Sunday, January 30, 2011


NO MORE OF THIS....


OR THIS...




"yesterday she was leaving from the bathroom and walking and Misi following her.......it was so cutie"

That is the latest update on Grace.
 SHE IS WALKING!!!

Friday, January 28, 2011

So you all know Mel my friend who is in the prison in Puerto Lempira. I blogged about the day I went and he was dressed up ready to go having been told it was his release day. Here is a picture of us that happy day.
Well the guards never came. He thought it would be any day so he stayed ready. After about 2 weeks he kind of lost hope. When I talked to him I could hear the sadness and loss of hope in his voice. So, I thought I would take some kids by make him some cards and cheer him up. We made cards that said, "Congratulations on your release" "almost there" "praying for you" " We love you"  and cards with bible verses the kids knew on them. Well this brought a little tear to his eye as he said thank you and hugged us. At this point he was told you will be released when your sentence of 6 years is up... only a short 2 weeks. We encouraged him that 2 weeks is really not a long time. He began to tell me I have no friends on the outside. I have no family here. He said everyone in this prison has family in this town that comes by and bring food and anything they need. They come by and visit during visiting hours. He says but I have no one I have no family here and you are the only person who comes to visit me. He also began to tell me that he has huge dreams when he gets out of speaking with the boys of the town about "doing the right thing" so they do not end up like him. He is still not a Christian but I have a feeling the Lord is working on him a lot!

Today I found out that Mel was not released at the end of his sentence and that the judge ordered 2 more years. I feel the weight of what Mel might have felt as he heard those words. The thoughts that might have run through his head. That his youngest daughter will be 9 before he even meets her. That his son will be out of the house having pretty much grown up without a father.

Psalm 79:11 (Amplified Bible)"Let the groaning and sighing of the prisoner come before You; according to the greatness of Your power and Your arm spare those who are appointed to die!"

This is my prayer for Mel as I feel the weight of the news he has received. The devastation and the isolation that he feels. The lonely hopeless feelings.

So all this to say.. I might be the only one who feels this way about a man who has made some very bad choices in his life, but my heart hurts I mean really hurts for him. I am praying for him non-stop!! I am praying that the Lord will use this time of waiting to soften his heart. I pray that in this time that Mel comes to know the Lord in a real tangible way as his Comforter, Healer,Provider,Friend, and Father.  That the Lord will begin to use Mel to minister to the other prisoners as well as the boys of La Moskitia.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Psalm 118:24 - "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Bus I took across the country, I told ya'll it was nice

Grace the first day I got there on December 14th

Christmas picture in the grocery store
Bedtime



Soccer field

Mommy's birthday

Giving out cake at the prison. Love seeing Jesus in Thelma's smile


Giving out legos of love with the Waits family
Grace loves pancakes

Bath time

First doughnut
and this would be why I do not eat meat

Grace's first balsito Miskito version of ice cream more like frozen milk

Thelma and Grace on our girls night out to eat tacos


 
Merry Christmas!!



Some missionaries who live on an island near Puerto Lempira invited all the gringos and all our kids to come spend the night relax and enjoy some wonderful American food.


Cheerleader for the soccer team


First time to go swimming

Playing at the park

Visiting my amazing friend Thelma in the hospital


Grace helping mommy pack


Grace's first airplane ride


First french fries... She wasn't quite sure about these

Happy 1st Birthday to Grace!



yummy cake

This is Judith the lady who Grace is staying with in La Cieba for the next few weeks
This is Judith's house

This is my friend Irma, her son and husband

Everyone at Irma's birthday party










Wednesday, January 12, 2011

My last week in La Moskitia did not go quite as I had planned.


I got everything ready for the VISA for Grace all I needed was the signature from Grace's birth mom. This was the step that I thought my be the end but I went to the radio and called Grace's grandparents asking for any information about Grace's birth mom. They called the next day and she was in their village. They put her on the phone and I was able to talk to her and she agreed to come on Monday and I would pay her 8 hour boat trip. At this point I was on top of the world it was really looking like I would be bringing my baby girl home and that I would not have to leave her for 4 months again. Well after we started to look more into everything on Sunday afternoon we realized that with the time and traveling we would have to do that it would probably not work out. Grace's birth mom was still coming in the morning so at this point I just decided that we would still go to the judge so I could get legal guardianship of Grace.
Well Monday comes and she isn't on the boat. We call there is an excuse of the boat not having gas.


Tuesday no show, another excuse that she is half way here and will be here early Wednesday morning.


Wednesday no show. I call  and she is still in her village. I tell her not to come because we are leaving Friday so we would not have time to go to the judge. I was excited to meet her, to see what she looks like, to take pictures of her with Grace so I could show Grace when she gets older, but none of what I wanted happened.


Thursday I went with the owner of my apartment and saw the apartment I will be living in when I move. This was a little more encouraging. He ask me if I wanted it painted and I said yeah PINK so he is going to paint my little room PINK for me. Even though its small I am excited and so is the owner and he is doing everything he can to make it as nice as possible for me!
After daydreaming about the apartment I had to pack and begin to think about Grace's 1st Birthday!


On Friday we went to La Cieba ( about a 2 hour plane ride) and had three wonderful days full of sightseeing, french fries, and cake! I left Grace there with a family so she can continue to see the specialist for the next few weeks and I went on to San Pedro Sula.


In San Pedro Sula I stayed with my friend Irma and her family. It was her 55 birthday and we had a great time. She is learning English so I helped her with her English homework which was funny.  It was a good end to the week. We went out to eat and then came home and had cake with her friends.


 On Monday morning I got to go tour the new  burn and children's surgery hospital that Irma will be administrator of. I met many contacts here for the children of La Moskitia who need surgery.


So all this to say in a full week  of time what I thought would happen did not happen but something far greater did:
I got to take my daughter to the city to celebrate her birthday. I got to take her to eat Wendy's, eat cake , go in a bouncy castle , and ride little rides. I got to go with Irma to her work and meet doctors and people from the states who manufacture burn creams. I met the founder of the hospital and she gave me her phone number and she told me to call anytime we need a child to come.


If things had gone the way I planned I would not have met these people and more children would not be able to get help. Through these connections any child that needs a surgery will be able to go to their hospital for free if the hospital is able to do the surgery.


"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord... "
He has " plans" for every child of La Moskitia! I am so thankful that time after time the LORD's will is done and not mine. Even though I throw a fit like a toddler He continues to be patient and say just wait I have the plans and they are far greater than anything you could ever imagine!