It's What You Make Of It That Counts

 
   Last night was the opening night to our kids club events that go throughout the school year.  We've been involved in the previous years in many different ways and our kids have all grown to love Kid's Club at our home church.  Jacob and Max have since graduated to the youth group but love it just as much.  We feel so blessed to have a church that has so much for the kids to do and so many adults pouring their lives into helping teach these young ones to know the ways of the Lord.  We are truly blessed.

  School always goes a little smoother on Wednesdays.  When someone is found "goofing off" or daydreaming it only takes a little reminding of their plans for the evening and they usually get right back to work.  While I am so thankful for all of this I am also reminded of how much more it's going to hurt when we leave.  It's hard for me sometimes to not weigh the pros and cons of getting involved in such great things, great family, great friends...just to say goodbye.  Yet I must remind myself that this isn't Mars we're going to and it's only goodbye for a season. (Not literally, just an illustration. :) )
  
   So it was one of those hard nights for me; seems I'm struggling more lately as we get closer and especially with how our kids will be effected.  Seeing all the kids come with such enthusiasm to be there; kids who are so hungry to learn about Jesus, is hard for me now because I want to be involved in it all.  Watching our kids in the midst of them all, playing and having such fun, reciting their memory verse together, eating snack, playing games, singing songs, stirs within me a bit of sadness.  It's hard not to dwell on the fact that we only have two weeks left with Bryant Wesleyan kids club when it has only just begun.  Yet, we can look at this two different ways.  We can be thankful for the blessings of  many years of amazing opportunities for our kids to see Jesus in our church and and I can trust that God will still provide those opportunities for them through other means or I can sit and mope about all that we are leaving and all that we will miss.  In doing so we would probably miss all the rest of the blessings and opportunities He has for them because we cannot see through our weeping and moping.  And the old saying proves very true that your kids pick up so much more of what they see than what they are told.  Our attitudes are very contagious.  We found that out the hard way. I'm holding tight to Jeremiah 29:11, not just for the kids in the project or for those waiting to be rescued, but for our kids too!  For He knows the plans He has for them, plans to prosper them and not to harm them, plans to give them a future and a hope! 
  
   The Lord has been good and the summer months added more confirmation for us as we continue on in this journey.  The one time start up fund needed has been supplied and we are at 50% on the monthly commitments needed!  We feel that God is leading us to begin traveling to continue sharing and spreading awareness for Project Manuelito.  It is our hope that through this time God will also lead us to the people who already share our vision for the "least of these" and who are important pieces to this team.  This team is growing everyday yet is still in need of prayer warriors, monthly supporters and many other needs within the project.  Thank you for all that you have done and are doing. 

A Glimpse of Jesus in Action

There are moments in life when we are given a glimpse of what it must have looked like to see Jesus walk the streets of this earth.  There are moments in life when you can clearly see a man living out his passion of being the hands and feet of Jesus to those who need to be loved.  I heard an amazing story last night at the World Gospel Mission's Men with Vision conference that I want to share with you. 

Do you remember us telling you about Jorge Pinto?  The man who started Manuelito?  After we were done sharing about our calling to move our family to Honduras to serve at Manuelito a man shared something that touched my heart so much that I cannot stop thinking about it. 

He was in Honduras with Jorge Pinto when Jorge made plans to go into the city one night to pass out ham sandwiches to the children waiting to be rescued.  He first made a stop at the police station and offered them a bag of sandwiches in return for their protection while on the streets.  When they first arrived it was quiet, dark and raining.  He asked Jorge where the children were.  Jorge told him that they were hiding.  Why wouldn't they be?  Do you know of a child who wouldn't be scared on a dark rainy night in the city of Tegucigalpa?  It was when Jorge stepped out of the vehicle and said a few words that a mob of children came out from every nook and cranny that you can imagine and ran to him saying "Pappy Pinto!"  That translates to Daddy Pinto.  They threw their arms around him, climbed into his arms and soon had brought him down to the curb.  These children are what some might consider the unlovable.  I say that because some would only see the dirt on their skin, the lice in their hair or the odor from their lifestyle.  Yet Jorge held as tight to those precious children as they did to him and Jorge looked up at this man with big tears running down his face.  He begged and pleaded with him to go back to the United States and get him some help.  "I need help" he cried.  "I need help!  There are still so many who need to be rescued, who need to experience the love of Jesus Christ!" 

They prayed together that night, which was approximately 4 years ago at midnight on the streets of Tegucigalpa that God would send him help.  What amazes me most about this story is that it was approximately 4 years ago that we started this journey by answering, "Whatever you are asking of us Lord, we'll do it, whatever that means, wherever that might bring us, we'll go."  Last night, this man looked at us and said to us with such confidence in how BIG our God is, "Your family is part of God's answer to our prayers that night on the streets of Honduras."  Wow, how honored I am to be worthy enough to be His servant, His hands and His feet to these precious children. 

The reason I say that there are moments in life when we are given a glimpse of what it must have looked like to see Jesus walking the streets of this earth is because I believe that what that man saw that night with the children running to Jorge calling him "Daddy" had to be Jesus in action through his willing followers.  Wow!

God's Recent Projects

God has been providing in such ways that speak loud and clear the words of Jesus in John 14:11-14 "Trust me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or at least believe on account of the works themselves. ¹² I assure you that whoever believes in me will do the works that I do. They will do even greater works than these because I am going to the Father. ¹³ I will do whatever you ask for in my name, so that the Father can be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ When you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it."  

We knew that we would need a network of Christian friends to help us along in this journey.  We knew we'd have times of needing encouragement, wisdom and help with this task of raising funds.  We just weren't sure how this "network" would develop but God is showing us that He already had given the same vision to others in our community that would become part of our team.

He has done so in  many different ways with our home church family, friends, and other churches in our community.  God's recent project has been though re-connecting me with  high school friends who also have a heart for missions.  God has given them a vision for starting a non for profit organization with the purpose of connecting local short and long term missionaries who serve the orphans within the community of Jay County.  They want to encourage our community to lift our adoptive families and short and long term missionaries up in prayer, serve with them on the mission field, encourage them and support them financially.

And God has helped them to develop this organization which is named Friends of the Orphans Jay County!  They are holding their first annual walk for orphans this Saturday at 10:00 in the new Hudson park and have chosen for our ministry account to be the recipients of the proceeds!  Wow!

We are very humbled to have been chosen as recipients of the proceeds raised for this event but even more so are we in awe of how our God provides just what we need, when we need it.  Through the planning of this event we have developed friendships that will last a lifetime.  I have already seen an impact on our community as the awareness of orphans and missions have circulated with the fliers and word of mouth to promote this event.  Most importantly though, it is our prayer that God will be glorified in all that is done through this group and that individuals will come to the place in their walk with Christ when they truly ask him, "What would you have me to do?"  I'm not talking so narrow minded as just in "what would you have me to do with the orphans."  God gives us each a job within the great commission.  For some it is for the orphans in another country.  For some it's in church ministry.  For some it's in being that special mentor for the child in your local school, who just needs someone to care. For some it's foster care, and for some it's through prayer, encouragement, giving, or going. 

I would love to see you there.  You will be encouraged by this walk with time to reflect on what God is doing in your life and through the music and message by the Two-Eight band featuring Eric Maitlen.  Will you consider coming?  If you do, please bring a lawn chair.  Visit http://www.friendsoftheorphansjc.org/ if you have questions or send me a message and I'll try to answer them.  There is no admission fee...it's donations only.  You do not need to be registered.  If you'd like to come but have concerns about the 2 mile walk then come even if you cannot walk.  You will still be encouraged! 

 "Be of good courage,
         And He shall strengthen your heart,
         All you who hope in the LORD."  ♥
                      Psalm 31:24

How Do You Measure That?

As we’ve begun this mission funding process, the Lord has helped us to see that our progress is not solely scaled by the dollar amount.  While the financial support is necessary for this mission to be accomplished, it’s not the only need.  Yet the first time we got our weekly progress report (this is all of the monies that came in the week prior) with a grand total of 0, I’ll admit my heart was unsettled. 

Yet there is no dollar amount that can be put on the words of encouragement that came when I needed it most, or for the woman that found a good deal on T-shirts and play dough for the kids or for the child who went through his own toy box to give Christmas presents for the children who will do without.  There’s no dollar amount to put on a timid woman who came to me at a time that I felt I could not go any further, and told me that she knew she needed to tell me that the Lord had laid me and my family on her heart lately and that she is praying for us.  Where does this fit on the percentage scale when she goes on to tell me just exactly how I had been feeling because the Lord had also put that on her heart so that she would know how to better pray?  Or for the stranger that came to Joe and I to tell us how the Lord says to fear not, and that we have no need to be afraid, He is with us and He will help us?  There is no scale to measure the confirmation we felt as we held those precious children in our arms and had not ever felt so close to Jesus except for when we first held our own children.  “and the king will say, what you do for the least of these, you do also for me.”  How much is this confirmation worth?... finally finding the place in which the Lord is whispering in our ears, “I’m here!”  I think of our little magellum travel guide that tells us when we get to the place we’re looking for “you have arrived!”, and then gives the address of our place of destination.  What percentage is this worth…feeling as though the Lord was saying, “you have arrived…this is where I want you, this is where you’ll find me.” 

For us, and those who are a part of this team with us or a cause of some other sort, this is where he reminds us…”what you do for the least of these you do also for me.”  There’s no percentages or graphs for this and all the prayers, encouragement, and big hearts who have answered to the Lord’s asking them to be a part of this team because it would be more then what can be measured.  The Lord is showing me why he gave me the title for this blog…”Raising Funds of Faith, Hope and Love…and the rest will come.”  Faith, Hope, and Love... Faith gets to work, Love has its labors of good deeds and hope is a confident expectation that requires patience.  Our Lord is so true, so faithful, so trustworthy, and full of hope and love.  He is Faith, Hope and Love, we receive it from Him and are then able to pass it on.  Our faith gets to work because His faith got to work.  We give labors of love to others because he gave labors of love to us and we can have and give hope with confident expectations in Jesus because He had confident expectations in His Father.  How do you measure that?

Where are we now?

So now that we've told you that we know the Lord has plans for us to serve at the Manuelito project you may be wondering now what?  In February we are going to have a meeting with the field directors about some of the specifics and together we'll work on a plan.  There is such peace in knowing that we are part of a team and that the Lord has placed specific people in our path to help us along the way.  Not only are we a part of the team with the other missionaries and staff at the World Gospel Headquarters, the Lord has also given us a great team of friends and family who are equally important pieces to this puzzle.  We have said all along that this is not something we could ever do on our own and the Lord has faithfully been providing the support we need in order to keep pressing on.  The words of encouragement, financial support and the times you have brought our family before the Lord are greatly appreciated.  I know I have said this before, but I feel so strongly about this that I'll say it again, and again, Together, the Lord will use us all to be His hands and His feet, bringing hope to those that have none, hope to the least of these in Honduras.  The Hand will not go where the arm has not taken it and the arm will not go where the feet have not walked!  So we say thank you for the part you have in this mission!  We received an email on Monday with our ministry account information and the Lord has provided approximately $17,500 so far for our one time cash amount needed and our monthly commitments are coming along too.  At this moment we're not sure exactly where we are on the montly commitments that are needed but we know that the Lord has been providing that need as well! So we can thank the Lord for His confirmation and His provision and trust that He will continue to provide the rest of these needs in His perfect timing!

Some more of the pictures

I feel the Lord has prompted me to be more considerate of the stories we share about these kids.  Something just doesn't feel quite right about it, so i have made some editing changes tonight.  I wish we could put more details on here about each child's story.  They each have a name, they each have a story.  If we knew a fraction of what these kids have been through we'd know more than our hearts can handle.  We only heard a hand full of them and it has changed me forever.  The biggest thing that gets me, is when I think about who these children belong to.  They are our Father's children!  They are His and He's asking us...will you help them?  The need is so great...there are still thousands of children yet to be rescued but as long as the harvest is plentiful the Lord will be whispering in so many of his children's ears..."Do you trust me?  These children are mine...and what you do for the least of these you do also for me. Do you trust me?"

 This is the statue of Jesus overlooking Tegucigalpa. 

 They were excited to have their hats and to use Joe's purple pen!

 This is some of the pizza from the party.  We started out with three pieces each...I thought that would be too much but they just kept eating and eating and then they snuck some back to their rooms to hide. 

                  They were trying to find a place to hide their pizza.

 

 He really liked the sunglasses that someone donated to be a part of the gifts we brought.

Visiting their mother's memorial stone.

 This is one of the boys who was right beside Joe while he was fixing their beds.  He really enjoyed working with the tools and the special time Joe gave him.

 We painted their rooms and hung the curtains that someone had sewn for them.  They really liked the way their rooms looked when we were done!

We were able to be a part of his transition to the farm at Manuelito. 

 She really liked her sunglasses that someone donated but she liked them most on Joe!

 They love to chew on the sugar cane!

 We were without power and water some of the time, so this was how we helped that night. It's a hard job!

 We climbed the big hill in Talanga to see the scenery and the big cross.  It was beautiful!

 This is a photo shot from the top of this big hill where we could see some of the houses on the other side.

This is one of their new classrooms. They will start school next week in their own school on the farm!

Photos

So here are some of the pictures.  I'll post more another day.  Keep in mind that when I tell the stories of these kids, I'm telling the best that I understood or can remember.  I may have some of the details not completely right but I'm sure they're pretty close.  Thanks for being patient with the photos. I'm having trouble again getting them all to show on this posting...so Joe says that I should just post one each night...we'll see what happens.

This is Jorge Pinto. He is the man who started this project. He was a street child himself, being rescued when he was around seven years old by the Hawk family and he graduated from El Sembrador. He is a pastor in the capital city. The children run to him and call him Pappy Pinto!

The girls were always wanting me to pull up Justin Beiber on my laptop. Justin is a celebrity in Honduras too with the girls!

  This is Jenny.  She was found sleeping in a card board box.

This is Donnie. He was given to the project when he was three. His dad died and his mom couldn't care for him.

 Nichol and Scott. Scott was the team leader from Oregon.

Owen and Jodee. Jodee is Scott's wife. They are some great new friends we made.

This is Shayla and Jose. Shayla is Scott and Jodee's daughter. She sure enjoyed the kids too!

Donnie was so excited to get his Christmas presents. He got a batman washcloth too, which he really needed because he always had a dirty face. :)

Jose sure loved the sunglasses someone donated!

Gary is Nichol's brother.  He's such a sweetie!

Jenny sure loved her purse that someone donated!

We painted their rooms, cleaned them up and hung the curtains that someone sewed for them. Their room looked so nice when it was done and they really liked it!

Hexon and Cristian were often found outside the fence of Manuelito, hiding from their step father who beat them regularly. Their mother had aids and was pregnant. After she gave birth to her son she died shortly after and Manuelito took the older two boys in but could not take the baby because he tested positive for HIV and they are not equipped to handle this. This is the memorial stone for their mother, outside the fence where they would find the boys hiding.

This is how they got in and out of the fencing when they want to visit their mother's stone.

Coming Home

Coming Home:
We felt we couldn't get to our own children fast enough yet it was so hard leaving Manuelito.  We truly do feel like if we were able to just get our kids and quickly return we would...but the Lord has given us a peace in waiting on His perfect timing.  So the clarity that we were looking for the Lord did provide and we know that we are to serve at Manuelito.  When we first arrived we were overwhelmed with the size of this project...meaning this is definitely something we will not be able to do on our own, and to be honest with you I would have turned right around and came home after the first day if we had not have joined another team from Oregon and had our dates set.  I was missing our kids pretty bad and we were telling ourselves that this is a great project but not for us because it is just too big.  Yet the Lord continued to work with us...with the matching scripture that he had first used to get our attention...to strangers telling us not to be afraid, to the children that grabbed our hearts and will forever be a part of us now...how could we say no.  There is alot of things that are yet to be shown to us...like where we will live and when we'll actually be there, yet there was so much more to confirm that this is where He wants us and where our kids will thrive the most.  There is no better place to be then in the center of His will and while we have to wait on some of the specifics we can rest in His peace that passes all understanding and just wait for his leading.  We know that he led us to Manuelito last April for a reason...we can rest in the peace of just knowing.  The project is not ready for an official welding class but Joe has found great need for someone to help with the agriculture, farming, regular maintenance of the property and all the while he will have some boys right along his side learning from Joe.  While he was fixing their beds he asked one boy how to say Grinder in Spanish.  He didn't know what Joe was saying.  Joe couldn't say that in Spanish yet, but he could ask him what the name of this tool was in Spanish.  The boy quickly responded, "Chicago".  Joe gave him a funny look, and the boy pointed to the words written on the grinder..."Chicago Tools".  It's a Chicago he told Joe.  These boys need to learn the names of their tools, how to use them and all the while Joe will be depositing back into hearts what has been depleted from the years of having nothing, some not even knowing how old they are or when their birthday is.  The things in which we'll be doing there are endless...from helping in their new school right their on the property, to teaching them skills, to tucking in at night, to fixing their broken toys, and most importantly teaching them about the love that Jesus has for them and fixing their broken hearts by being His hands and His feet.  So this is the clarity we have received and I thank God for His leading and His guidance.

Thursday at Manuelito

Today we finished painting the boys dorm rooms and their bathroom.  We got the brick walls as far as they’re going to get as for from our group.  The next group will pick up where we left off.  We found out more specifics as to what this building is going to be used for.  The first half of it will be for an office.  The middle will be an apartment for Justin and Ashley Guest and the end of it will be a clinic.  It is in the near future plans for Manuelito to have a doctor’s clinic, (they already have the doctor) but for it to also be a clinic for their neighbors. 

Tonight we celebrated Christmas with the kids…even though it’s a little late.  The kids sang some songs for us to say thank you and did a skit to reenact their life on the streets.  It was sad yet happy at the same time because the life that they once knew is no more.  When we gave them the gifts they were very excited and loved what they got.  Someone had donated a scorpion necklace that we gave to one boy and he was so overjoyed but would not take it to his room.  Instead he went to Helga, the directors wife, and asked her if she would keep it in a safe place for him.  I told them how the Lord had put them on our heart and that it was He who wanted them to have Christmas.  It was his plan because He loves his children and they are His.  The people from our church donated the gifts because He wanted them to.  We brought them here because He wanted us to.  It is from Him.  They just smiled.  I wish I could share the pictures now of this day. 

Words cannot describe the feelings I have right now…I miss my own kids so much yet it is so hard to leave.  I wish I could just put our kids on a plane to come and we could stay here together.  Yet I must remember that it is all in the Lord’s timing and we will be back here

Tuesday in Honduras

Tuesday at Manuelito

Today we were able to meet the family of two of the boys that are here.  You might wonder why they are here if they have a family.  There are nine children in this family and no father.  They live in a one room shack, no bathroom facilities, no kitchen (just an open fire to cook over) and no food.  The mother has given two of her children over for the Manuelito project to care for.  Her children hang out on the streets and know to visit homes at meal time, yet with so many in the same situation I can’t imagine that they find much.  When we arrived at her home we had to walk up a very steep hill and follow a trail with a very steep drop off to the left of the path. 

 Her children are up and down this path all day, the youngest being maybe three.  The three year old had no pants or underwear on and we were told that today she had no food for them again.  Before we left to go to her house we went to the grocery store and bought her rice and beans, flour, oil, bananas, tangerines, pasta, milk, juice and an assortment of other items.  We also brought with us the remainder of the toys that we did not use for the Christmas party for the kids here.  The two boys were so excited to see that we were bringing food for their family.  They just kept saying over and over again…thank you, thank you.  They were so excited as we loaded the van, being very adamant that they take the bags and load them in the van themselves.  At first I just thought they were being helpful boys but when we got to their house it was clear to me that they were feeling very proud to be bringing help for their family.  They are approximately 8 and 9 years old  and already feeling the desire to step up to the plate that their father (for whatever reason) is unable to do.  Yet there was not really much expression of emotion when this family was reunited for a moment…more a call of duty for these young boys.  As we drove down the streets of their town they called out the window to their siblings as we passed by telling them to go to the house, they have food.  We gave them the salvation bracelets and explained to her and the children what the different colors represent.  We also made sure she knew that we were coming to help feed her children in the name of Jesus Christ.  She was very grateful yet my heart is left feeling heavy… If only we could do more. 

When we returned home the kids had a birthday celebration for Joe.  They sang Happy Birthday to him in Spanish and then in English.  We had cake and then the kids took turns saying something to Joe if they wanted and Angel translated for them.  What we heard over and over again was "thank you for coming to celebrate your birthday with us."  We thought that was so cute...they think he came for that reason. 

We are having trouble getting our pictures to load so I'm sorry I haven't been posting pictures along the way. 

Monday at Manuelito

Monday: Celebrating Michelle’s Birthday

So we didn’t get to have our Christmas today with the kids…we have learned that in this we must be flexible.  We are going to have it on Thursday night.  So instead I will tell you about our day celebrating Michelle’s birthday. I will tell you the best I can about Michelle’s story.  There can be a lot of information lost in translation, so I’ll tell you the best I could understand.  Michelle has been with the project since she was two years old.  She and her sisters were some of the first to come to Manuelito.  Her mother was trying to raise her children on her own with no job, no money, and no husband.  She would sometimes have enough money to rent a room for a night but most of the time they slept on the streets, using trash bags as covers.  They went to the restaurants and begged for leftover scraps and had to beg for money from strangers.  The project found them and asked their mother if they could come live with them.  She said no for the first several invitations but eventually let them go. (There is so much more to the process of how they have helped these children and this mother but we couldn’t get it all with the language barrier.)  There are 6 girls and 1 boy in this family…I hope I got that correct.  So now, this family that had no hope and these children who slept on the streets are now becoming young adults and the ministry is beginning to see the fruit of their labor as one is in college, one will be a teacher here at the school and the others are still here in the project.  So today was Michelle’s birthday.  She is a beautiful young lady and she says she knows the Lord has a plan for her life.  Thankfully Michelle probably doesn’t remember her days of living on the streets.  While these siblings were not without family they still were with great need.  Praise the Lord that Michelle and her siblings have been rescued, given a chance in life and have learned of the love that Jesus has for them.  Praise the Lord that today Michelle could celebrate her birthday with hope and that her days of sleeping in garbage bags are over.  Michelle probably doesn’t remember her days of living on the streets but her older sisters remember all too well those days.  The flow of tears she had when sharing their story tell me she’ll never forget.  The memory of her life on the streets is surely what has motivated her other older sister to come back, to give back and teach in the school.  She will bring the love of Jesus to the children who have the same need as she did.  What a celebration and a great moment for this ministry to see the fruit beyond the life that was changed and to the life that was changed and is now changing lives as well!

                                                           This is Michele and Bryan

Tonight we will be going to Telanga to help with the children who are still living on the streets.  Manuelito can only help so many and there are still so many who need rescued.  Without enough help and enough funds they are just waiting to rescue more. 

Sunday in Honduras

Going to church today in Tegucigalpa was very interesting and we learned a lot while there.  The transition house that the kids go to first is above the church.  Many members of their church are challenged to be involved in the manuelito project in some way or another.   They asked us to give a short testimony so we told about how we are only following the Lord’s leading and he has lead us to Honduras.  He has showed us the kids living on the streets and then He brought us to Manuelito.  When the service was over one lady came to me and told me with her broken English...”God spoke to me with your words and I know I am to serve him this year at Manuelito.”  Wow, I didn’t know what to say but I suppose if I did I wouldn’t have been able to tell her anyway because there was not a translator near.  I really need to be working harder on my Spanish!  Three or four of the smaller ones went to eat lunch with us and then to the park.   We ate at KFC believe it or not!  As I sat there eating our lunch, I watched little Nichol eat her chicken and thought about what her life was like only one year ago.  One year ago she was eating from the trash can with her little brother. 

 One year ago she had nobody tell her how special she was.  She is seven years old…the same age as Lilly.  She likes to be played with, likes piggy back rides and giggled the way Lilly would giggle when she put her head band on Scott’s head when she rode on his shoulders. 

 We got to be a part of Nichol and Gary's transition to the farm at Manuelito from the transition house.  I wonder what she thinks when she remembers her life one year ago.  Has she come to understand yet how special she is and that God has a plan for her life?  If her heart has yet to comprehend such love I trust that as the Lord uses Manuelito and those who are working here she will someday soon. 

We had several people give us money to use as we needed it for this trip.  We were limited on how much extra luggage we could purchase so we had to think of something else we could do special for the kids.  We read on their website that they many of them listed as their favorite food, pizza.  This is something that they do not get very often.  So we decided to get pizza for them.  When we came home from our trip in Tegucigalpa we brought back with us the pizza.  The kids had been told that we were doing this and they had been waiting so patiently for our arrival.  We ended up running late so by the time we got back they were overly anxious and hungry as well!  They all came running to the van, we could hardly get out because they were swarming so close.  We bought enough pizza for two groups their size, but figured it was better to have too much then not enough. 

 So as we served them their pizza we heard the words over and over again…”mucho gusto, Gracios!”, (which translates to ”I like this very much, thank you.”)  When they kept taking more and more again, Joe noticed that they were wrapping the extra up in napkins.  I wanted to see what they were planning to do with it and it was obvious that they were trying to not be noticed.  When I saw a trail of boys running to their dorm rooms I took off running after them hoping to catch this on video.  I reached their room only minutes after they did but only in time to see the last boy trying to put his into a bag of toys.  I asked them, “Donde el pizza?” (where is the pizza?) They pat their stomach as to act as if they didn’t know what I was talking about.  So I tried my best to get them to understand that I wouldn’t tell on them…I just thought it was cute.  Yet as the night ended I began thinking about how I thought it was cute.  Really there is nothing cute about it.  They feel they need to hoard and hide their food because they remember too well not knowing where their next meal would come from.  It must take a while to get them to stop feeling the need to do this.  So while in the moment I felt like it was so cute yet now my heart is broken by what I saw.  These poor children…what have they been through?  

Friday at Manuelito

Today we began building up the walls for the new building.  If we are understanding correctly, this will be office space and living quarters for when the work teams come.  The place in which the work teams are staying in now is very soon to become the new directors home.  We also began sorting and organizing the supplies in their new school house.  I found myself easily distracted  from the work that needed done and easily persuaded with a tug of my arm that translated to, “follow me”.  One particular young girl, Joanna, pulled me into their room to show me the Cinderella curtains she was so proud of.  I look around their room, bunk beds lining all the walls and a shelf which held their clothing and such.   Their bed seems to be the only space that is their own yet they seem to be so content and happy. This is so much more then what they had living on the streets! The power went out earlier in the day, so that meant that evening came rather quickly.  At six o'clock the kids had disappeared, I thought surely they had not went to bed already.  I was not going to miss my opportunity to tuck them in so I found my way to the younger girls room first.  I found them inside their room with their candle lit and nothing really to do.  What can they do when the sun is already down and the lights are out?  Joanna takes me by the hand and leads me to the window to show me once again their Cinderella curtains.  Then she asks me for candy.  So I quickly run back to our room to get some gum and I remembered the cards that someone had given us to bring…with Cinderella on them.  I grab them and quickly return to the little girls’ room.  I hold up the gum and almost immediately I have several hands fighting for the spot that is closest to mine.  Once we get the gum all dispersed I showed them the cards.  So my “tucking in” turned into a candle lit game of memory.  Then it evolved into a game of uno with the older girls, a wrestling match with the younger boys, a settling of a dispute over a ball with the older boys and then finally, two hours later, I get to do what I had entered their dorm rooms to do.  Since each room is tucking in and praying at the same time, I ended up in the little boys room tonight.  It was obvious that my presence was causing them to be more rowdy then settling down, so I didn’t get to sing to them or to rub my fingers through their hair as they dozed off, but I did get to be a part of their prayer, hold them close and say good night.   And I heard the words “thank you” with almost every hug I gave. 

So here we are at the Manuelito Project

Preparing to come to Honduras again hit me a little different this time around.  I must have forgotten how hard it was to leave our kids for 10 days but I must remember that this trip is for their benefit as we gain clarity on how and where we will be able to make the most impact and what is also best for them.  When we first arrived here at Manuelito we were greeted with many smiles and hugs...you'd think the kids already knew us.  One particular little fellow (Donnie) was so excited to see us he just bounced off the walls the whole evening.  He was singing and dancing, jumping and running around and pulling us by the hand to show us his world here at Manuelito. (There were so many of them that were equally as excited as he.) I shouldn't have been surprised by their obvious starvation of physical affection...there was not a moment when I didn't have someone pulling me by the hand, sitting in my lap or arm wrapped around my waist.  Yet I'll have to say that the thing that got my attention the most last night was when it was time for bed.  I watched as they all wandered into their rooms, one little boy being drug in by an older boy because he was doing what kids do best...finding anything he could do to stall the time of actually turning in for the night.  As I watched, I couldn't help but think...who will tuck these little guys in?  So as I returned to our room to prepare for bed as well, my thoughts pondered on that bed time ritual that our kids get and how I wished I could tuck mine in tonight.  Yet there is great comfort in knowing that they are being tucked in by those that love them just as much as we do...but what about Donnie and Lois and so on.  So as I began this morning, my first mission was to find out that answer.  They have an older kid assigned to each room to do this and read scripture with them.  Yet my heart wasn't satisfied...I'm here, longing to tuck my children in yet am having to rely on others to do this for me right now...but do you think they'd let me slip into their rooms tonight and tuck them in as I would do my own?  Of course the answer was YES!  So tonight, you can guess where I will be...and while my Spanish is still so poor, I know they'll understand that kind of love and I know they'll know the tune of Jesus Loves the Little Children that I plan to sing quietly in their ear as I rub their sweet faces.

Here is a poem I wrote when thinking about what Christmas will be like for the children on the streets of Honduras.

Christmas Morning Through the Eyes of an Abandoned Child

He wakes from his sleep

With a heart filled with joy,

For a moment he forgets

He's an abandoned little boy.

His dreams had carried him

To a place he longs to be

It's Christmas morning

With new shoes beneath the tree.

The exhaust from the traffic,

The smell of the street

Brings him back to reality

There will be no shoes for his feet.

His heart is heavy,

And he's always wondering why?

"I'm not asking for a family,

Just some shoes for me to tie."

Oh he'd love a family,

But would never set his heart on that

For he thinks families are for special kids

And settles for a hat.

A family, a hat, a pair of shoes,

This boy will not see,

He's alone on the streets

And there's no Christmas tree. 

He's never even heard

What Christmas is all about

To him it's one of those days

He'd rather do without. 

There's no story of hope,

There's no Christmas cheer,

Just another lonely day,

With hunger and fear.

My heart is heavy

When I think of this boy

Yet there's so many like him 

Without any joy.

I want to hold them close,

I want to wipe away that tear,

I want fill them up

And take away their fear.

I want to give them a family,

And those shoes for him to tie

And tell him about Jesus

When he asks the reason why.

I want Christmas morning

To be a whole different story

For another child rescued

And to God be the Glory!

Eric Ludy - Depraved Indifference

This is a very powerful video that tells so much how Joe and I feel about helping the children living in poverty without the hope of Jesus Christ.  It won't take long to view, I hope you'll take a moment to watch this.  Joe has also said many times, "What if that were my boy?" It makes me wish we could be there now. 

"Mom, how long will you be a missionary?"

Tonight, as I tucked the kids in for bed, Lucas had a heavy heart I could see.  We had just finished bedtime prayers together, which includes praying for another missionary or anyone else that ends up in our prayer box for some reason or another.  Tonight we prayed for Tim and Sharon Hawk who are recent retiree's from the Honduras field.  We asked the Lord to bless them for the work that they've done and to help them to make the necessary adjustments they'll need to make as they step out of a lifetime of service.  As they are adjusting, so we are as we're preparing to step in.  Yet I realize that while it's true that there are definite adjustments that both our families are making, it is really just in where we serve.  As I was praying with our kids, I asked God to help Tim and Sharon to see this too(if they had not already), so as to not wonder "now what?" So back to Lucas. We finished our prayers, they were all tucked in and as I was about to leave his room, I heard him ask, "mom, how long will you be a missionary?" I figured our prayer for Tim and Sharon must have caused him to think about this. I have already explained to our kids many times that it doesn't matter where you live, you can always be a missionary, so I knew that this wasn't the answer he was looking for.  I asked him "Do you mean how long will we serve in Honduras?"  He shook his head. We've already explained to them the two year discipleship plan and then four years on and one year off, yet I know kids forget so I began explaining it again.  He interrupted me, "I know that, but I mean how long will you do all that for?" I started to answer "as long as the Lord..." and then I stopped. I fear that my "right or wrong" words will make the difference if our kids feel resentment toward God because of our call to missions.  I was without words and I have yet gain confidence in knowing how to handle these topics. So I asked Lucas, "how long would you like to see it be?" He had an answer within a fraction of a second, which told me that he's thought about this before. "Ten years." "Why ten years?" I asked. He needed not do the math again, it was obvious he'd already done it...I wonder how many times?  "because in 10 years I'll be a grown-up and I'll miss you if you're still there." Of course I've thought of this before but it hit me tonight in a different way.  I've struggled with wishing our parents would give us their blessings on this.  They each have reached their own level of acceptance of our calling, but oh how we'd love to have all of their blessings.  Tonight I felt their pain as I realized I too could have to give up being the adult parent I always thought I'd be. I too could have to adjust my expectations of what kind of grandparent I will be. I fumbled for words and I struggle with knowing how much of my own struggles I should share with them.  so I just told Lucas how some missionary kids end up becoming missionaries too and he stopped me short. "I know, but I think I'm gonna want to spend some time with my grandparents." Keep in mind that when he says grandparents, he's very much also meaning his great grandparents. My heart sank. I couldn't bring myself to remind him of the effects of time and what that could mean. Yet he's a smart kid and he ponders thoughts worse then I do, so I'm sure he's already thought of it. All children have to face the cruel reality of saying goodbye to loved ones, but how could I remind him of this as we are about to take him so far away?  I usually am one who struggles to express my feelings but tonight it was all I could do to hold it in until I left his room. I got down on my knees and I pleaded with God, "are you sure Lord? This is so much harder than I ever thought it would be! I don't know if I can do this...I'm scared for our kids...I'm scared that they'll resent us and even worse that they'll resent you! Could it be that we could wait until they're grown?"  My heart sank to a new depth as I remembered Lucas' response "I'll be a grown-up and I'll miss you."  Would there ever be a perfect time to...to...to be obedient?  I remembered the scripture I read just this morning from Luke where the disciples were asking Jesus if they could first do this or do that before they followed him.  Jesus spoke to me and I knew that He doesn't want obedience with delay.  He wants obedience.  And then the words, "I'll give you a peace that passes all understanding" kept replaying through my mind until I truly had received a peace that passes all understanding. It doesn't make sense. I don't know how this will all end. Yet I do know that even though the Lord did not give me the ok to delay, he did give me a greater sympathy and understanding for what our parents are going through. Tonight he also gave me a peace that truly does surpass all understanding.  So tomorrow when I manage to lose my peace once again because my mind recalls again the little faces of the homeless boys who we saw and I'm fretting over the opposite(not being there yet), I'll remember the peace he gave me tonight that passes all understanding. 

Mountain Number Three: Letting Go Of Our Treasures

We had already begun our application process through World Gospel Mission, so when we got back it was just a matter of waiting.  In the mean time, we had some friends of ours come to us and ask us if we were still interested in selling our farm.  The sign had been down for some time by this point and the housing market was falling rather quickly.  We prayed about it and felt that it was time.  Joe had a harder time with this then I did.  This was his dream since he was a teenager.  I remember him telling me when we were still in high school that someday he was going to get me that place.  The only thing that really interested me in it was that it was the joining farm to my grandparents farm.  Needless to say, he got me that place and together, room by room, we made it our own.  Joe always had dreams of raising our kids there and then having them bring the grand kids back to play and climb the same trees our kids climbed.  Yet deep down he knew that someday the Lord would ask for it back.  In fact, I remember him telling me shortly after we moved in, "you know, someday the Lord is going to ask for this back" as if to prepare me.  The Lord knew Joe needed to be prepared as well.  One morning, as the day of signing the papers was drawing near, Joe woke early as he was struggling with the idea of giving it back. He was praying to God and his prayer went something like this: "Lord, if this is all me, just losing my mind, stop me now cause I really don't want to let this place go."  The Lord spoke to him when he saw, in his minds eye, himself giving God this great and wonderful thing...his farm, his home, his treasure. Once he put it into God's hands, it all turned to dust. Then the Lord said to Joe, "you give me your dust and I'll give you a treasure that will last forever."  So that is what we did.  It wasn't hard for me, until it was gone.  Isn't that so typical...you don't appreciate what you've got until it's gone.  But all that being said, we can look back and see how we are so free without it.  Two weeks later we were officially accepted by World Gospel Mission and 1 month after moving out Joe was laid off from his job.  We were so thankful for the Lords perfect timing and how our downsizing made his year long layoff seem actually as a blessing.  The job he took in that year taught him so much.  He was cleaning carpets, but what he learned was so much more then that.  Joe has always struggled with being outgoing and with speaking.  This job put him in peoples homes everyday and with many elderly people who just wanted to talk.  The Lord knew that Joe would need to develop these skills as we prepare for fundraising with speaking at churches and also for the time on the field.  It has all been in His perfect timing with His perfect plan.  Only He could sell our house in the midst of the housing slump and he didn't need a FOR SALE sign to do it.  Only He could know that we would need the financial freedom and the freedom from all the stress of the farm so we could concentrate on our biblical classes we needed to take.  Only He knows which mountains will come and what the best plan is for either a removal or an ability to persevere as we push past them.  My next post will be about pushing past...for this next mountain he chose not to remove.  He knows what is best and what we need to learn through the mountains.

Mountain Number Two: Where and What Is He Asking?

So after the Lord reminded me that He will help me, I was the one who couldn't stop talking about it on the way home that day.  I wanted to get the Internet and start looking to find out more about what the needs were and which mission agencies might need us.  Joe on the other hand felt that the Lord was wanting us to be patient and let him bring it to us.  This was hard but it wasn't long after we submitted to whatever it was He wanted of our lives that He began showing us.  It was a Wednesday afternoon when Joe brought the mail in and we discovered an envelope with no return address.  In it was $900 cash and a little pink note that read, "For God's Work."  We hadn't told too many people about this yet because we were still a little unsure as to what He was asking of us.  We were so excited and we knew that this was the beginning of whatever journey He was leading us on.  Four days later, on Sunday morning, our church had a missionary scheduled to speak about what God is doing in Honduras through their support.  One question that we kept asking ourselves and God, was how was He going to use a welder and a housewife.  Mark and Sarena Dunbar are missionaries in Honduras and they were serving (at the time) at a boarding school for underprivileged Honduran boys.  The primary purpose of the school is to teach the word of God and to provide the boys with an education and a skill that they can take with them when they leave.  One of the skills that they teach just so happens to be welding.  These boys also need a mother figure.  This surely couldn't be happening!  We were so excited and the next thing we knew we had a trip planned to go visit this school.  The Lord showed us there that He was able to use people like us and that He was indeed calling us to bring hope to the underprivelaged youth of Honduras.  The Lord has been so faithful in removing the mountains, one at a time...in His perfect timing.  So this was Mountain Number Two.  I'll write again later on Mountain Number Three...Where To Begin Now That We Know.