Moving, Loving, Repeat

Yesterday's message at church was entitled "The Leading of  God".  The questions were asked How, Where and Why does God lead us in life.  I have asked myself these things so many times over the years.  Where is God taking me?  What does he want me to do with my life, etc. 

 

Although the message was a general 'Life Message' it really spoke to me concerning my upcoming trip and the ministry in Taulabe' Honduras. 

 

Brian said that the majority of us are not called to serve overseas as missionaries but we are called to love others.  Even though I travel to Honduras I have never seen myself as a missionary.  I see myself as a fellow believer loving other's and showing them that they are not alone.  I am always amazed how he uses me and I am honored and blessed that he does.  

 

As Brian spoke I especially thought of the team that I will be a part of .  The passage used on Sunday was Acts 16:1-19  Talking about how Paul, Timothy and others went to different cities spreading the gospel....   THEY WENT...and...They went together.   At our last meeting we talked about team work and serving together as a team.  I am looking forward to serving with this amazing group.  As always teams are all different.  Most of the members are teenagers and there are a few adults sprinkled among the bunch.  We all have different gifts and talents and God will use us all separately but I also know he will use us together.  There will be times we are tired, hot and maybe even homesick.  I anticipate there will be times of great joy and moments of accomplishment and whether we experience these times individually we will also be there together.  Helping each other through this great adventure and many new experiences. 

 

I really liked this quote from the message "God always leads us beyond what is comfortable as he propels us to love the needy In word and deed" 

 

Please pray for us as we continue to prepare for this journey.  We each have our own fears and anxieties.  However I ask that you pray for us this week as a team as we prepare to go TOGETHER.  

 

 Moving Loving Repeat

Baseball Caps, Flip Flops, and Shampoo

If my calculations are correct we will be departing for Honduras in 54 days!  I am sooo excited!! 
Our next team meeting is this coming Sunday.  I am really looking forward to seeing the team since I was unable to be at the last meeting.

I am starting to make lists of things to take, things to do and even little gifts I can take to my friends there. 

 Earlier this week I was thinking about my friend Alonso, who is one of the guards on the property. He has joined me for coffee during the mornings as I sit and watch the earth awaken.  For him, his shift is ending and he is ready to go home. We muddle through a conversation that is broken English and Spanish...but some how we get our point across.  He always has a ball cap on. So I thought I could take him a ball cap.  Then the thought came to me "why not collect gently used/new baseball caps and take them to be distributed to the men".  Many of the men work out in the hot sun doing manual labor, working in the coffee groves or just walking from place to place. 

I don't know about you but we have an abundant amount of baseball caps around our house.  Ones that you have collected from vacations, free ones from events, or those that may be your favorite sports team.  So while you are doing your spring cleaning if you come across any baseball caps that are  just taking up space, I will gladly take them off your hands. 

It is always surprising what God puts on my heart to take.  One year I had a bag full of old buttons I took.  That same Christmas one of the ladies at the Hogar received a sawing machine for Christmas, she was tickled to have them!  One year we used safety glasses for an art project and I took extra, the men that do the yard work were using a weed eater without protection...we had plenty to spare! 
So if you have any of these items or God lays something on your heart to donate, please contact me.  I would love to be your delivery person!

Also other items that we will take are:

• Shampoo
• Lotion
• Deodorant
• Tooth Paste/Brushes
• Feminine Products
• Flip Flops, all sizes
• Hair Bows
• Children's Gummy Vitamins
• Children's cough and fever medicine
• School Supplies

Thank you for your prayers and support as we are preparing for this adventure in July.  God has great things in store for us, he always does!

Baskets and Bows

Things are coming along with the trip preparation.  This coming Sunday is the next fund raiser for the trip.   As long as I can remember the youth group at Grace has had a silent auction for Mother's Day gift baskets. 

I have bid on the baskets in the past but this year I am actually creating them to help the youth raise money for their trip. 

In March I started thinking about ideas, themes, who to ask to donate products for them etc.  One night I was laying in bed and my brain would not shut off.  I had to get up and write the ideas down.  Some of them were: gardening, color themes, coffee, Buzzy Bee, art, and the list goes on.  I finally decided on three and I have to say they have turned out pretty good. Not because I have put them together but because people have donated their resources and talents to make them happen.

 

'Home Grown'  is a basket full of locally grown products ranging from a bushel of apples from Justus Orchards in Edneyville, 2 dozen eggs from a lady that I work with that raises chickens, a bouquet of sunflowers from a friend who grows fields of them, a rose bush of your choice from a couple at Grace who grow amazing beautiful flowers and trees,  NC honey, and gifts cards from my favorite BB Barnes nursery, and a box of home grown goodness from my friend Maggie's homestead. 

God is working through this entire process even in the fund raising.  He is opening doors for us to share about what God is doing in Honduras and He is working our own hearts.