Has a year really passed?

This year has brought more than I could ever imagine.

It started out when my baby turned ONE! I won't get too emotional here.

  I returned to the states and finished my last semester of college.

Then in May I finally MOVED to Honduras.

I've learned some practical things like:

How to make tortillas

 

and how to make yogurt

I started teaching street kids:

Old friends, new friends, and family visited:

Baby Girl grew and thrived more than anyone would have ever imagined: ( sorry if I over do the pictures on this one. how could I choose?)

The feeding program officially began:

I would say overall 2011 has brought more than I could have imagined. The hard times have brought glory to things only the Lord could be doing!  I have learned  so much already in this new season. I can not wait to see where the Lord takes us in 2012 as a family, a ministry, and a city! One thing is for sure I know the Lord has some BIG plans in store!





Until next year...
 lots of love from La Moskitia!

Meet my Family in La Moskitia!

Okay I feel like I can finally share some details!!!

First the land.

They mayor of our region is donating land for the feeding program and then giving me land for my house for a very reduced cost.

 Over all we have around 2 and a half acres!!!!

It gets even better.

 The first property was around 3 blocks from the water when I went to see the marked property it was full of water ankle deep. Not an ideal place to live or have a kids program. I went and ask if the could move me to another area. No problem he said as he drew on the map a square with my name on it a block away from the water. Nothing in between my house and the lagoon. AHH I can't wait to sit on my porch overlooking the water drink my coffee and have some quiet time. Nothing set in stone yet but looking very promising that we will officially own property as of 2012!!



Second the feeding program.

STARTS A WEEK FROM TOMORROW!! I can hardly control my excitement. My imagination just runs wild when I stand on that property.

15 kids are currently sponsored to go to school this year starting in February.

 I bought the first round of food.

Grocery list looked something like this:

100 pounds of rice
50 pounds of beans
8 kilos of manteca( NASTY! but the cook said so)
4 pounds of salt

 Hungry bellies get ready!

We still need sponsors if you would like to know how you can help see this post.

Third. BE PRAYING.

Amazing how two Miskito women heard about my search for Grace's birth mom. One of these women tracked the  birth mom down ( turns out she took a boat to La Ceiba without ever seeing her daughter). She found a phone number of someone she is living with. Then the other woman called her. She explained everything in Miskito and then passed the phone to me. I was able to let Grace speak to her birth mom ( in Miskito, just bragging on my smart girl) Then Grace's birth mom told me that she would do anything I needed her to do as far as paperwork for a VISA. So off to the judge I went to see what we could work out since there is no way she will be able to make it to his office. He agreed to get all the paperwork together and send everything to her by plane. Then she would sign and send everything back.

All good.

But nothing is that easy here.

One big detail is missing. 

Grace's mom is not registered. She does not have a birth certificate or an ID card.

 Big halt in the process.

 We are praying Carmen ( Grace's birth mom)  is able to get her paperwork quickly so that we can continue the process for Grace to be able to travel to good ole Alabama with me this spring!

In the past few weeks I have started to run again. While I run Grace stays with a lady that cooks for the military. Somehow Grace has worked it so that she gets dinner and a new  hairdo. Today Grace had her hair braided for the first time. Oh what fun is to come now that Gracie finally has some hair!

After the last post some of you are probably saying:

wait hold on you have a 15 year old now?

Yep, it is kind of cute. The other night we were at dinner and someone ask her something about where she was from (because we were speaking English) and she said La Moskitia but my mom is American.

Ursula comes from a past of abuse, she was locked in a house and almost being burned to death, spending the first years of her life she can remember in a hospital, loosing her mother to tuberculosis, never knowing her father, and becoming homeless. These are just a few of the things that she has experienced in her short 15 years.

To meet Ursula you can tell she is a TOUGH girl but she has to be if she has made it out of all the above and more.

After a good amount of time of fair warning she was told to pack her things and move out of where she has lived for the past 12 years of her life.

When I heard she was kicked out I prayed I would find her. I could only imagine what life on the streets would turn into for a 15 year old girl. Later that day I was walking home from my class and I saw her. I almost tackled the poor girl as I ran and held her tight in my arms. The first thing she said to me is "Are you mad at me" I told her No, I love you no matter what you do Ursula even if I do not agree with everything you do. We sat and talked about everything and I decided it was not even a choice to me what would happen next. Ursula would move in with us until her brother who is in the military builds a house where she can live with him.

To me Ursula is such a picture of everything the Lord does for me so how can I even choose if I will extend the same things that I have receive from the Lord back to Ursula. We all mess up and again and again the Lord takes us back. He gives us grace and mercy EVERYDAY. He loves us no matter what.

 I have been learning how little I am actually in control of... and how much I actually like it ( or maybe I should say learning to like it).

This past week Grace's birth mom came to our town. She was supposed to come over to my house and see Grace the day after she arrived. Well it has almost been a week and she has still not show up.

Today, we went on a four hour search house to house to try and find her... no luck.

So far Grace meeting her birth mom has gone NOTHING like the way I would like it to go if I was in control but EVERYTHING like the Lord has planned it will go.





This past week a 15 year old girl who has gone through quite a bit came to live with us for a while.

Today she spent the day cleaning off her mother's grave.

NOTHING like what a day in a 15 year old girl's life should look like but EVERYTHING like what the Lord has planned for her life before she was even born.

This is hard place to be but I love the fact that the pressure is off because in the end I really don't get to decide how anything goes. I just get the joy of taking the ride.

Always an Adventure

One thing I do LOVE about living in La Moskitia is the fact that every day is an adventure.

Today a meeting with my contractor somehow turned into a trip to the beach.

So, off we went on an hour drive in the army commander's little off road vehicle.

I promise Grace's mood does improve when she reaches land.

Grace has now decided she likes to swim. She is signing that she is going swimming.

No better way to end a beach trip than with a fresh coconut!

The other day Grace was quiet.

 If you know her this doesn't happen EVER and to me indicates that some mischief is involved.

 So, I started to look around and found her

....

Sitting on her potty chair with my ipod doing a little head bob.

Contentment

Recently I've been getting a BIG lesson in Contentment.

I am reading a book The Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer. What are the odds that last night the chapter was on CONTENTMENT.

I love how she says this:

 "So if you don't have IT - whatever it is- it's because you don't need it. You may want it, but it is not necessary in order to accomplish what He knows is most important for your life today. Otherwise He'd have given it to you."

"Whatever He's given or not given. He's done for a specific reason-a reason known only to Him perhaps but one you can trust with full confidence, sight unseen. Every decision you need to make, every task you need to accomplish , every relationship you need to navigate, every element of daily life you need to transverse, God has already perfectly matched up with an equivalent- to- overflowing supply of His grace. If you don't agree with that then you either lack a proper appreciation for what you have, or you are doing things that you're not supposed to be participating in right now. "

Feeding Program

 Some of you might remember my dream of starting a feeding program here in Puerto Lempira for poor and street children. Well that dream is very quickly becoming a reality with the launch of the feeding program set for December 30th! We plan to work with almost 200 poor and street children in Puerto Lempira. This program will provide a sports time, worship time, a lesson about who the Lord is and how to begin a relationship with him, and then a meal.

 

A group from Auburn is coming to help kick off the program but we need your help to continue this program as a Saturday program throughout the year.We are stepping out in faith believing that the Lord has provided everything thus far and if this is His will He will continue to provide.

I can not wait to share all the cool God stories of how this program has come together.

 

  

Haley Harvey a volunteer wrote this letter to help raise funds. I wanted to share it with all of you.

 

As some of you know, I spent part of last summer with my good friend Morgan Hayden in Puerto Lempira, Honduras. Since I can't get there to see her this Christmas break I'm trying to help her out in other ways. (If I've already driven you crazy with stories about her and such, skip to the ** part!)

Morgan graduated from Auburn University this past year and is now a missionary in Puerto Lempira, Honduras. Last summer when I went to live with her, Hondurans even told me I was crazy for wanting to visit there. This is the only "city" in the entire region of Gracias A Dios.  The region is separated from civilization by jungle, mountains, and rivers-Google Map it and you'll see no roads. The only way to get here is by boat or plane. The first language of most people here is not Spanish like the rest of the country, it is Miskito. There are numerous tribes of indigenous peoples in the region that live hours up river and have no access things I consider basic human rights, such as basic medical care and education. Some of the Miskito Indians relocate to Puerto Lempira. The only reason this town exists is because of the drug cartel; it is extremely secluded from the rest of the country so the "narcos" don't have to worry about much interference while trafficking. At night gun fire and the occasional grenade explosion can be heard as the top drug families fight each other.

During one of her many trips visiting this region and numerous signs from God, Morgan fell in love with a baby girl dying from severe malnourishment. The grandmother of the baby brought her to Morgan and pleaded with her to save the her. No one besides Morgan would touch her; people thought she had AIDS and was a lost cause. That little girl is now chubby, happy, and thriving. Morgan aptly named her Grace and is now in the process of adopting her. Soon Morgan is going to begin the process of building a home so she can take in more children and show the love of Christ to many more. (Reminds me of Matthew 25:40)

**My college ministry at First Baptist Church Opelika is sending a group of students during Christmas break to live with her and help her kickstart her street kid feeding program. Along with this, we are collecting money to get these children in school. Elementary school in Puerto Lempira is free but uniforms and shoes are expensive. I'm talking about kids that are diving in trashcans to find food and addicted to huffing glue to take away the pains of hunger- they don't have spare cash to buy uniforms. We want to get these kids in school. Most of these street boys are recruited by the Drug Cartel and end up murdered or in prison. We want to provide them with an education so that another brighter future is possible.

The goal is to feed as many children as possible spiritually and physically and get as many as we can enrolled in school ( starting in February).

We are looking for sponsors to commit to a one time donation ranging from $10-$50.

10 dollars supports a child to come to the feeding program for one month (300 needed)
 15 dollars buys a child a pair of shoes (150 needed)
20 dollars buys a child a Bible (150 needed)
25 dollars buys a child school supplies for one year (150 needed)
30 dollars buys a child a uniform for one year (150 needed)
40 dollars supports a woman to cook for the feeding program for one month (12 needed)
50 dollars provides fruit for the feeding program once a month (12 needed)



Morgan is only 22 years old and has already found God's calling for her life. Living with her made it apparent to me that God's hand is on her ministry. If your heart is leading you to help financially, great! If not, praying for her and these kids is just as important if not more important.


To make a donation you can write a check to 100xmissions and in the memo write Root Ministries and mail it to 1228 Carmichael Way Montgomery, AL. 36106

OR if you prefer to donate online you can go to www.100xmissions.org but BE SURE TO TYPE "Root Ministries" in the memo box.

If you have questions and would like to talk to me further about the program feel free to email me at morganlhayden@gmail.com

This is an update of all the new in our lives

like...

A computer and internet in my house! Thanks for this big surprise to my amazing brothers, Amanda, the Women of Purpose,

and Laura (the coordinator of it all).

excuse the crazy hair... I live in La Moskitia ( that justifies everything right?) The picture is to show Grace using the computer for art!

A stove has been built to cook the meals for the Feeding Program that will begin in around a month! ( email me if you would like to help sponsor a child to come)

We have a faithful watchdog.. well kind of. Meet Puppy!

Grace is starting to potty train on her new potty a gift from a sweet friend in the States.