Looking Back on a Year of Blessings

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—  to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,  he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. 
Ephesians 1:3-10

At this time one year ago, we were in Panama on vacation. I remember looking forward to the end of 2011 because it had been a year full of hardships. The happiness of getting married had been overshadowed by my father's illness and eventual passing and by the immigration journey that we had just begun. There was no sadness in saying good-bye to 2011, that was for sure! I was hoping that 2012 would be as full of blessings as 2011 was full of heartaches. I am very blessed to say that it sure was!

As I just mentioned, we started off 2012 in Panama surrounded by family. We have many memories that will last a lifetime from that trip. It was a way for us all to get away from the worries back home for just a little bit and to enjoy God's beautiful creation and each other, not to mention that I got to spend two full weeks with Raul. Total number of pics from that trip? 6,000! For those of you who know my mother, that should not be a surprise.

Though Raul was planning on moving out of his grandpa's house after this trip to go to a bigger city to find a job, he started feeling more at home in his small pueblo of Santa Monica. Soon his days were filled with helping his grandpa doing various jobs, playing cards with "the guys", taking swims in the river, and fighting crime as a comandante. ;) The decision was made that unless something changed, he would continue to stay with his grandparents.

In March, I took vacation #2 of 2012 and flew to Mexico City to visit Raul. From there, we took a bus to the city of Puebla. Puebla is a beautiful city. I like it much better than Mexico City because it doesn't feel as crowed to me and I could walk on the sidewalks without being bumped into all of the time. We also took a 4 hour bus ride to Raul's "hometown" to visit his family and so I could see where he lived. Though it was way out of my comfort zone, I am very thankful that I had this opportunity because now I can actually picture the places and the people he speaks of when we have our daily chats on the phone.

On July 4th, I left for vacation #3 of 2012. It was pretty much a repeat of vacation #2. We stayed in the same hotel as before because it was very affordable, yet very clean. I don't need luxury, but cleanliness is a must! The presidential election in Mexico had just taken place and we participated in  a protest because, apparently, we did not agree with the way the election was handled. In reality, marching was the only way to get down the block and across the street, but...

In August, I started my counseling practicum with an organization called Teen Mother Choices (TMC). I was given the opportunity to have three clients of my own and to participate in  the life skills workshops that are held weekly. This opportunity has been a gift from God. Working with these young mothers has truly been a blessing to me, and I was excited to see their personal growth in just one semester. In addition to the the girls, I was able to connect with the mentor moms that work with them. I have learned a lot from them. I really clicked with one of the mentor moms, Lauren, and we have built a friendship outside of just our weekly meetings. I love new friends! Though I will not get any type of school credit, I have decided to volunteer at TMC for the Spring semester. I will be able to do a little budget counseling and will be pitching in wherever else I'm needed.

On November 21, one day before I left on vacation #4 of 2012, we received one of the biggest blessings of the year. Raul's waiver was approved and he will be coming home (we still don't know when)! In the airport of Cancun, I was able to show him the letter. Cancun was beautiful and the good-bye at the end of that trip was more like a, "I'll see you in a couple months!".

Looking back on the year, I am overwhelmed and humbled by God's outpouring of blessings on us. In addition to all of my vacations and Raul's waiver approval, he blessed us in many other ways. He provided for us financially. How in the world was I able to afford all of those vacations?! (Thank you to all of you who have given us gifts toward those extras by the way!) I don't know what I would have done without my friend Jen. She not only provided a place for me to live but she has also been a great support for me through all of this. We have had some great roommate bonding experiences!  I am grateful for my sister Vonya and brother-in-law Oscar and all of the support they have given us this past year. I am so thankful that I will not have to move far away from them and their crazy (yet very lovable) kids.  The list of blessings could go on and on...


I'm finishing up 2012 in Iowa with my mom and family here. What a blessing it has been to have my whole family here to support me through this year of waiting. I cannot express how much it meant to us that everyone was so excited for us (and for themselves) when they heard the news that Raul is coming home. We Gizzos are excited (and a little bit nervous, I must admit) to see what God has in store for us in 2013. It will be a year of transitions and decisions about the future. Raul will be readjusting to the pace of life in the U.S. and I will be, hopefully, starting my internship. We are eagerly anticipating the day when we will be able to purchase a home and will finally be able to use all of the wedding presents that we received over a year ago. Praise God that house will be in the U.S.! Happy New Year to you all with much love from the Gizzos!