less than 4 weeks left...

I have been busy packing up this apartment and I will be moving to the Noonan's house for my last 4 weeks here in Ceiba. I'm looking forward to having a family around, especially since my apartment-mates won't be in Ceiba for the month of May. It isn't the same here without them!

I have been enjoying the last few days with "my family" in Armenia Bonito - making tortillas, drawing pictures, talking, dancing to music, practicing saying all sorts of crazy phrases, and "dando vueltas" around town with Jessica when she spent the night with me. Our friendship continues to grow - and we have begun to have Spiritual conversations. I am glad that I'm able to encourage both the mom of the family, Angelly (33 yrs old), and the oldest daughter, Dania (16 yrs old), in their faith and commitment to the Lord. I love sharing my life with this family - and if I were staying long-term, I feel as though I would need to define what type of ministry I wanted to poor myself into and then move to that location - as it is hard not being able to reciprocate hospitality to the family.
Here is a picture of Angelly and me in her house:

I have two weeks of school left to teach... in which I want to review all that they have learned, continue to work on memorizing Proverbs 3:5-6 and John 3:16, and continue to make memories with the kids and teachers. I am also working on a short play with the kids in 2C to perform for Mother's day. Pray that we will be able to bring it together well in the next two weeks! I'm getting a little nervous! :/

Another unforeseen blessing has been spending Saturday morning with a group of teenage missionary girls - we have breakfast and study the Bible together. We have challenged each other to memorize Philippians 4:4-9 and 1 Corinthians 13. As I have been reading over these scriptures, the Lord has used them speak to my heart during the past week. I have been reminded to take each thought captive for Christ, to set my thoughts on things above, and been challenged to live a life that is defined by love. I am compelled to love others - even those who do wrong things or are difficult to love - with a love that is patient, kind, forgiving... with a love that never fails... because I have received unconditional love from Christ. (1 John 4:7-21) Praise the Lord for such love! A Love that casts out all fear...

It is because of God's grace that I'm able to face the reality that I was confronted by two men with guns and robbed this past Tuesday. Thank you - to those who did know about it - for your on-going prayers for me, my safety, my sanity, and the work that the Lord is doing in Honduras. He continues to make me bold to fearlessly face each day, give me peace as I go out, and allow my heart to remain open to all that I love about being here. Praise the Lord, in His mercy and protection, that I'm alive and safe despite all the bad that is out in the world. I have been reminded not only to be grateful for that I have materially, but also for each moment I'm alive, and especially for my salvation through Jesus Christ. New doors have been opened to relate to Hondurans, as many have come to me to talk about their own experiences of being assaulted. As I'm challenged to love those who committed this act of violence against me, please join me in praying for their salvation. May the Lord continue to use me for the remainder of my time here however He sees fit, to further advance His Kingdom.

"Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Phil. 4:4-9

good encouragement

"My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
He is my fortress, I will never be shaken...

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God;
He is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in Him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.

Lowborn men are but a breath,
the highborn are but a lie;
weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
together they are only a breath...

One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard:
that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving.
Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done."
(Psalm 62)

God over all the earth...

{{Happy Birthday, DAD! I LOVE YOU}}

A friend of mine recently wrote: "One important fact to keep in mind is that the Gospel transcends cultures. There will always be differences in ways people live from one country to the next, but because Christ’s message is the same in Honduras as it is in America, Christians can live for God wherever they go."

Reading it, I am reminded of my first days here in Honduras, and how I was hit by the reality that I am here - in a foreign country - without anyone I've known for more than a day or two. And then how God reminded me that He is God over all the earth... not just the part of the earth that I've always known... and that I am not alone because He is with me. Looking back at my journal for those first days, I wrote, "it is easy to be 'spiritual' back home where you are comfortable - to be viewed as a good Christian and seem to have lots of faith - but here, in order to be able to LOVE others, to be able to get up and face the day and the numerous problems that are out of our control, we HAVE to stay close to the Lord and in His Word - because otherwise we fail.
I remember praying for Honduran friends, praying for opportunities to share Christ's love, praying that the Lord would help me and speak through me as I went to teach kids about Him even though I was terrified of commanding a classroom...

How easy it has become to live here. For quite a while now I have been very comfortable living in this culture, I have a lot of great friends (both Christians and non-Christians), and am so comfortable teaching that I hardly prepare for my classes any more. Praise the Lord for answered prayer; however, in my comfort, I have found that I rely less and less on God and more and more on myself and my own capabilities.
Granted, I am grateful that I am no longer nervous about teaching, and feel so blessed with the community of friends and believers around me, but I realize I have lost something very sweet - my daily dependence on Jesus Christ.

So then what is the answer - I mean, who wants to live under the constant feeling of being inadequate that reveals our need for Christ? Yet I am foolish to think that I am adequate in myself to do all that Christ calls me to.
In Romans 12 we are urged to renew our minds as we offer ourselves as living sacrifices to the Lord. Perhaps the answer doesn't lie in being in uncomfortable situations so much as daily dying to self - waking up each morning and giving up my own will for the Lord's.. remembering that I have been crucified with Christ so that I no longer live, but it is Christ in me that is alive and at work in the world.. that through Him I am equiped for every good work.. so that when I leave here, or wherever I am, I can look back and say, as Paul did to the Corinthians, that "when I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

It is all for Christ. all for His glory. all over the earth.

Alegrense los cielos, regocijese la tierra!

Grande es el Senor,

excelso sobre todos los pueblos.

Sea alabado su nombre granioso e imponente:

El es Santo!

Christ has risen, indeed!

Happy Easter!

It has been a new experience celebrating this Semana Santa in Honduras. On Thursday afternoon, Good Friday, and Sunday everything in town is closed. The streets are deserted for the beach - where you will find TONS of people swimming, cooking out on grills in little grass huts, getting their hair braided, and enjoying each other. We had a church service on Friday afternoon and again this Sunday. There are mosaics of Jesus down the center of the main street, Ave San Isidro, that tell the Easter story.. a Santa mision.

Next week returns to "normal" - as Caleb leaves in the morning, and classes begin again at Brassavola. I am looking forward to the "tourists" from Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula to go back home - perhaps it is because they are from larger cities, but they just don't seem as friendly as my Ceibanans. Pray for me this week - as I present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to my students and their teachers at Brassavola. Pray that they will have soft hearts to hear, understand, and accept all that the Lord has done for us.

an unforgettable day

Today my brother, Caleb, and I went to Armenia Bonito to spend the day with my "adopted family" (important to note that they only speak Spanish and all the following happenings were in Spanish). ;) We arrived a little late due to the punctuality of the Honduran public transportation system - and as we were walking down the path to get to their house, Antono and Jessica ran to greet us with hugs. We then walked hand-in-hand to their house, where I introduced Caleb and he was given a very quick tour before being whisked outside with Antono, Noel, and the other guys to play with the soccer ball and football. I was left inside with the women - Angela (the mother) and her daughters Danyi, Jessica, and Heysi. I immediately heard a CD of children singing Spanish praise songs that I had given to the girls when I visited with my mom two weeks earlier - and the CD continued to play on repeat the entire time we were in the house. We spent the rest of the morning playing with games and toys we had brought - and I discovered that I am very proficient at turning a jump rope, not so good at playing jacks, and great at teaching how to play pick-up sticks. Caleb was outside playing sports until he was drenched in sweat and then came inside to sit in front of the fan and draw with Antono.

We ate lunch together - and I was glad that they didn't treat us TOO much like guests, as I was able to help serve the food and clean up a little bit afterwards. We sat on the floor to eat, and the mother - who ate last - ate with her hands, as there were not enough forks for everyone.
Afterwards, we decided to go to a nearby river and swim at a place called "tres pierdas". As we started out, Antono asked Caleb and me if we like to walk. Of course, not understanding all that the question implied, we replied, "yes." Well, that was apparently the correct answer, since we then proceeded to walk for 45 minutes to get to this place... all the while I am thinking - "I am going to have to walk back this way?!" Needless to say, Caleb and I are both a little pinker in our skin color than we expected.
The rio was beautiful - and SOOOO refreshing in the hot sun. I was struck by the fact that it was all "locals" there, even this week when Ceiba has the largest influx of tourists in town. I was also struck by the fact that they all went swimming in their clothes. When I asked about it - I found out they do this for two reasons, they can't afford a bathing suit and since they don't have a suit to wear, they are too modest to swim in anything less. I watched as women got in the river in their skirts and blouses - and everyone had big grins just to have the chance to swim.

Caleb and I had to cut the time at the river short.. and walk another 45 minutes to return to Armenia Bonito by 4pm in order to catch the last bus back into Ceiba. We were there at the bus stop by 3:40... and waited... and waited... and waited... and by 4:30, with the sky getting darker with more threatening clouds and less sun, we decided that the bus was not coming. Good thing we like to walk. We said our goodbyes (even though we were offered beds at our abuela's house to spend the night) and we started walking toward the main road. This entails walking ALL the way through Armenia Bonito, around the airport, and then ALL the way through Primero de Mayo (another village). Well, after about another 45 minute walk, when we were ALMOST to the main road, a taxi came to our rescue and took us all the way home. Talk about being tired!

As we walked, we had time to reflect upon the day... and I realized how I feel like such a part of their community. From the beginning, I was drawn to two little girls who love to smile, to play, to share their lives with me. I am constantly amazed that while this family has next to nothing, they are so happy and so hospitable to their guests. It was hard for me to think that perhaps because of the large meal we had today, they wouldn't eat perhaps for the rest of the week. Despite that reality, it didn't stop them from opening their house and making both myself and my brother feel comfortable and welcome.

I am having a hard time knowing what to do with all of this - as I have the means to give them so much, and would LOVE to give them all things that they don't have - but know that it won't fix a long term problem. I struggle with the fact that I am leaving Honduras for who knows how long in less than 6 weeks and I won't be around to continue to be a presence in their lives. And as I struggle with these things, the Lord continually reminds me that as much as I care about them, that HE cares about them more - and that even when I am not around, HE is. And He always will be. And I have to trust Him and continue to be faithful to the things and the people that are in my life now... faithful to live my life openly before them, faithful to give God glory for all that He has created and what He has done in my life, and faithful to LOVE unconditionally - just as I am loved. I know it is impossible for me to do these things, but with Christ ALL things are possible.

back "home"

What a whirl-wind trip to the US - and I am left sitting here in my little apartment in disbelief that it is already over. It felt like a sprint - and I'm left now to recover from trying (unsuccessfully) to fit in everything I wanted to do while I was in Virginia. BUT I must say that it was a very rich time - especially in spending time with people I care about.
highlights:
LOTS OF BABIES! I was incredibly glad that my sisters were visiting our dad's house with my niece, Victoria, and my nephew, Stephen.

I was also fortunate enough to get my hands on several friends' babies while I was home. :) SO CUTE.

Shenandoah County craziness... apparently the sucker fish are running up stream and get caught at the dam in our back yard - which creates the opportunity for an amusing pastime.. catching the fish and throwing them up the river. ;) I watched.

I did NOT expect it to be SO COLD - I mean, come on - it is April! But I think that this spring weather is more fickle than women.. one day it was beautiful with highs around 80*F and the next a bone-chilling high of 55*F with wind and rain. (note the hoodie in the above picture. yes, I was shivering.)
Now I am back in the very humid 90+ weather of Northern Honduras... and I'm lovin' it. Well, I love it more around 6pm when it cools off enough to take a nice walk without sweating too much.
good times.

I can't believe I only have 6 weeks left... I definitely want to seize every moment and make the most of every opportunity - knowing that time is short.

This week is Semana Santa - or Holy Week - which is the most important holiday of the year. Everyone takes off work and spends the days playing in the rivers and the oceans, cooking food outside, and enjoying each others' company. This is also a special week for me because my younger brother, Caleb, is visiting Honduras. I pray that the Lord is lifted up this week as we remember what He did for us on the cross by paying the price for our sins, and how He defeated death by raising from the dead to sit at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. Praise God for His love and His grace He has poured out upon us.

ps. I no longer have a phone number here - but you can always email me :) and I will get back to you as soon as possible!
oh, and apparently it is hurricane season again? We have a tropical storm coming our way...