To God be the Glory!

Back in May, when we were distributing shoes in Emanuel, we met a special young boy. This boy had wandering eyes and couldn’t see much at all. We weren’t equipped to do any testing that day because we had just went to church and did the shoe and food distribution. The mother asked if she could bring him the next day to where we were working.

As we arrived at the site, the young boy was one of our first patients. Because of his wandering eyes and inability to focus, it was impossible to get a reading. Cristina Lindsey and I tried for almost an hour before we gave up in tears, feeling as if we had failed.

This morning, as we started the clinic, Cristina and I were surprised by the same little boy, Eric, there to have his eyes checked. Emanuel is not too far from where we were working and they had walked over, wanting desperately to try again. We immediately decided that we HAD to try but that God was the only way it was possible. So we gathered as many people as were available and surrounded Eric and put hands on him in prayer.

We prayed boldly for God to guide Tom’s hands and the reader so that we could get a reading. As I prayed, I sensed that there were many around us watching and even those praying that needed to KNOW that God can do anything and that miracles are still possible. So I prayed that God’s glory would be evident to all watching and those who heard later.

After we finished the prayer, Tom went to work, trying to get a reading. He tried several angles and positions and we finally put Eric on my lap so that he could try again. As I held Eric’s head, I prayed once again that Eric not only would receive glasses today and be able to see, but he also would see God. For a moment, I thought about telling Deb to start looking for any children’s glasses in the extra inventory but then that still small voice said “Don’t try in your own power. God’s got this!”

Finally Tom got one of the eyes to read, but the other wasn’t happening. The eye turned too much out and wouldn’t focus. So we decided to try with the one that we had. As he sent the information to the computer, we saw that there was only one possible match (after we reduced the parameters way off from the reading). We continued to pray as Deb looked for the one possible match that the computer found. She pulled out the glasses that were in the specified slot and almost screamed in amazement. We looked and they were children’s glasses!

We put them on him and the look on his face was priceless! He could see!!!! We shouted and sang Glory to God, crying and then proceeded to explain to the mother why we were so happy. We explained how impossible it was and that only with GOD were we able to fit Eric with the glasses. We asked her to tell the story to Eric as he grew up so that he would always know what God had done.

As the family left and we started to log the inventory, Deb noticed that the bag Eric’s glasses came out of didn’t even have a number on them. We don’t know HOW they got in the slot that they did….but we know WHY.

I truly believe that miracles are still possible and I KNOW that God uses them to strengthen, encourage us and most importantly to recognize HIS GLORY.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

HOPE

Today as the team arrived at the open field that would be our site for the week, I was once again stirred by the poverty of the Honduran people. But before I could get too wrapped up in sorrow for their circumstances, they overwhelmed me with their love. While walking down the muddy path to the site, I received countless hugs from children and adults coming out of their ‘shacks’ to welcome us.

The eyeglass clinic had not received the inventory file for the computer system and we discussed the possibility of not being able to do prescription glasses at all. Without the correct inventory, it would be impossible to match the correct glasses with the patients. God quickly reminded us that ALL things are possible through Him and we got excited to see what miracles HE was going to show us today….which He of course did. Through prayer, we were able to help everyone who came through the clinic and were rewarded with lots of hugs and smiles. Tom was having a hard time getting a reading on an older gentleman with cataracts and asked me if I wanted to try. We prayed and I had a reading within seconds…not me….GOD. I don’t know which made the man smile bigger, the glasses allowing him to see or us telling Him that GOD was the one who made it happen.

The entire team reported that they had an amazing day as we shared stories after supper. The best of all, for me, was a young mother and a little baby that we discovered had worked their way into all our hearts. I held this one month old baby while the mother was fitted for glasses. Before I gave him back, I felt we needed to pray blessing on his life. So we gathered around the mother and prayed. As I held the baby in my arms we prayed that God would bless him and protect him as he grew up with difficult circumstances and seemingly bleak possibilities for the future. I prayed that God would use this child to change lives in Honduras.

At the end of the day, I was called over to talk to the same mother. Her husband had been murdered and she lived with her mother with little hope for the future…until today. She had been touched by all the team as she went through the clinic. She had been given HOPE. She bonded with Deb White and requested that Deb be the godmother of the baby. We explained to her that Deb lived far away and would likely never see them again, but she would be honored to pray for the mother and child. Don took a picture for them, because the mother wanted to remember this day forever….the day she found HOPE.

It’s the little moments that make a difference. Whether in Honduras or at home, your kind words, prayers and love can change the world for Christ. YOU can offer them HOPE.

The Heart of Anita Ford lives on….

Anita Ford was an amazing lady who served as a missionary in Honduras for many years. She had a heart for this country and a spirit of service that constantly amazed me. Even after she got sick, Anita’s heart was still in Honduras. The Honduras loved and respected her, as did anyone who knew her.

I was reminded of that this morning, as we worshipped in El Banano and I got to spend some time with Anita’s dear friend Isabel. With tear-filled eyes, Isabel shared with me about her memories of Anita and how she taught her so much about God and how to help and love others. Isabel said Anita loved her unconditionally and she would not have gotten through many hard times, without the wisdom and love Anita shared with her. Isabel wants to carry on some of the things that Anita started in Honduras and we prayed with her that she would have the courage and strength to do that. Anita was God’s heart to the people of Honduras and her heart lives on through the lives she touched.

Isabel's grandson

It is my prayer that I could help to carry on the work of Anita. I want to be God’s heart to the people of Honduras as she was. I want the Heart of Anita Ford to live on…..

Excited!

As we arrived in El Banano this morning to worship, I searched the crowd for the friends that I knew in that community. We walked down the grown up path to the last place I had seen Sadia, the young girl we helped with hearing aids. My heart sunk as I saw the abandoned shack that we had last visited the amazing girl who stole our heart. It appeared that nobody had been there in a while. I prayed that God would bless Sadia and her family, wherever they are, and that I would get to see her again someday.

I could hear the awesome sounds of Honduran worship, as we returned to the church. It was beginning to rain and the building was packed, as well as the thatched roof shelter outside the church. Through the crowd, I saw one of my little friends, Heidi, standing on the side of the road near the church. Her eyes lit up as she recognized me, and she quickly came over saying my name. The hug of a child is always special, but this little girl’s hug came with a whisper in my ear from God ‘this is why you are coming here’. I lifted Heidi up to the window so she could see inside the church as we clapped and sang in worship.

The children gathered in another area for children’s church. Their voices were like angels, as they sang the children’s songs with all their heart. After loving on a few babies, I snuck in among the children while they were having their lesson. I scanned each face, looking for my friend Cynthia. Suddenly, I spotted her at the front of the group and she let out a squeal as she ran and jumped into my arms. She just kept hugging tightly and then taking my face in her hands and looking at me like she wasn’t sure I was real. She was my shadow for the rest of the morning.

After church, we walked down another road where Sadia’s grandmother used to live, hoping to find her. We were told she had moved, but was doing well with her hearing aid. Cynthia and Heidi each held my hand, and as we walked down the dirt road together, I had a flash back in time. February 2010, these same two little girls had accompanied me and Leona Cole as we visited the ladies co-op on the backside of El Banano. That was one of the first times that I felt myself wishing that I could just stay in Honduras, and considered it as a possibility.

I am excited to see what God is going to do in the community of El Banano. I am excited to see God move in Honduras. I am excited to see God work through the children of Faith Home. I am excited to be a part of this incredible ministry!

My Journey

I grew up in a Christian home with loving parents and two beautiful sisters.  I am so very thankful for my family and the things that they instilled in me throughout my life.  They always encouraged me to be myself, while giving me advice and loving me unconditionally.  I am now blessed with two brother-in-laws, a beautiful niece and three handsome nephews.  My family is a huge part of my journey.  

I was grounded in all the basics of church and being a Christian and saved at a young age.  It wasn't, however, until I was an adult that I truly understood and developed a relationship with God. From that relationship, I have embarked on an incredible Journey with God.  I want to be a part of fulfilling the Great Commission, taking God's love to the ends of the earth.... let's start with Honduras.

Reflections from my journals....

September 2002:

My first mission trip was to Choluteca Honduras.  I realized quickly, that I was out of my comfort zone, things don’t always go as planned and I had to totally and completely depend on God to do anything there.  I thought that I went to ‘help people’, but the things God taught me that week through the Hondurans and my teammates impacted the path of my future more than even I realized at the time.  My prayer at the end of the week was “Lord, help me to not be satisfied with my comfortable life any longer. Use me to reach others for you.”

September 2003:

I hadn’t intended to go back to Honduras.  Through a chain of events and against many odds, I ended up going.  It was during that trip, as I prayed for the first time ‘Lord, show me how to best serve you. I surrender all.  Here I am, send me”.  (I was praying for direction in my life as to where to best serve.)

2004- Present

Several more mission trips (15 & counting) and repeated opportunities to see God's miracles, make incredible friends and be a part of His movement in Honduras.  Each trip taught me more about God, made me love the Hondurans even more and left me less satisfied with my 'comfortable life'.

One journal entry reveals “I love it here. I love the culture and the enthusiasm with which they worship. I could stay here forever.”

I prayed that God would tug on hearts and bring people to help with the ministries of Faith Home and Honduras. (not thinking me-others) lol

In my journal, I wrote about how blessed I am and how I want to use those blessings for God’s glory.  “Lord, I put my life in your hands.  I give it all to you. Show me your will and I will follow.”

February 2010:

As I sat praying in front of the team house at Faith Home in Honduras, looking up at the surrounding mountainside, I once again prayed ‘Here I am Lord, send me’.  I clearly heard Him say to me ‘If you really are willing to go where I send you, then get ready. Sell your house and get things in order. Get ready to go.”

I’d like to say that I ran home, sold my house and immediately followed God to where I belonged, but I didn’t.  Instead, I immediately began a quest to seek God deeper, ‘find myself’, and try to figure out on my own where I belonged and what that meant.  I spent countless hours alone with God in the woods, at the lake and on the many road trips to visit friends.  There were so many opportunities to help people around me that I kept pretty busy and justified that it was enough.

During the course of 2011, I finally acknowledged that God’s call was Honduras.  I sought more information on mission opportunities and began to ponder the possibilities of what that would look like.  I tried to compromise with God that I could be of more benefit in the States, promoting the mission work there and helping on short-term trips.  I still wasn’t ready to let go of my ‘comfortable life’, my family, my friends, my church….MY life.

In September 2011, as we worshipped with the Hondurans at a new church plant site in Pimiento, I was overwhelmed.  No more empty words to God, no more compromising…just obey.

I sent an email to the director of General Baptist International Missions and told him that Honduras is where I belong and I am ready to go.  I have spent the past few months going through the process of becoming a full time missionary to Honduras.  I will live at the General Baptist orphanage Faith Home working where needed there, in the communities and churches and with the children of Faith Home.

As I prepare for this part of the journey, the scripture came to mind about counting the cost.  That’s what I’ve been doing over the past several months, counting the cost of going.  I’ve cried many tears over the last time, for a while, that I will possibly do things with my family, church and friends.  I’ve appreciated those little moments that I often took for granted and I’ve done my best to give it everything I’ve got to be ‘all here’, while I’m here.  I know it won’t be easy, but I also know that no cost is too great if I’m following God’s voice.  He will take care of me and everyone I leave behind.

One of the difficult things for me to accept is the fact that in order to be a full time missionary, I must let go of my pride and fear of speaking in front of people in order to raise the support necessary to go.  I have always been an independent person and have searched for ways to be self-supportive so I wouldn’t have to ask for financial support.  I think that is another lesson God is teaching me.  I say I will give Him all of me, but I wouldn’t let go of my independence and pride and trust Him to take care of that as well.  The one thing we hold on to is the one thing God requires the most.  He wants all of us.

So here I am, continuing the journey with God.  I am ready and willing to be obedient to His call, but I need your prayers and support to do what He has called me to do.

I am excited to see how God is using the children of Faith Home to reach their own country for Him.  They will be the hands, feet and heart of God to their country.  This is an awesome journey…for all of us!

Let the journey continue…..

We're Not in Honduras Anymore

Last Saturday I rode a Honduran Float with my mission friends from Piedmont, MO. They did a fantastic job building a Honduran home and a replica of the church we distributed shoes from in Emanuel. They even had a Honduran bicycle complete with a stack of wood as we often see while we are there. Some of us sat on the makeshift pews, as the congregation of the church, while Pastor Bob ‘preached to us’. It was a very good replica of life in Honduras and we could almost feel as if we were there for a moment.

Apparently it was so realistic that Gloria forgot where she was. As we were sitting on the float riding through downtown Piedmont, suddenly Gloria says “I think that man needs a hug”. Lisa and I looked at her and asked what she was talking about. She pointed to a gentleman seated way off the sidewalk alone, looking very sad.  She said “he just looks like he needs a hug”. I said “well go hug him then, obviously God is telling you to”. Gloria jumped off the float and ran back to the man and proceeded to hug him and visit with him for a moment before running back to climb up on the float. As she obediently showed God’s love to this lonely man, everyone turned to see what she was doing. Someone said, “we’re not in Honduras anymore, you can’t just run up to people on the street and hug them”. I asked “why not? people here need God’s love too”. As Gloria resumed her seat on the float and we continued on down the parade path, she just smiled a smile that radiated from ear to ear. She had been obedient to that still small voice. I looked back to see the man wearing that same smile. He had received a hug from God.

I’m not sure why it’s so much easier for us to hug people and tell them of God’s love in Honduras or why they so eagerly accept us. I wonder if it’s just the perception that we are there on a mission and we become empowered to do things that we normally wouldn’t do at home? I think that there are people around us everyday that are just as eager to hear about our awesome God and feel His love through our actions. I know I, for one, could use a hug from God every now and then.  So let’s continue our mission wherever we are.  Look around and see who needs a hug from God today.  Your kind word or action may be exactly what they need to see God.

God is Still Moving

I received a message from Pastor Saul, from Honduras: “The lady who we are helping with glasses came to Christ, she received Jesus as her savior!!!!!!!!!!”

This news makes my heart leap for joy and shout HALLELUJAH!!!

Her name is Kendy Sarai Lara.  Kendy came into the eye clinic during the September medical trip and we were unable to get a reading on her eyes. She was young and had her son with her, and we hated to send her away without helping her. In fact she was the only one that we either couldn’t get a reading on or find the right glasses in the God box. It seemed there were some strange spots and something unusual going on with her eyes as we tried to get a reading. We didn’t want to send her away and do nothing. Pastor Saul agreed to take her to an eye doctor in Honduras for us and we prayed with her before she left.  It turns out that this young lady has cataracts and Pastor Saul has been taking her for follow up visits to see what the options are.

It’s awesome to see that through the contact of the medical team and the connection with Saul and his family, she was saved. We asked for physical healing and God healed her heart. Isn’t HE awesome!!!!!  Our short-term mission trip may be over but... GOD IS STILL MOVING!