Traveling from one culture to another in one day (or two) is rough! I feel like it shouldn’t be that big of a deal. I know that some people have twelve hour flights and go through huge time changes! But I just travel about four hours by plane to get from Tegucigalpa to Odessa (or vice versa) and I stay in the same time zone. It doesn’t seem like it should affect me too much, but, for whatever reason, I am affected.

Now that I’ve done it a few times, I’ve realized that there’s a pattern. The first few days in either country include a lot of sleeping for me, along with some sadness. It used to worry me, but now I realize it’s normal (at least for me) and okay. I don’t need to feel bad that I don’t hop off the plane bursting with joy and excitement. I need a little time to adjust! I don’t know if anyone else can weigh in and say whether or not this happens to them, but I think that the environmental changes affect my mental/emotional state, and even result in a physical toll on my body. Anyone else??

Thankfully, after a few days, I’m able to adjust mentally and emotionally, and settle in just fine . Thank you, Lord! I’m so glad that after the initial fatigue and adjustment period, I’m able to enjoy where I am. It’s such a blessing. I want to be happy wherever I am, and I’m thankful that I can call both Honduras and Odessa “home.”

Summer in Texas was pretty great. I enjoyed being with my family and getting to know my new sister and little nephew. I was sad to leave them! Fortunately, we were able to get a family picture all together before I left. Even if we were in a frenzy most of the day finding outfits and making ourselves beautiful. And one of us going on a rampage through Target & Dillard’s searching for colors that would coordinate (right, Mom?).

It can be quite the ordeal getting everyone looking at the camera and smiling at the same time, but I think it turned out well. What do you think?

I was able to hang out with friends and family and see people I hadn’t seen in a while. I got to have lunches, dinners, and coffee-hang outs with various supporters. And I had the chance to do a little traveling as well! I went to Lubbock, Austin, Mineral Wells, and Carlsbad.

To everyone that I got to see: Thanks for letting me spend time with you! I wish we could have hung out more.

And to those I didn’t see (or who I only saw for a little bit): I wish we could have had some quality time together! Let’s try to make it happen at Christmas, or, more realistically, next summer.

To everyone who came to my Honduras Party/Presentation: Thanks for listening and thanks for coming out. I felt so special to have all of you interested in hearing about something so important to me.

It’s crazy to think that I’ve already woken up in Honduras for four days now! Tomorrow begins the Professional Development for the teachers, and our kids start class next Monday. Please be in prayer for us as we prepare for the new year and make plans for discipline, classroom procedures, schedules, organization, etc. Pray that our kids would grow exponentially this year: in the Lord, in knowledge, and in obedience. Pray that the Lord would give the teachers, counselors, and mentor parents wisdom in loving these kids  well, and that God would reveal himself to them and heal the broken places in their hearts.

Thanks for the love!

XOXO,

Lindsey

P.S. If you would like to support me financially, guess what? You can! I’m pretty well set on monthly support, but if you’d be interested in a one-time gift, it would be a big help to me.  I’m working on buying out two girls who were my roommates last year, and I still owe about $1000.00 total.

If you’d like to donate, you can do it here:

https://www.wgoreach.org/Support%20Missionary-28.htm

Thank you!!