La Providencia - Honduras

This morning we were able to assists the developmental process of starting a coffee plantation for La Providencia. Each family home will grow coffee and patiently wait out the 2 years it takes to grow and develop the coffee beans - and then the produce from the sales will benefit the family model homes. We loved that we were able to be a part of the process that will help to sustain such a wonderful place.

We will be planting some more coffee plants the next two mornings. Quite honestly, they do not need our help in getting this project done. They are gracious and kind enough to allow us to be a part of this and I'm sure that we slowed them down a little. Their humble and patient hearts teaching us how to plant the coffee was such a reminder of Christ and how He was such a humble teacher.

The school at La Providencia has 4 classrooms and they add one classroom each year. Right now, they have pre-k, kindergarten, first grade and second grade. We working with one classroom each day, reminding them of God's promises with the story of Noah's Ark. The children loved making animal puppets and eating animal fruit snacks. The classrooms are very small - 12 to 15 students - which makes our team's one-on-one time with each child very special. Building relationships has been the key to our story this week. As we get to know the children and the staff at La Providencia, we are blessed beyond words at how God knits all relationships together.

We spent some time after lunch with the children in one of the homes and the excitement on their faces as they colored Noah's Ark and placed animal stickers on it was more than joyful. It was a reminder of the the important things that keep us happy: Christ, family and relationships that God puts in our lives.

Today was a sweet day. The rain did not stop the soccer clinic that the Hondurans love so much. Some of participated, some of us laughed as kids of all ages slipped in the mud to play, and some of us just smiled at the relationships being developed on the field. We ended our night with dinner in Mizael and Bessie's home. Mizael is the director of La Providencia and a pastor. They are truly some of God's most compassionate people. The conversation at dinner from Mizael was about relationships. He said the coffee projects and other work projects are just "excuses" to get teams here............the number one goal is to develop relationships among God's people.

We love the families that God has placed us with this week and we will hold them in our hearts forever. Hopefully, in the next two years, we will return to see our friends that have become family. And, hopefully, we will see our small coffee plants that we planted growing very successfully. They will remind us of how a tiny plant helped us to develop larger than life relationships. God uses all things and all people: even the beautiful orphans that are orphans no more, and even beautiful plants to teach us valuable lessons.

Sunday in Honduras

Today is not only one of the most memorable days in Honduras, but a definite top 10 best mission trip days of all time! We started our morning off by going to the market and buying some fruits, beans and rice for a family in need that the pastor told us about. The pastor is Misael - a humble servant that is also the director of the La Providencia Orphanage. We listened to his message that was so needed by everyone: praising God at all times.

We walked to Delsey's house after church. Her floor had just been mopped. Delsey is the beautiful lady pictured with her three children. She is only 23 years old. Two months ago her husband was murdered. Delsey is a widow at the age of 23. She is beautiful, sad, confused, strong, shy, and asked for prayer. As I entered her humble home, I noticed the picture of her little girl on the wall. The photograph is one that I took a few years ago when I took pictures of all the children in the school program and used them at the dedication. I realized when I saw the picture that I had met this family before. Our team gathered in her simple and wonderful home, presented her with the food and prayed over her. Through tears, she thanked us. Through tears, I left asking God to provide for Delsey. I know that God will provide everything that Delsey needs. And, the team is thankful that she has a home and family living around her.

We had lunch with the medical team that will be here this week with us and then toured La Providencia. The medical clinic is quite impressive. Medical teams travel here to help the children all around the village. They have a dental clinic as well as an equipped surgical room. We walked around the property and saw the colorful school, the playground, the plans to complete each stage and then ended up at the two family homes.

Beatrice and Mario have six children. Their sweet testimony of how God provided these children brought more tears to our eyes. They prayed for children and never dreamed that this was God's plans when they started praying. Across the street, Orlando and Elsie have the second family home with another six children. They are only 24 years old. Both couples have passion and love the children that is recognized immediately. They provided dinner and entertainment for our team and we enjoyed getting to know them. We really enjoyed hearing their hearts, and hearing them tell the stories of their children that will never be orphans again.

Beauty everywhere!

We have had such a wonderful two days seeing God's beautiful rainforest, waterfall, flowers, beautiful colors everywhere, and the beautiful people of Honduras................words can't describe the beauty in the scenery or the eyes of the people here. Our team even discovered beauty in the laughter of being served fish - head, eyes and all!

We saw God today in: the eyes of the people, the smiles and joy in their faces, the rainforest, the laughter of the team bonding and prepping for VBS crafts, the humility and kindness of the staff at La Providencia, the staff at the hotel and the streets of Siguatepeque. There is a simplicity here is that is very pleasing and desirable and everyone on the team has already realized this. We discussed the similarities and differences tonight of the people that we are meeting and it all comes back to the two main ones everytime: The biggest difference is birthplace and the biggest similarity is that we all need Jesus.

Made it to Honduras!

Our team made it safely to Honduras yesterday - we spent the night in San Pedro and drove 2 hours through the rain forest this morning to get to beautiful Siguatepeque. The village area where La Provadencia is located is quite pleasant. The people are beautiful. It was thrilling to watch new eyes see the area for the first time and just as thrilling to see friends that we have here again.

A sweet moment for me was driving into the family model homes area and seeing children playing on the swing-sets. One of our HEAL teams built the playground and swing-sets a few years ago and to see it in action with the children was thrilling.

There are 12 of us on this mission trip and we have already bonded. It is always so amazing to see who God puts together on a team. We learn from each other and grow spiritually together each day. And, we learn to be flexible in Central America.

We spent tonight playing with the families at La Provadencia, the staff and two other teams. There is a team here that is leaving tomorrow and a medical team arrived today. All of us played soccor with the village children and then we played games with the orphanage children and had tamales with them tonight. I did not bring the right equipment to upload the pictures to share but I wish that I could show the smiles on the team members faces as they played, talked and laughed with their new friends tonight.......friends made in the village, and friends made quickly with the other teams.

One of the best moments we had was praise and worship. "Lord I lift your name on high" could be heard in the village in both English and Spanish. What a sweet vision of the way Heaven will sound - with all the languages coming together - all the nations rejoicing and loving each other and praising the One that never abandons us.

This is going to be a special week and everyone is so excited to be here - we will be planning and learning tomorrow as we prep for vacation Bible school. I'm listening to the rain pouring down as I type this and it made me smile. Our theme this week will be Noah's Ark. The children in the program will definitely understand about rain pouring down - and we are looking forward to explaining the best part of the story to them: God's promises never fail and the rainbow is often seen here in the beautiful mountains surrounding the rain forests. God has given me the rainbow so many times when I needed His smile from above - and while I did not see one today, I'm most certain the children that we will be talking to about the rainbow have seen rainbows many times here in this beautiful sunny and rainy area...........

borrowed a card reader from a team member - and posting pics!

Headed back out in the field

It seems that it has been a long time since out in the field, but it has only been 3 months. During those 3 months, God has been constantly reminding me and the teams that have prepared their hearts for Honduras and Uganda that it is all about HIM. We will have a team of 12 traveling to Honduras from June 23 to July 1. There, we will serve La Provadencia Orphanage and the beautiful village that it resides in. The African team will be going to Uganda from July 5 - July 29th. We pray for a covering of protection, safety, health, and God's will to be ever present on our hearts. Please pray for the VBS crafts, lessons, and projects that we have prepared and that we will be received with love. Please pray that our hearts are serving with the right intentions and that our focus will be on the ONE allowing us to go. God please change our hearts so that we never come back the same. Our desire is to show love, give love and to receive love as Jesus did.

“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.” Saint Augustine