Love your neighbor part 2

 part 2; 

women's ministry is always fun. 

I love spending time with the ladies from where we are visiting and getting to know them, their families and their community. Monqueto is not new to us. We have been there before with the children's ministries and medical clinics. This is a first for women's ministries. The church is very welcoming. Their church came out and we had the worship team get us started with worship music. We had our story from the bible for the ladies then we always have a craft for them.  Our craft was making note cards with bible verses on it. We prepared our favorite bible verse and on one side was english and the other translated in spanish. I am sure they were having as much trouble as I was. We shared these with the ladies for them to write it in their notebook for them to keep and reflect on them. We all had fun mingling and learning how to write each others language and trying to read it. Some of the kids from earlier kids ministry wanted to come back and have more fun. I miss them this year (2020). I wish we could have gone back, but the dang coronavirus.  This will just make it even more better reunion for 2021!

Bendiciones,

peek a boo

getting started with with worship songs

Love your Neighbor part 1

 "Jesus replied Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. and the second is like it, Love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-39

3/27/19

We had children's and women's ministry in Monqueto on this day. I had so much fun. I always do with these ministries. I get to spend time with them, let my hair down and enjoy the company. 

The kids had fun with all the games we played and the crafts we did. We had some kids that remembered us from last year (2018). It is always great for us to be remembered by the work we do and the impression of love we leave with them. There were kids from all ages but all participated and gave us love in return. Even our guys on our team got into the games. 

Coloring is always a favorite when we go. It seems the simplists of activities are the best activities. Kids in the states seem to need more flash and it needs to be electronic. But there, we can sit and color and connect on a different level. Seems like I have rediscovered my love for coloring. 

Bendiciones,

Lined up for our relay race game

Craft time

Big guys want to play too!

Vicktor, we saw his face and remembered him from last year. He remembered us too!

View from the church door

Clinic 2- Otuloca

 

Well, today is day 2. We worked for 7 hrs and saw 163 people!

We saw a lot of pregnant women today. Lots of babies to come in the next few months.  We also saw lots of babies too. Just seeing the babies laugh and smile, makes it worth all the work!

 

Still with a heavy heart this day. I was able to talk with J and she prayed over me. It helped me through the day and to focus on what our mission is, to do the work of God.

 

Looking forward to children’s ministry tomorrow.

 

Bendiciones,

Matartas clinic #1

We saw 180 people this day, and 13 people accepted Christ!

Today was crazy, so many kids! But there was a dermatologist with us and she was able to treat a lot of skin conditions there. Lots of people needing help and medication that they cannot get without help. Seeing people with respiratory infections, ear infections, then more serious conditions like CHF and heart disease or diabetes and HTN.

My verse for today is “may the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” Psalm 19:14. When I read this before we left, little did I know God was working on my heart. I was having trouble trying to figure out my place with the clinics, where I should lead and when I should follow. I am trying not to get discouraged and lead the team in the clinics but couldn’t shake the feeling that I was overstepping and should be following the leadership of G&J and our team leader.

When you commit to something like this, you have to trust that God has this and that he will lead you. In my mind I kept thinking, “but I want to have fun, and all of this feels like work.” Well you know where that negativity comes from? Satan. He wants to turn your heart away from what your work is and bring in negative thoughts so that your mission will fail.

I say, NOT TODAY SATAN!!

It is stressful, and it does feel like work. Want to know why? BECAUSE IT IS! But it is what we were called to do. So many depend on us. I just remember the kids and their smiles and laughter when we played with them to keep them busy while waiting. And I remember their cries when we tried to get their temperature and they were scared. The comfort and reassurance we gave with the help and healing.

Keep your eyes fixed on God and you will not fail.

 

Bendiciones,

 

Prep for clinic

3/24/19; Day 2

I was given a journal by my prayer partner, that is in KY while I am in Honduras. She wrote bible verses at the top of each page for each day. The verse for this day was “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10

God knows how to guide our hearts and he knows the future and how we need to connect his word with our work. The Church that we attend in LaCampa is called Torre Forte, which means strong tower. I was able to set my heart toward the Lord to start my day, because I knew it was going to be a busy afternoon.  And it was……

After church we had to sort, count and bag all of the medications. The vitamins were the most to bag. They were still in the boxes, and there were A LOT of meds. And we had a deadline, because our first clinic was the next day! It took us 6 hrs to pack them all! We had to whole table full of meds and there were meds and trunks scattered all around the driveway. It looked like chaos, but to Jen and I it was organized! We had it under control, or at least let everyone think we did.

I am excited because we have a local doctor going with us. She is a dermatologist. She was a big help with the skin issues that we see with the people there. Tomorrow is day one clinic. Only God knows what tomorrow holds.

 

Bendiciones,

 

Day 1, 2019

 "The King will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 26:40

I love seeing this sign every time I go. It means that we have made it to our home for the next 2 weeks. It is a welcoming site and gives me a smile.

It surely has been a testing start. First, one of the team members got checked in late by TSA, so 3 of our team missed the plane and had to catch the next one out. We all were so worried that they would miss the connecting flight, but they made it just in time to meet up with the rest of the team for our flight. 

Then, after we landed and was loading up, we had some items and money stolen. This was devastating because we got so comfortable being there in this beautiful country, that we forgot that there is sin everywhere. So, we got to meet the police for a while we filled out reports. I pray that whatever we had in that bag benefited that person and that as they went through it, they were witnessed about God. 

You see, the devil tries to bring us down. Everyday, he does. Through our thoughts, other people's actions against us, and through our actions. We all are sinners and we are human. But I am thankful that I am forgiven.

After all of that, we are all together again as a team, except for one. One of our interpreters that comes with us every year, could not be with us this year. I sure do miss having her with us!! We did get to see her, though. She was at the airport when we landed and we all got our hugs!

Lots of changes this year with our team. New interpreters, which have become part of our team family, and we have high school students with us this year. This is going to be a fun, new and exciting trip!

Bendiciones,

2019

 So, we have made it to the 2019 trip. It was a rough start. I wasn't sure if I was going to raise enough money for my plane ticket to go, let alone, the rest of the money for the other expenses and supplies.

I had my pickle fundraiser. That is something I do every year. I enjoy making the pickles, and they taste good too! Then I moved to the craft fairs. I enjoy doing those too. I don't make a lot of money doing them, but it is fun to get out and meet people and tell them what I am doing it for. I also like to make the crafts that I sell. It takes me out of my head of the everyday stresses and to focus on something else. 

It is hard to rely on others to help you. And it is even harder to ask someone for their support in the way of money. I know, we may joke about it and say "she always has her hand out or she always has her hand in my pocket" (the hubs says this a lot!) but it is hard to depend on others, strangers, friends to donate to your cause. Especially when you can do it yourself. What I mean by that is to go on mission for God, he wants you to trust him. Trust him in everything and that means in the money dept too. So when I do the craft fairs or sell my "mission pickles", this opens the door for me to tell others what me and the team is doing in Honduras and our mission. 

God did provide for me! He provided money for my plane ticket, supplies and expenses. 

God is good all the time! and He will provide.

Bendiciones,

San Juan School

 March 23-24, 2018

Today was a day at the school in San Juan. It was a busy day, and a lot of kids. They had such fun, and I think we had even more fun than the kids. We had an activity and after our lesson we went outside to play with the bubbles and yarn. Do you remember all those yarn hand games we use to play as girls in school? Well, we were trying to teach them those. It was funny, because I was trying to remember them all. And I kept messing up! I think they caught on faster than I did in remembering. They kept saying for us to do more. It's the simple things in life that I was reminded of this day. When it came time for us to leave, all the kids were like,"when are you coming back?" I think they wanted more yarn! I already miss them and can't wait to see them next year!

Pastor Franklin had our whole team out to his house for lunch. He also invited the leaders of the Baptist Association in Honduras ( he is part of this group in Honduras for church planting).  He had talked about the team from Ky so much and about the support we are giving him, that they wanted to meet us. His wife and I had a good talk, and she told me their story of how they got to Tela from Yoro. About how they started the church in Tela and what they had to do. His whole family worked hard to get where they are today and they are still growing. God is working through them in that community. 

That night, we celebrated Erin's Birthday. It was also another team members birthday, so we got both a cake after dinner. Erin was embarrassed, but I couldn't let her birthday go without the birthday song! I gave Ty a call to wish him a happy birthday since he was back home. 

The next day,  I was able to sit and enjoy some free time, I think about all the things that I have been blessed with and what I have been blessed to experience this trip. I think: we are fortunate to be born in the US: to much is given, much is asked. I think we forget this and take for granted all that we have been given.  We helped physically and witnessed to 1063 people through our medical clinics.  

Some pray, others go and some support financially. But we all are family and build for the Lord.  And those who couldn't come or are not able to come with us, find a way to help- through clothes, bags, supplies. 

Bendiciones,