Christmas Eve, all of the student missionaries had the privilege of taking bags of clothes to poor families just a few minutes down the road from the Hogar de Ninos. That was a very rewarding part of my day, because those kids really needed clothes… they got what they needed. Not what they wanted. They didn’t have piles of toys underneath a Christmas tree, they didn’t have boxes and boxes wrapped waiting for them to rip open… they just got the necessities. That in itself, had an effect on me for the rest of the day.
When we got back to the Hogar we started getting ready for devotional, however right before devotional started, the power went off. You might think that would be a bad thing, but it was so beautiful. We had the devotional with candles all around the room, and then we had a special dinner with candles on each table. It was so nice, and simple. The power came on half way through our meal, but everyone wanted to keep the lights off because it was so beautiful with all of the candles. After the meal, we went to the new park in Santa Barbara where we spent about an hour or so walking around, enjoying the Christmas lights, and goofing around with the kids.
When we got back, Marie Josie & Txus (the sisters who run the orphanage) had all of the kids waiting in the cafeteria for all of us to bring the Christmas presents in… Hannah’s church sponsored new outfits for all of the children here, but the kids didn’t know anything about it. Last Christmas, they didn’t get presents at all… so when we got back from the park, all of us Student Missionarys went to gather all of the presents to bring in with a bang. We all made paper antlers and wore them while bringing all of the presents loaded in a wheel-barrel! As soon as the kids saw the presents they leaped for joy, and screamed so loud! It was so awesome to see them so excited. My heart was filled with so much happiness for the kids… I love them all so much, and I’m getting really attached to life here, and being around my Honduran family everyday.
Christmas Day, was really different than Christmas Eve. I woke up to Elias, the youngest boy here, knocking on my door at 7:30 a.m. asking where Hannah was… and then I went back to sleep for another hour or so because I had stayed up until 3 a.m. the night before. Not a good idea. Ha. This morning we had devotional, breakfast, and then about an hour for chores. After that I decided to go and hang out with the kids… I ended up kicking a soccer ball around with one of the girls for about 2 hours, and it was so much fun. Didn’t feel like Christmas at all, but it was so simple, and fun. I was doing really well with not being homesick until I talked to my mom on the phone, and she started crying and told me how much she missed me. Tonight was really hard because things started to settle down around here… the hype and the noise came to a calm, and I decided to go out to the front porch for some alone/quiet time with God. I sat down, looked out past the soccer field, and saw one of the girls sitting out all by herself doing the exact thing that I was doing. I looked back at the sky and started talking to God about Christmas, how it feels different, and how I miss the familiar things… I hadn’t been sitting there very long before one of the older boys, Dario, came and sat down next to me. He’s one of the sweetest boys here. When he sat down, I asked him how he was doing… he answered by shrugging his shoulders. It was clear that he was sad, but I didn’t know why, and I didn’t want to ask. We just sat there, saying nothing, both looking at the sky. I wondered if he was feeling the same sort of emotions I was about being away from family… A few minutes later, the devotional bell rang, and we went back to our own little worlds. Later, when it was time for dinner, I jumped in the back of the line, and Dario let me go ahead of him, and when I sat down to eat, I looked up, and saw that he was letting every single person in the cafeteria go before him. It warmed my heart to see that… and if that’s not enough, half way through my meal I had to excuse myself to cry some homesickness tears, and when I came back, all of the dessert was gone. We don’t normally get dessert here, so it’s quite a treat when we do. Dario was sitting across from me at the table and noticed I didn’t have dessert, and he gave me the rest of his dessert! These kids are filled with love, dying to give that love away… and my heart was touched so much tonight and it makes me want to cry because I found out that the reason Dario was so sad was because he tried to see his mom the past few days, and each time, she wasn’t home… These kids are hurting, and they were missing family just like I was. Even though we didn’t say much of anything to each other on the porch, I felt like so much bonding went on in that silence.
I cannot wait to get to heaven when all sadness will be gone from our hearts. We weren’t created to be away from people we love. It’s just not supposed to be that way, and I can’t wait to be able to live with these kids ALL the time, and still have my family and friends around me as well. Heaven is going to be so amazing…
I love you all, and I miss you all, but I know I’m where I’m supposed to be right now.
Much love,
-Me
Sunday, December 27, 2009
So this is Christmas, and what have you done...
This has been such a refreshing Christmas. Hannah's church family from the states sponsored Christmas presents for all of the children here at the Hogar, and it was so amazing to see their faces when opening their presents. I was so filled up just by watching their reactions, and from seeing the smiles on their faces. This has been a very different Christmas, however, very, VERY rewarding... I am getting sooo attached to these kids... it's going to be such a hard day when I have to leave...
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas.
Much love!
-Me
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas.
Much love!
-Me
My Vacation in Roatan!
Two wonderful weeks spent snorkeling, relaxing, and eating American food. :)
 |
 |
| Make a Smilebox slideshow |
Monday, December 21, 2009
The much needed update! :)
Hey guys, I’m sorry it has taken me so long to get this blog updated…
The 1st of this month, Hannah, Amanda, and I went to the Bay Islands for 12 wonderful days of relaxation, bliss, and time to recharge for the rest of our time here at the Hogar. It was a great vacation. I have always wanted to see clear water, and white sand in person… and I have fulfilled the dream now!
My prayer is that wherever I travel I will let God use me, no matter if I’m on a mission trip, vacation, or whatever it may be. Well, I continued praying that same prayer in Roatan, and the first day we got to spend on the beach, we met a girl on the beach and played soccer with her and a few other people. It was really nice talking to her… but after we finished playing soccer, she said, “hey, will I see you all around tonight at the bars?” and we told her that we don’t drink, but that we might see her around on the beach again. She looked really surprised and said, “oh, are you guys Christians or something?” We said, “yes” and told her that we have been working at the Hogar de Ninos. She didn’t have much to say after that… We saw her the next day in passing… she waved and said hi, we said hi back, but we didn’t stop to really wait for an answer… the whole rest of the day I felt horrible for not stopping to talk to her. I prayed the next morning that God would give me another chance to talk to her, or to witness to her…at that time I heard a clear voice saying, “give her your Bible” and I was a little shocked, and I said, “What? Really, God? And His answer didn’t change… so I thought about how I would go about finding her, because it was Friday at this point in time, and she had said that she was leaving on Saturday. I didn’t know if I’d even be able to find her… but I told the older lady that we were staying with, and she said, “don’t give her your Bible, we can buy her a new one!” So we drove about 35 minutes to a Christian book store, and I bought her a Bible… drove back to the beach where we had planned on being all day. I knew that my chances would be better to find her if I walked around instead of just sitting on the beach… but I didn’t feel safe going anywhere by myself… so, I sat on the beach where we had first met her, and prayed. I prayed, and prayed and prayed, and when I finished praying, I turned to look behind me, and there she was! She was walking by on her cell phone. I ran over to her and said, “hey, this is going to sound really strange, but I have something for you!”. She was really surprised, and I told her the whole story, and she said, “do you think I’m bad?” and I said, “no no, it’s not like that at all! I really don’t know why God asked me to give you a Bible… but, even if you already have a Bible, know that this one was purchased just for you.” After I explained a little bit more, she started to thank me… I don’t know if I will ever know why God had me give her a Bible, or if she was offended… I just know that I heard God’s voice telling me to give her a Bible… and listening to that voice was the most important thing to me. I guess some things we just have to wait for heaven to fully understand… but I believe that everything happens for a reason. I would really appreciate it if you all could keep her in your prayers. I don’t remember her name… but God knows.
The rest of the vacation consisted of relaxing on the beach, snorkeling, and cooking/baking, and eating lots and lots of American food. :)
When we arrived back to the Hogar, there was a group from Andrews University here. They have been coming every year for nine years now. Last week, while the group was here we had FLAG Camp. (Friends Learning About God) I ended up teaching the music class with another Student Missionary, and playing the keyboard for morning worship every morning. It was a really great week. Also, last Friday night we had the opportunity to be on one of the local tv stations here, and so, we (Hannah, Amanda, and I) put together a small choir from the Hogar, and we had a program on a live tv station! It was a really awesome experience. I was behind the scenes conducting for the choir… which was perfect for me, because I am way more comfortable behind that camera.
This last week has made me realize how much fun it is to teach, and also how tiring it is… and how teaching the same things five times a day for five different classes is exhausting… However, I realized that my last classes were always the most put together because I had so much practice teaching the material already! Ha. :) Camp started on Monday and ended on Thursday. Thursday night we had a presentation for family and friends at the church… the whole week I taught them different musical terms at the beginning of class, and the second half of class we taught the kids a new song. So, for the program I had asked the kids to share some of the key terms we learned throughout the week, and then they sang two Christmas carols. It went really well. I was proud of them! :) Then Friday was a field day which was really fun for all of the kids, and it was great for getting all of their energy out as well.
The group from Andrews stayed here for 10 days, and yesterday we went with them to a water park about 3 hours away… it was so much fun. It rained the whole day, but that didn’t stop us from swimming, going down the slides, and body surfing in the ocean. :) It was a lot of fun to have the group here, and to have an extra boost of energy here as well. We all had to say the sad goodbyes last night… it gave me a taste of what I’m going to have to go through when I leave these kids behind… the group was only here for 10 days, but all of the kids were so sad to see them go, and some took it harder than others and were crying tears that made me want to start crying with them. Sometimes I forget what I have here… I have a family away from home. I have a date to look forward to for my home in the States, but what I had been forgetting is how much these kids really do mean to me… and it took last night to realize how hard it is going to be to say goodbye to them in April. Sure, I miss home, and I miss my family, but I know that it is going to be such a sad day when I have to go home. I will be so happy to see my family and friends when I go home, but these kids have touched my heart, and they all have a place in my heart now… and I’m going to miss them so much when I leave… sometimes it’s hard to see past the hard days, past the bad attitudes, past the drama, but I know that God placed me here for a reason. And I have already done so much growth in my spiritual life, and I don’t even feel like the same person as I was when I first arrived here to the Hogar.
I’m not sure what my future holds… but all that is important to me anymore is leaving everything in God’s hands. I can’t thank you all enough for helping me get here, and for keeping me in your prayers. I am so blessed to be here, and to have you all as friends.
<3
The 1st of this month, Hannah, Amanda, and I went to the Bay Islands for 12 wonderful days of relaxation, bliss, and time to recharge for the rest of our time here at the Hogar. It was a great vacation. I have always wanted to see clear water, and white sand in person… and I have fulfilled the dream now!
My prayer is that wherever I travel I will let God use me, no matter if I’m on a mission trip, vacation, or whatever it may be. Well, I continued praying that same prayer in Roatan, and the first day we got to spend on the beach, we met a girl on the beach and played soccer with her and a few other people. It was really nice talking to her… but after we finished playing soccer, she said, “hey, will I see you all around tonight at the bars?” and we told her that we don’t drink, but that we might see her around on the beach again. She looked really surprised and said, “oh, are you guys Christians or something?” We said, “yes” and told her that we have been working at the Hogar de Ninos. She didn’t have much to say after that… We saw her the next day in passing… she waved and said hi, we said hi back, but we didn’t stop to really wait for an answer… the whole rest of the day I felt horrible for not stopping to talk to her. I prayed the next morning that God would give me another chance to talk to her, or to witness to her…at that time I heard a clear voice saying, “give her your Bible” and I was a little shocked, and I said, “What? Really, God? And His answer didn’t change… so I thought about how I would go about finding her, because it was Friday at this point in time, and she had said that she was leaving on Saturday. I didn’t know if I’d even be able to find her… but I told the older lady that we were staying with, and she said, “don’t give her your Bible, we can buy her a new one!” So we drove about 35 minutes to a Christian book store, and I bought her a Bible… drove back to the beach where we had planned on being all day. I knew that my chances would be better to find her if I walked around instead of just sitting on the beach… but I didn’t feel safe going anywhere by myself… so, I sat on the beach where we had first met her, and prayed. I prayed, and prayed and prayed, and when I finished praying, I turned to look behind me, and there she was! She was walking by on her cell phone. I ran over to her and said, “hey, this is going to sound really strange, but I have something for you!”. She was really surprised, and I told her the whole story, and she said, “do you think I’m bad?” and I said, “no no, it’s not like that at all! I really don’t know why God asked me to give you a Bible… but, even if you already have a Bible, know that this one was purchased just for you.” After I explained a little bit more, she started to thank me… I don’t know if I will ever know why God had me give her a Bible, or if she was offended… I just know that I heard God’s voice telling me to give her a Bible… and listening to that voice was the most important thing to me. I guess some things we just have to wait for heaven to fully understand… but I believe that everything happens for a reason. I would really appreciate it if you all could keep her in your prayers. I don’t remember her name… but God knows.
The rest of the vacation consisted of relaxing on the beach, snorkeling, and cooking/baking, and eating lots and lots of American food. :)
When we arrived back to the Hogar, there was a group from Andrews University here. They have been coming every year for nine years now. Last week, while the group was here we had FLAG Camp. (Friends Learning About God) I ended up teaching the music class with another Student Missionary, and playing the keyboard for morning worship every morning. It was a really great week. Also, last Friday night we had the opportunity to be on one of the local tv stations here, and so, we (Hannah, Amanda, and I) put together a small choir from the Hogar, and we had a program on a live tv station! It was a really awesome experience. I was behind the scenes conducting for the choir… which was perfect for me, because I am way more comfortable behind that camera.
This last week has made me realize how much fun it is to teach, and also how tiring it is… and how teaching the same things five times a day for five different classes is exhausting… However, I realized that my last classes were always the most put together because I had so much practice teaching the material already! Ha. :) Camp started on Monday and ended on Thursday. Thursday night we had a presentation for family and friends at the church… the whole week I taught them different musical terms at the beginning of class, and the second half of class we taught the kids a new song. So, for the program I had asked the kids to share some of the key terms we learned throughout the week, and then they sang two Christmas carols. It went really well. I was proud of them! :) Then Friday was a field day which was really fun for all of the kids, and it was great for getting all of their energy out as well.
The group from Andrews stayed here for 10 days, and yesterday we went with them to a water park about 3 hours away… it was so much fun. It rained the whole day, but that didn’t stop us from swimming, going down the slides, and body surfing in the ocean. :) It was a lot of fun to have the group here, and to have an extra boost of energy here as well. We all had to say the sad goodbyes last night… it gave me a taste of what I’m going to have to go through when I leave these kids behind… the group was only here for 10 days, but all of the kids were so sad to see them go, and some took it harder than others and were crying tears that made me want to start crying with them. Sometimes I forget what I have here… I have a family away from home. I have a date to look forward to for my home in the States, but what I had been forgetting is how much these kids really do mean to me… and it took last night to realize how hard it is going to be to say goodbye to them in April. Sure, I miss home, and I miss my family, but I know that it is going to be such a sad day when I have to go home. I will be so happy to see my family and friends when I go home, but these kids have touched my heart, and they all have a place in my heart now… and I’m going to miss them so much when I leave… sometimes it’s hard to see past the hard days, past the bad attitudes, past the drama, but I know that God placed me here for a reason. And I have already done so much growth in my spiritual life, and I don’t even feel like the same person as I was when I first arrived here to the Hogar.
I’m not sure what my future holds… but all that is important to me anymore is leaving everything in God’s hands. I can’t thank you all enough for helping me get here, and for keeping me in your prayers. I am so blessed to be here, and to have you all as friends.
<3
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Just a taste of Roatan...
Just a taste of Roatan... more pictures to come... for now, it's time for me to head off to bed. :)
Vacation to Roatan! :)
Hey guys, sorry that I didn't post anything before leaving for vacation for two weeks. Had a great time in the Bay Islands... and I will try to write a longer blog later telling you all about it.
Hope you are all doing well and enjoying the Christmas season. Enjoy the cold weather for me... I miss it!
Much love,
-Me
Hope you are all doing well and enjoying the Christmas season. Enjoy the cold weather for me... I miss it!
Much love,
-Me
Sunday, November 29, 2009
American food is yummy... :)
Thanksgiving dinner, Honduras style. Still American food though. :) I didn't think that it would work out for us to do Thanksgiving dinner, but thanks to some last minute planning it worked out great!
 |
|
| Make a Smilebox slideshow |
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thanksgiving...
So many times, it is so easy to take friends, family, things, and warm beds for granted. This year I am realizing how much I took for granted in years past, and just how little I really appreciated the people and things around me. This Thanksgiving is, and will be different. I wish that I could be with my friends and family, and enjoying conversation along with a good home-cooked meal, but this year God has different plans for me. I find myself complaining about little things here and there, but I have a bed, a shower, and food on my plate every day. I really have nothing to complain about. Sure some days the kids get on my nerves, and other days the staff make me frustrated...but there's a bigger picture involved here...it's not about the here and now, it's about the progress and the work, and the end results of the hard days...
I found out last Thursday, 11/19/09, that a fellow student missionary on the island of Yap was murdered. We're living in a sinful world, and we must love while we can, we must choose to appreciate while we can, and we must choose to live our lives to the fullest while we can. Even though I didn't know her personally, I took, and am taking, the news very hard...she was on the front lines of the battlefield. She was doing God's work, and the enemy wanted to stop her. Going out as a student missionary is not always a safe thing to do, but she died working for the Lord, and I am so proud of her.
I know that it's hard to see the reasons for why God allows some of these horrible things to happen, but I was thinking about it... and I came to the conclusion that even tho' we can't always see the reasons behind the horrible things... everything that happens is just part of the puzzle of life, and some pieces make more sense than other ones, but everything is coming together to form a finish in this world... and I believe that the end is near, and I know that God has reasons bigger than our understanding for every good and bad thing that happens...
I am thankful to be alive and working for the Lord. We must live everyday for the Lord, no matter where we are...time on this earth is short, and we never know which day will be our last. Please keep the Wolcott family in your prayers...they will be needing all the extra prayers they can get, especially around the Holidays...
Much love,
Laurel
I found out last Thursday, 11/19/09, that a fellow student missionary on the island of Yap was murdered. We're living in a sinful world, and we must love while we can, we must choose to appreciate while we can, and we must choose to live our lives to the fullest while we can. Even though I didn't know her personally, I took, and am taking, the news very hard...she was on the front lines of the battlefield. She was doing God's work, and the enemy wanted to stop her. Going out as a student missionary is not always a safe thing to do, but she died working for the Lord, and I am so proud of her.
I know that it's hard to see the reasons for why God allows some of these horrible things to happen, but I was thinking about it... and I came to the conclusion that even tho' we can't always see the reasons behind the horrible things... everything that happens is just part of the puzzle of life, and some pieces make more sense than other ones, but everything is coming together to form a finish in this world... and I believe that the end is near, and I know that God has reasons bigger than our understanding for every good and bad thing that happens...
I am thankful to be alive and working for the Lord. We must live everyday for the Lord, no matter where we are...time on this earth is short, and we never know which day will be our last. Please keep the Wolcott family in your prayers...they will be needing all the extra prayers they can get, especially around the Holidays...
Much love,
Laurel
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
These days...
I miss school. I miss studying. I miss practicing the piano. I even miss lectures! Being away from the things I took for granted made me miss and appreciate them all the more. When performing the piano at recitals I would always get so nervous, but now, I want to share my talents. I’m excited to be on that stage again to make music for the people around me. Music is such a huge part of my life… always has been, and always will be. My sister and I started singing together when we were 3 and 6. Angela started singing for church at the age of 2 years old! We recorded a tape when we were 5 and 8. At school my major is music (piano performance) and I would really like to spread my performing from just piano to singing with Angela again. We have dreams of making music together and taking it on the road. When I get back to school we want to start playing (me on the keyboard, her on the guitar) and singing at little coffee houses. We’ll just have to see how things go with school and what not, but I would just love to make music with her again. I strongly believe that that is one of the talents that God gave us to share with the people around us, and I know that I didn’t appreciate singing with her when I had the opportunity… now that I am away from her, I miss it, and I miss her.
Not only have I realized my appreciation for school, but my appreciation and love for traveling. I have been bitten by the traveling bug. I’ve only been in Honduras for a little over 2 months, and I’m already aching to travel to different places! Since I’ve been here at the Hogar, I have met 5 awesome people from Germany. My friends, Ingrid and Marie, said that I could visit them whenever I wanted. I told them that maybe in the summer I would be able to visit them, but didn’t really think that it would be a possibility. I started talking to my parents about it, asking if they would be ok with me going… well, they were surprisingly supportive about it. I ended up finding a really cheap ticket to Germany, and I was able to purchase it about one week ago! I will be gone for 3 weeks, May 17-June 9. Marie will pick me up at an airport in Germany and then we will be off to see France, Switzerland, and Scotland! It has been my dream since I was a little kid to go to Scotland and visit all the castles and search for the Loc Ness. Ha. My sister and I would always talk about going to Scotland together, and I’m sad that she won’t be able to make the trip with me this time, but definitely next time.
I want to travel every summer to a different country for 2 weeks or 3 weeks at a time. I don’t just want to travel for myself, but I want to try to make a difference wherever I go, even if it’s just by being a living example… My friend Marie is not a Christian, and she doesn’t really believe in God. I have had the opportunity to talk to her about my beliefs and why I believe in the things that I do. It’s tested my knowledge and faith a lot. I have been trying to read through the whole Bible while I’m here in Honduras… I’m not very far, but it’s helping me in my spiritual growth. I want to know for myself why I believe the things I do, so that I can be a true witness to her. When I go to Germany I will have the option to either blend in, or to stand up for what I believe and be a witness.
God has been opening so many doors for me lately, and I couldn’t be happier to step through them! Dreams that I’ve had since I was little are coming true, and my life is so much more interesting. Sometimes I forget how cool God is, and think that if I want to be a Christian, I have to become boring, but that is SO NOT TRUE! God is SO awesome! I’m so excited to be working for Him and letting Him lead my life. Sure, things are not always easy, but without the hard days, I wouldn’t appreciate the good ones.
The kids here are so precious. They all need a therapist, and just someone to talk to… someone to help them through their problems and pasts. It’s so hard for me, because I am really struggling with Spanish, and so I don’t really get to be there for the kids that need someone to listen to them… but today, one of the girls wrote a letter to Hannah, my roommate, about some of the horrible things that have happened to her, and she knew that Hannah would translate it to me… in the letter the girl said, “I trust you (Hannah) and Laurel both, and that’s why I’m telling you my story…” Her letter made me so mad, angry, and sick to my stomach. She’s one of the tougher girls… and I knew exactly why she had that wall up… she was sold by her grandmother for 500 limpiras (about $35) for sex when she was just 12 years old. By her grandmother… as Hannah was reading the letter, I started to cry, as did Hannah, and her story is just one… I know that most of the girls here have been raped as well… it makes me so sick. And what can I do… I’m only going to be here 5 more months. I barely speak any Spanish, and what happens when they leave the Hogar… I pray that these kids can have a second chance at life through the Hogar. They all have the opportunity to go to college after they finish high school, and I pray that they take that opportunity. I was thinking the other day about how the kids love me one day, and completely ignore me another day… and with them, it’s normal. I was thinking how frustrating it is… right when I think I have a good relationship forming, it’s like they just leave, they forget all the progress that we made, and just go off and do their own thing… the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I do the exact thing with God. One day I will feel so close to God and talk to Him throughout my day… but on other days, I’ll wake up, and just go about my day without really thinking about God all that much. I might be here for the kids, but I have been benefiting from spiritual growth through my time here as well. I came here knowing that I would grow, but it’s really crazy how much I already feel myself changing for the better… being away from home has really opened my eyes to a lot of things…
Please keep these kids in your prayers… they really need it. They all need so much attention and love…
I miss you all, but I’m where I need to be right now.
Much love.
-Me
Not only have I realized my appreciation for school, but my appreciation and love for traveling. I have been bitten by the traveling bug. I’ve only been in Honduras for a little over 2 months, and I’m already aching to travel to different places! Since I’ve been here at the Hogar, I have met 5 awesome people from Germany. My friends, Ingrid and Marie, said that I could visit them whenever I wanted. I told them that maybe in the summer I would be able to visit them, but didn’t really think that it would be a possibility. I started talking to my parents about it, asking if they would be ok with me going… well, they were surprisingly supportive about it. I ended up finding a really cheap ticket to Germany, and I was able to purchase it about one week ago! I will be gone for 3 weeks, May 17-June 9. Marie will pick me up at an airport in Germany and then we will be off to see France, Switzerland, and Scotland! It has been my dream since I was a little kid to go to Scotland and visit all the castles and search for the Loc Ness. Ha. My sister and I would always talk about going to Scotland together, and I’m sad that she won’t be able to make the trip with me this time, but definitely next time.
I want to travel every summer to a different country for 2 weeks or 3 weeks at a time. I don’t just want to travel for myself, but I want to try to make a difference wherever I go, even if it’s just by being a living example… My friend Marie is not a Christian, and she doesn’t really believe in God. I have had the opportunity to talk to her about my beliefs and why I believe in the things that I do. It’s tested my knowledge and faith a lot. I have been trying to read through the whole Bible while I’m here in Honduras… I’m not very far, but it’s helping me in my spiritual growth. I want to know for myself why I believe the things I do, so that I can be a true witness to her. When I go to Germany I will have the option to either blend in, or to stand up for what I believe and be a witness.
God has been opening so many doors for me lately, and I couldn’t be happier to step through them! Dreams that I’ve had since I was little are coming true, and my life is so much more interesting. Sometimes I forget how cool God is, and think that if I want to be a Christian, I have to become boring, but that is SO NOT TRUE! God is SO awesome! I’m so excited to be working for Him and letting Him lead my life. Sure, things are not always easy, but without the hard days, I wouldn’t appreciate the good ones.
The kids here are so precious. They all need a therapist, and just someone to talk to… someone to help them through their problems and pasts. It’s so hard for me, because I am really struggling with Spanish, and so I don’t really get to be there for the kids that need someone to listen to them… but today, one of the girls wrote a letter to Hannah, my roommate, about some of the horrible things that have happened to her, and she knew that Hannah would translate it to me… in the letter the girl said, “I trust you (Hannah) and Laurel both, and that’s why I’m telling you my story…” Her letter made me so mad, angry, and sick to my stomach. She’s one of the tougher girls… and I knew exactly why she had that wall up… she was sold by her grandmother for 500 limpiras (about $35) for sex when she was just 12 years old. By her grandmother… as Hannah was reading the letter, I started to cry, as did Hannah, and her story is just one… I know that most of the girls here have been raped as well… it makes me so sick. And what can I do… I’m only going to be here 5 more months. I barely speak any Spanish, and what happens when they leave the Hogar… I pray that these kids can have a second chance at life through the Hogar. They all have the opportunity to go to college after they finish high school, and I pray that they take that opportunity. I was thinking the other day about how the kids love me one day, and completely ignore me another day… and with them, it’s normal. I was thinking how frustrating it is… right when I think I have a good relationship forming, it’s like they just leave, they forget all the progress that we made, and just go off and do their own thing… the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I do the exact thing with God. One day I will feel so close to God and talk to Him throughout my day… but on other days, I’ll wake up, and just go about my day without really thinking about God all that much. I might be here for the kids, but I have been benefiting from spiritual growth through my time here as well. I came here knowing that I would grow, but it’s really crazy how much I already feel myself changing for the better… being away from home has really opened my eyes to a lot of things…
Please keep these kids in your prayers… they really need it. They all need so much attention and love…
I miss you all, but I’m where I need to be right now.
Much love.
-Me
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
More pictures!
Sorry I haven't been keeping up with my updates... I will do my best to change that soon! For now, here is another slide show that my mom made! :)
 |
|
| Make a Smilebox slideshow |
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Trip to the spring...
My mom has been kind enough to make slide shows for my blog, and this one is from a trip to the spring a few weeks ago! It was so nice and peaceful in the woods and hiking to the spring. Hope you all enjoy the photos!
 |
|
| Make a Smilebox slideshow |
Monday, October 19, 2009
Growing pains...
Last Friday Hannah and I were planning on teaching Sabbath School for church the next day, and we had planned to put our lesson together sometime on Friday night. We were sitting around Friday night after worship, and one of the older girls came up to Hannah and asked her if she could teach one of the other classes for the younger children, and she said, “yes”. I realized what that meant for me… I had to do Sabbath school by myself! I had a few things highlighted in my devotional books, and some Bible verses that I wanted to share, but no topic, or real structure of any kind.
When I woke up Sabbath morning, I had a really bad ear infection/ache. I have had trouble in the past with fluids in my ears, and so I was a little concerned to be having trouble again with that same problem. It hurt so much that I was on the verge of staying home from church… I prayed, and remembered that I had a class to teach. So, I got up, got dressed, and went out to the bus. My ear was still really hurting and bothering me, but when I sat down to teach class, I had no pain for the full hour of the lesson. And, I thought that I only had enough material for about 20 minutes, but God kept giving me new thoughts to bring to the table, and new verses as well. I know that it was God helping me through the class because in the States I barely even speak up in SS (Sabbath School) class, let alone teach!
After the class was over, I went into church, and immediately my ear started hurting again! It was hurting so much that I had to go to one of the back rooms to try to relax. I laid down on the kitchen floor for the entire church service, and the pain still hadn’t left me. When we arrived back at the Hogar, I took a short nap, and treated my ear with some oils. I woke up feeling much better.
We ended up taking a trip to a beautiful river in the afternoon and relaxing there for about 2-3 hours. It turned out to be a great day.
Sometimes it’s hard to see just how much God does in my life, but it’s days like Sabbath that make me comforted knowing that God is watching over me, and taking care of me… my lessons in that might hurt a little bit, but I know I am growing so much in faith, and in my relationship with Jesus Christ. I wanted to stay home from church, I really did, but I knew that I would always wonder if I should have gone, or regretted staying… but, even though my ear hurt the rest of the church service, it was worth it if I touched just one person in that SS class. All I know is that God spoke through me, and helped me do something I normally would never do.
I know that God will keep teaching me, and helping me grow, even if it hurts a bit along the way…
When I woke up Sabbath morning, I had a really bad ear infection/ache. I have had trouble in the past with fluids in my ears, and so I was a little concerned to be having trouble again with that same problem. It hurt so much that I was on the verge of staying home from church… I prayed, and remembered that I had a class to teach. So, I got up, got dressed, and went out to the bus. My ear was still really hurting and bothering me, but when I sat down to teach class, I had no pain for the full hour of the lesson. And, I thought that I only had enough material for about 20 minutes, but God kept giving me new thoughts to bring to the table, and new verses as well. I know that it was God helping me through the class because in the States I barely even speak up in SS (Sabbath School) class, let alone teach!
After the class was over, I went into church, and immediately my ear started hurting again! It was hurting so much that I had to go to one of the back rooms to try to relax. I laid down on the kitchen floor for the entire church service, and the pain still hadn’t left me. When we arrived back at the Hogar, I took a short nap, and treated my ear with some oils. I woke up feeling much better.
We ended up taking a trip to a beautiful river in the afternoon and relaxing there for about 2-3 hours. It turned out to be a great day.
Sometimes it’s hard to see just how much God does in my life, but it’s days like Sabbath that make me comforted knowing that God is watching over me, and taking care of me… my lessons in that might hurt a little bit, but I know I am growing so much in faith, and in my relationship with Jesus Christ. I wanted to stay home from church, I really did, but I knew that I would always wonder if I should have gone, or regretted staying… but, even though my ear hurt the rest of the church service, it was worth it if I touched just one person in that SS class. All I know is that God spoke through me, and helped me do something I normally would never do.
I know that God will keep teaching me, and helping me grow, even if it hurts a bit along the way…
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Food on my mind...
I have been here in Honduras for 5 1/2 weeks now. It’s been a good month, stressful, and character building. Home seems so far away, and it’s hard to remember what the States are like anymore. I crave American food so much here. There’s a supermarket where I can buy Trix cereal! It’s amazing… ha. The last bag of Trix cereal I bought here only lasted two days… yeah… ha.
Foods I miss:
Taco Bell
Canned peas
Mashed Potatoes
Ranch salad dressing
Pizza
Olives (black & green)
Taco salad
Orange juice
Eggs on toast (and all breakfast foods in general, vegetarian of course!)
Pickles (jalapeno flavored)
… and french fries… (the list goes on, but I’ll stop there. Ha)
It’s funny that I miss American food so much, but the food here is so bland that I can’t help missing good ol’ American food. Ha. We have rice or beans (or both) at almost every meal.
I started writing this blog last week, and it is now Sunday… Hannah, Amanda, and I always go into Santa Barbara on Sundays because it’s our only free time to go, and we always eat as much ice cream, chocolate, and candy as we can while we can. We have our regular stores that we go to, and then after our shopping it is our tradition to get something to eat before heading back to our safe grounds. Today our normal fast food place was not open, so we headed off to another restaurant near by. When we walked in, I looked to my right, and to my surprise, I saw a plate full of french fries! Not just french fries, but french fries with ketchup!!! I was shocked, thrilled, and oh so excited to indulge in my American lunch! To say the least, I will be going to that restaurant a lot more on my days off…
Foods I miss:
Taco Bell
Canned peas
Mashed Potatoes
Ranch salad dressing
Pizza
Olives (black & green)
Taco salad
Orange juice
Eggs on toast (and all breakfast foods in general, vegetarian of course!)
Pickles (jalapeno flavored)
… and french fries… (the list goes on, but I’ll stop there. Ha)
It’s funny that I miss American food so much, but the food here is so bland that I can’t help missing good ol’ American food. Ha. We have rice or beans (or both) at almost every meal.
I started writing this blog last week, and it is now Sunday… Hannah, Amanda, and I always go into Santa Barbara on Sundays because it’s our only free time to go, and we always eat as much ice cream, chocolate, and candy as we can while we can. We have our regular stores that we go to, and then after our shopping it is our tradition to get something to eat before heading back to our safe grounds. Today our normal fast food place was not open, so we headed off to another restaurant near by. When we walked in, I looked to my right, and to my surprise, I saw a plate full of french fries! Not just french fries, but french fries with ketchup!!! I was shocked, thrilled, and oh so excited to indulge in my American lunch! To say the least, I will be going to that restaurant a lot more on my days off…
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Creepy Creepers...
Everyday I have pool duty with either Hannah or Amanda (two other volunteers from Southern). Today when Hannah and I were walking out to open the pool, there were two Honduran guys talking to Stephen (visitor/volunteer from Germany) and Stephen was like, “hey, these guys want help with their English homework. Can you girls help them?” I got a really bad vibe from both of the guys, and felt like I had seen them before in Santa Barbara or on the bus… Hannah knows Spanish way better than I do, so she went up and started talking to them. I proceeded to open up the pool for the kids to swim. I had been in the pool for maybe two minutes, and I looked up and the two guys were talking to Hannah, but they had surrounded her to where she couldn’t easily get into the pool area. I was starting to get a little concerned, but she got away from them by saying that she had to go watch the pool. The older of the two guys asked if his son could swim, but while he was asking, his son was already getting undressed down to his underwear to go swimming! So, Hannah didn’t really have any other choice but to say, “yes”.
When Hannah got into the water she was giving me very strange looks, so we both went over to the deep end furthest away from the creepy guys, and she said that they were asking her if she could teach them English, and that they wanted to come back for lessons. Hannah and I both know that we’ve seen them before in Santa Barbara, or somewhere near here, and it’s scary that they know where we live. One of the older boys here once told Hannah that guys in Santa Barbara always ask about the “red haired girl” and always ask if she lives at the Hogar! That’s scary, but the scarier thing is that he told them, “yes!”. Yeah, not too great for our safety…
So, Hannah and I were too scared to get out of the pool because the guys kept staring at us… we told some of the kids to go tell the staff that we were really nervous about these guys, but the staff didn’t do anything… Their kid swam for an hour, and it was time to get the kids out, so I asked Stephen if he could ask them to leave. They weren’t too happy that they had to leave, and before Stephen went over to them, the older guy went up to one of the girls here, Tania, and said, “yeah, we’re just going to sit here and enjoy watching these little gringitas swim…”.
Well, Stephen asked them to leave, and they did within about five minutes of him asking them. One of the head staff came in to swim after they had already left, and we told her the whole story. She said not to let their kid swim, and she said that it was really weird that they wanted us to give them English lessons… Hannah and I started our “creeper” video blogs this afternoon after we got back to our room, and I’m sure we will have many more of those blogs to come…
I don’t even feel safe going into town with Hannah and Amanda anymore. It’s getting pretty bad because the guys in town recognize us now, and they’re getting bolder and bolder. Next time I go to town I want to take a guy with us. I don’t know what to do because they all know where we live, and that doesn’t make me feel very safe at nights, even when my door is locked.
Please pray for our safety… I know God will protect us, but I still want to take every precaution I can…
When Hannah got into the water she was giving me very strange looks, so we both went over to the deep end furthest away from the creepy guys, and she said that they were asking her if she could teach them English, and that they wanted to come back for lessons. Hannah and I both know that we’ve seen them before in Santa Barbara, or somewhere near here, and it’s scary that they know where we live. One of the older boys here once told Hannah that guys in Santa Barbara always ask about the “red haired girl” and always ask if she lives at the Hogar! That’s scary, but the scarier thing is that he told them, “yes!”. Yeah, not too great for our safety…
So, Hannah and I were too scared to get out of the pool because the guys kept staring at us… we told some of the kids to go tell the staff that we were really nervous about these guys, but the staff didn’t do anything… Their kid swam for an hour, and it was time to get the kids out, so I asked Stephen if he could ask them to leave. They weren’t too happy that they had to leave, and before Stephen went over to them, the older guy went up to one of the girls here, Tania, and said, “yeah, we’re just going to sit here and enjoy watching these little gringitas swim…”.
Well, Stephen asked them to leave, and they did within about five minutes of him asking them. One of the head staff came in to swim after they had already left, and we told her the whole story. She said not to let their kid swim, and she said that it was really weird that they wanted us to give them English lessons… Hannah and I started our “creeper” video blogs this afternoon after we got back to our room, and I’m sure we will have many more of those blogs to come…
I don’t even feel safe going into town with Hannah and Amanda anymore. It’s getting pretty bad because the guys in town recognize us now, and they’re getting bolder and bolder. Next time I go to town I want to take a guy with us. I don’t know what to do because they all know where we live, and that doesn’t make me feel very safe at nights, even when my door is locked.
Please pray for our safety… I know God will protect us, but I still want to take every precaution I can…
Friday, October 9, 2009
Slide show
My mom made this for me and sent me the code to post it on here... when I first watched it I cried like a baby... I'm missing home right about now...
 |
|
| Make a Smilebox slideshow |
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Highs and Lows...
When I imagined being a student missionary at an orphanage, I imagined being loved at all times by the kids, and appreciated at all times. That would be nice, however it’s not like that at all. I want to always be completely honest in my blogs because I think you all deserve to hear the good AND the bad…
I'd like to start out with the “bad” because then I can end on a good note! It’s been really stressful with the kids lately. They have not been showing any respect to the volunteers here, and we are running out of effective punishments… the staff do not appreciate the hard work that we do, and the work loads are not evenly distributed at all… I have been tempted to let my temper take over when the kids are disrespectful, but I have been trying my best to remember why I am here… and I am not here to impress the staff or get a pat on the back, however, it would be nice every once in awhile. Hannah (friend from school, and fellow student missionary) and I were talking about how little we are going through compared to what Jesus went through when He was on earth. People spat on Him, talked bad about Him, and treated Him like He was just another crazy person on the street. Jesus was not respected by many people, but He did not let that get the best of Him. My time here is already building patience and character, which are both good things for me… it’s not always a walk in the park to work for God… but it is worth all of the short-term struggles that I am going through right now… II Corinthians 4:16-18… that’s what I keep reminding myself of… “17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” Please continue in praying for all the volunteers here because we are getting a little burnt out as of right now…
Now, for the part you have all been waiting for… the good new! Most of you know that I was a music major in college and studied Piano. I had been missing playing the piano so much, and did not even expect to be able to play the piano again until I got back home. Last Sunday afternoon I heard a knock at my door. Normally it’s just one of the kids, but when I answered the door I saw one of the other volunteers, Mandy. She looked at me and said, “Hey, why have you been hiding your talent!?!” I said, “What do you mean?” She continued to say, “You play the piano, right? You even majored in it, yes?” I jokingly asked her if she had heard the piano in the devotional room and she said, “Well, I know that one is horrible, but we have a keyboard for you to keep in your room! The staff wants you to play for devotionals on Friday nights!!” When I saw the keyboard, and had it in hand… I was about in tears!! I did not ask God to bring me a keyboard, but He knew that music is such a huge part of my life, and that having access to a keyboard would make me so happy! I have been practicing the worship songs, and God has really helped me with playing by ear. In the States, I’m okay at playing by ear, but here it’s like second nature to me! I KNOW that God has increased my ability to play by ear since I will be using my talents directly for Him… God is SO amazing!
There’s more good news… I talked to Ryan last week and he is going to come visit me for a week in December! The 24th-31st to be exact! God is so amazing! I did not think he would be able to come visit me, but his parents are going to pay for one of his tickets as his Christmas present! What a blessing! I was so happy when I heard that news…
So, in spite of all the stressful things that have been going on around here… it’s my purpose to look for the good things, and fight through the hard times… God is always working behind the scenes, and it’s my job to see that, and to look for that. I mentioned before that it’s always easy to focus on the bad, and I’m guilty of that as of late, but I hope to continually grow in Christ so that I can get to the point where the bad days do not affect me as much, or at all. I want to have faith in the things unseen…
I'd like to start out with the “bad” because then I can end on a good note! It’s been really stressful with the kids lately. They have not been showing any respect to the volunteers here, and we are running out of effective punishments… the staff do not appreciate the hard work that we do, and the work loads are not evenly distributed at all… I have been tempted to let my temper take over when the kids are disrespectful, but I have been trying my best to remember why I am here… and I am not here to impress the staff or get a pat on the back, however, it would be nice every once in awhile. Hannah (friend from school, and fellow student missionary) and I were talking about how little we are going through compared to what Jesus went through when He was on earth. People spat on Him, talked bad about Him, and treated Him like He was just another crazy person on the street. Jesus was not respected by many people, but He did not let that get the best of Him. My time here is already building patience and character, which are both good things for me… it’s not always a walk in the park to work for God… but it is worth all of the short-term struggles that I am going through right now… II Corinthians 4:16-18… that’s what I keep reminding myself of… “17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” Please continue in praying for all the volunteers here because we are getting a little burnt out as of right now…
Now, for the part you have all been waiting for… the good new! Most of you know that I was a music major in college and studied Piano. I had been missing playing the piano so much, and did not even expect to be able to play the piano again until I got back home. Last Sunday afternoon I heard a knock at my door. Normally it’s just one of the kids, but when I answered the door I saw one of the other volunteers, Mandy. She looked at me and said, “Hey, why have you been hiding your talent!?!” I said, “What do you mean?” She continued to say, “You play the piano, right? You even majored in it, yes?” I jokingly asked her if she had heard the piano in the devotional room and she said, “Well, I know that one is horrible, but we have a keyboard for you to keep in your room! The staff wants you to play for devotionals on Friday nights!!” When I saw the keyboard, and had it in hand… I was about in tears!! I did not ask God to bring me a keyboard, but He knew that music is such a huge part of my life, and that having access to a keyboard would make me so happy! I have been practicing the worship songs, and God has really helped me with playing by ear. In the States, I’m okay at playing by ear, but here it’s like second nature to me! I KNOW that God has increased my ability to play by ear since I will be using my talents directly for Him… God is SO amazing!
There’s more good news… I talked to Ryan last week and he is going to come visit me for a week in December! The 24th-31st to be exact! God is so amazing! I did not think he would be able to come visit me, but his parents are going to pay for one of his tickets as his Christmas present! What a blessing! I was so happy when I heard that news…
So, in spite of all the stressful things that have been going on around here… it’s my purpose to look for the good things, and fight through the hard times… God is always working behind the scenes, and it’s my job to see that, and to look for that. I mentioned before that it’s always easy to focus on the bad, and I’m guilty of that as of late, but I hope to continually grow in Christ so that I can get to the point where the bad days do not affect me as much, or at all. I want to have faith in the things unseen…
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Mission work is at the heart of the missionary…
This blog is dedicated to my boyfriend, Ryan Blythe. I have known Ryan for about 10 years, and I have always been impressed with his happy, easy going personality. He is an extremely caring person, and exudes the character of Christ to everyone around him. The beginning of this summer we had a long discussion about mission work. I shared with him how I decided to be a student missionary this year, and he shared with me how he had been leading out in Bible studies with classmates from his university. I was really impressed with the change that I saw in him, and in how much he had grown in Christ while I was away at college…
Ryan is currently a student missionary in Indianapolis, Indiana. And I am so proud of him! One of Ryan’s good friends is going through a deep state of depression to the extent that he does not leave the house for fear of panic and anxiety attacks. Ben has spent the last 3 to 4 months in his room watching TV or playing video games. Ryan found out about his friend’s condition a couple of months ago and has been visiting him ever since. Please keep him in your prayers because this is really hard on Ryan to see his friend like this. He’s not sure what triggered this behavior, or how to get him out of this state. When I talked to Ryan on the phone he said he was able to visit him for about an hour, and when he was getting ready to leave he had prayer with him and he said a prayer as well. In Ben’s prayer he thanked God for giving him a friend like Ryan that still cares about him and visits him…
I am so very proud of Ryan for taking on this challenge of helping Ben get over his depression and anxiety attacks. Please add this to your prayer list… Ryan has his own mission field right in his backyard. I know that God is going to do great things through him this year. God is already working through him to reach out to his friends and to everyone around him. I can’t say enough about how proud I am of him…
It doesn’t matter the place of service… it matters that one is serving. Your mission field could be smiling at your new neighbor who you don’t really like… or, talking to the person in your class that everyone seems to ignore… there is no special place for mission work. Mission work is wherever you are if you are willing to be used by God…
When thinking about mission work… try not to think about foreign countries, but try to think about the people at your work, or at your school, or just the people you come into contact with everyday. Create your own mission field wherever you are. God has challenged us to be a witness for Him wherever we are…let’s take Him up on that challenge!
Ryan is currently a student missionary in Indianapolis, Indiana. And I am so proud of him! One of Ryan’s good friends is going through a deep state of depression to the extent that he does not leave the house for fear of panic and anxiety attacks. Ben has spent the last 3 to 4 months in his room watching TV or playing video games. Ryan found out about his friend’s condition a couple of months ago and has been visiting him ever since. Please keep him in your prayers because this is really hard on Ryan to see his friend like this. He’s not sure what triggered this behavior, or how to get him out of this state. When I talked to Ryan on the phone he said he was able to visit him for about an hour, and when he was getting ready to leave he had prayer with him and he said a prayer as well. In Ben’s prayer he thanked God for giving him a friend like Ryan that still cares about him and visits him…
I am so very proud of Ryan for taking on this challenge of helping Ben get over his depression and anxiety attacks. Please add this to your prayer list… Ryan has his own mission field right in his backyard. I know that God is going to do great things through him this year. God is already working through him to reach out to his friends and to everyone around him. I can’t say enough about how proud I am of him…
It doesn’t matter the place of service… it matters that one is serving. Your mission field could be smiling at your new neighbor who you don’t really like… or, talking to the person in your class that everyone seems to ignore… there is no special place for mission work. Mission work is wherever you are if you are willing to be used by God…
When thinking about mission work… try not to think about foreign countries, but try to think about the people at your work, or at your school, or just the people you come into contact with everyday. Create your own mission field wherever you are. God has challenged us to be a witness for Him wherever we are…let’s take Him up on that challenge!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Searching for my purpose…
So, I have been here in Honduras for over 3 weeks now. It feels like I’ve been here longer, but at the same time I can barely believe I’ve already been here 3 weeks! It’s so strange.
I’m not sure what I was expecting when I came here, but for some reason I thought that the kids would all be so sweet and thankful for all the volunteers that come to help them, but it’s not like that at all. I mean, there are the few kids who really do appreciate us, but there are also the kids that are not appreciative at all. I could name off a few of them right now… haha, yes, the ones who know how to raise my blood pressure real quick! Ha.
Last week, and the beginning of this week, I had been struggling with homesickness… it wasn’t fully until today that I started really realizing why I’m here… I’m not here to do miracles (although that would be cool) but to be a witness… and that’s all. I want to wash dishes the way that Jesus washed dishes. I want to play with the kids the way Jesus did… I want to show the kids that I am here to search for the good. It is always easier to see all of the negative things around me, but today I found joy in helping the kids in the kitchen, even though it wasn’t my “assigned” duty. And the kids knew that… it had been a long day, but it was so much fun hanging out with the kids, slipping around on the wet floor, drying dishes, and singing together. Only one of the boys thanked me for my help, but that one thank you was worth it all. I realized that I can complain all I want about things that happened throughout my day, but what will that accomplish? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I am slowing feeling more and more at home here… my Spanish still needs work, but the more I am just myself around the kids, the more I feel comfortable around them and at home. I am slowing picking up on more vocabulary words, but I’m hoping to quicken the language learning process soon… I’m so ready to be able to talk to these kids!
So, I mentioned earlier that last week was pretty tough for me as far as homesickness goes… but, on top of that I was sick too, and had been for most of the 3 weeks I’ve been here. I am almost completely well now. My mom was able to send some health remedies my way… THANKS MOM!! :) Since I was sick, it was easy for me to get discouraged as well… today Hannah shared a beautiful Bible verse with me that really made me start thinking.... 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Wow, and amen! Right when I’m ready to feel sorry for myself about having to get up at 5:30 a.m. or having to try to send a few kids off to school who refuse too… it’s most than that! It’s WAY more than that… I hope and pray that in some way I can make a difference in the lives around me. I may not see the repercussions of my actions now, or I may not even know until Heaven. It’s not about me knowing now. It’s about me being a vessel for Christ, and letting Him use me in the lives of others, even if all I’m doing is supervising chores while I’m here, or helping out in the kitchen every once in awhile when I don’t have to… I was ready to come home, but now I’m excited for these next 6 months to come because I know God has big plans for me… and that is SO exciting!
I am so thankful, and grateful for all of your prayers and support. I am blessed to have you all as friends. :)
Oh, and thank you to those of you who were a part of sending my care package from Southern! It was so nice to get mail!! Also, I loved the paper that was signed by my supporting friends from Southern! Thank you guys! It brightened up my day!!
Much love,
Laurel
I’m not sure what I was expecting when I came here, but for some reason I thought that the kids would all be so sweet and thankful for all the volunteers that come to help them, but it’s not like that at all. I mean, there are the few kids who really do appreciate us, but there are also the kids that are not appreciative at all. I could name off a few of them right now… haha, yes, the ones who know how to raise my blood pressure real quick! Ha.
Last week, and the beginning of this week, I had been struggling with homesickness… it wasn’t fully until today that I started really realizing why I’m here… I’m not here to do miracles (although that would be cool) but to be a witness… and that’s all. I want to wash dishes the way that Jesus washed dishes. I want to play with the kids the way Jesus did… I want to show the kids that I am here to search for the good. It is always easier to see all of the negative things around me, but today I found joy in helping the kids in the kitchen, even though it wasn’t my “assigned” duty. And the kids knew that… it had been a long day, but it was so much fun hanging out with the kids, slipping around on the wet floor, drying dishes, and singing together. Only one of the boys thanked me for my help, but that one thank you was worth it all. I realized that I can complain all I want about things that happened throughout my day, but what will that accomplish? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I am slowing feeling more and more at home here… my Spanish still needs work, but the more I am just myself around the kids, the more I feel comfortable around them and at home. I am slowing picking up on more vocabulary words, but I’m hoping to quicken the language learning process soon… I’m so ready to be able to talk to these kids!
So, I mentioned earlier that last week was pretty tough for me as far as homesickness goes… but, on top of that I was sick too, and had been for most of the 3 weeks I’ve been here. I am almost completely well now. My mom was able to send some health remedies my way… THANKS MOM!! :) Since I was sick, it was easy for me to get discouraged as well… today Hannah shared a beautiful Bible verse with me that really made me start thinking.... 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Wow, and amen! Right when I’m ready to feel sorry for myself about having to get up at 5:30 a.m. or having to try to send a few kids off to school who refuse too… it’s most than that! It’s WAY more than that… I hope and pray that in some way I can make a difference in the lives around me. I may not see the repercussions of my actions now, or I may not even know until Heaven. It’s not about me knowing now. It’s about me being a vessel for Christ, and letting Him use me in the lives of others, even if all I’m doing is supervising chores while I’m here, or helping out in the kitchen every once in awhile when I don’t have to… I was ready to come home, but now I’m excited for these next 6 months to come because I know God has big plans for me… and that is SO exciting!
I am so thankful, and grateful for all of your prayers and support. I am blessed to have you all as friends. :)
Oh, and thank you to those of you who were a part of sending my care package from Southern! It was so nice to get mail!! Also, I loved the paper that was signed by my supporting friends from Southern! Thank you guys! It brightened up my day!!
Much love,
Laurel
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Events at the Hogar
Hello friends and family! I have been in Honduras for about 2 full weeks now. My Spanish is not near where it should be yet, but it is slowing coming along. I am learning that a lot of the time words are not needed to communicate with these children. Hugs, laughter, and quality time spent with them say so much more than any words could to them.
To back track just a bit, when I first got here it was so hard to be myself around the kids because I was, yes, worried about what they would think of me, silly as it may seem. All of the volunteers have assigned seating in the cafeteria, and I was assigned the table with the teenage girls…talk about attitudes! I never thought that the girls would warm up to me. One girl in particular was giving me extra attitude, but even though I couldn’t really talk to her in Spanish I tried my best to show her that I care about her… a week and a half in and no change on her part. She was still giving me attitude even when I would ask her a simple question. Last Friday night at vespers, to my surprise, she came and sat next to me. I didn’t think much of it because some of her friends were sitting near by as well. Half way through the vespers service she put her arm around me!! Not just on the back of my chair, but around me. I almost started crying. I had been praying so much that I would be able to show these kids love, and I was getting so discouraged… but that just made me so happy to know that something inside of her changed and she was able to see that I really do care about her. All of the children here, young and old(er) have been abused in some way, shape, or form. Most of the older girls have been sexually abused, and have had to have tough attitudes to try to protect themselves. I have to keep that in mind when they don’t warm up to me right away… it has gotten way better with the girls at my table. I am here for a reason, and if that reason is just to smile and laugh with these girls, that’s enough for me. They are all so precious.
Also, within the first week and a half I got really sick. I had a fever of 100.3, and had no energy… luckily at that time I hadn’t been assigned my responsibilities yet, so I was able to sleep a lot and take it easy. My fever broke last week, but I am not completely well yet. I have a head cold now, so please pray that I can recover fully soon. I thought that I would be working at the daycare here, or teaching, but I will not be doing either of those two things. Instead the staff here decided that they would like me to help around the Hogar with things here and there. My daily schedule goes like this… wake up at 5 a.m. every morning, fix breakfast, go to devotional, eat breakfast, then when the kids get back from school I, along with another volunteer, supervise the kids while they do their chores… then later on I help the 1st graders with their homework, then supervise the pool, then more chores, and then dinner. My day starts at 5 a.m. and ends around 6-6:30 p.m. Yesterday was my first day with my new schedule, and it was tiring, but I am up for the challenge. I wish I could get well soon so I could have more energy though.
I keep remembering things that happened. Sorry if this blog is really scattered… ha. Last week the kids were told that they had to clear a whole field by the end of the week, and they started last Sunday and were finished by Tuesday or Wednesday. It was a big field too! The staff saw how hard they worked and decided that they would reward them with a trip to a water park! We went last Thursday and had to leave at 5 a.m. for the water park because it was about 3 hours away. We went to a beach and then the water park for the rest of the day. It was so much fun! There were several pools with slides at the park, but only one of the pools were open the day we went. There was one big slide and no lifeguards anywhere! It was amazing to see all the dangerous ways the kids thought of going down the slide. One kid stood up and surfed the whole way down the slide, which I thought was extremely scary, but impressive. Ha. I didn’t get to dangerous with my slide experience… the worst was when I went down backwards in a train with about 4 other people. I think that was the most dangerous… ha. It was a lot of fun though.
On a more serious note… the old president made it back across the boarder yesterday, after being kidnapped and taken out of the country by force. All of this is causing rioting in big cities, and causing the current president to get a little uncomfortable. I don’t know the whole story, but I know that the old president wanted to be re-elected, whish is not an option here at all, and they have already tried to kill him off a couple times already… so, the president in office now issued a country-wide curfew from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. I have heard that that is his way of keeping the rioting to a minimum. The kids do not have school today, and they might not have school all week depending on how things go. We don’t know how long the curfew is going to last for, but I hope not long because I do not get done with my days here at the Hogar until after 6 p.m. So, it’s going to be interesting for awhile… if worst comes to worst we will have to go home early. I pray that things will not get out of hand, and that no wars start… I would really like to stay here and work with these kids for my full term… please pray for Honduras and all of the political situations right now. I don’t know what to expect, or what’s going to come of all this… but I know that God will protect us no matter what.
Thank you all for your prayers. I miss you all very much!
P.s. Sorry I can’t update this more… I don’t have wireless internet like I thought I would here… wish I could write you all individually, but when I do get internet in the library I only get one hour at a time, and they don’t like us using the internet very often. :( I love you all very much, and know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers…
To back track just a bit, when I first got here it was so hard to be myself around the kids because I was, yes, worried about what they would think of me, silly as it may seem. All of the volunteers have assigned seating in the cafeteria, and I was assigned the table with the teenage girls…talk about attitudes! I never thought that the girls would warm up to me. One girl in particular was giving me extra attitude, but even though I couldn’t really talk to her in Spanish I tried my best to show her that I care about her… a week and a half in and no change on her part. She was still giving me attitude even when I would ask her a simple question. Last Friday night at vespers, to my surprise, she came and sat next to me. I didn’t think much of it because some of her friends were sitting near by as well. Half way through the vespers service she put her arm around me!! Not just on the back of my chair, but around me. I almost started crying. I had been praying so much that I would be able to show these kids love, and I was getting so discouraged… but that just made me so happy to know that something inside of her changed and she was able to see that I really do care about her. All of the children here, young and old(er) have been abused in some way, shape, or form. Most of the older girls have been sexually abused, and have had to have tough attitudes to try to protect themselves. I have to keep that in mind when they don’t warm up to me right away… it has gotten way better with the girls at my table. I am here for a reason, and if that reason is just to smile and laugh with these girls, that’s enough for me. They are all so precious.
Also, within the first week and a half I got really sick. I had a fever of 100.3, and had no energy… luckily at that time I hadn’t been assigned my responsibilities yet, so I was able to sleep a lot and take it easy. My fever broke last week, but I am not completely well yet. I have a head cold now, so please pray that I can recover fully soon. I thought that I would be working at the daycare here, or teaching, but I will not be doing either of those two things. Instead the staff here decided that they would like me to help around the Hogar with things here and there. My daily schedule goes like this… wake up at 5 a.m. every morning, fix breakfast, go to devotional, eat breakfast, then when the kids get back from school I, along with another volunteer, supervise the kids while they do their chores… then later on I help the 1st graders with their homework, then supervise the pool, then more chores, and then dinner. My day starts at 5 a.m. and ends around 6-6:30 p.m. Yesterday was my first day with my new schedule, and it was tiring, but I am up for the challenge. I wish I could get well soon so I could have more energy though.
I keep remembering things that happened. Sorry if this blog is really scattered… ha. Last week the kids were told that they had to clear a whole field by the end of the week, and they started last Sunday and were finished by Tuesday or Wednesday. It was a big field too! The staff saw how hard they worked and decided that they would reward them with a trip to a water park! We went last Thursday and had to leave at 5 a.m. for the water park because it was about 3 hours away. We went to a beach and then the water park for the rest of the day. It was so much fun! There were several pools with slides at the park, but only one of the pools were open the day we went. There was one big slide and no lifeguards anywhere! It was amazing to see all the dangerous ways the kids thought of going down the slide. One kid stood up and surfed the whole way down the slide, which I thought was extremely scary, but impressive. Ha. I didn’t get to dangerous with my slide experience… the worst was when I went down backwards in a train with about 4 other people. I think that was the most dangerous… ha. It was a lot of fun though.
On a more serious note… the old president made it back across the boarder yesterday, after being kidnapped and taken out of the country by force. All of this is causing rioting in big cities, and causing the current president to get a little uncomfortable. I don’t know the whole story, but I know that the old president wanted to be re-elected, whish is not an option here at all, and they have already tried to kill him off a couple times already… so, the president in office now issued a country-wide curfew from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. I have heard that that is his way of keeping the rioting to a minimum. The kids do not have school today, and they might not have school all week depending on how things go. We don’t know how long the curfew is going to last for, but I hope not long because I do not get done with my days here at the Hogar until after 6 p.m. So, it’s going to be interesting for awhile… if worst comes to worst we will have to go home early. I pray that things will not get out of hand, and that no wars start… I would really like to stay here and work with these kids for my full term… please pray for Honduras and all of the political situations right now. I don’t know what to expect, or what’s going to come of all this… but I know that God will protect us no matter what.
Thank you all for your prayers. I miss you all very much!
P.s. Sorry I can’t update this more… I don’t have wireless internet like I thought I would here… wish I could write you all individually, but when I do get internet in the library I only get one hour at a time, and they don’t like us using the internet very often. :( I love you all very much, and know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers…
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The one week mark...
It's happened. I have been here one week as of tonight.. it's been an eventful week, and I am pretty happy with how much Spanish I have learned in these past few days.
Today we went to a water park with the kids. It was great fun! We left the Hogar at 5:00 a.m. and got back around 9. It was a long day... but all of the kids were really good.
I wish I had more time to write tonight, but unfortunately it's already late and I need to get up early tomorrow. I should have internet tomorrow night, so I will try to write more then...
Love you all!
Today we went to a water park with the kids. It was great fun! We left the Hogar at 5:00 a.m. and got back around 9. It was a long day... but all of the kids were really good.
I wish I had more time to write tonight, but unfortunately it's already late and I need to get up early tomorrow. I should have internet tomorrow night, so I will try to write more then...
Love you all!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
I'm here!!
Thanks to all of the prayers that I know went up for me today.. I made it here to the Hogar De Ninos safely.. I am exhausted.. but, I made it. God was with me the whole entire way, and put wonderful people next to me on my flights...
The kids are great. I will need to learn Spanish really REALLY quickly, but when I got here, they all ran to give me hugs, and gave me nothing but a warm welcome!
I will write more later, but I am so so tired right now..
Much love,
Laurel
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Accepted!
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers! Today I received my acceptance letter saying that I am for sure going to Honduras!! If all goes as planned, I will be leaving sometime late next week! Please continue to pray about the flight/travel plans... this will be my first time traveling out of the country by myself. I'm a littler nervous to be honest, but I know God will help me through it.
Thanks again for the prayers!
<3
Friday, August 28, 2009
Change of plans..
For the past 4-5 months I've been planning on spending my SM (Student Missionary) year in Tanzania. However, the planning for the trip was not going as planned. Visas were a concern, and our call hadn't even been made for my friend and I to go there. I was really starting to wonder if I was ever really going to Africa. I decided to call the student missions director at school and ask her what to do next. Our planning to go was like hitting a brick wall. I called Gayle and told her my concerns about everything. I told her how much I just wanted to get out there and go somewhere! I told her that at this point I just wanted to be sent, even to a different location, if that was what God wanted me to do. When I mentioned going somewhere else, Gayle told me about the need in Honduras. She said that there was only two girls at the Hogar De Ninos ("place of the children") in Santa Barbara, Honduras. She told me that they were really short on staff and really need help there. I told Gayle that I would pray about it and call her back. We got off the phone, and I prayed about it all day. I emailed the two girls in Honduras hoping to hear something back from them. Evening rolled around, and no answers yet. I knelt down to say a prayer before going to bed... I prayed that God would close ever door for me to go to Honduras if it was NOT His will, but on the other hand, if He wanted me to go there that He would open every door with flying colors. I got up after praying and checked my email... I had already heard back from one of the girls in Honduras! As soon as I read her email to me I knew that God was telling me that He really wanted me to go there. It's really exciting to see how God works.. right when I was getting discouraged that everything was going wrong, God had a different plan, and this was just a lesson in trust for me. I am still waiting to get the new paperwork to fill out for Honduras, but it looks like that process will go pretty fast once papers are in hand. Hannah, one of the girls in Honduras, called me the other day and answered all of my questions and is really excited for my soon arrival. I found out that I will need to pick up on Spanish really quickly, because the kids do not know English, and the other staff prefer to speak in Spanish. I hope to be a quick learner.... ha.
I'm really excited to begin this new chapter of my life. It's going to be a great experience, and one that I will never forget. Please keep the planning for Honduras in your prayers. I would really appreciate it.
<3
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Here's the Havilah Village blogspot website. http://havilahvillage.blogspot.com/
Thought you all might like to keep up with their site as well as mine.
It looks like I will be leaving somewhere around the 26th of this month. Nothing for sure yet. Still looking for information about visas. I will keep you all updated.
Love,
Laurel
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Summer update
The orphanage that I will be going to in Tanzania is called, Havilah Village Children's Home. I am so excited to go there. I went to their blogspot earlier today, and thought you all might enjoy seeing the orphanage and the children as well!
Web address: http://havilahvillage.blogspot.com/
I am still not sure how all of my flight plans are going to work out, but I know it's all in God's hands, so everything will be just fine.
I am really excited to start my journey to Africa! Hope you all enjoy the pictures!
More updates to come. :)
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Preparation
Hey guys, so I am still here at Southern trying to finish up finals. Four down, two to go.
I am really excited to begin my journey in Africa, and to work with the children there.
Thank you all for your love and support.
I will keep this updated as much as possible during the summer, and while I'm gone to Africa.
Much love,
Laurel
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
