A Different kind of Thanksgiving Delivery

For the past twelve years I have been blessed to spend my Thanksgivings preparing and delivering meals to those who couldn't get out or have anyone to share Thanksgiving with.  I was always accompanied by amazing friends and church family.  After the deliveries, my family had Thanksgiving Dinner and spent the rest of the day visiting and making memories.  

Early this week I began to think about Thanksgiving and how much I would miss the deliveries, my family, church and friends.  Then I began to think about all of the people here in Honduras who needed food and a touch from someone who cares.  They may not celebrate Thanksgiving here, but we could still deliver food.

Some of the Faith Home kids came together to pack bags of beans and rice and other ingredients to distribute to families in a needy community La Bomba.  

 

As we hiked up the 'million' stairs to the top, multiple times, with our bags, I heard everyone struggling to breathe but still climbing to reach the top.  They helped and encouraged each other until finally we had all the bags up there.  

 

Maria gathered everyone in a circle, and our Faith Home kids held hands with the children from La Bomba as they shared what they were Thankful for.  My heart was full as I watched our kids take the hands of kids less fortunate than them.  They showed God's love to the children of La Bomba and I'm pretty sure God showed His love to them as well.

When I was asked to say a few words, I shared my heart.  I explained about our North American tradition of Thanksgiving and that even though I miss my family and friends, I am thankful for those that stood in that circle.  I am thankful for this day in which God showed me how to have....a different kind of Thanksgiving delivery.  

Lake Yajoa

 

We had 28 of our older Faith Home children complete the first section of a series of Bible Studies over the past few months. They were dedicated to attend every Sunday Morning and passed the test showing that they understood the study.  As a reward we took them to a Lake Yajoa, about two hours from Faith Home.  We had a great bus ride, as Pastor Marcos from La Sabana drove while we enjoyed the scenery.





We visited a resort area first and the kids saw the boats and wanted to ride, but it was very expensive, so we just walked around and enjoyed the sights.  It was a great time exploring and crossing the swinging bridge.

When we went back into town to eat later, we found out that the restaurant had a small boat that they would take us out in for a small price...so we went.  Eight at a time, we rode out in the small hand made boat and viewed the lake and the fishing nets.  The water was choppy and the wind was cold, but everyone had a great time!  We enjoyed the meal of fish and tajadas on the top balcony of a beautiful 4 story building.  It was a great day and everyone enjoyed getting to see another part of Honduras away from Faith Home.  

We started the 2nd section of the Bible Study last week. Odalin operates the computer as we project the scripture and questions on the wall while Pastor Miguel teaches.  So proud of these kids who are eager to learn more and study their Bibles diligently.   




Link to more photos on Facebook

Maria Isabel Update

Maria Isabel is scheduled at the top of the list for the heart surgery team returning to Honduras on January 8th. We had hoped to find a way to get her to the states and have the surgery sooner, but the visa process will take longer than our January appointment. Maria Isabel is still weak, but she is holding on with hope as she awaits her operation. We are leaving these next few months in God's very capable hands.

Brayan and I went to take more food and visit Maria Isabel and her family Friday and received a very warm welcome. Well, my truck & Brayan did anyway. As soon as she saw Brayan she almost leaped from her mom into his arms. She started pointing to my truck and telling Brayan that she wanted to go with us. They said she got excited the minute she saw the red truck coming. She recognized the truck that had taken her to the doctors who spoke of healing. It brought people who loved and cared for her. It brought food and supplies to her. But most of all...to her, it brought hope.

As we sat under the metal roof in the middle of their tropical jungle-like home, I absorbed the surroundings while watching the love flow from Brayan's heart to Maria Isabel's. If his love could fix her heart, she would be perfect.

Something happened in those moments as Brayan held Maria Isabel in his arms that is almost unexplainable. As I watched Brayan interacting with the family, I saw not our young boy who we watched grow up at Faith Home, but a grown man doing what he was made to do...letting God flow through him. I saw God's arms surrounding Maria Isabel and giving her peace and love. I heard God's voice speaking words of hope and comfort to the parents as he explained the plan for surgery in January and that many people in the United States were praying for her. I saw God revealing Himself to Brayan as he became God's hands, feet & heart to Maria Isabel and her family.

As we drove the long road back to the highway, we sat in silence for a while, each absorbed in our own thoughts for what we had seen and felt. When the silence broke, we talked about God's purpose for Maria Isabel, even if her life is short. The lives she has touched and changed will continue to help her and others like her. Only by the grace of God were each of us born where we were and and blessed so that we can bless others. Even those at Faith Home were chosen by God for a purpose. They were rescued out of circumstances similar to those living in the jungle of El Banano...for a purpose. I thank God for Brayan and the other children & young adults of Faith Home and pray that they continue to find their purpose as they reach out to the world around them with God's love.

Maria's brothers & sisters                                                                      Their kitchen

The Spirit of the Lord is in this Place

When the Spirit moves, there is no denying His presence and tonight there was a fullness of God in the Chapel of Faith Home.  I have always loved Honduran worship, but now have a new appreciation for it as it is coupled with the incredible love for the children of Faith Home.  As we stood and sang praises, I looked around at these amazing children and could feel myself smiling from the depths of my heart.   Odalin was leading worship with Selvin, Henry, Jony & Karen. Jose Pacheco had moved from the back door to worship near Tio Marcos.  Johnny Pacheco was smiling and singing, German and Dago were clapping and even Giancarlo was standing.  All of this warmed my heart for various reasons, but when I looked across at Josue & Darwin, I couldn't hold back the tears of joy.  

As we entered church, Pastor Miguel had told me that Josue and Darwin had asked Christ in their heart.  Josue had made a decision soon after he arrived at Faith Home earlier this year, but said he wanted to do better and live for Christ.  Pastor Miguel said we would counsel and pray with them after church.  They were absorbing every part of the worship service with expectation.   During the sermon, Wilfredo talked about God making Joseph a leader and Josue looked at me and smiled. We both remembered a conversation we had last week.  I was talking to Josue about working hard in school and told him about one of the sessions at the GB Missions Summit in which they talked about identifying leaders among children.  Several of us looked at each other and said 'Josue' because he fit the description.  It seemed that tonight, God was using the sermon to confirm His calling on Josue.  

At the end of service, as we stood and prayed with the boys, I could feel God's spirit surrounding us and I was reminded once again that the Spirit of the Lord is in this place.   Sweet Darwin looked at me with tear filled eyes and I could see God's plans unfolding in him.  I know that God surrounds Faith Home with His peace and protection and He is touching hearts and changing lives.  What a blessing to be able to see it in the lives of these amazing children.  

What a mighty God!

God's Timing

Romans 8:28 and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God...

Day after day I ask God to soften the hearts of those who refuse to hear Him, to enter the minds of those who reject Him and to protect our children from evil.  I keep asking God what can 'I' do to reach them?  Of course I know that God is the only one that can reach them, and we are only His tools who need to be obedient when that still small voice tells us what to do and say.  However sometimes  I need reminded.   Tuesday night I heard him loud and clear.  I had called Hector help me talk to some kids who I was punishing for doing some things wrong.  I wanted him to talk to them and say something that would get their attention.   He didn't say what I expected him to, but it was perfect.  I listened as Hector told them that God was not pleased with their actions and that Satan was speaking in their ears telling them to do the wrong things.  He asked them 'who do you want to live in your heart, Satan or Jesus Christ?'.   I could see through their eyes that they were processing the question.

A few minutes later, we left for church.  As with most teenagers, ours are not perfect angels during church and we have been working on better behavior in God's house.  This particular night, Pastor Miguel preached about the consequences of not living holy lives.  He talked to the ones who were saved about living Christ-like lives.  He also talked about God choosing each of them to be here at Faith Home and that He is giving them an opportunity to choose Him for their eternity.  His sermon went right along with what Hector had told some of them about Satan wanting them to choose the wrong way.  

After church, I kept some of the kids behind because of their behavior in church.   They had to write 200 times how they were to behave in church.  While they were writing, one of them asked since they were not a Christian, why did they have to follow the 'Christian' rules.  So we talked about respecting the Lord's house and who God is and about their choices for eternity.  During this discussion, I noticed Nelson Q. Had his head down and was writing very fast and suddenly said he was finished and asked to leave.  As I walked him out and asked him if he thought he could do better next time, he told me yes because he had just prayed for Jesus to come into his heart and wanted to go talk to Pastor Miguel.  Praise God!  A changed life in the middle of what I had previously thought was chaos.  It had been a long day and I was very tired, but suddenly I felt renewed and full of joy!  You never know when and where God will speak to a heart, but if we just keep praying and doing what we know to do, He will...in His time.  

Nelson had been spending a lot of time working with Jose Pacheco and had been watching over the past few months how Jose is transforming his life and actions since he accepted Christ a few months ago.  I remember watching the two boys working late one night on the concrete ramps.  I saw them talking and smiling as they worked.  It's amazing to look back now and realize it wasn't just all the sermons and talks that reached Nelson's heart.  It was Jose and others being a living example of who Christ is.  

No matter where you or what you are doing, someone is watching, and your life may be the very thing that shows God's love and power to someone else.  

Our God is AMAZING!

Something Contagious

Something is going around at Faith Home and it's apparently contagious.   It was subtle at first, but now many appear to be infected with this mysterious disease.  It seems to be affecting the thinking of our children.  I first became suspicious last week when I noticed that some of them were working late without being told to.  A few even missed supper.  I checked for fever, but at the time they seemed okay...just a little sweaty.  Saturday, however, it was obvious that it had spread to almost all of the boys and was out of control.  

 

Saturday, I returned from San Pedro to find most of the boys and Hector near the bodega, working on our latest project at Faith Home.  Hector had hired a local masonry man to build a concrete block ramp to drive our vehicles up on for

maintenance.  Jose Pacheco and some of the others had worked several nights past dark and were very interested in learning how to build with the rebarb, blocks and concrete.  But this day, there were over 20 boys here --late in the afternoon--on a Saturday.   I asked Hector why he was making them work so late.  He said he wasn't making them - they wanted to and just showed up to help.  I watched in awe as they all worked in unison shoveling sand, mixing concrete, moving blocks and spreading the concrete, layer by layer.  Something must be wrong with them! 

Hector said that they would be finished soon and were all very proud that they were able to be part of building the ramp.  They had been talking about how they would be able to wash vehicles on the ramp and were very excited to see it in use.  That's when it hit me- the significance of this project.  This may be (I think) the first structure at Faith Home that is entirely designed and built by Hondurans and included Faith Home children.   They were empowered by "their project" and took ownership in what was done.  The smiles on their faces and confidence in their walks said it all.   One by one they had watched the others and then decided to join in...on their own...so that they could have what the others had - a sense of worth in this accomplishment.   In that moment I felt like a proud momma watching our boys become young men.  

 

God is good and I love those moments when He reveals Himself in the lives of our children.   May they continue to be infected with confidence and courage to become the adults God created them to be!