Final Thoughts On the Spring Honduras and El Salvador Trip

We left El Salvador and traveled by bus to San Pedro to catch a flight out Sunday for Nashville.  Leaving the city was very sad for all of us because in such a short time, we all bonded with the children and the staff at La Casa De Mi Padre.  Some of my favorite memories will always be the time we shared with the children at the park.  Here are a few of the pictures that were captured at the park.

Looking back, I am certain that the Lord is calling Heal Ministries to continue a partnership and relationship with the family that we have grown to love in El Salvador:  La Casa De Mi Padre.    I look forward to seeing what the Lord will prepare in our hearts and for the future teams that will travel to visit this wonderful place that God has prepared.

Meeting Abby and Ericka has been life changing and it so amazing to see how God uses all of us to teach us more about Him.

My prayer going forward is that we will be diligent in seeking His will, His plan while working and serving to glorify Him.

Thank you for praying for our team in Central America.  Please continue to pray for the orphanage and for the funds.  I am looking forward to seeing who God will use to fund Abby and Ericka's home......and, of course, all of His children at La Casa!  While we travel around the globe and desire to change one heart at a time,  we are finding that our own hearts are being molded by the Potter's hands!  We continue to pray that we will see all orphans and widows through the eyes of Jesus.

A Joyful Day in El Salvador

Today was a gift from God.  It was a day that I did not want to end.  Brandi, Trey, Douglas and I went with Gary (executive director of La Casa) to the farm that they purchased.  There, we were able to walk and see the 28 acres purchased for the homes that will be built for the orphans.  

The beautiful chapel is the only building that has been built.  It was built first on the hill and the design of all the homes will be modeled after this Salvadorian style.  Brandi is pictured ringing the bell and as the bell echoed throughout the area, I felt God whispering to me that this was the place that He planned for Abby and Ericka to live with their brother, Emanuel.  This is the beautiful area that they will grow up.  God has used these two very special girls to cause people around the world to pray, to begin a ministry that will focus on orphans and widows, to change the hearts of thousands to draw closer to Him, and to complete His will and His story for them in His timing.

After we walked the property, we said good-byes to Douglas as he left for Tegucigalpa and hello to the children at La Casa for an afternoon of fun!  We went with the staff to the park and gave the children cookies and raisins.  As I watched them playing and laughing, I couldn't help but laugh myself at how we always think we have things figured out.......and, yet....we never really do.  God's plan is so much better than any plan that we can dream up.  Today I'm thankful that He is teaching me to wait on Him.  I am so excited about developing a partnership with this program and taking a team to assists the children's families, perhaps even Abby's and Ericka's family.

There has been a spiritual bonding between me and the girls.  They do not know the full story but, perhaps, one day will know how God used them.  Until then, I'm just going to give thanks and praises to God for allowing me to form a friendship with the staff of La Casa, with all the children and caretakers, for allowing me to be a very small part of a HUGE story, for being able to spread the word of God's love and the needs of La Casa, and.....most especially, for allowing me to love Abby and Ericka in person.

Scenic views of El Salvador

While driving around El Salvador yesterday, we captured some beautiful shots of the country.  The Pacific Ocean is only about a 40 minute drive from the city.   God has created such a beautiful canvas here with the mountains and the ocean together.  On the way we were able to drive to the top of a volcano and look into a crater formed in the late 1800's.

There are quite alot of beautiful cathedrals and small churches throughout San Salvador and pictured here:  the outside of a small Catholic Church and the inside of one of the oldest cathedrals in the country.  They are quite beautiful and reflect the history of the country.

La Casa De Mi Padre Pictures

Here are some more fun pics of La Casa:  Ericka is shown here reading to me and she insisted that I watch every word as she read 20 pages!  We captured a great pic of her with a HUGE smile as she climbed in Trey's lap.  Emanuel (Abby and Ericka's brother) is pictured here asleep in the hammock and also grinning from ear to ear.  

I am so overjoyed that these children are happy and safe that words cannot express my gratitude and thankfulness to the Lord!!!!  What a blessing that Heal Ministries can partner with La Casa and watch these children grow up into healthy Christians in their society!

Gary and Sharon Powell are pictured with me below.  They started La Casa Mi Padre and have become instant friends:  a true brother and sister that I look forward to growing old together with!  They share the same passion in caring for orphans and widows.  In fact, they shared a story that may be one of my all-time favorite "widow stories".  A lady that had a son in the program lost her husband and lived in a very rural area.  She has had no education except for the training and counseling provided by La Casa.  They raised the funds to build her a house and are working on reuniting her with her son.  Preparation and counseling are being given to ensure the appropriate timing.  The first night in the house she did not know what to do with the oven and decided to use it as a bird cage!  Gary said that they quickly realized she needed more help:  they assists her with weekly lessons on cooking, cleaning, and all the basics.  It is so wonderful to meet people that Heal Ministries can partner with for life caring for the orphans and widows around the globe.  You will be hearing alot more about La Casa Mi Padre in the future!  

United with Abby and Ericka at La Casa De Mi Padre (My Father's House Orphanage)

The last two days in El Salvador have been  two of the most rewarding days that I remember in a very long time.  There are not many times that we are blessed to see a story as sweet as this one come full circle.  I found Abby and Ericka.  They are so beautiful and for those that do not remember or know who they are:  they are the two little girls that my dear friend, MBC, found in El Salvador three years ago.  We tried to adopt them and the last thing that I heard was that the mother could not give them up and wanted to try to get them back.......the blog starts out with the story of Abby and Ericka.  Three years later, God sent me to La Casa De Mi Padre (My Father's House Orphanage) in San Salvador.  As we walked in the orphanage, we (Trey, Brandi, Douglas and I) were greeted by Gary Powell, the executive director.  He showed us around the orphanage and most of the children were still in school.  He had us hold a baby boy and when he said that the baby had two sisters in the orphanage and other siblings that were not in the orphanage:  I knew.  I knew instantly that I was looking at their brother because 1-1/2 years ago the attorney told me that the mother was pregnant and decided to keep her children and had more siblings.  The baby was about the age that her child should be.......I kept quiet until the end of a video that we watched and I asked to speak to Gary alone.  Through tears, I reminded him of the story and how I thought I was supposed to adopt them but that God had different plans.  He remembered the story and quickly gave me all the facts to the current date.

Abby and Ericka are now 6 and 8.  They are very healthy, very happy and very much where the Lord wants them.  This orphanage in El Salvador is being used as a family model for all future orphanages in the country.  They have purchased a farm where they will build homes housing 2 parents in each home and 8 children (much like La Provadencia!).  The difference with La Casa is that they work with the families.  Their first goal is to re-connect the families through counseling and visitation.  If the children have NO family they are "adoptable".  Abby and Ericka's mother and family love them VERY MUCH.  They are visited every two weeks and are allowed to go with them on family vacations and holidays.  Their mother is unable to care for them and has been very abused.  Please pray for her and pray for the girls.

   Abby and Ericka have a home.  It is not the home that I planned for them but a home that God intended.  How wonderful that 3 years later I have learned that I can be a part of building their home here.  The home that I thought they needed was my own but God has shown me that they need to be here with their family that consists of the wonderful La Casa staff and their own biological family members that visit.  They are doing very well in school and share a bedroom together.  They love their little brother, Emanuel.  After their mother had him, she was sterilized so that she cannot have anymore children.  The girls' older siblings live with their dad but they do not have any contact with them.  Abby and Ericka will have a father figure in their new home.   I'll upload pics of the farm where it will be tomorrow.

Spending the afternoon with the girls was such an emotional and rewarding blessing.  I helped them with their homework and everytime that I looked away, Ericka reminded me that she was the center of attention!  Abby is quite shy but her eyes today are much happier than they were three years ago.  La Casa goes to great lengths to provide all needs for the children spiritually, emotionally and physically.  They receive proper counseling and tutoring daily.  The families of the children are treated the same:  they receive the same benefits so that the generational curses will one day be broken.  Christ is not only talked about daily to Abby and Ericka but also to their mother when she visits.  

God is so good.  I'm thankful He has allowed me to see this story come around full circle.

Sabana Grande, Honduras

After seeing the team off in San Pedro, I traveled to Tegucigalpa and Sabana Grande with Douglas (a translator that works with Providence), Brandi and Trey.  In Sabana Grande, we met a man that started a factory to employ the local village people.  He also started a program that feeds the children in school and assists their families.   There is a home for the elderly and we got to meet one lady that lives there as a widow.  In the factory, the workers are very skilled at making crafts such as pottery, wood products, corn husks products, welding, etc.  The close up picture of the clay pot being molded was a sweet reminder of my own life and how God has molded and shaped me along the way.   

The children pictured with me are in the after school program.  

It was a blessing to be able to talk to the children about their school, families and the foundation that feeds them.  They all love school and they all said they enjoyed learning about the Bible.  I'll posts more about the foundation in Sabana Grande for you all to read about tomorrow.  Please pray for the children that we met here in this sweet village. 

It was fun to get a candid shot of a few of the children laughing and playing:  some out in their yards.  

Sabana Grande is a sweet place to see God at work!  We were here only two days and then left by bus to El Salvador.  The bus ride to El Salvador from Tegucigalpa was quite an experience and was a long 6 hour ride.

Lessons from God in Honduras

As I left Honduras, I was reminded
of God's beauty everywhere:

  the children, the landscape, the waterfalls, the vision one man was given from God to fulfill James 1:27 and the reminder of God's provisions for my own life with my own two sons.

Alfredo Cerrato is pictured here and has had the vision for the family model for orphans:  the reality is that most orphans will never be adopted.  La Provadencia will have 24 homes eventually:  all with two parents and 8 children.  They will no longer be orphans and will grow up in a family environment:  widows have been selected in the community to be assigned as grandmothers.  Aunts and Uncles are assigned from the church and the children will know a total family unit.  

I'm thankful for my own life and the provisions that God has made for me.  I'm blessed with two sons that God has been the Father to:  the provider and comforter:  the only one TRUE SOURCE OF HOPE.   What a sweet gift from God that I got to enjoy Honduras with my two sons pictured here:  Trey and Tripp.

 I'm thankful that God is consistent today as He has always been and I'm thankful for the constant environments that He places me in to keep me humble and on my knees.  

Honduras is a special place to Heal Ministries just as La Provadencia is.  God loves the orphans and windows.  I'm thankful that He has instilled a special place in my heart for them.  

Last Team Day in Honduras

The last day the team was in Honduras we enjoyed a local fish restaurant where we experienced eating talapia.....fish eyes and all! 

 Matt Elam is pictured here with his new sword because of the challenge that Alfredo gave him at the restaurant....eat both eyes and get a surprise! 

 We were blessed to be able to enjoy the beautiful waterfalls when leaving Siguetepeque:  on the way to San Pedro where the team departed on Sunday.

The two beautiful girls pictured to the right belong to Alfredo and Israel...........

Hollie Holliday is pictured here with her daughter, Chapel.

Life Lessons Learned from Building a Playground!

These pics show the team hard at work on the playground that they set out to finish.  Each member had a specific job and it was wonderful seeing everyone working together.  As the playground evolved everyone became more and more excited to reach the finished goal.   It became easier each day to visualize the children playing on it for years to come!

HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS were dedicated to building, measuring, hammering, sanding, cleaning up, and more!  It was very exciting when Chapel Holliday was the first child to climb the ladder!!

As we finished all that we could in the time that we had:  we all took the time to pose for a group shot on the bridge and under it.........Seeing Chapel climb each step reminded us once again God's plan was for us to grow closer to Him and that the playground was simply a step in that direction!

I am thankful that Heal Ministries was able to be a part of such an important week in the life of Providence World Ministries.  Their family model for orphans is offered to everyone all around the globe.  Perhaps the bridge that we sat on during our last hours in Siguadepeque will forever remind us to bridge the gap between what the world thinks is right for orphans versus what God intended in James 1:27.

VBS at La Provadencia

During the Spring Break Mission Trip, we were blessed to be able to host a fun 3 day VBS based around Noah's Ark for the school kids for a couple of hours each day.  It was such a blessing seeing them enjoy the crafts and games that were prepared for them.  Some of our favorite memories are watching the children with the bubbles or running around with the horse sticks on the day we talked about animals.  Hollie Holliday assisted us with the storytime....and as she asked the children how many animals went on the ark.....they yelled "dos" with each animal she named.  Then she asked them how many animal cookies they were going to get and they SCREAMED DOS!!!!

The team arrives for the dedication at La Provadencia

Pictured below are a few pics that show the celebration as the team started out their mission experience.  The dedication dinner was not only beautiful, its main focus was the Providence Children as seen displayed here in the black and white photos.  Maggie Bibbs is shown here with a beautiful little boy that has been given a home!  He lives in the first family's home and has had surgery on his lips.



Robert and Evan McCarthy are shown trying to hold down another little boy that lives in the first home.......quite the typical fun and active little tike!!  His brother, Douglas, is pictured here with his head down on the table:  a table that he will use for years to come in his new school and lunch room!  The Commodore (dining hall and temporary school) is pictured to the right.  The bell tower overlooks the mountains of Honduras and the view reminds us all why we are here.  We, the Spring Break Mission Team, thought we were coming to build a playground and to assists with the dedication of this new building.  What we have learned is that God is much bigger than that:  we have come to love on the Providence children, to build a playground and to grow closer to Christ!