I'm a Honduran!

This has been one great (and rainy) week!  The team got here Monday and we headed out to SBV for a quick tour before the tormenta started! Almost every day this week we have been caught in a huge rain storm and soaked the bones! But every minute has been fun-- except for the forty-five minute ride home in our soaking clothes!

We had a great work day Tuesday! The team dug four more holes around the new play area and built a ton more rebar!

Wednesday we went to the weekly devotional in Flor del Campo at the school.  We sat among the kids this week.  This was one of the best devotionals I have been to at the school.  Looking out over the barrio and filling the air with our joyful praises is just so beautiful.  We sang and sang and sang! One of my favorite parts of the whole day was singing with the children and teachers at the school!

I had a new friend to comfort during devotional

 "Recibe toda la gloria! Recibe toda la honra! Precioso Hijo de Dios!" Just imagine singing that over and over with almost 175 other people over the city. I truly felt the Holy Spirit there blessing all of us, especially the children of such an impoverished area.  These students and professors come from some horrible circumstances but have such a light inside them when they are at that school.  I know that they will carry that out into their homes and share it with others!

Thursday and Friday we have been back out at Casa Hogar.  Yesterday we filled all the holes around the play area with rebar and cement! The project is really coming along! It is so great to see so much progress in such a small amount of time! The big project for this team has been shoes for everyone! So we handed out shoes to the kids on Thursday and to the staff on Friday! Everyone was SO excited for new shoes!

Daniel giving thanks for the shoes

Moises with his super cool new shoes

Raul showing off his new shoes

Of course, Thursday was July 4th! It is my favorite holiday and I am a little sad I couldn't be home to celebrate. Mom and I didn't do the Peachtree Road Race as planned. Although there was some discussion of me running from the bottom of the hill all the way to the boys' cabin- which would have been ten times worse than running up "cardiac hill" in the Peachtree!  We did get a little taste of celebration with a beautiful American flag cake! It made being out of the country a little easier.

Feliz Dis de la Independencia!

Today we finished up work and of course went right to the cancha for some futbol.  After watching for a while and cheering everyone on, I joined the game! We were playing Hondurans versus North Americans and the kids insisted that I be on the Honduran team! (This is a BIG deal!) I was so happy to be considered a catracha! And then I even scored a goal! (With the help of Tony during penalty kicks! But a goal is a goal!)  The best part of my day was being named a Honduran!

Futbol!

Tomorrow we are going to El Picacho which is a big Jesus statue, similar to the one in Rio. That is always a great way to spend time reflecting and admiring the view!

♥

Here I Am...

  Well, I have been going going going for the past few weeks but it has been amazing!

   Last Thursday I was supposed to leave but I did not make it on the flight (hazards of being on stand-by). And today, Amanda took me back to the airport today and yet again I did not get on the flight.  Yesterday, we all said if I don't make it on the flight today then God wants me to stay longer.

So here I am!

It has been so emotionally draining: the ups and downs of saying goodbyes and coming back! But it is so beautiful and heartwarming to see the smiles of so many people when I return.  Those smiles assure me that I am doing something right here! The theme of my past few weeks has been of my personal searching.  I am still trying to figure out what I am doing and what I am going to do.  But what I know now is that I am here and I want to be here and that I should be here.

What has been hard is knowing that I am missing things at home.  And more importantly missing people.  Tomorrow, my family is going to the Braves game in a belated celebration of father's day.  On July 4th, I was supposed to run the Peachtree Road Race with my mom and go to a party with our family friends.  I am sad to be missing these things and the time that I would have spent with my loved ones. But God has me here. And I am oh so happy to be here!

Here in Honduras with my beautiful family that I have grown so close to! This country and this ministry have so much to offer and I am just so thankful for this opportunity and this life!  On this trip I have learned so much about myself and more importantly, about God.

Thank y'all so much for all of the support!

Here are just a few pictures of my sweet friends and family here!

Selfies with Nohelia!

My sweet Marvin!

Alexander!

Dulce!

Julio and Sergio: my boys!

Cute little Noe!