THANKSGIVING TREE

Yep that is what you see. Thanksgiving is not something Hondurans celebrate but this year the kids in my english class in a way celebrated Thanksgiving with a twist. We traced our hands and in ENGLISH wrote something we were thankful for and then cut them out and decorated our classroom with a tree.

So since you probably can't read those what are they thankful for?

Family they named different family members (probably because that is the latest thing we learned) and playing soccer. Gotta love them!

What am I thankful for?

I am thankful for the families of Americans here who have become my family in Honduras.

I am thankful for each of you who dedicate so much of your time to simply be my voice and the voice of the Miskito people in the States. I am thankful for those of you who give so that we can simply be the ones who get to love on these children daily. I am thankful for those of you I have never met face to face but you continue to collect items so that these hands will have something special to open on Christmas.

I am thankful that even though I said I would never be a teacher I somehow stumbled upon teaching almost 200 street children English and I LOVE it.

I am thankful for the hours spent lifting us up in prayer. I am thankful for the words of encouragement that keep me going when the going gets hard.

I am thankful that I get to be mommy to the spunkiest Miskito princess around.


I am thankful for a God who is so much bigger than I can fathom. For a God who has gigantic plans for Root Ministries than I could NEVER EVER dream of. For a God who loves us!

What are you thankful for this year?

At the end of October I had the opportunity to go to a Women of Purpose Conference for missionary women of Honduras in Tegucigalpa.  An amazing retreat I cannot even begin to put into words, a time to relax, and rest in the Lord presence, to feel that Love we try to pour out onto those we serve. It was so cool to watch the Lord work in getting all four of the missionary women here to that conference. A group of women in West Virginia put on a conference in West Virginia once a year that 600 women attend at that conference they ask the women to support a missionary to come to the same conference that they put on later that year in Honduras. The missionary women for all around Honduras are able to travel, eat, and sleep at this retreat because of those women in West Virginia.  Here is the problem number one… we live a little farther out than most. So where others simply had to take a bus all four of us would have to take a plane before we could take that bus. So the lady who organized the retreat sent us an email and said if the plane was paid for how many of yall could come.   Problem number two I was not about to leave Grace so she was going to have to be able to come and then I would need to find someone in a city I don’t know to watch her during the conference. A few days later an email saying that a donor donated 1000 dollars BUT specifically for travel of women who would not be able to come to the conference otherwise. If you are doing the math 4 of us at 250 a plane ticket is EXACTLY 1000 dollars. They had no clue about us.  Another email from the conference organizer that Grace could stay in HER own house and her nanny could take care of her. 

At that point completely blown away and amazed by the Lord we boarded the plane. We went up on a mountain to a retreat center and had a time I could talk about forever. We all came home on a “mountaintop high”.

A few days after we came home I felt like I was free falling off that mountain and the clear direction I had only a short time before was now all gone.

Before we left for the retreat several things that had been falling into place so quickly seemed as though they were the Lord’s will and they were good and it was happening so fast how could it not be the Lord. Everything was a done deal we would complete when I returned.

Well all of that GONE.

I sat in an office ready to pay for land and heard the words SORRY I can’t sale you that land.

What do you mean you can’t sale me the land you said you would sale me that land at that price as something you could give me to start out.  But the feeding program is going to be there and the house where I can raise my children is going to be there.

A simple Sorry I cant do that price. Was all I got.

I felt so confused stunned sad hurt and lost. I couldn’t even see where to begin again.

Then I heard the TRUTH loud and clear.

Get it together. I closed that door for a reason. TRUST ME. Follow Me. The Lord saying I have something planned and I can not wait to show you it is going to be so much more than anything that you could ever dream of.

I say all of this humbly coming before those of you who have supported the purchase of the land and asking that you stick with me. I am in awe of your support and do not take one penny of it for granted. I know the sacrifices each of you has made to provide for us and I am forever grateful. I continually pray that the Lord closes the doors on things that are not HIS will and while I feel completely blind right now I can cling to the Truth that He is who He says He is and He knows the plans. I have begun the process of looking for land yet again knowing that the Lord does have the perfect place for us and I just have to trust Him to lead me there.

I am asking all of you to cling tight to those truths with me and to come before the Throne and plead His LIGHT lead us.

Honduran experience #4

What is one word to describe your experience?
-Challenging

What was your first impression when you got off the plane?
-I've been on many different kinds of planes all my life and landed on all types of runways but that dirt, pothole filled runway was by far the worst. My first thought after stepping out of the plane was --Lord, Help me survive this experience. And then I saw Morgan and Grace and I felt a huge sigh of relief!

How was your experience diffferent than you imagined?
-I thought it would be more rewarding but instead I was angered and frustrated that I could not help everyone there.

Where did you see the Lord during your time here?
-In Morgan, Lily, and the Waits family. True believers who live for the Lord and want to spread the love of Jesus Christ.

What was your favorite part of your trip?
-I enjoyed the walking through the village and just enjoying each day to the fullest. It was nice not being in the hustle of everyday life with traffic and the radio and cellphones. Reminded me of what is important in life and what isn't.

What was hard for you to see or do?
-The hospital broke my heart. Healthcare is something we as US citizens take for granted. Also, the living conditions are pitiful. 10+ people living in a one room hut is hard to even imagine let alone actually see.

What do you feel like the Lord taught you during you time in PL?
-Patience. And He reminded me to treat others the way I want to be treated. And how you should not have to tell people you are a Christian, people should SEE the Lord in you through your words and your actions.

How did those first impressions change as you got back on that plane headed for the states?
-I survived and it was worth it! And I need to learn Spanish before I go back!

Honduran Experience #3

What is one word to describe your experience?
life-changing

What was your first impression when you got off the plane?
Dusty. Haha!

How was your experience diffferent than you imagined?
It was emotionally harder than I imagined. I wasn't quite prepared for the heartbreak I experienced.

Where did you see the Lord during your time here?
In Morgan and the Waitts. Despite the circumstances there was constant joy for serving and for the people in the community.

What was your favorite part of your trip?
Going to the hospital. Not. My favorite part was the children. Grace, Henry, the kids at Send Hope, the kids in the street.

What was hard for you to see or do?
Waching the papa K slice open a mothers uterus.
It was hard for me to hear the stories of abuse and abandonment of the children.

What do you feel like the Lord taught you during you time in PL?
God showed me his heart in a way. I came home very sad, confused, and pessimistic. I couldn't quite grasp why many of the kids have to live through certain things and lack many of the basic human rights such as love, food, and education. He gently reminded me that He knows. He feels all of the pain. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." God will one day bless the children struggling right now in Puerto Lempira and the surrounding villages if they come to the knowledge of Him. Like Psalm 27:10 says, "Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me." No matter how much I hate it, suffering is going to happen. God reminded me that my job is to spread His good name so that one day they may have no suffering and much rejoicing with Him in heaven.

Honduran Experience #2

One word to describe my experience... well i have M-A-N-Y!!! but if i had to only choose one i would say "EYE OPENING"...

First impression when i got off the plane... "OH MY HEAVENS WHAT HAVE WE SIGNED UP FOR?"

The experience was different than I imagined only in one way… I was VERY surprised to see a lot of the men of the community not helping out… For example: While working on Ebbetie’s house, there were like five guys with watches, cell phones and necklaces wearing nice clothes just hanging out on the porch while our men (Rick, Kevin and Alex) were working nonstop. I would have thought they would have offered to help, especially seeing two women (Amanda and I) in the hot sun working as well. This I found very different!

Where I saw the Lord was EVERYWHERE we went!!! Especially in little Morgan! God only knows how she is capable of doing what she does every day! I think I had, at minimum, ten break downs while I was there, NO REALY, BREAK DOWNS!!! Not from the lack of water, air conditioning, transportation, or from my feet and legs swelling to the size of an elephant or other things we have been spoiled with, but by seeing the amount of NEED that is in Puerto Lempira. I saw the Lord all thru Morgan and what she is doing to assist in Honduras! If I can live to be 1% of the Christian woman she is than I feel I have done well! Morgan is by far one of the most giving, understanding, caring, loving, patient, trustworthy, living for God woman I have ever had the absolute pleasure of meeting! When I asked her how she does it… she always answered, “Thru God, God will provide”! Morgan is one of the most special people I have ever met and I feel honored to have spent time with her and helping her with her mission. I pray that I get to come back VERY soon! I feel as though I’m a better person now just from knowing her!

My favorite part of the trip? Hmmmm? That is def a tuff question… The orphanage, House of Hope was Amazing in so many ways! I honestly could have set up camp and lived there! To know that most of these children would have no chance if it were not for the House of Hope just broke my heart! When I took their pics with my polaroid camera and they got to keep the pics right then… that was AMAZING to see their little faces all lit up! And the Princess Party! Getting all the little girls ready with hair, makeup, glitter and nails, then picking them up so they could see their selves in the mirror… INCREDIBLE!!! Their little faces jus LIT up like Christmas trees and it was like they couldn’t believe they were looking at themselves! Eating with Oscar, his wife and four children who sacrificed two of their chickens for us was such an honor… and to know that their seven year old was the one who actually killed the chickens was amazing! Their children were so well behaved and the family was so kind to us! I could not get over how TALENTED Oscar is!!! To know he built all his furniture his self… incredible… and to know that they made you a table for your fridge to sit on and then carried it approximately 2 ½ miles to deliver it to you! AMAZING!!! I also loved meeting little Crystal! The way she latched on to that little doll that sang Jesus Loves Me in English was such a moving experience! I’m def sending her one on the next shipment. Meeting Alex, Laura, Arlee and their other three boys was amazing as well! Such a selfless family to give up such lucrative careers in the States to move to Honduras in order to try and make a difference! But most of all my favorite part of the trip was seeing your eyes light up when you saw your big brother! There is nothing stronger than family and that is something you def have! That boy would walk to the ends of this earth for you and his little niece Grace! To see the love that two people share is just incredible and again, I feel so honored to have been a part of it! I could go on and on and on with all my favorite parts of the trip, Meeting PaPa K and driving around in his “Mercedes” with Kevin crunched in the back while looking for his land that he had NO IDEA where it all was… the first day walking the entire COUNTRY seeing all the different houses, people, stores. Seeing how different everything is from the States and how TRULY BLESSED we are and how much we take for granted!!! Seeing all the children giggle when we walked by and said Hola to them… oh let me stop… this is going to be 25 pages long! OVERALL I LOVED EVERYTHING about this experience and will treasure it for the rest of my life… I am def forever changed!

Hmm… what was hard for me to see or do… at first the living conditions were very hard for me to get use to but then I realized that that is all they are used to so it’s not that bad for them. I mean if you don’t know any different…. It was very difficult to see the amount of Narks they had there and no way to stop them! Very difficult to see so many young women giving birth to children they cannot provide for, for one reason or another. It was a little difficult for me to meet Mel and have him welcome me with open arms knowing that he is in prison for murder. But the Lord says you seek him and he will forgive you and I feel that Mel is a prime example of that! He was so educated and so kind. He really could have made something out of his life if only he had had the opportunity. The hardest thing for me to see was the young 12 year old little girl who had a three month old baby due to being raped by two men! I guess this is where my non-Christian ways come into play because I just don’t understand how you could forgive something like that! She was a CHILD!!! But she is an AMAZING Mother and a remarkable young lady. I admire her strength so much! It was very hard to visit the House of Hope and NOT want to take every one of those children home! Three in particular! I would have given my right leg for! And Thelma, to know that she is of age and could make it on her own here in the States and be very successful because she is SO smart and talented but she chooses to stay in order to take care of her four sister… one of which is completely disabled… meeting her was when I had one of my major break downs! This poor child was just so full of life and love! You couldn’t help but to fall in love with her! It was hard to see the pain in PaPa K’s eyes about the loss of his beloved son! You could tell that the loss has affected him deeply! I pray that he finds peace by honoring his son and helping other in Honduras!

The Lord def taught me and showed me that even though I am a good person I def need to be living more for the LORD and not for me! I need to be in a church family and hearing the Lords words! I need to rely on the Lord more and pray a LOT more often! I need to surround myself with more Christian people and put my talents to work! I plan to rally like I’ve never rallied before to get school uniforms to the children of Puerto Lempira who require only that in order to attend school… I plan to flood Puerto Lempira with “Brown” Barbie dolls being that all they have are white Barbie’s… this is jus not right! Lol… and I also plan on doing some sort of silent action maybe in the beginning of next year in order to raise money for Morgan’s cause and orphanage!

Honduran Experience #1

Over the next few days I will post what others who have visited Puerto Lempira have to say about their experiences here. I thought it would be good for yall to see things through their eyes.

What is one word to describe your experience?
Unforgettable

What was your first impression when you got off the plane?
I thought it looked JUST like all the pictures you have posted. I was beside myself with excitement and ready to explore!

How was your experience different than you imagined?
It was different because I thought I would be able to share God’s word with more people but once I was there I realized; first, I can’t speak Spanish or Moskito so communicating was not easy and secondly, you have to establish a relationship with them first. I also didn’t realize there are “street kids”…..I just assumed everyone was poor and didn’t go to school. It breaks my heart to know these kids are able to get an education because they can’t afford uniforms. The way the government works blows my mind as well….how they have to conserve water and electricity. I realized I take so many SIMPLE things for granted everyday!

Where did you see the Lord during your time here?
 I saw the Lord working in Morgan, The Waits and Oscar and his family. These people seemed so happy with their lives and truly seemed to enjoy serving the Lord.

What was your favorite part of your trip?
Eating lunch at Oscar’s home, time spent with Dr. Kianifar, exploring and learning about the culture, working on Ebette’s home and last but not least, TIME WITH MORGAN & GRACE!!! I TRULY enjoyed that more than anything!!!!

What was hard for you to see or do?
It was hard for me to deal with the filth….being dirty and never having a HOT shower to feel clean. The hardest thing for me to see was the children at the House of Hope. Also, seeing Morgan’s students so eager to learn when most of the children in the US dread going to class. Its truly heartbreaking.

What do you feel like the Lord taught you during you time in Puerto Lempira?
Not to take the simple things in life for granted. Appreciate what you have. Don’t lust for material things and give all you can to others!!!!!!

How did those first impressions change as you got back on that plane headed for the states?
The fear of “catching” something, germs and diseases slowly diminished. When I got on the plane, I wished I had gotten “closer” to the children and wished that I had not asked for such a busy schedule because I would have enjoyed just following Morgan and Grace around and learning about their way of life.