Since I moved to Honduras, I’ve lived on the ranch property of the children’s center & school where I work, and I LOVE IT! It’s so beautiful. I love being part of the community here and hearing the kids outside (most times). It’s fun to be able to help with homework, walk just 5 minutes to school in the morning, and be able to go down to the school and work whenever I want. I like the simplicity, safety, and openness that we have. I like that we don’t have to lock our doors and that I’m able to see my kids all the time. I like that my class sizes are so small. I like the clean mountain air. My roommates are wonderful, the ranch is gorgeous, and my students are the sweetest. I’m really happy here.

I’ve almost finished my first year of teaching, which is crazy to me! With the year almost up, I can definitely say that I’m glad I decided to be a teacher, I’m glad I came to Honduras, and I’m SO glad that I’ll have at least one more year here! Teaching here is so much fun. I love my little students and I’m excited to come back next year with a little experience under my belt.

They’re the best.

Could he get any cuter?

We only have three more weeks of school after this week. Everything is starting to wind down and I’ll be coming back to Texas for six weeks this summer! I want to meet up with you! It’ll be a change to be back home and I’m a little sad to be leaving my new normal here, but I’m excited to see all of my “Northern” friends that I haven’t seen in so long! My two worlds will be colliding even sooner though because my hermano is coming to visit me in just one week! We have a countdown going on our chalkboard in the kitchen and I have his name written on the calendar in my classroom at school. We realized today at school that Matthew will be here just in time to come to our truth party for the month of May! He better be getting excited! 😉

While a lot will still be the same next year, there will also be some changes–a major one being that I won’t be living at the ranch! The house that my roommates and I live in now was built to be a children’s home, so with more kids coming, they’ll need it for the kids. I have to remind myself that I should not be sad to move (because I kind of am) since our leaving means that more children are getting out of unhealthy and dangerous situations and being brought to a place where they are safe, cared for, and able to experience Jesus’s love. It’s a very good thing!

We went out house-hunting a couple months ago maybe, with no luck. We weren’t able to look at any houses and we didn’t find anything that looked promising. That day though, we talked to a realtor that was able to meet with us the next Friday. She showed us two houses, and we really liked the second one!  It had four bedrooms, three full baths, two half baths, a small study, a tiny maid’s quarters, a living room, kitchen, dining room, and loft area. We were thinking that we wouldn’t be able to find a house big enough for all of the teachers to live in, but this one seemed like it could work for us. We didn’t want to decide right away because it was only the second house we had looked at, but as the week went on, we realized that we were all imagining that house being our home. We looked at one more house the next week, but we were still set on the second one. We asked questions, got advice, and then let the realtor know that we wanted to move forward with the process. I signed the lease on the house about two weeks ago! It’s officially ours on June 1st, but we won’t actually be living there until we come back from furlough at the end of July. It was so cool how God got us to that house and worked everything out for us! Like one of our friends told us before the house search, “God already knew that you would need to find a house in the city.” I’m so glad that he already had this house picked out for us!

Look how pretty it is!

Signing the lease!!

As you can tell from the picture above, our house is empty. Living on the ranch, we were placed in house that already had furniture and all the basic things we needed, but for our city house, we are responsible for the furnishings. We will need couches, a dining room table, chairs, kitchen stuff, a stove, washer, dryer, refrigerator, beds, etc. just to name a few things. Since these things cost money, I could use some financial help. God provided the house, so I know He’ll provide everything else we need. He’s never failed me yet. If you’d like to be a part of his provision, jump on board!

I’ve designed a shirt through Fund the Nations that I’ll be selling if you’d like to buy one! They will be $20 each, $25 if you need it shipped. Contact me somehow (comment on the blog or fb post, message me, email me) to let me know size and quantity and I will add you to the order form. I’m not sure how exactly to do the money-gathering (if that’s a word) since I’m not in the States, but if you’re in Honduras, you can give me the money, and if you’re in the States, it’d be great if you could get it to my parents somehow. If that’s not possible or if it’d be easier, you can click on the link below that goes to the Support Page on the WGO website and pay for the shirt as a “one-time gift.” Just let me know that you did it and tell me how many shirts you paid for and what sizes you needl! My address is lindsey.erin06@gmail.com if you’d like to email the information!

Here’s the picture:

The verse is from Ephesians 3:20 which says, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” This was one of my theme verses when I came to Honduras for the first time on a mission trip two years ago, and it still gets me. God can do immeasurably, infinitely, abundantly MORE than anything we could even imagine through HIS mighty power at work within us. It’s all about Him. We don’t have to dream small when it comes to dreaming with the Lord. He is capable of things we can’t even imagine!

In conclusion, I have the best & cutest students ever, I’m moving to the city, my brother is coming to visit, I need help with funds for next year, the school year is almost over, and I hope that this blog makes you feel involved in my life. I want to write like I’m writing to my friend, so I hope it comes across that way. If you already support me and you’ve been following my blogs, MUCHAS GRACIAS! I would really appreciate your prayers that God provides all that my roommates and I will need for this upcoming year. We’d really like to buy the major appliances and bedding stuff before we go back this summer, so please pray that we’ll be able to! If you haven’t been supporting me financially and you’d like to, or you’d like to increase your monthly support, or give a special gift, you’re totally welcome to. I would even encourage it! Here is the link to donate: http://www.wgoreach.org/3-SupportMissionary-2053.htm

Oh! Also, we bought a car. Surprise! His name is Francisco Ramón and he’s pretty cool. He will be taking us around the city, driving us up and down the mountain, and showing us the sights in Honduras.

This isn’t the best picture of him, but we just haven’t had the chance to take many pics together yet. He’s a 2007 silver Kia Sportage. If you weren’t sure, he’s the new guy I was referring to in my title.

Until next time,

Lindsey