Loving the Least of These

A Christmas Wish

2010-12-19T18:25:00.000-08:00

Another year has passed, and Christmas is just around the corner. I think it's safe to say that in the past Christmas certainly has not been my favorite holiday, for multiple reasons. But this year I was a little more excited as the holiday season approached. I'm not sure why. But as it gets closer and closer I'm starting to remember all the reasons I didn't like Christmas so much in the past. Or at least didn't like how it is done here in America. For the last few years I had the privilege of celebrating Christmas in Honduras. In Honduras most families cannot afford to buy a lot of toys, if any for their children. Some of the "lucky ones" can buy one or two gifts for their kids. That's it. But in their culture the celebration is far more about spending time with their loved ones. They don't go out and spend hundreds of dollars ( even the ones that could afford that) on presents. Instead they get a few small gifts and spend the holiday season surrounded by the ones that they love. They go to church and thank God for how he has blessed them, and for the Gift that Jesus is to the world. I think I get angry when I spend Christmas here. I'm trying not to. I really am. But I just wish that our culture would move in that direction, spend less money and spend more time with the people they love and celebrating how blessed we really are. This year my family has asked me a hundred times what I want for Christmas and I honestly could not think of one that I wanted, much less "needed" for Christmas. Sure, there are things I'd like to have. But it just doesn't feel right to expect a hundred gifts this year. And if I'm really honest, the things that I really want for Christmas are not things that can be bought. If I'm really honest, this would be my Christmas list...

A place where little girls don't have to fight for their life because malnutrition and dirty water have plagued their life.
A world where 30,000 children don't starve to death every night.
A world where no child sleeps on the streets because they have no place to call 'home'.
A Uganda where children don't live in fear of being abducted and turned into a " child soldier".
A Honduras where mommas don't have to dig through mounds of MY trash to feed their babies.
A world without DUMPS where human beings live.
A world where little boys don't have to be scared of a daddy that gets drunk and beats them.
A world where sweet kiddos don't die of curable diseases.
A world where 8 year old little girls don't have to be blind due to cataracts.
W world where pain and suffering have ceased.
A world where little ones don't have to sniff glue to numb the pain of hunger, and to feel warm at night as they sleep on the streets, alone.
An America that accepts everyone, and strives to make life a little easier for those who are not as privileged as we are.
A world where little girls all over the world don't live in fear of being sold as a sex slave.
An America that would stop pretending not to see poverty.
An America that would stop enslaving people to satisfy our own selfish wants and desires.
A world where hate, violence and war have ceased.
A world where families don't split up and divorce is not prevalent.
A world that believes that Jesus really meant what he said.
A world that surrenders their life in reckless abandon to follow a God that IS redeeming us and making ALL things new.

Marisol can see!!

2010-05-30T08:22:00.001-07:00

The Poverty and Justice Bible | American Bible Society

2010-05-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

The Poverty and Justice Bible | American Bible Society

I HIGHLY recommend purchasing this bible. But, be warned, it changes everything.

Lift High

2010-03-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

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Here's the video we made for Women of Purpose 2009...

Marisol

2010-03-09T20:19:00.000-08:00

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The video above is of a 6 year old girl named Marisol doing laundry. Marisol is Sarahi's older sister. Ever since Marisol was two years old she has had cataracts. She now is completely blind in one eye and almost completely blind in the other. So for most of her life she has not been able to see. This has prevented her from being eligible to attend school. Therefor she is significantly behind developmentally wise. However, Marisol is able to have surgery here to correct this. So for the last month or two I've taken her to multiple doctors and had multiple tests run to make sure that there are no infections of any sort inside her eye that could make surgery dangerous and by the grace of God, she has no infection. So she's ready for surgery...as soon as we come up with the funds. The surgery and medical needs directly following the surgery will cost about $2,000. Some close friends of mine have heard me talking about Marisol for about a year now and recently have started telling their friends and so lots of people have already donated and we've raised about $1,000 of it already! So now I'm writing to ask for your help. We only need $1,000 to perform this surgery that will forever change this little girls life. If there is any way that you can help there are multiple ways of doing so. On the left column of my blog you will see a button that says ' donate' if you click that you can easily and securely transfer money from your bank account to my paypal account. Another easy way is to make a check payable to Belpre Church of Christ [ if you want a tax deduction, or you can also make the check out to me] and mail it either to: Belpre Church Of Christ 2932 Washington Boulevard Belpre, OH 45714 OR 639 Henrie Lane Williamstown, WV 26187 [ the second one is my mom's address and she will get it to the appropriate places. ]

Thanks so much for helping this little one out. I know she really appreciates it, and she is SO excited to have the surgery done!

Bono

2010-02-11T17:55:00.000-08:00

I'm gaining more and more respect for Bono these days. Everything I read that he's written is so incredibly compelling to actually get out into the world and do something about the poverty and injustice that consumes most of the population. I recently read this quote from Bono in 'The Hole in Our Gospel' { which by the way I STRONGLY recommend all of you read that book!!}. The Hole in Our Gospel: What does God expect of Us? The Answer that Changed my Life and Might Just Change the World
I LOVE what Bono has to say in this quote. And I think he's right. It's time we do something. Our generation has no excuse not to do something. Generations way before us didn't have ways of knowing about the poverty and injustice around the world, and certainly didn't have ways of doing much about it. But that's not the case for us. We have all seen pictures of starving, disease- stricken children and adults too. And I'm here to tell you that those pictures are real. Those faces you see, they have names and they have a story. Our generation has so many resources at our fingertips that shame on us if we choose to ignore this crisis, and ignore them. I am more and more convinced that our generation is going to be the one to change the world, but for that to happen we must link arms and fight this thing together.

" We can be the generation that no longer accepts that an accident of latitude determines whether a child lives or dies- but will we be that generation? Will we in the West realize our potential or will we sleep in the comfort of our affluence with apathy and indifference murmuring softly in our ears? Fifteen thousand people dying needlessly every day from AIDS, TB, and malaria. Mothers, fathers, teachers, farmers, nurses, mechanics, children. This is Africa's crisis. That it's not on the nightly news, that we do not treat this as an emergency- that's our crisis.

Future generations flipping through these pages will know whether we answered the key question. The evidence will be the world around them. History will be our judge, but what's written is up to us. We can't say our generation didn't know how to do it. We can't say our generation couldn't afford it. And we can't say our generation didn't have reason to do it. It's up to us. "
- Bono

We CAN change the world. And its time for us to stand up and fight for what's right. WHO'S WITH ME?!?!

Blog updates

2010-02-10T12:19:00.001-08:00

I recently changed my blog around a bit and added a few new things. The first new thing is on the left side, and you will see a button that says ' donate'. If you click on that button you will be able to donate money to the ministry quickly and easily. It runs through paypal and you can chose how much you'd like to give and the money will be automatically deducted from your checking account or credit card. The other thing is on the right hand side near the bottom. First you will find a box that has a number of books in it. Those books are ones that I strongly recommend. Every one of the books in that box has in some way changed my life, and challenged me in my faith. I'll continue adding to that list. ;) Below that box you will see a search box for Amazon. If you use that search box to buy something off of Amazon, I will receive part of the profit and the money will be used for the ministry. Back on the left side you will find a link to my facebook account..so we should be friends if we aren't already. And you will also see a link where you can follow me on Twitter. :) That's all of the new stuff for now. So now all of you should go buy books from amazon. :)

Thanks to all of you who continuously support this ministry. We couldn't do this without you.

The Hole in Our Gospel

2010-01-31T20:32:00.000-08:00

I'm reading a FANTASTIC book by Richard Stearns, President of World Vision called ' The Hole in Our Gospel'. A few chapters in he starts talking about Matthew 25 where we are given a glimpse of what the final judgement of humankind will look like. Stearns goes on to say that the people gathered before Christ will be divided into two groups, sheep and goats. However, he says that the most surprising thing is that the criteria for the division of the groups isn't what we would think. He says its not that the sheep are the ones who confessed faith in Christ while the goats didn't, but that the sheep are the ones loving the poor, sick, imprisoned, and vulnerable, while the goats don't. He goes on to suggest that this passage is hard for us because it hits close to home, aka: we like to talk the talk and not so much walk the walk. And then he took some liberties and paraphrased this passage himself and this is what he came up with:

'For I was hungry, while you had all you needed. I was thirsty, but you drank bottled water. I was a stranger, and you wanted me deported. I needed clothes, but you needed more clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the behaviors that led to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I deserved.' - Richard Stearns

I LOVE the way he said it. It's so true, and also quite convicting.

The BEST preschoolers ever!!!

2010-01-15T17:43:00.001-08:00

My friends mom, Janna Menear is the teacher at the preschool at my church. She does a FANTASTIC job with those kids. For a month or two she asked them to bring in their spare change that they, or their parents had and told them that the money would go to help children in Honduras. So while I was home I had the opportunity to speak to the sweet little ones about what we do here. They had lots of fun questions and genuinely seemed to care about these kids that they've never met. It always amazes me to watch God work through what seems to be one of the most unlikely places. The preschoolers raised over $100, from spare change. Here's where some of their money went. :)

Rice, sugar, and maseca- used to make tortillas

She was SO excited to get cereal..

milk and sugar

Marisol with the beans :)

2010-01-10T16:39:00.000-08:00

This past week we had a small team here. Throughout the week we were able to serve in many different ways. The first night, and the next day we gathered items and organized them to host a clothing distribution in Nuevo Oriental. Those who received clothes were 'charged' about 20 lemps, which is $1 to get 8 items, and the Honduran people LOVED it. This price was significantly cheaper than ANYWHERE else they can buy clothes, and it gives them some dignity to know that we are helping them help themselves, now you are probably wondering how in the world we could charge poor people when we are trying to help them...BUT the money went right back into their community feeding center that has been closed since November due to no funds to keep it running. So they paid for clothes, AND are helping to open the feeding center back up that feeds all of their children [ over 250 kids per day]. And the funny thing was, God moved on their hearts and more often than not those that got clothes gave more than what they had to saying ' this is going for a great cause and I want to do everything I can to help'. We received many comments from the people saying how much they loved how we did this 'distribution' because in the long run it ended up benefitting them in more than one way and they were able to have some dignity knowing that they bought clothes for their family.

We also visited the Mother Teresa home, which is quickly becoming one of my favorites. They have less than 10 people that work there and they have over 60 children. They also have a small home for disabled people, an elderly home, and single mothers that live on the property. The children in this home are starving for love and attention. But the people that run this home never cease to amaze me, they are certainly understaffed but they refuse to turn anyone away because they know that anything they can offer them is better than what they can get living on the streets. It's an amazing place. :)

One morning we went to Hospital Escuela, which is the free hospital here in Teguc. Which means its the only hope for the poorest of the poor people here, but its not completely free, and the care isn't the best. Infection rates are through the roof, you always see blood on the floors, in the ER if someone dies they just push their bed against a wall until they can figure something else out, there's no air conditioning, and children are often abandoned by their families. It's not a happy place, by any means. But we go because it means something to the child whose parents aren't around for us to come and play with them for a while, sing to them, and pray with them. It's important.

We also had the opportunity to build a house for a family in Santa Ana on December 31. By the end of that day the family had a brand new house to call their own, they were able to start this year out by having a place to call ' home ' and they were SO excited. God is good.

Some of the boxes of clothes for the distribution.

a baby in Nuevo Oriental

more boxes of clothes

the line waiting to get in to get some clothes

some of the madness

a baby in Hospital Escuela

another baby in the hospital

the finished product :)

the house they were living in...if you look closely you can see the huge cracks in between the pieces of wood on the front side of the house..

some kiddos at mother teresa home

a 2 month old baby in the mother teresa home

antonio :)

some more of the clothing distribution

girls shoes..

some of the girls that came to help us :)

2009-12-28T21:41:00.000-08:00

Never walk away from someone who deserves help;
your hand is God's hand for that person.
Don't tell your neighbor "Maybe some other time"
or "Try me tomorrow"
when the money's right there in your pocket.

- Proverbs 3:27-28

2 Corinthians 5:14-15

2009-11-29T21:07:00.000-08:00

Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own.

- 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 Message

Psalm 91

2009-11-18T19:08:00.000-08:00

You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow,
Say this: "God, you're my refuge.
I trust in you and I'm safe!"
That's right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you—
under them you're perfectly safe;
his arms fend off all harm.
Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
not flying arrows in the day,
Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
not disaster that erupts at high noon.
Even though others succumb all around,
drop like flies right and left,
no harm will even graze you.
You'll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance,
watch the wicked turn into corpses.
Yes, because God's your refuge,
the High God your very own home,
Evil can't get close to you,
harm can't get through the door.
He ordered his angels
to guard you wherever you go.
If you stumble, they'll catch you;
their job is to keep you from falling.
You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes,
and kick young lions and serpents from the path.

^14-16 "If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God,
"I'll get you out of any trouble.
I'll give you the best of care
if you'll only get to know and trust me.
Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times;
I'll rescue you, then throw you a party.
I'll give you a long life,
give you a long drink of salvation!"

- Psalm 91

anyone else like the idea of God rescuing you and then throwing you a party..??? i love it.

2009-11-05T05:30:00.000-08:00

So remember your people..

remember your children...

remember your promise, oh God.

I'm a happy girl

2009-10-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

Te amo mas que mi vida.

Honduras.

2009-10-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

MISS

THIS.

What Faith Can Do- Kutless

2009-09-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

Was listening to Klove the other day when this song came on, and I'm definitely a lyrics girl so when the words started playing they caught my attention for sure. It's a beautiful song, and so I wanted to share it with you all. :)

Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It’ll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

Overcome the odds
You do have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can!

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise

have a blessed week!

hm.

2009-09-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

"You can either practice being right or practice being kind." — Anne Lamott

Home again

2009-07-23T18:52:00.001-07:00

Anna and I flew home from Honduras on Saturday, June 27th due to some ' unrest' in the country...I'll save that story for another day. But within 24 hours of being home, God made it abundantly clear that he needed me to be home right now. Sunday evening at church Ryan asked if I'd go on mission trip with the youth group, and a few hours later Donna asked Anna and I to counsel a week of camp at Manatawny. I agreed to both, and then I sat down to look at my calendar and realized these two weeks were back to back. So the following friday Anna and I went to Donna's grandparents house with the entire Brothers' family. And saturday we went on to camp. :) And let me just say that that week was one of the best weeks of my life, and I don't say that lightly. There are very few things that rank that highly in my book, but that place certainly deserves a spot among the best of the best. I can't begin to tell you how much it changed me and I was just counseling some teenage girls, who ended up teaching me a whole lot more than I taught them, I'm sure. I was blessed to have some of the sweetest girls in my cabin. They truly were great, I couldn't have asked for better. One of the things that stood out to me immediately about camp was that it was just the good little christian kids that showed up to be campers, but some of them came against their will, some came from homes and situations that certainly aren't desirable and yet by the end of the week the whole place acted like one big family. It was amazing. The staff was incredible. The director told Anna and I that we were already on the schedule for next year...but he definitely didn't have to beg us to come back. ;) We can't wait.

we get to cross this off our 'bucket list' :)

It couldn't have been more perfect. :)

haha.

Best bible class ever.

Me, Honk, Squeak, and sister. Yes, they are actually referred to as ' squeak and honk'

Adopted grandparents. :) we love them.

That's the adopted family...well some of them anyway. ;)

Bryani and me. i love that girl.

cabin 10!

i love her a whole bunch too. :)

Mission trip was also lots of fun. Anna and I left camp saturday around noon and drove over to NJ to meet up with the team at Pitman COC where we did a few days of VBS and went to Phily and NYC. We had around 70 kids show up for VBS and we also did backyard bible time and visited with some elderly folks during the week.

phily.

hahahahahaha.

yay democracy...and the NYPD. haha.

Friday morning before we left Anna and I got up around three and left around 4AM to drive out to Ocean City, NJ to watch the sunrise over the ocean. And that was definitely one of the highlights of the week. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, and I couldn't have had better company to witness it. So we spent some time sitting on the beach listening to the waves crash on the sand then made an extremely LONG drive back home. By the end of those two weeks we had been in 6 different states, and had MANY fun adventures. And some stories that will be fun to tell our children some day... ;)

love this one. :)

He never ceases to amaze me...

That's all for now...stay tuned for more summer adventure updates. ;)

Grand Central Team 2009

2009-06-09T20:43:00.001-07:00

I LOVE having them here. It's kinda like heaven on earth. more pics and stories to come....stay tuned!

hmm...

2009-05-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

¹ Praise the Lord!

   Yes, give praise, O servants of the Lord.
      Praise the name of the Lord!
² Blessed be the name of the Lord
      now and forever.
³ Everywhere—from east to west—
      praise the name of the Lord.
⁴ For the Lord is high above the nations;
      his glory is higher than the heavens.

⁵ Who can be compared with the Lord our God,
      who is enthroned on high?
⁶ He stoops to look down
      on heaven and on earth.
⁷ He lifts the poor from the dust
      and the needy from the garbage dump.
⁸ He sets them among princes,
      even the princes of his own people!
⁹ He gives the childless woman a family,
      making her a happy mother.

Praise the Lord!

- Psalm 113

interesting, huh?

Oh my GOODNESS she's cute

2009-05-22T16:33:00.000-07:00

Little miss sarahi is gaining weight and seems to be doing far better than a few months ago. Lice, parasites and the asthma have been ongoing problems, but those will be things we battle for as long as she lives in the mountains here. Her dad, Alfonso was hit by a car two weeks ago, while I was in the states. As soon as I arrived he told me what happened and explained that he'd been in a lot of pain since then and hasn't been able to work because he could barely walk from all the pain. Therefore food was very limited over those weeks as they had no money coming in. Yesterday JT and I took him to get his leg and foot checked out by Gina's dad who is an orthopedic surgeon. His foot was at least 3 times the size of the other, and we feared that it was broken. He had two x rays taken and they only found a small fracture in the smaller bone in his leg. It was so small that they didn't even need to cast it. Praise God! Doctor gave him a shot and a prescription for some pain meds and ordered him to rest for two more weeks to let it heal. Two nights ago sarahi and her brother, Renee stayed the night at our house so we could clean them up and pick lice out of their hair. Renee also has spots behind his ears and on his head where he has scratched so much from the lice that they places have started bleeding, and were slightly infected. So JT cleaned that up for him as well. And now they are back with their parents. The entire family has asked us to take them to church sunday so...stay tuned. :)

Carlos

2009-04-27T10:06:00.000-07:00

While the Belpre team was in Honduras one of the boys living with us, Carlos decided that he wanted to be baptized and start a new life. This is something he has been talking about for a few months now, and while the group was there it seemed like the perfect time for him. So on April 18, 2009 he was baptized with a whole bunch of his brothers and sisters around to celebrate with him. Before he was baptized he and his brothers spoke about their life and how hard it has been and how now they are blessed to be getting an opportunity to get an education and have a new life, where they are safe and loved. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed in my entire life. And was a good reminder that what we do matters and that this really is what we are there for. And also a reminder that sometimes we just need to show up and be present in someone's life when circumstances are rough, for them to see Jesus in us. Good things are happening and its an honor to be a part of it. So thank you to all of you that are supporting this ministry, you ARE making a difference.

It's not just a new house, it's an answered prayer

2009-04-15T09:51:00.001-07:00

The Belpre group is here and so far we have built 5 houses. Yesterday we were given the honor of building for two families that call the city dump 'home'. The government has started giving some families living in the dump plots of land on the same mountain as the dump, its just on the other side of it. So last week when we went to feed at the dump, a lady approached us with her papers showing that she owned the land and asked if we could help her. As her story unfolded we learned that she has 4 children of her own, and three grandchildren that all live with her, in the dump. She told us that all of their belongings have come from the dump, clothes, shoes, a small dirty mattress, and of course, their food comes from there too. Her husband died 8 years ago and she said that ever since the day he died she has prayed that God would provide her with a house that would keep her children out of the mud while they sleep, and a roof that would keep them out of the rain. Last week when we saw the reality they lived in, we promised we'd return this week to build them a house that would keep the children out of the mud while they sleep, a place that would keep their heads dry when it rains. When we showed up yesterday this sweet lady, her name is Marcia, said ' Many people say they'll help, but you showed up.' So yesterday we built her a small wooden house, with a wooden floor and tin roof. Its certainly not anything extravagant but they were so grateful that now, they don't sleep in the mud, and when it rains, they have a shelter to run to. It was a great day, while we had two groups building Kay also did a women's bible study, and they also had a VBS for the kids in the community. Last night at group devo Kay shared with us that the women she had the honor of sitting with live out their faith in huge ways. They have to rely on God for everything. When they need food, they ask God for it, and wait on Him to provide. They also shared that before they ever ask for anything from God, that they always praise Him first. I don't know about you, but that makes me realize how small my faith really is. For those of us who happen to have white skin relying on God for everything isn't really something we have experienced. We have food in our pantry. When we run out, we drive ourselves to the grocery store to buy more, or drive through a fast food restaurant. Most of have never had to pray and wonder where our next meal will come from, and probably never will. This sweet lady has prayed for 8 YEARS for a house. And now, 8 years later, God has answered, He sent a group from Belpre Ohio to be the answer to her prayers.

It never ceases to amaze me the way God shows up on our building days. He always finds a way to outdo himself. It's never just about building them a house, or providing them with some physical relief. It is about God sending us to be an answer to someone's prayer. Sure, we only show up and build them a house but to someone who has prayed for 8 years it comes as a huge blessing. And God is glorified in every way.

Father, Thanks for the opportunity to serve your people. It is truly an honor. May we never assume that building a house for someone is just providing them with physical relief, but may we know that you always have a greater plan in mind, and that we simply are called to show and be used by you. God may they never see us, but may they see you as we serve. Thank you for using us in the ways that you have, and thank you for allowing us to play a small part in being an answered prayer for Marcia and her family. God, you are faithful and we give you all the glory.

THANKS VALERIE!! :)

2009-04-06T08:43:00.001-07:00

Jen recently came back from her visit in the states, and she brought back an entire suitcase full of goodies for this sweet family, that desperately needs it. She filled bags for each child full of clothes and blankets and shoes. She also sent tooth brushes and some other much needed items. The kids LOVED getting new clothes, and loved that there was a bag made specially for each of them. So THANK YOU Valerie for loving this family in the way that you do, and taking the time to make them each feel special. They needed that. :)

Sarahi with her bag :)

Me with all the kids in their new clothes :)

Sarahi in a cute new outfit. :)

Luz Marina

Marisol

Jose Renee in a new cars shirt :)

Sarahi over the last two weeks

2009-03-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics of the last two weeks with Sarahi. She went back with her family yesterday the doctor is still pretty concerned about her lungs because of the type of worm she has, they go from your stomach to your lungs and then go to your heart, which can kill you. So he has her on meds for the worms for a week, so I have to go to her house everyday to give them to her. :) Which I love because that means I get to see her everyday. :)

she's so cute.

playing video games with the boys. :)

she's gonna be walking soon!

saul holding her hand in the back seat of the car. so precious.

eating dinner. :)

playing outside! :)

that smile..

Sarahi and Yanet

Dinner with the brothers

2009-03-08T08:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I told the boys that I'd cook dinner for them and come eat at their house with their family, and they were so excited. They requested chicken, rice and beans. So I came home and Janet came over and we cooked and took all the food to their house to eat dinner all together. It was so fun just to sit around the table and enjoy everyone's company. The boys loved it and Maria enjoyed not having to cook. :)

Marvin and Toby

Yovani washing the dished after dinner

Antonio showing me that his belly was full ;)

yovani

Antonio

Chilo playing with his boys

Chilo, Maria and some of the boys

Janet serving the boys. :)

Brownies :)

2009-03-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

The 6 brothers recently moved out because their dad is done with the Alcohol treatment program and now they have a house just a few minutes down the mountain from us. The boys are still attending the bilingual school and their dad has a job that he is really enjoying. The other day the boys asked if they could come over for a while to play at our house so I picked them up and they came over and we made some brownies. It was so much fun. The boys loved helping make them, and of course they LOVED eating them. :)

All the baking wore this little one out. :)

watching some TV while they waited on the brownies to be finished, and of course licking the bowl clean. ;)

Francisco with a little brownie batter on his face. :) We had to have some fun with it. ;)

Marvin

Yoni and me

Saul, Mario and Yovani pouring the batter

Yovani

Francisco, Antonio, and Mario

Saul

Family visit

2009-03-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

Because Sarahi is with me for two more weeks I'm making a point to invite her family out so that they can visit with her during the two weeks. So on Thursday Janet and I picked up her family and took them out for ice cream. :) We're also putting the two oldest daughters in school this week so after ice cream we went to pick up some school supplies for them. While we were out for ice cream Sarahi's father asked Janet if we would start taking him to our church so he could thank God for the miracle he's performed in Sarahi. So the whole family is going to start attending church with us, which I LOVE. The Kingdom is being advanced. :)

Sarahi and her oldest sister, Luz Marina

Angel, Luz Marina and Pamela

Sarahi with her mom, Martina and Father, Jose Alfonzo

Luz Marina, Sarahi, and Marisol

Doctor Appointment

2009-03-08T07:23:00.001-07:00

This past Wednesday was Sarahi's check up after being released from the hospital. The doctor said she's gained almost a pound in just a week, but she needs to gain about 4 more in a month. That will put her at about 17 lbs which is still under weight, but its certainly better. The lice is almost gone and all the other illnesses are getting better but certainly aren't gone. He prescribed more medicines to help her gain weight quickly and also some medicine to help with all the gas in her stomach. He asked that she stay with me for two more weeks while she finishes up some medicine and so that we can hopefully get her to gain some weight before going back to her parents. So, I have her until the 18th which is her next doctor appointment and if all is well she will be allowed to go back with her parents then.

Dr. Vallejo, her pediatrician, Sarahi, and me

Sarahi Nicoll Reyes

2009-02-28T22:34:00.001-08:00

Back in December I posted a picture of a little girl, Sarahi, living in one of the communities here that we visit quite often. She was very malnourished and dirty. She lives with her family of 7, and they struggle everyday to survive. We visited the family a couple more times before I went home in January. While I was home I simply couldn't get her sweet little face out of my head. My friend Valerie had a dream about this little girl almost two years ago and in her dream the baby was very sick and looked exactly like this little girl. Ok, so now lets fast forward to last wednesday. Valerie had put some money in my account to help this family with food early this week so wednesday we loaded up lots of food and showed up at the house to find the baby laying in a bed all alone and in a complete daze. Her papi was outside working on some things around the house. When I walked in to see the baby I quickly noticed that she was more sick then than I'd ever seen her. Dangerously sick. She was laying in a pile on her own urine and had lice crawling all over her. Old food crums surrounded her fragile little body, and she had a bad chest cough. She smelled horrible. Partly from the urine and partly from the skin that was rotting off of her bottom half. We grabbed some baby wipes from the car and cleaned her up a little bit. The longer we stood there it became more and more clear that we had to do something to get her out of there or else she would certainly die. We talked to the dad and asked him if he'd let us take her to hospital and he said ' how could I not?' So we scooped her up and drove to the hospital and got her in to see Dr. Vallejo, the pediatrician. He examined her and said that she wasn't dehydrated but that she was very malnourished and had lice, and parasites and bronchitis. They weighed her and she weighed 12 lbs. and she's 12 months old. Her sizes were that of a 6 month old baby. He ended up sending her home with lots of medicines. Her dad allowed her to stay with me that night because she had to go back to the hospital in the morning for blood tests. So we came home gave her what was probably the first bath she's ever had. Treated her hair for lice and gave her the medicines. She fell asleep in my bed and around 3 AM woke up hungry so I fed her and within minutes she pooped and it went all over my bed. The diaper was full of parasites. So I went down stairs with her to the kitchen to get some towels to clean her up and then she proceeded to vomit all over me, her, and the kitchen floor. So we finally got all of that cleaned up, she went back to sleep and I changed the bed sheets and jumped in the shower. She was awake again by 6:30 and after we took the boys to school we took her to get the blood test done. Her veins were so tiny that it made it very hard to get the needle in the right place. But they finally got it and we left. Over the course of the following few hours her condition worsened. She couldn't keep anything down. She was vomiting and had really bad diarrhea. She began to get really dehydrated. So early afternoon we called her mom and she met up with us to take her back to the hospital. At this point I thought she was going to die in my lap. She had been sleeping all day, and was clearly not doing well at all. When we picked up her mom she wanted to take her to see a witch doctor in the community first. Which frustrated the fire out of me because we were literally on a race against time for the baby's life. But she took her anyways and this witch lady poured raw eggs all over her body and said that a spot showed up in the center of the yoke which told her that the baby was sick. So she told her mom, Martina, that her baby was very malnourished and needed help. Which was what we were all trying to tell her in the first place. She got back in the van and we went back to the hospital. This time the doctor looked at her and saw that she was dehydrated and decided to admit her to the hospital. The mom didn't want to stay with her in the hospital because she has 4 other children at home that she needed to take care of so I stayed with her in the hospital for two days. The first night the doctor came in to check on her and told me that he was glad we brought her back to the hospital because if we hadn't he said that she would have without a doubt died. He also showed me the results of her tests and Rota Virus came back positive. Which helped explain all the diarrhea and vomiting, though it was partly due to the parasites as well. So the doctor left and she had fallen asleep and I was laying on the couch half asleep when I heard her moving and trying to cough so i jumped up to go sit her up in the bed and when I looked at her she looked like she was choking on something. So I ran to sit her up as quickly as possible and as soon as she sat up an 8 INCH worm flew out of her mouth. That's right, 8 inches long, white and squirming around on the blanket it landed on. I freaked and screamed for the nurse and she came in and when she saw it she jumped backwards and went to get another nurse. She came in picked it up and threw it in the toilet. Which was great, because I was not about to touch it. After laughing at how freaked out I was she informed me that this was completely normal and that she probably had a few of them and that this was the very reason she was so malnourished because that worm was eating everything that came into her stomach. She finally went back to sleep and I did too. Though, the nurses were in and out of the room all night checking on her. The next morning she was looking better. The IV was certainly helping. She wasn't throwing up anymore which was good and she was even eating some mashed potatoes and a few other things. She did well the whole day and that night the doctor came in to check on her and said that she'd be released the next morning around 11 because she was doing so much better. She was sitting up eating and drinking lots and her face and especially eyes looked much better. So the next morning her mom and dad showed up at the hospital to visit and talk to the doctor. He had one of his nurses write up a paper for the parents to sign to allow the baby to stay with me until March 4th because she is still needing injections and they wouldn't know how to do it or administer all the medications she is on. They agreed that this was best so they signed the paper and went on their way. After paying the hospital bill they finally let us go and we came back to the house. She's been with me since she got out. By the end of all of it the doctors said she had- lice, parasites/worms, bronchitis, malnourished, rota virus, and asthma. So needless to say she's been a sick little girl. But she's a fighter and she continues to get better each day. She has another appointment with the pediatrician on Wednesday to check to see how she is and if all is well she will go back with her parents after the appointment. The past two days she's been eating a lot more and moving around more. She can crawl a little bit and take a few steps if you hold on to her hands. She not talking yet though. She's clearly behind developmentally. But when she starts feeling better she'll start to do more of the things normal little girls would do. And I can't wait for the day that she starts smiling and running around playing like a normal little girl. I covet your prayers over this sweet baby. She's become quite close to my heart. The hospital bills totaled around $700. If you'd like to help with that please let me know, I'd greatly appreciate and Sarahi would too. :) Thanks for playing a part in her rescue. She certainly deserves a chance to live life, and so from a voice who will never be able to tell you, THANK YOU!

Wednesday when we found her.

first night. treating her hair for lice

bath time

waiting to get the blood test done.

she was so skinny that you could see everything in her stomach. the doctor said that this is the lining of her intestines that you can see in the picture.

When there's nothing to believe in, I belive in you,
Forget the past and let my hand in yours be the proof, Though the strong could be my company, you're the one I choose, So remember, I believe in you

first night in the hospital.

she's so cute. :)

precious sleeping baby..

car ride home after she was released from the hospital

Mario being sweet and reading to her when we got home. she loved it.

he LOVES playing with her and helping take care of her.

:) so sweet.

Mario and the tooth fairy

2009-02-22T20:42:00.000-08:00

Tonight Mario asked to sleep with me and when he came in to lay down beside me he said "wait! I have to get my tooth that I pulled out today and put it under my pillow tonight!" So he took off running through the house and returned with his little tooth and a beaming smile. [with no front teeth. ;)] He showed me the tooth with such pride. :) Then he looked at me and said ' I get money for this again right?' { he recently lost another tooth and remembered getting money for it that time} So I told him that if he placed it under the pillow that the tooth fairy would come and take the tooth and place some money there instead. Then I told him about when I was little and lost some teeth and this was what happened with me as well. And he said " how much money did you get?" I told him it was usually a dollar...and he said "so I get 20 lemps right?!?" [ the equivalent of a US dollar] and I laughed and told him that if he was good tonight and went to sleep with the tooth under his pillow, some money would certainly be there in the morning. As I turned off the light and started down the hall he sat straight up in bed and said " SAM! Does the tooth fairy have a key to get in the door??" So I came back in and told him that the tooth fairy was kinda like Santa and that he didn't need to worry about her getting in, because she'd find her way. Well the conversation quickly turned into Mario telling me how santa comes in the chimney and that he has reindeer and that he brings presents in a big bag that say 'Mario' on the wrapping paper. :) Then we had to do a google search to find a picture of the tooth fairy so he'd know what she looked like. :) :) So he finally settled down and I went downstairs for a while and came back up to find Mario laying sideways in the bed so his head wouldn't be touching the pillow just to make SURE the tooth fairy can get to his pillow tonight with those 20 lemps. ;)

A bit of home in Honduras :)

2009-02-22T18:58:00.001-08:00

I got back to Honduras on Friday of last week after two days of interesting travel. I ended up missing my connecting flight in Atlanta because my first flight was delayed and we landed five minutes after my connecting flight left. So needless to say, I spent the rest of the day and night in Atlanta in a hotel room. The next morning my flight was scheduled to leave at ten so we boarded the plane and were getting ready to pull out when the captain announced that some things weren't working well enough in the plane for us to fly into Teguc so we needed to switch planes. So we got all our stuff off that plane and had to wait 45 minutes for the other plane that we would be taking to land and then had to reload that plane with all our luggage. We ended up leaving about two hours later. :) And I finally made it to Honduras a little before two. All of that to say, its SO good to be back, finally! It's so nice to be ' home'. The past couple days have been great, and I've been reminded over and over again why I am here, and why I love it so much. I hadn't realized while I was home how much I missed all of this...

I love love LOVE having a fire in the evenings when it gets cool up here on this mountain.

This is the newest addition to the tribe, Toby. He's absolutely adorable. Today he was sleeping like this in the grass. It was way cute.

Fransisco

laying under some palm trees after working at the cadena house this morning

some of the tribe. :)

yovani and saul playing some video games before bed.

Fransisco, Yovani, and Saul playing at the airport. :)

Cell Phone Fundraiser

2009-02-10T13:18:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let you all know that I am collecting old cell phones and ink cartridges for a fundraiser. I will be collecting them until Sunday March 1, 2009 and then sending them to an organization that is trying to help protect the environment. This fundraiser not only benefits my ministries but is also helping to protect our environment! So if any of you have old cell phone or empty ink cartridges you would like to donate you can let me know or just give them to my mom, Melissa Ogden at church. If you have any questions please let me know! Thank you all for your faithful support of this ministry!

Blessings on your week!
Sam

Update!

2009-02-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

I just sent out this email about things that have been going on recently in Honduras and thought I would post it here too.

I wanted to email you all about a couple of things. As many of you know Jen Wright, David Logue and I have recently taken in 3 boys whose mother couldn't care for them, and then we also took in another 6 boys and their mother while their father is in an alcoholic treatment center. So needless to say, our house has filled up quickly! Each of these boys hold a special place in each of our hearts, and they are a blessing in our lives. We love having them in our house and cherish every moment we get to spend with them. They are certainly some of the sweetest boys on this earth. It goes without saying that our monthly expenses have increased significantly with 13 people now living in our house. Aside from the significant increase in our grocery bill, five of the nine boys started school in January. They are in a private bilingual school here in Tegucigalpa. It's a great school and the boys will have a much brighter future if they are able to speak english as well as spanish. This ability will provide them with many more job opportunities as adults which we hope, will increase their chances of one day being able to have a family of their own that they can provide for. We hope this will help them to stop the cycle of poverty in their family. While this school is not necessarily a 'Christian' school, they have bible verses on the walls and it is clear God is certainly a part of their day at this school. Three more of the boys we hope to enroll in a spanish speaking school, we feel that this would be best for them because of educational reasons. They are all behind in their schooling, one of the boys is 12 years old and will only be entering the first grade, so we feel that it would be best for these three boys to attend a private spanish school where they won't feel so out of place in their grade level. [ in the spanish schools it is not uncommon for children to be older than the normal age for their specific grade level] So we feel that this is the best option for these boys and hope to enroll them soon. The spanish school year starts in February and goes until November. For the boys that are attending the bilingual school, it costs $125 a month per child to send them to this school. We broke that down, and if we can get 5 people to sponsor each child at $25 a month they will be fully supported to get a good education. [ to break that down even farther, it is the equivalent of filling an M&M tube twice a month with your spare quarters. Your coins can change a life forever.]

Also, our only ministry car has been in and out of the shop over the last month or so. In early December the vehicle would no longer go in reverse. We drove it as long as we could, but finally we had to put it in the shop because we knew that this was a problem with the transmission and didn't want to continue driving it, possibly making the problem worse. So our mechanic ordered a new transmission from the states and had it sent over here by plane. [ We drive a Chevy Suburban, which isn't a common vehicle here in Honduras, so he couldn't find a transmission here] Our vehicle was in the shop for 8 days that time and this cost us over $1300 just to fix the vehicle but we also had to rent a vehicle for the days that ours was in the shop because those 8 days we had a team here and had to have a car to be able to do the things we needed to for the team. The rental car cost us $60 per day. So the rental car alone was around $480. As soon as we got the vehicle back within two or three days it started running really loudly, and continued to get worse over the following two weeks. When we finally had enough money to rent another rental car for a few days we took it back to the shop and had that problem fixed. We just got the car back on January 16th, and on Sunday the 18th on the way to church the car completely broke down and began leaking transmission fluid. The car wouldn't even start so we had it towed to the mechanic once again... The car is out of the shop and running {not well} but it is usable for now. We are in desperate need of a new vehicle to continue doing the things we have been called to do in Honduras. You all have been so great about helping fund our ministries and so from the bottom of my heart I want to thank each of you. If there is any possible way that you are able to help us out with the boys' schooling or with our vehicle we would greatly appreciate it. We would not be able to do what we do without each of you! And the boys will be forever grateful for the huge blessing you are providing them with through a good education.

From the sweet voices who will never be able to tell you....THANK YOU!

Can't seem to get this sweet face out of my head today...

2009-02-04T11:36:00.003-08:00

please continue praying for her and her entire family. they struggle everyday to survive.

Los Pinos

2009-01-22T14:06:00.000-08:00

For a little over a month now David and I have been taking all the boys living with us to a church called Los Pinos Church of Christ. Its in one of the poor communities here in the city. The Grand Central group worshipped there two years ago. And this specific church is one that is doing quite well for a little community church that mostly desperately poor people attend. The services are great and you can definitely tell that the church is doing something right by the way they continue to grow. The members are so sweet, and our boys LOVE their bible classes. Every Saturday they start asking if we are going to church on sunday. They are really enjoying it and so are we! We can't wait to see what ways God will use us in this church. :) The picture is of Eduardo, David and I at one of the sunday morning services.

Here she is again...

2009-01-22T13:18:00.000-08:00

This is the same little girl that I asked you all to pray for a few weeks ago. We took Janet to Hospital Escuela the other day because she had never been. We just went to visit with the kids and pray over each one that we visited. [ many of the children are left in the hospital alone because their parents have to continue working while they are in the hospital, so they love to have visitors! ] Anyways, she is looking a little bit better. Her face is fuller and she was supposed to be released from the hospital on Sunday. So please continue praying as she goes back to living in the mountains. Pray that her family is able to provide food for her.

Hamilton

2009-01-08T12:44:00.004-08:00

Five of our boys started school today. We have enrolled them in a private Bilingual school that's here on the mountain. They will spend the next six months catching up to their grade level in their English. Most of these boys understand a lot of English already, so it shouldn't be too hard for them. :) So this morning we were up at 5 getting them up and ready, breakfast, and getting ourselves showered to have them at the school by 7:30. They were done at 11:30 today because they are all in the kinder class learning that level english. Once they finish that level they will move to first then second grade, etc. Then by the fall they will be ready to start on their grade level with all their classes. They absolutely LOVED it today! As soon as they got in the car they couldn't wait to show us everything they had done. It was cute. And they all look absolutely adorable in their little uniforms. But, we need your help! For each child to attend this school its about $125 per child per month, which isn't bad considering its a private bilingual school. So if we can get 5 people per child to commit to sponsoring them for a year we will have their schooling paid for. That's the equivalent of filling your M&M tube up twice a month. ;) This is a HUGE opportunity for these boys. If they graduate from this school they will have much higher chances of ever getting to attend college and the education is on a much higher standard than the public schools many kids attend on the mountains where the teachers might show up 2 or 3 days a week. The education they will receive at this school will give them a brighter future. Being bilingual is a huge deal here, it provides for more job opportunities that allow you to support your family. We all want the best for these sweet little guys and they are so excited about this opportunity! We keep reminding them to work hard on their studies because God is blessing them with such a great opportunity with this. So if any of you are able and willing, we need your help to continue sending these little ones to school. Let me know if you are able to help, or if you know of anyone who might be able to! And thank you in advance for all your help, and thank you from some little guys who will be forever grateful.

Mario

Yovani

Marvin

Fransisco

Saul

Early morning breakfast...

Yovani and Marvin

Yovani

Fransisco

Poem..

2009-01-06T20:25:00.000-08:00

I ran across this poem tonight and wanted to share it...

Did you see the mud-staind, fly-infested man

Babeling quietly by the wall?

Did you see the hardened, youthful menace

Glaring out at the world with hate filled eyes?

Did you see the strungout, poisoned addict

Shaking, pleading for a chemical assist?

Did you see the rail-thin young man

Pleading for a cure, through tear stained eyes?

Did you see the painted, street-corner maniquine

Asking everyone about a “good time”?

Did you see the little boy with bloated belly

Watching the world with empty eyes?

Did you see the pillar of your community

Staring at the forbidden, late into the night?

Did you see ...

And just stroll by with irritated eyes?

- Carl Wunsch

Meet the 'Tribe' :)

2009-01-05T16:11:00.000-08:00

For those of you who haven't had the chance to meet these guys, I want to introduce you to our little 'tribe'. These are all the kids that are currently living with us. The first three Carlos, Eduardo and Saul live with us because their mom can't care for them. She is letting them live with us because she wants a better life for them. They are good boys, and we are really enjoying getting to spend time with them. They are constantly making us laugh.

This is Carlos, he's 18 and loves music and really enjoys drawing, and he's very good at it.

This is the only picture I have of Eduardo. He's the one on the right side in the hat and pink shirt. He's 16, and loves music.

This little guy is Saul. He's 10 and loves to watch TV and play games on the computer. He's absolutely adorable.

The next 6 little guys and their mom are living with us while their dad is in an alcoholic treatment center getting help. They certainly keep us on our toes, but are SO much fun to have around.

This is Johnny [ he didn't want to have his picture taken ;)] He is 12.

This is Yovani and he's 11. He LOVES cars and is so goofy. He is constantly making us laugh.

This is marvin and he's 9.

Mario, age 7. He is picking up a lot of english.

This is Fransisco and he is 5 years old. He's absolutely adorable.

This is Antonio, the baby of the house. He's 3 and is one of the cutest kids on this earth.

So that's our little tribe. Please keep them in your prayers!

Blessings on your week!

Sector Ocho and Hospital Escuela

2009-01-01T18:03:00.000-08:00

Today David and his friend Lindsay and I headed out around noon and went to Sector Ocho to visit a family again that we had visited a few days ago. They have 5 children and the youngest is 11 months old but is very malnourished so she doesn't look much more than 4 months old. When we were visiting the other day as we walked up to the house I saw her laying outside all alone on a little mattress in the sun. We went over and picked her up and played with her for a few minutes. And somewhere in the midst of it I fell in love with this sweet baby. She is absolutely adorable. So we went back today with more milk for the baby and some food for the whole family as well. They are all pretty malnourished and sick. We couldn't stay long because we were also going to hospital escuela and needed to get going and their sweet momma was upset that we couldn't stay longer to visit with them. It was sweet, and we assured her that we'd be coming back soon. :) As we were leaving one of my girls named Yulisa came up to me and told me that Jimmy was at the pulperia nearby so we drove down to see him. He was one of the boys Erica fell in love with two years ago while the group was here and this year while the group was here he hung out with me all day while we built a house in the village. He was always right by my side helping us build, and honestly working a lot harder than any of the rest of us. ;) He is a sweet kid and it was great being able to see him again.

Here she is..

Jimmy

David with a little guy in the hospital

This baby is six months old and was fighting for every breath. As we visited with the mom I stood by her bed praying over her as I watched her fight for her life right before my eyes.

This sweet girl I had the opportunity to visit while the group was here a couple weeks ago. We had been walking down the hallway visiting kids on her floor and we could hear her cries. It's a cry that you don't easily forget. The sound of it echoes through my mind often. As we entered her room that day we saw her fragile little body lying in a bed all alone. As she struggled to find even enough strength to cry we began to sing over her and pray. She is severely malnourished and is fighting for her life. Well, today we were in a different section of the hospital and as we walked down the hallway I heard her cries once again, and knew it was her. I stopped and told david that we had to go find her. I couldn't remember exactly where she was but we just followed the sound of her cry and we finally found her. So we visited with her for a while and gave her a little stuffed animal. Please be praying for her. She is so sick.

Carlito

2008-12-16T20:38:00.000-08:00

Today we went with the group the a nursing home here in the city to visit with the elderly and sing with them. The facility isn't the nicest but it's run buy one guy and he has a nurse that comes once a day from 8-3. Other than that he's the only one there caring for the elderly that live with him. He takes in the people who have no where else to go, who otherwise would be on the street, and if that weren't enough he also cooks for the residents AND for some alcoholics and drug addicts. Everyday the alcoholics and drug addicts wait outside the facility for a plate of food that he cooks himself. So today we had the honor of praying with the alcoholics and drug addicts before we left. After that we headed for the dump. There were still more people than there were when we first started visiting. This time we had sandwiches, bananas and water to hand out. As I watched the group serving the people I was amazed when I saw one of the guys take off their shirt and hand it to one of the men in the dump, the guy living in the dump then took off his shirt and handed it to him and they wore each others shirt. Pretty soon most of the boys on the team were without shirts, and some even gave up their shoes. It was a beautiful sight. The first time I have ever seen someone so purely representing Christ. It's the perfect image of what Christ did for us. He took our dirt, grime, and junk and put it upon him. It was a great visit for sure.

After that we headed out for pizza hut and gathered up some of the street kids to join us. While we were there one of the street kids walked up and wrapped his arms around jens neck and hugged her for a while. And when we got ready to leave he walked up to her and looked her square in the eye and BEGGED her to take him with her. He wanted to come live with us. She told him that we couldn't just take him and big tears welled up in his eyes and he held on to her hand begging for her to help him. As I stood behind him she asked if he wanted us to turn him into INFA so that he could be put in a children's home. And he told us that that was what he wanted because he didn't want to live with his parents anymore because they don't love him. So she said that we would call in the morning and turn him in and come to get him at the same pizza hut so that he could have a chance of getting into a home. As she turned to walk away he turned to me and wrapped his arms around my neck, buried his head in my shoulder and began to sob. He looked and me and with big tears in his little eyes he said ' please, please take me with you' and he continued crying for a little bit. So I looked at Jen and we decided that we would take him with us to the Jesus Statue devo with the group and make some calls to see if there was anything that we could do for him tonight. So we got into the car and he sat in the front seat with David and I and held our hands and laid on our shoulders the whole car ride. He was clearly starving for attention and affection that he wasn't getting at home. So we made some calls and won't be able to do much until tomorrow. So for tonight this little guy named Carlito is staying at our house. We were able to get him a shower and some clean clothes and he is loving being around some people who choose to love him. I ask that you all pray for him tomorrow as we take him before the judge and he gets put into the system. Pray that God would send angels to be with him as he is placed in a home, and pray that it is a decent facility. Pray that he would see Christ living in us. And that somehow, in ways we don't understand God would intervene and change this boys life.

I wish I had picture of him to upload for you all, but my camera was stolen right out of my lap today at the dump..so I'm without a camera for a while. But the good news is that they guy that took it will be able to sell it and hopefully get something to eat everyday this week. Hopefully I'll be able to get a new one ordered in the next couple days so it can be here in a week or two. So bare with me. David has a camera that I might be able to use some till mine comes, but we'll see.

Blessings on your week!

Malone Team

2008-12-15T18:55:00.001-08:00

This week we have a group of over 30 people from Malone all staying at our house. They are a great bunch of college students. Yesterday they held a carnival in Santa Ana for all the kids in the community. While they were doing that Jen, Steve, Carlos and I went to the Cucuy houses to get pictures of all the families for someone in the states who wants to sponsor each of the families. As we made our rounds we came to the house of the lady who is known around the community for having been the 'witch'. She was once a pretty crazy lady. People were scared of her. She and her father have both recently been baptized and made Jesus King of their life. She's a completely new woman. Her father is really sick, but he's such a sweet gentle man. Because of his illness he's not able to walk right now. He asked if we could help him get the medicine he needs because he just wants to be able to walk again. The first picture is of her and her sick dad. The second one is a picture of her brother praying. He also lives with her and she cares for him as well.

Today the group was split into two teams. One team built a house in Nuevo Oriental and the other team helped at the feeding center in the same village. I was one of the ones with the opportunity to serve in the feeding center, helping serve lunch and playing with the kids. After I was done getting food to all the kids I caught a glimpse a little girl out of the corner of my eye and I turned my head and smiled at her and she got a huge grin on her face. Sometimes I forget what it's like to go into a community and have your heart stolen by a new kid for the first time, but it's one of the greatest things in the world. It never ceases to amaze me that in this country you can fall in love with a kid without ever having said a word to them. They somehow capture your heart in unexplainable ways. I had the honor of sitting with this sweet little girl, Daniella and her brothers and grandma as they ate their lunch. Her grandma began talking to me telling me about their life. She told me that life is hard for them but nothing is impossible with God. And she told me that life is much better when you are walking with God. In the 15 minutes that I spoke with her somewhere in the midst of it I fell in love with their sweet little family. She took me to see their house and even gave me a coke out of their fridge. I am amazed over and over again by the generosity of the people in this country. They don't have much but what they do have they want to share with you and expect nothing in return. They resemble Christ in so many ways.

After lunch was over I walked outside and immediately my hands were grabbed by a couple little girls who pulled me into the soccer field to play with them. As we walked a little boy came running at me and grabbed onto my arm to walk with us. He's three years old and I met him a couple months ago in the village. His name is Antonio and he hung out with us and the kids played with my camera for a while. Antonio stayed very close the entire time I was with him. He eventually worked his way into my lap so I would cradle him and love on him for a bit. I often forget that these kids not only go without adequate food and clothing, but they also aren't loved on a whole lot by their parents sometimes. So when they see white people they constantly want to be held, and for you to hold their hands, give them piggy back rides, play soccer, and just for you to remind them that they are loved.

Graduation and some baptisms :)

2008-12-09T20:19:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday we had the opportunity to attend graduation for Carlos. [ the oldest of the boys we've taken in] He has finally graduated high school and is looking into other education/ training for his future. The graduation was far different than mine was. They wore their school uniforms and someone had to walk them on stage to sign a book...it was odd. But it was a good afternoon. And he was certainly glad to be a graduate. :)

Last night one of Casa's workers asked us all to come witness the baptism of her children and join them afterwards for a celebration dinner at her house. So we drove out to Santa Ana and once there they took us to their Catholic church and we witnessed three baptisms, which was a whole new experience for this girl, but great nonetheless. Afterwards she took us to her little honduran home and served us meat, rice, mashed potatoes and salad. It was great food and so good to just enjoy each others presence.

ONLY IN HONDURAS

2008-12-05T20:26:00.000-08:00

Would your Suburban run out of gas while going UP a mountain in the woods! And when you are no more than a two minute drive from your house! Heavens...the adventures we have...

The Dump

2008-12-03T22:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went to the dump to take peanut butter sandwiches and bags of water to the people living there. As we pulled in I immediately noticed that there were a lot more people and even more live stock roaming through the piles of garbage. I also quickly noticed that there were far more children there than I'd ever seen there before. I'd say at least half of the people were children under the age of 15.

can you imagine being a child and having to dig through piles of trash to find something to eat to stay alive?

That's the reality for these kids. They have no where else to turn to.

Please keep these people in your prayers. We are currently working on a long term plan to help these people which will have to involve the government, so please be praying as we attempt to help these people and as we work alongside the Honduran government.

Nuevo Oriental

2008-12-02T05:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday around lunch time we headed out to Nuevo Oriental which has become one of my favorite villages here. We got there a little after 11 which meant we were just in time to help serve lunch at the feeding center. Our main reason for visiting was to check out the house sites that Ashley's group will be working on in a couple weeks. So a couple kids led us to the house sites and held us up as we slid down the dusty hills. Then we hiked back up the mountain to the feeding center to help the sweet ladies serve some hungry kiddos. After we got done handing out the food I sat down at a table with some of the kids and a lady named Mercedes walked up to me asking if we would please build her a house. She explained that she had two kids and her sister living with her and every time it rained the water came into their small house and the wind whipped through the cracks in the wall. So after lunch we walked back down the mountain to check out the site and on our way there we saw another house that looked pretty bad. There was a young woman standing in the door way and we asked if we could check out the house and see if there was anything we could do to help and she told us that it wasn't her house the owners were just letting her live there because she doesn't have a house. This lady has three kids but two of them can't live with her because she can't afford to care for them. The owners came out and let us into the house and it turned out to be better than we thought. And they also told us that if we'd build this lady a house she would donate part of her land behind their house for us to build it on. We are getting paperwork from both of the families so hopefully we can get them a house when we have a group down here...or when we raise enough money to build it. :)

Praying before lunch

Mercedes house

Their bathroom

Inside the house

some of my kiddos :)

Graduation Celebration, Thanksgiving, the container, and a new bed

2008-11-29T14:37:00.000-08:00

Wednesday Dilcia's [ one of the housekeepers at Casa] youngest son was graduating kinder so after the ceremony we took their whole family out to Pizza Hut to celebrate. And they absolutely LOVED it. We all had a blast.

The Graduate. :)

Dilcia's daughter Fabi and me. :)

For Thanksgiving this year we were invited to come celebrate at Casa with all the kids, the workers, AIM interns, and a few other people. There were about 40 of us total there. It was so much fun. The kids loved it. The food was awesome, and it was just great to be able to eat, laugh, pray, and be thankful with the kiddos.

Jackson and Katty

Jackson, Fernando, and Katty

We were in charge of bringing drinks and dessers, so we got a cake from Pan Y Mas and they had the cutest little turkey cookies, so we bought them for the kids, and they LOVED them.

Jackson, me, and Fernando

Doris

Maryuri and Me

As soon as we left Casa on Thanksgiving we got a phone call saying that the container we had shipped with Baxter would be arriving in an hour and we needed to be there to unload. So when we got into town we found out that the container had arrived, but the customs guy that has to come and open wouldn't be there till the next morning at 8AM. So we called some people asking them to help us unload this 40 ft container that was filled with couches, a washer, dryer, stove, clothes, medicine, some things for our house, and lots of other things for the people here. We all arrived between 8 or 8:30 and 'welcome to Honduras' they didn't show up till almost 11 to open it. ;)But it worked out perfectly and we were finished unloading around 5, then our friend Janet Garcia who is also a missionary here invited us over

to her house for dinner. So we were able to go over for dinner and relax a little, then eat dinner with her and her family. They certainly have been a huge blessing on us. They are the sweetest little family and all have a huge heart for ministry. We absolutely LOVE getting to serve with them.

The container

The unloading process

A couple days ago we went to Gina's house and her parents were getting a new bed and gave us the old mattress to give to a family in San Miguel. Jen became very close with the family in the spring while the Belpre group was here. The mom had just given birth to a baby in their house and the baby didn't survive. Ever since then we try to go out and check on them every once in a while. So today we loaded up the mattress in Janet's truck and went out to the village and as we pulled up Maria Angela [ the mom] screamed and came running out to greet us. She teared up when she saw the mattress. This family has one bed that sits on a small unstable metal frame that is held up off the ground by rocks. The youngest daughter sleeps on a sac that is used to hold rice, beans, etc. They have tied the sac to a rope that hangs from the ceiling. It kinda resembles a hammock, but on a much smaller and more uncomfortable scale. As we replaced the mattress in their house we realized that because the mattress is bigger, the rusty metal frame is bending outwards on the ends and probably won't last much longer so we are trying to come up with enough money to build a small platform out of wood that they can put the mattress on to replace the metal frame. They are also trying to build an addition to their tiny little two room house. They have some of the blocks but are needing quite a bit more money to get the cement, sand, gravel and bars that they need. to start the building. Before we left today we asked them to pray with us over the next few days that God would provide us with the money to purchase the supplies that we need. And so I ask that you all also pray that we are able to help this sweet little family build the house that they deserve. If you want to help contribute some money towards this send me an email and let me know!

Maria Angela when she first saw the mattress

:) she loved it

The bent metal frame

The rusty frame on rocks

Nolvia sitting on her 'bed'

Their little kitchen

Our group with their family. :)

Casa Visit

2008-11-25T14:19:00.000-08:00

Last week we came home from Yamaraguilla and on Friday we went out to Santa Ana to visit the kids at casa for a bit. It was really great to see them. They all seem to be doing very well. And growing up so quickly!

One of the kids took this one of Maryuri and me.

Little miss Maryuri

Cindy, David, and Fitto

Jackson and Cindy

Sisi, Cindy, Maryuri and me

Never Let Go

2008-11-17T08:18:00.000-08:00

Can you lay your life down, so a stranger can live?
Can you take what you need, but take less than you give?
Could you close every day, without the glory and fame?
Could you hold your head high, when no one knows your name?
That's how legends are made, at least that's what they say.

We say goodbye, but never let go.
We live, we die, 'cuz you can't save every soul.
Gotta take every chance to, show that you're the kinda man who;
Will never look back, never look down, and never let go.

Can you lose everything, you ever had planned?
Can you sit down again, and play another hand?
Could you risk everything, for the chance of being alone?
Under pressure find the grace, or would you come undone?
That's how legends are made, at least that's what they say?

We say goodbye, but never let go.
We live, we die, 'cuz you can't save every soul.
Gotta take every chance to, show that you're the kinda man who;
Will never look back, never look down, and never let go.
Gotta take every chance to, show that you're the kinda man who;
Will never look back, never look down, and never let go.

We say goodbye, but never let go.
We live, we die, 'but you can't save every soul.
Gotta take every chance to, show that you're the kinda man who;
Will never look back, never look down, and never let go.
Will never look back, never look down, and never let go.

Jesus Wants to Save Christians

2008-11-15T07:37:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been reading Rob Bell's new book ' Jesus Wants to Save Christians'. And yesterday I sat on my bed reading the fifth chapter entitled 'Swollen-Bellied Black Babies, Soccer Moms on Prozac, And the Mark of the Beast' when I ran across some world statistics that didn't really surprise me, but did break my heart. These statistics aren't meant to make you feel guilty about what you have been blessed with as an American, I just want to share with you how the rest of the world lives in hopes that as you say your prayers tonight you will remember to thank God for the things we take for granted every day, like clean water.

America controls nearly 20 percent of the worlds wealth. There are around six billion people in the world, and there are roughly three hundred million people in the US. That makes America less than 5 percent of the world's population. And this 5 percent owns a fifth of the worlds wealth.

One billion people in the world do not have access to clean water, while the average American uses four hundred to six hundred liters of water a day.

Every seven seconds, somewhere in the world a child under age 5 dies of hunger, while Americans throw away 14 percent of the food we purchase.

Nearly one billion people in the world live on less than one American dollar a day, and another 2.5 billion live on less than two American dollars a day. More than half of the world lives on less than two dollars a day, while the average American teenager spends nearly $150 a week.

Fourty percent of the people in the world lack basic sanitation, while fourty-nine million diapers are used and thrown away in America every day.

One point six billion people in the world have no electricity.

Nearly one billion people in the world cannot read or sign their name.

Nearly one hundred million children are denied basic education.

By far, most of the people in the world do not own a car while one-third of American families own three cars.

One in seven children worldwide [ 158 million] has to go to work every day just to survive.

Four out of five American adults are high school graduates

Americans spend more annually on trash bags than nearly half of the world does on all goods.

God bless America?

He has.

Waterfall

2008-11-15T07:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday afternoon Ashley, Reina and I loaded up in the Rhino...its like a 4-wheeler type thing. and Reina took us to see a beautiful waterfall thats maybe two miles from the house. We had to drive through village to get there which was fun because we were able to stop and talk with some sweet kiddos that were walking down the road. So here are a few pictures from that. :) And apparently there's another waterfall that's less than a mile away..so Reina wants to take us to see that one as well...apparently its bigger and prettier. :)

Welcome to Honduras

2008-11-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

Upon my arrival in this country I promptly began having what I've come to know as ''welcome to Honduras" moments. Once I got through customs at the airport the day i flew in, I worked my way to the TACA airlines counter to begin checking in for my next flight to Teguc. Once there the guy informed me that they were canceling that flight due to bad weather in Teguc. So I quickly began asking if there was another flight, or any way that I could get to Teguc that day because I certainly wasn't keen on the idea of getting a hotel room by myself, that just isn't safe here. So the guy tells me there are no more flights going to Teguc because they were shutting down the airport in Teguc. So I began to panic. I called Gina and she assured me that I could get a bus from the airport to Teguc so she began calling the bus company trying to get me a ticket. So while she was working on that I called Jen on the brink of tears because I was exhausted after a long day of travel already, and just all around emotional from leaving family and loved ones behind. So she had be go to the bus station counter at the airport and helped me get a ticket and at that point I was told I had 10 minutes to get to the bus stop at the airport so we could leave for the bus station. So I took off sprinting across the airport with all four of my bags. I made it just in time to board and then we left. I finally made it back to Teguc around 8pm that night and was greeted at the bus station by Gina and Papi. I can't begin to tell you how excited I was to see some familiar faces. :) So we loaded my bags and headed for Gina's house to pick up her things before going to our house on El Hatillo. I couldn't wait to get to the house to unpack and get some sleep...well we made it up the mountain by 11pm only to find that there was a large electrical cable down in the driveway from all the wind and flooding we had been having. So we parked the car Papi and I got out, opened the gate and went inside to find that there was no electric in the house. So we went back to Gina's for the night. The next day one of Mami's friends came to the house to pick me up and run me all over the city to get some errands done that I needed to do. He's such a sweet guy, and came as a huge blessing since the suburban was in Santa Ana and I didn't have any way of getting it that day. So he took me back to our house on El Hatillo and as we pulled up I was stunned to find that the gate was wide open since I had double checked the night before as we left to make sure it was locked. Well as we walked onto the driveway inside the gate I looked to the left to find that a huge portion of our gate was laying in the yard because a tree had fallen on it the day before and our landlord had seen it and sent people to start fixing it for us that day for security reasons. So I thanked the sweet guys that were working for us on a saturday, and went in to unpack and see what other things needed fixed in the house. The electricity had come back on so that night I was able to stay there and clean up the house, and unpack and just settle in a little. Which was a blessing for sure because the next morning I had to be packed up and ready to leave for Yamaranguilla. So we met Porter and Ashley in Seguatepeque and from there came out to the orphanage where ashley and I have been staying the last week and a half while Keith and Joanna are in the states fundraising [ the couple that lives on the property and cares for the children]. And we have LOVED being here. The kids are great and we have come to love this place. Monday morning we had another 'welcome to honduras' event when we realized that we had no running water. Porter began investigating the situation and making phone calls to try to get this fixed. And we think both of the pumps are broken. So the past two days we have been getting water from the creek to flush toilets, and using jugs of purified water to do the dishes. Which has been a fun adventure in and of itself. :) So this morning Porter went into the city at 6:30 and picked up 3 guys to come and try to fix this problem. So Porter sent Ashley, Reina and I into the city to do the grocery shopping for the childrens home and pick up some purified water and other various errands while they try to fix the water. So as of right now they are working on it, and hopefully we'll have water this afternoon to take showers and all that. ;) So there you have it, a day in the life. Through all the frustrations I have certainly been learning a lesson in patience, and learning to go with the flow. :) But looking back on all that now, it just makes me laugh. I sure do love this place and all the things I learn from being here. Heavens, there's never a dull moment around here! It's always an adventure learning new, creative ways of doing things. :)

Please keep the kiddos at the orphanage in your prayers. There are 6 total and they are sweet as can be. But they certainly have had their share of things to overcome in their short lives. Three of them are actually orphaned. All of their family has passed away. So for them, say a special prayer tonight.

The creek

Ash, Porter and I went late yesterday evening to get some more water to last us till this morning. :)

And just for laughs, this is Gabriel[ age 2.] Keith and Joanna are adopting him. So he lives in the same house that we have been staying in. And he is so much fun! He has started saying a few words in the last 24 hours which has been lots of fun. He makes some pretty great faces too. This picture is from last night at dinner. :) And what's funny is that this is how he looks no matter what we eat. It never fails to be all over him, on the floor, in his lap, and sometimes across the room. :)

Blessing on your day!

Among the people

2008-11-08T07:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday afternoon Porter came to talk to Ashley and I for a while and he mentioned that he knows a family in La Esperanza that lives in extreme poverty and asked if Ashley and I would like to visit them this morning to take some food to them while Any was at school. We both agreed to come because, for me this is one of the things I love to do the most. I love being out in the mountains among the people here. So we headed out this morning and drove out to their house, parked the car and walked a little ways till we found their little house. Once we arrived the single mom came out and greeted us and all her children weren´t far behind her. The oldest is twelve and the youngest was two. They showed us their home that consisted of two small beds with one blanket. But the beds were made of wood, no mattress for comfort. They had very little food in the house and a small pile of dirty, torn clothes was beside their bed. The sad part of this is that this is how many hondurans live. These conditions arent uncommon among the people here. So please be praying for this family. The kids are very sick, malnourished, and the two year old has bad diarrhea. All of the kids have light colored hair which is a sign of malnutrition. We´re going back in a few days to take more food and some medicine for the kids. So hopefully I´ll get more pictures then.

Pictures from Yamaranguilla

2008-11-05T07:32:00.000-08:00

Playing soccer

I adore this girl.

me with all the kiddos. :)

Playing Hide and Seek. We won that round. :)

Daniella, Angelina, and Yolanda

Selena and Yolanda

Daniella and me

Philipe. We LOVE his smile.

I'm Here!! :)

2008-11-05T06:45:00.000-08:00

So I'm finally back in Honduras. I arrived late Friday evening. Sunday morning I left for Yamaranguilla, and will be here for 3 weeks with Ashley helping at the orphanage, taking care of some sweet, sweet kiddos. There are 6 total. Two familes, each with one brother and two sisters. They are great kids. While we are here we also plan to go out into the community and distribute some clothes to the kids, and invite families to the church that's on the property with the orphanage. Yesterday will go down as one of the best days ever. After the kids got home from school they asked if they could take Ashley and I on a walk to the top of the mountain that is behind the orphanage, so we agreed and hiked to the top. Once we got to the top they simply wanted to show us how beautiful the view was. And it truly was amazing. Then we played a fun game of hide and seek, then ran down the side of the mountain into the field and played a quick game of tag. Then the kids wanted to take us to the other side of the creek to pick some berries...so we walked across the field and jumped to the other side of the creek, and only got a little dirty. ;) Then we went back to the property and played a game of soccer. It was so fun. These kids have a beautiful spirit about them. They really seem to enjoy the small things in life. Like the scenery from the top of a mountain. And picking berries. Some days I wish I could be as care free as they are and just simply sit back and enjoy God's beauty that surrounds me. It really is amazing to me how much children can teach you about life. I'm starting to see why Jesus calls us to become like children to enter the Kingdom of heaven. [ Matthew 18:3]

I won't be able to update a whole lot while I'm here because we don't have internet on the property so we have to be in the city to get internet access...and we don't come in much. So I'll do my best to keep you all updated on what's happening, but blog posts will become more regular when I go back to Teguc. :) And I'll post pictures whenever I get a good strong connection to do so.

blessings on your day!

Update

2008-10-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

Its been a while, so I suppose I should update you all on what's going on in my world. I suppose I haven't officially announced to the blog world that I am moving to Honduras! :) And I'm sure that that doesn't come as a shock to many of you. I think I knew when I left this summer that there was a very good chance that I wouldn't be coming home for good, which is probably why I wasn't as ready to leave as I normally would have been. But nonetheless I left with the group, and then stayed at Casa for a while. And about mid July, after the group was gone, and Anna and Delaney had left to go back home I was finally able to see if I really would be ok with being there without all my heart people around. And I was just fine, that doesn't mean I didn't miss everyone, because I certainly did, but I was ok, I had peace about it. I started seeing doors opening up for me to be able to stay there full time to work...and I just couldn't say no. This was exactly what I had dreamed of and longed for for the past three years. Another Casa intern, David Logue had also decided to officially move to do full time ministry as well. So it has been really nice having someone else who is doing, and going through the same things as me. Jen, David and I are renting a house in Tegucigalpa, on El Hatillo and we LOVE it. We have a nice little family and it's great. We are doing some ministry in the dump, hospital escuela, Nuevo Oriental, Casitas Kennedy, and working with the street kids. I'll write about all the ministry stuff more when I get back to Honduras and have more pictures and stories to share. But for now, I am back in the states doing some fundraising so that I can go back to Honduras soon! I've been back now for about a month and I have been nothing short of amazed at how faithful God has been through the fundraising and everything else. Its been great getting to see friends and family and being able to worship in English again has been a blessing. :) I'll keep you all updated about what's going on in my world throughout this journey, but for now I ask that you pray as I continue to fundraise, and as I travel back to Honduras at the end of the month!

Blessings on your day!

Give Me Your Eyes

2008-09-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black tile
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
Are those people going somewhere?
Why have I never cared?

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Wasnt it far beyond my reach?
Give me your heart for the once forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
again
again
yeah
yeah

Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide whats underneath
Theres a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
To ashamed to tell his wife
Hes out of work
Hes buying time
Are those people going somewhere?
Why have I never cared?

Ive Been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all along

Dump in the pouring rain; Systo

2008-09-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the opportunity to serve the people in the dump again. Steve's group was in and wanted to take pizza and water to feed the people in the dump, so we loaded up the vehicles and met up with the AIM interns who go every wednesday and headed for the dump. Once we started up the dirt road that leads to the dump, it started to pour the rain. And it wasn't just any old rain, it was one of the hardest rains I have ever witnessed, and not to mention that the rain was ice cold, and the wind was howling. As we were driving up I began to wonder if/how this weather would change life in the dump. Once we arrived at the top of the mountain, I wasn't surprised to find that NOTHING at all about life in the dump had changed. The people were still digging through the trash in search of food. The vultures, cow, dogs, rats, and horses still fought the people for the food. Dump trucks still dumped the trash, and the people still jumped in the mounds of trash before all of it had been dumped. As we drove through the muddy piles of trash I realized for the first time, that this IS life for them, rain or shine. I think it finally set in that this is real for them, they really have no other place to run to, no place to go when it rains so they continue 'working'. As soon as we began driving back down the mountain the rain subsided. It really made me think that God just wanted to show us all something that day, that they live this way day in and day out, they don't have the luxury of shelter from the rain, or a blanket to warm them up after they get wet. The don't have the luxury of sleeping in a dry, clean bed, or eating a hot meal when it's cool outside.

As we were getting ready to leave, a lady came over and told us that an elderly man, Systo, was very ill, and wondered if we could help. So of course we took the time to at least see what was wrong, and he had a spot below his ankle that looked like a puncture wound. The surrounding tissue was rotting, and the area was infected. He was in terrible pain. His whole body shook, and his breathing was heavy. So we put him in our car and took him to a clinic down the road. They cleaned the wound and prescribed some antibiotics to get rid of the infection. And gave him a shot for the pain he was in. Systo is 65 years old. He told Jen that he really, really didn't want to live this way. {living in the dump} When he was younger he worked really hard to support himself, but now he has paralysis in his left arm, so he is no longer able to work, and just simply has no where else to go.

Again, I beg for your prayers over the people living in this mess. Pray for their safety and health. Pray that we do everything we can to help them. And that we do our best to show them Christ's love in everything we do.

Carried to the Table

2008-09-05T21:33:00.000-07:00

Wounded and forsaken
I was shattered by the fall
Broken and forgotten
Feeling lost and all alone
Summoned by the King
Into the Master’s courts
Lifted by the Savior
And cradled in His arms

I was carried to the table
Seated where I don’t belong
Carried to the table
Swept away by His love
And I don’t see my brokenness anymore
When I’m seated at the table of the Lord
I’m carried to the table
The table of the Lord

Fighting thoughts of fear
And wondering why He called my name
Am I good enough to share this cup
This world has left me lame
Even in my weakness
The Savior called my name
In His Holy presence
I’m healed and unashamed

You carried me, my God
You carried me

Dump

2008-08-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

Those of you who read my blog regularly have heard me talk about the dump before, and read as I explained the desperate situation that these people live in. Well, Monday night David, Ashley, Mike, Jen and I made peanut butter sandwiches, and Tuesday morning we loaded up the suburban, grabbed some water, and headed for the dump. As you drive up the dirt road flies and the worst smell I've ever smelled invades the car. Piles of trash line the road and once you reach the top you see mounds of trash with people, both adults and children, cows, vultures, rats, and dogs digging through them in search of something to eat. Visiting the dump this time was a little different than the last because this time I was able to actually interact with the people. I was able to look into their eyes as we handed them a sandwich and bag of water that would likely be the only meal they ate that day. I was able to see the pain in their eyes and desperation on their face. I beg for you to pray for these people. We know that going to the dump and feeding them once a week or once a month won't solve the problem, so I ask that you pray as we search for a long term solution, and the best way to help them.

Building

2008-08-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we picked up the boys in Comayagua because they had called saying Francisco might have broken his arm. So we brought them to our house for two nights and took Francisco to get his arm checked out. He ended up with a cast because he broke both the bones in his arm from falling out of the pila at their house. So Saturday while he was at the doctor the rest of us took the other boys out to San Miguel to help a family add on to their house. Jen is close with this family because this past April while the Belpre team was here they were out in San Miguel and the mom had just had a baby, and the baby died shortly after birth. So Jen and Kay spent the day with this family loving on them and simply being by their side as they mourned. Jen has kept up with the whole family since then, and the last time we visited the dad mentioned wanting to build onto their small house to create more room for their family. So we offered to help. Saturday morning we showed up and leveled the ground, then moved the mound of dirt off their property so that we can start the actual building process. So for about 5 hours we dug, and then moved dirt with shovels and 5 gallon buckets, it was hard work but the boys loved it. It was so neat to be able to pick up a shovel with our boys and serve right along side them.

The Flood

2008-08-11T19:55:00.001-07:00

This morning I was laying on my bed working on a couple of things when I heard something that sounded much like the shower running...so I kept working and about 30 seconds later I looked up to see David running down the hallway with water dripping off of him. Then I heard him telling Jen to hurry and turn off the water supply to the house. Side note- when we first moved into our house we didn't have water for the first two days and we searched and searched for the pipe where we can turn the water on and off and never found it, but someone came and turned on another switch, and we now have water. So anyways, David went running back down the hallway, so I jumped up and went into his bathroom to see that the toilet was spraying water all over the place. By this point the water had completely flooded David's bathroom and was quickly filling his room, so I picked up the valuable things off the floor and stood his mattress up and then ran through the house in search of a mop. By the time I left David's room the water had started working it's way down the hallway into my bathroom and bedroom. [This was only about 3 minutes after it started spraying everywhere, just to give you and idea of how much water was coming out, and how quickly.] I couldn't find the mop, so I grabbed a broom and went running back upstairs to find that the water was headed for Jen's room next. David was in his bathroom with a bucket under the water leak and was dumping the water into the shower to try to keep the flooding to a minimum. So Jen calls the landlord and he came to shut the water off in a matter of minutes. So the water stopped spraying...and we were left with a flooded house. In some areas there was at least two inches of water on the floor. So while David was in his bathroom Jen and I stood in the hallway surrounded by water, and all we could do was laugh hysterically. We weren't too sure if David found this to be funny at this point, but every time he turned around we broke out into a silent laugh. It was pretty hilarious, and by the end of it we were all laughing about it. After the water stopped spraying we realized that there was a LOT of water in the house...and we weren't too sure how we were going to get it all out, because mopping wasn't an option, and we certainly don't have enough towels for the amount of water that was on the floor, so we decided that we would build a tunnel through Jen's room and sweep the water out the door in her room onto the patio. So for about 45 minutes we swept water out of our rooms, and then turned on fans to dry the water that was still on the floor. It was an eventful morning to say the least, and we finally have everything cleaned up and our mattresses are in the process of drying. :) Never a dull moment in Honduras.

The tunnel

my bathroom

david's room

david's bathroom

my room

Dental Brigade

2008-07-30T18:39:00.002-07:00

This week we have a dental brigade working here in Santa Ana. They are some pretty awesome people. They are working hard, pulling out rotten teeth and trying to communicate with kids who don't speak their language, and they are doing an amazing job. It is certainly not an easy task to explain to a child what they are going to do in their mouth, especially when the child is terrified because they've probably never seen a dentist. But these guys are so gentle and caring with the kids. It has been a lot of fun working with them.

The dentists

Jen and David working on Gina's teeth. :)

The boys. :)

Letting the kids work on the dentists. haha

Mom's visit

2008-07-24T18:11:00.001-07:00

My mom flew down here last Friday to visit me and to see the place that I've fallen in love with for the first time. It has been good having her here this week, it has been great watching her love on the kiddos that I've fallen in love with. It was also neat to watch her do new things for the first time, and watching her interact with the people of this country. It has been a fun week for sure, and she flies back home tomorrow. Also this week we got two more little girls here at Casa, Sisi and her sister Rosita. While my group was here we met these girls out on the mountain, and we knew they'd be coming here to casa at some point but we were just waiting on the paperwork. They are two sweet little girls for sure. I was so excited when I got up Wednesday morning and went in the kitchen to see Sisi running at me with her arms wide open. She is adorable. Pray for them as they adjust to life here at Casa.

Mom and Maryuri

Rosita

Sisi and Maryuri

Sisi

Mom and Maryuri

Mom, Rosita, Maryuri, and Sisi

Katty and Sisi