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!

Through Honduran Eyes

I wonder sometimes what the Hondurans see, during our mission trips to Honduras. Do they see God’s love in our faces and in our actions? When we are unable to communicate clearly, does God communicate for us?

I think He does……

A View of our Clinic through Honduran eyes:

We arrived at the medical clinic provided by the North Americans, not sure of what to expect. My family and I desperately needed medical treatment and supplies. In church, we heard about God and how he loved us enough to send His Son to die for our sins. I felt a little twinge in my chest as Pastor Saul prayed, but I wasn’t sure about such a simple sounding salvation.

After church, a nice man took our picture. My kids laughed hysterically as this man, made goofy sounds while trying to make us smile. I didn’t understand what he said, but I saw love on his face.

Next, we were asked about our needs by some nurses. The looks on their faces and concern in their eyes said that they truly cared about our problems. The nurses sent us to the doctors, where they took care of us with gentle hands and loving smiles. They held my children and kissed their faces as they whispered words I could not understand.

At the eye clinic, I was intimidated by the eye machine that looked a little scary. Suddenly, three women had their hands on me and were praying. I didn’t understand their words, but I felt a peace in my heart. After they put the machine to my eyes, they brought me a pair of glasses and a Bible to read. As I opened the Bible and began to read, my heart stood still. “If you say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved….” I had tears in my eyes as I told them the glasses were good and I heard them say “Gloria a Dios”. They were praising God for my sight!

The last stop for us was the dentist. My son was really afraid, but knew that it was the only way to end his pain. A nice lady and man patted his arm as the dentist prepared him to have a tooth pulled. They all looked at my son with love in their eyes. In just a few moments, the tooth was out, my son was smiling and we were on our way.

As we started to leave, some men brought us a bag full of food and supplies. I couldn’t wait to get home and read the Bible they gave us. Then, just as I thought we were free to go, the preacher asked if he could pray with us. He prayed a prayer in Spanish about blessings for my family and finally I understood.

These people were sent here by God. They didn’t just come to give us medical treatment and supplies; they came to show us God. As the preacher finished his prayer, I asked God to come into my life and I was saved! I went home with joy in my heart.

*****************************************************************
You may not speak my language…..but I understand your actions.
You listened to my problems…..God listened to my thoughts.
You took away my pain….I felt God’s comfort.
You gave me sight….I saw God.
You gave me hearing…I heard God speak.
You healed my wounds….God healed my heart.
You gave me food….God nourished my soul.
You carried my body…God carried my spirit.
You prayed unknown words….I asked Jesus into my heart.
You truly were the hands, feet and heart of Jesus to me.

Master Communicator

The best part of the MVP Medical Mission trips to Honduras is watching God move through the lives of the Hondurans, as well as the team members. It’s amazing to see around 30 people from various places, backgrounds, careers and personalities become unified to allow God to work through them. It is equally uplifting to see the Hondurans, who come for medical and dental services, be blessed by God as He touches their lives through the love of the team. There are times, when even though we can’t speak their language, God allows us to communicate clearly. Those experiences are breathtaking.

During the September medical trip, I had a moment when God was my only source of communication with a woman in need. Brayan, my interpreter, had stepped away to help someone else when a woman came in for glasses. I knew enough Spanish to carry on light conversation and explain what I was doing as I tested eyes. Anything beyond the basic answers though, and I was generally lost. This woman had sadness in her eyes as she sat in the chair to be tested. I asked her how she was and immediately became overwhelmed with her response.

Spanish is spoken pretty fast, but I have never heard anyone speak as fast as this woman. She started rattling off everything that was wrong with her and everything that had happened in her life from birth up to the present….and she didn’t take a breath! I kept eye contact and a concerning smile on my face as I nodded and struggled to catch a word here and there, enough to understand parts of her story. The parts I got were that she had seizures frequently, death in her family, body aches and ‘brain pain’ (headache). She showed me scars on her head from some of her seizures and I held her crippled hands as she explained her arthritis pain.

Finally, as the woman told me about her struggle with depression, I felt helpless to console her with any words she could understand. I simply said I wanted to pray for her. The other ladies and I held her as we cried out to God on her behalf. I knew that even if I didn’t understand all of her words, God knew exactly the source of her pain and He heard the pleading of her heart. As we finished praying, she hugged us with tears in her eyes and said ‘Gracias’ and ‘Gloria a Dios’. I don’t know what this woman will face in her future, but I’m certain that she felt the hand of God that day…I know I did.

That is just one story of many, where we saw and felt God’s presence take control, when we were helpless in our own abilities. God does some amazing things in the lives of people around us everyday, whether at home, in Honduras or another country. We just have to open our eyes and see who He is bringing in our path and let Him communicate for us, when we have no idea what to say. Isn’t God Awesome?!!

What are you waiting for?

Today was our day out. The majority of the team got to enjoy childrens day at Faith Home by watching a program by the school children, as well as have a pizza party with the Faith Home children, house parents and missionaries.  It was an amazing day for all.  

A few of us joined Saul and Larry Warren as they traveled around to check on past hearing aid patients.  Larry adjusted their devices as needed and re-supplied them with batteries.  He also fit a new patient at one of our stops in Santa Rita. The look on her face is unforgettable!  She arrived as a timid, scared looking girl who dropped her eyes as if ashamed. As she began to hear sounds, perhaps for the first time, she raised her head to attention and grinned from ear to ear, almost engulfing her face.  She looked at Larry expectantly and almost begging for another sound, then another until suddenly she was looking at her mom with a glimmer of tears in both their eyes.  The lonely secluded world of silence would be hers no more.  The girl could hear!  Glory to God!

Just as in eyeglasses this week, I saw that the restoration of someones senses, puts an amazement in their mind and awe in their hearts.  No matter what tools we are using to facilitate the gift or what person is standing before them.....it is a gift from God.  It is a miracle!

One of the stops today was to check on our special little girl Sadia, in El Banano.  We traveled down the bumpy grown up path through the tall grass to the structure that Sadia and her family were staying in. We got out of the vehicle spraying for bugs and gathering up the groceries we had brought for the family. Sadia's face lit up as she saw us and we hugged and greeted her and her family.  

Larry went to work on her hearing aid and I began to look around. I had been here only a few short months ago and not much had changed except more tall grass and bugs. However, as I looked at the structure they call home, it was as if I was seeing it for the first time. A block building with no windows or doors.  Only two rooms.  One had doorways covered with raggedy sheets and I assumed that was where they slept.  I wondered about the bugs that were tearing their way through our deep woods bug spray.  How could they sleep with the life sucking prey all over them?  

Then I looked at the other room. Through the open doorway I saw......NOTHING.  no furniture, no food or supplies.    I walked around and looked further.  No pipes or source of running water.  No bathroom.  No shower.  I looked in horror at their lice infested heads and scabies covered bodies and the reality set in.  I turned and broke into tears. 

I cried out to God.  I know there are millions of people in the world living in the same and even worse conditions.  And I know that I can't help them all. But this is Sadia!  We know her. We love her.  We watched God give her the ability to hear. I refuse to turn away and pretend this isn't real.  I refuse to remain unchanged from this reality.  I refuse not to move when God breaks my heart for what breaks His! 

When we returned to Faith Home we gathered some lice shampoo, scabies treatment and other items to be delivered to Sadia.  I  trust that God is not finished with our connection to this special little girl and I know this is not the end of her story.  

Everything done and seen this week, we were empowered to do from God, to give Him the glory. Pointing people to him didn't end with the clinic and it didn't end with today.  It never ends until ALL PEOPLE have heard about our Savior Jesus Christ.  It doesn't end until we complete the task set before us and tell of His love.....to the ends of the earth.  We MUST be His hands, feet and heart. 

We all have a story to tell.  Does your story lead the hearts around you to Christ?  You may not feel called to go on a mission trip or live in a foreign land, but you are called to tell the ones around you who God is and what He has done. You are called to do what you know to do with the needs placed before you.  What are you waiting for?

Move in me

Today was the last day of clinic. It seems like this week has flown by, but yet there were so many unforgettable moments, I wonder how it all happened in just four days.

I have been learning the song ‘Muevete en Mi’ (Move in Me) in Spanish this week. It is an awesome prayer song that I first heard in Choleteca Honduras in 2002 and several times since then. As the Hondurans sing this song, I always just close my eyes and listen. While we worked in eyeglasses this week, Brayan taught me how to sing it. This morning, after we sang ‘Holy Ground’ in English, the Hondurans sang ‘Muevete en Mi” and I was able to sing along with them. Overwhelming!

Later in the day, a woman came into the eyeglass clinic with an odd prescription. The only pair of glasses that would work for her had a messed up earpiece. After a frustrating 30 minutes of searching for replacement arms and changing them out, I finally gave the completed glasses to the patiently awaiting woman. She was so happy and just kept thanking us. We had heard this woman singing a little earlier, so I asked if she would sing for us, not expecting what song she would choose. I was in awe when she started singing ‘Muevete en Mi’ with the most beautiful voice. It was as if she knew what my soul needed at that moment. It sounded like an angel singing. I was in tears as I listened. Instantly my soul, as well as my tired body was refreshed.

The Spirit of God is in this place
the Spirit of God is moving in this place
…is here to comfort
…is here to liberate
…is here to guide
the Spirit of God is here

Move in me Move in me
touch my mind, my heart
fill my life with your love
Move in me, God's spirit
Move in me