Team Honduras

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Just Some Highlights to 2011

Well, I thought that since this is the last day of 2011 we would share some of our blessings, favorite things, crazy things, and just fun facts of 2011. There are so many....we could not possible name them all....

(These are in no particular order)


1.  Birth of a healthy (Honduran) baby boy: Micah Alexander 5/12/2011
2. Packing up 3 kids and 2 adults with 24 bags and a pack-n-play to get on an airplane
3. Praying all night long that God will give us a helpful person at the airport so we would not have to pay  $900 almost for our extra bags. God answered that prayer with a baggage person who helped book us first class and we only had to pay $300 for the upgrade. BLESSING
4. Seeing how faithful people are to the Lord and the ministry by not only filling 1 (40ft) container but 2 (40ft) containers.
5. Getting stopped by the police.....just to have them jump in your truck with a prisoner as you escort them to the station. (This was Mark and Hunter).
6. Driving for the first time in a foreign country....by myself...(Amy)
7. Never leave HOME with OUT IT....your passport that is......
8. Sharing the Gospel and seeing people get saved inspight of our bad Spanish.(Proof that the Bible speaks for itself all you have to do is be willing to share.)
9. Singing in the choir...in Spanish....Mark, Amy, Taylor and Hunter
10. Seeing Fireworks on Christmas Eve
11. Hearing gunshots at all hours of the night
12. Going into a store with a little baby....only to have every female worker run over to see him and say "oh que lindo su bebe....el es mi blancito...(my lil whitey....)
13. Sitting in a restaurant eating when your 3 year old see's a bus pull up and says "Hey look at all those Gringo's".....white people getting off the bus /possible youth groups
14. Successfuly ordering through a drive-thru in Spanish
15. killing snakes in your front yard
16. killing a large rat with the weed-eater (Both of these are Mark)
17. Fishing in the old baptism almost everyday after daily chores and school (Hunter)
18. Waling to the pulperia for cokes and a snack
19. Visiting the beautiful beach in Tela....and having the whole thing to yourself.....literally
20. Giving a few spare limps to the handicapped man at the stop light along with a tract
21. Having a child ask you for the rest of your drink that you were about to throw away
22. Seeing children dig through the trash for food or eat off of the plates that people left on the table
23. Getting to go to Disney World and see Woody and Jessie (Josiah)
24. Getting to fly back home and spend Thanksgiving in Flordia with our families
25. Finding Cherry Coke in a store here
26. Living in our new home...cottage #1
27. Seeing how much Josiah loves working outside with his daddy. ( he asked for his own tools and boots)
28. making new friends here in Honduras
29. Seeing the Mayan Ruins in Copan
30. Going to the waterfall and jumping in (Taylor and Hunter)
31. Looking outside everynight as the fireflies light up everywhere on property.......hundreds at a time
32. Saving a rabbit...a.k.a Coco from being eaten ....yep...our new pet..THANKS Choy!
33. Hearing Josiah after he met Santa Clause here in Honduras...."Momma he is not the REAL Santa Clause"...me: "What makes you say that Josiah?".....Well, momma he doesnt speak any English.....LOL
34. Getting pulled over by a police man for a routine check.....just to hear him ask me if I was from Spain?....he has my american passport in his hand....I ask him...why do you think I am from Spain...(plus my spanish is not that good)....his response....well you have blonde hair and green eyes and you are very kind you must be from Spain...nope I am from North Carolina....
35. Going to the bank to pay your water, electric, car tax and other bills.
36. Winning the make your hubby into Santa Clause at the adult Christmas party game...(becasuse he has a bald head....cotton balls stick better with no hair...hehehehe
37. Parking beside a car at the grocery store that had an OBX sticker on the back
38. During the delivery of Micah ....my doctor is listening to old school 80's music...after he is delivered and the stitching begins....(no-one else is in the room but me and the doctors.....the song "And another One bites the Dust...)...yep just what I wanna hear during an operation.....lol
39. Going to our first Spanish wedding.....
40. flying home to Florida to bring Karla back to Honduras


There are so many more wonderful and crazy things to tell you all about but well....it would simply take to long...So with that said......HAPPY NEW YEAR.....may we not dwell in the past but take a step forward and keep our eyes on the Lord in 2012....for we know not when the Lord will return.......


Happy New Year,
Love,
The Coats Family
Mark, Amy, Taylor, Hunter, Josiah and Micah














Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Our 1st Christmas in Honduras........

Josiah, Woody & Jessie
  The last 3 years we have been in 3 different countries. We spent almost one year in Tampa, Florida before we headed off to language school. That was our first Christmas away from family and friends back home in North Carolina. The following year we were living in Costa Rica for our year of learning Spanish. However, we were blessded with family tickets to fly back home to NC to spend that Christmas with family and friends. What a blessing that was to be able to surprise everyone.  This year we spent our first Christmas truly away from our families back home. It was bitter-sweet. We know that while we missed a NC Christmas with our sibblings and parents we are where God wants us to be. We also know that if you are out-side of God's Will you will never truly be happy. We have had our first Christmas here in Honduras but next year will be another first as well.....you see next year we will hopeully have a full house (12 Honduran children) with us celebrating the reason for the season. They will become our new family. We had a great time here celebrating a Honduran Christmas with Karla and her family on the 24th. We enjoyed a great meal of pork, chicken, rice and salad. Topped off with cake and fireworks....I don't think I could have been anymore nervous than I was that night...lol.....The reason...you might ask.....every child that was old enough to walk had a sparkler in their hand and the others 6,7,8,9+ were lighting them with matches and throwing firecrackers. It was fun however...just a new custom for us. So, our Christmas was explosive ....you might say. I have included some pictures for you to see the fun we had.....We hope that you all had a Very Merry Christmas as well. As we head into 2012 we are going to try and carry the gospel to the children and people of Honduras we pray that you all will try and do the same state side....remember it is all of our jobs to share the gospel with the world.....He is the Reason for the Season....so lets start out with HIM in 2012.



Sincerely Serving Him,
Mark, Amy, Taylor, Hunter, Josiah and Micah

our dinner
Me, Genesis, and Tatianna
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Monday, December 12, 2011

Back Home in Honduras......

Micah's 1st time out of Honduras
 Sorry that it has been awhile since our last update. We have been very busy here lately. Well, actually we just arrived back home here in Honduras. We were able to fly out of country and visit family in Tampa for Thanksgiving. While we were not able to see all of our family we were able to share some quality time with part of them. They also ate up the fact that they could see little Micah for the first time. It was crazy to think that...that was his first trip to the states. He has a US Passport but had never actually been there.

While we were there we were able to enjoy Thanksgiving with the works......and let us not forget Black Friday shopping. Taylor and I along with my sister-in-laws and Alyssa my neice were able to introduce Karla to her very first Black Friday.  (I think that SHE LOVED IT)....she was so excited it was like seeing a kid in a candy store. 


The Lord Blessed our trip there and we were all able to go to Disney. Thanks to the people who made that possible. Dreams can come true. I will never foregt the look on Josiah's face for as long as I live when he saw Woody and Jessie. You know that childlike faith...believing in something that you really have never seen. It all was so real that moment that passed by on the float.  Seeing him get all excited about those two made me think of how we will react to seeing Jesus for the first time. Will we wave our arms and shout out HIS name in disbelief that it really is him standing in front of us. Will we get teary eyed at just his presence?  As I watched Josiah and his sincere reaction....I want my christian life to reflect that same kind of love for Jesus and my family. 

As we packed up and headed back home here to Honduras....I was able to witness again that same kind of excitement.....the moment that Karla's momma saw her for the first time after 11 and 1/2 months. Tears flowed and hugs