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| Pico Bonito |
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| Melvin at the fish pond |
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| Ebert, Melvin, Franklin |
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| Melvin and me after swimming |
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| Princess Ariel moments in the jungle |
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| Ebert and me in a water fight For the past 2 weeks, Piper and Bill were also volunteering with Lisa and the boys (see last post about mosaics Here!). Bill is a pastor back in the States and Lisa's church asked him to preach a few times while he was here. Because he doesn't speak Spanish, I went up with him and translated as he preached. I can't say I've ever done that before, but it was a great experience and sometimes God uses you in ways you don't expect! |
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| Interpreting for pastor Bill
Last night was my last night with everyone. The boys 'surprised' me by singing happy birthday when I walked into the room and they had a tres leches cake and coca cola ready on the table. It was a perfect birthday/goodbye party. Lisa gave me a beautiful ring and a leather bracelet that says "paja 'ombe" on it, which is one of the first slang words the boys taught me and an inside joke from my first trip here. The boys each wrote me a letter and I saved those to read on the plane ride because I didn't want to ruin our happy night with getting even more emotional. (And I'm glad I did--because I was a hot mess flying from San Pedro to Houston.)
After cake and presents last night, we talked about how God has miraculously answered prayers in our lives by providing exactly what we need at the exact moment that we needed it, without having any type of reassurance beforehand. Going forward in obedience and believing that He will provide for us was what we counted on and did in response to following His will. The boys all prayed over me individually before I left to go pack and go to bed. Their prayers are some of the most heartfelt and sweetest words I could ever ask to hear and it's incredible to see how they're growing in their walk with God in their actions and how they treat others, and how they talk to God with confidence in knowing He hears and answers their prayers. After I read their letters on the plane, I was reminded of our talk last night about obedience to what God asks you to do. And how it's usually painful & sacrificial, but with the most incredible reward of an outcome better than you even hoped for. And that's where I'm at with, yet again, coming back to the States heartsick. As much as I'm excited to sleep in a more comfortable bed and see my friends and family...I just left my other family back in Honduras; my Bethesda family. People always ask and wonder why I use all my vacation time to keep going back to the same place--and Honduras of all places?! Don't I want to travel to other places? See other things? In short; yes. But I miss my family and I know God has called me to continue to be part of the Bethesda family. A local was asking Jeremias about me, and he told me his response to the person was "Well, she's not married...but she does have 4 kids". I can't quite describe it or explain it, but this house of seemingly random teenage boys off the street have become a part of me. God has hand-picked them to grow and learn in this home with Lisa. Although some of these boys do have parents, and they have Lisa as their foster mom, God has opened my heart and my life to what it's like to be a mother. Every time I go back, it's like seeing my kids again--obviously not to the same level as someone seeing their own kids, but it is a deep heartache being away from them and the most incredible moment when they pick me up at the airport and I hug each of them realizing just how much each of them has grown up in the past 6 months since I last saw them. And also a brief wave of sadness that I wasn't there with them for every moment of it. And it isn't always fun and laughter--it's breaking up arguments, assigning chores, figuring out what a fair punishment is for whatever they did, helping with homework, and counseling them in navigating through their heartbreaking pasts and what that means for their future. In one of the boys' letters I read today, he said "I hope you will always be able to come and be with us. I love you with my whole heart. Thank you for loving me so much...you're like a mom to me, and also a best friend too." *cue sobbing next to a stranger on the airplane* So my comfort is I'm going back to the States in obedience, and that I will see the boys again. Right now I know that God wants me to work as an RN in the States for at least the next 2 years. And that's clear from a promise that was spoken over me before I went to nursing school. But after those two years are up...I am open to whatever and where ever God leads me. Maybe working as on-call instead of full time and able to go to live with the boys more often? Move to Honduras for a few years? I have no idea, but I'm excited to see where God leads and what doors He opens.
I'm not sure when my next trip will be, but it will be sometime this next year. Please pray for wisdom in the timing and length of the next trip. Pray that God would call other people to go and serve with Lisa and support her in her ministry in one of the most violent and broken countries. Pray for the boys and their generation to be one that changes the cycle of poverty, violence, and drugs.
As always, I would love to take any teenage boys clothes and soccer gear off your hands! I'm always collecting stuff for the boys and when it's time for my next trip I'll take another suitcase down. If you would like to support Bethesda Home for Boys check out Bethesdahomeforboys.org for more info.  |
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