I have an answer...

 

I am sorry to keep you all waiting to see what my answer is regarding going back to Honduras in 2026. I have prayed a lot, and have looked internally at why I want to go, what I can do and is it what God wants, not me. After much thought, and talking it out with the hubs, I SAID YES, I AM GOING!

It helps so much that I have so much support from my hubs. So you ask, what helped me decide? Well, glad you asked. It was like God was talking right to me. Everything from the songs I heard on the radio to my daily devotions, seemed to point me in the direction to serving others. But it was like my personal prayers were getting answered, right there in front of me. I was kinda shocked, but not sure why. Because God will speak to you in ways only you understand, ways he can get through to you.

One devotion was about being fully committed. Not halfway committed, not when it is convenient for you or when you feel like it. Full commitment is a direction. "It means you have set your heart fully toward God and you're pursuing Him with all you have."

Then I got the email, the email with the application. Just before this, I was leaning toward not going. I was talking myself out of it. A lot of things came to mind....time (I am getting ready to move to a new house and my parents are moving in with us), money (it will take all my mission money I have saved, I was thinking I could do 2 send relief tours with it), and then there is traveling internationally. But that application, reading it, put a spark in my heart. A spark that couldn't be ignored. So I mustered up the courage to talk to the hubs, and with his support and blessing, I sent it in.

What will I be doing? I signed up to be a nurse! haha, yes I am a nurse, but it has been a few years since I have worked with the medical clinics. The last time was in 2023, and I kinda of miss it. So I am going back. And I am so excited to see what work we will be doing. Our trip is in July 2026. It will be for one week in LaCampa Honduras.

God can use anyone, no matter what our past is like. God is using me to do something great in my life and he can do the same for you. Now it is time for me to brush up on my Spanish. I have 7 months!

1 Kings 8:61; "And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

Blessings to you all, 

Should I stay or should I go?

 That is the question I am asking myself....should I stay or should I go? You see, now is the time for me to decide if I am going back to Honduras this July. I am torn. I want to go, but I want to start something new with missions in the states, close to home.

You see, our team does some great things in Honduras. I want to do those great things here in the US too. 

I just don't know what to do! I have so many great memories of God leading me in Honduras through so many different ministries. I have helped with the medical team, the children's ministry and prayed over people on our prayer walks. It is so rewarding to see and feel God working through me. To have people I have met one year, then go back and see them again, in church, happy and trusting in God. All because our team listened to that voice of God and went when he said GO.

I hear ya God. I want to make sure I am going for the right reasons, to be the light of Jesus, to be the hands and feet of God. I don't want to go just because I love going, I love the people there, and want to see them again, like a family reunion. I need to go because God has more plans for me to be part of the team.

You see my dilemma? My brain is crazy! But you know what I am going to do? I am going to pray. Pray that God will lead me and guide me in my decision. I know he has plans for me, no matter where I am.

Jeremiah 29:11; ""For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"

Blessing to all, 

Mission at home

(faces blocked for safety)

Today I had the honor to join and volunteer with the Women on Mission group! These ladies represent 2 Baptist churches in our area and work hard with gifts God has given them, to be able to sew!

Me and the amazing 5 ladies of this group packed 354 pkgs of washable, reusable sanitary pads and underwear along with 31 pillow case dresses. Each package had 4 pads and 3 underwear for the Samaritan purse shoeboxes. All of these (except the underwear, of course) were hand sewn by these ladies!

I am thrilled to be invited to be a part of their group today and be a blessing on the kids that will receive these gifts in their shoeboxes. Total completed by these ladies are 6,262 reusable pads for Africa &  Honduras mission teams, Samaritan's Purse and Operation Christmas Child.  Not everyone is able or can go on mission trips, but these ladies lead by example to show us, and me, that you do not have to go somewhere. Your mission is your gift God gave you and how you use it, will be your mission. 

What a blessing today was for me! And the fellowship with these ladies is something that I am glad I didn't miss out on. The small things you do, will be a blessing for others, whether directly or indirectly.

Acts 1:8; "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 13:47; "For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”

Romans 10: 13-14; for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? "

Blessings to you all, 

 

We all have been given a mission

 

I just love when I find the little, subtle things in the Bible that only God can do. Like the verse John 3:16 and 1 John 3:16.  See if you can see what I see.

John 3:16; "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life"

1 John 3:16; "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters"

Do you see it? First is that they are both chapter 3, vs 16. Second it refers to: Jesus came and laid his life down for us. I love when I am reading and I am shown these little things that only God can do. But not everyone knows this, that Jesus came for us and laid down his life to give us life. We must be the ones to go out and tell the story. We are all on mission. We all have been given a mission for God. And through faith, we will complete our mission that God has given us.

Pray, and ask God where he can use you. But when you ask, be prepared for the answer. Because God can and will use you. And it is scary once God answers you. I asked God 12 yrs ago where he can use me and guess what? He sent me out to Honduras working at medical clinics. I had no idea what to do , but I just let God lead me and it worked. He gave us the tools (we had nothing to start out with and I needed to find out what type of supplies and medications we needed), people (I was the only nurse but he used the local nurses and doctors for us to work alongside to give care), knowledge (I am an ICU nurse, with monitors and equipment, clinics do not have those, so I had to rely on basic skills) and guidance to help others through those clinics (God worked through everyone from nurses to our pharmacy to our runners). And we were able to lead people to Christ through the clinics. 

Don't be afraid to try something new. I know I had the fear deep in my gut, shaking fear, of working in the clinics. But I did it.  You can do it too. Ask where you can be used, listen and GO. God will use you to Go, support others that can go or to help with the much needed supplies for the mission. Do what you can, God will make it work for his good.

Blessings to all,

Craft time!

It's fall and that means Craft fairs! I use craft fairs to help me fundraise for my mission trips. I do not do many and I am hoping to be able to participate in 2 this year. I love doing crafts and this gives me an avenue to show off and sell my "goods". 

I make bracelets and essential oil roller balls. (see pictures above). But this year, I learned a new craft, dog necklaces. I have a bougie dog and thought that I can't be the only one. So I made some beaded and paracord doggie necklaces. Hopefully, everyone will like them!

And I can't forget PICKLES! I always have pickles since that is my biggest fundraiser I do. I do not have many jars left from my pickle making season, but what I have left, they will be there for sale! They are always a favorite.

Whatever you are called for, just know you can do it! I save money throughout the year but also raise funds to help. Use your gifts you have to help you raise funds for your mission. Don't be afraid to do something. Even though I am not a "professional" crafter, I get out there. This opens the door and gives me the opportunity to talk about what I do, what my team is doing and to tell the stories of the people that we help and touch. 

So get out there! Dig deep for that courage to go and do!

1 Peter 4:10: "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's varied grace".

Romans 12:6: "We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us".

Blessings to all,

Why missions?

This time of year is when we as a church, look at missions and help to encourage support for our missionaries. This may be supporting those who have answered the call to go abroad and live in another country to teach and spread the Good News of Jesus. It may be missionaries, like myself, who take those short term trips to work alongside those missionaries in other countries or stateside. Or it may be those that do missions right here, in their own community, state or neighborhood. Wherever you are, when you speak truth to someone about Jesus and the gift he has given us, you are a missionary. 

I have done both abroad and at home. No matter where you are, it is scary to talk to people about your beliefs and what Jesus has to give them. You don't know how they will react to what you say or what they will say to you. But you have to have the courage to do it and it only comes from God.  I have talked before about why I feel drawn to go on mission. I am asked why do I go abroad and not stay in my own country, state and speak of the good news. Look at the picture above. This is one of the homes on our prayer walk in Honduras. I went out into the remote parts of Honduras, the countryside, to meet and talk with them about the gospel. I have been in some small communities in Honduras that have never heard of Jesus or the gospel. Some people stay in the states while others feel compelled to go abroad. Some cannot afford to take the short-term mission trips abroad, but are able to go within the states to mission. Every interaction is a mission with people and is an opportunity to tell the good news. But today at church, we were given numbers of people in countries and how many believers. I was shocked. This is why those that feel the pull of God to go and answer the call to be sent, THEY GO. Let me break it down for you. 

• United States 341,419,000 people; 90,419,667 believers  
• China 1,407,652,000 people; 106,418,491 believers
• South Korea 51,663,000 people; 8,452,066 believers
• France 64,704,000 people; 795,859 believers
• Somalia 18,643,000 people; 156,601 believers
• Lebanon 5,176,000 people; 36,749 believers
• Tajikistan 10,281,000 people, 7,196 believers
• Oromo people, Somalia 104,000 people; 312 believers
• Wolof people, Senegal 246,000 people, 246 believers
• Bedovin people, Lebanon 52,000 people; 52 believers
• Malay people, Madagascar 37,000 people, 37 believers
• Bunu people China 428,000 people; no know believers.
• Uzbek people, Kazakhstan 558,000 people, no know believers
• Arora people, India 4,532,000 people, no know believers

NO KNOWN BELIEVERS!!! Is it because they have heard and do not believe OR could it be because THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD THE GOSPEL? This is why missions is so important. To GO, teach and spread the news of Jesus. If you know Jesus, then we are his disciples and we need to be the first, second, 10th person to speak to that one person and let them know the gospel.

The bible says to be strong and courageous. This is for everything we do. Life is scary and when God calls you, it is even more scarier because when HE calls, it is something that will take you out of your comfort zone into the unknown. Believe me, God has taken me out of my comfort zone many times! When you feel called, be strong and courageous, trust and have faith, then GO!

Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go". 

Matthew 28:19-20 ESV "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

1 Peter 2:21 ESV "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps."

NOW, GO BE THE CHURCH 

Blessings to all,

I'm back from my mission trip!

 

I am back! If you ever have gone on a mission trip, you know the excitement of preparing to go and the anticipation of the day you will arrive. But there is also the excitement of when you return, just wanting to tell everyone of your experience. Going on mission is about leading others to Christ and being that person, the door, the one that introduces others to Jesus. It may be their first introduction, and it is just as important as any other interaction. You may not say a lot, but trust me, they are watching you. Watching to see how you act, speak, work. 

Our mission was Friday and Saturday, all day, but I planned my trip so I would get there early on Thursday and leave late on Sunday. This way I could experience the community that I was going to serve. Just to recap, I went to Columbia, SC to serve the River District area. My project was at the Northside Middle school and we were tasked with the teachers workroom and the care closet. It was a job. And with any mission trip, you have TO BE FLEXIBLE! So, we found out Friday morning, that we were going to also work on the playground too. Lots of jobs for our small group, but we took the challenge and did any amazing job!

We re-worked the teachers room, with a new table, took down the boards on the wall and painted and hung pictures, and cleaned out the kitchen area, organized it and even was able to give them some new appliances. We couldn't get to all the playground because it rained! But we were able to get the gaga pit built, new soccer goals made and hung the basket ball nets. 

We did such an amazing job, that we got 80% of it completed Friday. Only God was working with us to get this done, because you know God has a plan. Again, we had to be flexible, because one of the teams needed help getting their project completed and since we were almost done, we volunteered to go with them Saturday to get it done. That job was HUGE and was at the Transitions shelter for the unhoused. We did a lot of painting!! A LOT. But we wanted to make this area a nice, beautiful area for the residents. It was great to talk with some of the residents there and even a few helped with painting and giving us pointers.

I am so glad that I had this opportunity to go and serve with so many other people from around the states. Over all we had about 1,000 volunteers, that were represented by 14 states, 80 churches for 49 projects. I am not sure when my next trip will be, but I can tell you, there will be another one, and another one...... Check out the pictures below. If you are interested in missions, this is a great way to get started. Go to the Send Relief link on my page. 

The care closet before and after

     

The teachers workroom:

   

                                                                    

Shelter painting: 

      

Romans 10:13-15 NIV; for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Blessings to all,