Monday, November 8, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Azucena
As most of you know, we want Azucena to come home with us to study in the States. Over the years, we have watched her grown, not only in stature, but in knowledge & especially in her English skills.
This year, we started praying for God to open the doors for her to come to our home.
There are many steps to this process.
The first, the judge had to approve her leaving Emmanuel to come live with us.
This took many days & many Moon Pies to get the approval. Several of the staff members her at Emmanuel had a part in this step. Katja, completed all of the paperwork & even went before the judge herself to speak on part of Azucena. Azucena told the judge her wishes & her mother signed off on approval. But the funniest part was the part that Moon Pies played in this step. Emmanuel is located in Guaimaca, Honduras. The former mayor of Guaimaca, Don Hector, went before the judge. The judge was more happy when Don Hector gave him Moon Pies than any other thing that was spoken. It is funny what God will use for His good. Moon Pies of all things.
The second step, Passport. Once the judge's order was in hand, Azucena went to get her passport. Wonderful Don Hector took her to get her passport.That went off without a hitch.
The next big & major step, Student Visa. We completed all paperwork & paid all fees on-line. The visa appointment was set for Wednesday, July 21st at 7:30 AM at the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa. David & Lydia, the founders of Orphanage Emmanuel, picked up Brent, Azucena & me at 5:30 AM. From what we understood, we had to be in line at 7:30 AM in order to be allowed in the Embassy. Due to heavy traffic, we arrived at 7:40 AM. To say the least, I was a little worried. However God is good. I kept telling myself, that He has brought us so far, that how could He stops us at this point. The guards allowed us in line & about 15 minutes later, we entered the Embassy. The first stop was with a clerk that checked to see if we had all of the right paperwork: passport, SEVIS fee confirmation, Embassy appt ticket & I-20. We did & Azucena was fingerprinted.
We then went to a large waiting room. I was thankful we had chairs to sit in cause I knew it would be a while before we were seen. While we waited, I constantly prayed. Finally, it was our time. All of us, Azucena, David & Lydia, Brent & myself went to the window. The clerk first said, "Oh my, who are all you people?" David explained that he & Lydia were the Legal Guardians of Azucena & that Brent & I were her sponsors.
At that point, Lydia & I went to wait in another room. About 15 minutes, we heard the good news. Azucena visa was approved for 5 years! We thought that it would only be approved for 1 year due to the judge stated that she has to come back in one year for him to reapprove her status.
What a sigh of relief! I wanted to shout but felt that would not be appropriate in the Embassy. Everyone was happy. I could feel God's hand all over this process. Many people were praying. Many that we know but many that we didn't.
Once we left the Embassy, Azucena wanted to go to Pizza Hut for lunch. What a good celebration meal.
We will leave Emmanuel early Friday morning, to pick up the Visa at the Embassy at 8:00 AM. Then off to immigration at the airport. We have to go through immigration in Honduras as well as in the Atlanta airport. Two more steps, them home to Flintstone GA. I can't wait!
The real fun begins getting her ready for school. School starts in about 2 1/2 weeks.
Yikes - but this is what it is all about. Giving a child a better chance at life by helping her study in the States.
I will end by giving praise to God. I am grateful that He is allowing Brent & I to have a daughter & Josh to have a sister. God is truly good. Praise be to Him!
Until next time,
Bettye
This year, we started praying for God to open the doors for her to come to our home.
There are many steps to this process.
The first, the judge had to approve her leaving Emmanuel to come live with us.
This took many days & many Moon Pies to get the approval. Several of the staff members her at Emmanuel had a part in this step. Katja, completed all of the paperwork & even went before the judge herself to speak on part of Azucena. Azucena told the judge her wishes & her mother signed off on approval. But the funniest part was the part that Moon Pies played in this step. Emmanuel is located in Guaimaca, Honduras. The former mayor of Guaimaca, Don Hector, went before the judge. The judge was more happy when Don Hector gave him Moon Pies than any other thing that was spoken. It is funny what God will use for His good. Moon Pies of all things.
The second step, Passport. Once the judge's order was in hand, Azucena went to get her passport. Wonderful Don Hector took her to get her passport.That went off without a hitch.
The next big & major step, Student Visa. We completed all paperwork & paid all fees on-line. The visa appointment was set for Wednesday, July 21st at 7:30 AM at the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa. David & Lydia, the founders of Orphanage Emmanuel, picked up Brent, Azucena & me at 5:30 AM. From what we understood, we had to be in line at 7:30 AM in order to be allowed in the Embassy. Due to heavy traffic, we arrived at 7:40 AM. To say the least, I was a little worried. However God is good. I kept telling myself, that He has brought us so far, that how could He stops us at this point. The guards allowed us in line & about 15 minutes later, we entered the Embassy. The first stop was with a clerk that checked to see if we had all of the right paperwork: passport, SEVIS fee confirmation, Embassy appt ticket & I-20. We did & Azucena was fingerprinted.
We then went to a large waiting room. I was thankful we had chairs to sit in cause I knew it would be a while before we were seen. While we waited, I constantly prayed. Finally, it was our time. All of us, Azucena, David & Lydia, Brent & myself went to the window. The clerk first said, "Oh my, who are all you people?" David explained that he & Lydia were the Legal Guardians of Azucena & that Brent & I were her sponsors.
At that point, Lydia & I went to wait in another room. About 15 minutes, we heard the good news. Azucena visa was approved for 5 years! We thought that it would only be approved for 1 year due to the judge stated that she has to come back in one year for him to reapprove her status.
What a sigh of relief! I wanted to shout but felt that would not be appropriate in the Embassy. Everyone was happy. I could feel God's hand all over this process. Many people were praying. Many that we know but many that we didn't.
Once we left the Embassy, Azucena wanted to go to Pizza Hut for lunch. What a good celebration meal.
We will leave Emmanuel early Friday morning, to pick up the Visa at the Embassy at 8:00 AM. Then off to immigration at the airport. We have to go through immigration in Honduras as well as in the Atlanta airport. Two more steps, them home to Flintstone GA. I can't wait!
The real fun begins getting her ready for school. School starts in about 2 1/2 weeks.
Yikes - but this is what it is all about. Giving a child a better chance at life by helping her study in the States.
I will end by giving praise to God. I am grateful that He is allowing Brent & I to have a daughter & Josh to have a sister. God is truly good. Praise be to Him!
Until next time,
Bettye
Projects
I typically blog everyday while on a mission trip. This time I will just give a synopsis of our trip.
The ladies started every day by heading to the clinic. Sara & Rebekah along with Hayley, a volunteer, were the nurses. Rhonda & Wanda checked the "patients" in by finding their picture in a large book filled with every child here at Emmanuel. Sometimes that was hard to do because some children would only know their first name and usually that was a middle name. Once the child's name & date of birth was placed on a check-up form, me or Elizabeth would get their current height & weight then we would ship them off to Sara & Rebekah.They did a full spectrum of test. The repetitive issues was ear wax build-up or fungus on the feet. Nothing major, just a little cleaning.
We had fun seeing the kids and they seemed to enjoy the personal one-on-one time.
The guys were on the fix-it crew. They checked every house. Their main project was plumbing. They fixed countless toilets & sinks. Josh said that they found all sorts of stuff in the sink drain. YUCK!
These are the main projects of the week. Our teams time here at Emmanuel seemed to rush by, as it always does each year. Our team had a great time of ministering here & bonding together to serve our Lord in the wonderful place.
Until next time,
Bettye
The ladies started every day by heading to the clinic. Sara & Rebekah along with Hayley, a volunteer, were the nurses. Rhonda & Wanda checked the "patients" in by finding their picture in a large book filled with every child here at Emmanuel. Sometimes that was hard to do because some children would only know their first name and usually that was a middle name. Once the child's name & date of birth was placed on a check-up form, me or Elizabeth would get their current height & weight then we would ship them off to Sara & Rebekah.They did a full spectrum of test. The repetitive issues was ear wax build-up or fungus on the feet. Nothing major, just a little cleaning.
We had fun seeing the kids and they seemed to enjoy the personal one-on-one time.
The guys were on the fix-it crew. They checked every house. Their main project was plumbing. They fixed countless toilets & sinks. Josh said that they found all sorts of stuff in the sink drain. YUCK!
These are the main projects of the week. Our teams time here at Emmanuel seemed to rush by, as it always does each year. Our team had a great time of ministering here & bonding together to serve our Lord in the wonderful place.
Until next time,
Bettye
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Day Three - Work Day
Today is the first of many work days here at Orphanage Emmanuel. The men headed out to the boys side to work on some pluming. Josh & Todd worked on showers while Tommy worked on plumbing under a sink. Brent was what you would call the assistant or gopher. The ladies worked in the clinic. In the morning, we worked with the toddlers. They are so precious any very good while being poked & prodded. Most didn't cry & sat very still especially when they saw the bon-bon (lollipop) they would get for being good. School is not in session on Monday afternoon so we worked with boys from the yard right below the clinic. They all wanted to be picked.
The ladies work crew consisted of 1 nurse, Sarah, 1 nursing student, Rebekah, transportation ladies, Hayley & Elizabeth, Rhonda & Wanda helped with figuring out the kids name & putting it on the assessment sheet and I helped with measuring height & weight. We had a nice little assembly line.
Before the afternoon work began, Brent & I went to see if Ana Yanci could go with us to the Teinda (store). She was busy making tortillas. I decided to try to my hand at making them. The first couple were not so good, but then a got the hang of it. I had to work quick to keep up Ana. It was fun. I think she really enjoyed having me in the kitchen with her.
We finished with the kids around 3:30 in the afternoon. Just in time to go to the children's Bible study. Some of us went down to the mid size girls Bible study. They were singing songs when we arrived. They sang all of the songs in Spanish of course but sang one song in English, "Open the Eyes of my Heart". It was glorious!
Can you hear this song by Michael W. Smith being sung by 30 small girls? It was like hearing 30 angels singing & praising God.
Once Bible study was done, we walked with the girls to their kitchen since it was their dinner time. After their dinner, they went to the gym to play. Josh & Rebekah went to the gym as well. The girls lined up for Josh to swing them in circles. When he took a break, a couple of the girls were wiping the sweat off of his forehead so he would cool down quicker & get back to swinging them.
At dinner, several of the team members had kids up to join us for dinner. I love watching the kids & team members interact. The kids soak up the attention & love every minute of it.
Once KP (kitchen duty) was done, a group of us started playing Phase 10. It was loads of fun & went on forever so we called it quit until another night.
The best part of the day was learning that Azucena had received her passport. She was very excited. The next step is to get her student visa. I am definitely praying without ceasing for Azucena.
It will be interesting to see how God will answer the prayer that is on my heart.
Until next time,
Bettye
The ladies work crew consisted of 1 nurse, Sarah, 1 nursing student, Rebekah, transportation ladies, Hayley & Elizabeth, Rhonda & Wanda helped with figuring out the kids name & putting it on the assessment sheet and I helped with measuring height & weight. We had a nice little assembly line.
Before the afternoon work began, Brent & I went to see if Ana Yanci could go with us to the Teinda (store). She was busy making tortillas. I decided to try to my hand at making them. The first couple were not so good, but then a got the hang of it. I had to work quick to keep up Ana. It was fun. I think she really enjoyed having me in the kitchen with her.
We finished with the kids around 3:30 in the afternoon. Just in time to go to the children's Bible study. Some of us went down to the mid size girls Bible study. They were singing songs when we arrived. They sang all of the songs in Spanish of course but sang one song in English, "Open the Eyes of my Heart". It was glorious!
Can you hear this song by Michael W. Smith being sung by 30 small girls? It was like hearing 30 angels singing & praising God.
Once Bible study was done, we walked with the girls to their kitchen since it was their dinner time. After their dinner, they went to the gym to play. Josh & Rebekah went to the gym as well. The girls lined up for Josh to swing them in circles. When he took a break, a couple of the girls were wiping the sweat off of his forehead so he would cool down quicker & get back to swinging them.
At dinner, several of the team members had kids up to join us for dinner. I love watching the kids & team members interact. The kids soak up the attention & love every minute of it.
Once KP (kitchen duty) was done, a group of us started playing Phase 10. It was loads of fun & went on forever so we called it quit until another night.
The best part of the day was learning that Azucena had received her passport. She was very excited. The next step is to get her student visa. I am definitely praying without ceasing for Azucena.
It will be interesting to see how God will answer the prayer that is on my heart.
Until next time,
Bettye
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Day Two - The Lord's Day
It was so refreshing to wake up at Emmanuel on the Lord's Day. There is such a sweet spirit here. We had breakfast then headed to the church for a great service. I love hearing the kids sing praises to God. It refreshes my soul.
Brent preached a message about commitment, confidence & courage in the Lord. It is a different experience for him preaching here since he has to preach with a translator. He does a great job & God blesses in the service.
After church, we hung out with the kids before lunch. Josh & I went to the yard with Azucena. I so enjoyed watching the team members interact with the kids. It is such a blessing.
Let me take a minute to tell you about Azucena. We are attempting to get Azucena to the States to live with us & study. To date, the Honduran judge has approved her to apply for her passport. On Monday, July 12th, she will go to get her passport. Then once that is approved, she will go to the bank to pay for her visa appointment. Then Lord willing she can come home with us. I will update as each step is approved.
After lunch, we said good-bye to Dunia. She had to catch a bus back to Tegu since she has school Monday morning. Josh & Rebekah walked her to the front gate. It is very sweet to see the girls look up to Josh as their big brother.
Once we said good-bye, Wade took us on a tour of Emmanuel. Even though I have been her several times, I enjoyed hearing about the different parts of Emmanuel from someone who serves God here full-time. The staff really loves the Lord & wants to truly honor God in all areas of Emmanuel. During our tour, a nice little rain shower came just as we were pulling up at the Teinda. We enjoyed a delicious drink during the hard but fast rain shower. Once the rain let up, we loaded back up to finish our tour.
After the tour, we all seemed to scatter to different parts of Emmanuel. Brent went to see Ana Yansi. I met with Katja to discuss the plans for the ladies for this week. Josh went to the boys yard. After my meeting with Katja, I went to see Ana. She was working hard in the kitchen of the younger girls. Ana had told Brent earlier that she was not going to join us for dinner. I talked to her. Told her that I was sorry I had not been to see her until so late in the afternoon and gave her lots of hugs & encouragement. She seemed to perk up & agreed to join us for dinner.
At dinner, we had the volunteer staff & some kids join us for Loaded Nachos. There seemed to be a record number of volunteers. We were unsure if we would have enough food but trusted God that he would make a meal that was planned for 35 stretch to 50. It was like watching the Bible story of the Loaves & Fish play out in front of us. We had plenty of food and even some leftovers. God does provide.
After dinner, Josh, Rebekah, Elizabeth & Todd played Ninja with some of the volunteer staff. I might be getting old, but I had a good time watching them play this funny & interesting game. All of these 20 something kids had a great time fellowshipping in a beautiful godly atmosphere.
It is getting late and I'm tired after a long & fun day.
Tomorrow the real work begins.
Until next time,
Bettye
Brent preached a message about commitment, confidence & courage in the Lord. It is a different experience for him preaching here since he has to preach with a translator. He does a great job & God blesses in the service.
After church, we hung out with the kids before lunch. Josh & I went to the yard with Azucena. I so enjoyed watching the team members interact with the kids. It is such a blessing.
Let me take a minute to tell you about Azucena. We are attempting to get Azucena to the States to live with us & study. To date, the Honduran judge has approved her to apply for her passport. On Monday, July 12th, she will go to get her passport. Then once that is approved, she will go to the bank to pay for her visa appointment. Then Lord willing she can come home with us. I will update as each step is approved.
After lunch, we said good-bye to Dunia. She had to catch a bus back to Tegu since she has school Monday morning. Josh & Rebekah walked her to the front gate. It is very sweet to see the girls look up to Josh as their big brother.
Once we said good-bye, Wade took us on a tour of Emmanuel. Even though I have been her several times, I enjoyed hearing about the different parts of Emmanuel from someone who serves God here full-time. The staff really loves the Lord & wants to truly honor God in all areas of Emmanuel. During our tour, a nice little rain shower came just as we were pulling up at the Teinda. We enjoyed a delicious drink during the hard but fast rain shower. Once the rain let up, we loaded back up to finish our tour.
After the tour, we all seemed to scatter to different parts of Emmanuel. Brent went to see Ana Yansi. I met with Katja to discuss the plans for the ladies for this week. Josh went to the boys yard. After my meeting with Katja, I went to see Ana. She was working hard in the kitchen of the younger girls. Ana had told Brent earlier that she was not going to join us for dinner. I talked to her. Told her that I was sorry I had not been to see her until so late in the afternoon and gave her lots of hugs & encouragement. She seemed to perk up & agreed to join us for dinner.
At dinner, we had the volunteer staff & some kids join us for Loaded Nachos. There seemed to be a record number of volunteers. We were unsure if we would have enough food but trusted God that he would make a meal that was planned for 35 stretch to 50. It was like watching the Bible story of the Loaves & Fish play out in front of us. We had plenty of food and even some leftovers. God does provide.
After dinner, Josh, Rebekah, Elizabeth & Todd played Ninja with some of the volunteer staff. I might be getting old, but I had a good time watching them play this funny & interesting game. All of these 20 something kids had a great time fellowshipping in a beautiful godly atmosphere.
It is getting late and I'm tired after a long & fun day.
Tomorrow the real work begins.
Until next time,
Bettye
Day One - Travel Day
The Lord gave us a safe journey to Orphanage Emmanuel in Guaimaca, Honduras.
Travel day is always tiring but well worth the long trip. We slept for only a few hours before heading to Atlanta to catch a flight to Tegucigalpa. It was great to be greeted at the airport by familiar faces. Wade, Lourdes, Xiomara, Mario and Dunia were all waiting for us. Dunia traveled to Emmanuel to stay with us for the night.
The trip usually takes a couple of hours to drive the 60 mile trip from the airport to OE but it took a little longer due to the bad condition of the roads. To say it was a bumpy ride is an understatement.
As soon as we arrived at Emmanuel, we dropped our bags and headed to find our special kids. We saw Azucena first then we went to the kitchen where Ana was working. It is always great to wrap my arms around these wonderful girls.
After a great meal, we headed to bed early. We need some rest before we started a busy week serving God in this glorious place.
God is good all the time. All the time, God is good.
Until next time,
Bettye
Travel day is always tiring but well worth the long trip. We slept for only a few hours before heading to Atlanta to catch a flight to Tegucigalpa. It was great to be greeted at the airport by familiar faces. Wade, Lourdes, Xiomara, Mario and Dunia were all waiting for us. Dunia traveled to Emmanuel to stay with us for the night.
The trip usually takes a couple of hours to drive the 60 mile trip from the airport to OE but it took a little longer due to the bad condition of the roads. To say it was a bumpy ride is an understatement.
As soon as we arrived at Emmanuel, we dropped our bags and headed to find our special kids. We saw Azucena first then we went to the kitchen where Ana was working. It is always great to wrap my arms around these wonderful girls.
After a great meal, we headed to bed early. We need some rest before we started a busy week serving God in this glorious place.
God is good all the time. All the time, God is good.
Until next time,
Bettye
Friday, July 9, 2010
Getting it all togther. (T-minus One)
I can't believe it. It is time once again to head to the country of Honduras. God has blessed my family so we can serve God together once again at Orphanage Emmanuel.
The past couple of trips, our son, Josh, has not been able to travel with me & my husband, Brent.
I am excited that not only Josh is going with us but his wonderful girlfriend, Rebekah, is going as well. It will be fun to watch Josh share this special place with Rebekah.
Today, Satan is trying to hinder us from going. Our church van has broken down on the interstate as a group from our church is on their way back from a mission trip in Virginia. While that was happening, Josh's girlfriend, Rebekah, could not find her passport. So I called my aunt to start praying. She was with the group in the broken down van. They couldn't be traveling down the road but they sure could pray. God is in the details. He fixed the church van so our group could use it to go to the airport & Rebekah found her passport.
I can't wait to see what blessings God has in store for me & my family.
I'm praying that God will provide for all of needs as we travel to this foreign land to serve Him.
We leave tomorrow morning bright and early. YEAH!
Until next time,
Bettye
The past couple of trips, our son, Josh, has not been able to travel with me & my husband, Brent.
I am excited that not only Josh is going with us but his wonderful girlfriend, Rebekah, is going as well. It will be fun to watch Josh share this special place with Rebekah.
Today, Satan is trying to hinder us from going. Our church van has broken down on the interstate as a group from our church is on their way back from a mission trip in Virginia. While that was happening, Josh's girlfriend, Rebekah, could not find her passport. So I called my aunt to start praying. She was with the group in the broken down van. They couldn't be traveling down the road but they sure could pray. God is in the details. He fixed the church van so our group could use it to go to the airport & Rebekah found her passport.
I can't wait to see what blessings God has in store for me & my family.
I'm praying that God will provide for all of needs as we travel to this foreign land to serve Him.
We leave tomorrow morning bright and early. YEAH!
Until next time,
Bettye
Friday, February 26, 2010
Day 9 - Last full day
Today was the last full day to get the projects completed before time to go home.
I was on the "Martha Stewart" team which is the set-up team. I helped place furniture in 3 apartments & place tables in the kitchen. We named it as Motel 6. Some of the older boys helped move furniture. I was glad that I got to spend time with them. They were a fun & a good group of boys.
Brent & the linecrew did finish up work, cleaned up their tools & supplies and gave hugs to many kids. The kids here absorb the attention & hugs.
This afternoon, we took Ana & Azucena into Guaimaca to let them do some shopping. It was fun to let them shop & enjoy an afternoon outside of Emmanuel.
Once we got back to Emmanuel, our group went to see the completed project. It included 4 houses, 2 refurbished duplex & the Motel 6 project. What a blessing to see what God accomplished over the past 3 weeks.
This evening, Ana & Azucena joined us for dinner. We called Josh & they both enjoyed talking to him. It is great to see the special bond that the girls have with Josh.
As I reflect on our time here in Honduras, I am thankful for the opportunity to serve God in this unique & special place. The wonderful bond that we have made with not only the kids but our fellow servants in the Lord.
Until next time,
Bettye
I was on the "Martha Stewart" team which is the set-up team. I helped place furniture in 3 apartments & place tables in the kitchen. We named it as Motel 6. Some of the older boys helped move furniture. I was glad that I got to spend time with them. They were a fun & a good group of boys.
Brent & the linecrew did finish up work, cleaned up their tools & supplies and gave hugs to many kids. The kids here absorb the attention & hugs.
This afternoon, we took Ana & Azucena into Guaimaca to let them do some shopping. It was fun to let them shop & enjoy an afternoon outside of Emmanuel.
Once we got back to Emmanuel, our group went to see the completed project. It included 4 houses, 2 refurbished duplex & the Motel 6 project. What a blessing to see what God accomplished over the past 3 weeks.
This evening, Ana & Azucena joined us for dinner. We called Josh & they both enjoyed talking to him. It is great to see the special bond that the girls have with Josh.
As I reflect on our time here in Honduras, I am thankful for the opportunity to serve God in this unique & special place. The wonderful bond that we have made with not only the kids but our fellow servants in the Lord.
Until next time,
Bettye
Day 8
Today, the weather was wonderful. Overcast and not so hot. What a blessing.
Once again, I worked with the special needs kids. Before the lesson, Tammy made three rules with the kids. One was: raise you hand before you talk & wait for your name to be called before you answer the question. They did this! For a bunch of kids that do not have alot of self control - that was a huge accomplishment.
I taught the kids in the morning a lesson on patterns. Most did really well with patterns.
In the afternoon, I went back to the school. The teacher was working with the kids using the math lesson & learning aids I gave her the day before. It was soooo cool.
Brent & the linecrew worked on street lights which is alot of lights to check since there are buildings on about 50 acres. I'm sure they went to the tienda a couple of times and threw out mucho candy to many kids.
Carter officiated a cornhole toss tournament. Brent's team went out in the 3rd round. I went to bed and could hear all of the hoopla & fun. What a way to drift asleep & count God's blessings of the day.
Once again, I worked with the special needs kids. Before the lesson, Tammy made three rules with the kids. One was: raise you hand before you talk & wait for your name to be called before you answer the question. They did this! For a bunch of kids that do not have alot of self control - that was a huge accomplishment.
I taught the kids in the morning a lesson on patterns. Most did really well with patterns.
In the afternoon, I went back to the school. The teacher was working with the kids using the math lesson & learning aids I gave her the day before. It was soooo cool.
Brent & the linecrew worked on street lights which is alot of lights to check since there are buildings on about 50 acres. I'm sure they went to the tienda a couple of times and threw out mucho candy to many kids.
Carter officiated a cornhole toss tournament. Brent's team went out in the 3rd round. I went to bed and could hear all of the hoopla & fun. What a way to drift asleep & count God's blessings of the day.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wednesday - Day 7
Rise & shine came early this morning. My alarm clock went off at 5:00 AM. Breakfast was one hour earlier this morning due to church being at 5:00 PM.
This morning, I went with Tammy & some of the special needs kids to the farm to ride horses. It was a nice little walk to the farm. There were six kids, who took turns, grooming the horses & then riding them. It was fun to see them interactive with the horses. After the horses, we took - not the short cut - but the long cut back to the yard. Mercy, it was a long & hot walk. Estephanie kept saying, "Bettye, mucho rojo" which means very red. It was so funny & so true. None the less, they made it back to their yard & I made it back to a very tall glass of water.
After lunch, I went back to the school & did a math lesson with the kids. They got the math concept very quick. Once school was out, I went to the toddler house to see Azucena. The kids were eating dinner. They are so precious.
Brent and the rest of the line crew did very little today. No just kidding. They hung lights down at the farm as well at the soccer complex. He also watched vultures consume a dead chicken. Sounds gross to me but for a group of guys it was pretty cool. They tried to take a break at the tienda but it was closed.
The highlight of the day was seeing Brent baptize 23 young people in the church service. I believe this will be on Brent's top ten list in his ministry. Out of all the buildings that have been built, lessons taught at the school - seeing kids that have accepted Jesus as their Saviour & then be baptized - is the best of all.
This morning, I went with Tammy & some of the special needs kids to the farm to ride horses. It was a nice little walk to the farm. There were six kids, who took turns, grooming the horses & then riding them. It was fun to see them interactive with the horses. After the horses, we took - not the short cut - but the long cut back to the yard. Mercy, it was a long & hot walk. Estephanie kept saying, "Bettye, mucho rojo" which means very red. It was so funny & so true. None the less, they made it back to their yard & I made it back to a very tall glass of water.
After lunch, I went back to the school & did a math lesson with the kids. They got the math concept very quick. Once school was out, I went to the toddler house to see Azucena. The kids were eating dinner. They are so precious.
Brent and the rest of the line crew did very little today. No just kidding. They hung lights down at the farm as well at the soccer complex. He also watched vultures consume a dead chicken. Sounds gross to me but for a group of guys it was pretty cool. They tried to take a break at the tienda but it was closed.
The highlight of the day was seeing Brent baptize 23 young people in the church service. I believe this will be on Brent's top ten list in his ministry. Out of all the buildings that have been built, lessons taught at the school - seeing kids that have accepted Jesus as their Saviour & then be baptized - is the best of all.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Hot & glorious day
Mercy, it has been a hot day here in Honduras. I believe the high was in the 90's.
Brent & I went our separate ways after breakfast. He was with the line crew. They got the power connected to the new staff houses. After lunch, they completed their work and walked into the local town of Guaimaca.
This morning, I worked with the special needs kids again. Pedro, who has what seems to be Down's Syndrome, is sooo cute. He has the most beautiful smile and even knows a little English.
Noemi is a bundle of energy. Lenar is mischievous but very smart. Rudy has something wrong with his big beautiful eyes and is very smart as well. I could go on & on about these wonderful children of God.
After lunch, I worked in the school with the special needs kids again. I felt like I was melting away in the classroom due to the heat & the fan was not working properly. Again, mercy - it was hot. However, I am counting my blessings being able to be here in the heat.
After school, I worked in the sewing room a little bit with Ana again. It has been great to see how she matured.
I love the opportunity to be able to just simply love on these kids. There are so many who just need loving. Today, a group of 7 siblings arrived. What a great place for the kids of this country to come in time of need. A refuge in time of need.
One of the linemen, Carter, gave the devotion this morning. I'll end with his thoughts. When we enter these gates of Emmanuel, the children do not see our sin. They simply want love. Just like when we accept Jesus, God does not see our sin - He simply wants to love us. Unconditionally.
Until next time,
Bettye
Brent & I went our separate ways after breakfast. He was with the line crew. They got the power connected to the new staff houses. After lunch, they completed their work and walked into the local town of Guaimaca.
This morning, I worked with the special needs kids again. Pedro, who has what seems to be Down's Syndrome, is sooo cute. He has the most beautiful smile and even knows a little English.
Noemi is a bundle of energy. Lenar is mischievous but very smart. Rudy has something wrong with his big beautiful eyes and is very smart as well. I could go on & on about these wonderful children of God.
After lunch, I worked in the school with the special needs kids again. I felt like I was melting away in the classroom due to the heat & the fan was not working properly. Again, mercy - it was hot. However, I am counting my blessings being able to be here in the heat.
After school, I worked in the sewing room a little bit with Ana again. It has been great to see how she matured.
I love the opportunity to be able to just simply love on these kids. There are so many who just need loving. Today, a group of 7 siblings arrived. What a great place for the kids of this country to come in time of need. A refuge in time of need.
One of the linemen, Carter, gave the devotion this morning. I'll end with his thoughts. When we enter these gates of Emmanuel, the children do not see our sin. They simply want love. Just like when we accept Jesus, God does not see our sin - He simply wants to love us. Unconditionally.
Until next time,
Bettye
Monday, February 22, 2010
Day 5 - work day
Today started off bright & early. Both Brent & I hit the ground running.
Brent is working with the line crew this week. It was a very hot day to be working outside. Brent is doing a fine job driving the tractor for the crew & helping assist Carter as he is at the top of the pole playing with electricity.
I worked with the special needs kids this morning. There are 2 sets of kids with two very different skill sets. One group we worked with patterns & played the alphabet bingo. The second group played picture bingo. I worked one-on-one with Nicole stringing beads. If I remember correctly, she lived in the mountains &/or jungle until she came to Emmanuel.
In the afternoon, I helped in the library & in the sewing room. Ana was in the sewing room. It was fun to work with her in the sewing room. Once I left the sewing room, I headed to the toddler house to see Azucena. She was helping the little girls get a bath. They were sooooo cute and wanted tons of hugs.
Tonight, Ana & Azucena joined us for dinner. Unlike last night, we had them all to ourselves. We truly thank God for giving us the opportunity to have a part in their lives. We look forward to what God is going to do in their lives in the days to come.
As I went to bed last night, I thought about how Ana talked the entire dinner to a guy who is in her class at school. I was semi-jealous. I wanted her all to myself. This guy taking my time with her. Then I wondered. Does God think that way when we are doing things that take us away from His time? Does He say, "Hey, this is my time?" "Why aren't you talking to me?"
I'm sure He does but yet He loves us despite how much time we do or do not spend with Him.
As I walk along today through the grounds here at Emmanuel, I'd try to spend time with Him. Talk to Him as I walk along.
I am sooooo thankful for His mercy and blessing as well as the opportunity to serve Him on the foreign mission field with my husband.
Until next time,
Bettye
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Day 4 - The Lord's Day
This morning was church. All of the children gathered in the open-air chapel. The song service is always refreshing. Hearing the kids sing with such beauty is music for my soul. Brent did a great job sharing the Gospel. His text was out of II Chronicles. He spoke about King Asa and how he kept his eyes on the Lord. No matter what country or language - Jesus is a universal language of love, hope & faith.
After church we took pictures and hung out in the yard with the girls. I made Salvation bracelets with the girls. Ana Yancy translated the significance of each bead on the bracelet.
It was great to just relax with the girls before lunch.
After lunch, Brent & I took the girls down to the Tienda. It is an easy walk down since it is mostly all downhill. However coming back is a different story. While at the Tienda, Brent called Josh. Both girls, Ana Yancy & Azucena, wanted to talk to him. I could hear Ana talking to Josh in English which was great to see how much she has grown in her English vocabulary. Azucena talked and giggled with Josh as well. They have much affection for Josh and were glad to chat with him.
This evening, both girls joined us for dinner. We gave them a bag of goodies which they enjoyed.
The Lord's Day in Honduras was great.
Now off to bed to get plenty of rest before a busy week.
Until next time,
Bettye
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Day Three - Honduras 2010
The day started early with breakfast at 7:00 AM. I am always amazed at how the cooks can turn out great food for such a large number of people. Before breakfast, we heard some stats about the volunteer group. The youngest is 14 and the oldest is 89. Collective over the three weeks of this mission project there are 140+ people from all walks of life. The great spirit of fellowship is so refreshing.
Today, Brent & the Line Crew got the tractor & trailer ready for the week's project of dropping at least 3 power poles, putting up a new transformer & running new power lines. Brent's job is to drive the tractor & assist Carter as he climbs the power poles. This afternoon, the dropped one pole which got the weeks project off the ground.
I hung out with Azucena & Ana Yancy. I had a great time talking with Ana Yanc
y. She told me about her life before Emmanuel. Quite interesting. Azucena is working in the toddler house. As I was walking down to the toddler house, the little tykes were playing in the playground. Three very adorable boys ran to the fence and climbed it for me to pull them over to hug. I ran out of arms but gave it a valiant effort. It is so great to see how much they grow each year. Erica is so beautiful and Memo is growing like a weed. There is one new baby, who is just precious. Azucena says that she likes working and living at the toddler house. Azucena is so good with the little kids.
The weather has been great. I can now be called a true Georgia red-neck as my neck is nice and red due to my sunburn. I will take a sunburn over freezing snowy weather any day.
After dinner as always is a relaxing time. Sitting around in the courtyard with a nice cool gentle breeze having fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ.
The only thing missing on this trip is our son, Josh. Our family motto is Serving Christ Together. That use to mean all three of us serving Christ at the same time at the same place. Now Josh is all grown and serving Christ while he attends college. We are all three serving Christ not in the same place at the same time. However together we are serving the same Christ.
God is good all the time; all the time God is good.
Until next time,
Bettye
Today, Brent & the Line Crew got the tractor & trailer ready for the week's project of dropping at least 3 power poles, putting up a new transformer & running new power lines. Brent's job is to drive the tractor & assist Carter as he climbs the power poles. This afternoon, the dropped one pole which got the weeks project off the ground.
I hung out with Azucena & Ana Yancy. I had a great time talking with Ana Yanc
y. She told me about her life before Emmanuel. Quite interesting. Azucena is working in the toddler house. As I was walking down to the toddler house, the little tykes were playing in the playground. Three very adorable boys ran to the fence and climbed it for me to pull them over to hug. I ran out of arms but gave it a valiant effort. It is so great to see how much they grow each year. Erica is so beautiful and Memo is growing like a weed. There is one new baby, who is just precious. Azucena says that she likes working and living at the toddler house. Azucena is so good with the little kids.The weather has been great. I can now be called a true Georgia red-neck as my neck is nice and red due to my sunburn. I will take a sunburn over freezing snowy weather any day.
After dinner as always is a relaxing time. Sitting around in the courtyard with a nice cool gentle breeze having fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ.
The only thing missing on this trip is our son, Josh. Our family motto is Serving Christ Together. That use to mean all three of us serving Christ at the same time at the same place. Now Josh is all grown and serving Christ while he attends college. We are all three serving Christ not in the same place at the same time. However together we are serving the same Christ.
God is good all the time; all the time God is good.
Until next time,
Bettye
Friday, February 19, 2010
Day two - Honduras 2010
What a wonderful stay we had at the Humuya Inn in Tegu. After breakfast, we headed to a park on top of a mountain that has a huge statue of Jesus. The drive up was interesting as we had a loaded down van with 12 people and a ton of luggage tightly strapped to the top. We passed the US Ambassador's house. It was a huge compound nicely guarded. Wonder if we knocked on the door if the Ambassador would let us come in for a tour?!? :-)
Once we got down the mountain, we had a nice little drive to the Valley of the Angels which is a mini Gatlinburg. Before entering the Valley, our group had lunch at a typical Honduran restaurant. Lunch was fabulous. The flavors, spices and presentation were definitely a treat.
We went in several stores once we entered the Valley of the Angels. Dunia & I went in one little store where a man was staining a hand carved chest. I asked him if he made the chest. He said yes and let us see the workshop. That was a cool site. 3 men were busy working with the wood with their hand tools. Such wonderful craftsmanship is a lost art these days.
I bought several souvenirs in the Valley of Angels. It was a very unique experience especially when we needed to use the Bano (bathroom) and you had to pay and bring your own toilet paper. Thank heavens for a travel pack of Kleenex.
Our ride from the Valley to Emmanuel was fun and long. It was especially good when we were on paved roads. Our driver and our guide were great. They made the experience very memorable.
We arrived to Emmanuel tonight about 45 minutes before dinner time. Just enough time to run find Azucena. It was good to see her. She has her same beautiful smile. Tomorrow we hope to see Ana Yancy first thing in the morning.
It has been good to have Dunia travel with us today. She will head back to Tegu in the morning.
God has been good to us so far. I am very thankful for His traveling mercies.
Wonder what blessing He has in store for us tomorrow?
Until next time,
Bettye
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Day One - Honduras 2010
Today started very early this morning. I believe I got all of 3 hours sleep before Brent & I headed to the airport at 5:00 AM.
Landing in Tegucigalpa is always fun and interesting. It is great to hear the applause for the pilot who landed the airplane before running off the runway.
Brent & I along with some of the other volunteers are staying in Tegu for the night. We are staying at Humuya Inn. (www.humuyainn.com) It is a beautiful place in the midst of a busy city. Once we checked in, we headed out to explore and picked up Dunia along the way.
We had dinner at a nice Italian restaurant called Tre Fratelli -- which means Three Brothers. It was funny to hear the American 80's music played as we ate dinner.
We took a lot of back streets as we traveled throughout the city. Driving here is always a fun experience. Our guide today was a very sweet lady, Marlene. She took us to her home. Very nice but per America's standard it is very small.
After dinner, we headed towards the mall. Some got cell phone minutes and others went to the bank to exchange their US dollars for Lempira's.
Once we got back to Humuya Inn, we headed up to the rooftop patio. What a beautiful view of the city at night. The weather is perfect here. A night gentle breeze was blowing as we relax after a long but good day.
Tomorrow, we will head toward Orphanage Emmanuel It will be good to see the staff & kids.
I can't wait to see what God has in store for us this week.
Until next time,
Bettye
Landing in Tegucigalpa is always fun and interesting. It is great to hear the applause for the pilot who landed the airplane before running off the runway.
Brent & I along with some of the other volunteers are staying in Tegu for the night. We are staying at Humuya Inn. (www.humuyainn.com) It is a beautiful place in the midst of a busy city. Once we checked in, we headed out to explore and picked up Dunia along the way.
We had dinner at a nice Italian restaurant called Tre Fratelli -- which means Three Brothers. It was funny to hear the American 80's music played as we ate dinner.
We took a lot of back streets as we traveled throughout the city. Driving here is always a fun experience. Our guide today was a very sweet lady, Marlene. She took us to her home. Very nice but per America's standard it is very small.
After dinner, we headed towards the mall. Some got cell phone minutes and others went to the bank to exchange their US dollars for Lempira's.
Once we got back to Humuya Inn, we headed up to the rooftop patio. What a beautiful view of the city at night. The weather is perfect here. A night gentle breeze was blowing as we relax after a long but good day.
Tomorrow, we will head toward Orphanage Emmanuel It will be good to see the staff & kids.
I can't wait to see what God has in store for us this week.
Until next time,
Bettye
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