Boy has it been a while....

Greetings in the mighty name of Jesus!
It is a beautiful day here in Honduras. The birds are singing, the sun is shining and the mountains are just breathtaking with the greenest greens up against the bluest sky. Indeed it is going to be the greatest day ever. Well as most of you know I had an accident last Sunday and ended up with seven stitches in my head. For those of you who do not know about it, here is the delightful story.
It was a day much like today, children's church was over so I was playing soccer with the kids. I had worn heels to church but that didn't keep me from playing. But because of this I was a bit taller than usual. As I ran kicking the ball I was looking down and ran into the back lower corner of a metal basketball goal. This particular basketball goal has a nice sharp edge and cut a J into the top of my head. I was knocked down onto my back, but fortunately there were onlookers who came to my rescue. They picked me up and began to rinse my head off and apply pressure to stop the bleeding. They took me to a clinic so that they could shave a small portion of my head and sew my head back together before I lost any of my knowledge. Fortunately the only thing I lost was a bit of blood and quite a bit of pride (but I didn't need that anyway). I am planning to go today to get the stitches removed, thank you Jesus for my speedy recovery!
Last Friday I was at the Bordos and if you remember I had asked you to pray for a lady named Jackie. Well I got to talk with her, against her will but I did get to talk to her. She is a crack addict. As I was talking to her she definitely didn't want to accept Jesus that day but she began to cry as I was talking to her about the love of Jesus. I have no doubt that she will be the first woman for the Teen Challenge I want to plant here. I will go this Friday again to talk with her. I would go everyday if I could but the Jeep has been broke for two weeks now and I am not sure when I will be able to get it fixed again. As I spoke with her, I began to remember being in that place. The place of hopelessness and the place that seems to have no way out. She was so empty and lifeless. She wouldn't look me in the eyes too often because tears would swell up into her eyes when she did. Her mother was there with us and was crying also. I began to think about what my parents had to go through when I was like this girl. Her mother wanting so badly a different life for her daughter, but recognizing that she could do absolutely nothing for her only God can help her daughter.
I would like to ask each of you to pray for Jackie. I know that without the prayers of you all I would not be here, but buried somewhere. Please keep me in your prayers, I need guidance and wisdom as I venture into the next phase of my dream. Once Jackie chooses to leave the crack for Jesus I am going to need a place to take her. I know first hand that you cannot expect to stay clean and in your same environment. I tried it many many times and failed each time. I am praying for an apartment so that I will have a place to take her, to sit with her through her with-drawls and to minister to her. A place that she can feel safe but far away so that she will not be able to quickly return to her old stomping grounds. Please keep this in your prayers and the finances that it is going to take to make this happen.
I pray that this week is the best you have ever had. I pray that any expectations you may have will be not only met but exceeded. I hope that you embrace every opportunity that is given to you and realize the difference you can make in peoples lives with just a simple smile. Take time to enjoy the people around you, make an effort to love and laugh more and worry less. Together we can make His name known and His love more real to those who do not know Him. Be blessed in the might name of Jesus.

What Street Sign?!

Well Happy Belated Thanksgiving! I was blessed to preach in the prison yesterday and to run over a street sign...all in a day's work. Women were touched and saved by Jesus yesterday. It was awesome! I am excited to return in just 10 days to preach again. I love being there and I pray that the door continues to remain open in the prison. I had my first Thanksgiving without rolls. The other white girl that is married to a Honduran made Thanksgiving dinner, but forgot the main southern ingredient...bread. She is from Indiana so maybe they don't eat bread there. It was fun. My brake pedal broke yesterday and so when I went to stop at a light with 20 cars in front of me I could not stop. I chose the sidewalk so that I would not collide with the other cars.

Freezing in Honduras

Now that may seem like a oxymoron...because it is. I never knew how cold it got here. But maybe it is because I am used to high 90s and not high 60s. The good thing is that I only have one long sleeved shirt (t-shirt material) and a very thin throw for my blanket on my bed. It is always raining also. But none the less God is still God and I am still loving every day He gives me here in Honduras. I posted a picture of the kids..I do love them! They are so cute in their uniforms. I will be in Yoro next week for outreaches and a crusade with a team from Fort Worth. I can't wait to see what God does for this area. It is very poor and they have had many landslides because of the rain. Please pray and I will post next week all about it! Also last week I was able to preach in the prison, and I can't wait to return. It was awesome. They just wear their regular clothes and it is like a little community within huge concrete walls. Actually as you pass by it on the street you would never know it was a prison. But it was great and I look forward to returning in a few weeks!

A Layover

It is 7.45 am in Fort Lauderdale and the sun has risen since I have been here. It is a glorious day and I intend on seizing every opportunity that is given to me from the Lord. I get to see my family for the first time in four months...I might have mentioned that already, I am excited! I slept most of the flight here from San Pedro Sula, which was only 1.5 hours since yesterday morning at 5.30am. I hope to get some shopping in New York before I reunite with my family tonight, I will sleep tonight. I think that this is going to be a superb day full of adventures and probably a bit of delirium from the lack of sleep. I am sitting across from this gentleman in the airport. I want to start up a conversation, he looks very interesting. A timberland hat, a fun white shirt, glasses and a beard (jeans and nice shoes, too...they remind me of some that my brother would wear). Handsome and mysterious...anyway. I wonder if he is saved or destined to spend all eternity in a fire full of sulphur? I shall find out hopefully. Anyway have a great day and I will talk to you soon..whoever you are!

A delightful day...

We have holiday in the school I teach in so I have the day off! I am looking forward to tomorrow night...I am flying to NYC! I will get to see mi familia for the first time since June 17th! When you come from a close family that seems like all eternity. I am so thankful that I have been brought up closely with all my cousins, basically they are all like my siblings more than cousins. I enjoy reading other blogs but have neglected my own. So I am going to try and remember to update more often even though I think my cousin is just about the only person who reads it!!! Anyway have a great day and thanks for reading this pointless and random blog! Also for your enjoyment I added a random photo! Talk to you sooner than later!

A friend of Giselle's (my roommate) has just returned from spending four years in Connecticut. His name is Tulio. He just bought a horse this week and his brother owns quite a few horses and cows. So yesterday we all went for a ride. It had been probably 14 or 15 years since I had been on a horse. I assumed it was like riding a bike; a much heavier, faster, uncontrollable type of bike. My first go at it a man who tends to the horses led me around the field. But then they saddled another horse (a pregnant one) and offered me to ride that one. Whoah!!! Without the help of the nice man, it was just me and the pregnant horse. Well she was bit hard headed (like me?!) and did not necessarily want to give heed to the reigns. She began to gallop and then we came to a small ditch. Without any warning she made a complete stop! Inertia pulled my body forward, but I was able to regain my skills as a cow-girl (oh wait I have never been a cowgirl...hmmmm). Anyway in a few minutes two other horses come by, so the pregnant horse and I begin to follow; again without any warning she commences to jump the next creek bed. Yes, I flew through the air over a 2 foot creek bed on the horse! Well, it seemed like I was in the air for at least 10 seconds but maybe it was not quite that long. Tulio said we could go riding whenever our schedules would permit, I look forward to riding again. As you see in the picture Giselle hanging on tightly for dear life with Tulio :)!!

Happy September

My brothers came down to Honduras for a visit last week. It had been four months to the day since I had seen them. They were only here for four short days but we made the most of each day. I took them to the Ruins of Copan (Mayan Ruins) and to Tela (the second nicest beach area in Honduras). I had never been to Tela before so it was nice to visit a place where none of us had been. It was also very nice to get back to Copan. That is the area where I spent the majority of July and August preparing for the crusades. I was able to visit a Pastor friend of mine and others. It was so nice to have my brothers here with me, meeting the people that are my family here and seeing God's creation called Honduras. My adopted Honduran brother didn't think twice about offering his brand new truck for us to drive while they were here (it was going to be around $200 to rent one)! God always provides!! I am so thankful for my Honduran family; they truly treat me as one of their own. God knew what I needed while I was away from my family. I was raised in such a close family and it was always important for all of us to be together not only during holidays but every chance we got. I am thankful for being raised in such a loving family. As we go through hard times our family are the ones who will see you through, pray you through and talk you through it; God uses the family around you. Is there someone in your family you could encourage today? I want to encourage you to pick up the phone, take a drive or write a letter to someone who needs you today. The other day I read my cousins blogspot about my graduation and she shared a little bit about my past. I know what God has brought me through and from but reading it from another perspective was eye-opening. It has almost been four years since I was delivered from my addictions, but there was something that was refreshed on Wednesday after reading it. I am so grateful for the transformation, redemption, and purpose I have in my life today. God is so amazing and so real! There are quite a few things happening with Alcance Ministries here in Honduras. This past week they began outreaches in the Nursing Homes (I could not go because of classes at Eagle Christian Academy). We had to postpone the Bordos outreach because Pastor Dennis was ill and I was still fighting it as well. So hopefully next week I will have pictures and testimonies of what God did down at the river. This week was awesome with the students. We divided the three and four year olds so it is a bit easier to control their attention spans. It is such a blessing to be chosen to help mold the lives of these children also it is necessary to pray even more. This is a responsibility I will not take lightly. I know this is a bit longer than usual, but I appreciate each of you continuing to keep me and Alcance Ministries in your prayers. I pray that the Lord blesses you as you go through this day and I pray that you continue to seek after His desires for you. I love each of you and enjoy sharing my life with you! Thank you for being a part in what God is doing in my life.