We sing the songs in church proclaiming that our only hope is in Christ, and we read the words in our Bibles, but it is easy to sing without thinking and read without applying what we are reading to our daily lives. Our time here in Honduras has probably been the most challenging time of our lives, and we are forced to truly live what we say we believe, which isn’t always easy. These past six months, and the last few weeks in particular, have been extremely challenging for all of us, but the lessons we’ve learned have been life changing, and for that we are thankful. What we have really learned is to fully put our trust in Christ alone, and that there is no other way to truly know joy and the peace that surpasses understanding.
I am not sure even where to begin! We constantly face challenges here that are so different from anything we had faced before. There are the basic differences, such as: living in a very rustic home without hot water, heat, or AC; living in very close proximity with wildlife including countless bugs, lizards, geckos, chickens, turkeys, cows, horses, dogs, and cats; speaking a different language than most of the people; and adjusting to the very different culture.
In addition to a lot of problems here in Honduras, these past few weeks we have also faced problems back home in the states that, because of the distance, we had two choices; we could either worry ourselves sick or choose to give our loved ones and difficult situations over to God because there truly is nothing that we can do. It is so difficult to completely put our trust in God, knowing that only He knows the past, the future, and all of the hidden innuendos of each situation, but when we are able to do that, it is incredibly freeing. As much as we love our family and friends, we need to remember that God loves them A LOT more than we are even capable of loving them, and praying is the best thing we can do for them.
We are looking forward to seeing our family and friends in the US for about a month! We are hoping to visit Florida, Nebraska, Indiana, Minnesota, and Iowa while we are there, and will get to visit both sets of our parents, Alyssa, and Jesse while we are there, so we’re really excited about that! I’m sure that we will have a lot of adjustments back into American culture, so that will be interesting for us. We are currently waiting for about 12 hours in the San Pedro airport before our plane leaves, then we will get to drive about 12 hours to visit Pace, Florida. We are about 4 hours in, and it’s going great!
Updates:
*We have been spending a lot of time with Jessica, a sweet 14 year old girl (with 25 siblings!) who is very interested in learning about God and learning English. It has been exciting to see how much she has learned and how she has personally grown in the time we’ve known her. We are looking for a sponsor to help send her school starting in February, as she has been unable to attend school for the past 2 years due to a lack of finances. She would like to continue her education and eventually become a teacher.
*We are still working with Efren and Fatima and their families. The kids are doing well, and Efren is excited to be able to go to colegio (like high school) in February. He was living with us for 2 months, but is back with his aunt for the time being. We are hoping that he will be able to move back in with us permanently, so please pray for that situation. We have seen a lot of progress with both of the kids, but their home life is still not good.
*Our church services continue to draw a fair amount of people from the community, and we are becoming more comfortable with the food prep and Wednesday night kids’ church, which was very intimidating at first (teaching kids in Spanish & dealing with the little situations that are bound to come up with kids in Spanish was & is still difficult!).
*Our English classes are on hold until we get back from the states with some new material. We were able to purchase a good English program that we are excited to use with the kids.
*We are all becoming more comfortable with our Spanish (even Gordon!), and able to communicate a lot more effectively than when we first arrived. We still have a ways to go, but we now feel comfortable shopping, having conversations, and even going to the doctor without an interpreter.
*We are continuing to build and develop our relationships with fellow missionaries and other Americans here, and a lot of those relationships have become really special to us.
*We have finally developed fairly good relationships with the neighborhood bullies, and are hoping that those relationships will continue. Sometimes it is really hard to be kind to people who are not kind themselves, but in this case, it has really paid off.
*A “rent-by-the-hour hotelito” is opening up right next door to us while we are gone. It is literally less than 2 feet from our house, and we have a lot of concerns about how this will affect our safety, because these places are known to be used for prostitution, affairs, and drug use. We will likely be forced to find another house, which isn’t usually easy to do.
Prayer Needs:
In addition to the above mentioned items, please pray for the following:
*Safe travel and a safe time in the States.
*Safety for our home and Conan here in Honduras (a lot of people get broken into if their house is not occupied). Also safety for Douglas, who is taking care of Conan and the house while we are gone.
*Sponsors to help send Jessica and other students to school starting in February.
*Karen, an 11 year old neighbor who is already involved in prostitution. We are starting to develop a relationship with her, but it is taking a long time.
*Our dear friends in Nebraska, the Nicholsons – their teenage son, John Patrick, underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor on December 3rd. There will be a long recovery, so please pray for a complete recovery and that God will strengthen the family through this ordeal.
*Family problems back home – that we are able to completely leave these issues at God’s feet and that people will make wise choices sooner rather than later.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
Taking a break...
Although we love it here, it can be stressful at times because it is difficult to take a break. We live in a neighborhood with A LOT of children, and most of them are very needy… both financially and emotionally. Most people here have a lot of kids, and don’t have the time to spend individual time with each child. One neighbor has 41 kids and another has 25! Granted, a lot of those kids aren’t in the same home at the same time, but there are several homes with 8 or more kids, and most of them live in one bedroom homes. These kids love spending time with us because we listen to them, hug them, and show them love. When we are home, there is almost always someone at our door wanting something from us. For this reason, we thoroughly enjoyed last weekend because we were able to get away to El Progreso, Honduras!
El Progreso really isn’t that exciting of a place – there is a small mall that is pretty nice, a Wendy’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and a few grocery stores. We enjoy going there because there is a comfortable hotel with a nice pool, hot showers, low prices, and lots of quiet. This time we were also able to go to the beach at Tela, which is on the Caribbean Sea, and since there was a hurricane brewing out in the Caribbean, the waves were incredible. We enjoyed playing in the warm water, and met some really nice missionaries from California who were in Honduras building wells. This was Efren’s first vacation, and he really enjoyed himself.
In our last post we mentioned that we were going to be having Fatima and Efren living with us for a month and then seeing where we should go from there. It turns out that Fatima did not like living here with our rules, and chose to return to her former home. Thankfully, her aunt, who is her guardian, has finally found a job and is better able to support the family. Efren has really adjusted well to our family, and we have all decided that we would like to make him a permanent part of our family. He loves having a family, and is always quick to give us hugs. He loves spending time with Gordon watching sports and playing the Wii, and fits in really well with our family. He had never been in a family where he was wanted, and his life has been in danger many times in his short life; he was stabbed in the heart when he was younger, but thankfully he survived the attack. We are all really thankful that God placed him in our family.
We would really like to find people to sponsor kids who want to go to high school (colegio). If you are interested in helping, please let us know. You can also donate by clicking on the buttons on this page. It is actually very inexpensive to attend school, but for people here, it is difficult. If you would like to sponsor Darwin or Jessica, we can arrange skype calls or an email relationship. Darwin is 12 and Jessica is 14, and both live close to us and spend a lot of time with us. They are both very intelligent and are learning a lot of English. It only costs about $25 per month per student to attend school, so it’s a pretty good deal!
Thank you for all of your prayers. We are all currently feeling pretty good for a change, and are really enjoying cooler weather.
Specific Needs:
*Rosetta Stone English – we are trying to save enough money to buy this program so that Efren can learn English…
*Efren – that if we are supposed to adopt Efren legally that everything will go smoothly for us and that we will be able to raise the money needed to do this.
*Efren again – That we will be able to find someone to stay with Efren while we are in the states in January.
El Progreso really isn’t that exciting of a place – there is a small mall that is pretty nice, a Wendy’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and a few grocery stores. We enjoy going there because there is a comfortable hotel with a nice pool, hot showers, low prices, and lots of quiet. This time we were also able to go to the beach at Tela, which is on the Caribbean Sea, and since there was a hurricane brewing out in the Caribbean, the waves were incredible. We enjoyed playing in the warm water, and met some really nice missionaries from California who were in Honduras building wells. This was Efren’s first vacation, and he really enjoyed himself.
In our last post we mentioned that we were going to be having Fatima and Efren living with us for a month and then seeing where we should go from there. It turns out that Fatima did not like living here with our rules, and chose to return to her former home. Thankfully, her aunt, who is her guardian, has finally found a job and is better able to support the family. Efren has really adjusted well to our family, and we have all decided that we would like to make him a permanent part of our family. He loves having a family, and is always quick to give us hugs. He loves spending time with Gordon watching sports and playing the Wii, and fits in really well with our family. He had never been in a family where he was wanted, and his life has been in danger many times in his short life; he was stabbed in the heart when he was younger, but thankfully he survived the attack. We are all really thankful that God placed him in our family.
We would really like to find people to sponsor kids who want to go to high school (colegio). If you are interested in helping, please let us know. You can also donate by clicking on the buttons on this page. It is actually very inexpensive to attend school, but for people here, it is difficult. If you would like to sponsor Darwin or Jessica, we can arrange skype calls or an email relationship. Darwin is 12 and Jessica is 14, and both live close to us and spend a lot of time with us. They are both very intelligent and are learning a lot of English. It only costs about $25 per month per student to attend school, so it’s a pretty good deal!
Darwin
+
Jessica
Thank you for all of your prayers. We are all currently feeling pretty good for a change, and are really enjoying cooler weather.
Specific Needs:
*Rosetta Stone English – we are trying to save enough money to buy this program so that Efren can learn English…
*Efren – that if we are supposed to adopt Efren legally that everything will go smoothly for us and that we will be able to raise the money needed to do this.
*Efren again – That we will be able to find someone to stay with Efren while we are in the states in January.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Life Lessons
Today when I was doing our laundry at the pilla (it’s basically washing clothes on a washboard, but the washboard is made of cement and built into the house), and was scrubbing a particularly dirty pair of socks that I thought would never get clean, I was struck with a thought. After briefly scrubbing the socks and not seeing any improvement, I was considering giving up, but I remembered that Karlenis had been able to get some really filthy clothes clean, so I kept on going, and surprisingly, I was able to restore the socks to their previously white condition. I got to thinking that people are like dirty socks, and when we look at other people who seem like they are too far gone to ever be cleaned, we can remember that we also were filthy, and Christ cleaned us, and remember that we are never too far gone for redemption. This is so important to remember so that we are able to show everyone the love that Christ has for them.
Before we came to Honduras, we had a very different idea of what our mission here would be. We had planned on coming and getting the feeding program started through our church, but so far, funding has not been available, and we are currently only providing one meal per week. Although the meals are going well, and we are reaching people through them, it seems like God has a different agenda in place for us! We are living in a small town called Los Naranjos, which is located about 2 miles from Pena Blanca, and we chose to live in a Honduran house surrounded by Hondurans. My cousin, Chris, prayed and searched for just the right house for us, and finally located this house, and we feel like we are right where God wants us to be. We have A LOT of children living around us, and we spend a lot of time with them, and it turns out that our main ministry has been with our neighborhood children and their families. We take about 20 kids, ranging in age from 5 to 15, to church every week, we are teaching English classes twice a week, and we are trying to teach the kids how to love each other and treat each other with kindness and love. A lot of these people have never really experienced love and affection, and consequently, don’t know how to express it to others.
We are the only “gringo” family in Naranjos… there are a couple of single guys here, and also a bar/restaurant/hotel that is a hot-spot for backpackers, and we are really forming some great relationships with the people there, which has been fun and interesting. I don’t think any of us thought that we would be coming to Honduras to reach out to a bunch of fellow gringos at a bar, but that definitely is part of our ministry here, and we are really enjoying it. Backpackers from all over the world come to D&D, and we have a unique opportunity to meet a very interesting range of people. The owner, Bobby, has told us that we can come any time we need to get away, and stay in one of their cabins, swim, and have breakfast for free! The people there have really invited us into their lives, and we are building some great relationships with several people there.
This past week we were able to help one of our neighbors who is being forced to move into a different house, which is very small, and when we first went to look at it, it literally made all of us cry (the neighbors too…) because it is tiny, filthy, and lacking the most basic essentials. The walls were very dirty, there was no kitchen, no running water, overrun with trash, and to top things off, there were bats living inside. We were able to pull our neighbors together to help clean up the house, paint the interior and part of the exterior, put in a cooking stove, make and install curtains, and install a pilla. It was exciting to see so many neighbors working together to help a fellow family, and now the house looks like a home, and the family is excited to be moving in tomorrow. I think that the most exciting part for us is that so many people were able to help and to realize how much fun it can be to help someone else without expecting anything in return. Often times, the mentality here is to only help others when there is a direct benefit to oneself, so we are trying to show them a different way.
We have been asked to take in two of our neighbor kids, Fatima (11), and Efren (14). These kids don’t have parents who are involved in their lives, and have been passed around to various family members, never knowing what it feels like to be really wanted. When we first came, we found Fatima scrounging through the scraps we had for the stray dogs because she would rarely have a meal. We have made it a point to make sure that Fatima and Efren get at least one healthy meal a day, and we are keeping Efren in school, with the help of some wonderful sponsors who want to help us help him. We have agreed to have the kids live with us for a month, and we’ll see what to do after that.
Please continue to pray for us, and if you would like to partner with us in our work here, we are really in need of people to monthly sponsors so that we can continue our ministry here. If you would like to be partnered with a child here, we could arrange a way for you to communicate via phone, email, &/or letters. We would also really like to have a team come out and help fix up homes & help with the ministry here, and if anyone would like to come for a visit, we would love to have you!
Before we came to Honduras, we had a very different idea of what our mission here would be. We had planned on coming and getting the feeding program started through our church, but so far, funding has not been available, and we are currently only providing one meal per week. Although the meals are going well, and we are reaching people through them, it seems like God has a different agenda in place for us! We are living in a small town called Los Naranjos, which is located about 2 miles from Pena Blanca, and we chose to live in a Honduran house surrounded by Hondurans. My cousin, Chris, prayed and searched for just the right house for us, and finally located this house, and we feel like we are right where God wants us to be. We have A LOT of children living around us, and we spend a lot of time with them, and it turns out that our main ministry has been with our neighborhood children and their families. We take about 20 kids, ranging in age from 5 to 15, to church every week, we are teaching English classes twice a week, and we are trying to teach the kids how to love each other and treat each other with kindness and love. A lot of these people have never really experienced love and affection, and consequently, don’t know how to express it to others.
We are the only “gringo” family in Naranjos… there are a couple of single guys here, and also a bar/restaurant/hotel that is a hot-spot for backpackers, and we are really forming some great relationships with the people there, which has been fun and interesting. I don’t think any of us thought that we would be coming to Honduras to reach out to a bunch of fellow gringos at a bar, but that definitely is part of our ministry here, and we are really enjoying it. Backpackers from all over the world come to D&D, and we have a unique opportunity to meet a very interesting range of people. The owner, Bobby, has told us that we can come any time we need to get away, and stay in one of their cabins, swim, and have breakfast for free! The people there have really invited us into their lives, and we are building some great relationships with several people there.
This past week we were able to help one of our neighbors who is being forced to move into a different house, which is very small, and when we first went to look at it, it literally made all of us cry (the neighbors too…) because it is tiny, filthy, and lacking the most basic essentials. The walls were very dirty, there was no kitchen, no running water, overrun with trash, and to top things off, there were bats living inside. We were able to pull our neighbors together to help clean up the house, paint the interior and part of the exterior, put in a cooking stove, make and install curtains, and install a pilla. It was exciting to see so many neighbors working together to help a fellow family, and now the house looks like a home, and the family is excited to be moving in tomorrow. I think that the most exciting part for us is that so many people were able to help and to realize how much fun it can be to help someone else without expecting anything in return. Often times, the mentality here is to only help others when there is a direct benefit to oneself, so we are trying to show them a different way.
Fatima, Lisa, & Efren at church
We have been asked to take in two of our neighbor kids, Fatima (11), and Efren (14). These kids don’t have parents who are involved in their lives, and have been passed around to various family members, never knowing what it feels like to be really wanted. When we first came, we found Fatima scrounging through the scraps we had for the stray dogs because she would rarely have a meal. We have made it a point to make sure that Fatima and Efren get at least one healthy meal a day, and we are keeping Efren in school, with the help of some wonderful sponsors who want to help us help him. We have agreed to have the kids live with us for a month, and we’ll see what to do after that.
Please continue to pray for us, and if you would like to partner with us in our work here, we are really in need of people to monthly sponsors so that we can continue our ministry here. If you would like to be partnered with a child here, we could arrange a way for you to communicate via phone, email, &/or letters. We would also really like to have a team come out and help fix up homes & help with the ministry here, and if anyone would like to come for a visit, we would love to have you!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Communicating
Living in a country where the primary language is not your own can be very interesting at times, and we have all had some issues communicating. Whenever Gordon introduces himself as “Yo estoy Gordo” – he gets some funny looks because he is saying “I am fat” and people don’t realize that Gordo is his name. Chantalle has decided to go by Nicole because the way people were pronouncing her name meant “piggy”, and she didn’t like the giggles that often accompanied her name. I thought a lot of people in one town were named Lisa because I kept hearing people saying my name, but then Chris told us that Lisa means “slippery”. Natalie’s name doesn’t appear to have a double meaning, but she has had her share of communication mishaps nonetheless.
Natalie seems to have some trouble when it comes to discussing relationships. We were in San Pedro and someone asked Natalie if Gordon was her “novio”, and she smiled big and said, “si, si”. The man gave her a funny look and left. Later she realized that he had asked if Gordon was her lover, and she had said that yes, he was… therefore the funny look! Another time when we were talking with a young man, he asked Natalie if she had a boyfriend, and she started giggling. He asked why she was laughing, and she meant to say that she was embarrassed (embarzoso), but unintentionally said that she was pregnant (embarazada). He asked her if she really was, and Natalie, still thinking he was asking about a boyfriend, replied, “no, not right now, but it’s possible in a short time”. He looked VERY confused!
A couple of days ago, we went to Siguatepeque with Chris, and Gordon and I dropped Chris and the girls off at a market and went to tour a cemetery. (They have some of the coolest cemeteries here! Very much like New Orleans…) We were walking around, and a man asked us if we needed help finding anything, and we said no, but he continued walking with us. After awhile, he asked, “do you have family here?” I thought that he was asking if I had family in Honduras, so I said yes, and he asked what the family name was, so I told him “Rivera”, and he nodded his head, and took us to a different section of the cemetery. After about half an hour of walking around and reading tombstones, I realized that he was looking for the grave of Chris Rivera, which, of course, was nowhere to be found. We did find four graves of people named Rivera, and he told us that he would look for the grave of Chris Rivera and if we came back, he would show us where it was.
So far, it has been a really interesting experience living in a different culture and standing out wherever we go. Natalie and I went to the doctor, and Chris called the doctor, who said that he would send someone out to get us, and I wondered how he would know who we were, but everyone knows who we are here! It’s a little strange when we take a taxi home, and the driver, whom we have never met, knows exactly where we live. Sometimes we feel like aliens, and sometimes we feel like royalty around here. All of the attention can be very tiring, and it’s nice to take some days off to spend with just our family. After this experience, we will all definitely have more compassion for foreigners in our own country!
In spite of all of our mis-steps, overall we are having a good time here, and I think that our impact overall is a positive one. We enjoy the natural beauty of this amazing land that God created – it is absolutely breathtaking here, with a lot of waterfalls, lush greenery, amazing animals, and beautiful people who love to smile. As with any place, there are people who try to bring us down and discourage us, but we are trying to keep our eyes on God, and realize that ultimately He is the only one we have to please, and that relieves the negative pressure.
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Two months and counting...
Whenever we cook anything and have leftovers, we have a tiered system of getting rid of our leftover food. We give our best food to our neighbors, then sometimes we slip Conan a tortilla or two, and if there is food we don’t think he would like, we give that to the starving neighborhood dogs. Well, one day I had a bowl of food that was going to the dogs, and one of our neighbor girls came over and started eating it like there was no tomorrow. I stopped her and told her it wasn’t good to eat, and she insisted that it was “muy rico!” (very rich or decadent). She told us that she hadn’t eaten for almost two days and was very hungry, so we ended up giving her some chicken, which she ate at record speed. It is still difficult to fathom the sad fact that people here are literally starving to death.
We did a trial run of our feeding program for one month, and are planning on resuming the program in a couple of weeks, if we are able to get enough support raised for it. The program was a big success, and a couple of people came forward to receive Christ, which was really exciting. We are excited to be able to expand the program and for our church to grow. We also take children with us every week to church, and afterwards we go to a restaurant for lunch, which the kids LOVE. Before we got here, most of the kids had never been to a restaurant, so it’s a fun treat for them.
Thankfully, we were finally able to get a car! Eulogio drove Gordon and I to San Pedro last week and we looked at a bunch of cars with him and Roberto, and Gordon and Roberto returned to San Pedro the following day and purchased one of the cars. After being without one for the past two months, we really appreciate having the freedom that a car offers. The day after we got it, we were able to take our neighbor who was suffering with a high fever to the doctor! (She ended up being diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia) We are still waiting on our internet – the necessary equipment is being delayed in customs, but hopefully we will have internet in our home very soon. As it is, we go to one of Chris’ good friend’s place of business, where he graciously lets us sit in the air conditioned room and use his Wi-Fi, so we really can’t complain.
We are getting pretty good at making tortillas, after helping at Sister Maria’s every week, but the Honduran women are still able to make about 3 tortillas for every 1 that we make. Most people around here eat a lot of tortillas, and they are mostly made of corn flour called MaSeCa. We are not big fans of these tortillas, mostly because we have been fed too many of them, but there is a lot of other food here that is really tasty. The neighbor girls and our housekeeper have been teaching us how to cook some classic Honduran dishes, like Chicken with tomatoes and fresh limeade. We feel a little bit inadequate when we have to have the 10 year old neighbor girl show us how to properly cut up a chicken, but we are learning to set our pride aside and learn some new skills.
This week some of the neighbor boys have offered to take us out on the lake and teach us how to fish “Honduran style”. We’re looking forward to another adventure, and it is fun to get to know the boys better. It is really impressive how much these boys are capable of, and at such a young age. We have hired the boys to do a lot of random things around our home, like repairing our fence, digging a trench, fixing the kitchen cabinet, and cleaning our windows. I don’t think most 10 year old boys in the states would know how to do most of these things! There are some benefits to not having TV available!
It has been a big adjustment for us to not have Jenn with us! She was an enormous blessing to everyone here, and we are all sad that she had to go back to the states. We are praying that she will be able to return again before too long. In order to help her with a return, she is selling COFFEE that is grown right here in our little town. If you want to buy some wonderful Honduran coffee, please let me or Jenn know, and she can hook you up!
We all hope you have a wonderful week, and if you are led to come see what we are doing here in Honduras, we would love to have you come for a visit. It is more breathtakingly beautiful than you can imagine here, and you can’t help but fall in love with the people!
(both of our cameras are broken, so presently, we can't take pictures...)
We did a trial run of our feeding program for one month, and are planning on resuming the program in a couple of weeks, if we are able to get enough support raised for it. The program was a big success, and a couple of people came forward to receive Christ, which was really exciting. We are excited to be able to expand the program and for our church to grow. We also take children with us every week to church, and afterwards we go to a restaurant for lunch, which the kids LOVE. Before we got here, most of the kids had never been to a restaurant, so it’s a fun treat for them.
Thankfully, we were finally able to get a car! Eulogio drove Gordon and I to San Pedro last week and we looked at a bunch of cars with him and Roberto, and Gordon and Roberto returned to San Pedro the following day and purchased one of the cars. After being without one for the past two months, we really appreciate having the freedom that a car offers. The day after we got it, we were able to take our neighbor who was suffering with a high fever to the doctor! (She ended up being diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia) We are still waiting on our internet – the necessary equipment is being delayed in customs, but hopefully we will have internet in our home very soon. As it is, we go to one of Chris’ good friend’s place of business, where he graciously lets us sit in the air conditioned room and use his Wi-Fi, so we really can’t complain.
We are getting pretty good at making tortillas, after helping at Sister Maria’s every week, but the Honduran women are still able to make about 3 tortillas for every 1 that we make. Most people around here eat a lot of tortillas, and they are mostly made of corn flour called MaSeCa. We are not big fans of these tortillas, mostly because we have been fed too many of them, but there is a lot of other food here that is really tasty. The neighbor girls and our housekeeper have been teaching us how to cook some classic Honduran dishes, like Chicken with tomatoes and fresh limeade. We feel a little bit inadequate when we have to have the 10 year old neighbor girl show us how to properly cut up a chicken, but we are learning to set our pride aside and learn some new skills.
This week some of the neighbor boys have offered to take us out on the lake and teach us how to fish “Honduran style”. We’re looking forward to another adventure, and it is fun to get to know the boys better. It is really impressive how much these boys are capable of, and at such a young age. We have hired the boys to do a lot of random things around our home, like repairing our fence, digging a trench, fixing the kitchen cabinet, and cleaning our windows. I don’t think most 10 year old boys in the states would know how to do most of these things! There are some benefits to not having TV available!
It has been a big adjustment for us to not have Jenn with us! She was an enormous blessing to everyone here, and we are all sad that she had to go back to the states. We are praying that she will be able to return again before too long. In order to help her with a return, she is selling COFFEE that is grown right here in our little town. If you want to buy some wonderful Honduran coffee, please let me or Jenn know, and she can hook you up!
We all hope you have a wonderful week, and if you are led to come see what we are doing here in Honduras, we would love to have you come for a visit. It is more breathtakingly beautiful than you can imagine here, and you can’t help but fall in love with the people!
(both of our cameras are broken, so presently, we can't take pictures...)
Monday, July 25, 2011
Crazy week!
Talk about a crazy week! This past week was filled with many highs and lows for us. We started out the week finding out that our neighbor had cut most of his hand off with a machete while working in the field across the street, and was fighting for his life in a San Pedro hospital. As we were driving into town, we passed an accident site where a man and his nine year old son were struck by a car as they rode a bike, and both were killed. Unlike the states where bodies are moved immediately, the bodies were left on the side of the road for hours, and it was pretty disturbing to see that. When we got to Sister Maria’s place, we were told that we wouldn’t be serving food that day because one of the children had died of cancer. That was a pretty low day for us… topped off by the girls seeing a mangled dog on the side of the road as they were walking home. Thankfully, Natalie and I missed that one.
We were able to take a day to go to a place called Pulhapanzak Falls that is nearby. It was pretty incredible and very beautiful. The girls were able to do a zip line over the falls, but it was a little too high for me. The girls and I did go on a very exciting hike that our guide told us was “an easy hike for ANYONE”. Well, apparently the guide is accustomed to different people than us, because the hike was anything but easy. We realized that we were in for an adventure when the guide told us to follow him, then jumped off of a ledge into a swirling pool of water below. We couldn’t see where we were going when we walked behind the falls, and it was difficult to breathe with the water falling on us. We had to alternate walking and swimming to get behind the falls, and then we were led through a narrow opening up to a little cave. We ended up going into several small caves, and it was a pretty cool adventure. Chantalle and Jenn also took a hike up the mountain by us and took some beautiful pictures of our neighborhood.
We are forming closer relationships with people here, which has been really cool. The kids take turns going to church with us every Wednesday and Sunday, and we all pile into a taxi. Last week we had eleven people in a taxi the size of a Ford Taurus! We have to regulate how many kids we have over at a time or we can easily get overwhelmed by the children. We use the same taxi driver every day, Alexander, and he is really friendly and helpful, coming to our house whenever we call, and taking us all over town. He invited us to his house to meet his wife and daughter, and we really enjoyed meeting them today.
We have started the feeding program at church, but need more financial support to expand the program, so if anyone would like to help out in that way, it would be greatly appreciated both by us and by the local people who will benefit. Many of the people here only have one meal a day, and some go days without any food, which is such a foreign concept to us Americans, who have more than enough to eat and don’t really know what it means to be hungry. It breaks my heart to see children with tummy aches because they haven’t eaten that day, and they are so excited to get some good nutritious food in their bellies. We never throw any food away here – between the starving children and the starving dogs, someone is always happy to get any food that we can’t use.
Please continue to pray for us as we are working with Sister Maria and our church family, and also as we get to know our neighbors better. We have been blessed with pretty good health and feel safe in our home here. We are thankful for good relations with our neighbors, and can see God working here – the people are very receptive to us and to God, and we are really encouraged about our future here.
We were able to take a day to go to a place called Pulhapanzak Falls that is nearby. It was pretty incredible and very beautiful. The girls were able to do a zip line over the falls, but it was a little too high for me. The girls and I did go on a very exciting hike that our guide told us was “an easy hike for ANYONE”. Well, apparently the guide is accustomed to different people than us, because the hike was anything but easy. We realized that we were in for an adventure when the guide told us to follow him, then jumped off of a ledge into a swirling pool of water below. We couldn’t see where we were going when we walked behind the falls, and it was difficult to breathe with the water falling on us. We had to alternate walking and swimming to get behind the falls, and then we were led through a narrow opening up to a little cave. We ended up going into several small caves, and it was a pretty cool adventure. Chantalle and Jenn also took a hike up the mountain by us and took some beautiful pictures of our neighborhood.
Jenn and Chantalle on top of Mount Nalgas
Pulhapanzak falls!
Zipline over the falls!
Jumping into the swirling water - not quite as scary as it looks
We are thankful that my cousin Chris returned safely from the states, but are sad that the wonderful team from Albuquerque and Jenn only have one week left here. It has been such a breath of fresh air to have them all here serving alongside us. Jenn is really spunky and encourages us to do things that we probably wouldn’t try on our own, which has helped us adjust to life here. There are definitely going to be some big holes left when they all leave.
Our neighbor, Mario, took us out on the lake in a rowboat
We are forming closer relationships with people here, which has been really cool. The kids take turns going to church with us every Wednesday and Sunday, and we all pile into a taxi. Last week we had eleven people in a taxi the size of a Ford Taurus! We have to regulate how many kids we have over at a time or we can easily get overwhelmed by the children. We use the same taxi driver every day, Alexander, and he is really friendly and helpful, coming to our house whenever we call, and taking us all over town. He invited us to his house to meet his wife and daughter, and we really enjoyed meeting them today.
We have started the feeding program at church, but need more financial support to expand the program, so if anyone would like to help out in that way, it would be greatly appreciated both by us and by the local people who will benefit. Many of the people here only have one meal a day, and some go days without any food, which is such a foreign concept to us Americans, who have more than enough to eat and don’t really know what it means to be hungry. It breaks my heart to see children with tummy aches because they haven’t eaten that day, and they are so excited to get some good nutritious food in their bellies. We never throw any food away here – between the starving children and the starving dogs, someone is always happy to get any food that we can’t use.
Neighbor kids, Cindy, Otto, & Franklin
Please continue to pray for us as we are working with Sister Maria and our church family, and also as we get to know our neighbors better. We have been blessed with pretty good health and feel safe in our home here. We are thankful for good relations with our neighbors, and can see God working here – the people are very receptive to us and to God, and we are really encouraged about our future here.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Honduran neighbor in need
We are so thankful to God for giving us such wonderful neighbors. All of our neighbors have been a big help in our adjustment to our new home. They have told us which areas of town are dangerous, and which people we need to look out for. They’ve stood up for us when scary people have confronted us and are constantly looking out for us. Recently, an opportunity presented itself for us to return the favor. Last week one of our neighbors, Jose, was working, hurt his arm very badly, and now needs several operations to try to save his arm and hand. We are asking for help from you to raise money for the operation and household expenses while he is in the hospital and in recovery, which is estimated to take six months. This family has ten children, and is supported solely by Jose, who works really hard. Our community here is very close, and everyone around here is working hard to raise the money for the family, but resources here are very limited and most people can barely afford to put food on the table for their own families. We are trying to raise $1100 as soon as possible. If you are able to help in any way, please send the money via paypal, and we will give the money to the hospital. If you prefer, you may give money through our mission’s organization, Shepherd’s Staff, if you need a receipt. Thank you so much for your help and prayers for this family!
Paypal: jesushelovesme@hotmail.com
Shepherd’s Staff: www.shepsstaff.org/eytzen.aspx
Paypal: jesushelovesme@hotmail.com
Shepherd’s Staff: www.shepsstaff.org/eytzen.aspx
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Quick update!
This has been a pretty fun and exciting week for us. We decided to be brave and take a bus to a nearby town called Las Vegas, and we were all a little nervous about riding the bus since we had been warned that they can be unsafe. Just as the bus pulled up, one of our taxi friends pulled up in front of it and told us that he would drive us to Las Vegas, so we saved the bus for another day. Yesterday we went to San Pedro on a bus, and it wasn't nearly as scary as we had thought - we had a great time there, and saw a movie - in English! When it was over, I think all of us forgot we were in Honduras, and were confused when the attendant came up and talked to us in English. We have had a great time! We also had a neighbor take us out on the lake in a rowboat, and were able to swim there, which is really refreshing! We live in a really beautiful place!
We have been going to Sister Maria’s place, “La Casa de Angeles” (the house of angels) where she feeds 130 children every day. We help make a bunch of tortillas and feed the children and play with several of the kids also. The first week, they sang a special welcome song to us and it was a lot of fun. After the kids left, we went with Maria to see her cows, pick some plantains and oranges, and got to see the view from the top of one of the mountains. It was absolutely breathtaking to see the villages from that vantage point! We plan on helping Sister Maria every week, and are looking forward to building relationships with the children there.
We officially started the feeding program with a spaghetti dinner, and are excited that it went well! We invited some of the families who live near the church, as well as our church family, and had food, singing, and a short service that some visiting missionaries helped with. Two ladies came forward to receive Christ, so that was an extra blessing! The English classes that we are giving are going really well, and the children seem really excited to learn. When we are out on our porch, neighbor kids are always asking us what different words are in English, and they write the new words down in their notebooks.
A few days ago, Gordon and I went for a walk with Conan and some neighbor kids, and a vicious dog attacked us. It was pretty scary for all of us, but thankfully one of the older girls quickly got the younger children to safety, and the dog had a thick chain still on him, so Gordon was able to pull him off of Conan and I and tie him up. None of us were hurt badly, and none of us even ended up getting bit, which is amazing! Conan has a little scratch on his ear, my skirt got torn, and I hurt my ankle, but we’re glad that it wasn’t worse. We’re going to be a lot more careful from now on!
I went to the eye doctor again and found out that I have lost quite a bit of the peripheral vision in my right eye, but the doctor thinks that the eye drops will stop the progression and possibly even reverse the damage that is already done. We are all really thankful that I went in when I did, and that I was able to find a good doctor here. Everyone is healthy again and adjusting well to our new life here.
We are enjoying trying lots of new foods here, and really enjoying our housekeeper, Karlenis’ excellent cooking. We found a couple of restaurants that we love, and the prices can’t be beat. One of the local places is owned by Americans, and we can walk to it from our house. We are getting to know the people there, and enjoying getting to know fellow Americans. It’s a nice place to go when we get homesick for America!
Please continue to pray for us here, and if you feel led to come for a visit, we would love to welcome you to our home! I forgot the camera today, so no new pictures… next time, though!
We have been going to Sister Maria’s place, “La Casa de Angeles” (the house of angels) where she feeds 130 children every day. We help make a bunch of tortillas and feed the children and play with several of the kids also. The first week, they sang a special welcome song to us and it was a lot of fun. After the kids left, we went with Maria to see her cows, pick some plantains and oranges, and got to see the view from the top of one of the mountains. It was absolutely breathtaking to see the villages from that vantage point! We plan on helping Sister Maria every week, and are looking forward to building relationships with the children there.
We officially started the feeding program with a spaghetti dinner, and are excited that it went well! We invited some of the families who live near the church, as well as our church family, and had food, singing, and a short service that some visiting missionaries helped with. Two ladies came forward to receive Christ, so that was an extra blessing! The English classes that we are giving are going really well, and the children seem really excited to learn. When we are out on our porch, neighbor kids are always asking us what different words are in English, and they write the new words down in their notebooks.
A few days ago, Gordon and I went for a walk with Conan and some neighbor kids, and a vicious dog attacked us. It was pretty scary for all of us, but thankfully one of the older girls quickly got the younger children to safety, and the dog had a thick chain still on him, so Gordon was able to pull him off of Conan and I and tie him up. None of us were hurt badly, and none of us even ended up getting bit, which is amazing! Conan has a little scratch on his ear, my skirt got torn, and I hurt my ankle, but we’re glad that it wasn’t worse. We’re going to be a lot more careful from now on!
I went to the eye doctor again and found out that I have lost quite a bit of the peripheral vision in my right eye, but the doctor thinks that the eye drops will stop the progression and possibly even reverse the damage that is already done. We are all really thankful that I went in when I did, and that I was able to find a good doctor here. Everyone is healthy again and adjusting well to our new life here.
We are enjoying trying lots of new foods here, and really enjoying our housekeeper, Karlenis’ excellent cooking. We found a couple of restaurants that we love, and the prices can’t be beat. One of the local places is owned by Americans, and we can walk to it from our house. We are getting to know the people there, and enjoying getting to know fellow Americans. It’s a nice place to go when we get homesick for America!
Please continue to pray for us here, and if you feel led to come for a visit, we would love to welcome you to our home! I forgot the camera today, so no new pictures… next time, though!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
New Challenges
We’re getting more settled into our home and starting to find our place here in Honduras, but we’ve also faced a number of challenges, which have been interesting for us. Living closer to nature and sharing our living space with geckos and frogs has been an adjustment and provided some fun entertainment for us. Natalie has had a few incidents with frogs this week. One night she slipped on a frog, but thankfully, neither she nor the frog were injured in the incident. Later, she was washing dishes, and a frog hopped into the sink and scared her. I told her that the frog was on her back, and she did a fun little dance all around the kitchen until I confessed that there was not a frog on her back. We have named the geckos, and like having them because they eat the bugs, however, when they show up unexpectedly, like in the pan you want to use to cook dinner in, they can be a little surprising!
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We all miss Alyssa every day, but are excited about the spiritual growth she is experiencing in Nashville. She has been able to meet a lot of inspirational people, and recently was re-baptised and re-dedicated her life to God, which is wonderful. Her roomate graduated from the program, so she has her own room for awhile.
We are really excited that our good friend Jennifer is able to spend the next month with us. Unfortunately, she became very sick within a few days of arriving, and is on medication for pneumonia, and is starting to feel better. Chantalle has had a cold this week, and Natalie, Conan, and I are fighting some kind of virus, so we’ve spent most of this past week on the couch. Gordon is doing great, though!
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The day before we left Florida, I had an eye exam and was told that I probably had glaucoma and needed to see a specialist as soon as I could. When I was waiting with Jenn at the doctor, we ran into a lady (Leslie) who was diagnosed with glaucoma and had gone to the doctor that I was planning on going to, and she said that he wasn’t very good and recommended another one that I was able to go to the following day. Our friends, the Roses, took Gordon and me, and they also interpreted for us, and the doctor agreed that I do have glaucoma and started me on medication. I will go back for more tests in about a week. We are thankful that we ran into Leslie when we did, and that I am able to have medication that will help me.
We have gotten to know a couple of families in our neighborhood, and are reaching out to them. We have begun teaching English to a small group of neighborhood children three times a week, and that is going well for us. A lot of families include grandparents, aunts, cousins, and uncles all in the same household, and many of them have poor living conditions. It makes us very thankful for our comfortable home here. We are getting the kitchen situated at the church, and plan to start our food program in the next couple of weeks, as we are blessed with the items we still need for the program.
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Please continue to pray for our improved health, for funding for our feeding program, and for ongoing relationships with the people around us. We are hoping that we can get out and explore next week, and get to know this beautiful area better.
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Marty, a gecko who lives in our kitchen
We all miss Alyssa every day, but are excited about the spiritual growth she is experiencing in Nashville. She has been able to meet a lot of inspirational people, and recently was re-baptised and re-dedicated her life to God, which is wonderful. Her roomate graduated from the program, so she has her own room for awhile.
We are really excited that our good friend Jennifer is able to spend the next month with us. Unfortunately, she became very sick within a few days of arriving, and is on medication for pneumonia, and is starting to feel better. Chantalle has had a cold this week, and Natalie, Conan, and I are fighting some kind of virus, so we’ve spent most of this past week on the couch. Gordon is doing great, though!
Jennifer and Chantalle in front of our house
The day before we left Florida, I had an eye exam and was told that I probably had glaucoma and needed to see a specialist as soon as I could. When I was waiting with Jenn at the doctor, we ran into a lady (Leslie) who was diagnosed with glaucoma and had gone to the doctor that I was planning on going to, and she said that he wasn’t very good and recommended another one that I was able to go to the following day. Our friends, the Roses, took Gordon and me, and they also interpreted for us, and the doctor agreed that I do have glaucoma and started me on medication. I will go back for more tests in about a week. We are thankful that we ran into Leslie when we did, and that I am able to have medication that will help me.
We have gotten to know a couple of families in our neighborhood, and are reaching out to them. We have begun teaching English to a small group of neighborhood children three times a week, and that is going well for us. A lot of families include grandparents, aunts, cousins, and uncles all in the same household, and many of them have poor living conditions. It makes us very thankful for our comfortable home here. We are getting the kitchen situated at the church, and plan to start our food program in the next couple of weeks, as we are blessed with the items we still need for the program.
Neighborhood boys, Efraim, Darwin, & Daniel at English class
The view from our house - muy bonita!
Please continue to pray for our improved health, for funding for our feeding program, and for ongoing relationships with the people around us. We are hoping that we can get out and explore next week, and get to know this beautiful area better.
Conan making friends with a calf on our back porch
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Home in Honduras!
After a delayed flight from Ft Lauderdale to San Pedro Sula, we finally arrived in San Pedro, and enjoyed our first night in a comfortable hotel downtown. We didn’t get to our hotel until 4am, but were able to still get about 7 hours of sleep before getting picked up by my cousin Chris and his friend & driver, Elmer. We had lunch and picked up some necessary items for our home & food items at a grocery store before making the hour long drive to our new home.
None of us really knew exactly what to expect, but Chris had found us a home that is very nice for the area, and we have grown to really like it. Our home has a kitchen, dining room, living room, and 5 bedrooms –they are literally only BED rooms, with barely enough space to walk around after a bed is in place, and one of them is up a spiral staircase that is only accessed by going outside. We have a cooking stove inside the house, which will be handy when the power is out, and we also have a “pila” – a Honduran washing machine, which consists of a cement slab with a drain and a big basin for water. It’s kind of like a washboard, and of course, still works when the power is out. Our housekeeper, Karleni, does an amazing job of getting the clothes clean with it!
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It rains here just about every day, and we have a tin roof, so when it rains, it is extremely loud. It kind of helps us sleep better and masks the sound of the numerous chickens that are very noisy. I think all of our neighbors raise chickens! The benefit to this is that we can buy fresh chicken and eggs whenever we want to, but they do make a lot of noise. At first Conan would bark at the chickens, but he is already comfortable with them, and they don’t seem to mind each other. We also have cows living in the field directly behind us… about 3 steps away from our back door. They have a bunch of calves right now and are really cute. I think Conan likes hanging out with the cows, and they don’t seem to mind him most of the time. We also have geckos sharing our home with us and helping keep the bugs under control. The other night we were treated to a “National Geographic” moment when a gecko (we call him Marty) quickly ran down the wall to catch a large bug about half of his size. We watched him kill, eat, & digest the unsuspecting bug… somewhat disturbing but interesting nonetheless.
We have a housekeeper to help keep our home safe and to help us adjust to the many changes around us, and she is a really hard working and sweet girl named Karleni. We are getting better at communicating, but still need a lot of work with our Spanish. We have met a lot of really wonderful people already in the week that we’ve been here, and that has helped make the adjustment go a lot smoother also. The people here are very friendly and helpful for the most part, and we have received a warm welcome.
We have enjoyed 2 Sundays at our new (bilingual) church, and it has been really nice. We are hoping to learn the Spanish praise songs so that we can worship a little better, but the music is beautiful, and the services have been very helpful and uplifting. The girls have attended the young adult group, and are enjoying making some friends there. Every time we have gone into town we have run into people we know, which is really cool.
There is a lot of need in the area, so please pray that we will be able to discern who to help and what we should do to help them. We have an abundance of children living near us, and they absolutely love the girls! The girls have played with them, and they will come to our door yelling, “Natalie, Venga! Chantal, Venga!” (Come here Natalie! Come here Chantalle!) Most of them come from very poor families, but they are very sweet and adorable kids. We had to hang a curtain (it’s a shower curtain, but it looks really pretty, and we noticed that our neighbors also have a shower curtain for their front curtain!) in our front window so that we can have a little bit of privacy.
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We are still working on getting the kitchen equipped to start the food program there. There haven’t been enough funds to get the kitchen completely equipped with a stove and refrigerator and all of the necessary utensils, so we are praying that the funding for that will be available soon, and we can get that underway. In the meantime, we are forming relationships with local people and fellow missionaries, helping out at Sister Maria’s, where she feeds children lunch every day, and helping with things in the church as needed. We are really excited to see how God is going to use us here!
Galatians 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing what is right, for in due time you will reap a harvest if you do not grow weary.
None of us really knew exactly what to expect, but Chris had found us a home that is very nice for the area, and we have grown to really like it. Our home has a kitchen, dining room, living room, and 5 bedrooms –they are literally only BED rooms, with barely enough space to walk around after a bed is in place, and one of them is up a spiral staircase that is only accessed by going outside. We have a cooking stove inside the house, which will be handy when the power is out, and we also have a “pila” – a Honduran washing machine, which consists of a cement slab with a drain and a big basin for water. It’s kind of like a washboard, and of course, still works when the power is out. Our housekeeper, Karleni, does an amazing job of getting the clothes clean with it!
It rains here just about every day, and we have a tin roof, so when it rains, it is extremely loud. It kind of helps us sleep better and masks the sound of the numerous chickens that are very noisy. I think all of our neighbors raise chickens! The benefit to this is that we can buy fresh chicken and eggs whenever we want to, but they do make a lot of noise. At first Conan would bark at the chickens, but he is already comfortable with them, and they don’t seem to mind each other. We also have cows living in the field directly behind us… about 3 steps away from our back door. They have a bunch of calves right now and are really cute. I think Conan likes hanging out with the cows, and they don’t seem to mind him most of the time. We also have geckos sharing our home with us and helping keep the bugs under control. The other night we were treated to a “National Geographic” moment when a gecko (we call him Marty) quickly ran down the wall to catch a large bug about half of his size. We watched him kill, eat, & digest the unsuspecting bug… somewhat disturbing but interesting nonetheless.
We have a housekeeper to help keep our home safe and to help us adjust to the many changes around us, and she is a really hard working and sweet girl named Karleni. We are getting better at communicating, but still need a lot of work with our Spanish. We have met a lot of really wonderful people already in the week that we’ve been here, and that has helped make the adjustment go a lot smoother also. The people here are very friendly and helpful for the most part, and we have received a warm welcome.
We have enjoyed 2 Sundays at our new (bilingual) church, and it has been really nice. We are hoping to learn the Spanish praise songs so that we can worship a little better, but the music is beautiful, and the services have been very helpful and uplifting. The girls have attended the young adult group, and are enjoying making some friends there. Every time we have gone into town we have run into people we know, which is really cool.
There is a lot of need in the area, so please pray that we will be able to discern who to help and what we should do to help them. We have an abundance of children living near us, and they absolutely love the girls! The girls have played with them, and they will come to our door yelling, “Natalie, Venga! Chantal, Venga!” (Come here Natalie! Come here Chantalle!) Most of them come from very poor families, but they are very sweet and adorable kids. We had to hang a curtain (it’s a shower curtain, but it looks really pretty, and we noticed that our neighbors also have a shower curtain for their front curtain!) in our front window so that we can have a little bit of privacy.
Galatians 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing what is right, for in due time you will reap a harvest if you do not grow weary.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
We're leaving on a jet plane... don't know when we'll be back again....
Well, the day we never thought would come is here! We are actually sitting in the airport waiting for our delayed plane to Honduras right now! All of us are excited and nervous, and thankful that we are finally in this place. It is so hard to believe that we will be sleeping in HONDURAS tonight! But getting here was not without a few incidents....
After many emotional farewells, and last minute nightmare of getting all of our stuff in the truck, we went to the Will's home, where we had a relaxing evening with some of our closest friends. Conan got his ear pierced by the cat, and we cried a lot, then we began our 48 HOUR car drive... First, we dropped Jesse off at University of Iowa. He gave us a tour, and of course, I cried... it is always hard leaving family behind, and I knew that there were still many more goodbyes.
We continued on from there to Ohio to visit the Trowbridge family (Gordon's sister & family), and had a really wonderful time with them - we only wish it could have been longer! We were able to go to the Amish country, play games, and just have some family fun.
Now we are sitting here at the gate waiting for our airplane to come in... it was delayed 1 hour. Conan has behaved wonderfully, and is a great service dog. It is really hard leaving America and all of our family and friends, but it is also an incredible feeling to be embarking on this great journey that all of us know God has called us to make.
Please continue to pray for us as we make this transition.. I'm sure we are in for a lot of surprises - some good, some bad, but all will be learning experiences for us. We'll keep you posted! My SD card is stuck in the computer, so until I get that problem figured out I won't get new pics.... another prayer request!
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
After many emotional farewells, and last minute nightmare of getting all of our stuff in the truck, we went to the Will's home, where we had a relaxing evening with some of our closest friends. Conan got his ear pierced by the cat, and we cried a lot, then we began our 48 HOUR car drive... First, we dropped Jesse off at University of Iowa. He gave us a tour, and of course, I cried... it is always hard leaving family behind, and I knew that there were still many more goodbyes.
We continued on from there to Ohio to visit the Trowbridge family (Gordon's sister & family), and had a really wonderful time with them - we only wish it could have been longer! We were able to go to the Amish country, play games, and just have some family fun.
Next on the agenda was a visit to Aly at Mercy in Nashville. We had a wonderful visit with her, and it was great to see how she is flourishing in that environment - Mercy really is an amazing ministry, and we are incredibly thankful for everything they do.
After leaving Nashville, we saw a car fire on the highway to Florida... pretty amazing to see! We were so close that we could feel the heat and smell the fire - no one was hurt, thankfully! We made it to my parent's home in Pace, Florida, and it was such a relief to just relax for awhile.... kind of. We had a ton of last minute things to take care of, but in between the work, we were able to enjoy some wonderful time with our amazing family. We are truly blessed to have such incredible people in our lives.
On Wednesday morning we left for Clearwater, Florida to visit Becca and Chase before heading out to Honduras today! They have a very comfortable home, and it was the perfect place to rest before our big trip.
My parents drove us to the airport, where we learned that we could not be booked on our flight without a return flight... which we don't have. All of us were ready to cry, but the Spirit airline agents were very friendly and helpful, and we figured out a "loop-hole" to get us on our flight. Thank God for laptops and wi-fi... and Nevar (the ticket agent). He was so nice, we invited him to visit us in Honduras!
Now we are sitting here at the gate waiting for our airplane to come in... it was delayed 1 hour. Conan has behaved wonderfully, and is a great service dog. It is really hard leaving America and all of our family and friends, but it is also an incredible feeling to be embarking on this great journey that all of us know God has called us to make.
Please continue to pray for us as we make this transition.. I'm sure we are in for a lot of surprises - some good, some bad, but all will be learning experiences for us. We'll keep you posted! My SD card is stuck in the computer, so until I get that problem figured out I won't get new pics.... another prayer request!
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Saying Goodbye
It has been so hard to say goodbye to Omaha! There have been many tears shed over these past few weeks, and many times when we have all wondered what we’re doing, but we know that this is what we are supposed to do, and we are excited about all of the new people and adventures we have ahead of us. We are all experiencing huge changes in our lives, and very few familiar things to comfort us.
Alyssa was accepted into Mercy Ministries in Nashville, Tennessee, and on Tuesday the 17th, at 4:30pm, she got a call asking if it was at all possible for her to get there by Friday the 20th at 1:30pm. We called our friend Tiffany to see if she would be able to travel with me, and thankfully, she was! Instead of the 4 days to get ready for moving, I now only had one day to get everything ready for the move! With the help of my amazing friend Kelly and our incredible neighbors, June & Skip, we somehow managed to get everything done, and Tiffany, Aly, and I had a fun trip together. Mercy is an amazing ministry, and the home is beautiful. I was relieved that Aly will be at such an amazing place, and the staff is all wonderful, so it made saying goodbye a lot easier.
Leaving our Bible study groups, neighbors, friends, and everything familiar was very difficult. Conan has been confused about what is going on, and even right now, he is pacing back and forth in our hotel room, probably wondering when we are going home. He’s in for some big surprises!
We plan on arriving in Ohio to visit Gordon’s family tomorrow night and staying until Sunday, then going to Nashville to see Aly before continuing on to Pace, Florida to stay with our family there for about a week, and we will fly out of Fort Lauderdale on the 9th, Lordwillingly. Very exciting and very scary, but we know that we are right in the center of God’s will for us, and there’s nowhere we’d rather be!
All of this has really reminded me that our only security should be in God because He is the only thing in the life that won’t ever change. He is supposed to be our dwelling place, and in Him there is complete peace, comfort, and home. That is a wonderful reminder when everything is changing around us!
Psalm 90:1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the word, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Goodbye luncheon with my CK group of wonderful ladies
Going away party at our old home...
Alyssa was accepted into Mercy Ministries in Nashville, Tennessee, and on Tuesday the 17th, at 4:30pm, she got a call asking if it was at all possible for her to get there by Friday the 20th at 1:30pm. We called our friend Tiffany to see if she would be able to travel with me, and thankfully, she was! Instead of the 4 days to get ready for moving, I now only had one day to get everything ready for the move! With the help of my amazing friend Kelly and our incredible neighbors, June & Skip, we somehow managed to get everything done, and Tiffany, Aly, and I had a fun trip together. Mercy is an amazing ministry, and the home is beautiful. I was relieved that Aly will be at such an amazing place, and the staff is all wonderful, so it made saying goodbye a lot easier.
Leaving our Bible study groups, neighbors, friends, and everything familiar was very difficult. Conan has been confused about what is going on, and even right now, he is pacing back and forth in our hotel room, probably wondering when we are going home. He’s in for some big surprises!
Conan relaxed with the girls at the Will's house before we left.
We plan on arriving in Ohio to visit Gordon’s family tomorrow night and staying until Sunday, then going to Nashville to see Aly before continuing on to Pace, Florida to stay with our family there for about a week, and we will fly out of Fort Lauderdale on the 9th, Lordwillingly. Very exciting and very scary, but we know that we are right in the center of God’s will for us, and there’s nowhere we’d rather be!
All of this has really reminded me that our only security should be in God because He is the only thing in the life that won’t ever change. He is supposed to be our dwelling place, and in Him there is complete peace, comfort, and home. That is a wonderful reminder when everything is changing around us!
Psalm 90:1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the word, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
No Turning Back!
Well, we had the long awaited and much feared Estate Sale! Now our home doesn’t feel like our home anymore, and there is definitely NO TURNING BACK! We are thankful that we have sold most of our possessions, and we feel confident that we can really do this now, thanks to many wonderful friends! I love helping others, but have a really difficult time asking for help from other people, but God knew that I needed to let my pride go and lean on others. Last week, while dancing, I sprained my ankle, and knew pretty much immediately that I was going to need help to get everything done. A couple of days later, while hobbling around on my hurt ankle, I fell and broke my little toe… further confirmation that I needed help!
My CK group (church Bible Study group) and my BSF group (Bible Study Fellowship) have been amazing, and really made the estate sale successful as well as helped to relieve the mountain of stress that we all were feeling. Alyssa called my good friend, Kelly, to tell her how stressed I was feeling about everything, and Kelly, Meghan, Jennifer, and Tiffany came to the rescue – even bringing dinner for us. We enjoyed working and laughing, and even practiced dancing the Thriller as a stress reliever. Tiffany came to stay with us and help with the sale, and several members from my Bible studies also helped things to run smoothly. Thank you so much to everyone!
My CK group (church Bible Study group) and my BSF group (Bible Study Fellowship) have been amazing, and really made the estate sale successful as well as helped to relieve the mountain of stress that we all were feeling. Alyssa called my good friend, Kelly, to tell her how stressed I was feeling about everything, and Kelly, Meghan, Jennifer, and Tiffany came to the rescue – even bringing dinner for us. We enjoyed working and laughing, and even practiced dancing the Thriller as a stress reliever. Tiffany came to stay with us and help with the sale, and several members from my Bible studies also helped things to run smoothly. Thank you so much to everyone!
Being a little bit crazy with the Will girls
In 10 short days, we will be leaving Omaha! Our plan is to drive through Ohio to visit Gordon’s sister & family there before heading to Florida. We are planning on flying out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida on June 9th. I have a feeling that these next few weeks are going to FLY by! I wish that my foot/ankle felt better, but I am thankful that at least only one foot is involved, and also that I was able to break through the barrier of pride, and receive the help from my friends.
1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
2 Corinthians 11:30
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Keeping my focus
Getting ready to move is a truly monumental job. If I spend too much time thinking about it, I get anxious and scared, and feel kind of panic stricken! The biggest challenge during this time is keeping our focus on what’s important and not getting too overwhelmed with all the things that have to get done. God has worked in some strange ways these past couple of weeks, and has helped me to keep my focus where it needs to be… on Him.
Gordon and Chantalle were off taking care of some business, and Aly and I had the day to really hit it and just pack like crazy. We started to get working, and the thought of all of the work that lie ahead of me was starting to make me panic. I breathed a prayer to God, and checked my messages, finding one from a friend who was in immediate need of my help, so we took off to help her out, leaving our packing behind. We ended up having a great time helping our friend, laughing away all of the stress of packing, and when we returned, with everything in perspective, I felt much better.
God will equip us for every job that He asks us to do, so I don’t know why I allow myself to worry that THIS time He won’t come through for me. We still have a lot to do, but after a much needed attitude adjustment, things are moving along at a much nicer pace, and I feel confident that we will get everything done when it needs to get done. (Prayers would still be appreciated, though!)
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21
Gordon and Chantalle were off taking care of some business, and Aly and I had the day to really hit it and just pack like crazy. We started to get working, and the thought of all of the work that lie ahead of me was starting to make me panic. I breathed a prayer to God, and checked my messages, finding one from a friend who was in immediate need of my help, so we took off to help her out, leaving our packing behind. We ended up having a great time helping our friend, laughing away all of the stress of packing, and when we returned, with everything in perspective, I felt much better.
God will equip us for every job that He asks us to do, so I don’t know why I allow myself to worry that THIS time He won’t come through for me. We still have a lot to do, but after a much needed attitude adjustment, things are moving along at a much nicer pace, and I feel confident that we will get everything done when it needs to get done. (Prayers would still be appreciated, though!)
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Packing up our lives...
We are working on getting our stuff packed and taking care of all of those little details that are involved in moving, and it can be very VERY difficult! In some ways things are easier because we are not keeping very much of what we own, so we don't really have to do anything with those things. We are planning on having an estate sale on May 13 & 14, and selling all of our furniture and most of our belongings. There are some things that we are storing with my parents in Florida, but we really want to limit what we store there, so we are really trying to limit those stored items to things that are REALLY special to us. That leaves us with what we are taking to Honduras with us... 2 boxes per person, no more than 62 linear inches per box. It is very difficult to have to go through all of our things and be discerning about what is really important and necessary, but we're making a lot of progress!
As the time for us to go gets closer (5 weeks!), we are working through our lists of things we need to take care of, and this is all becoming more and more real to all of us. There are times when we are super excited, times when we feel super scared, and other times when we feel super sad about all that we are leaving behind. We have made some wonderful friends here in Omaha, and it will be very difficult to have to leave them and everything that is familiar to us. We have to continually remind ourselves that we are being obedient to God, and that although it's difficult, it is always "worth it" to follow Him.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Hebrews 13:20-21 May the God of peace equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
As the time for us to go gets closer (5 weeks!), we are working through our lists of things we need to take care of, and this is all becoming more and more real to all of us. There are times when we are super excited, times when we feel super scared, and other times when we feel super sad about all that we are leaving behind. We have made some wonderful friends here in Omaha, and it will be very difficult to have to leave them and everything that is familiar to us. We have to continually remind ourselves that we are being obedient to God, and that although it's difficult, it is always "worth it" to follow Him.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Hebrews 13:20-21 May the God of peace equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
I became friends with a lady at church several years ago, and we really hit if off. We enjoyed doing a lot of the same things, and started spending a fair amount of time together. It was really nice having a close girl friend to hang out with, but then things changed. I started to feel like I was being used by her. We would go to a movie or lunch, and she didn't have enough money, so I would pay for her, which was okay, but it didn't really get reciprocated, and she was never thankful. When things got rough, she was nowhere around, but when things were going good, she was always around to get her share.
I was thinking about this friend the other day, and it occurred to me that our relationship was a lot like my relationship with God at times. It's easy to just take, and not give back, and it's really easy to just "use God" when I need Him, and not have a daily relationship with Him, no matter what. These thoughts really convicted me of how important it is for me to rely on Him every day, in every situation, and to show Him how thankful I am to Him for saving me and for giving me an incredible life. None of us likes feeling used... and I'm sure God doesn't appreciate it either.
I was thinking about this friend the other day, and it occurred to me that our relationship was a lot like my relationship with God at times. It's easy to just take, and not give back, and it's really easy to just "use God" when I need Him, and not have a daily relationship with Him, no matter what. These thoughts really convicted me of how important it is for me to rely on Him every day, in every situation, and to show Him how thankful I am to Him for saving me and for giving me an incredible life. None of us likes feeling used... and I'm sure God doesn't appreciate it either.
Friday, April 8, 2011
As the time for us to leave gets closer and we pass our prayer cards out, we hear a lot of comments from people who say that it’s great that we are answering God’s call and going out into the mission field. While that’s true, lately God has really shown me that there are many different mission fields, and all of us who are Christians are called to follow God onto the mission field. God may have called us to a different country, and while that’s exciting and scary, we have friends and family who have been called to even scarier mission fields right in their own homes.
My friends, Kim and Sam, were asked to go out onto the mission field in January of this year. Right after the new year started, Kim was diagnosed with lymphoma, and they went out onto the mission field of cancer. Since we have switched churches and our lives have changed a lot, I don’t get to see Kim and Sam very often, but I have been blessed daily by reading Kim’s blog and seeing how God is working in their lives through this journey.
Cancer as a mission field? It may sound strange, but in many ways it is similar to going to a foreign country. Kim and Sam are facing a whole new world of doctors and treatments, and Kim’s body has undergone many changes due to the cancer and treatments. Living the “cancer life” is like living in a foreign country. They could have chosen not to accept God’s calling to this field, and instead could curse God and turn their backs on Him, but instead, they have risen to His calling, and are turning this ordeal into a blessing for others. I have no doubt that many people who never would have gone into a church will hear their story and read Kim’s words, and realize that they too can turn to Christ in the middle of their struggles.
My niece and nephew, Anna and Joshua, were also unexpectedly called out onto a new mission field in January. Anna and Josh have 2 very adorable and spunky boys, and were excited to be expecting their first daughter, who they named Evelyn Rose, when they found out that Evelyn has some serious problems, and may not even make it to her very first birthday. Again, they could have chosen to not accept God’s calling and instead to be angry at God for allowing this to happen to their precious daughter, but they are choosing to use this as a way to draw others to the sweetness of Christ.
We are all called to serve God and to be a witness for Him in many different ways. There are many different types of people, and it’s going to take different types of people to reach them for Christ. The mission field that God has called our family to is in Honduras, Kim and Sam are called to serve God through cancer, and Josh and Anna are called to witness to others through the unstable health of their unborn daughter. Even if you aren’t faced with a huge life altering plan, you can still change people’s lives through your mission wherever you are.
One day while I was buying groceries after a particularly stressful day, during a particularly stressful time in my life, I really was wondering if God even cared about me or my situation, and I felt very lost and alone. I honestly wasn’t sure that I even wanted to keep trying to live the Christian life. As I checked out, the cashier handed me a Hershey’s bar along with my receipt, squeezed my hand and told me, “Hang in there – God loves you!” (I have one of the most transparent faces of anyone, so my mood is usually pretty obvious…) That small action had a big impact on me, and really showed me that God does care, and He puts people in our lives to lift us up and show God’s love. We usually won’t know the impact of those little things we do, but that cashier’s impulsive kindness may be what kept me trusting in God, and gave me the strength to hang on. She was a missionary right there at the Kroger store….
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.
My friends, Kim and Sam, were asked to go out onto the mission field in January of this year. Right after the new year started, Kim was diagnosed with lymphoma, and they went out onto the mission field of cancer. Since we have switched churches and our lives have changed a lot, I don’t get to see Kim and Sam very often, but I have been blessed daily by reading Kim’s blog and seeing how God is working in their lives through this journey.
Cancer as a mission field? It may sound strange, but in many ways it is similar to going to a foreign country. Kim and Sam are facing a whole new world of doctors and treatments, and Kim’s body has undergone many changes due to the cancer and treatments. Living the “cancer life” is like living in a foreign country. They could have chosen not to accept God’s calling to this field, and instead could curse God and turn their backs on Him, but instead, they have risen to His calling, and are turning this ordeal into a blessing for others. I have no doubt that many people who never would have gone into a church will hear their story and read Kim’s words, and realize that they too can turn to Christ in the middle of their struggles.
“ What if at this point in time, when I have had to realize I have no control of my life, and hand everything over to God and trust him, I take these so-familiar verses as actual step-by-step instructions, not just nice sayings? Can I really not worry about anything if I pray about everything? I’m going to try to find out.” – Kim 1/7/11
(You can read more of Kim’s blog at: http://kimlovessam.wordpress.com/)
Kim and Sam
My niece and nephew, Anna and Joshua, were also unexpectedly called out onto a new mission field in January. Anna and Josh have 2 very adorable and spunky boys, and were excited to be expecting their first daughter, who they named Evelyn Rose, when they found out that Evelyn has some serious problems, and may not even make it to her very first birthday. Again, they could have chosen to not accept God’s calling and instead to be angry at God for allowing this to happen to their precious daughter, but they are choosing to use this as a way to draw others to the sweetness of Christ.
“Having felt the searing pain of being asked to give up a child, my response is so different to reading again that God CHOSE to give up His only child! ...and for me, the little girl I'm being asked to give up will go straight from the safety of my womb to the permanent safety of His arms (unless God gives us a miracle!). But for God, when He gave up Jesus, He sent Him here, knowing he would die a brutal, public, shameful, undeserved death. God knew that Jesus would be mocked his whole life, even though He was the Son of God. And God still chose to give up His Son, to prove to us His love. Jesus agreed to it, because He loves us THAT MUCH!”
– Anna, 3/28/11
( You can read more of Anna’s posts at: www.annapianoruth.blogspot.com )
Evelyn Rose
We are all called to serve God and to be a witness for Him in many different ways. There are many different types of people, and it’s going to take different types of people to reach them for Christ. The mission field that God has called our family to is in Honduras, Kim and Sam are called to serve God through cancer, and Josh and Anna are called to witness to others through the unstable health of their unborn daughter. Even if you aren’t faced with a huge life altering plan, you can still change people’s lives through your mission wherever you are.
One day while I was buying groceries after a particularly stressful day, during a particularly stressful time in my life, I really was wondering if God even cared about me or my situation, and I felt very lost and alone. I honestly wasn’t sure that I even wanted to keep trying to live the Christian life. As I checked out, the cashier handed me a Hershey’s bar along with my receipt, squeezed my hand and told me, “Hang in there – God loves you!” (I have one of the most transparent faces of anyone, so my mood is usually pretty obvious…) That small action had a big impact on me, and really showed me that God does care, and He puts people in our lives to lift us up and show God’s love. We usually won’t know the impact of those little things we do, but that cashier’s impulsive kindness may be what kept me trusting in God, and gave me the strength to hang on. She was a missionary right there at the Kroger store….
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
How Did we Get Here?
About four years ago, two seemingly unrelated events happened that would shape our future. The first was that Gordon was forced to go on disability because his muscular dystrophy had progressed to the point that he wasn't able to keep up with his work at Scott's. We knew that God still had a plan for Gordon and for our family, but we really weren't sure what it was, so we began praying and seeking God's leading for this next chapter in our lives.
Around that same time (the same month even!) my cousin Chris and his wife Maria were called to Pena Blanca, Honduras to plant a Calvary Chapel church. They have worked in the local bilingual school while working in the church, helping to build it from the ground up. From the beginning of their ministry, they have invited people to join them and come see how God is working in Honduras. In the summer of 2009, the girls and I had the opportunity to travel to Honduras to visit them and see what God was doing.
Within the first couple of days, all of us felt a very strong feeling that this was more than just a short term mission trip. It is hard to describe, but it seemed like this is where we were supposed to be, and it was a very exciting feeling. The only problem was that I was pretty sure that Gordon, who is not a big fan of change, would have nothing to do with coming to Honduras. I called him and told him about what we were doing, and I told him that I was feeling like this was a place that we needed to come back to, possibly long term. Much to my surprise, he said that we would have to pray about it, but maybe that was what we were supposed to do. I was surprised and encouraged! Anyone who knows Gordon knows that only God could make him even consider such a huge change.
When the girls and I returned home, we began discussing the idea as a family, and we all began fasting and praying and seeking God's guidance for us. We received confirmation over and over again that going to Honduras was what we were supposed to do. At first, we thought we would go for a year and then go back to Florida where my family lives, but then we were convicted through James 4: 13 - 17 that we needed to be open to God's leading, and not put our own limits on God. Right now we have committed to a minimum of 18 months, and we are open to whatever God leads us to do at that point.
It was the fall of 2009 that we were sure that we were supposed to go to Honduras, and we thought that we would be moving there in September of 2010. We started relinquishing our responsibilities here in Omaha and working towards moving, but we started to realize that God had a different timeline for us. I tend to like planning things and I like to be able to know what I will be doing, and I needed to learn to just trust God and not rely on my own plans.
In the time since we've felt called to Honduras, God has worked in all of us, even allowing our dog, Conan, to be trained as Gordon's Service Dog, so that he can travel with us to Honduras. Conan passed his tests and is certified, and even has a cute ID badge with his photo on it! The timing has been perfect, and we feel ready and excited about heading into this next chapter in our lives!
James 4:13 - 17 Now listen, you who say "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.
Around that same time (the same month even!) my cousin Chris and his wife Maria were called to Pena Blanca, Honduras to plant a Calvary Chapel church. They have worked in the local bilingual school while working in the church, helping to build it from the ground up. From the beginning of their ministry, they have invited people to join them and come see how God is working in Honduras. In the summer of 2009, the girls and I had the opportunity to travel to Honduras to visit them and see what God was doing.
Within the first couple of days, all of us felt a very strong feeling that this was more than just a short term mission trip. It is hard to describe, but it seemed like this is where we were supposed to be, and it was a very exciting feeling. The only problem was that I was pretty sure that Gordon, who is not a big fan of change, would have nothing to do with coming to Honduras. I called him and told him about what we were doing, and I told him that I was feeling like this was a place that we needed to come back to, possibly long term. Much to my surprise, he said that we would have to pray about it, but maybe that was what we were supposed to do. I was surprised and encouraged! Anyone who knows Gordon knows that only God could make him even consider such a huge change.
When the girls and I returned home, we began discussing the idea as a family, and we all began fasting and praying and seeking God's guidance for us. We received confirmation over and over again that going to Honduras was what we were supposed to do. At first, we thought we would go for a year and then go back to Florida where my family lives, but then we were convicted through James 4: 13 - 17 that we needed to be open to God's leading, and not put our own limits on God. Right now we have committed to a minimum of 18 months, and we are open to whatever God leads us to do at that point.
It was the fall of 2009 that we were sure that we were supposed to go to Honduras, and we thought that we would be moving there in September of 2010. We started relinquishing our responsibilities here in Omaha and working towards moving, but we started to realize that God had a different timeline for us. I tend to like planning things and I like to be able to know what I will be doing, and I needed to learn to just trust God and not rely on my own plans.
In the time since we've felt called to Honduras, God has worked in all of us, even allowing our dog, Conan, to be trained as Gordon's Service Dog, so that he can travel with us to Honduras. Conan passed his tests and is certified, and even has a cute ID badge with his photo on it! The timing has been perfect, and we feel ready and excited about heading into this next chapter in our lives!
James 4:13 - 17 Now listen, you who say "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
God is good!
After months of waiting, that day is finally here... we got an offer on our house today! I am so excited that I feel giddy, but at the same time, after all of this waiting, it almost doesn't seem real. The most exciting thing is that, although it seemed like endless waiting, the timing was exactly perfect. We really thought that we would be heading down to Honduras last fall, but God had other plans, and at times, we started to get anxious, but every time we did that, God sent reminders through sermons and Bible studies, and our personal quiet times, etc., to show us that we needed to be still and wait on God because He loves us, and His timing is exactly perfect.
Through our waiting, each of us has grown a lot, and God has shown us things that we needed to work on in preparation for our service in Honduras. It has been exciting to see each person grow individually, and for our family to flourish in ways we never have before. Alyssa has applied to and been accepted into an intensive discipleship program, and she will be going there before joining us in Honduras, probably joining us in December, but we'll have to wait and see when God sends her to us. We are excited about her desire to grow into a Godly woman and to be all that God wants her to be, and we are thankful for God's timing in this as well... she was accepted just days before we got our offer!
Today the girls and I drove down to Kansas City with some of our closest friends, and had one of the best days I've ever had... great fellowship and tons of laughter all day long. On the way back, Gordon called to tell me about the offer... the icing on the cake! This morning, we had spontaneously decided to go to a church that Lee, our reliable GPS, selected for us, and the sermon was titled "Wait", and was about waiting on God... the message for this phase of our lives. Although our house has sold, the message is one that all of us obviously have needed to have drilled into us; that God is infinitely more wise than us, and we need to depend on Him, and not try to get ahead of His plans for us.
These next 8 weeks are sure to be crazy, but we are all excited to see how God will continue to work!
Isaiah 40:30-31 Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and young men shall stumble and fall; but those who wait in the LORD shall renew their strength. They shall soar on wings like eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not be faint.
Through our waiting, each of us has grown a lot, and God has shown us things that we needed to work on in preparation for our service in Honduras. It has been exciting to see each person grow individually, and for our family to flourish in ways we never have before. Alyssa has applied to and been accepted into an intensive discipleship program, and she will be going there before joining us in Honduras, probably joining us in December, but we'll have to wait and see when God sends her to us. We are excited about her desire to grow into a Godly woman and to be all that God wants her to be, and we are thankful for God's timing in this as well... she was accepted just days before we got our offer!
Today the girls and I drove down to Kansas City with some of our closest friends, and had one of the best days I've ever had... great fellowship and tons of laughter all day long. On the way back, Gordon called to tell me about the offer... the icing on the cake! This morning, we had spontaneously decided to go to a church that Lee, our reliable GPS, selected for us, and the sermon was titled "Wait", and was about waiting on God... the message for this phase of our lives. Although our house has sold, the message is one that all of us obviously have needed to have drilled into us; that God is infinitely more wise than us, and we need to depend on Him, and not try to get ahead of His plans for us.
These next 8 weeks are sure to be crazy, but we are all excited to see how God will continue to work!
Isaiah 40:30-31 Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and young men shall stumble and fall; but those who wait in the LORD shall renew their strength. They shall soar on wings like eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not be faint.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
We are still waiting for the house to sell, but have 
had so much activity on it... it can't be long now! My wonderful cousin, who has been in Honduras for the past 4 years, and went to start Calvary Chapel Pena Blanca, found us a house to live in! It sounds like a wonderful house, and we are SO excited! The house is in the community of Los Naranjos, which is about 3 miles from Pena Blanca.
had so much activity on it... it can't be long now! My wonderful cousin, who has been in Honduras for the past 4 years, and went to start Calvary Chapel Pena Blanca, found us a house to live in! It sounds like a wonderful house, and we are SO excited! The house is in the community of Los Naranjos, which is about 3 miles from Pena Blanca.
Here are some photos of Los Naranjos!
These waterfalls are in Los Naranjos - gorgeous!
A bridge in the park in Los Naranjos
Please continue to pray for our home to sell and for us to get everything done that we need to have done for the big move!
Friday, January 14, 2011
More Love
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwtcwQwgdsA&ob=avznm
Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law.
Galatians 5:6 The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Lately God has been shaving off my rough spots, and I have been convicted of my need to show more love to those around me. The more I study the Bible, the more I am convinced that my main job as a Christian here on earth is to love others, not to correct them or to show them the "right way". It is easy for me to see the areas that those around me are falling short in, and want to steer them in a better direction, but although I may be doing this out of my love for them, it's not my job. Instead, I need to love them, encourage them, pray for them, and make sure that I am being obedient to God in my own life. I really think that if I can do this, I will be more joyful and more effective in bringing others to Christ.
I am resolving to not allow any unwholesome talk come out of my mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up. I know this isn't easy, but most worthwhile things in life aren't easy.... I know that this will be a good step for me to take in showing more love to those around me.
As a family we are starting to go through the book, "LOVE as a Way of Life" by Gary Chapman. There is a book and a devotional that we plan on going through together, and we are excited to see how God leads each of us through this study!
On another note... we had TWO showings this week! Things are really picking up on the home-sale front, so I think our time of waiting may be coming to an end! God knows exactly when we need to be in Honduras, and we are trusting in his infinite wisdom to lead us.
Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law.
Galatians 5:6 The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Lately God has been shaving off my rough spots, and I have been convicted of my need to show more love to those around me. The more I study the Bible, the more I am convinced that my main job as a Christian here on earth is to love others, not to correct them or to show them the "right way". It is easy for me to see the areas that those around me are falling short in, and want to steer them in a better direction, but although I may be doing this out of my love for them, it's not my job. Instead, I need to love them, encourage them, pray for them, and make sure that I am being obedient to God in my own life. I really think that if I can do this, I will be more joyful and more effective in bringing others to Christ.
I am resolving to not allow any unwholesome talk come out of my mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up. I know this isn't easy, but most worthwhile things in life aren't easy.... I know that this will be a good step for me to take in showing more love to those around me.
As a family we are starting to go through the book, "LOVE as a Way of Life" by Gary Chapman. There is a book and a devotional that we plan on going through together, and we are excited to see how God leads each of us through this study!
On another note... we had TWO showings this week! Things are really picking up on the home-sale front, so I think our time of waiting may be coming to an end! God knows exactly when we need to be in Honduras, and we are trusting in his infinite wisdom to lead us.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Waiting on the Lord
Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.
We had FOUR showings on our house while we were in Florida! No one making an offer yet, but at least people want to see the house! We are no longer speculating as to when we will actually be leaving for Honduras, as only God knows when that will be. We had thought that the house would sell quickly and we would be gone by October, but that was not God's plan for us! I admit that at first, waiting for God's timing was quite difficult for all of us, but each of us has come to see that God's timing is perfect, and there definitely were some things that God needed to work out in each of us to prepare us for our work in Honduras!
We have used this time to prepare for our ministry in the following ways:
Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.
We had FOUR showings on our house while we were in Florida! No one making an offer yet, but at least people want to see the house! We are no longer speculating as to when we will actually be leaving for Honduras, as only God knows when that will be. We had thought that the house would sell quickly and we would be gone by October, but that was not God's plan for us! I admit that at first, waiting for God's timing was quite difficult for all of us, but each of us has come to see that God's timing is perfect, and there definitely were some things that God needed to work out in each of us to prepare us for our work in Honduras!
We have used this time to prepare for our ministry in the following ways:
- Gordon has really become the husband of my dreams, and has become a great leader. He makes sure that we are reading the Bible daily and our family prayer time is much more intense and meaningful than it ever had been before.
- Alyssa has recommitted her life to Christ, and has blossomed as a result of this and her one-on-one discipleship with a couple of amazing Christian women who have given their love and time to her. She has recently become friends with a very godly man, and we are excited to see how God is working in that as well!
- Chantalle has also grown immeasurably as a result of her discipleship with a young woman from our church who has really gone out of her way to invest in Chantalle. Chantalle has worked on worrying less and trusting God more, and it is so nice to see the joy in her life! We are so thankful that we are the parents of such amazing girls!
- I have spent more time in prayer and asking God to show me things in myself that need to be changed, and He keeps on showing me things... I am still a work in progress, but I am thankful for a willing spirit, and for the changes He has made in me.
As a family, we did a 10 day "Daniel" fast, and that was a very pivotal point in our family life. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get closer to God, and purify their life! Essentially what we did was just eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, and water for 10 days, and we didn't watch any TV or listen to anything but Christian music. We did this early in November, and we still watch a lot less TV than we had before - it opened all of our eyes to a lot of things, and was amazing... I am looking forward to doing it again soon!
Waiting on God isn't always easy, but His timing is perfect, and while we had hoped to be in Honduras by now, God knows what He is doing, and His timing is always perfect, so I'm thankful that He is running the show and we aren't! Please keep praying for the house to sell! All of us are healthy right now, and excited about this new year!
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