Discouraged.... Encouraged

A good friend told me at the beginning of this journey, "people you expect are NOT going to support you, and people you may not know well at all are going to surprise you." Now she can say, "I told you so." The past few weeks have been interesting. After stressing and worrying about a church that might support me, or at least listen to my ministry, I finally emailed the letter. It only took 2 months ;) In a matter of 1 day, my stress and fears were transformed. Not only could they not support me, they would not even hear about my ministry. That was a big discouragement, not the lack of support, but the lack of hearing about the ministry to these kids.

Support has not been coming in much these days. But I'm still waiting. I would be fine with start up, but without monthly support (right now I have $170 monthly) I could only stay until Christmas, which I know is not God's plan.

The encouragement, music. I have heard many new songs, whose lyrics are exactly what I need to hear. But more encouraging, in the form of music, is the missions benefit concert being planned for me to share my ministry and open the church's eyes to the need of missions and missionaries. Many times here in Florida I have felt apart from my closest friends, so a few months ago I would never have imagined the blessing that is taking place. I will have my stressful opportunity to talk in front of the church to announce the concert and a time to talk in the concert, but the focus will not be on me and my words. As you know, I'm not the most outgoing, being in front of people, kind of person. So God is using others to help me share the ministry!

The concert is Friday, September 3 and we are having practices 2 days a week. We will have an international pot luck (where I get to play Spanish worship music), a silent auction for paintings, a time of worship, a time of original songs written and time for me to share as well as a pastor at the church.

Leeland "Follow You"

You live among the least of these the weary and the weak. And it would be a tragedy for me to turn away. All my needs you have supplied. When I was dead you gave me life. How could I not give it away so freely?

And I'll, I'll follow you into the homes of the broken. I'll follow you into the world. I'll meet the needs of the poor and the needy God. I'll follow you into the world.

Use my hands, use my feet to make your kingdom come. To the corners of the earth until your work is done.

I give all myself, I give all myself, I give all myself to You

** the pictures are of the kids at Casa de Luz... I did not take them, I just borrowed them to show you. I wish I was there to take them! **

Jascal, Javier, and Gabriel

I received an email this week that Casa de Luz has 3 new siblings. Their dad is in jail and up until last Monday, they had been left at a shopping center during the days to beg for food and money while their mother went to work. (It's hard to describe a 'shopping center' to someone who has not left America, but its not our normal slow in and out kind of shopping center.) The kids are 2, 3, and 4 years old. Now they are off the streets during the day and will be at Casa de Luz while their mother works to provide for the family.

Also, due to the large amount of kids in such a small space, a new young lady will be helping out for 8 weeks. She begins June 14.

Currently, I am in Florida working at a restaurant. I have finished training and get my first 'on my own' shift this weekend. I'm making arrangements to talk to churches and more people down here.

Casa de Luz broke ground this month for building the new facility to reach more children and more families in the years to come. Its a big step for this community, and a blessing for the families there.

I'm looking forward to being back there soon!

Mother's Day with Mom

It has been a few years since I have had the pleasure of spending Mother's Day with my mother. But yesterday I spent the whole day with my mother :) We were in Charlotte for the morning, went to church and had lunch with my brother Jonathan and his wife Brandi. Then we drove back to Florida. On the way to lunch, my brilliant sister in law suggested posting how much money has been raised and how much money is left to raise. I thought that was a great idea, but am not quite sure how I would do that on my blog. So I will be trying to update the amount as more comes in. Its encouraging telling people about the ministry and being able to get them involved.

I still don't have a large database of names and supporters yet, so I'm not sure how to send out another newsletter (via email to those who have responded, or to everyone on the original list). The problem is, if they have not expressed interest, I don't want to bother them with more mail... oh the dilemma.

Support has been coming in every week, so that is a praise. I have 2 job leads, so that is a praise too. I went to Charlotte this weekend and got to talk to some people I had not seen in a long time, and tell them about what I am doing.

I miss being in Honduras. I have officially been back in the states a week, and I would say I'm still adjusting a little to the differences. But its good to be back, although sad not to be in Honduras.

I'll keep you all posted! Thank you for your prayers and support!!!!!

Ooops a little more

After I posted the last one I remembered a very big part of life. There is no air conditioning or heat in houses, businesses, or restaurants (some yes, most no) and its hot. The past few days have been 95 or so, with humidity too. So being drenched in sweat is a normal thing. And another big culture thing, people don't wear shorts (kids yes) but most people wear jeans! So now picture the day with that in mind. Lets just say, I'm a little sweaty after these walks and throughout the day.

Some culture, and being Me

My friend Beth and I have been trying to make an effort to remember things that are normal to us, but not normal to every American. After living here so long, I understand the culture and the little everyday quirks. My walks to Spanish school the past few weeks, have opened my eyes 'again' to my differences. So I'm going to recap my day. I wake up to roosters crowing when the sun comes up at 6 every morning. There are no dark curtains anywhere, so naturally, I wake up. Its normal now, and I don't get upset for the lack of sleep. Its nice, not having to rely and dread an alarm clock. I get ready for the day, check the coffee pot for bugs (I haven't always had this problem, but up here in the woods during rainy season, it is). Then I start my walk through the dirt hilly roads. I don't really know how to describe this, I guess picture a dirt country hillside road, but smaller with little red, three wheeled taxis (but not when I need them!!) My walk is probably about 2 km (it takes about 30 minutes there, and 40 minutes back) downhill there, uphill back! Along the way, I pass groups of men sitting on a bench making comments at people that walk by. I pass a mother and her kid going to school or to work. I pass students walking together. Rarely I see a car. And when I do, then comes the dust!

Every day for the past week, I have had the joy of listening to the same conversation from all these groups of people. All I ever seem to hear is "2 metros?" along with a bunch of other guesses at my height. Its really funny, because they don't know that the other people have been having the same conversations, on different parts of the road; and they don't know I understand them.

Other normalcies, bugs, no power, and no water. Today in my class the power went out for 2 hours, its normal. Always talking about the water supply, or running out, its all normal. But I realize I don't talk about it, so no one in the States knows what my normal life entails.

I'll try to think of more, but these are just a few. These are a few pictures of fruits here. The round one is called a 'mangostine' Its a sweet fruit, you eat the inside. The inside looks like cloves of garlic, but the individual cloves are soft and sweet.... definitely NOT garlic! The bright colorful fruit is called a 'marañon' They do not smell very good, and we did not have high hopes for the taste. Then we were told we could make a juice out of it. We did, with lots of sugar and water.... and it was good! So then, as a team, Beth, Tristan, and I, we decided to simultaneously taste the smelly mystery fruit. We ate together, gagged and made a face together, then spit it out together! It was very bitter and gave you the instant feeling of a very dry mouth. It was strange, but the juice is good.

In other news, today at Spanish class, we had the opportunity to visit a kindergarten, for me to tell a story in Spanish. I chose the story of Noah. It went well, and at the end the teacher told me my Spanish was really good. It was a good experience, I just need to work on the commands :) Like be quiet, listen, sit!!!

Another compliment I received about my Spanish was when I asked my teacher what I should put on a questionaire they had given me. "my current level of Spanish" Of course I asked, and to my surprise with the choices: beginner, intermediate, and advanced; she told me advanced and I just need to practice more for it to be natural. But communication is great, I just need to practice more the random, less used tenses!!!

2 more days of Spanish lessons. Monday I leave for the states.

Visit to the City!

The past week or 2 have included lots of Spanish classes with breaks in between to visit different ministries. Yesterday I went to the daycare for most of the day. It was exciting to be with the kids and teachers again. It was also a big 'eye opener' to go on a very hot day to the necessity of more help, more structure, and a bigger space. Right now, Casa de Luz has about 15 kids. There is no space for more, but the community could provide more children. The plans are still in process going back and forth between the planners. Yesterday, my director told me they had a meeting in the community with whoever wanted to come, and one lady stood up and said, "I don't have any babies, I'm here because I want this 'house of light' to be here when my babies have babies." This remark was a testimony to the work of the Gospel in this community! I am trying to attach a video of the kids from yesterday, I'm not sure how successful I will be ;)

Apart from Spanish, I got a chance to visit the area of Los Pinos, another poor community where about 350,000 people live up on the hills in very small houses. Aben's ministry focusses a lot on this community. He started a discipleship/ mentor program this past Saturday with a group of at risk kids, that are playing in a soccer league every weekend. The week before I accompanied him to the city dump. I have a video from that too, that I will try to post. This video of the dump is a little shaky, but its how it is.

It is good being here with the focus of serving in different ministries while I take Spanish classes. In the past I haven't had this opportunity, and in the future, I won't have as much time either. So it has been great in this time here!!!

FAITH, HOPE and Love

I'm in the full swing of Spanish classes. I have a huge stack of vocabulary I have learned and must review with each new batch. It's fun to know so much, that it motivates me to learn more! I've decided that jamming and learning in a short time is the best motivator. Its very fun to have a conversation using some of my new words, or understanding more when someone uses the new words :)

Do you ever know a verse or passage that you have read a million times, then one time it says something completely different to you? Well I had that last night and this morning, and since it is about my ministry I will share it. Its in 1 Corinthians 12 and 13. I know God has placed me in this place to serve the kids and the poor of Honduras, but being a body of Christ, this does not just include me. The body of Christ passage really stuck in my mind. I am going to be the feet, but I will need the other parts of the body to support me with prayers and finances. The second verse that caught my attention, relating to this also, is the verse about FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE. Usually we hear the following verse, "but the greatest of these is love." Then we pretend that faith and hope aren't there at all. In my life, I have noticed my struggle is not with LOVE. I know that is the most important, and God has placed me in Honduras to show his love. What I forget, in this process, is faith and hope. They are just as important!

Please pray with me for faith and hope in this long process of raising support to come back. The letters have been mailed and now all we can do is wait, with faith and hope, on God's timing.