What are you thankful for........

Just a few days ago we celebrated Christmas. One of the largest holidays celebrated around the world. It is a time of family, friends, food and fellowship. We sit around a glowing and beautifully decorated Christmas tree most likely with an abundance of perfectly wrapped presents. Not all are so fortunate to have this as their Christmas Eve or Christmas day painted portrait. In fact we have two children here in the home with a completely different painted picture of their live.

First, we have Kathya a ten year old little girl. She is one of five children. She has been with us for almost 18 months. Here is Honduras it is the time of year when most people have off work for a longer period of time. So, each year this is the time where the children can go and spend 4 day with their families. Kathya went home to nothing more than a closed in chicken coop. This is the place that she lived before moving here when she was so very sock and infested with lice. Her mom and her mom's boyfriend along with her two small siblings under the age of 3 also live. She went home to know pretty tree, no pretty wrapped presents, and probably not even very much food to eat. (Thankful that Karla's parents live just next door.....as this is where Kathya slept while away from our home). However, seeing the photo below of where she went on Christmas Eve should make all of us thankful for the little things that we have. Her home has no electric, no indoor plumbing, only a bed for her mom, and only an outside faucet of unsanitized water. At night the little tin house is pitch black. Her mom cooks all of their meals on the little fire right in front of the house. A few days before Kathya was to go home....we took her mom a box of food so that she could be sure to feed her family while Kathya was there.

You can see the little stand that I am looking at with the white kettle on top. that is all that her kitchen consists of. Not a table, not a fridge no microwave, no dishwasher.......nothing but a few pots and a few bricks and a kettle for coffee. So, this Christmas.....while everyone gets the most updated techno gifts, and new clothes......remember the small things and the things we take for granted....for these are all that they have and as you see that isn't much at all.

Christas Operation and many Blessings

We are so overwhelmingly blessed. We are so thankful for those who gave to our special request of Operation Christmas this year. Not only were we able to help 9 special friends but the kids were able to draw names and buy a gift for one of their cottage siblings. Then after that, the kids had enough money to buy a special lunch and a gift for themselves. Thanks again to all who helped make this Christmas extra special. They had a great time on the 23rd passing out their gifts and sharing them with their person. They were all excited about the things they had picked out and the things that they had received.

Life's Road Trip........a detour or a journey?

Life's Road Trip.....A Detour or a Journey....?
Many times in life we map out things in life....just how we want them to go or how we want to do them. Many people have even drawn out a map to track their journey through out life. Sometimes, we can maneuver the journey from start to finish with no problems at all. While other times we are forced to take a detour. When a detour occurs most often if ...throws us into a sheer panic....this was not planned...this is not how this is suppose to go. I can speak of this first hand. We live in Honduras and driving is a pure adventure each and everyday. Well, Taylor our 17 year old daughter and I travel to San Pedro Sula, at least once a month to do our major grocery shopping. It is a crazy drive sometimes and even crazier when you get turned around in the most dangerous city in the whole world. There are not many street signs and half the times you never know if stop lights are working or the tail lights of the car in front of you. It can be a nerve racking experience. Especially, if you have to make a detour from what you have planned. I do enjoy the journey I get to take with her each month......I said all that to talk about Paul's journey in the Bible. Paul was one of the greatest missionaries of all times and he traveled from place to place preaching and sharing the love of the Lord that he was able to walk the earth with. However, Paul's last journey he didn't travel as a missionary.....he traveled as a prisoner that was headed to Rome to stand before Caesar. Many of us might look at his life like we do a movie....."man it wasn't suppose to end like that".......look at how his ministry ended! He was in captivity, he was a bond prisoner.....but look at it a little deeper.....His journey led him to some unreachable people. I can only imagine the souls that were saved and changed in what could have been the darkest days of Paul's journey. I think about my dear friend Lalania Riley Hall who battled cancer for many years....her journey was a tough one.......but I know that on her journey she touched many lives and opened the eyes to many about her strength and faith in the Lord. Then, I think of our friends Summer and Aaron Summer Ungerer. They didn't ask for or expect the detour that they are now on in their journey. But one thing is for sure....reading Philippians 1:12 makes me think of all three of these special people. "But I would ye should understand , brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel. I think about Paul and the lives he touched for the Lord in prison. I think about Lanie, Summer and Aaron and the lives that they have touched because God knew that they could handle the detour on their journey. When you are hit with a detour on your journey....don't be dismayed it might be a new road leading to a blessing that you just cant comprehend.

A Little Turbulence

A Little Turbulence
Many times we have been in an airplane. I would say that most people have been in an airplane at least once. Most of the time it is smooth sailing. You can read a book or sleep and barely even know that you are moving. Then while you are looking out the window and admiring the clouds or the empty blue skies....then all of a sudden the plane starts to shake and bump and you gra...b for your seatbelt. The pilot comes on and says that we have hit some turbulence. Life is like that isn't it? we see others in life who seem to be passing without issues our concerns...they seem steady and secure while even the slightest bump in our road causes us to be frazzled(really we do not know the hearts of others) but sometimes it seems like non-Christians have less problems than we do. The truth is ...you are probably right....but the devil doesn't need to discourage them from serving the Lord because they are right where he wants them to be. But that is another topic.....but why do we if we are Christians get so frazzled with a little turbulence? We shouldn't let Satan get the best of us. We have God on our side. The bibles says in 2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. God not only offers peace......HE HIMSELF is the Lord of peace. It is nice to know that whatever turbulence we hit in our life God is always there to give us peace and comfort

Life Isnt Always Fair..........

Life isn't always fair
Being a teacher of 15-20 kindergarten students at a time or a parent to any number of children you are going to hear these three words......:"THAT'S NOT FAIR". Maybe it is about going outside, or doing a chore, or maybe you did not give them the color balloon that they wanted. Well, truth is ...sometimes life just isn't fair. I remember when we lost our baby Zoey my heart was broken then we lost Noah.....and it was as if everyone who was not trying to have a baby was now pregnant. Life wasn't fair. We see children here everyday in Honduras who were born into homes and lives that are not fair. Lives where they may not have enough food to eat, or a roof over their head or even a bed. Life isn't fair. However, God can make anything good. You know it is not up to us to see if something is fair or not...that's God's job. God is in charge. He knows far more than we do about HIS plans and HIS purposes. Tonight, I think of our friends and team mates Jon Stammen and Sarah Stammen......they were in an accident on Thanksgiving night. It was clearly not their fault.....the situation that they are in right now is so unfair. The people that caused the accident are trying to push everything onto them and make it their fault. This again is so unfair. But we must not forget it's not about fairness.....its about our trust in a faithful God who knows what HE is doing. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the ROCK, and HIs was are perfect and He is a God of truth. From our point of view life will never look fair.....but when we put our trust and faith in Jesus Christ, we will always know that HE is faithful....so tonight I ask that you help me to pray for Jon and Sarah and this situation that OUR PERFECT GOD.....will let the TRUTH shine tomorrow at their meeting.

feeling very Blessed This Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. We actually celebrated twice. The first was on Thanksgiving day where we celebrated with our team here in Honduras. We had a great time sharing laughs and good ole food around a large table of our fellow friends and family serving the Lord. There were 4 couples and lots of children...plus one winter intern. The next day we celebrated with our cottage family. We had the whole Thanksgiving meal all over again. The kids all loved it and it was so sweet to hear what they were thankful for. We even used our pretty white plates for a special lunch! Here are some pictures from our day.....