tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47401049579296065752024-03-13T10:12:00.464-05:00My Honduran HomeA blog dedicated to telling the world about Project Talitha Cumi, which is part of Such is the Kingdom Ministries.Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-88915083403678180212020-10-06T23:26:00.007-05:002020-10-07T00:15:00.776-05:00He Knows<p>He Knows</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oLVz2nKedKU/X31DVfBZOvI/AAAAAAAARJk/f0p4b2lHQ4sEHTBj7mx8Jn37gC6I1lmMACPcBGAsYHg/s1136/IMG_9988.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1136" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oLVz2nKedKU/X31DVfBZOvI/AAAAAAAARJk/f0p4b2lHQ4sEHTBj7mx8Jn37gC6I1lmMACPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_9988.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I have marveled this month over the amazing creation of God and His thoughts, (not being anywhere close to mine). Yet, He humbles himself to help me understand things I cannot begin to understand. On Facebook I have been posting these sunrises. I get purely excited when I wake up at before dawn and it is dark outside, because I know it is a cloudy morning, and I will have a front row seat to experience the great white canvas God has prepared. While I wait He is heating up the colors on His palette He wants to release and then within a matter of minutes He jets them across the eastern sky. While I am snapping away with my camera phone, I realize that there is only a few who get to be there for the Grand Premier Showing. At first I feel sorry for all the ones who slept right through this spectacular display of colors. Then it hit me that I sleep right through so many wonderful “coincidences”, that God brings my way when I am wide awake and supposedly functioning at full capacity. </p><p>We have had a lot a storms around here this Month. Many are electrical storms, but most are intense rains coming off the feeder bans of the hurricanes that you all were experiencing in the States. Tremendous amounts of water were being dumped over our mountain and over all the country of Honduras. Floods were abounding, even on our mountain village. Usually the water drains by morning, but not this time. Water was standing everywhere on top of the mountain. The water tables met together and decided to hang out for a season. The two rivers that intersect in the valley below were swelled to capacity with the rainwater. On my back porch it sounded like a waterfall was right there beside our house! I was concerned about all the standing water and then I noticed the sun breaking through and what a beautiful picture of the trees were mirrored on the forest ground. </p><p>So why am I up so early? I am walking each morning. I have been cooking and eating and enjoying all the great things that we have been harvesting here a little too much. Because of rainy season, walking during the day is dicey, with all the strong electrical storms, wind and quantity of water. So I walk in the early morning so I can get some exercise before our homeschool classes with our 18 children begin. We still have our “circulo” devotions, and now the girls have a new professor. Pastor/Professor Raul Avila He was a professor at a local university. God told him leave his job last December and to go into ministry full time. Then Covid hit. At first he was zoom preaching with our girls and staff on Sundays. He and his whole family have been participating in our Sunday morning worship. We have “sword drills” and Bible trivia with his daughter. His wife directs Sunday School and praise and worship is with his sons. Then Pastor Raul brings the Word. He does all this in Spanish and the girls and I have learned a lot. He also works for an organization called Lenca Missions and they minister to the indigenous people in the mountains. When the restrictions are lifted, we hope to be able to go into the mountains to minister with him and his family. </p><p>Pastor Raul now works with our Ministerio Asi Es El Reino, (Such is the Kingdom Ministries) which is a special project of World Indigenous Missions. He is an overseer of the Spanish education classes for the girls. Our girls are now reading Honduran and other Spanish authors. They are learning many new Spanish words and how to pronounce them correctly along with courses in Spanish grammar. All our girls have to say their National Anthem and pledge every day. There are six stanzas in the National Anthem of Honduras, plus the chorus! Pastor Raul also is handling all the governmental paperwork for registering the girls with the Secretary of Education. We are thankful that Pastor Raul and his family are walking with us on this journey of homeschooling. We are still working on their English classes so they will be totally bi-lingual when they graduate. We have one girl who will hopefully graduate this year from High School. I also want to say how much we appreciate your continued support of the girls schooling. </p><p>This year of 2020 has been a year of change on every level. So many bizarre things have happened around the world. Anger, fear and civil unrest have been rising all over the world. The good news is that revival comes when the world gets itself in turmoil, and starts looking for an answer. He is our answer. </p><p> He reminded me the other day about His Ways and mine. I was walking in the early morning and I was listening to a podcast by Robert Morris from Gateway Church out of Texas. He had just taped it the day before. I finished my walk, showered and walked briskly to the girl’s devotions. Every other day we have a video podcast that the girls can watch, and they had Robert Morris on too. He is their favorite. But because Pastor Raul was there, the girls picked the sermon Pastor Morris had done in Spanish 4 years earlier. I thought, ”This is going to be a struggle to focus on this message in Spanish” To my surprise as I was pushing through to listen, I realized it was the same sermon! It was a the original of the rerun podcast I listened to minutes earlier. Pastor Morris had blonde hair in one the girls listened to and he was gray headed in mine. What are the chances that out of all the series and videos that Robert Morris has done in his 20 years of preaching at Gateway Church, that the girls would have picked out the same sermon? The sermon was about how God keeps up with us. He sees everything we do with what He has given us. He knows where we are. I know the world has developed a fear of Big Brother, but I think we need to be a little more focused on A Big Father. We just need to stay focused on Him and we won’t have to fear what man can do to us. He knows. </p><p>Thanks to all of you who diligently pray and support the girls and staff of this ministry. We are so grateful for all you do for us. WE are praying for a time in the future when we can have our team visitors once again. Blessings, from the Honduran Mom that He Knows.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U2_ZOzXwFu0/X31DGBGCqLI/AAAAAAAARJg/oXG1zjy619MiSXvk1VewngdMaFz_0SR3QCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mountain%2Bphoto.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U2_ZOzXwFu0/X31DGBGCqLI/AAAAAAAARJg/oXG1zjy619MiSXvk1VewngdMaFz_0SR3QCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/mountain%2Bphoto.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-3052611313944709732020-04-01T12:15:00.000-05:002020-04-01T12:16:55.272-05:00January Newsletter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-71009742599082557662020-04-01T11:58:00.003-05:002020-04-01T11:58:48.881-05:00What a difference a day makes...What a difference a Maker makes.
<br />
What a Difference a Day Makes …. What a difference a Maker
Makes. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
All of us have been directly or indirectly affected by this
Covid Virus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had such a glorious
year planned of ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The girls were
responding to the ministry of the new house moms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had an outreach program to women in the
Mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had our calendars filled
with teams that were coming to help us build fishponds, additions to the
houses, roads and relationships. We had vacation times planned with the girls,
and I was going to surprise my granddaughter with seeing her spring concert and
graduation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We literally had our whole year
planned out in detail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had worked
very hard on our calendars and all of our planning, and strategizing, unraveled
in a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just because we wrote it
down, didn’t make it so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God cautions us
not to plan and say that on such and such a day, I will do so and so, but
rather we are to speak, if the Lord wills, we will accomplish these things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just skipped a step. I just figured as well
as everything was coming together with great folks who love the Lord, and who would
be doing great ministry, that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my will</i>
would be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">CLEARLY</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">His will</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I had a computer once that was freezing up and acting
weird.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It got where it was not even
preforming simple tasks. I was told that it had a virus and I needed to have a
reset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A reset helps the computer get rid
of everything that isn’t in the original design and go back to the Maker’s
factory settings. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so busy with
ministry. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t checking in with my
Maker about all my plans. I was just hammering away every day and feeling something
was not right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I needed a reset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where does my help come from? The Lord
Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth and of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He is complete, I am not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I desired
to have that feeling of peace and wholeness again. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, this revelation came through a
series of unfortunate circumstances, when God helped me clear my calendar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first it was a little scary. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had no plans. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What should I do? How could I keep myself
safe?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realized quickly that the world
had no plan to keep itself safe. Just before a quiet panic began to settle in
my own heart and the hearts of the girls, God reminded me not to fear. My mind
reset to a frightening situation during our first years on the mission field. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He spoke to me as clearly as anything as I was
packing my kid’s clothes and planning to leave the mission field immediately. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said, “If I can’t keep you safe here, I
can’t keep you safe anywhere<b>”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Factory
setting alert!</b> <br />
<br />
<i>Apart from Him, I can do nothing, but I can do all
things, through Christ Jesus who strengthens me. He is my power supply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plug in ! Battery power is extremely low. </i><br />
<br />
<div style="tab-stops: 366.0pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<br />
Here in Honduras, they are serious about controlling this
virus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have made up for their lack
of resources by using their common sense and doing the most practical thing, to
have the people stay away from each other. The advised the people to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>come away, be separate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stay in your own homes, plays across our cell
phones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have the police and health
officials blocking off routes from town to town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you need to pass, they will spray your
tires with a disinfectant and sometimes they will spray inside your car if it
looks sketchy, before you travel to the next town. They check their list to see
if it is your day to travel, or if you are authorized by an agency of the
government. You get a number before you go into the bank, you step into a
disinfectant before you enter the limited amounts of establishments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We get
daily mandates on our cell phone about how they are trying to keep us safe and
how we can help each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This past
week, a new order was sent out. If you are out after our curfew (7:00 am – 3
pm) and disobey the community’s orders, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you
will go to jail and when you get out you will do community service and clean up
your community because you didn’t care about your neighbors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In extreme situations, we have heard they
will take your car and you don’t get it back until the virus threat is over,
because you wouldn’t obey and stay home.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I have heard my whole life you can mandate people’s moral
behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it has been made clear to us as a
community here living in Honduras, that we need to be focused on our neighbors
good not just our own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hmm… sounds
familiar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come away, come out from among
them, be separate, love your neighbor more than yourself. Our Maker had a great
idea and He still does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But our Maker reminds
us that He alone knows the plans He has for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a
future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God said that He collectively and
individually has a plan for the whole world, and that we can rest in that
knowledge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now with no plans, and
chaos abounding, God says to look to Him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully a reset button has been activated
in me. I am thinking of others in my community, and here at the mission. I am
thinking of creative ways to obey the laws here and still do ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am thinking of ways to minister to the
ones, who minister alongside me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pray
that I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>will remember what the Lord has shared with
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sounds remotely similar to what I
tell my girls here and my family in the States:<br />
<br />
<div style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Check in with Me and let me know what is going
on. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I want to hear from you.</div>
<br />
<div style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I am interceding for you. </div>
<br />
<div style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I love you.</div>
<br />
<div style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Don’t be afraid</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Blessings to you all, The Reset Honduran MOM<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Special prayer requests:<br />
<br />
1.For all the many people who are grieving over they loved
ones who have the Covid virus or the family members who have died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pray that people will be continuing to pray
over their health, spiritually as well as emotionally. <br />
<br />
2. Pray for the people who are suffering financially over
their loss of income.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pray that their
jobs will be restored.<br />
<br />
3. Pray for all the countries by continent, and the people
who live there. <br />
<br />
4. That we will not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil
with good.<br />
<br />
5. Pray for safety for all and that people remember that joy
comes in the morning. <br />
<br />
6. Pray for God’s restoring healing power to cure and heal
all of the above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-23690089536623608652019-11-04T16:16:00.000-06:002019-11-04T16:16:28.530-06:00Travel is Broadening<div>
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-55828413642854084712019-05-27T21:32:00.000-05:002019-05-27T21:46:29.818-05:00What's App?<br />
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Greetings from Honduras,</div>
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So I had to go home to the United States at the end of April to attend a board meeting, finalize some personal business, that I learned recently, that cannot be attended to if you are out of the country. Even after 24 years on the field, I am still learning about that old adage my 94 year old Aunt Bess used to quote" It is hard to keep a fire burning in two different houses." Can it be done? Yes. Is it hard? Yes and amen. </div>
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I am thankful that I live in an age of the Apps, that I can see my kids grandchildren on Facebook, Marco Polo, Family Album. I can Text, Facetime, and Messenger. (I refuse snapchat, because it disappears. I have a hard enough time remembering where I saw or heard something) </div>
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I am a missionary, mom in-law, grandmother, friend, co-worker, director, associate, affiliate, cook, and a lot of other titles. With these apps on my computer, I can keep a tab on all of the above, but there still is a cost. With all these "Apportunities", you miss out on the intimacy of just hearing hearts. </div>
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Which brings me to the other thing God wanted to show me during my up and jumped trip. "Apparently", I work hard. I stay busy. I am on the go all the time. I am hurried, sometime hassled, and a lot of time frazzled because of all of the above. I do my devotions, that aren't that deep, and I pray when situations arise. However, my prayers are like dry season around here. We rake a lot of pine straw that falls on our mission as a precaution to fires. If a fire breaks out, we are on it. So when it is rainy season, I don't worry about it. God showed me a precautionary seasonal devotional doesn't fly with a total devotion to hearing from God and maintaining an intimacy with Him. </div>
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My Bible App isn't cutting it, even though it will read the Bible to me as I drive down the road, I feel totally justified that I am getting my Word in for the day, but my mind is divided. (I am driving after all) I can hear some of you saying now, that this explains my driving. </div>
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My prayer app was a total disaster, because you have to take time to type something in there. My prayer journal consisted of snippets of prayers, before I would fall into a deep sleep. I know this because of my Fitbit app tells me so. Then having the World Wide WEB available when you can't sleep was so much more interesting than having insomnia. I could at least find out what was going on in the rest of the world. Where I used to grab my Bible with a tiny pen light and pray when I couldn't rest, I would rest in my apps. </div>
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I am thankful to the Lord for making me come aside during my hurried life to show me that in my blessed "appsurance" Jesus was not mine. During, one of my sleepless midnight forays on the WWW I ran across an very old video tape of Leonard Ravenhill. His whole message was, Be focused on God, Pray, and Obey and leave the other distractions alone. He said a lot of other things, that cut straight through my bad "apptitudes" that I had adopted for my high tech devotional style. I am back again !!!!!</div>
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Please pray with me for our girls to finish their school year strong. Pray for the faithful teachers God is calling to a different area of work. Pray for me to trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. - old hymn. </div>
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Blessings from the on the move HOBO (Hearing, Obeying, Believing, Otra vez) Honduran MOM. </div>
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otra vez means "Again"</div>
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-91670256891865566062018-10-14T17:44:00.000-05:002018-10-14T17:53:02.798-05:00The Girl in the Mirror<br />
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I am amazed at how quickly things can change. My day was going great. I was clicking along at a fast pace. Moving from one project to another. Seeing that our coffee was being planted, our construction on the house and road was moving along. I was checking in on the status of our girls at a sports camp competition, which they were doing extremely well. I was walking through the farm and my young neighbor called me to the fence. She said hesitantly, "Do you know this girl? She is looking for you." A young woman stepped to the fence and said "Hello, Mom". I looked at her trying to race down my memory bank and try to figure out who was this very pretty young girl, with very long wavy hair and different looking eyes. She would look at you like she was looking at herself in the mirror. We have had way over 100 girls that have passed through our mission over the past 23 years. Some girls have come for the day. Some would stay a few days to a week and some just a few months. Most of our girls stay for a year or for much longer, but she was not in that group. She was familiar to me, but I just had a feeling. I told her to come around to the front gate and someone would let her in.<br />
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When she started talking, I recognized something familiar about her voice. I told Rosa, my assistant, to please go and look up her file so we could know more about her. She was very tired and when she sat down, she fell asleep. Apparently, she had been walking for a very long time. She had her backpack and a very long accordion file plastic file folder. She wore soft white reebok tennis shoes that had been issued to her years ago when she lived with us. When Rosa came back after lunch, we found out that she had only stayed here at the farm for only a couple of weeks four years ago. She had a lot of emotional and mental illness problems. She had come from a family of mental illness and when her mother died, they moved her out of the volatile family situation. She was place at our mission years ago, on a trial basis because no other center would keep her. WE didn't know that the other centers had rejected her, but we had just started a new policy about temporary care. During this time, there was two children's services operating at the same time. One was being closed down by the government and one was being established. Children were being moved around and it caused an instability with our girls, so we initiated this policy. At that time, she was the only girl we asked the authorities to come back and get. The young woman told us that when she was collected from our mission, she went back to the same situation with her family as she lived in before, even though the paperwork we had been given, stated that under no circumstances was she to live close by this family. The governmental organization placed her back in that environment where she lived for four more years.</div>
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I asked her what her plans were and she just stated that she wanted to live and work here at the farm and to help out in anyway possible. She pulled a keychain out of her backpack and said, "This is a key I took from you when I left, but I wanted to return it to you". I thanked her, but I was sure the lock was long gone. When our girls who are normally very friendly, saw this girl with the wild look in her eye, they would kind of side step this girl and not speak. She would do and say things that would catch all of us off guard. First, I called the public officials and they said call the children services. I called the children's services. She was eighteen and they had not jurisdiction over her, but they warned me, because I knew her and her actions before, that if anything happened to the girls while she was at my house, I would be responsible, because I invited her into our farm. Then they said put her on a bus to return to her family, but it was very late, raining and she lived to far away and the busses don't drive to that location at night. </div>
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So I called the Public authorities and they said the same thing, and because she hadn't broken any laws, she couldn't be sent back home. So I called Human Rights and they said if I could get a doctor to say that she was impaired mentally, that she could find her a halfway house of sorts. So I took her to a hospital so she could be observed and I could sleep safely, and they informed me that even though she was eighteen, I had to stay with her overnight. The doctor who checked her into the hospital did a normal checkup on her. She was very calm and shy. When I told him what the problem was, he gave me two references, one to a psychologist and the other to a psychiatrist, who would come on Saturday at a private mini hospital in La Esperanza.<br />
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The nurse had taken her to a room and when the doctor got there, the young girl had locked us out of the her room. The nurse scrambled around and got the keys, but they wouldn't open. Finally she kept working the lock and the door opened, but the girl was on the other side and she stuck her head around and told us we couldn't come in because she was showering. So I told her to get back in the shower and I would come in. There was no water on the floor when I came in. While she was in the shower, I went through her backpack to see if she had a cell phone or something that a would help us contact her family. I found a bag of ten candles and a box of matches, a flashlight, and very large fluffy Sunday dress, toothpaste, no toothbrush, a comb and a PTC shirt that we had given her 4 years prior. It looked brand new. I told her I had a clean shirt for her and gave her the toiletries that were in her bag so she could be ready for bed. She finally came out wearing her PTC shirt and a sweater that was tied on the side like she was going to a luau. She had nothing else on. I asked her to just wear what she had on before and she informed me they were not clean and she wasn't going to use them. So I went and got the nurse to give me a hospital gown. Then I told the girl to go wash her things, which she was not happy about, but she did what I asked, but it took another hour. Fortunately, Wesley and Suzanne were coming home through La Esperanza from Tegucigalpa late. I asked them to pick up Rosa, so she could get home and asked them to please bring me some food for the girl and myself. Rosa left with the Jarrard's and I slept in the hallway on the sofa at the private hospital and the girl fell asleep after the doctor gave her a pill to rest. </div>
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While I was trying to sleep, a little family was having a baby down the hall. It was not all quiet and sweet. The lady was stating very loudly, that she didn't care if they did a caesarean, but one way or the other she was ready to have the baby. Since I couldn't sleep I decided that checking my Facebook in the wee hours of the night was in order. All of a sudden, I felt like someone was over my shoulder breathing on me. I was startled because it was the girl, and she was not sleeping. She was two inches away from my face just looking at me very oddly. I asked her to go get some rest and she just shrugged and said, "OK", and walked away. I couldn't sleep after that. </div>
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When I woke her up the next morning, she was not moving very quickly. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 18px;">She didn't want to leave the private hospital, but I finally convinced her and I took her to eat breakfast. </span>I needed to get to the house and my lawyer had contacted human rights and they had told us to go back to the Governmental agency. The Human Rights folks said they would try to get her in a program sponsored by the hospital. So we went to the public hospital. They could not help her. They contended that the governmental agency was responsible to do something for her. WE went to all the agencies that we were directed to go to, but nothing worked. This took all day. Everyone had the same response. She was eighteen and hadn't broken any laws and so there was nothing they could do. </div>
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We ended up where I started and the Governmental Agency said they would see us. Three lawyers were in the office. My lawyer for the ministry and I went in and handed them our information from the Human Rights people. They read the demands for help and scoffed at it. They said they would like to help but, unless she has broken the law, they couldn't do anything. They made a telephone call to the HR office and had a quick conversation. So, at that moment the girl came and stood behind me. The lawyers started asking her some questions. She started out talking to them using her very shy, fragile voice, until they said something to her that triggered a response from her that was apparently something pretty strong. She said something back in her low threatening voice, that made the three lawyers in the room heads swivel almost completely around, eyes widen to the maximum level, as they took a deep breath and looked at one another in shock. I didn't know what she said, but apparently it wasn't a edifying word. The head lady insisted for the young woman to leave the office. She retorted, in her sassy voice, that she didn't have to go anywhere, or do anything they said unless Miss Pam said so. The lawyer then swung around to me and said, "Please ask her to get out of my office, now! " I asked the girl if she wouldn't mind leaving the office. She kind of had a swagger when she left the room making eye contact with everyone. I thought to myself as I rolled my own eyes toward heaven, " Well that didn't help our case at all" The group of professionals restated their opinion about their limitations in these cases. I hated that all of our hard work trying to find her some help, went down the drain. I went out of the office to talk to her and she was nowhere to be seen. </div>
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I drove around, after I dropped our lawyer for the ministry off at her place of business. I felt like I needed to go around the park in La Esperanza one more time, and there she was, sitting on a park bench close to the Catholic church like she owned the area. I got out of the car, and told her that if she would have just held her tongue, maybe things would have been different. She said she was sorry. I told her I was sorry, but that I had done everything I could. She nodded and shrugged. I gave her some money to get back home, and she told me with a huge smile on her face, "Now that is a good idea! ". I said, "Just let me pray for you before you go". She declared through clench teeth and a stiffened body position, "I knew you were going to do that"! So I prayed for her and gave her a hug, and she walked back over to claim her cement bench. I took a few steps back to the van and turned wave goodbye and when looked and she was gone…. like she was never there. None of the girls in the car could see where she had gone either.</div>
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There is not a safety net for mental health issues here. I have had girls that had such tremendous trauma from their childhood, that it affected them on every level. Years ago, we had a great psychologist that came for a season, but she took a permanent job in the capital. Lately, I found a psychiatrist, but he wouldn't come from the city unless he had 5 appointments scheduled, even though I had two girls who really needed some help. I did find a young psychiatric doctor, who is from a family of doctors that we have know for years , that used to help us with brigades. I am hoping, when he graduates in December, that he will be able to help us. Meantime, Jesus is their only hope. Would you please pray for Honduras and all nations really, to come to the forefront and be more helpful to the precious people here, that have very tough emotional and mental situations in their lives. Please pray especially for the little children, who are trying to wade through the muddy waters of their experiences and find a clear path to return home. </div>
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Blessings, from the Hoping Jesus Will Help Us All Find His WAY Honduran MOM</div>
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-52508479161333011882018-09-18T16:09:00.001-05:002018-09-18T16:09:21.111-05:00<br />
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Greetings Everyone,</div>
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Life is such a fragile thing. Everything is looking rosy and bright and then disaster hits and you can't make sense of it. We had a situation this week. Someone we were all very close to, that lived here on the farm years ago, had such a tragic event happen this week. Her life was going great. She has always been such a quiet and humble kind-hearted soul. She got married a while back, and this year she had a baby. The baby was small, but strong. The little one had gained 4 pounds in almost 3 weeks!! Everybody was rejoicing, until yesterday. The phone reception that we have in the mountains sometimes is almost zero, but a undesignated number kept coming up. I tried to answer, but there was nobody answering. Then I thought to call the number back and her husband answered. He said their baby died in the night. I couldn't believe what he was saying, and then the call was dropped. The baby was 1 month old exactly. She was the most loved of babies. On one hand, you know that she was loved here even though her days were short. Through God's promises, you know that she will be loved eternally, but the sense of loss of this sweet baby overwhelmed us all. </div>
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Some of the older girls and I jumped in the 4x4 and rode up to their house high in the mountains. We had to take it slow because our off roads are beyond horrible. When we arrived, they had the baby laid out wrapped in her blankets, with cotton that had been placed in her nose and mouth as they traditionally do here. Someone had strewn flowers petals all about and a plethora of candles encircled the baby's small form on the tiny table. I was no help whatsoever. I prayed all the way up the mountain to her house. I was in shock I guess, but I had not cried. I kept hoping I had heard the dad wrong before our conversation was abruptly cut off. But when I saw that precious baby and seen how much the baby had grown, I lost it. The mom was asking me "Why?" and I had nothing to say but, "I don't know". or "I don't understand either" while I just cried and cried. I asked all the questions, about if she had been sick or in pain or had fever. Each question was answered with a quiet "no" with eyes that were racing back and forth looking for an answer in the recesses of her memory that she might have missed over the last few hours. I finally just got quiet and just cried with her, just as the young women who I brought with me, were doing already. </div>
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I am old enough to know that I can't understand everything. I have no idea how internet works, but I know that I am writing on a computer, that I have no idea how it operates or who designed it in the first place. I know that I will hit send and it will be sent to many people, even to people that I have never met and perhaps will never know around the world. I have no understanding in so many areas of my life here on the missions field either except that I am called to be here. I can't begin to understand the depth of the hurt and harm my girls have suffered in their short lives. I have a tiny bit more understanding about somethings in my 63 years of life than I used to, but is only about couple of degrees on my thermometer of life. </div>
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What I do know is this, God is Sovereign. I know that He cannot lie, or be anything contrary to the character and nature of who He is. I know that God is Love. I know He came to serve us and came to save us. I know that His Word says that He works all things together for our good, even those things that are so hard to understand. Please pray for this little family and for the healing process to begin in their hearts. Pray that the eyes of our understanding be opened in His time.</div>
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Thanks to all of you who continue to help and pray for us here at our mission. Please continue to pray for the other missionaries who work alongside me at Project Talitha Cumi. Wesley and Suzanne have 5 boys at House of Nain, and Kelsey is teaching at Abundant Life half days now and watches over our little ones. All of us are serving with Rosa, Lina, Elbin and Berta, here at the farm. We have a host of teachers living alongside us that work for Abundant Life. Blessings to you from the Hurting Honduran Mom</div>
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-85084007983983646292018-08-07T17:01:00.001-05:002018-08-07T17:01:19.102-05:00Summer time fun with Austin Josiah Winders and the PTC girls!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-4718781953265811942018-07-04T22:26:00.004-05:002018-07-04T22:26:56.418-05:00Always be ready...change is on the way<br />
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Greetings,</div>
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This has been a full month as usual. I was explaining something to a good friend of the ministry this past week. I was telling her how my plans were changed all day long, and she said, "And, so what is new?". True statement. </div>
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I had bought tickets in March to go to the United States in July to be there for the birth of a first baby of one of my girls, who was raised here at PTC. I had everything planned with great airline tickets. Babies are funny little creatures. They don't care about your plans, or your deals, or your tickets. They do their own thing. I found out this week that I need to change my plans to go earlier. </div>
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To plan to go earlier, I had to get busy. I needed to get a menu together. Hire a few other workers. Get the girls up to speed about me leaving. I had already planned a driver to pick up our interns that are planning to come on the 7th, so I decided to change my tickets and leave at the same time the driver left to get the interns. It would work out perfectly. However, the tickets available on the 7th with the airline I was dealing with was to travel 2 1/2 days and 4 airports later to get to my destination, that normally would take less than 3 hours direct. So I could get a direct ticket on the 6th, but the driver would have change his plans and stay overnight to get the team the next day. So I called my daughter, who is a whiz-bang with the computer, and she said my password to that airline had changed. I had to walk back to the kitchen in the dark from my house to get on wifi to change my password. But my daughter got my ticket changed. After all that exercise over the internet, I planned to be headed home to go to bed and get rid of this crazy day.</div>
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On my way back from the kitchen however, I heard our new little one crying like crazy. While I was in town yesterday, Rosa took our little 14 year old, who has a 6 week old baby to get her first shot. It wasn't one shot but 3 shots, and baby was miserable, the mom was frustrated non verbal and miserable, and Jessica, our 17 year old, was helping the little mama and she had done everything she knew. I wanted keep on walking, but I stopped and told Jessica to get the baby's bath ready and told the mom to get a shower. We got the baby bathed and changed and the little mama did the same. I rocked the baby until she went to sleep. Change is a good thing sometimes. </div>
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I planned to go to the States for our 4th annual Sister's Week, in September. Again, things changed and I am going even in a different Month! I needed to change my residency card. So that meant that I had to go into the Capitol, so that it would be valid date when I came back into the country. </div>
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I planned this week to get my license. I had gone to take the Spanish driving test last week. Through the mercies of God, I passed the written test and the driving test, but again plans changed because the machine that printed the driver's license was not working. They said to come back on Tuesday. It is an 1 1/2 hours away. But when we called, on Tuesday their machine was still broken. We called yesterday and the machine was not working. I went to La Esperanza to hopefully talk to an official who could help us, and found out that his plans had changed because he had been on duty for the annual Wild Mushroom Festival and took time off until Monday. In his defense, if I was an official that was in charge of the Mushroom Festival, I would have taken time off too. </div>
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I planned to get some other paperwork done for the ministry early this week and my good friend/ our lawyer/ board member, was not feeling well, because of all the trips she had made trying to help some other missionary friends with their paperwork. Her plans had also failed to come together because of technicalities and the trip to Tegucigalpa is strenuous, and we were both not sleeping well, so our plans changed. </div>
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I planned to go to the bank on Friday, but my plans changed when I had to go yesterday. I went ahead and did all of my errands on Thursday, while I was waiting not to get my license. I thought, "I might as well be productive". I went to the bank, and to the grocery store, and paid my bills. However, I was supposed to carry one of our girls to visit her dad on my way to the bank today (Friday). I had to tell the dad that my plans had changed and that I needed him to come and pick her up. So because of me changing my plans, I have changed his plans have changed </div>
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My missionary friends reminded me of a commitment to visit them at their facility with all my girls with their team. Something that my girls and I have done before with this missionary couple and I knew that we all would have a great time. I have to go to Tegucigalpa this week on that day, because we couldn't go last week. Plans changed. Nobody's fault, they just changed. So I am having my small bus checked, so I can call the driver to hopefully drive my girls there next week. I also have to call the mechanic to get it checked out because I haven't driven it in forever. </div>
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Those changes in plans, were just the highlights. There seemed to be an onslaught of changes. During this week, with lack of sleep and all these changes, I was contemplating having a nice little melt down. It seemed a right thing to do. However, God reminded me that He was in control and He never changes. I was wondering why I was getting so upset, (outside of having a frozen coffee that the barista laced with chocolate, the stress was lasting longer than the effects of the caffeine that was in my frozen beverage). As a child of God, I was supposed to put my trust in God. I am supposed to know that He works everything together for my good. The deal is that I had to ask myself, "Do I really believe that or not"? Sometimes, God allows you to get to a point to review in your own heart about what you really believe. </div>
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I have had some girls that left the ministry last year, return to the ministry this week. Things have changed for them. Things didn't work out like they had planned. Life wasn't so kind to them as they had hoped. So now I am praying that God will send a mentor to these older girls. I have made a special plan for them while I am away and when I return. They have changed. Life may not have been kind to them, but God continues to be the essence of kindness to all. </div>
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On a brighter note, some of my little girls have changed for the good this week. As I was praying for them to change, God asked me if I wanted them to change or did I want to change? I thought, "I am ok, why do I need to change? It is the kids who need to get a grip and obey. If they would change, and listen to what I say, my world would be so much better." So today, I started thinking about all the things that have been changing around here. I realized that I don't always listen to what God tells me to do. I need to give grace and I will receive grace in my time of need. So I changed the way I was praying for my little girls and my girls who are returning. God grace, mercy and love is there for all. He doesn't change. He desires us to be more like Him. Our plans may change, life always has another idea. But, if we really have our face set like flint, seeking HIM above all else, nothing else really is higher to consider. </div>
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Thanks from all of us to all of you who have been praying for us this month. I appreciate every prayer and everything you do for this ministry. We have a new girl and her baby. We have a lot of new situations and we have needed every prayer. Please pray for my staff when I leave to go to the United States, that God will continue to encourage them in every way. Blessings, from the Harried, Hurried, Plan Changing, Prayer Changing, Grace Changing, Face Changing, Honduran MOM</div>
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-46377596349483885952018-06-04T20:17:00.007-05:002018-06-04T20:17:59.265-05:00<br />
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Greetings,</div>
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This past week, I went to Tegucigalpa with Mirian, my dear friend and board member of our Honduran side of our ministry. She is a great lawyer with a huge heart. I am so thankful for all of her knowledge and kindness towards the girls and me. It was a long drive and we were both very tired from getting up so early to travel. I was reading and she was napping. I finished a book on the trip and began to start another, when I realized that we were supposed to get off at this stop!!! I woke up Mirian and we literally ran off the bus, and got into a cab. I had to get my residency card renewed at the immigration office, a title for a car, and some hard to find welding wire for Wesley to finish gates and fences we are building around the boy's home and around the mission house</div>
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Everything went quickly for me and my residency card and Mirian was getting the new residency cards of Wesley and Suzanne. We left there quickly and went to our next destination, which was basically to the tag office. I had lost a title to a vehicle we owned. We spent two weeks getting everything checked in our police station which includes statements. Then we had to go to the capital to get the other part of the process completed. There were tons of people there!!! We would have been the last out of about 75 people. However, I am what they call the "3rd age". It sounds softer than "elderly". I love this country! So because of that "3rd age" status, I was able to go to the front of the line of three very long lines! I got the paperwork to get the new title, and we were off to the remote small store that carried limited, hard to find items of hardware which included a special kind of welding wire. Driving around Tegucigalpa is really complicated these days. The capital city is getting a new transit system and new roads. However, all the old road signs are down. Our taxi driver was even a little confused. We got to our destination and the owner of the store told us that the wire had just gotten there that morning. We were able to get all of our errands done and return to our home at the mission before dark. God prepared the way and every step we took for us to get everything we needed. </div>
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We are in a rainy season!!! Our area needed a lot of water. We are so thankful for the rains that have been coming every day. We are planning to transplant 3000 coffee trees! Last year we had to cut down a lot of our trees on our farm because they were infected with tiny beetles. I cried when I saw those trees come down, but today is a new day. Now we are planting new coffee trees in this area of former destruction. It is looking really great. </div>
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The girls are finishing up the school year. They have been running in some 5K runs this year. Jake and Rachael, the directors of the school that my girls attend, and some of the other teachers from Abundant Life School have been coaching the girls on how to compete in these marathons. It has been a wonderful opportunity for the girls to be participating in these activities. It has helped them in their confidence as well as their physical stamina. Before, in our school here at the mission, the girls were somewhat isolated. It was hard for our girls to interact with the children of the community being a part of a community of English speakers. But now they are going on excursions with Honduran and North American groups to further their education on every level. It is a new day. </div>
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I have settled into the former mission house and all the teams have been doing great staying at my house. I guess it is my version of the game "Fruit Basket Turn Over". I have enlarged the kitchen area by extending the back porch. The sink at the former mission house was way to high for the girls to help wash dishes. Wesley Jarrard, director of our boy's home, Casa de Nain, made us some beautiful new cabinets and sink area. The girls take turns by houses every day helping me cook in the morning for breakfast. They come very early in the morning at 4:15 a.m. back to "Mom's" house. Then, at lunch, we have a smaller group to prepare food for, because the girls eat lunch at school. The girls and I, who work at breakfast, prepare a lunch for the girls to take to school. We make a snack as well as breakfast for the girls. There have been some new changes in the way we operate the farm, but they are good changes. </div>
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Wesley and Suzanne Jarrard, have 4 boys at Casa de Nain. They have worked like slaves getting the place fixed up to be ready for the boys. Wesley set up a workshop to work on beds and cabinets for the boys. They both have done a tremendous job. They have been doing a lot of farming and they are now planting more coffee too. They are putting up new fences around the farm where the live. Their boys are sponsored to go to the Abundant Life Bi-lingual School. The four boys are there Monday-Friday and then they go home to their families on the week-ends. They also spend time at family's home during school holidays. We are so excited by this new development of how we attend to children of Honduras. We had a baptismal service the other day at the river, and one of the first boys from Casa de Nain was baptized. A new beginning. </div>
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We are thankful for our new house, number 5, that my church in Valdosta helped to build. Other teams worked on the painting and installing the electricity. Kelsey McHugh is in charge of house five and has the "Littles". She will have a new position here and at the Abundant Life School. She will be teaching math classes for half days and then working with our mission for the other part of the day. She has been a great resource for me and a tremendous help with the little girls. Also, Kelsey has been helping motivate me to finish two books, I have been writing forever. One is a children's book, that I wrote in a few hours. Years ago I was going to post it to my blog, but felt like it wasn't the time to do so. The other is an on going book about how the ministry got started. Kelsey has been my cheerleader to continue writing, along with Mary Langston and Rachael Compaan. All of them are editing along the way with my constant rewrites. They are very kind. :)</div>
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I guess we all love new things. Sometimes we all like to learn new things, if we can get beyond the old things in our lives. Even though the mission house is 20 years old, it is new to me. Our fences are new, House five is new, we have a new greenhouse, new coffee plants, three new girls and 4 new boys. I heard one time that new changes in life are meant for us to grow. If that is the case, we are all growing like crazy around here. We are thankful that the mercies of the Lord are new every morning. Everyday here brings something new to us. I am constantly amazed at all the newI am thankful for the new growth that I am seeing in our mission in the girls and in me. I am thankful for the new teams that are coming this year, and for our regulars, who have become part of our Such is the Kingdom family for so many years. So many have prayed to get us this far. </div>
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Thanks to Ken and Katrina, who took breakfast detail Monday-Thursday, in the 3rd watch of the night. They were here and cooked, painted, picked-up and dropped off people and things. I appreciate all the work they did for the 7 weeks they were here. Everything looks so much better with a new coat of paint.</div>
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Thanks to all of you who continue to pray and support our Such in the Kingdom mission of Project Talitha Cumi and Project Casa de Nain. We are all so blessed. We have another baby in the house. Her name is Irma, and her mom is extremely young. Please be praying for both mom and baby. Blessings from All the girls of SIKM and the New Every Morning, Honduran MOM</div>
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-13491378779354201822018-04-14T08:57:00.001-05:002018-04-14T08:57:55.627-05:00The Baby and the BankI know I just wrote already this week, then today happened and I just want to say I appreciate everyone of you all who pray for us. This is what happened yesterday.<br />
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So today, we went to the bank to get the bankbooks of two of our girls who graduated from the farm. The goal of today was to get these accounts that were established 15 years ago, changed into adult accounts. Everything was going along fine. I looked over to one of the girls and her baby looked like she was trying everything she could not to fall asleep. Her head was just bobbing around. We all just laughed and continued with our project of the paperwork needed to get the deed done. I was handed back the old bankbook by the one of the bank assistants, and they pointed me in the direction to cancel this old bankbook at the teller window. Our older girl was going to fill out her forms for her new account after I did my part. Rosa and I had a hundred errands and so I was thrilled that the line was not long and that I was almost to the head of the line at the bank. Then I heard a scream. "Mama, come and help us". I thought to myself, "Goodness we are in a place of business, why are they hollering?" I tried to looked around the folks who were in line, and saw the baby's mom crying hysterically and waving for me to come and do something. Then Rosa, who is always composed, was screaming to come and help. The rest was a blur. I ran over there, snatched up the baby and saw that she was listless and blue. There was a lady to my right who was praying in a fierce way and very loud. I praise God for this woman who was interceding for my girls and for me. I ran my finger down the baby's throat to make sure she wasn't choking. Her eyes were closed and I turned her upside down, and hit her between her shoulders, and she breathed in. I flipped her back around and she was with eyes open, but they were closing again. I blew in her face, and she didn't like that. The guy next to me snatched her from me and tried to give her mouth, but she was so listless he could keep her head from flopping around he could not. We worked together and I blew into her mouth, not knowing if we were doing anything at all. I finally remembered that once when my Aunt Bess who lived alone told me a story about getting choked on chips. She flung herself on the arm of her padded sofa on her stomach and she regained her breath. I thought at the time that was pretty intense thinking. Well I didn't do that, but I took my finger tips and pressed in and upward on her stomach. Then I would raise her arms, while the other guy helped me. I kept stretching her arms up, short pushes with my fingertips and she would catch her breath. Then I just started blowing hard in her face and she would catch her breath. </div>
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Meanwhile, the mom had lost it. The manager of the bank told me to go with the guard and they took us to his truck that was waiting with his driver and drove us to a clinic. When the truck stopped, I grabbed the baby, and the mom while we ran inside the clinic and told the nurse that the baby wasn't breathing well. The young nurse rushed me to a room and they rolled in a tall oxygen tank and plugged the baby up to an oxygen mask. Zapped her up with an IV and the doctor raced in and saw that it was me and ask if this was one of my girls. He used to work at the public hospital, but now he has built his own little private hospital. I said weakly said, "yes", and thought later "second generation". Then he was all business occupied with the baby and told us that the baby was having a type of seizure. He said she had a high fever and so under his instruction the nurse, put medicine in the IV for seizures for a 9 month old and medicine to drop the baby's temperature. Everything happened so fast. I left my purse, my phone, everything in the bank. I knew Rosa would get it, but I couldn't call her to tell her where we were or what was happening. The bank manager had left the bank and came back into the emergency room with us and said "Listen if I can do anything else let me know". I told him how grateful we were for getting us to this clinic with his driver and that we appreciated his staff and clients there at the bank being so helpful at our time of need. I asked him if he tell would tell Rosa where we were. </div>
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The baby and the mom finally got settled down and were okay. So many wonderful things happened during this disaster. The first and foremost is that God showed me again just how amazing He is. The girls who were in the bank getting their affairs in order had come to my house the day before ready to go to the bank like we had planned. But because Rosa couldn't come that day, I postponed going to the bank yesterday and planned it for today. The baby's mom lives way back in the woods and very far away and has no phone or transportation, except for walking. The baby had gotten up with a with a fever the next morning, which was today. The mom gave her teething baby some tylenol, like 98 percent of the moms out there would have done, and continued her plans to go the bank. The baby had no cough or other symptoms and has been a healthy baby up to this point. However, if we had gone to the bank the day before, the mom and baby would have been in their home in the woods when this happened with no phone or close neighbor. If they had gotten miffed yesterday about the change of plans, and decided not to come, they would have been home, again with the same outcome of a possible disaster. </div>
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Today, the baby is fine. She is taking medicine and sees the doctor on Tuesday and this precious little family decided to spend the night with me. I really voted for them to stay the night in the hospital, but we settled on a night at mom's, who is close to the hospital than the wilds of Santa Cruz de Rosario. God made a way. I have cried, laughed, almost collapsed one time and generally have been through the wringer with this day. But what I have found yet again, that God continues to overwhelm me with His goodness. I have been amazed at how things are set into place by God for our good. I had told the doctor I was too old to still be doing all this, but apparently I am not. He knows where I am supposed to be. Please to continue to pray for baby and the mom. Life is so tremendously fragile. Like this precious baby, a genuine replica of her mom, teething and toddling one moment, and the next holding on to life like a transparent silken thread. God showed me once again today, how He is so totally in charge of this world and orchestrates this wild band of humans to make the sound of life a little sweeter today.</div>
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-50573388022574025002018-04-12T21:38:00.003-05:002018-04-12T21:38:54.642-05:00April Showers Bring Bugs and Not Enough Water<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rainy season is cranking up. Everyone is excited and thankful that we<br />have had few early showers. The birds are singing every morning and<br />evening. One bird sounds like a water pipe. Grasshoppers are flying,<br />and those crazy flying beetles are everywhere at night. You here them hitting </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">your house at night. They are in your hair, your covers, and circling any light source. Thankfully it is not like our fellow missionary, who was wrestling last night with<br />46 beetles in her room!!! She counted them. I used to get all whacked </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">about them. Now I just grab them out of my hair and throw them on the tile </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">floor. Life with bugs changes you. It really has been very dry here in Honduras.<br />Other areas of the country had been getting some rains, but we were<br />not getting anything here in our little corner of the world. Even though the </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">rains we have gotten have birthed the beetles, we are thankful for what we have received,<br /><br />We have discovered that even though electricity is very nice, water is<br />necessary for life. I know, being from the States, that it is hard to<br />think about not having electricity. We just call the electric<br />company, and they come quickly and turn it back on. We have<br />discovered that we can live without electricity, but water is mandatory.<br /><br />Three of our PTC girls are going to the public school now.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">There are about 100 children at the school, including the</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">kindergarten and preschool. This week, when we sat down to lunch,</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">our girl from public school told us that the teacher<br />asked them to bring a coke bottle of water to school. There is no<br />water for them except for the rationed 3 gallons the households get<br />daily from the community water project early in the morning. With<br />those three gallons families have to wash their kids, wash their<br />clothes and have drinking water and water to cook with. This is not<br />even enough. Today, I was washing my clothes by hand. It took me two<br />large rubber-made trashcan tubs to get my weekly clothes clean .<br /><br />Rosa and Lina told me a month ago that the water situation in our<br />community was bad, but now it is getting critical. I decided to get<br />the workers to dig a connection spigot from our church to the gate at<br />the fence, so people could get drinking water from our well.<br />Also this week we took a 5 gallon water jug with the dispenser that<br />was in our mission house to the little public school. When I arrived I saw</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">the coke bottles and they had water in them but it wasn't even clear at all. It broke my heart to know that I have water and the children of the community are drinking this water.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We will keep the blue water jugs changed everyday. Please pray about how we can<br />get more water here for this community. There has to be an answer to this situation.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> There were 7 families including ours 23 years ago and water was an issue then. At that time in our mission life, we were catching water from the roof for my<br />cooking water. Now, there are almost 200 families here. They have<br />had various water projects, but the projects can't keep up with the<br />growth in our community. They need a well.<br /><br />The girls and I were talking last night in devotions. Our community<br />needs a lot of things, but the main need is to have Jesus. He is the<br />most necessary thing we need for life. They need Jesus so they will<br />never thirst again. He knows what we need, knows what our community<br />needs. Please continue to pray for a solution for El Obispo and a revival for this mountain.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">House number 5 is now open for business. Crosspointe Church in Valdosta, has helped us with this project. We have 4 of our little girls in there as of this week. Kelsey McHugh is in charge of them. I don't know who is having a better time, the girls or Kelsey. She was telling me tonight how they just started a memorized prayer at bedtime and they all wanted to pray in English, except of course our new little one. Kelsey was so moved by their prayers that she was near tears telling me about it. Pray for Kelsey. The girls she has are great, but they are little and it is a huge undertaking for this young missionary. So proud of her.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There are 4 boys in the House of Nain. Three of them are in the bi-lingual school and Wesley and Suzanne are the caretakers of these boys. The smallest one will run for president this next year. Wesley ran inside the hardware store to get some supplies. The little 3 year old slipped into the front seat and grabbed the keys to the ignition to turn them. Wesley said, "No, don't touch", in Spanish. A phrase he had to learn first off with this boy. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Wesley in earnest, started explaining in English why he wasn't to touch the keys. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The 3 year old looked at him and said in Spanish, "Well don't cry about it". He is hysterical and very attached to Mr. Wesley. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ken and Katrina are back for the next 6 weeks. They are a huge help with the girls, and a wonderful help to me running errands so I don't have to. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We are planting coffee plants again. We are planning to have about 6000 planted on our farm and House of Nain. It is so wonderful to watch this process begin. A local coffee shop located at different locations in South GA called RED OWL will begin to feature our coffee. I will send photos. Exciting times.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Please Pray for Rain and for sufficient water,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pray for permanent water solutions, and everlasting spiritual water from the well that never runs dry. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Pray for a revival here on this mountain.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Pray for our girls and our staff to be aware of our community and pray accordingly</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Pray for our girls, who are practicing for more 5 K races this summer.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">They are excited to be able to attend these races.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Pray for the teachers </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">who are helping train our girls. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pray for the teachers that are teaching our girls after school dance, baton </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">twirling, and tumbling. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thanks for all the prayers and gifts. Thanks to all of our teams who have worked liked Trojans this year. Pray for us to be more aware of our neighbors. Blessings, from the Extremely Thankful Honduran MOM </span></div>
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-81570882922364015932018-02-20T17:40:00.002-06:002018-02-20T17:42:51.236-06:00Busy <br />
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Greetings,</div>
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Happy New Year and Happy Valentines Day,</div>
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I have been out of pocket. I had planned to stay the full month of December here in Honduras, but we had a tragic death in the family. Thanks for all the prayers for our family. I returned shortly afterward to Honduras to do Christmas with the girls at PTC. </div>
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Last year, I was invited by my girls to take my first real vacation in years. We had such a good time, that I was invited by my girls to take another vacation with them this year. So this is a real treat for me to be able to be with my family on our second annual Mother-Daughter vacation! We packed Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, and any other holiday we missed through the year into this vacation. </div>
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My daughters, are extremely thrifty and they organized every aspect of the holiday. One of my daughters is brilliant about finding travel deals. She found the one last year, and found that if we travel on "off season" it is crazy affordable. The instructions for this groupon was not to try to see everything, but they don't know my girls. Last year, I termed a phrase of "extreme tourism" being with my girls for 5 days. It was our own version of the Amazing Race. We try to do everything and see everything, and eat everything in a small period of time and we succeed. Depending on whose pedometer was correct, we walk 6 to 7 miles each day, and that is not including the miles that we put on our passes for the public transport system. I thought because the deal was so inexpensive, that the accommodations for hotel and food, might be a little under par, but this was not the case. Everything was so amazing and I am so thankful that God made a way for us to have these memories together. </div>
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We only had a couple of snafus. One was that we took a lot of metros. These trains are like you find at the biggest airports, only they don't give you a warning about the doors closing. The train have vacuum doors and move faster than my girls at the farm, when I announce that I have ice cream. The trains schedules were very complicated and so 3 months ago we agreed on the daughter who needed to be in charge of that particular job of transport. She was amazing with her phone apps. Because of the speed of closing doors, she would look at all of us and instruct us, "If for whatever reason, we get separated, just stay at the station you are at and we will come back and get you". I don't know if it was just me, but I thought my girls were always looking at me during her announcement. They would say repeatedly, "Mama we are going to get off in 2 stops, then, In one stop, and then, Mom are you ready?" and we would disembark. I was glad really, that they were keeping me on my toes. </div>
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One time, though our fearless leader, stepped back around to grab her water bottle and the door closed. She put both hands on the window with a look of her phone Emojis "OH NO!!". WE thought, " OK, she has the phone, the app, and the directions. We have an appointment at 11:00 a.m. for my youngest's birthday celebration". I said, "OK we will wait". My oldest said, "I am going down and meet her on the landing". Which I said with my Mama Knows Best Voice and Look, "No, we are to stay together". She looked at me with her, "Mama, I Am a Grown Woman Look", and I realized, she is right, she is smart and had been watching her sister and learned how to use this transit system too. So I acquiesced and knew she was right. It is a very cool thing to see your kids grown, able to process whatever life hands them. My girls are fearless! Fifteen minutes later, my runaway daughter, jumped onto the station platform, arms extend with a "TADA" announcement, rewarding us with her huge signature smile. All was forgotten and we all started walking to continued our journey and made our appointment to the High Tea Birthday Party. </div>
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Usually, at the beginning of the year, I pray towards what God wants me to accomplish and set some goals for the year. Even with all our activity and my travels, God showed me so many things about myself, our ministry here in Honduras and Stateside while I was touring around with my girls. During our time of our public transport, I observed how everyone knew everyone else even though though their transport system went miles around the city. I marveled at how the people were warm, kind and extremely helpful to us. The people had community on their bus and train systems with each other and with strangers. They would be laughing and talking to each other everyday as each traveler would enter the vacuum sealed doors. Even though they didn't live in the same community, they interacted with each other during their ride. There were a few young people who had the proverbial head phones on, but they seemed aware of who was around them and what was transpiring. The bus and train became a different kind of mobile community. </div>
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Contrasting this way of transportation with the system in the United States, we get into our own cars, and turn on our own personal music playlist and arrive at a destination. On my ride to Atlanta, there were only a few vehicles that were in the "Ride Share" lane. I got a phrase "immunity of community" come into my mind. We need to get to work, do our jobs, and race to the house to tend to our own full lives. Maybe we'll see each other at church, but many watch podcasts, or go at the 11:00 service and miss the folks they know because they went to the 9:45 service. Our children have friends at school, but because of the diversity of schools and the demise of the local schools, they won't see a neighborhood child at school, nor their parents. They might see each other at a game for their children. Our culture out of necessity, have both parents working and the community is not connecting. </div>
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Missionaries visiting their families while on furlough, traditionally have a hard time connecting with their family and friends. Everyone's lives are so busy. It is hard to jump in and find a time to visit. Everyone has so many commitments.</div>
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It seems crazy with all the personal cell phones, Facebook, instagram, twitter, and chat rooms on our personal computers, that we should making huge strides in connecting with each other. It should be easier to be up close and personal, but it seems, we are more estranged than ever. I was told that many people don't even know who their neighbors are or if they do know their neighbors, they just throw their hand up and wave, but really don't have that close connection with the people who have lived steps away from their own house for years.</div>
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Now lest you think I am judging, as a missionary, I find myself doing the same thing here at the mission. I am "busy" with our girls, our staff, the farm and the teams who come to minister to us. I throw up my hand to wave at my neighbors, but I am not entering into a relationship or praying for the "unity of community" with them. The girls and I have done visitations, which we all love doing, put we have to be purposeful to do so. Even in our tiny rural community we have been bitten by the "busy" bug too. </div>
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Last year, I started off doing better about staying on point with my prayer time, my family and friends, but I find that I get too busy. "Busy" is a very small word, but it keeps us worlds apart. Busy: having a great deal to do, concentrating on a particular activity or object of attention. Full of activity, being very occupied. None of those definitions sounds like where God is with us nor where He wants me to be. I heard a statement years ago from a pastor, "If the enemy can't get you to take your foot off the gas pedal, he will press it gas pedal to the floor.", both have the same result. I want the object of my attention to be the Lord.</div>
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So for this year, my desire is to put my attention more towards God not be too "busy" to see what direction He is pointing. I pray that I can know more about Him first and then my neighbor this year. I pray He will do the same for our girls here at PTC. This morning at devotions, one of the teachers said, "You never know how much a kind word or a purposed visit might mean to someone." </div>
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Thanks to all of you who continue to pray for us . I am refreshedly exhausted, but blessed seeing so much of the God inspired beauty this world has been given. Thanks to all of you who continue to pray for our ministry here in Honduras. Our boys home, Casa de Nain, run by Wesley and Suzanne Jarrard, now has three boys. God is continuing to complete His vision for the ministry. </div>
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Blessings to all of you from the Thankful For the Time with My Family, Recuperating from her Vacation,Honduran MOM </div>
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-5684341322531658302017-12-03T00:34:00.000-06:002017-12-03T00:34:20.494-06:00Be a Little More Christmas-Like<br />
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So my sisters and I were talking the other day and they said "You don't have a mean bone in your body". I started to snort with laughter, until I realized they were serious. On my second thought, I wanted to believe it myself and not dispel their thoughts about me. I got pretty convicted about it, so I said to myself that I would tell them later and then since I didn't really move fast enough, God helped me out..</div>
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We had been to a family funeral. So extremely sad and it was a military funeral of a very young, but talented recruit. I flew home to be able to be with my family. It was the saddest thing. Also during that same week, I found out that while I was away, the Hondurans had their elections. The Hondurans always have a lively election, just like the United States. I have yet to pick who was going to win correctly in either country. However, after I left, there was a hesitation in the results of the vote, which spawned a huge problem there in the country. Today, Honduras is under marshal law and have closed the airports for right now until everything gets calmer. I have my Honduran children there. I love the country, my kids, my staff, the interns and the Honduran people. I was reading scripture today in Psalms 46. God reassuring me that He is our refuge and strength and a very present help in time of need. I contacted interns families, and went to our family gathering at the funeral home to encourage the family that our lovely nephew left waiting on the other side of the glass. </div>
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So we ate a huge Southern Style lunch at a church, who graciously made lunch for our family and the fellow recruits from the Army, who came down to help with the military funeral. Afterward we went to my oldest daughter's house and visited with my kids and grand kids for a bit before they had to go to work or go home. I just wanted to do something normal and so we decided because of the stressed filled day, we would order pizza and watch a movie at the house. So we called the pizza place and asked if they take credit cards. "Yes," was the resounding answer. We continued with our wonderful plan. "Do you have a white spinach pizza? " Again "Yes", it is called the Mondo Cheesey". "Okay" we said, "that is what we want". They said, "But it is going to cost you more". "Okay," we said a little more reluctantly. WE were on a roll, but we had to go pick it up. </div>
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We arrived and they said "Your pizza is ready". I gave them my credit card. "Oh", they said, "We don't take that credit card, do you have another card?" I told them I that I did, but I thought they said they took credit cards. "Who said that?" I thought to myself, "Someone here must have", but I didn't say anything as I reached in my wallet for my debit card. While they were running my card, they told me to look at the pizza to make sure that they had my order correct. I first I thought that I didn't need to look, because we had been so specific, but they insisted. So I looked at the pizza. No spinach. I asked about why there wasn't any spinach. They said, "That would be the Napolitano and you order the Mondo cheesy." We countered with, " But we were told the Mondo Cheesy came with spinach". "Who said that"? Again, I thought, "Hmmmm, ", but I didn't say anything. I was irritated, and as she gave me a receipt, she said said all perky and peppy, "Hey, here is your receipt," and on the back is a survey for you to tell us how we are doing. She continued "If you fill it out you can get a cup of our cheesy whiz sauce, the next time you come back to get your Napolitano". She finished her speech with a big smile. I couldn't look at my daughter and she couldn't look at me, lest we burst out laughing. I got in the car, ticked off about our order. (Remember we had already had an unusally big meal that afternoon) I thought, "because my order was mishandled, I should have asked for my cup of cheesy whiz, and they should have given us breadsticks to go with it". I continued with my dissertation, "That the next time we will write down who it is that we talk too, and when they ask, "Who said that?" I will say, "It was you!" As I slung my hand into the air for dramatic effect, I saw that I had my jewelry on my indignant arm and fingers. The girl that waited on us clearly was struggling with life. I had a hard week, and she has had a hard life. I was laughing at situation to relieve stress, but I thought about if I had of acted on what I was thinking and saying at hardship of someone else, then that is mean. </div>
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I know there is a lot of stress out there during the holidays. There are a lot of things that are really not that important, that seem to be important. These events are even more concentrated during the holidays. WE need not to be looking so much about how we can be blessed or served, but about how to bless and serve others even in small ways. Being kind and looking for ways to be kind to others is scriptural. Even when we are having a bad days, we can be loving, we can be kind and we can be <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Christ</span>mas-<span style="text-decoration: underline;">like</span>. Have a Merry Christmas r</div>
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-90189328666023737192017-11-17T10:13:00.002-06:002017-11-17T10:13:22.255-06:00Lace Up Your Shoes <br />
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My I-phone camera has become my new journal. I used to journal all the time. I don't know where all my hours have gone that I used to spend on my journals, but that is the life I lead now and is my new reality. My days flow into each other. I have heard, in times past, that the older you get the faster the clock seems to be running. I feel like my clock is sprinting on time lapse and I am thankful that I am keeping the pace with what God has for me. I am thankful, that even though the music of my life is faster and the pace is swift, God keeps my dance card filled and my feet are ready. </div>
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Our girls are running! They have a competition in their school for different events. One of the events is a 5K. They run home from school at least 3 times a week. I am amazed at that! If you knew the terrain of the dirt road after they leave the big white gate at the school you would be amazed also. When they reach the pavement of the highway, it is still pretty uphill with just a few dips. Yet the girls run. Some of them walk/run, some run wide open, and some just walk, but they all arrive home. (I am going to use that for our next devotional.) Everyone of them feel accomplished and have their little endorphins running alongside of them. They ran their first competition a few weeks ago. One of our girls came in first place in her division and another came in 3rd. It was a perfect day here in Intibuca to run. I am thankful for all the teachers and staff that are training and investing in our girls. I am blessed and we are blessed. </div>
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The older girls who are in Abundant Life Christian School, went to the capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, to experience the Honduras Symphonic Orchestra. It was held at the Abundant Life Church. Our girls were beyond excited at the opportunity to go to this event. We traveled to the Capital in two sets of busses and the girls got to spend the night in a nice hotel, dressed up in fancy shoes and dresses and wore the jewelry someone made and sent to the girls to wear on a special occasion. We ate out and had a very nice breakfast the next morning before we travel back to our mountain village in El Obispo. The music teacher and several of the other teachers came as chaperones. It was wonderful and I am thankful that my girls got to see and experience their culture, history and music. I am thankful for the teachers who invest and encourage our girls on every level. I am thankful that we all got back safely and were able to share our wonderful experience with the girls that were waiting for us at the house. </div>
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I was able to go to a Women's Retreat Sisterhood Revive, held by the Women of Purpose. They come every year and I signed up months ago. I had totally forgotten the dates until about two days before the event. There were 115 women who attended. That meant that there were 115 sponsors who paid for us to be at the retreat center in Valley of the Angels, paid for our food, people who donated books, gifts, snacks and craft projects. They got the pastors, guest speakers, band members and all of their equipment there to minister to a bunch of very tired missionary women. The theme was about the armor of God andto lace up your spiritual boots. I was so honored to be a part of this group of women. Listening to their stories encouraged me greatly in the work we have all be called to do here in Honduras. I am so thankful to all the sponsors, and the team who made this possible to revive so many women in 4 days. It was exciting to know that I have so many co-laborers on this field in Honduras Life-giving!</div>
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Most of this month apparently is about our feet. The Word says how beautiful are the feet of them who bring the good news of the Gospel. I want to say thank you to all of you and your feet who have encouraged me through thick and thin over the path I have been walking, running, dancing and sometimes stomping around in for this 23 year old adventure in Honduras. Thanks to both boards of Such is the Kingdom Ministries and to all the teams who come and give of themselves to pray, build, encourage and evangelize our mission community around Project Talitha Cumi. I am thankful to God for calling me here, and for giving me a super supportive family, and church that continue to care over us with prayer. Happy Thanksgiving from the Happily Stomping but Thankful, Revived, Honduran MOM</div>
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-56962022799752480042017-10-24T17:12:00.000-05:002017-10-24T17:12:16.102-05:00You Are My Hiding Place<br />
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Greetings All,</div>
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This year has already flown by. I can't believe the holidays are upon us! We haven't started gearing up for Thanksgiving yet, but we are hoping to get started with all of our Holiday Planning. We love the Holidays and we usually start planning pretty early, but with the girls in school, there is always something going on. This past week they were in training for their first 5K marathon! Jake and Rachael, directors of the Abundant Life School that the girls attend, were their trainers. They would run from the school to the mission, which I thought was pretty impressive. I don't think I could have made it down the hill to the school, let alone up that hill and then all the way home!! Jake and Rachael asked me if I wanted to start training with them. Those guys are so sweet to include me in the training plans, but normally the only time I run is when something is wrong, i.e. there is a fire, a toddler has a stack of folding chairs collapse on top of her while she was trying to help, or trying to get my phone that I left on a table somewhere. Also, I am too busy being amazed at how well my girls are adapting to all this running everyday. We have had some girls that have benefited greatly by all the endorphins that have kicked in. They have had a super great attitude and we are amazed at the difference in their responses in general. The girls are sleeping better, doing better at school and at home, and are more excited about life in general. Training for this marathon gave them a dose of self esteem that has been amazing. The 5K was a fund raiser for an organization in La Esperanza that help young people with special needs. Miledy came in First Place in her division and Maite came in 3rd Place. The other girls did really well and all of them finished the race!! Two of my girls developed nose bleed and they kept running until they got over the finish line. Even though I was anxious about this new development of nose bleeds while running, I was so proud of all of them. </div>
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This week end the girls have a trip to Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras to go see the Honduras Symphony Orchestra. When I lived and worked in the States, I would go to the Symphony Event in Valdosta. It was a wonderful event a great fund raiser for children who wanted to learn how to play instruments. This night is also a fund raiser for the Abundant Life School, to help kids go to a bi-lingual christian school, who would not have that opportunity otherwise. I am going as a chaperone to help with the "50 some" children from the Abundant Life Christian School, where the girls from our PTC mission go to school. WE are all excited about the trip. I will send photos before, during and after the event. </div>
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I have moved up the road a bit. I had to go into a hiding place. I am still at the mission, just in a different house. I am settled and it seems to be be working out. I am at the mission house and the mission house is my old house. There were some practical reasons why I moved such as:</div>
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<li style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"> It will keep the teams closer to the girls and we don't have to haul all the luggage through the mud and mire to the mission house. We just unload right here.</li>
<li style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"> The other day we got a container and we just unloaded it in the mission house. It was great. No moving stuff from here to there, it just goes to one place. </li>
<li style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">We are closer to the team members and can know what they need and the storeroom is right here close to the mission house.</li>
<li style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">They have an internet for their team leaders that works on the porch or kitchen.</li>
<li style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"> Not a long walk for circulo</li>
<li style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Closer to the kitchen and dining hall. </li>
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<li style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The other good news, is that I have a place to stop. I walk to the former mission house and say goodnight to the girls and my day is over. </li>
<li style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I can be quiet. </li>
<li style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Read my Word</li>
<li style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Pray </li>
<li style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I have Sunday afternoon off! It has been a great 2 weeks! Once again, the Lord shows me He knows what He's talking about. We need a day</li>
<li style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"> I needed some rest. </li>
<li style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I needed a day off (first official day off ever)</li>
<li style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I needed no internet. </li>
<li style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I pray first thing when I wake up which hasn't happened in a while. I have read some books, but more exciting is that I have been sleeping all the night through! That my friends is amazing! I was beginning to think it was never going to happen again. I had coined a phrase that "sleep was overrated" I had never even considered moving away from my house, because it was mine and I thought I had to be right here with the girls. God is able to keep us all safe and He is able to send the people I need who are very competent to help me with the girls. I have a great group of interns and I am blessed.</li>
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Since I have moved, the girls have been talking to me in Spanish, faster and faster. I guess they want to get it all in before I go back to my house. I have to look them in the eyes and watch their lips move, and sometimes I have to get them to repeat themselves, or ask them to speak in English. Either way, I really have to be focused, and I am enjoying being with them more than ever. My prayer now is to keep focused on what else the Lord has been trying to tell me. I know I have wasted a lot of time, but even in that remorse, He doesn't condemn me. I saw a cartoon on Facebook a few years ago. It had a lamb in a lawn chair with headphones on listening to his music, his cell phone in one hand, a cup of coffee in another, and a stack of Christian books beside his lawn chair. The caption was the lamb saying, "I just don't understand why I can't hear from the Lord". Sometimes we get so busy ( even with good things) we don't take time to listen to Him speak to us. He is speaking to us, sometimes it is in HIs silence, but other times it is in a still small voice. We have to be in the silence and focused to listen. I pray you find your spot where you can be alone and hide with HIM. </div>
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Thanks to all of you who continue to love on our girls, and pray for them. We appreciate everything you have done to keep this ministry going through all the gifts and prayers. Thanks to all of our interns and other missionaries who are on the field with us here in Honduras. Thanks for helping them to be able to stay here. WE are blessed. Blessings to you all from the Hidden away Honduran MOM. </div>
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You are my hiding place, you always fill my heart with songs of deliverance whenever I am afraid I will trust in you. Let the weak say I am strong in the strength of my Lord. </div>
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-64991835686765746422017-08-31T10:38:00.000-05:002017-08-31T10:38:54.491-05:00Changes<br />
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Greetings,</div>
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I got back home to Honduras on the 15th of August. When I arrived with all my bags of new school shoes for the girls. With some creative packing I didn't have to pay for another bag, but I did have to explain to the suspicious customs agent why I needed 23 pairs of children's shoes. Rosa had sent me a ministry letter to receive the shoes, but it was in my phone, and I need to get it printed off next time. Rosa came to pick me up in a rented truck that had a driver,at the San Pedro Sula airport. It was so great to see her. It took the whole 3 1/2 hour ride just to catch up on all the news of the girls for the 21 days I was in the United States. I really enjoyed my time in the States, but it was great to be in Honduras once more. </div>
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The theme for my trip was about change. I left with one of our girls Mary. She had been in St. Louis Missouri living with her host family, the Duralls for the last two years attending and then graduating from a Christian High School. She had come home for the summer and worked like a trojan helping me with the teams and the girls, but she was going back as a Trojan to Hannibal La Grange University in Missouri. She received a soccer and an academic scholarship to attend this wonderful school. She is going to be in a season of change with living 3 hours away from her host family and on her own at the University. Exciting!</div>
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Our first stop was with one of my daughters that lives in Tomball, Texas, close to Houston. Since moving from Honduras to the United States, she has been going through a lot of changes in living and working in the United States. I had never met her new extended family and I was thankful that she lives in a lovely area out in the country. She and her husband drove us down to New Braunsfels, Texas so that I could attend a training seminar to become a commissioned missionary. I met a lot of their wonderfully dedicated staff with the World Indigenous Missions Organization. WIM is a missionary training and church planting agency that help keep missionaries on the field. They are a huge resource for missionaries, through their love, member care programs, and continual education to help keep missionaries on the field. I thought I was there for training and support of a fellow missionary, Kelsey McHugh, but while I was there, I learned a lot and God showed me there was going to be a changes going on with our Such Is the Kingdom Ministry also. </div>
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I have a wonderful board here in Honduras and one in the United States. We truly love one another and they have loved this mission, our girls and our community. </div>
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I am thankful that they will all continue to have their hearts and continue to serve in one capacity or another. Basically, I will still be the Director and President of the Honduran mission, Ministerio Asi Es El Reino. I will also continue to be a board member of the "parent" ministry of SIKM INC, but I am now a part of the World Indigenous Missionary family #293. I will be sending out newsletters from WIM organization, writing about the girls and the journey that God has had us on for more than 22 years now. I am supposed to limit myself to 400 words, which as many of you know, I have never done that in newsletters or in verbal conversation, but again, change is coming. If you want to donate to the SIKM, great. Send your donation to SIKM 628 DOERUN, GA 31744. If you want to donate to SIKM through WIM, great there will be an envelope. It all goes to the mission of the girls and the community as usual, outside of 10%(which we would tithe anyway) will go to WIM (unless it is a designated project or purchase related to ministry) and you will still receive a receipt of donation, either way for now. </div>
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My next stop was Atlanta, to be with my other daughter. She was having her second child and this time is was a girl. I got to be with my family and extended family for this joyous time. This is the first girl for them and their times are about to change. During this reunion, my baby girl came and picked me up and drove me all the way home to Valdosta. We talked like we hadn't talk in forever, because we were isolated in the car for a long time with no interruptions. It was great. I think I might start road trips just so that I can have that personal one on one time with each family member. I went to my grandsons birthday party in Tallahassee and got to see and be with all my grandkids. I am blessed.</div>
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My dad is 84 now. When I come home, I come to check in with him. I think how can he be 84? Then I remember I am 62 in two days and it becomes clearer. He was given a different room at his care facility and I wanted to see him and make sure he was doing okay with the change. He was fine with it. He had made new friends and I really couldn't see any change much in his accommodations. We had some adventures together, went out to eat and visited with family. I did notice little changes though, in some areas. He shuffles a little more, and when we were on our last outing with family, he seemed anxious to be back to his familiar environment. I am thankful that he is still a healthy older gentleman without a lot of serious health issues. Please pray for my Dad. </div>
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As all these changes are coming about in my life and the life of the ministry I am amazed how God is answering so many of my questions about my life and the life of SIKM. While I was in my church, and I wasn't even thinking about the ministry at that moment. I was listening to the sermon and God gave me a sweet reminder that "The Kingdom" is His and not mine. I just want to thank you all for so much help this year. </div>
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Thank you for all your prayers and support. Through buying the girls coffee, and through sponsorships, we have been able to keep the girls in a school that everyone of them love. Because of your prayers we are working with other ministries in our area. George and Kara are leading the church and their ministry is to train indigenous pastors and plant churches. Jake and Rachael are the directors of the bi-lingual school and they are a huge help with our girls. We have a whole new group of teachers from the United States who also live at our mission, who are loving on our girls. Jon and Alicia Looney are also ministering mightily in our area. Wesley and Suzanne have their first boy at our boys home, House of Nain, who also attends the bi-lingual school. </div>
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Again so many exciting things changing in the Kingdom. I pray that getting more of God continues to be the only thing you really need. Blessings from the ever-changing Honduran MOM</div>
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-17196328593950561422017-07-18T18:51:00.000-05:002017-07-18T18:51:44.244-05:00Launching Eaglets<br />
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I haven't written in a while. We have had a super time with so many teams so far this summer. We had some teams that over-lapped each other and that was kind of wild, but for the most part it went really well having 60 people including my 32 kids, staff, in your home. It was very crazy cooking for this amount of people. I have cooked for large amounts of people in the past, but it was just one meal, not breakfast, lunch and dinner. A couple of times I just ordered a lot of Chinese rice take-out. It worked. </div>
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During the course of all the work the teams were doing for the mission, which included two medical teams, visiting schools and helping with fixing up things around here, cooking for the week, helping us with our new walkway/driveway, the girls got out of school for holiday. It stepped up the degree of difficulty, because we had to establish a new routine for the girls to have everyday. Our interns opened a school in the barn that we cleaned out and set up with desks for them to have a make-shift school. They would have classes from 8:00 to 12:00 and then P.E. or dance after lunch. Many of the team members helped with games, crafts and devotions with Bible studies. WE had other teams play Soccer and Capture the Flag Lots of good memories were made with the girls and the team members that were helping me keep the girls occupied.</div>
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We also have started up our church again. George and Kara Maddox are a young couple with three wonderful children who are missionaries established here in Yamaranguila for many years. They have a ministry of church planting and training Honduran pastors. So God put it on my heart to asked them to come and use our church for a place of training and planting a church once again. We have had services in our church for the past 4 weeks and it has been great. George has a desire for all of us to catch what he is teaching and preaches with an earnest hope that we will. We did home visits with some of our teams and we had many local people to come and visit this week. It is exciting to see some of the adults that came were the children who used to attend many years ago. </div>
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It is also a huge blessing to me and to the community to see ministries working together for the cause of Christ. Wesley and Suzanne and Jonathon and Sofi are WIM missionaries who have been working here this year. Ken and Katrina are WIM missionaries also that will start working in September. Our interns Katheryn and Ragan have been the summer interns who have been helping me with the "littles". That was always the vision for our church and I pray as the church grows the other ministries in the area will come alongside and contribute what God has given them for this community. </div>
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We are in transition here at PTC. We have girls that have come from a lot of different circumstances, but all of them come from tough situations to say the least. However, some of the girls come from horrible situations. Some have people and family to visit regularly, and some do not have any visitors at all. Some of the girls had been here for 19 years and some had been here a short time. All struggle with many of the same things as your children and other children around the world do. Self esteem is something that is so hard to instill in these girls. They have so many abilities and talents. Some are very artistic, all of them are very smart, some love to dance and some love to read. All of them can figure out the crafts the team brings and then they put their own spin on it to make it theirs. They are all quite amazing. </div>
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I noticed for months now that the older ones were getting a little restless. They were studying at the university, or at a technical nursing school, or at a beautician school. Since May we have had a couple of the girls really struggling with depression. When you are depressed nothing is right. I have suffered from depression years ago when I was in my twenties and it is truly a scary time, but thankfully I got saved and God restored my mind, heart and attitude. However, with a few of the girls, it wasn't to be like that. Sometimes, when you are depressed you are so miserable you can do nothing but find fault the lives of others or in your own life. It becomes a cancer of sorts, that becomes viral and it eats away at the core of who you are. I started noticing a personality change in some of my girls. Girls who in the past who had been so incredibly sweet, kind, and helpful, became resentful, negative and sullen. I didn't know what to do. You look for reason in yourself. Am I praying enough? Am I being loving enough? Am I encouraging them enough? Again, I know through my own testimony, that empty place can only be filled by Jesus, everything else is temporary. </div>
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When visitors come to the farm for the first time they tell me that you can feel such a sweet spirit here. Love is here because the Lord is the foundation of what we are doing here at Project Talitha Cumi. God has blessed us in so many areas. The girls who struggle with depression have gone to doctors that were recommended by the local doctors in our area. With each Doctor the girls saw, they would say that they were depressed, but that they were in the best place they could be to get over their depression. They would give them some things they needed to do, and they would be better for a season, and they felt assured that everything would be better. I would agree and pray for their success. Again, it was needful, but temporary.</div>
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There is another phenomenon that I have seen at the farm, when a girl starts getting restless to leave. It is a natural occurrence, and it affects their personality too. I called a couple of the older girls into the office to talk with them. I told them that life is a process, and that the feelings they are struggling with are normal. I told them the story of how a mama eagle prepares her nest to the point that she tears out her feathers to make sure the nest will be comfortable. But sometime she make it too comfortable for them to leave when they are old enough and she has to remove the soft plumage from the nest and the baby eaglets very uncomfortable because they are on sticks. If the eaglets still will not fly they will pull out the sticks and let them fall or grabs them and flies high and drops them. She circles back around and picks them up if they don't get it. I told them for right now we were on the level of removing feathers. Before I talked to the girls, I prayed and God showed me that some of the girls were just afraid to leave and of the unknown. They knew how the farm operated, but they didn't know what it was like out side of the farm. I felt like they were stirring themselves up just to get upset enough to leave. God showed me also that they really didn't have to trust Him for anything because the ministry and all the generous loving people, who love the girls and help us with this ministry were all the girls thought they needed. They had no need of anything that the ministry didn't provide. And even though the farm is wonderful, and we had made a great foundation for the girls of devotions morning and night and church on Sunday, they didn't have that hunger to seek God to fill that place that only He can fill in their lives. What we provided, (outside of Love and a foundation of God's Word) is just temporary until they decided to build on their own foundation. </div>
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So in this month we have had several girls who were 18 and older to move out of the center. One girl moved in with her mom whose health is failing rapidly. We have girls who are in college and will not be home as much as they used too with their increasing responsibilities of study at their universities. It has been a strange thing not having them here, but again, I have to keep reminding myself the time they are to be here is only a window and temporary. The goal is to get them out there with the tools to help them live successful lives. Empty nests affects the mama eagle too. They have gotten jobs, moved in with family members. ( Some younger girls just left because they felt like they were part of the older girls even though there was at least 4 years difference. That is another story) They all seem to be doing well in their new locations, but they are missed. You feel good that you accomplished what God asked you to do, but you think of so many things, that you wanted to finish up with them, but then temporary is over and now they need to rely on permanence of God. </div>
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I want to thank all of you who have supported, loved and prayed for our girls over the years to get them to this point. I know God will send more, but for now I am content with the 21 girls that remain and the challenges they bring to the table. Please continue to pray for our mission and the young women who are now living outside the farm. The good news is the ones who have phones, call and check in on the news from home. One girl visits every Sunday on her day off. In getting them ready to launch out, the other part of the vision is that they always have a home to come back to visit. Pray for me for the adjustment of having mostly middle schoolers as our oldest girls. Pray that I will reconcile the feeling of loss that mom's feel when a child leaves the home. Blessings, from the Honduran MOM. </div>
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-12109494686435690612017-03-27T13:42:00.001-05:002017-03-27T13:42:38.920-05:00Life is Electric<!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?-->
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Greetings,</div>
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We had to go to Tegucigalpa again to re-register for an electrical project. Honduras has recently had a company from Columbia to take over the payment part of their electric company that has always been called, ENEE. ENEE still have the original guys, who have yellow helmets, ladders and work trucks, but this new branch EEH (Electric Energy of Honduras) is like a bank. They receive all payments, for projects or monthly electric bills. We were trying to get the House of Nain (our new boy's home) electricity. We initially were with an electrical project from ENEE last year with our neighbors in the area, before the new electric company came to town. That project was being funded by a private non- profit organization. The transformer was supposed to be placed on our farm, but while I was in the United States, the powers that be, place the two transformers on opposite ends of our farm, in which the two transformers were so far from each other it left us with no current. Meantime, the new electric company came into power, and so we had to start another electrical project of our own to get electricity to our new boy's center. This entailed buying a transformer and a large electrical pole, hiring an electrical engineer, and other costly purchases such as wire, and a trip to Tegucigalpa. We also had to go to the Toyota dealership in Tegucigalpa to discuss a defective clutch on our van. We were going to try to get it all done in one trip. :)</div>
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WE had gone to Tegucigalpa the capital, the week before and carried some friends, who also had errands to run in Tegucigalpa. I had to carry the Toyota mini van for its every 3000 kilometer check up. These check-ups were getting costly, having to go back and forth to Tegucigalpa, but I wanted to make sure that the warranty was honored if anything happened to the new van. We needed to get our new project going. Our destination into google maps and it took us to a place that was closed. Right name, but nobody home. It was all closed up, like a governmental building at 4:00 on Friday afternoon. (some things are universal). We then asked where to get to the new electric company. It was across town. We got there and they said we needed to go and get a project number from ENEE, the electrical company here. We told them it was locked up. They said, "No it isn't", and we said "Yes, it was", and it went on from there. So we asked our taxi driver to carry us where they would pay for an electrical project. He carried us to the new EEH, Electrical Energia Honduras. They are basically the bank for the Electric Company, which we had found out about that morning. Across town we went again, and it was not the right place either. We waited an hour for our taxi driver, it was the noon hour and I was watching our fellow team members blood sugar start to get a little on the low side. :) Omar came on the opposite side of the 6 lane busy highway and waved us over. I thought to myself that the Omar, the taxi driver, has lost his mind since I saw him last. He wanted us to cross over an insanely busy highway. Dangerous, but we did it. We were too tired and hungry to care. Meantime, our friends were eating at the Chinese restaurant. Omar carried us to yet another agency. I like to chat with the taxi drivers to find out how long they have been driving a cab. Then I ask about their family and then if they are Christians. Sometimes, politics come up. After the general questions, I try to deduce my life expectancy riding with them. There are more taxi drivers than other regular car owners. </div>
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WE arrived at our new location. We walked up four flights of stairs to tell them that we needed a project number. I was huffing and puffing by the time I got to the office where we needed to be. They said we should go to ENEE, and we told them that was our first stop. They assured us that they were not closed, but that the office is not where the office doors are, but they are down two doors behind an ugly black painted garage door over to the right. This nice young guy drove us over in his car across town. This young engineer arrived at the black hand painted, poorly welded gate and stood his ground and showed his official ENEE badge to a guard and he argued his way into the inter sanctum of the Electrical Company. WE were so thankful that God had sent him to us. </div>
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He guided us through three different offices, and the last office was finally our destination. WE had to wait an hour because the boss just stepped out for lunch. (It was lunch time after all) WE were determined to see it through, even though some team members were starving. WE had wifi and so my fellow team members and I just sat there and caught up on our mail and Facebook. WE were ushered to yet another office where we got our project number. WE gave them our copies that were required, <u><b>but </b></u>we didn't know that WE needed the "required 2 copies", one for ENEE and one for the other new arm of the Electrical company EEH. WE also needed to give them a check for over $1500 US dollars. So we ask them if we could come back and give them the check next week, and they said when the EEH received the receipt that we have paid the ENEE, they would initiate a work order to turn on the electricity at the House of Nain. Earlier in the week, I had put money in the bank for this project. The new amount was more than I was told initially. I left his desk and went out the door. We were closer, but I felt like if I had just put a check in the bank the previous day, and if I had just made two copies, we could have our electricity. I felt defeated and inept. We went and gathered our weary group of travelers, ate chinese, picked up our Toyota vehicle, paid for the revision of said minivan and went home to the hills. </div>
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Two days later, we were carrying 14 people in our less than a year old minivan and the clutch just went out. WE had two vehicles to drop the team at a bus stop and then we were to go and pick up another team at the airport. The team of college students, who had worked so hard that week, were headed to the beach for a day. When I realized the clutch was not working properly, I stopped immediately, but had to find a telephone signal to call the dealership. I had to walk back up the mountain along the busy highway to find a phone signal. Since we had just left the dealership two days before with a clean bill of health on the minivan prior to this mishap, I wanted to know what to do exactly to not have a problem with my guarantee. The team got out of the minivan and I told them I would call the bus line and be waiting to catch a public bus into Siguatepeque. The team members were being so helpful scurrying up and down the mountain from the broken down vehicle, carrying paperwork from the van and delivering messages from the other part of our team who were further up the road.</div>
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I figured the team could catch a bus along the side of the road to take them to their next destination. They had some Spanish speakers with them they would be fine. The mechanic I called told me to call another number, which was the insurance agent. She told me to get a tow truck. She told me that I would have to pay $150 and they would pay the rest. I thought that is reasonable, to go all the way to capital from La Esperanza. The phone kept going out and the insurance agent only had a one way phone. She could call me back, but I couldn't get her, because my number I was calling was a central switch board. I called the mechanic back, and he said everything would be covered if there was no "mal uso" (which means the driver messed up the clutch). They asked me if anyone else had driven the vehicle. I told them "Yes", but just a few times. The van only has 10,000 miles on it. I told them that Wesley had a heavy equipment license and I was sure that he knew how to drive a vehicle with a clutch. They said, "Of course" they said, "So then it couldn't be him that messed up the clutch", which indicated me. Did I mention that a cold front was blowing on the side of the mountain and the young team members were freezing and we kept losing the phone signal and then it started misting rain. I got the team on the bus to the next town, and waited on my mechanic that I have had for the last 4 years. He told me to drive in 2nd gear until we got to the repair shop. He drove behind me with his motorcycle with emergency lights flashing. He called the mechanic from the Toyota dealership when we arrived at his shop. The person on the other end told him to fix the clutch and to send me with the burned up clutch in a box and they would review it. Manuelito fixed the clutch, and I got it back the following Monday. </div>
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The next week we arrived at the Toyota dealership at the capital, another 4 hour drive, on Tuesday. I had my paperwork of how much it cost to fix the clutch. Manuel wrote a note to the company as they had requested, stating exactly what he did to the van. I had the clutch that was burned up in the back of the van and I asked to speak to the mechanic, who knew me from all my check ups on the van. He asked me, "Why did the mechanic fix the minivan"? I told him because someone from this company told him to fix it. They said well he shouldn't have fixed so much. He just needed to basically patch it to get it here. "Hmmm", I thought with three mountain ranges to cross, it was wisdom on the part of the mechanic to fix it. It is a kit and you have to change out the kit for it to work properly. However, because my mechanic was not a licensed Toyota mechanic, they couldn't guarantee his work. I thought, "Okay", but can we establish that the clutch is defective"? They said they had never had a faulty clutch on a minivan <b>ever</b>. Hmmm.. In the history of minivanism, they have never had a faulty clutch??I told him that after having 4 different vehicles at our mission that have had a standard shift for over the last 22 years, I have replaced a lot of things, but my mechanic has <b>never</b> had to replace a faulty clutch. If I had a habit of riding the clutch, I think that would have been established before now. He did see the logic in that and consented to finally take a look at the defective clutch. He took pictures of the clutch and said he would investigate. </div>
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Then it was on to ENEE to pay the check. When we arrived there was another couple before us. Not to bad, we would wait our turn. WE gave them our paperwork that we brought, but they couldn't find our file from the week before. We were there about 45 minutes, and Suzanne and I were praying that "whatever was hidden would be revealed, and whatever was lost would be found", It was a new guy because everything is a new procedure, so we had grace on them. Thankfully, a secretary came in from an early lunch and she found it. We paid our money, and went next door and got our receipt, joyfully explaining our project for girls and boys as we went along. </div>
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WE went to eat with our travel buddies, who also had to return the following week with us for their paperwork situations with Immigration. WE ate and ran back over to present our receipt and our other copies to EEH. We also ran off some more copies for good measure at the copy store. The attendant, who was so thorough, like the "all knowing OZ", kept being interrupted by her supervisor, who was not "all knowing" and constantly needed her immediate help. That combined with a lunch break, phone calls and finally her leg went to sleep from sitting in the same position for a super long time. Being a missionary, full of compassion and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I told her to stand up and walk around. She did as I suggested, but she walked out to the next office, but she didn't return for a while. She finally came back, highlighting the copies, and being extremely diligent. She asked me "What is the meter serial number of your closest neighbor"? Now, I really hadn't thought of that, nor was it on the list of required resources. Stunned, I told her I did not have that piece of information. Then, I remembered I had my neighbors number in my phone from last years electrical project. I called. He was in an important meeting at the mayor's office, but he would call his wife to go out to his meter base at his house and send it to him and he would call me back. The attendant looked at me, I looked at her and she called out the next red blinking number on the large digital read for the next customer. I left the desk to await my phone call. Meanwhile, a member of our team was starting to look like he had a twitch. </div>
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We got the phone call, but we had to wait for her to finish the person that she was attending. I went back to the desk, and gave her the number. She said, "Okay, you have everything in order. Now we just need the receipt for the digital electric meter to be installed." I told her that the first project had issued me a digital electric meter. She asked me, "Do you have the receipt with you?". I did not, nor had I ever seen the receipt, since it was issued to the project chairman last year. She said, I can't send a work order without the receipt for the meter. Mirian, who is brilliant, was with us, asked could we buy one right now and bring back a receipt. The beautiful attendant, who really looked like a young Wonder Woman with her big black framed glasses and black haired pony tail,(maybe that's why she kept disappearing for large amounts of time) beamed and said, "Surely, this is a possibility". Mirian asked, "What time do you close"? She said in three hours. Our fellow team member, erupted with a primordial call for the goodness of God. I couldn't look at the attendant's response, because I was afraid she would have a stamp that said "cancelado" . She then mentioned the store, which was on the other side of town by the Toyota dealership. WE got into a cab and hot footed it across town to get the new electronic digital meter. WE asked the cab driver to wait. WE were on a mission and though it was getting late and the sun was getting lower, we were going to get our permissions. Then we just started laughing. </div>
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WE got the digital meter paid for and raced back to the other side of town during rush hour traffic to the EEH office. The room was filled with the people who had been there since this morning. I had a "thought", that I now know was from the Lord when I stepped out of the cab. There was a KFC chicken restaurant right next door. I had a random thought of getting a bucket of chicken. I wasn't hungry. I had already eaten, so I reasoned it away. I should have acted on the mention of KFC. The office, that we had been visiting, have elevator doors that open to a very small room filled with chairs. There is a red meter to take a number, and a desk of 4 people, a couple of phones, and a copier machine. The room looked like an afterthought. WE stopped and got new copies of the receipt at the copy store just to be sure.</div>
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When we got off the elevator and entered the room, you could feel that there was a level of hostility towards the two of the 4 people, who were at their post behind the desk. Strong comments were being hurled. Our fellow missionary, arms crossed, bobbing his head up and down in assent, and was looking like he was bonding with his new found Honduran patriots, who felt like he felt. Wonder Woman disappeared again. I thought about if I had of brought the bucket of chicken to have a sort of picnic, it would have taken the edge off the situation. I think Jesus used to have the same thoughts with baskets of fish. Some people had been there as long as we had. Low blood sugar can make people mean. They were just as tired as we were and had to get home just like we needed to get home. Even though it was pretty tense, we began to get our joy back. We started joking around with each other and with the people and the small staff that was there. Then, after about 45 minutes, our attendant returned and took our receipt out of my hand for the meter and waved us on. I threw her kisses, hoping that receipt would find our pile of paperwork and said "thank you" and forgot to ask how long before the electricity would be connected. However, Mirian our faithful board member asked her. WE had gingerly stepped into the elevator, glad that we had accomplished both missions. Mirian then said, "I asked how long before the electricity was cut on". The rest of us looked to her, feeling like we missed our opportunity in the office, but at the same time were glad that she had the foresight to ask. The elevator doors closed as she said, "A month and a half". WE looked towards heaven, called on the name of the Lord and just laughed and got our other weary travelers from the Mall where we left them, and rode safely home singing silly songs with Mirian's 4-year old daughter all the way home in the dark. </div>
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Sometimes, life is full of little and big electric situations. Sometimes, on the mission field it is just a little trickier to figure out the solution. Sometimes, you can get pretty stressed, and your attitude can go south. However, Jesus loves to travel with us on that southbound lane and get us Home. He can get us to his desired location and He can give us joy in our journey, if we are looking full in His wonderful face. </div>
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Thanks to all of you that pray for us and bless our ministry with your encouraging words and gifts. I am thankful that I am doing life with Suzanne and Wesley, Mirian, Sharon, Jonathon and Sofi, Kelsey, Carlie, Jake and Rachael, all of our girls and a host of other missionaries. Thanks to all the teams who have come so far this year!! Thanks for all the planning and hard work. Thanks for the great blessings you brought with you and for the kitchen shopping spree. Blessings, from the Sometimes Electric Honduran MOM </div>
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-91055372524808539332017-03-09T20:09:00.001-06:002017-03-09T20:10:56.683-06:00A Day for a FiestaGreetings,<br />
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Well, when I got back from Canada, it
was time for the Fiesta Tipica at the Abundant Life School. The kids
were beyond excited and had practiced their flute playing, folkloric
dances, and their songs...a lot. I was ready for this day also.
Kelsey and Karly helped us get all the dresses in order with name
tags and we also put names on the sandals and tights the girls were
to wear. Now if you can just think how chaotic it is to get your
little ones to a church program, multiply that times 25. WE did get
a call from the school to see if we were on our way, and thankfully
we were pulling out of the gate. When you have 25 girls, in
different grade levels, you can't exactly start the show without
them. Even with the best of preparation, sandals were lost and
tights were missing, and we had to do the hair of each girl.
Anastacia, and Sofie (wife of Jonathon, our new intern couple). It
was quite the “crazy” at my house before we got them in the bus
to leave.
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I was amazed at the production that the
Abundant Life School had done for the community and parents. They had booths of
food and drink, and even a horse ride. It looked like they had about
1000 people, who showed up for the festivities. Celebrations are fun,
but there is so much work that goes into these types of events that
are behind the scenes. The directors, the teachers, the staff, and
even the parents. Some of the parents who have scholarships for
their children, came and faithfully served and set up booths and made
food and helped in anyway they could. The whole program was to raise
money to support the children who would received grants next year.
The school is growing and Jake Compaan is in the States right now
interviewing potential new teachers for next year. WE are very
thankful for this school and how much they have helped our girls.
Because we have so many children who attend, we get a discounted
rate, which we are entirely thankful for their help in this area. Many of you have asked how you can help with sponsoring the children to go to this school directly. I have finally found a solution. Just send an email to Rachel Compaan at <a href="mailto:rsubylong89@gmail.com">rsubylong89@gmail.com</a> with the name of the girl you would like to sponsor. She will give you more information about how to sponsor using PayPal or by sending checks directly to SIKM. She will also send you photos of the girls each school year as well as updates. <br />
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It would be a tremendous help to their school and the girls will continue to be in this wonderful school. The girls love the teachers and the other students. It has helped them not to be so isolated from other Hondurans and they are making life time friends as well as receiving a marvelous bi-lingual Christian education which has been the goal all along. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LSNGsJhhId0/WMGUDIk06kI/AAAAAAAAEZI/wMiDQ2rb--EHXKoh3aCFaTuIQhsFzYSbwCLcB/s1600/SAM_4097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LSNGsJhhId0/WMGUDIk06kI/AAAAAAAAEZI/wMiDQ2rb--EHXKoh3aCFaTuIQhsFzYSbwCLcB/s400/SAM_4097.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are the Kindergartners </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our PTC girls at their school presentation. <br />
The girls had these dresses made with the money they made selling coffee<br />
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I want to thank everyone who are helping us continue here at this mission. I appreciate you all so much for giving our girls the opportunity to grow in the Lord and to get a quality education. WE love you all and thank you very much. Blessings from the Celebrating, Fiesta Attending, Honduran MOM<br />
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-82614610622414540622017-02-22T08:34:00.000-06:002017-02-22T09:09:37.554-06:00Suddenly<br />
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Greetings,</div>
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I had a great time with all my girls(but one) in
January. They told me that they were going to Canada in October. We
didn't have any teams so I thought that might be a good time to go,
but then because of some scheduling problems, they moved the trip to
January/Feb. I later found out that they not only were going to
Canada, but that they also decided that we would be driving at the
coldest time in the year to go to see Washington DC and explore New
York City and go to Canada to see Niagra Falls and return to GA in 5
days ! Impossible? You don't know my girls.<br />
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The first time they mentioned it, I
thought they were flying. When they told me they were driving, I
thought they were driving straight there and back, and I thought
about my physical back and decided that trip was not going to be for
me. I told them thank you for including me, but no thanks.<br />
<br />
So then I get a phone call and I was
told my trip to the States was paid if I wanted to go with the girls.
But if I wanted to take them up on the offer, it had to be a
surprise and the girls couldn't know. I have been really busy with
coffee picking season, school getting started again, getting kids
registered, teams and a whole host of stuff to do. However, that
week was open. Every objection I had was countered by this couple
offering the trip, with a solution. So I decided to pray about it.
The dynamics of the trip were crazy, but the Lord reminded me that it
was going to fall on the 1<sup>st</sup> anniversary of my mom's
death. He reminded me in my prayer time, that I had been trying to
get my mom to go on a trip with me for years, but there was always a
reason why she couldn't go. Then it hit me, I was being my Mom. I
knew how frustrated I was trying to get my mom to go places, and now
I was doing the same thing. So I agreed to go.<br />
<br />
When I got on the bus station at 12:00
to start my trip they were leaving early and apparently I was late.
I had some other last minute things to do before I left town, but I
just got on the bus. I was still telling myself that this was the
craziest thing I have done in a while. As we were driving down the
mountain, I realized that we were going extremely slow. I was
thankful my flight was for the next day, because at the rate we were
going, I would have missed my flight. I changed my seat, (which I
never do) to the front seat when it became unoccupied. We were going
so slow, I didn't think we would arrive in San Pedro Sula before
dark. Normally it is a 3 ½ hour trip. I was getting worked into a
negative mood as the trip kept stretching on, until finally when an
older woman got on the bus and took her seat beside me. Then the bus
driver threw it into high gear and we were zooming down the road. I
found out that the driver can't sit and wait for anybody, but he was
doing a kind thing in picking up this lady, who had just left the
hospital, and transporting her for free about 20 miles up the road
closer to her home. She talked faster than anyone I have ever met.
Basically she had diabetes and she had complication with ulcers on
her legs, and she was alone. She said she had family, but no one
ever came to see her and that her kids never did anything with her or
never wanted to be with her. I was sorry for her and thankful that
my kids wanted to be with me. I asked the Lord to forgive me for my
attitude towards the bus driver, who was doing his best to be kind to
this woman who had so many problems in her life. I encouraged her
when I could get a word in edge wise. She thanked me for listening
to her got off the bus and told me to come see her one day.<br />
<br />
We drove down the road about 10 miles
and a young woman stood up with her little daughter letting the
driver know that she needed to get off. The woman had a hard look
about her for her young years, but her little girl was a doll. She
was about 2 years old with her little hair done in two pony tails on
the top of her head. She had on a red t-shirt and a blue jean mini
dress. She was “cuteness in the extreme”.<br />
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She walked off of the bus and her
little girl followed behind. I was watching her walk along the side
of the bus. The mom was getting her stuff under the belly of the the
big Mercedes bus. The little girl unattended was dancing freely in
the grass to a tune she had in her head, excited to be off of the
bus. I was thinking about how excited I would be to off the bus
myself. Then something caught her attention at the head of the bus.
She speed up her walk as little ones will do, alongside the bus and
was headed to the road, and the bus driver hadn't come to a complete
stop. He was just rolling very slowly along. I had my metal water
bottle in my hand, and no shoes on my feet. I lept over the older
woman sitting beside me on the my seat. She didn't see the little
girl. I stomped down the bus steps like a crazy lady and slung my
metal water bottle against the dash so I could guide myself down the
steps. I jumped out of the bus and got to the head of the bus and I
don't know if slinging the water bottle against the window, but as I
hopped off the bus she had turned from the busy interstate highway.
I saw her cute little face poked around the right side of the bus,
and she saw a wild looking <i>gringa</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.
She looked at me and I looked at her and I took a small step toward
her, hoping she wouldn't run in front of the bus to the highway, but
thankfully, she walked towards the grass looking suspiciously at me
the whole time, but now she was looking for her mom. The lady saw
the last little bit of what transpired and she started yelling at the
little girl to come to her. I felt like Superman, with my hands on
my hips, hair blowing in the breeze of the passing semi-trucks
thinking, “My</span> job is finished here”, and stepped back on
the bus, with people congratulating me about saving the little girl.
I heard various comments about how fast I moved in my socks, which
was pretty funny. The bus driver said thank you and I just felt
empowered, until I heard that the mom had a belt in the crate she had
retrieved and was using it on the little girl, and the bus pulled
away.
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I arrived at the bus terminal and I had
gotten my shoes on and in my haste to finally get off the bus, I left
a bag of personal items on the bus. When I realized it, I didn't
even care, I didn't go back. My ride was there and we arrived at the
missionary hotel. As they were bringing my luggage in, they said,
“We need to go to a funeral of a little boy tonight. I think you
know him.” I told her, “I don't think so”. Then suddenly she
was giving me the information of another missionary family that I
know that was helping this young woman adopt a little boy with
special needs. I did know this little boy and I couldn't believe he
had died. This young woman was soon to be married and because the
adoption had not taken place at that time, she ran to the States to
have her wedding shower. This excited “bride to be” had to
exchange her joy for a place of such sadness as a grieving mom and
deal with the loss of her son. So I put my bags in my room and went
with the missionary couple to the funeral downtown.
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After I got back to the hotel, I was
reflecting on my day and my week. A few days prior, I wasn't
planning on going anywhere, and suddenly I had a destination to Canada and a
plane ticket to do something that was totally crazy sounding. I had
gotten out of our truck, and suddenly the bus was leaving and I was
there at the bus station, just in time. The fact that we waited for
the woman who needed a ride and an encouraging word, in the timing of
the Lord, and then suddenly there was a baby to rescue, and then
suddenly there was a funeral of another sweet little child. I
remembered the book of Mark, where the disciples were hanging out
with Jesus, suddenly ministering to folks, getting on a boat
suddenly, and suddenly ministering to a man with demons. Mark says
the word “suddenly” a lot. When you are moving and living,
“suddenly” is a great adverb and the phrase “just in time”,
become normal. I wished I could be that in tuned and sensitive to
God everyday, that I would see Him using me every where I turn and
wouldn't miss a thing. I was thankful that I was where I was
supposed to be that day. I was confident that I was supposed to be
on this crazy trip, where before I was just hoping I hadn't missed
God. God gave me that “blessed assurance” that He is always
right where I need to be. <br />
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I had a wonderful trip with my girls. We went to Washington D.C. for the first night, New York City the second night, Niagra Falls, <br />
Canada the third and forth night and drove all the way home to Georgia on the 5th day. We called it "Extreme Tourism". I hope that you see so many of God's
special plans that God has for you today. Blessings from the
Suddenly but Just in Time, Honduran Mom.
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-17459213549881575962017-01-29T21:04:00.000-06:002017-01-29T22:34:40.752-06:00Full to Over Flowing<br />
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Greetings,</div>
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So much has been going on since I last
wrote. We had a small team that came from my church to be with us at
Christmas. They were wonderful and helped us get all the gifts and
things ready to go. I don't know what I would have done without them. They arrived a day earlier than I did and I got
here to the mission the next afternoon and we jumped on getting all
the gifts together. I was so tired after riding on my red eye flight
on Spirit Airlines. However, this is the first time that they didn't
have their normal luggage nazi working at the counter. It was a
great flight and even though in times past, I said I would never fly
with them, but I believe I probably will.<br />
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I had a hotel shuttle pick
me up and I went to bed about 3 a.m. We apparently waited an hour
at the airport for another traveler to arrive. They never did arrive and by the time I checked
in at the hotel, and gave them my information, it was late. I slept for 3 hours and I was off againat 6:30 to catch a bus. Because it was"officially" the Christmas season in Honduras The bus was full to overflowing. People were stuffed in the aisles, packed in like a huge Christmas present going to La Esperanza.</div>
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It was
the 22<sup>nd</sup> when I finally arrived and we had little time to
spare to get a Christmas ready for 35 girls and other of our grown
Honduran Girls who brought their children. We also had a supper for
our workers and the community on Christmas Eve. The team and I had to get the
girls to town to buy their secret friend gift and the team took the
girls, who were divided into two shopping teams, out to Dom Pollo on
their day of frienzied shopping. The girls had a great time, loaded
up on Chicken and Fries, and lots of coke. I had to go to the bank before it closed for the holidays to get enough money to pay our workers and their end of year monies, buy groceries and extra gifts for the extra folks we always seem to have show up.
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The team from Crosspointe Church out of
Valdosta Georgia, had received so many generous donations, from
clothes to coloring books, shoes for school and tennis shoes, candies
and two huge 20 lb spiral Honey Cut hams. I don't know how they got
them through customs, and I didn't ask questions, but they did and it
was a huge blessing. The girls here had never had a spiral cut ham
and didn't know what it was, but we had plenty of meat and the girls
ate like it was their last meal. We had two turkeys that I bought
here in Honduras. One was a Butterball that I paid entirely too
much for and the other was a more economical Honduran turkey. The
Honduran turkey was hands down the best of the two and it didn't have
all the additives of the other national brand. The girls made
nacatamales for the day before Christmas which is the 24<sup>th</sup>,
the traditional day they celebrate Christmas. WE were full to over flowing We go to the mission
house and have our secret friend party first and then we open gifts.
I believe it was the craziest Christmas ever. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harold</td></tr>
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After the team left, we started picking our coffee. Here you pick the ripest coffee beans every 15 days. We all worked hard and we try to fix a big meal, so that the girls will look at it as harvest time and look forward to the food as well as the work. All the while we are doing paperwork for the beginning of the year that is required for non-profits here in Honduras. We are also getting prepared for our season of teams. We are going to be super busy, it appears, but teams have become a way of life of us and even though it is a lot of work on both sides, in the States and here at Project Talitha Cumi, we wouldn't have it any other way.<br />
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Wesley and Suzanne got back and they have the House of Nain up and running. House of Nain is the new project that Such of the Kingdom Ministries have been working on since 2013. It looks great! We have fresh water and the fencing is up. We hope to be able to get the boys of the families who have been disrupted for one reason or another. Normally we get the girls, but the boys are usually abandoned to work in other homes. They don't go to school, they just work for the host family. With this new home the children will be able to see each other at school and at church and at holidays. Our hope is that emotionally they will be more settled and stable knowing their siblings are close by. <br />
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So we are having water problems again. The tank is not holding water. We thought we found the problem. One of our little girls, whose name I will withhold to protect the guilty party. I know if you have ever been here, there are 4 girls that pop into your mind that might could have pulled this off. They are full of mischief. They all have kind of a Denis the Menace air about them. Whoever was the first girl that popped into your mind, you are probably right. They were supposed to be raking and then this girl with the amazing ability to get into trouble, started touching and turning valves. We have two tanks with a float valve and it is complicated as plumbing can be, but we started losing water, somewhere. We just couldn't find the large amount of water was going. Our water was running into the tanks, but not filling up. Later this afternoon we figured she had opened the irrigation tanks to be filled with our fresh water. The fish needed some good water because those tanks hemorraged into the fish pond. Be praying that the tanks hold water tonight and don't escape into another pipe that I have no knowledge of. WATER is source of life. <br />
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As I was walking all over the farm, trying to find a leak, I got to thinking about those tanks. We have a storage facility, where the water is pumped. We use it to sustain life. But sometimes we open a valve that are not meant to be open and our source leaks out to parts unknown. My anger valve drains my tank, my disobedience valve drains my tank. My pride valve drains my tank dry, and then I am wondering why God isn't keeping me filled up. Water is flowing in, so He is doing his part. I just need to investigate where certain valves are draining the the life giving flow that God is putting into my tank. No good thing will He withhold to those who walk uprightly. Water is a good thing. He is faithful. Blessings from the water seeking, valve closing, Honduran MOM <br />
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-75434183900459737962016-12-28T18:22:00.002-06:002016-12-28T18:26:16.217-06:00All is Merry and BrightAfter Christmas Greetings,<br />
<br />
WE had a team at Thanksgiving and I left shortly thereafter to the United States to spend a few weeks with my family, have some ministry meetings, and do some personal end of the year business. We had the best of times with my family. <br />
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This year, because I am grandma from out of the country, I really don't know what my grandchildren need. My kids have done a great job with them and I really didn't see that they needed anything at all. My grandchildren are blessed. So I prayed about it and decided that I would give them all the same amount of money. They were to buy for someone else who might be in need and give it to their schools. The kids at school wouldn't know who gave the gift and my grandkids wouldn't know who got the gifts. They all shopped very well. They bought mainly clothes or generic gifts that could be a gift for a boy or girl. They were excited that they saved so much money shopping the sales. I have to admit they did a really great job and after the initial, "what are we doing again?" looks, they really got into it. WE had a great time shopping. <br />
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This year, one of my adult children of five that I have, was the assistant directing for a play at the local community theatre. My merry little family group went to support her and the actors that she had worked with for these last few months. They did a super job with a Christmas classic! It was almost like watching the movie. We stayed a little late and my daughter introduced us to the actors and it was a lot of fun. The community theatre was located on such a beautiful street and I was thankful to be in a town were people could walk late at night and feel safe. It was late, restaurants were closing and so we ran over our options for a snack, or dinner, because some of our group had not eaten. We had two of the oldest grandchildren, who of course, can eat at any moment's notice. We opted to go to a late night burger restaurant. <br />
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My son-in-law had left earlier to get us some seats He was the first to arrive, but there was a super long line out of the door. So he immediately decided this was not the place for us because we wouldn't be able to put our merry big group together, and he so drove out. I drove in and knew that my family would not want to wait for the super long line and I looked for a place to turn around, when I noticed people were running towards the parking lot. So I decided this didn't look like a good place to be. All of a sudden a fight started somehow, about who knows what, so I decided to go "out" the "in" because the drive thru was blocked. It was late, I was frazzled and I was ready to get home. I used my Honduran back-road driving skills to get out of there and parked in a nearby parking lot. However, after calling 911, we looked over towards the restaurant we had abandoned, only to see the bright red tail light of car number three that held the rest of our of our family members. They pulled into the parking lot before we could find a phone that had battery power, (we had been taking photos and it was late, you understand). We all started praying that the occupants of our car number three could get out of there, when we heard a lot of shots being fired. WE got the grandchild with us on the floor and recalled 911. We were praying for them and for whoever was in the restaurant and parking lot. Finally, after dumping the contents of my purse in the floorboard to get my phone, that did have a charge, our other 2 cars got in touch with us and we all agreed to go home. WE were all wired, because nothing like this had ever happened to any of us before. It was really quite surreal what happened. We were all so thankful that God protected us.<br />
<br />
One of my son-in-laws remarked later that evening, while we were eating take out pizza, that we being more or less normal people, were along with so many others, that night in the parking lot, were trying to get out of harms way as fast as we could go. On our way out of this horrible situation, we noticed the 911 facilitator had contacted the police and their cars were zooming into harms way. It is really an amazing type of person who would go into a chaotic situation like that so that we could live in peace and safety in our communities. I was thankful that people were in place to restore the order. <br />
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Now as bad as the situation was, I stayed in Thomasville for the rest of my visit. I didn't decide that I would never go there again because of the violence that erupted there that night. Everyone was shocked that this violence happened in their small town. I have had a lot of people ask me how I could serve as a missionary in a place that was supposedly, super violent. Violence can break out anywhere, apparently. It breaks out in homes, schools, communities, countries and the world. We can't focus on the fear. The Bible says that fear has torment and it does. It also says, that God didn't give us a spirit of fear, and He doesn't. You just need to be where God tells you to go. It is truly the safest place to be. If it is to the neighbor across the street, or to a neighboring country, have no fear, God is with us.<br />
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While I was home in the States, listening to all that has been going on, as of late, people seem to be full of fear, about politics, finances, and the loss of freedoms. I am thankful for my country and for the country in which I serve, as well as all the other countries in the world. God created them all. He came towards our chaotic situations to bring His love and forgiveness to us. He came to bring order to our chaos. He sent his Son so that we wouldn't have to live in fear. That is our good news that Jesus brought to earth. Emmanuel, God with us. I pray that your days be Merry and that you see the Bright New Year that Jesus is ushering in.<br />
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I will write about our Honduran Holy Day next. Blessings from the Merry and Bright Honduran MOM<br />
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<br />Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-54748459946374586242016-11-15T11:11:00.002-06:002016-11-15T11:22:22.150-06:00Just Say "Yes" to Jesus<br />
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My dad always told me that if I didn't answer him with "Yes Sir" or "No Sir", it meant "NO". Sometimes, you think you are doing all you can do and God asks you to do something different or special and I don't know about you, but sometimes I whine about why I can't or shouldn't and then, I don't say "yes"and I don't say 'no'. Many times when I tell the Lord that I have a lot on my plate, He gently reminds me that He is the one who put it on the plate in the first place to give me an opportunity to serve whatever He has placed there. </div>
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Being a missionary, you get into the realm sometimes of thinking that you are doing over and above what you should be doing, or doing more than anyone else, which is really just a religious spirit, because although we don't have to do everything, we can do all things the scriptures tell us, through Christ who strengthens us. </div>
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I was checking my facebook a few weeks ago and a message came up from a Facebook page called Honduras Missionaries and then disappeared. What I could read of it was that there was a special needs girl, who was 6 months pregnant, and was 17. I went to respond and couldn't find it and so I figured, "Must not be for me". But God kept wheeling that invisible message around in my head. I finally wrote the Facebook Page and asked if anyone wrote to me about a circumstance with a 17 year old. I got an immediate response. She told me the situation. The missionary told me that she would take her except that she had a house hold full of boys, so she was hesitant. I agreed with her and told her we would try. </div>
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The girl lived a little more than two hours away and so Rosa and I went to see her and her family. We picked up the missionary who knew her and arrived at her house. The door to the home was open. It was a dwelling with old rusty metal laminate, dirt floors and feed bags of old clothes stack up against the wall they used to keep the wind and rain out. The father was gathering firewood, which he sells for a living when we arrived. Mom does odd jobs and she wasn't at home either and so the girl we will call Wanda, was left alone a lot of the time. ]The main problem was that Wanda has epilepsy. Our new missionary friend couldn't figure why the door was open. She knew the family must be close or they would have locked the door. Finally, Wanda just appeared out of nowhere. She was very disoriented and had what looked to be a green heart drawn on her cheek. The missionary kept saying she wasn't herself and that normally she is very sweet and not non-verbal. When she started talking we realized by looking at the dirt all over her clothes, that she had a convulsion right before we arrived. She told us later, that she actually had two convulsions that morning. The green heart on her cheek was a leaf from a plant that looked like a heart that she had fallen on during the convulsion and it had stuck to her cheek. All through this situation, I was speaking to myself, that this may be a lot bigger case than I need to handle. I felt like the Lord said, "Really? What is your criteria?" Since I don't say those kind of things to myself, I figured I needed to pursue the matter. But I didn't say, "Yes, Lord". </div>
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We told the missionary we would be back in two days and pick up Wanda and get her to a doctor, so she could get some type of medical care hopefully get her on a medication to prevent seizures nd to check on her baby. The missionary and her son went with all of us in our mini van to go back up to our mission. The plan was to get the parents to sign that we had her temporarily to get her some medical help. We then would get her settled in our mission and the missionary could see where she would be and let the Wanda's folks at home know that she was okay, We only got to the first part of the plan. We drove back home to the hospital in La Esperanza and the doctors ended up saying that she had to go to Tegucigalpa at about 5:00 pm and they would carry her in an small Toyota ambulance. They said because she was under age she had to have someone go with her. I guessed that would be me. Even though I tried to think of tons of reasons why I shouldn't be the one to go, I knew that she now was my responsibility. So I went home, signed the workers checks, went to the bank, and bought some groceries for the mission. I had to get Miss Marina, one of our lady workers, to stay with our 38 girls on her day off. </div>
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I got to the hospital at 4:30 and they were ready to leave, but another pregnant girl that has epilepsy too had to wait for her person that was to accompany her. That was four people at that point, and we would fit nicely on the bench seat. There was an gurney in there too. It had most of the fake leather covering that had cracked in several places and had begun to peel off in these cracked sections over the years, revealing the yellow foam cushion below that was stained with blood. The ambulance driver assured us that it was clean, but my nose said differently. I was just thinking I am thankful I don't have to sit on it. About that time however, their was a little old man, and his grown son, and another couple who had just had a baby that was 4 hours old, suddenly appeared at the rear of the ambulance. The ambulance driver told all of us that were waiting in the van, to move and he made seat assignments. I was to move to gurney on the exposed stained foam cushion. Of course, my attitude again was not "Yes, Lord". It was more of a resigned, "Fine, whatever". The driver also told me that I had to give as much space to the new mother as possible, because her baby was on an IV that was hooked to the top. So even though I was the tallest of all the occupants of the ambulance, I folded myself in a pretzel like position, putting my faithful backpack behind me and my sleeping bag thinking that I would protect my back in this ride of over three hours. Nobody else but me and the driver had ever been to Tegucigalpa before. They had no understanding how long it could take. </div>
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After placing the backpack just so, it immediately fell between the wall and the gurney and I couldn't retrieve it. So I placed my sleeping bag on top and my lap pillow on my back. I was also close to a piece of rebar that came out of the side corner, where I was located right beside my right frontal lope of my head. A person lying on the gurney wouldn't have to worry, but every bump we hit (and there were many) I connected with that piece of rebar in the side of my head. I finally, with great effort and kindness of the other passengers, got my backpack and hung the padded straps on the vicious rebar protruding from the side wall. So then I couldn't lean on anything, and so I rolled my tiny pillow up and made do. </div>
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Then, I was in the process of getting comfortable, and I decided to say "Okay, Lord", and I start talking to the couple with their first newborn baby. The young father starts to cry and I began praying for them and I am feeling very missionary-like. I am thinking, I am here for this reason, and I am getting to know my other occupants and I am saying the Lord's prayer over my little group, and then the little pregnant girl beside me, starts vomiting She vomits all over her sister. She just had a canned juice, which apparently doesn't do well on trips down the mountain, with said ambulance driver, who never slowed down, but just laid down his ambulance siren when he wanted traffic ahead to move over. However, it is a curvy road and she wasn't doing well. At that time, I did notice that there was no one in the front seat but him!! I made a mental note to ask him to have the front seat on the trip back. I got out my hand wipes, and hand wash and got folks wiped up. I had dumdum suckers that a team brought, that I dispersed and tried to encourage others, and then just started saying the Lord's prayer to myself. I had been up since 2 am that morning. I think I fell asleep, for a moment. Then it started raining and the trip got a little dicier. </div>
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WE got to Tegucigalpa around 8 pm and it was dark and raining. I was the last to get out because I was in the corner. My hair got entangled with the one of the many IV clip and while I was getting myself untangled from that situation, my group walks into the hospital without me. I get to door and I am noticing about two hundred people sitting outside on cardboard, with plastic tablecloths, and on cement benches. It looked liked a homeless convention. A church group was passing out bean sandwiches and coffee, which I thought was a very nice thing to do. I go to walk inside the hospital and the security guard stops me. I told them the girl I was escorting here from Intibuca, had already come in and that I have her papers. He said that family and friends are to stay outside for the night!!! I then did not act very missionary-like and I asked, " What was the purpose of me coming with this under age girl, if I couldn't be with her"? I told them I am just trying to understand. Then this tall middle aged Honduran man appears and asks if there is a problem. I repeated my question to him and he said his name was Dr. M and he was the supervisor, and he said I could go in. I was sure this man was part of the angelic host that have been guarding over us on this trip, and I went inside, but not before I noticed that the security guy and Dr. M were having a discussion about rules. I just went around the corner, trying to be out of sight out of mind. Dr. M found me and told me to sit on the wooden bench along the wall and not on the chairs and don't move from that spot. I thanked him and started praising God that I didn't have to be outside. I still hadn't seen Wanda. They did call for the family of Wanda and I saw her at a distance. She looked very tired and very disoriented. She had another seizure. I went back to my assigned bench when I gave over my papers and the security guard with a gun and matching billy club, comes up to me and tells me to go outside. I have never been good with names, but I remembered Dr. M's name. I told the security guard, I appreciated that he was doing his security job, but that I was following instructions of the supervisor that told me to be here. The different guards came back about four times with menacing stares, but I was not to be moved. </div>
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It was getting late and I was so tired. A nurse, looked and me and just made a noise "Pssssttt" I was trying to be invisible, and so I didn't know she was talking to me, but she crooked her finger for me to come. I looked around to see if she was talking to me or someone else. Across the hall were two double doors and she got me through them and said, "You can stay here tonight on this bed." I am thinking that Florence Nightingale had nothing on this nurse. I was so thankful, and in the bed at the end of my assigned bed, was Wanda. </div>
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I had to leave early out of the room the next morning, before people started rounds. I helped get Wanda into a hospital gown and get some of the examinations from Wanda that the nurses needed and went outside. I waited about 4 hours and went back inside and asked what did I need to do. Another shift of security guards were threatening me to go outside. Wanda's assigned Doctor named Marianne, said that there was really nothing I could do and they would take care of her, but she said, "Bring the mom, That will help". So I tell Wanda her parents are coming after making a call to the missionary who knows the family. She had to go to the location, because they don't have a cell phone to tell the parents that Wanda and the doctor needed them to come. I dropped all my dumdum suckers, and some Sweet Tart chews on their counter and I was gone. So I left and called Mirian who knows everybody to get me a name of a taxi driver that was trustworthy. It sometimes can be dangerous in the city getting a random cab. The taxi driver arrived and he took me into downtown Comayaguela to get a bus back home. I just made it to be able to get on the bus before it left. The missionary calls back and tells me the moms not coming. She is afraid that people will steal her stuff. I am thinking, "What stuff? ", but it was important to her. I prayed for Wanda and I got home about 4 p.m. I got some soup and went to bed and slept until 12 a.m. </div>
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I noticed that I had messages during my nap. Another precious missionary, who lives around the Tegucigalpa area, who was helping me with Wanda's case, had written telling me that they couldn't find Wanda in the hospital! My friend Suzy has tons of connections and so I wrote back specifically where Wanda was located. I read that she had become violent with the nurses. Wanda was upset at being left alone and that her parents didn't come and I couldn't help but feel that she thought like she had been dumped at the hospital by me. I was wide awake at that point. I prayed and asked God to help them find her. I recognized my attitude had been far from what it needed to be through all this mess. I finally said "Yes" to Jesus to use me in this crazy situation. They found her about 2 in the morning, but again she was not cooperating. </div>
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I got up and got my shower and got ready to travel back to Tegucigalpa. I prayed and waited until I thought Wesley and Suzanne may be up. They were going to pick up the medical team from the airport for me. We made a plan for us to leave earlier and get me to the family of Wanda and I would endeavor to get her mom in the car. Thankfully, everyone was home and she just peacefully said she would go. Wesley and Suzanne (who will be running the boy's home starting in January) drove the mom and me back to the Siguatepeque and left to San Pedro Sula to get our team that was coming in from Texas. I got on the La Esperanza bus and the owner was driving the bus. It was a new bus with a/c and a movie. There was no place to sit for the first 30 minutes, so I stood up with Wanda's mom trying not to watch MAD MAX on the their movie screens strategically placed all over the bus. I felt like the driver of our bus and the driver in the movie were similar. </div>
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I tried to call the secure taxi driver I had the day before. I bought the mom some juice, not remembering about the ambulance ride. While I was looking for a taxi driver, mom threw up everywhere. After 3 hours we were almost to Tegucigalpa and I finally contacted my taxi driver and he was recuperating from a cold or recuperating from the night before. He couldn't come. I prayed and decided to ask the bus driver if they had secure taxi's. He did and I loaded the mom into the cab. She was scared to come the day before. Not just because of losing her things, but because she couldn't read and she didn't know her numbers, and she felt like she would have gotten lost, which I totally understood. Suzy had one of her staff who had found Wanda, waiting for us to arrive. I get to the gate and the taxi driver won't drop me at gate six, but at gate four. I got into gate four and asked where gate 6 was and it was back outside on the busy sidewalk. So mom and I locate gate 6 and another security guard told me I couldn't come in I told him because she didn't read, that I had to go with her. He basically told me, "Not in this lifetime". I was about to go into round 3 with the security guard and here came Dr. Marianne running up to the gate. I surprised myself when I remembered her name. I said, "Hi Dr. Marianne and then she recognized me. I introduced the mom and told her the situation and that I needed to get in. She talked to the security guard not breaking her pace in motioning us forward. She told him we were going with her. Another miracle. If I had been let off at the gate I needed, I might have missed Marianne completely as fast as she was moving. </div>
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I met with Suzy's liaison upstairs with Wanda, and we dropped the mom off after the nurses bent our ear about how uncooperative Wanda had been. I talked to Wanda and told her to behave, gave the mom some money for 5 days of food, and left with Suzy's staff member. When we got to the gate Suzy's group with Lamb Ministries had another girl waiting to carry in some personal care products and a blanket. The security guard said, "Forget it". So we took the stuff from Isis and ran back upstairs to floor number 5 and dropped off the supplies. Prayed, and hugged everybody and told the nurses how much we appreciated them and ran out the door. I called my taxi driver and he came as I waited in front of the hospital. I got to the bus station right before it was to leave. I would have had to wait 2 hours for the next bus. It was the same bus I came in on. I thought I should get home at 3 o'clock</div>
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I had a seat this time and watched Jungle book and Tarzan on the drop down movie screens in between dozing and calling back and forth to Wesley and Suzanne to see if the team had arrive. As I was calling another Doctor to see if we could et another doctor for the medical team that was on the way. I am on my way home to La Esperanza on the bus and the bus stops, for a demonstration for over an hour. Police were there with their riot gear, but I am too tired to care. Further down the road there had been an accident so it was another delay. Because of both of those delays the new tolls had a huge line of cars trying to get through. I just thanked God for the a/c and a great trip. I arrived at the bus stop and because of all the delays, 10 minutes later, Wesley and Suzanne drove up. i wasn't even tired because of all the mess I saw Jesus clear away. I realized how God had worked everything out for me at each step of the way.</div>
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I want to say that you to Suzy McCall and her staff that say "Yes" to God everyday. I am thankful to network with a mission agency of their caliber. I want to thank the Doctors and Nurses that worked at Hospital Escuela, who said "Yes" to their calling, and to help strange North American missionaries who are trying to be obedient I want to say Thanks to my staff and Associates, who said "Yes" to be here in Yamaraguila helping Ministerio Asi Es El Reino. I also am thankful to God for challenging me everyday, to say "Yes" to HIm so that others might do likewise, from my example. Finally, a great big thanks to all of you who come to serve and be a part of the lives of the girls at Project Talitha Cumi, through your visits, prayers, gifts and encouragements to all of us. WE love you all. Blessings from the "Yes" saying Honduran MOM</div>
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4740104957929606575.post-2971614408353331452016-10-26T18:15:00.000-05:002016-10-26T18:15:22.195-05:00Life is FULL<br />
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Life is full. It doesn't matter if you are full of joy, or full of problems, life is full. Right now we are full of joy. Joy is not dependent on your circumstances. It is something deep within that know that God is on your side, and that He is in you and working through you, and for you. Even when things don't work out like you planned, or when you planned, He is still working on your behalf. I used to say if things didn't work out like I planned, it must have been my idea and that if it worked out that it was God's idea. Now I think that God is not on anybody's timetable and maybe my timetable is not on His clock. He is the owner of space and time anyway. He can give us a vision of what He wants us to work toward but it doesn't guarantee that we will get to see the end of it. One plants, one waters, but God brings the increase. </div>
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I was reading in the Bible, where King David was getting everything ready to build the temple of God and God put the brakes on him. He told David that the temple was going to be built , but he wasn't the one to build it. We have been doing a lot of praying, planning, and meeting together with different organizations about a specific thing God laid on my heart. I thought we would start on the first of October, but it didn't happen on my time frame. Our team has peace about the whole project. God knows what is in my heart and I pray that we will be able to see it come to pass. </div>
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The girls are in school learning so much. They love their school and we are thankful. The new teachers have been a great blessing for the girls and even though they miss the teachers from last year, we still have Kelsey still from last year! The girls are enjoying all the new teachers that have come to Abundant Life School. We all appreciate the leadership of Jake and Rachael Compaan. When you ask your child, "What did you learn in school today" and they tell you in detail, you know it is going to be a good year. </div>
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We are in harvest time right now. Our beans and corn have done excellently! We have a great crop and will put corn in our silo for the first time in years. The girls have been helping getting all the crops picked and shelled. WE have had a great time just sitting around and talking, while we are shelling a lot of beans. Harvest time is such a blessing anywhere you are, but this year it is very special because last year we had a hard year for the lack of the annual rainfall. This year there is a sense of rejoicing in our whole community. Everybody has a good crop, and so we are all feeling pretty blessed. </div>
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Wesley and Suzanne are back!. They are trying to get everything ready to move into the Boy's Home called, Casa Nain. Wesley is soldering gates and doors and Suzanne is painting like crazy. We hope to have the Casa de Nain ready to go in January. Again my family and I thought we would have the boy's home up and running in 2005, but it just didn't come together. I thought perhaps we hadn't heard from the Lord, but I am thankful that God is going to show us what He has in store for these boys and that I will get to see it. </div>
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House of Nain is getting a face lift and a makeover. A water well was installed this past summer. Wesley and Suzanne are working like Trojans trying to finish up the boy's home before they leave in November. The main gate posts are up and they are making cement posts. Wesley also, has installed the electric switch boxes and outlets. They have some of their appliances, but won't move them over until they return at the first of the year. Suzanne also is helping with the kindergarten at Abundant Life School along with her painting duties.</div>
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WE already have three boys here at PTC that have families. One is Rosa and Francis's boy, then we have the nephew of Lina and Rosa, who is with us most days, he is two. Then we have a little boy we will call Harry. He is 6 years old and he weighs about 13 pounds. He is a special needs boy and has convulsions from time to time. He is has light colored eyes that are enormous, and hair that his mama keeps a butch hair-do with occasionally putting gel in it to make it stand straight up. He is a sweetie. He smiles at everyone and he just jets joy to all. We love this little boy. He is a big blessing to all who get to know him and his mom. The mom has another child, who is living here with us. She has had a very hard life, but she is here to help her daughter and she is helping us. She laughs a lot and laughs loudly. I personally like loud laughers, and so I enjoy her being around. She makes me smile. A huge perk is that she is also an amazing cook. WE are thankful that she is here, and that God is giving us joy and grace for each other. </div>
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On a personal note, I was trying to get tickets to go home in December. I come back to Honduras on the 20th or 21st to make Christmas for the girls at PTC. No tickets were to be found that weren't "off the chart" expensive. People were looking for me and it was expensive with 12 to 22 hours layover, or an extra trip to Bogata. Although I would love to see Bogata, I didn't want to just see it from the air and turn around and go back to Miami just to kill 24 hours. So, then I prayed if I was supposed to stay in Honduras and not go home for the holidays, it was okay. Next morning at the doctors office with one of our teachers, and I was using my cell phone and found tickets with 2 hour layovers, and they were only $480.00. I was so excited and was so joyful, that I know that God heard me. </div>
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Also, we have a girl here that has been dealing with depression for weeks. Some of our girls have been through so much, it is incredible they have any sense of joy whatsoever, She rejected any encouragement or counsel. She is very smart and I felt that she would excel in school, which she has. But this week, she just said "I quit" school, friends, life. I thought about just telling her to get on the bus and that be the end of it, She has the most amazing smile. After not having any alternatives, I finally prayed and asked God to give her joy back. She came in the next morning, all helpful, smiling and got on the bus for school. It made me so happy I purely skipped to the house. Then I asked myself, why does it take so long to do what is obvious. I am talking to her and encouraging her, scolding her when she is being mean to the other girls, or getting in my face with her rebellious issues, hugging her when she cried and tells me she misses her mom. All the while, God is ready and able to fix this situation. The embarrassing thing is that these two things happened in 24 hours of each other. I know I will get better at prayer one day. </div>
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Meanwhile, back at the ranch we have 26 people getting on bus every morning to get to the Abundant Life bi-lingual school. I decided to hire a bus to pick up the girls because we have been having problems with our buses and finding parts. The two busses are both still with problems. I was worried that the kids we were picking up from the community might not have a ride if the service was too expensive. . I found a wonderful lady who has a new bus service, and she included the kids of the community in her quote. So in order to do this we needed to finish breakfast and clean up by 6:00 a.m. and do our circlo devotions and get to the main road by 6:30. The girls were having to struggle to get up earlier and earlier and the food at breakfast was getting less and less tasty. So since I wasn't getting my devotions done anyway, because of all the questions and back and forth what was for breakfast and the tattling about who wasn't coming to help and lateness of the girls doing the bus marathon to the road, I decided to start cooking for the masses in the morning at 4:00 a.m.. I have each house help me on their day to cook and they come at 4:30 a.m. It gives them time to do their chores and get dressed before coming to help with breakfast. It seems to have worked out. I am not shouting into the wind for the girls to hurry and get their sweaters, bookbags, snacks, water bottles. It is almost humane every morning. We sit down, instead of eating on the run. My girls get a good breakfast and not have to guess about what they are eating and they walk to the bus. WE talk to each other and we have our devotions and it has been a blessing for all of us. </div>
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I always thought my morning time was for me. It still is in a different way. I am still blessed and have time after they walk up the hill to get my decaf and my Bible. Life is full. Blessings from the filled up Honduran MOM</div>
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Honduran Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381516588554699512noreply@blogger.com0