We’ve been home from Honduras for 3 days now and I still can’t find the words to describe this trip, but I’m still going to try because I don’t want my mushy brain to forget.

Hearts were for sure changed…I’m not talking about the Hondurans we met, although I pray that they saw Jesus in the way we loved them last week, but I’m talking about McKayla, Amelia and me, we will never be the same and I am so grateful for that! Just like our trips to China, you can’t come away from these kinds of trips and not be changed, its like God reveals himself to us in new ways.

Going into this trip I knew the various things we would be doing day to day and the schedule, the kids we would meet at the preschool and bilingual school, but what I hadn’t considered is the staff that works for Hope for Honduras, I just assumed they would be “staff”. Boy was I wrong, they are so much more than staff, they are like one big family who deeply love the Lord, one another, the kids and the community. I’ve never seen a group be more intentional with spreading the gospel and His love quite like this staff.

This past Sunday at church was all about Discipleship according to Jesus. “A true follower of Christ will be marked by love.” That was it, that was the difference I saw in the staff of Hope for Honduras, His love was oozing out of them, out of every pore. It was evident in everything they did, whether it was showing us what to do, driving down the roads and offering a ride to mothers and children, carrying 100lb bags of food for us to distribute or playing with the kids, there was nothing but love and joy. How often can I say that I did everything in a day with His love and joy? Never, thats how often! And we are called to “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Colossians 3:23

God has been hard at work on my heart and mind this past week. I have been super convicted, not only do I pray that one day my grumpy self will be oozing His love and joy too, but that I will be more intentional in the way I spend my time! I would love a community like the one we experienced in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, one where everyone leans on each other, supports, loves and guides each other to be more Christ like. May He use me like He is using Ron, Shelley, Daniela, Marco, Henry, Luis, Keyla and many more! He is also working on my thoughts…My dear friend Melysa spoke to a room full of Honduran women on Tuesday about the power of our thoughts, how the enemy uses our negative thoughts to convince us that we have nothing to offer, that no one cares about us, and with those thoughts it is keeping us stuck. We have to be intentional to take those thoughts captive, to remind us who God made us to be. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

Finally, the thing that I wasn’t expecting on this trip, was the transformation of my Amelia Joy! It’s as if the Lord lifted her little chin to help her see the world around her and she fully embraced it. Junior High can be so tough, and between this week and our week at Pine Cove our girl is pumped to get back to school. On the way home from church Sunday as we were passing her school she said “I get it now, why God allowed for me to not have any classes with my friends last year, I wouldn’t have made all the new friends that I now have. I’m excited to see how this year will go.” Jay and I responded with “He doesn’t always give us what we want, but He will always give us what we need.” WHAT? Are you kidding me with this kid! The growth in her is remarkable! I’m sitting here crying just thinking about it

I’m sitting at a Starbucks as I type this, and the song Lean on Me just came on! Ha! I see you God! “You just call on me brother, when you need a hand, we all need somebody to lean on, I just might have a problem that you’ll understand, we all need somebody to lean on, if there is a load you have to bear, that you can’t carry, I’m right up the road, I’ll share your load, if you just call me” If you ever need anything, tangible or just a prayer…you can lean on me!