Another day, Another Dollar

Buenos Noches!

It is 9:35 p.m. on Sunday, June 16, 2013. I just said goodbye to my church group, FBC Tuscaloosa. They came to stay at the children’s home for a week and work with the kids. They built relationships with the kids that I believe will last a long time. These kids and team members shed many tears today while saing goodbye. It was not an easy sight for me to see because I know that in 2 weeks that will be me. I am now down to my last two weeks here. I have had 2 breakdowns already. I was talking with Flor, a 19 year-old-girl who is living with Kelly and Trisha as she finishes her last year of high school, on Saturday. While we were talking she started to cry as we were talking about how much love Kelly and Trisha has for her and how much I love her. Has I saw the tears run down her face I couldn’t hold my tears back. It was a moment that I will treasure forever. Siting and talking with her about how much love she has in her life and crying over me leaving in 2 weeks. You might be thinking, “you have two weeks left…that’s a lot of time.” If you only knew how fast two weeks flys by. I can’t believe I am already done with 5 weeks. Time flys when you are loving life and loving beautiful children. The second breakdown I have had was tonight. Tonight, I got the privilege to go to the mission house with the Tuscaloosa team and have dinner with them. Mike Edwards, the Honduran field director for BMDMI was sharing about a moment he had with one of the kids from the home his past week at a youth conference. It brought tears to my eyes to see the love and passion that Mike and all the other missionaries have for these children. These children are marvelous. The particular teenager has brought a cheerful smile to my heart these past few weeks. I have gotten to talk more with him and get to know him very well. He is a sweet boy with a bright future ahead of him if he will stay motivated and focused in school. I am overwhelmed and blessed with the opportunity that God has given me this summer. I am able to experience God’s love and presence in an extraordinary way.

                So I mentioned in the beginning that FBC Tuscaloosa was here this past week. It was a great week. I really enjoyed getting to know everyone and even made some friendships that I hope to continue when I return home. I know I say this all the time, but I truly mean every bit of it, I am SOOO thankful for my FBC Tuscaloosa family. Within this past year I have been able to meet so many new people through different ministries in the church. I have gotten to know more youth, people coming into our college ministry in the fall, my amazing adopted parents, and other great adults in the church. God has blessed me so much. The Tuscaloosa team had bible studies, sports, and night activities with the kids throughout the week. They were able to build strong and deep connections with the kids. I thank God for this past week. It was tiring, full of so many bumps, but it was a blessing that I will be able to keep with me here and take back to the states with me. Two of my favorite memories from this past week was first watching the Honduras vs. Jamaica soccer game on a big projector one night with all the kids and team. Honduras played great and won! They will be playing USA on Tuesday, June 18. Get ready Honduras, USA is gonna dominate! Haha Another great memory was getting to tuck my sweet babies in from Casita 1 in one night. We watched a movie one night and I was able to tuck all my little boys into bed and pray with them at night. It was a sweet and beautiful sight. They all prayed out loud as I was leaving their room, saying “Thank you God for my life. Thank you God for my family. I love you . Amen”. Oh it was beautiful.

                I last wrote on June 2 and 3. Bailey and Morgan were leaving and Hannah and Gigi were starting their second week here. I can’t tell you how much I loved seeing Bailey, meeting Morgan, and the second week getting to know Hannah and Gigi even more. It’s amazing how fast you can get to know someone and feel so comfortable around someone after only knowing one another for a week or two weeks. Haha I love you South Haven girls and I am SOOO ready to come see you guys! And Bailey, you better be ready for our road trip to see Angie! It’s going to be fab!
                These last two weeks are going to be hard, sad, and fun. I am going to be spending some time with the McKenzie family and the transition home girls. I am going to have to attend my last church service for a while, I am going to have to say goodbye to my lovely students I have gotten to be with these past few weeks, and I am going to have say my goodbyes to all of the children and staff here. It’s going to be a dreadful day come June 29. Mom, if your reading this I am sorry. Haha I am excited about seeing you and dad, but I am not ready to come home. It’s never easy to come home and leave my life here behind. Today, I was talking with two girls who are here for a little time this summer and I asked them “do you eve wish you could have your Honduran life with your North American life?”. It’s something that I wish I could have all the time. I wish I could have all of my Honduran family with me in the states, but I wish I could have all my North American family with me in Honduras. It’s just never going to be easy to be away from these people and this place. Once it has captured your heart, you will never be the same again. It’s true love. I know what true love is. It’s the love I have with these kids.  I can’t wait for the day that my family can come here and meet my kids and meet all of the wonderful people that are in my life here. Showing pictures and telling stories about these people will never be able to suffice the way I feel for these people.
                I know that I always say this at the end of my blog entries, but I truly mean it and I want everyone to always know I am grateful for all the prayers and financial help I have received over the past months. Without you and the Lord I could not be here living out a dream of mine. I would not be able to do the mission the Lord has given me. I am forever humbled and blessed by each of you all and your faithfulness to the Lord. I pray the Lord would bless you and your family and your ministry. I love you all so much. I can’t wait to see you all soon. Keep the prayers coming! Roll Tide!

                P.S. HUGE SHOUT OUT TO MY BROTHER AND FUTURE SISTER-IN-LAW!!! Holla, I’m getting a sister!!!!!!! You cannot even understand my excitement! I have wanted a sister ever since I was little and the Lord saw my desire and blessed it. Hahaha I am SOOO happy for my brother and Elsa. She is going to be an amazing parent of our family! September can’t some soon enough. I am dying to see you guys! I can’t wait to travel central America with them one day! It’s going to be amazing. I love you both!
Also, I love you mom and dad! You both are in my prayers and thoughts all the time. I miss you and can’t wait to see you on June 29! Dad, if you see this PLEASE PLEASE don’t let mom have a banner hanging from the house when I come home. Thank you dear Father. Love you MOM!

 

                                                                                                                Te Amo Siempre,

                                                                                                                                HayleyJ

Reckless Faith

Hola mi amigos and mi familia.

Como estas? Estoy muy bien. Estoy aprendiendo much espanol. I have been bale to see a huge difference in my knowledge of Spanish from last year to this year. I am able to understand a lot of what the people here are saying than I am speaking. I am able to speak more this year, but its still a huge work in progress. I have  a long way to go until where I would love to be. I had the plans to have a translator, but the plans have changed about 2 weeks into my stay and I am now on my own. I think not having a translator has helped me because I am forced to speak in Spanish more and I am forced to listen/learn what the people are saying to me. I fully believe that full immersion is the only way you will ever learn a language. I think I am getting about 75% full immersion right now.

So I last wrote on May 21. Today is June 2. It’s about 10pm at night so it’s really almost June 3. This past week a friend whom I met here last year came to visit with her sister and two friends. Bailey, my good friend, had the awesome idea of coming for a week with her two friends and sister and doing an appreciation dinner for the Tias. If you are not familiar with Spanish the word “tia”means aunt. But here the tia’s are the ladies who run each casita of kids. Each casita has 2 tia’s except for the teenage boys and girls have 1 tia. These women cook, clean, care, love, teach, laugh, and spend time with these children. These women are Godly women who give up living with some of their own families to come and serve the Lord here. They are amazing, hard-working women who don’t get enough credit or appreciation as they deserve. So Bailey, Morgan, Hannah, and Gigi came this week to have a dinner and special night for these special women. The kids helped throughout the week to get ready for the dinner and to make bags and special letters for each tia. Last night, Saturday, was the dinner. Six boys from casita 2, teenage boys casita, served the tia’s to a special dinner. The tia’s really enjoyed their time. I have lots of photos that I can’t wait to share.
                Today was Lupe’s Cumpleanos! She turned 11 years old. I can’t believe that when I met her she was 8 yeas old. I have been so blessed to be with her on her 10^th and 11^th birthday. Thank you Lord! She is growing up. I kept asking her throughout the week how old she would be. She responded most of the time with a blank stare. Some of the kids here don’t know how old they are or what their birthday is. I kept quizzing her because it’s so important to know that. I asked her again tonight and she responded with “once anos”. I was proud. Haha Today we had a beautiful church service. It was Pastor Abner and Alisson’s 1 year anniversary of being at the home. I remember when they arrived last year. I was one of the first visitors that they met. It was a pleasure and blessing to welcome them here. We celebrated the Lord’s supper. It was beautiful and a great reminder about why I am here. After church we had lunch and then I went to the Valley with Daniela and Abner to drop off Tia Gina. She had to go to Teguc today. We had fun conversations. When we returned to the home there was a visiting BMDMI team here. They were from Alabama. I met several people from Birmingham. I even met a man who graduated from Jordan High School and a lady who use to live in Fultondale. Crazy!! After the team left we took Casita 6 swimming. They are the girls from 10-12. They are a fun group of girls. This is Lupe’s casita. She has wanted to go swimming for her birthday and it was good weather this afternoon so we took advantage of it. A few weeks ago I taught the “color game” to the girls. I changed it up a little and started to do children that live in the home. They loved it. I kept having girls jump in my arms saying “colur y nombre jugar”. Hahaha I could play this game all day with these girls. It’s always the small things. After we went swimming we had dinner and then went to casita 6 to make a cake for Lupe & Maria’s birthday. Maria will be 13 on Wednesday. We decided to have the cake Monday after school because it was too late to be eating cake. I didn’t want the girls to be jumping off the walls, literally, at bed time.
                It has been a great week here visiting with Bailey and getting to know Morgan, her sister, Hannah and Gigi. They are awesome girls. I will have to make a trip to Mississippi soon! I am sad to see this week end because Bailey and Morgan will be leaving. Hannah and Gigi will be here another week so it will be good to have them here. This next weekend Kristen Garrett, a good friend I met here last year, will be coming to stay for a few days. I am very excited to see her again too. Something so amazing about this place and BMDMI trips is that you meet so many new people and you create great friendships. I have met so many new friends through this journey in my life. Last year I met a lady who is most likely me in about 15 years! She is a joy to be around or to talk to over the phone when you need a laugh or some encouragement. Bailey has been one of the biggest encouragers to me through this past year. I don’t know how I have lived 20 years without her! She is amazing and a true blessing from the Lord. The list could go on and on about all the amazing people I have met through BMDMI and this children’s home. It’s been a true blessing.

                Speaking of meeting amazing people, I met a lady who is from the Getwell team a few weeks ago. She came to visit Daniela and see how the process of getting her to the states for college is going. She is a genially Godly woman. Her faith is so strong and a huge encouragement. She sent me a book back with Bailey for me. It is called Reckless Faith. If you know anything about me its probably that I never read. It’s just not my forte. But I have almost finished the book in one week! This book is about a lady and her husband and their reckless faith in the Lord. It’s more like a journal entry type read, but its is amazing. It is by Beth Guckenberger. I am learning so much through this book. The Lord is teaching me a lot about having that child-like faith and reckless faith in the Lord. I encourage you all to read this book.

                I hope you all are doing well. I really do miss you all. I am having an amazing time, though. Haha I am going to be one sad girl when I leave, but I am not thinking about that day. I am enjoying every day like it’s my last. These children bring true joy in my life. I have never been happier at where I am in. I am looking forward to the day I am able to move here and teach! God is the author of my story and I am waiting recklessly for his voice to guide me to the next stage of life. Ever since I turned 21 I feel so much stronger in making big girl decisions about life. I know that sounds silly, but its true. It could also have something to do with me being here. Haha I ask you would all continue to pray with me about my future and my time while I am here. God is working and moving. Please pray for a few specific things. First, pray for more babies. Trisha and Kelly have accepted several different young ones and they are just waiting on the court and INFA to allow the children to come here. It’s been difficult lately for some reason. Secondly, pray for my friend, Lester. He is a young man who left the home in March because he is 18. He is currently living with a tia who works at the home during to day. She has become like his mom because he doesn’t have family. He is in major need of work. Please lift up some powerful prayers for work to be delivered to him. Pray also that it would be encouragement to his faith in the Lord. Also please pray for his walk with the Lord. Thirdly, please pray for the missionaries here. Trisha and Kelly Lawrence, Kevin and Julie McKenzie, Larry and Karol Morris, Mike and Marty Edwards, and Abner and Alisson Mejia are the missionaries that are specifically involved in this home. Please lift up prayers for each family. These people are all amazing Godly men and women who need encouragement. This job is a blessing, but can be very difficult sometimes. Thank you all for the prayers. I love you all so much. God bless!

 

                                                                                                Hayley