We have internet!

We’re back in the hotel in Honduras. First internet in 5 days….I apologize for the delay in updates, but let me tell you…

Everything is more than I imagined….our living conditions are far worse than I imagined, the work is harder than I expected and the children are more lovable than I could have imagined. See, even though I should be prepared for this trip, it’s still so much more than I imagined.

I’m proud of this team. They have worked hard, they loved fully and they have been changed. See anyone can work hard – pouring concrete, building forms, attaching walls and screwing together metal braces. But it takes a willingness to allow the work to affect you. To get to know the person you are working alongside of….not just their name, but a little piece of their story. The team has done that and then some.

So, for the majority of our stay, we’ve been deep in Honduras….and by deep, I mean 6 hours in the back of a pick up truck far away from the city, on dirt road that would qualify as a decent hiking trail in the states. We had electricity – but that’s it. No running water, no internet…..oddly, cell phones (ah, the benefits of commercial competition – thanks Digi-Cell, Tigo and Claro for enabling cell service even in the more remote parts of Honduras in search of profit ☺). We took “showers” with buckets of cold water, we woke up at 3am with the roosters and we fell asleep exhausted every night. It’s certainly been an adventure….

The team will start posting to this blog with their personal stories in the next few days, but I thought I’d give you a taste of the adventure. While building cement forms, the team heard some commotion and watched as a bull, in the middle of a “branding” escaped. The locals tried to stop the bull, but unsuccessfully. Before they knew it, the bull was running directly toward the team, who was standing in a narrow alley – let’s just say, we learned that Tommy has a 6 foot vertical jump, Nathaniel would not have been a successful matador and Patrick has got speed! For the moms and significant others reading this, don’t worry – no one was injured!

To everyone who has financially and prayerfully supported the team – THANK YOU! Now, enough from me….team, let’s go – share your story!
-Jenn

And We're Off...

Tomorrow morning at 6am the team will jump on the plane and head to Honduras! I'm bringing a laptop, and will do my best to keep you up to date with stories and photos from the trip.
Over the last couple of days, God has been teaching me a lot about surrender and preparation. It's a funny process, living with an attitude of surrender and preparation---you spend your life surrendering to God and what He's asking of you, then preparing to do what He's asking. But, at least for me, the thing I am preparing for becomes less important (in some ways) than the process of preparing and surrendering.

I know this trip will be incredible, and I know that, because God has transformed me in the process of preparing. And now, with the trip literally 24 hours away, I am feeling very called to surrender...my expectations, my pride in my own skills, even the team. I'm surrendering all of it to God and trusting that all this preparation had a significant purpose.

As a leader, I feel very humbled, and as a friend reminded me, "that's all the better - the more for God to glorify Himself!" That's what this entire trip is about - God and His glory. We are merely along for the ride....and I'm sure it'll be quite a ride.

While we are traveling and working, please continue to pray for the team. Pray for health, safety and the ability to complete all 36 latrines.

Can't wait to return and share stories of how God used us, changed us and changed some people we are excited to meet in Honduras

Honduras

Typical Honduran Village Home:









Thank you everyone that donated all the great items for us to take to Honduras, last night we packed up all sorts of crates with great things for the kids and families of Honduras.

We are truly blessed to go on this magnificent journey.
-Nigel

Honduras Pictures

Honduras Pictues 2

Seriously?!?

Just a quick post to note another crazy God moment. On a quick status call with our trip logistic coordinator and she just happens to mention that we received another anonymous $1,000 donation! WHAT?!?!

Then, jumped on a quick phone call with Jessica, who is one of the 5 ladies coming on the trip. Jessica has been coordinating donations and said she received a $500 donation to buy toys and supplies for the kids we'll meet down there!

I'm literally dumbfounded.

And, if I'm honest, I'm humbled....how is my daily life idea of God so small?

Loaves and Fishes

There is a story in the Bible about how Jesus fed over 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. The people have been following him for several days, they are hungry, out of food and in the wilderness. Jesus' friends are worried about the crowd and go to Jesus for help. He takes the food they had, and multiples it, feeding everyone present, with food left over.

Here's an excerpt from the story:

"He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread and fish to the disciples to hand out to the crowd. After the people had eaten their fill, twelve baskets of leftovers were gathered up."
-Luke 9 (The Message)

Although I haven't recently seen God multiply the contents of my refrigerator, I have seen that "loaves and fishes" reality in preparing for this trip.

In this week, we have raised $5,425 for the Honduras trip! This is incredible - not only because it's a tremendous amount of money to have raised in a few short days, but because of the way it has all happened. See, we raised the money because individual people decided to do something....to act on a crazy idea they had....to pitch in and help out in whatever way possible (share their home, their time, etc)...to do their part.

And actually, as I think about it, that's the crazy part of the "loaves and fishes" story in the Bible too. The "WOW" factor of the story is not that Jesus was able to multiply the food. Now, don't get me wrong, that multiplication of food to feed 5,000 hungry people is pretty dang cool. But, I believe Jesus is my Lord and Savior and that God is the creator of heaven and earth....so a bunch of bread and fish seems like a pretty light day on the job for a God with that kind of capacity.

No, the amazing thing about the story is not that Jesus multiplied "loaves and fishes", the amazing thing is that He used the disciples to do it! Seriously, go back to the top and re-read the story!

Jesus uses us!

He wants us to grow. To be changed. To participate in His work in this world. He wants us to take the talents, abilities, and resources we have and use them. God doesn't need us to accomplish His work in this world, but rather, He invites us to be involved. The real miracle of the story, in the Bible (and my own), is that God allowed the disciples (and me) to participate in what He was doing.

And this week, God allowed a ton of people to participate in His work by raising money for the Honduras team. Thank you to all of you who listened to God and did something. And thank you, God, for the being willing to use me.