Ariport Travel

wendy, Karen and me

So the Lord is working on our behalf. Thanks for all of your prayers.

Not only did everything fit in our bags but they are all under 50lbs! Yay God!

I amlost got stopped at the ticket counter becasue my return ticket is not until Sept 14 (which is more than 90 days away) but the Lord gave us favor again and the management of Spirit Air let me through! Yessss!

So we stayed up all night...caught 4 hours of sleep on the train to Ft. Lauderdale and were picked up at the train station by Karen...she is such a sweet heart. She made us this awesome dinner and we got to see her house. We laughed and ate and hung out until she brought us to the airport to catch the plane. 

I am waiting to board now...and blogging for them airport...this is soooo cool!

On The Road Again....

So it is 4:11am in Florida...Wendy and I are packing our bags to head back home to Hondi. This has been an amazing trip. We have worked hard and played hard and we have loved every minute of it...ok maybe we didn't love spending 12 hours on accounting work, but that had to be done. 

Anyway...I would like to give you a glimpse into the life of a missionary. There is always the dilema of suit case space. You never have enough. Trying to cram 6 months of stuff into 4 suitcases and say within your 50/bag allotment is nothing short of a miracle. 

I think we need some help here from the Almighty. Just look at what we are dealing with...

Ok so we need some major prayers...we have way too much stuff, plus some prescription meds (that I don't know how I am going to get through customs). Right now Wendy and I are trying to decide how many layers of clothes we can wear without raising suspicion.

Well I know you guys will be lifting us up, and that makes all the difference. I have to pack up Bella for the ride home now...so I won't be able to write again until we get there. First thing Sunday morning...if we have internet I will send you a blog.

Thanks so much!! Love you guys!

Miles and Manatees

manatees on the bottom...they look like logs! There were 183 at the park that day.

baby-tee

Wendy and her brother, Jessy

mee looking at the manatees

baby tee again

Garage Sales and Bikes?

Bella

Me and Bella, right after she was adopted into my family! 

Humbled Again...

I am re-reading Andrew Murray's book Humility. I just love the way he writes...no one uses that old language anymore. I read the book last year while I  was in the internship with HPC and I have carried it with me to Honduras because I knew I would need some more time to chew on it's teachings.

You should see my copy of the book...all underlined, notes in the margins, and circled words on every page. haha...I just can't help it. Every time I read it I get more, the Lord reveals more and I have to write it down, circle it or underline it. It is starting to look a lot like my bible. 

Anyway...this trip to the states has allowed me more time to read than I would normally have, so I am taking advantage of it...even if it is in the back of a car, in the bathroom, or in my bed at 3am! haha

I was reading in the car yesterday, while we were on our way to see Dr. Martin's parents. I was just full of joy. This book shows us that true humility isn't feeling bad about ourselves or beating ourselves up because we are sinners...it is having the proper estimate of ourselves in relation to our Creator. 

Check this out:

The call to humility has been too little regarded by the church because it's true nature and importance have been too little apprehended. It is not something we bring to God, or the he bestows; it is simply the sense of entire nothingness that comes when we see how truly God is everything. When the creature realizes that this is a place of honor, and consents to be - with his will, his mind, and his affections - the vessel in which the life and glory of God are to work and manifest themselves, he sees that humility is simply acknowledging the truth of his position as creature  and yielding to God His place. (emphasis mine)

We have to realize who we are in the scheme of things and let God be God.

There is something so special about serving others as Christ did. With a pure heart and a loving spirit. I am seeing growth in my life since I read this book last year. It is so cool to see God changing my heart and that He really can produce something beautiful out of mere dust. My heart just leapt when I read this in the preface:

When Jesus said, "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant" (Matt 20:26), He was teaching us the truth that there is nothing so divine as being the servant and helper of all. The faithful servant who recognizes his position finds real pleasure in supplying the wants of the master or his guests. (emphasis mine)

When we love serving...no matter who we are serving or how we are serving them...we are really living like Jesus, who came to be a servant of all. This is what I want...to serve with a pure heart and to love those that I serve, no matter who they are, what they look like or smell like. To love them and share Christ with them through that love.  

I'm so Happy...Oh so Happy!

I definately feel like doing the sassy pants dance right now. 

testing out Bella's new web cam...this is going to be sooo much fun!

Look...a good hair day! That's because I am in Florida...with no humidity. haha

Bella...The New Addition

I know you read about the close call Bertha, my 6 year old laptop, had with being sent to laptop heaven. Her near death experience has had me worrying about her health and reliability ever since the fateful night the "blue screen of death" flashed in front of my eyes.

When she crashed I was so worried that I would lose all of the work, 2 months worth, that I had been pouring myself into. I started looking into replacements for her...although it was kind of sad. I was quickly disappointed when I saw the prices of equivalent machines...Bertha was way ahead of her time! There was no way I was going to be able to spend $1500 on a new puter even if I really needed one.

I was sooo thankful when Chris was able to fix her, but I was still concerned that she would relapse...and what if...she couldn't recover?

It was just too much for me to handle.

I have learned something this week...if it is important to us, then it is important to God (thanks Jane)... Psalm 37:23 "The steps of the Godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives."

I am typing this blog on Bella, the newest addition to my life. She is a brand new Toshiba Satellite...and I got her for cheap! Cheap, I tell you! She is the new Bertha...she is still large and in charge...but she is much more stylish, and quite modern.

Don't worry, there is still a place for Bertha in my heart and in my work. She will be used every day for the team calendars and creating Publisher documents (cause Microsoft Office is not cheap). She also has a new job in the clinic as the inventory computer and patient database.

But oh man is Bella beautiful! She has a web cam!!!! I can skype now...yay! She has a great processor, tons of memory and 4 gigs of ram! I can even work on her uplugged! It's true, it's true!

The U. S. of A.

I was wondering if it was going to be weird to come back to the States after 2 1/2 months of living in Rio Viejo. I knew Wendy and I had a lot of work to do while we were there and that we would still be ministry focused even though we weren't at the ministry. I knew we had to leave and renew my visa, so that I could return for another 90 days. I just didn't know what it would feel like...being back in the States.

Some things are like I never left at all and some things aren't.

This trip has been smooooth, and I know it is because we have a lot of people praying for us. Traveling mercies have been given to us in abundance. We have gone from a plane to a train to an automobile and it was a seamless 24 hours of travel. Wendy and I even hit the ground running and went to the Dollar Tree right after we got picked up at the train station! haha

We have been shopping like crazy to get all of the things we need for the dorm. Everything from pots and pans to silverware and sugar canisters...we have been to Goodwill, Walmart, 2 garage sales (on our bikes) and the Dollar Tree (twice) and it is only our 2nd full day back!

I drove a car again, for the 2nd time in 2 1/2 months. It was a standard too, and I didn't kill anyone or damage anything! I am pretty proud of myself :)

I have adjusted to everything pretty well...although I did have a little price shock in Wal-Mart. Everything seems more expensive in dollars...I keep having to figure out how many Lemps it would be, haha.

We are having so much fun...staying up late working and packing...and waking up early to shop. We are staying with Wendy's brother and sister-in-law in Deland, Florida and they are taking care of us! We have been on 2 bike rides...the longest one was today at 8 miles! It was totally worth it though because I got to see REAL LIVE manatees!!!! There were like 180 or something crazy like that! Manatees everywhere! Jane also loves to cook and has been feeding us all kinds of healthy foods that we can't get in Hondi and I am looooving it!

The best thing though, happened this morning. Wendy and I stayed up till 2:30am packing our duffel bags to make sure we were going to have enough room to get everything back (which by the way, we aren't). We finally passed out and then woke up for the 2nd church service at Jane and Jessy's church. Wow, let me tell you...I don't know if I can.

There is something so powerful about worshiping God as a group. I didn't realize how much I missed singing to Him, in English! The music was simple, the songs were familiar and the presence of the Lord was there. I felt like the whole service was for me. I was challenged and convicted and loved beyond measure.

I went to the altar to pray with Wendy (she had a cold and we were praying for her healing since we don't have much time here). While I was there I decided to get prayer for new focus and a fresh anointing for the year. It was such a blessing. The assistant pastor's wife prayed for me, I don't even know her name, but she spoke such truth to me and encouraged me in my work.

She challenged me to stay in the Word, to stay at the feet of the Lord and not run from His power. She prayed that I would have eyes to see the poor in Spirit. It was an incredible time for me and the Lord's presence was so strong. Maybe it was because I wasn't afraid to press into worship. Maybe it was because I was so hungry for him. Maybe it was because I knew I wouldn't have much time there and jumped right in. Maybe it was because I simply asked for prayer.

What I do know, is that I am hungrier for Him. I am focused on Him. And I want my light to shine in the darkness!

Visas, Bertha and the Great I AM...

Tonight I am going back to the States to renew my visa. I have been a little panicy that 1/3 of my time here had already past...but then Wendy reminded me that were are leaving early. Whew! It is funny...I don't even want to think about leaving. I am not ready yet...and that is a good thing, because I do have 7 1/2 months left. haha

I have a tendancy to work too hard, mainly because I love work. I love investing my time and energy into something that I know God is investing in. I can't wait for the teams to start coming. I can't wait to see people living in the dorm. I can't wait to see the hospital opened and the recovery wing built. I have caught the vision of this place, and I can see it!

I see the patients coming. I see the teams coming. I see this place being changed...one person at a time.

And it is hard to leave all of this. Even for a week, knowing that I will be back. But God is so good. He is constantly reminding me that I can't do it all...He is the great I AM...not me. This time He chose to physically remove me from the situation. I can't do anything, except to rest in Him. I have to trust in His timing. I have to leave it in His hands.

God is sending people, resources, equipment, you name it...He is lining it up. I have never been a part of something like this before. So I am having to rely on him more. I have to trust in him more.

Earlier this week, my computer crashed. Yes, Bertha, my 6 year old laptop was dead. Along with all of my work for the past 2 1/2 months. Calendars, notes, contacts, videos, menus, schedules, lists, needs, wants, documents, ministry guides, pictures...everything was gone. It was all I could do not to panic. Wendy and I were trying to comfort each other, knowing that we could not possibly do all of that work again before the groups arrived.

I went home and got in my bed. I read my bible and journaled. I gave it all up. I didn't want to have to buy another computer (I really don't like spending money) but I knew that I had to have one. I knew that God would take care of me. I didn't feel like He would let all of that time go to waste. Then I went to sleep.

The next day, Chris the computer guy came back from vacation and passed by on his way to work at the school across the street. He took Bertha with him to work to see if there was anything he could do...and guess what?! Bertha is back!!!

God is so good! He is the great I AM. I don't care what anyone says... God knows every detail in our lives and not only that...he cares about them. So Bertha is back from the dead and she has since been backed up on our external hard drive...just in case!

I am so grateful to know Him. I am so thankful that He is real. I just love Him so much and I want to serve Him for the rest of my life.

We're Baack!

We once again have internet in la cuenca! Thank you for all of your prayers! It has been a rough week...making the 2 hour round trip into town every day to check our email for messages from soon to arrive teams!

Wendy and I are glad for the break from the bumpy road and mall food court lunches!

I Love Comments!

I just want to say thanks to all of you who read and leave comments on this blog! You are such an encouragement to me and it really means a lot to have you come along on this journey with me!

I wanted to give you a few quick updates...yes I am back in the internet cafe so I have to work quickly...

Our 3rd intern just arrived from...guess where...Baton Rouge, LA. No way, right? Yes she is from Bethany South and it is going to be so much fun to have another Baton Rougian here in la cuenca.

Allison´s family made it here safely and they havd been working hard to put the finishing touches on the intern house. We have curtains, and paint, and hooks and all the little extras that make a house a home. It was so cool to have a family in the house and see Allison with her sister and parents. I think that´s just what the house needed! Thank you to all who prayed for their safe travel. They are on their way back to the Chicago ara tomorrow.

Our first mission team comes in 3 weeks...count them...one...two...three. Deep breath, Heather, deep breath! This is going to be one wild ride. I guess we are back to that whole catapult thing again. Well I am back in the bucket again!

I love you all so much and I am just thrilled to be here working with the Williams. Honduras is starting to feel a lot like home.

OH, What a May

I found out a long time ago that HPC was plannin a misison trip to Honduras...mostly becasue I was going to help plan the trip from the Honduras side. I have been so excietd getting things ready, making plans, and organizing. It has been a great experience to work with HPC on the outside. Things have been going smoothly and the staff is a joy to work with.

But nothing could have prepared me for the excitement of knowing who is coming on the trip...
Mary Beth
Kelly Pitts
Finegan
Mrs. Kelly Perret
Mark Younger
Geautreax
Chris Mac
and Rob & Michelle Gros

That´s tripple trouble with 3 Kellys and Mary Beth! Whatever!

Not to mention the medical team with Dr. Cheri and Joe Leblanc!

Then My parents emailed and said they are going to come visit in May and bring my Grammy and Granddad!

May is going to be so much fun! I can´t wait! I am being hugged by the Lord and it feels sooo good!

Video Tour of the Nuevo Casa

I feel like I hit the jackpot!! I have an internet signal speed of 11 mbps, and I am actually uploading video...shut up, right! It's true! 

So I quickly took a little video of the new house...it is a little messy because this video shoot was definitely not planned for, but I didn't want to waste such a great signal! Wendy, Allison and I have worked tirelessly to get this place in good shape. We have scrubbed and painted and moved and remodeled and now we are finally at the "work on it a few hours a week" stage. 

This has been a really cool project though, the house will be used by HHIM to house interns, teams and anyone else who comes our way for the next year. It has gone from something really scarry to something beautiful...and really better than I ever imagined! I would never have thought I would live in a place this nice here in Honduras. I have to give props to Wendy for making this happen. She is amazing!

Please forgive my crazy hair too...it is 10:48pm...and I don't normally look like a fro-headed crazy person...but all in the name of getting video on the blog! 

So sit back and enjoy... Honduras Cribs ... straight from the village!

Copan Part III: Amazing Motorcycle Taxi Race

Caution...Cuidado...if you have motion sickness make sure you are firmly grounded before watching this video!

While in Copan we visited the free children's museum to learn about the Mayan Ruins...mostly because it was free. In order to get there we decided to take motorcycle taxis for .50 cents a person. The race was on! We all jumped in and took off up the giant hill where the museum was located.

We were victorious of course, arriving at least 15 seconds before anyone else. The Williams taxi was overloaded so some of them had to get out and walk up the hill...I'm not sure the Sam's taxi driver knew we were in a race because we left him in our dust.

We felt like we were on the Amazing Race! It was so cool. I thought I'd share our victory pass with you!

Noah and the Ark

So I am still in Genesis...soaking up this chronological Bible reading plan. Right now I am sipping on the Marshmallow Lover's hot chocolate I got for Christmas and thinking about Noah. 

Genesis 6:5-6

"The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke His heart."

This is the world in which Noah lived. A world that was "consistently and totally evil." And yet, we see in verse 8, "Noah found favor with the Lord."

What was it like to be Noah? Everything around him was evil. Every thought, every conversation, every deed was driven by impure motives and resulted in wickedness. So much so that God's heart was broken. God was in despair.

What was God thinking? The very reason he created earth...the reason he created time... the reason he hung the stars in the sky and created night and day...the very thing he breathed life into had turned against him. In verse 7 God says, "...I am sorry I ever made them."

After all of His time and effort to create life and a place for it to flourish...after he invested his own breath...He was so disgusted that what had been "very good" in Gen 1:31 had become, "consistently and totally evil" just 5 chapters later. 

I believe God was grieving, he was angry and hurt...to the point that he was ready to scratch it all. He would rather have none of it than to have a world bent on sin. 

But then, he remembered Noah...

Genesis 6:8-9

"Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. "

What was it like to be the only man on earth to have a relationship with the Lord. Was the persecution relentless? How difficult was it to raise a family to love the Lord? Did he even try to tell people about God? The Romans Road hadn't been written. There was no Sinner's Prayer. What was is like at work? Was he worried about who his kids were hanging out with? 

What did the Lord feel when he looked at Noah? Was he reminded of why he started the whole thing to begin with? Did he see potential? He must have seen something, because he wiped the earth clean except for Noah, his family and an ark full of animals. 

I hope he sees the same thing when he looks at me. I pray that I will live like Noah...righteously, blamelessly and in close fellowship with the Lord. 

Good Eats

One question I get from a lot of people back home is, "How is the food down there?" Well if you came to the Taste of Honduras party before I left you have a good idea of the local cuisine. If not... well then you missed out on some good eats, but I will take pity on you and show you some of the food that in in our fridge:

Mustard in a bag.

Granola in a bag.

Milk in a box.

Map of our fridge.

Now the food in our fridge isn't typical...yes we have a lot of the local eats, but for starters we have a fridge. Another thing we have in our kitchen is a stove...many people in the village cook on a wood burning stove made from clay. We also have transporation into the city to buy groceries, however some people in the village have never even been to La Ceiba... even though it is only a bus ride away.

The local fare consists of: tortillas, rice, beans, plantains, green bananas, cabbage, tomatoes, oranges, chicken, eggs and fish. The corn grown here is very starchy so it is used mostly for animal feed. Hondurans love chicken, they are running around everywhere in la cuenca and there are chicken restaurants on every corner in the city!

I am starting to do some diet educations at the clinic...which is pretty interesting when more than half of their diet is carbohydrate based and they don't get much protein or fiber. We are brainstorming on ways to grow more green veggies here and make them available to the people. So we are starting small...one plate at a time!

These are a few of my favorite things...

My Favorite set of twins: Alessandra y Alejandra.

My favorite roommate next to my favorite giant moth...that stayed in the same place in our house for 3 days, and then mysteriously disappeared. No really...this thing was HUGE!

My favorite place in the mall...I have never actually been in there but I think it is hilarious. You pay by the hour to play video games for playstation and xbox.

My favorite church attire...never complete without the rubber boots!

One Year Plan

I have decided to read through the Bible in a new way this year. I have always wanted to read the story along the chronological lines, so I found a reading plan that will help me do just that. Today I started with the beginning in Genesis. 

I have asked the Lord to give me a new perspective, to open my eyes and show me more. He is so faithful, when we ask Him with a pure motive...to know more about Him, I don't think He can refuse His children. I didn't get very far before I stopped to think about what was really happening. We so often rush though the story of creation because we all know it so well..."And God created the heavens and the earth..."

We breeze through it, half reading - half remembering, not really stopping to think of what is happening. What was God anticipating on the first night...was He planning for the first sunrise? or was He just enjoying the first evening ever in the history of the world? 

What was it like the first night the stars were placed in the skys? Did He lay on the earth and look up at them before anything had ever set foot on the land beneath Him? Did He look at them from the skys? Did He dance in the galixies and watch the stardust move to the beat of His heart?

He spoke and it happened. It wasn't forced. It wasn't difficult. Something came of nothing according to the word of God. How powerful does that make the Bible? It is full of the words of God. It is His written word. 

How exhillirating was it watching the first tree grow from the earth? Was He excited watching the first seed fall from that tree and sprout...beginning the cycle of propagation? Was He there on the earth, was this His first opportunity to play the role of Gardener? 

How much fun did He have creating all the animals in the world...all the bugs...all the fish...all of those funny-looking creatures? And then...the crowning achievement...man and woman were created. The main course...the big event...the reason for creating the whole project. 

He made Adam and Eve with His own hands. He took special care to form Adam from the dust of the earth. From His own creation, He created man. From the something-out-of-nothing He created a living, breathing, complex, organized system of mind, body and soul. He didn't create a lesser version of man...a beta...a rough draft. In one fell swoop He created man with a personal touch and breathed life right into him. 

We have the breath of God in us. You do. I do. We have life because of the breath of God. Our first breath in this world comes from the very mouth of God. What was in Him...is now in us. 

All of this...the land, water, light, darkness, sun, moon and stars, plants and animals...was made for us, to sustain us...with the purpose of giving us life so that we could be in relationship with our creator. So we could walk with Him in the coolness of the day. 

So I am going back to that day. I am choosing to walk with Him. I am reconnecting to the origional puropse of man, which is to be in relationship with my creator. 

All of this from the first 3 chapters of Genesis, and an earnest plea to God to help me know Him.

Wow...it makes me wonder why I waited so long in the first place. 

2009 is going to be a great year!

My Heart's Desire

Some times we have to step back and take a look at ourselves. The new year provides an excellent opportunity to survey yourself, your goals, your priorities and your heart's desires.

For the past few weeks I have been trying to pin down my uneasiness. I couldn't tell what was driving my comfort out. It has been hard to be alone, hard to be with God, and hard to be in the group. I have just been sort of... well out of place. 

I have been in Honduras for 7 weeks now. The newness is wearing off and I am feeling more and more like I live here. I am so glad for this transition...I have been waiting for it. It is weird to be in a place knowing that you are here for a long time, but not really being adjusted to the idea yet. 

At first I thought that my "out-of-place-ness" was a product of being caught between two places. So I was glad to finally take root, but then the feeling stayed with me. Almost like it was hovering around...never really leaving me but never really landing on me either. 

So I went back to the drawing board.

Time to do a heart check...find out what is in me that shouldn't be. I firmly believe I am where God wants me to be, so feeling like I am out of place means that there is something in me that is out of place. Make sense? These conversations with myself are usually not very fun. No one likes to dig in and expose an area of their hearts that likes living in darkness, but it is necessary. 

I have been singing this song for days...even in my sleep...I wake up and it is in my head and I just can't shake it. There is a part that goes like this:

My hands are shaking from carrying this torch,

From carrying this torch for you.

It is a love song...no doubt. With catchy guitar riffs and a great melody, so it has stayed with me. I hum it, sing it, and listen to it on my computer. Tonight I realized something...God is the one carrying the torch. 

It hit me like a ton of bricks. He is the one that has been following me around. Our God is such a gentelman...He has just been waiting. 

How long have I been unknowingly pushing Him away? How long have His hands been shaking? How long has he been standing behind me waiting for me to engage in conversation? How long as He been looking at my back?

Ouch. 

How long have I been choosing to work, to clean, to email, to post pictures, or to sleep rather than acknowledging His presence? This is a hard one to admit, but it is necessary. I haven't been in the Word. My prayer life has become casual conversation. My time with God has become business as usual. 

Ouch, again.

So with new humility, and a realization that I have been keeping Him waiting...I am asking for forgiveness. I am asking the Lord to forgive my busyness and renew a right spirit within me. 

I have been apathetic to the very person I have been searching for, isn't that ironic?

Tonight, I am taking the torch from Him. I am asking Him to light a fire within me, again, and my prayer for 2009 is that I will be consumed with Him.