About a month ago I started learning Portuguese. I never thought I’d want to learn another language because I know I still have so much room for improvement in Spanish, but the lovely Mimi Joya inspired me! She’s learning Norwegian … Continue reading
I’m not sure how to start this blog. It’s kind of been a while since I’ve written. I hope I didn’t forget how!! Sorry if you’ve been anxiously awaiting my next blog post. Also, thanks for caring about my blog…and me…and what God is up to over here.
Let me start by catching up on a few things:
At the beginning of November I was able to go to a women’s conference for missionaries in Honduras. It was put on by a team from the States and we were able to live stream a conference from Connecticut (I think). Getting to hang out with other missionaries here and hear their stories was pretty cool, and it was nice to get away for the weekend. All of the expenses for lodging, food, crafts, snacks, etc. was covered by sisters in the States. It was so sweet of them to give their money so that we could get together for a conference here. I felt very special and blessed (:
With my roommates and a few girls we met at another retreat who are also missionary teachers in another ministry!
Last week I celebrated my first Thanksgiving away from my family. But guess what? I wasn’t even sad. Of course I LOVE my familia, and I would have enjoyed spending Thanksgiving with them, but I just couldn’t this time. So I enjoyed being here, and I had a nice day filling up on yummy food, watching movies, and hanging out with my amigas.
Also last week, we went on a day trip to Siguatepeque and the Puhlapanzak waterfall. It felt like a long trip even though it was just about 2-3 hours one way, but it was definitely worth it! It wasn’t the best weather for going to the waterfall, but it was our only day to go, and we got the park pretty much all to ourselves. We had so much fun! We went on a guided tour under/through the waterfall and up into a little cave beneath it. I felt like an adventurer. Like a reporter in the rainstorm when a hurricane is coming. Or some cool person who travels the world doing crazy things. I did not expect it to be so intense, but it really was and I had fun feeling like I was risking my life a little bit 😉 After the waterfall, we drove back to the lake and ate fresh, delicious fish (pictures below). It was my first time to be served a whole fish complete with bones and eyeballs, but I think it was also the best fish I’ve ever had. It was so good!!!
Puhlapanzak Waterfall!
With Kerry & Tiff (:
My very tasty fish…
..and our beautiful view while eating it!
Our first semester is winding down and it’s an exciting time with Christmas just around the corner. My kids are still very sweet…mostly. Of course, we all have our moments. My second graders had a really sweet moment this week. A few of the kindergarteners have had a bit of a rough time. They’re so young and they’ve been through a lot of different teachers this year, so they haven’t really been able to have the consistency they need. While I was reading with my second graders, we heard one of the kindergarteners having a fit out in the hall. We decided to stop and pray for the kindergarteners to do better in class. It was so cute listening to my kids’ prayers! “God, say to him to not be crazy and to be good.” I loved seeing them volunteer to pray and being so excited about it. Being able–and encouraged–to talk about Jesus and pray in school is so amazing. I think it would really be hard to go back to a regular public school after being here–in a lot of ways.
My super second graders!
I’m still very happy in Honduras. Still certain that it’s where God wants me to be. Still learning how to be a good teacher. Still working on my Spanish. And still enjoying the simplicity of living on top of a mountain, walking 5 minutes down the hill to work, and actually having to cook!
I can’t believe that I’ve been here for 4 months. Even more, I can’t believe that I’m going home for Christmas in only 16 days! I’m excited. I love being in Honduras, and it’s my home now too, but it’ll be fun to go to my other home for a little while (:
You always read about how missionaries end up not having a home and feeling out of place once they move away because they don’t belong in either place. But you know what? I don’t think it has to be that way. I think I can belong in more than one place. I think I can be happy in Honduras AND back in the States. Before I moved here, I remember listening to a song from Bethel Music called “We Dance.” There was a line that said, “It’s nice to know I’m not alone/I’ve found my home here in your arms,” and it made so much sense to me. That’s what’s true. I belong with Jesus. Whether I’m in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on top of a mountain, or in Odessa, TX–or wherever else the wind may blow me–He is my home. I’m so glad I can rest in that security. I pray that you would rest in it too!
Thanks for your prayers and support and care!
You are the BEST!!
Amor y bendiciones,
Lindsey
The beautiful view you see behind me is the one we get to see each time we go up or down the mountain!
Hello from Honduras!!!!! I made it!
Did I cry when I left? Yes. But not a ton. I said goodbye to my family and friends and then went up the escalator without looking back, hoping that that would keep me from crying, but I cried a little waiting in line for security and a little bit on the plane. Have I cried since I’ve gotten to Honduras? Yes, but only out of happiness!
I’m so glad to be here and so thankful for everything that has happened leading up to this point. It’s crazy all the ways that God has provided and worked everything out. I can definitely devote a whole blog post just to the provision during this fundraising process!
So that’s what I’m going to do!
(Maybe in another post I’ll write about all the ways that I can see how God has been preparing for this, but right now I’ll just focus on the past couple of months.)
I came to visit the ranch in Tegucigalpa (where I am now) the second week of June. It was kind of weird being here because I knew I wasn’t just coming for a fun trip or a week of mission work, but I was coming to check out the place I could spend the next two years of my life. That was less than two months ago!
I came home, had a week to wait while the people of World Gospel Outreach prayed about having me come and gave me a chance to digest everything and see if I still felt like I should come. Really though, I didn’t need any time. I didn’t feel a huge YES from God, but I didn’t feel any kind of “no” either. And my “policy” I guess is that if it’s a good thing, go for it unless God says “no” or shows you in some other way that it’s not his plan for you. That’s how I ended up coming to Honduras for the first time last summer. I found out about the mission trip and I thought it sounded really cool, but I didn’t really feel like God was calling me to go. But you know what? He called ALL of us when Jesus gave the command to go out into all the world and make disciples. We all have a clear call! As I was driving home after the information meeting for the mission trip, I started thinking, “Why shouldn’t I go? This is a thing that would be pleasing to God and Jesus already told us to go, so I should go unless for some reason he tells me no!” Anyways, that time and this time I didn’t feel a “no” from God and I felt peace in my heart about the decision, so I went with it.
I got the “nod” from WGO about a week after visiting. Then I went to church camp, went to my grandparents’ house for 4th of July, went to Colorado for a conference, and then went to visit my friends and their new baby in Virginia. I traveled for about a month! I came home from Virginia and saw that there were only two weeks left until I needed to leave to get to Tegucigalpa in time for teacher training! Of course during the time of traveling I had started sending out letters and everything, but it was just amazing how God provided my support so quickly! It confirmed that this really was his plan for me and that he wanted me here. I’m still not at 100% of my goal, but I needed 80% to come, and I was at 84% when I left. (Now, I think I’m at about 87%!) In a matter of about 6 weeks, I was able to get all the support that I needed to come. And I know that I didn’t get it because people think I’m super cool; it was God’s plan so he worked it out!
He provided everything that I needed exactly when I needed it. My car was in and out of the shop four times in about a month’s time. I would start to worry, but then I had to remind myself to trust God and give it to him, and he took care of it. I was able to pay for the first two visits with money we’d gotten from insurance about a year before when some person who I’m guessing does not know Jesus keyed my car, and then of the other two occasions, one turned out to be a really minor problem when it looked like it was something big, and the other was something else that ended up just costing us the diagnostic fee. I was planning on selling my car, but we didn’t get it all cleaned up until Friday before I was going to leave. We posted my car on Craigslist Friday afternoon and we sold it Saturday morning for our full asking price in cash!! And the people who bought it said it was an answer to prayer for them! For us too, y’all! It was pretty crazy. And pretty cool how God answered both of our prayers with one occasion. Two birds with one stone! Our God is efficient 😉 Another super crazy thing that happened during my fundraising time was that I got a check in the mail from UTPB–after I’d graduated–for $800. Seriously, how does that happen?! There were so many moments like that and they were so encouraging to me! It’s so good to follow God’s plan because he makes his plans happen. And when something doesn’t happen how you were expecting, you don’t even have to freak out because it’s not your plan and not your responsibility. You follow God, but He’s the one who clears the way and actually makes things happen. I’m so grateful that I can put my trust in Him and rest assured that He’ll lead me where I need to go.
Speaking of that, it was last year in Honduras when I heard “Oceans” by Hillsong for the first time. You probably know the lyrics, but I’m gonna type them out for you anyway.
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders/ Let me walk upon the waters/ Wherever you would call me/ Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander/ And my faith will be made stronger/ In the presence of my Savior
Really, y’all? How fitting is that?! I still remember riding through the streets of Honduras, sitting next to Marc on the busito and hearing that song for the first time. I didn’t know at that moment that I’d be back here to live, but I love looking back and seeing how God was preparing my heart even then and letting sweet memories like that happen for me to look back on. God is so good! I’m so thankful to be here, and I’m so thankful to all of you for joining with me to make it possible.
Peace & Love,
Lindsey
patientlydreaming 