and it has been a blessing to see how God has let it grow. The purpose of the group is to offer a support system for high school students who want to see their faith in God be actualized in their lives. This group has been a blessing to me, and to those people who have come to our monthly meetings.

Since January, I have been meeting weekly with the coordinators of Faith Camp to help with this year's "Challenge Accepted" Faith Camp.  I am a coordinator in training, and so I am learning all of the behind-the-scene work that is poured into Faith Camp. I am so blessed to be able to help in the camp that has been so instrumental in my spiritual formation, and I can't wait to see how God uses it for His glory this year.

One of the absolute biggest blessings of my life was born April 18th of this year. My precious, miracle, brother Isaac Joseph was welcomed into the world. My mom suffered 7 miscarriages, and I have 8 little siblings in Heaven. I was truly able to see the fruit of a community's prayer and fasting when my little brother was welcomed into this world with so much love, and with no problems whatsoever. He is truly a testament of God's love for our family.

The next huge blessing to share with you is my trip to General Cepeda. I hadn't visited in two years, and my heart was aching to return. Going back to that precious town which I love so dearly was a true gift of God's infinite love for me. I was able to see so many old friends, and the families that have become my family. I was able to visit with some of the living saints that I have been anxious to see for so long, and visit ejidos of people who still pray for my family daily. God reminded me of the desperate need for simplicity in my life, and the call to sanctity my life for His glory.

Another gift God has given me is my job. I am working this summer as a babysitter, which is my absolute favorite job. I am so grateful for this job, and it really came at such a perfect time that I know God's hand was in it.

Well that is the basic update for the year, but there is more to come. Now that it is summer I will hopefully be posting more frequently, so that I can give more glory to God who deserves it all. Keep persevering in prayer, and in serving God more perfectly every day.

Peace and love in Christ,

Alyse

Confirmation Retreat Talk

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I had been invited to speak at a confirmation retreat about missions a few months ago. On Sunday I went, it was super blessed. I shared a slideshow and spoke about what it is like to be a missionary and about the necessity of missions.
Each time I share about missions it is a little revelation to me, it make me realize how blessed I am. I am one of the select number of people who has been able to serve full time in foreign missions. I am so blessed to have experienced what I have experienced and to know what I know. There isn't anything special or spectacular about me but all that I have seen God do is special and spectacular, I am so happy to have been able to witness to that.
The talk went very well and I hope that I was able to bless all of those who were present. The word of God is so powerful and it blesses me so much to be able to share and put into a new light Jesus' word and calling. Remember to be a light on a lamp stand and to always give witness to God and his splendor!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse

Donor's Dinner

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,
Last night was FMC's annual donor's dinner. We invite all of the people who have donated or supported FMC in the last year and we gather for food and presentations on all that has been going on this last year. I was so blessed to see all that God has done in FMC just in a year it reminds me that this is genuinely one of the greatest missions of the church and that I am abundantly blessed to be a part of it. I was blessed to sell some rosary bags and gather some money for WYD this august. I was also reminded that FMC is more than a company and more than a community we really are all family and what a huge blessing it is to find that!
During vigil mass on Saturday I started thinking about how much I missed Mexico, how much I missed missions in general. I kept on thinking about how much I wanted to be there and to be serving God through foreign missions. I really felt God touch my heart and say that "This is your mission right now Alyse, this is what I have called you to." I "knew" that but I was glad to be reminded. Again after all of the presentations at the donor's dinner my heart started crying out for missions and yearning to go to the ends of the earth. Once more I was reminded that my mission is here, for now, and I need to support God's mission through my prayers and through my service. I am going to try and look into mission work here in our new city and hope to do my best while I am here. Not to use this time for waiting but to use this time for genuine service to the Lord. I also would like to share that I will be speaking at a confirmation retreat! I am super excited/nervous about that but I hope that I can be a missionary witness to all of those in the confirmation class. Please start praying for me for that even though it isn't until January. Please keep me in your prayers as I keep you in mine. God bless!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse

Beg Letter

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This is my beg letter. God Bless!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse



Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This past year I have been so abundantly blessed. I have had the opportunity to serve as a missionary in Mexico for twelve weeks at various parts of the year. God has revealed Himself to me through the beautiful people there, and with all of the graces that He has poured upon me in missions. When I am in Mexico I am able to staff various short term groups, which includes leading service teams, translating in the ejidos, and serving the people who come to the mission house for help. I have learned so many things through the people that God sends me to serve; I have learned so much about what joy is, about our awesome God who is our Father.
Witnessing and participating in the great duty of the Church that is missions is too beautiful to accurately put into words. I feel strongly the call to missions, and I know that God has called me to be a missionary. I am not sure if He wants me to be a foreign missionary all of my life yet, but I do know that I am here to serve and live for God. I have been supported by all of my friends and family, and find great strength and joy in the knowledge that they are praying for me and supporting me. I am writing this letter to ask for your support.
Recently, the opportunity to go to World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid has come up. My uncle, also the head of FMC’s youth ministry, is bringing a group of young people to Spain next August to attend World Youth Day. This is a special opportunity because we are going as a group of missionaries to Europe, not just to receive the blessing of WYD, but also to witness and minister during our time there.
We will arrive in London first to visit with a School of Evangelization for young people. I am excited to revisit this community that hosted my family and I before on our mission, our visits with them have always been fruitful opportunities for growth in our missionary vocations. From London we will go to Paris, making a spiritual pilgrimage to churches and the Cathedral there and witnessing our faith as youth in love with Jesus. This is an especially important task in Europe where, sadly, the faith is dying, especially among young people.
Afterwards we will go to Cordoba, Spain. My family and I lived as missionaries there a few years ago and the Diocese that we served in will be hosting a bunch of groups on pilgrimage to World Youth Day. I look forward to this opportunity to reconnect with many of the people we ministered to during our time there. Also, I will be serving as a translator between the english and spanish speakers during our time in Spain. After some time there we will go to Rome and Assisi on pilgrimage. Finally, we will go to Madrid where millions of youth will be gathered with the Holy Father for a week of spiritual growth and community!
I am so blessed by this opportunity. I really feel that it is God’s will for me to attend World Youth Day, serving as a missionary and translator during our time in Europe. The cost of this trip is $2,500, which is a lot of money for me. I know that nothing is impossible for God! So I ask for your help - please, please be praying for me. Pray that if it be His will that I can go to the World Youth Day pilgrimage this upcoming August. Also, I ask that if you feel called to contribute financially to this cause, please do. I would be very grateful. Even the smallest amount will help! Please pray for me and I will be praying for you, and I will bring the intentions of my benefactors with me to Europe, praying at every pilgrimage spot for your special needs.
Finally, I would like to thank you all in advance for your prayers and support. I am so blessed to have such a strong community! I try to update my mission blog as frequently as possible, please visit www.missionaryalyse.blogspot.com. Also for more info on the World Youth Day pilgrimage with FMC visit www.fmcyouth.wordpress.com God Bless!
Peace and love in Christ Jesus,

Alyse E. Spiehler
alyseliz@yahoo.com

“God is opening before the Church the horizons of a humanity more fully prepared for the sowing of the Gospel. I sense the moment has come to commit all the Church’s energies to a new evangelization and mission to the nations. No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church, can avoid this supreme duty; to proclaim Christ to all peoples.”
-Pope JP II in his encyclical “Mission of the Redeemer”

If you interested in donating you can mail checks with the memo of "Alyse World Youth Day" to:
Alyse Spiehler co Family Missions Company
12624 Everglade Road
Abbeville La 70510

St. Therese

Brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today is the feast day of St. Therese of Lisieux. I was so blessed to be able to go to a mass today with our homeschooling group. Afterwards the children all went up and gave a flower to St. Therese. It was beautiful. St. Therese is such an inspiration. She is known for her "little way" giving God every moment and becoming a saint through every action, every day. Giving every little thing to God is such a beautiful thing that all of us should practice. She is also the patroness of missions, which is a great thing; she always prayed for missions. St. Therese, Pray for us.
I ask for ya'll to pray for me, I have been presented with the opportunity to go to Ecuador and an opportunity to go to world youth day. Nothing is impossible for God, which is great because it looks difficult to get to these places. Please pray that God will provide the money for me to go, only if it his will! Ecuador would probably be in January and World Youth Day is in August. Please keep me in your prayers, I am always praying for ya'll!
Peace and love in Christ,
Alyse

Back Home!

Dear readers,
I cannot put into words how indescribably blessed I have been these past two weeks in General Cepeda. God moved so powerfully and from the trips four people have felt the call to be full time missionaries! Please pray for these people and for their families. I feel so refreshed and renewed from being back in missions. One thing that I love about being a missionary is that I can always feel a change in myself. I feel like a different and better prson than I did before I went down two weeks ago. Even though I am back home I am preparing for a busy month and upcoming year. I will be home schooled again next year so as to continue being able to be a part of the mission trips. Faith Camp (a summer camp that I will be helping out with and is a wonderful ministry to junior high kids) is coming up soon! My mom will be going down to General while I am at Faith Camp. If you would like to learn more about the camp go to www.bestweekofyourlife.com. Hopefully I will have my own laptop soon and I plan to write a novel about missionaries! Please pray that God would inspire me so that it will give the glory to him! I will hopefully be going back to General Cepeda in August for a week. I am praying that I will be able to go to Ecuador sometime in this upcoming year!!!! If not this fall then in May for a short term group my uncle will be leading. Next summer, or if possible sooner, I plan to volunteer in an orphanage in Guadalajara for a time. Maybe two or three weeks. I am hoping to get a jump start or completely finish college by the time I am 18 so that I can go straight into missions, having moved college out of the way. So as you all see I plan to keep busy :) Please be praying for me and that I would be able to accomplish all of the things that God has in store for me! I am praying for y'all! Praise God for his providence!
Peace and Love in Christ,
Alyse

Blessings!!!!

Dear readers,
I have arrived safely back at my dearest General Cepeda. We had a slight stumbling block at the border, but as always God had our back. We had a totally safe and happy trip here. We were greeted by the four full time missionaries that have been living here the past month. I have just been here a day but I know that God id going to move powerfully in and through this group. I didn't know the full extent of how much I missed this place until I got here. I was able to visit two of God's saints today and that gave me so much joy! I have reached the point that the thought of my life without missions is unbearable. I want to give my whole life to the service of my brother's and sister's in him who gives us life! I am so blessed with all that I have seen and experienced, I don't know why God blesses me so abundantly, but I do know that I am ready to live my life in thanksgiving for those blessings. Thank y'all for reading and praying with and for me! I love you all!
Peace and Love in Christ,
Alyse

Good Friday

Dear readers,
Today is good Friday. It always has struck me as strange as to why the saddest day of the year is called "good". Why no mournful or sorrowful? And then I thought, can't sad things be good as well? Are we in a world where sad=bad or good=happy? It seems so a lot of the time. But it is far from true. Going off into missions, leaving your family and friends is sad but it is also good! And the most generous, good, loving thing happened today about 2010 years ago. Christ died for us on a cross. Humiliated, beaten, bloody and torn to save us and allow us to dwell eternally with him! What is more good than that?
My family and I went to the living way of the cross. And even seeing a college aged student wearing clothes covered with red marker lines and a wooden crown made my heart wring. I am not one for anything cheesy, but yet that was not possibly an adjective that you could place on this. Rather, because I new it was real and it is my love story, everyone's love story, it broke my heart. Thinking about approaching Christ, Jesus, The messiah with whips and nails is beyond something my heart can take. Why have I ever sinned? Why have I let temptation nail my Lord to the cross? Why even though I am painfully aware will I fall into it again? And why, even though he by no means deserved it, did Jesus allow himself to get killed for me?
So many questions I can't truly answer, except the last one. And the answer is Love. Raw, overflowing, pressed down, unmeasurable love, of the purest kind. And in this case a big wooden cross is it's symbol.
Peace and Love in Christ,
Alyse

Speaking

Dear readers,
Yesterday we went to talk with a 6th grade catechism class about missions. It was so blessed! There is nothing that pumps me up like missions does! It was so great to see their faces light up when we talked to them about everything that we do. It is so nice to be able to spread the mission of the church with those around you, especially if they want to hear it! It was a super blessed experience, they gathered a bunch of rosaries and prayer cards for people in General Cepeda. I pray that we lit the burning in their hearts for missions!
It was funny because I thought about planning what to say but then remembered the scripture that said let the spirit speak through you. So I basically stood up and gave my testimony. It was so blessed and I know that the spirit worked through that more than if I had ever planned anything on my own. I also ask yall to pray becuase public speaking really scares me. I have had the grace to get better with the past groups I have led, translating and encouraging testimonies. But still it is frightning. I pray that one day I will hav ehte courage to lead a teaching in one of the ranchos. Please pray that we get some more groups together this year! Well God Bless!
Peace and Love in Christ,
Alyse
Thank you all for reading! I am praying for you!

Back home

Dear readers,
I am so blessed with wonderful memories in my heart from this past week and a half. I had such a beautiful blessed time in General Cepeda!!! I am back early because my uncle's wedding is tomorrow, but the Steubenville group is still there to keep in your hearts and prayers! We had a safe ride back home. The Easter group is on a string but God willing I will make it back to my home in Mexico soon. I was so blessed with the groups, and I am sure at least two missionaries will come from them :)!!!! It is so nice to have the love of Christ in your heart in such a full way! Every time I go the burning for missions increases in my heart and I am sure eventually it will be totally consumed! I am so delighted with the thoughts of God's plans in my life! I know I can be totally at peace wherever he places me because he is the lord of the universe and still he loves me so much! Tomorrow is my Uncle's wedding, like I already said, so please pray for him and Brooke! I would also like to thank all of you for reading my blog! I hope I can minister to your hearts through this! I pray for all of you! God bless y'all!
Peace and Love in Christ Jesus!
Alyse

Missions

Missionary duty is the greatest and holiest of the church!
We are not church if we are not missionary.

There are two options that you can choose with this truth.
1st- Ignore it
2nd- Live it
Unfortunately most people choose the second option. But i can personally testify that the second is the best life God offers. Everyone is called to some sort of mission whether it is at home, in your church, in your city or (the spiritual jackpot) foreign.
Q.-Why is missions so important?
A.- Because that is what we the church stand for. Christians follow Christ's example and Jesus was a missionary. The church can not rest until every person on Earth knows of the good news of the gospel and lives in the life that God has for us. We can not be silent. 2/3rds of the world have never heard the gospel proclaimed. What a horrible tragedy and we are the ones to blame. Before Jeusus ascended into heaven he comissioned his disciples "go and proclaim the good news". Well they are not present on earth anymore so guess who must carry on that urgent duty? Thats right, we the church.
I know that when i get to heaven I dont want to be asked "Alyse, you had life saving knowledge and you didnt share it. Why?" Instead I want to rejoice and be glad because I lived the best life I could and drew people to Christ. My mom always says, Imagine if a scientist finds the cure to cancer and instead of sharing it he tucks it away into his closet. Imagine what would happen if the world found out! People would blame all those who died while he posessed the cure on him.
There is no difference between us, the word of Christ saves lives from eternal death and brings them to live in heaven for all of eterninty. If you think about it the gospel is more saving than a cure to cancer ever could be since heaven is eternal and are lives are only temporary.

I am sorry i wrote so long, but I get excited! I hope you do to!
Love and peace in Christ,
Alyse