My Plans or His Plans?

Before I moved to La Moskitia I met with some different people who advised me to make a 5 year plan of where I saw the ministry going.

My 5 year plan looked something like this:

 (actually I don't even know where that paper is anymore but I think it looked like this with a few more details)

Year 1 move, love on Grace, get adjusted.

Year 2 start looking for land and  build a house.

Year 3 move in the house

and then Years 4 and 5 I don't remember at all

Well whats new...

 The Lord kind of has His own plans. I just get to be along for the ride and really don't get that much say in how things go.

Here is what the Lord has planned for YEAR ONE.

move

love on Grace

adjust- kind of.

 (some things here are totally normal to me now but in many ways I am still very much a gringa)

buy land and start to build a house.

Catch that last one.. BUY LAND! IT IS OFFICIALLY A DONE DEAL.

 

the first time we saw the "possible" land in November 2011.

So there goes my 5 years in less than a year.

 I am ready for what the Lord has planned for year 2.

It is amazing how he has provided for things I did not plan for when I moved. I did not raise support ahead of time to start a feeding program. I did not find sponsors ahead of time to send kids to school.I did not raise support ahead of time to buy land. I did not raise support ahead of time to build a house. 
The Lord has provided what He has seen fit to provide for.

That little white post on the right is one corner.

I'm just a little excited to sit on my porch with that view!

Grace enjoying the room to run

and throw rocks

Isaiah 45:3

"I will give you... riches stored in secret places

so that you may know that I am the LORD the God of Israel, who summons you by name."

Grace and her buddy Aaron digging for treasure.

Hair revisited

I've only been doing this hair thing for a year and a half now and I still have questions! 

(G's hair just started growing in the past 8 months so maybe I can get a little slack there)

Here is some advice from a friend on the topics of washing,combing, products,and must haves of African hair.

Washing:
I co wash every other day (wash with conditioner only) and wash with a moisture shampoo once a week. To keep the curls after you wash apply the leave in conditioner and let it air dry. Don't touch or comb because it will frizz.

Combing:
ONLY comb with a wide tooth comb when hair is soaking wet if not it will break.

Products:
I love Cantu leave in conditioner it's a Shea Butter cream. Always moisturize her hair. I, love natural products like kinky curl, Cantu, Curls and Giovanni. Once a week I do a hot oil treatment/deep condition. I use the spray bottle on days that I don't wash it with conditioner because if you already have products in the hair from the daybefore and if you spray it with water the water will reactivate the products that are all ready in the hair . Also I if you can find some coconut oil and melt it to make it a liquid you can put that on her hair to, mainly on the ends but all over won't hurt.
Must have:
The best thing you can keep is a spray bottle, leave in conditioner, wide tooth comb and moisturizer

Anyone else have anything to add? 
 We are all going to do everything a little different but I am open to hearing how everyone does it so I have different ideas to try!

Pictures are way more fun so here are some of  how Grace has grown (and her hair) over the past year and a half:

6 months

8 months

11 months

1 year old

16 months

18 months

20 months

22 months

23 months

2 years old

Today I took the 3 boys to do something most kids LOVE to do every year.

BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING...

This year thanks to the sponsorship program 15 kids will be attending school!

Talk about exciting!

In order for the kids to go to PUBLIC school here they must have the uniform and the shoes. Without these they are not allowed to enter the school. This cuts out a large number of children from being able to attend school each year.

Today, I was able to see the Lord work a dream come true in these brothers lives.

Praising the Lord that I was able to be a part of these boy's first back to school shopping experience!

 Praising the Lord they  will be attending school this year!

 Praising the Lord as we talked about dreams they they have the chance to achieve those dreams with an education.

Praising the Lord they have a hope in Jesus Christ!

It is a good gift to give these boys uniforms.

It is a good gift to give these boys shoes.

It is a good gift to give these boys school supplies.

It is a good gift for these boys to receive an education.

BUT...

Romans 6:23

 ( I had an awesome video of the boys saying this verse but the Internet will not load it)

The price of sin is death while...

THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL FOR EVERYONE:

THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR. AMEN!

Shopping with 10 more tomorrow!

"I have a dream that ...one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers." MLK

　

I have a dream that one day right there in Alabama Grace will join hands with all those sisters and brothers!

TWO, DOS, or WAL

As I look back to the day when I became a mom and had the chance to decide what my little girl would be called for the rest of her life. That early summer morning when I chose to name her Grace. That day when she became a daily reminder of the Lord's grace to me. A reminder of how much grace I have been shown by the Lord. A reminder there is nothing we can do for our salvation but it is a free gift by grace that we receive that gift when we do not deserve it. A reminder that it is by grace that we are chosen, called, saved, redeemed, and forgiven. It is by grace that I am "mommy" but more than that it is by grace that I am a daughter of The Most High King!

Happy 2nd Birthday Grace! I love you and I am blessed to be your mommy!









Thanks Lanier for the family pictures!

This week has been nothing but AMAZING.

The first day of the feeding program was trial and error and I really had no clue what would happen. An hour before we began day one the people who were going to cut us the wood decided they were too tired to cut wood. So I sent a girl into town to buy wood. I had no clue how to cook on an open fire. Somewhere during that time a woman named Orida showed up and took over cooking the food. We had so many kids day one it was mad chaos trying to get everyone in a line to eat. Everyone was worried we would run out of food so we were rationing portions. In the end I was BEGGING kids to eat more food.


Day two was new years eve. We did not have as many kids this day but still counted around 50 kids. We used this day to get to know the kids by name and talk more one on one with them.


Day three we had around 60 kids. I began to recognize faces. The kids got the routine down knowing that there was enough for everyone. The kids began to ask more questions about the Lord. A teenage boy showed up and ask for a Bible and then ask if he could continue to help teach for this year!!


Day four with the Lord so clearly at work the enemy began to sneak in. It was the first day a taxi showed up on time to take the group out to the location. We got there early so the kids started coming early. The clouds started building and with no cover we knew we were all going to be soaked.  Some kids started a grass fire and as soon as we beat the fire out the rain came. The rain stopped long enough for the Gospel to be preached and the kids to recite their memory verse and then another down pour throughout lunch. Despite all of that we had around 80 kids attend.

The Lord could be the ONLY one to make this program come together because I surely had no clue how it was going to work.

The women who I would have NEVER in my wildest dreams picked to show up and help have been the FAITHFUL cooks.


The random teenager asking to help when I have been praying for a teacher.


The children so excited to recite scripture. The children asking questions. The children professing Jesus Christ as their Savior! The children asking for Bibles!


I am excited for the weeks to come knowing that I too am growing with these kids!


This program will continue as a Saturday program from now on. Continue to pray for these kids. Pray their eyes and hearts will be opened. Pray for their families.

Here are some pictures from this week: