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In preparation for traveling to Bolivia, I have been blessed with many opportunities to hear stories from friends and family who have traveled for cross-cultural missions. One conversation with my cousin, Ryan, this week was especially impactful for me. He shared stories of his time in Mexico and Costa Rica and the ways that the Lord has come through for him and his family in their travels.

One thing he reminded me of was the fact that missions work isn’t only traveling outside the country. Many people are called to leave their native country so that they can share the gospel with other cultures. Praise God for the people who do work like this full-time or for certain seasons of their life. The pressures and demands of living in and with suffering communities are huge and heavy and I am thankful for the people who stick it out and trust God with their big problems. The stories they tell bolster my faith in our God who is bigger than any catastrophe or pain or need.

Traveling (or moving) overseas is not the only way to be a part of missions work in our world, though, as Ryan reminded me. The people whose calling it is to travel can only fulfill their calling with support from others. Ryan’s family has been looking for ways to invest in relationship with the missionaries in their community when they come home to the U.S. Hosting bonfires and making space for missionaries to talk and share their stories. Emailing with friends overseas to keep a pulse on what is needed and how the church can be praying. Making time to pray and seek the Lord.  

I have been able to see, in my own small way, the impact that support like this makes for people traveling. I am beyond blessed to be able to go to Bolivia with the MCC team this year. I am so excited to see the Lord’s work in a new culture and to make new friends who are worshipping Jesus on the other side of the equator.

In full transparency, I am also incredibly scared as the travel date approaches. The thought of all the unknowns is daunting to me. I feel unqualified to be a missionary, even in this tiny way. I still have so many questions of my own, so many things still to learn! This anxiety has given me a new gratitude for my church, family, and friends. Y’all have prayed with me and for me, shared your stories with me, listened to my excitement and my nerves, planned with me, and encouraged me to trust the Lord with all of my fear and all of my questions.

I have the gift of stepping into Bolivia physically, but in some special way I feel like all of you are coming with me. This is the gift of ministry oftentimes. Lord willing, as Jesus pours His love out into our lives, we are then able to pour into each other (broken vessels though we are) and somehow, wonder of wonders, there’s always enough to go around. Our God never runs out of love, joy, peace, goodness, faithfulness, mercy, or strength. I trust that He will continue to be faithful in the coming days as He has proven to be so far.

Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus to me and the whole Bolivia team. May the Lord bless and keep each of you and may He continue to open doors for each of us to share His good news near and far.  

On the morning of Saturday, March 7, the women of MCC were treated to a nourishing retreat at Nature Pointe in Tijeras. We were warmly welcomed upon our arrival to the rustic clubhouse and greeted by a beautiful welcome display where we donned name tags.

The morning started with worship which was led by our own Radigan sisters as we circled the piano and sang from song sheets. We concluded worship with the blessing of “The Lord Bless You And Keep You:"

“The Lord bless you

And keep you

Make His face shine upon you

And be gracious to you

The Lord turn His

Face toward you And give you peace”

The retreat continued in the main dining room, lovingly decorated with flowers, colorful napkins, program materials and a butterfly and flower card for each with a verse from scripture:

Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone in in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

For our retreat, we studied “Seek His Face,” a Gospel Coalition Retreat Ready women’s event focused on cultivating a life of persistent prayer in a noisy world. The program consisted of three videos, each followed by ten minutes of discussion at our tables.

Romans 8:26: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

Session One was: Persistent Prayer When Everything Else Seems More Interesting. The discussion topic for our tables was: Identify one opportunity you have for prayer that you aren’t currently using. Women shared both about their current prayer routine and about other opportunities for prayer. 

Mark 1:35-37: “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he [Jesus] departed and went to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, ‘Everyone is looking for you.’”

Session Two was: Persistent Prayer When Everyone is Looking for You. The group discussion topic was: How does temporarily putting aside people’s needs in order to pray actually enable us to serve them better?

The program concluded with Session Three: Persistent Prayer When No One Else is Praying and the group discussion question: What are some promises of God that you could pray regularly?

After the program lunch was served along with the opportunity for ongoing fellowship. The MCC women who planned and led the retreat graciously ensured that the event flowed and that all were attended to. The warmth and beauty of the retreat, and the fellowship and connection with the women and with God continue on in my heart.

Most families don’t go into debt because they’re careless. They go into debt trying to do good things for their families, such as provide for their kids, handle emergencies, and get through tight seasons.  

Over time, what starts as “manageable” can quietly grow into a very heavy burden. If you’ve ever felt stressed when the bills come in and you don't have the money to pay it, frustrated that progress feels slow at eliminating debt, hesitant to even look at the numbers, or discouraged wondering “Will we ever be free from this?” Well, you’re not alone.

Scripture tells us that “the borrower is slave to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). That verse isn’t meant to shame us — it’s meant to invite us into freedom.

What we see again and again is this: Faith-filled, hardworking families doing their best carrying unnecessary financial stress because no one ever showed them a simple, sustainable path forward. Debt persists not because people don’t love God or don’t lack discipline — but because they don’t know how to make their financial stewardship reflect their values.

Why Getting Out of Debt Feels So Hard
1. Life doesn’t pause while you “get disciplined”
Kids, work, ministry, and responsibilities don’t slow down. A white-knuckle, restriction-only budget rarely survives real life for long.

2. Shame keeps people stuck
Many families feel embarrassed or believe they “should know better,” so they struggle quietly in isolation instead of getting help.

3. There’s no clear plan — just pressure
Without a clear, realistic spending plan paired with encouragement and accountability, debt feels overwhelming and defeating instead of conquerable..

There Is a Better Way — One That Brings Peace
Living debt free isn’t about perfection or deprivation. It’s about clarity, intentionality, and learning to work together with purpose. When money is handled intentionally, it stops dominating conversations and mental space—and starts supporting the life and calling God has placed on your family.

Why We’re Hosting the Living Debt Free Workshop
We’re hosting this free, Christian faith-based workshop because we believe families deserve to use their finances to honor God and fulfill His purpose for their lives.

This workshop is designed to help you:

Understand why debt tends to linger

Learn a clear, biblical framework for moving forward

Identify practical next steps you can take immediately

Replace anxiety and confusion with confidence and peace

Living Debt Free Workshop Details 

Sunday, March 15, 12:30-5:30 pm
Cost: Free
Lunch Provided
Child Care Provided

This workshop is for:
Families and singles 
Couples navigating financial stress
Teens

Anyone who wants their finances to reflect their faith

Contact Von and Elisa Trullinger at 505-917-7432

A Final Encouragement: Debt does not define you. Your past decisions do not disqualify you. And freedom is not out of reach.

Sometimes the most faithful next step is simply learning — together — how to steward what God has entrusted to us.

If you’re ready to take that step, we’d love to see you at the workshop.

We often speak of the grace of God—and rightly so. The Lord’s grace and mercy are at the very heart of Christian belief, both in their overwhelming sufficiency and their endless renewal. Grace is the baseline for any and all hope we have. It is grace that resulted in the most wonderful and glorious news the world has ever known. It is the grace of a loving Father who sent His Son to take the place and punishment of hopeless sinners, all out of love. This loving kindness and unbelievable goodness draw men and women to place their faith and hope in Him.

Yet despite the incredible wonder and beauty of this realization, I find that there are still times in my walk when my sin and failure surround me at every turn. Sometimes the crushing weight of sin drags us down to the point where we forget the Lord’s grace, and we feel the distance our sin creates. Sometimes we simply do not feel His grace. It is in this place that we once again see the goodness of our God.

Because despite our failure, and despite our self-imposed distance, the Savior still chooses to come after us. The very grace we turn from is the same grace that renews and restores us.

 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are,  yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15–16

In my weakness, He is strong. In my failure, He succeeds. One of the greatest wonders of the gospel is that I, being the sinner I am, can draw near to the throne of grace—and the Savior will offer not only His mercy, but His help in my time of desperate need.

When life closes in, when our burdens weigh us down, and when we reach the end of ourselves, all we must do is run to His throne and receive His grace.

Hello my sweet sisters. As you may have heard, Mountain Christian Church is blessed to be able to bring a women’s retreat, Seek His Face, right here to the East Mountains. It will be held at Nature Pointe in Tijeras on March 7th from 9:30 AM-1:30 PM. 

You may be asking, "Why would I need to attend a women's retreat when I’m fed so well here in church on Sunday morning?" Well, I will ask you a question now: Have you nailed the prayer thing? Or do you feel like things often compete for your attention (and win) when it comes to prioritizing prayers and conversations with your Father in heaven? You are not alone.  

As women in this busy world you may be facing a fulltime career, little children needing all your time and energy, ministry, marriage, school, and the list goes on. While all of these things are important and necessary, I believe we fool ourselves into thinking that any of it can be done and sustained well, without constant reliance on and relinquishing of ourselves to God.

This women's retreat will help us sort through what distracts us and seems more interesting than prayer. We will also discuss how to make time for prayer when everyone is looking for you, and finally, how to seek prayer time with the Father when it seems like no one else is. Believe it or not, Jesus can relate to all of these road blocks to prayer and offers guidance in the Bible. 

Of course, this time with a group of women is sure to be blessed fellowship. We can support each other in our struggles and leave not feeling alone or defeated just because we have not perfected prayer. God is patient and simply wants us to draw near and because we are known and loved, we can begin new habits feeling refreshed and encouraged.

We will begin the retreat with a time of worship, followed by three video sessions. Each session will have a short discussion time after with the women at your table. We will finish by sharing lunch together. 

Whether you are seasoned in your prayer life and can bless another woman with ideas and encouragement, or you need help getting started, please join us. 

Be encouraged, for this is what the Lord says: “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up, meeting together.” Hebrews 10:22-25