Sometimes He Just Wants You To Say Yes

(I apologize that recently fun and usually sarcastic blog about my life has turned into a place where basically I preach. Not intended. It's just that God is working in my heart right now and he's given me things lately that I just can't NOT share with the world.)

I've been reading this precious girl's blog for a while and I'm sure I've shared about her before. I'm amazed everyday by her reckless abandon to obey God and be a part of his plan to accomplish his will in all nations. God, make me this passionate to see your glory and reknown across the world.

Today's post spoke to my heart and I just wanted to share it with whoever is out there reading. It paralleled what I've been studying in my daily reading of God's word. I recently read the story of Abraham and Isaac, when God asked Abraham to kill Isaac as a sacrifice to him (Genesis 22:1-19). If you don't know this story, please go read it.

We all know how it ends. God shows again his great plan for redemption when he provides a ram in the thicket to serve as a substitute for Isaac. I don't think God's ultimate plan was for Abraham to kill his son. I think he was just testing Abraham's faith, seeing if he was willing to go the whole way with this obedient faith thing.

After reading Katie's post today, I think, no, I know (as does she), that God was doing the same in her heart. He just wanted to see if she was willing to say yes.

I think I'm getting to the point where God is about to ask me to say yes. I'm a little afraid, but God's given me his Word to look to so that I know the ending of the story.

Please continue to pray for Katie as she ministers to those who need it most. And pray for me as I try to be obedient and muster up the faith to just say yes.

Blog-Linkity Goodness 11.16.09

1. This guy has the right idea. Who knew you could make $83,000 a year just by selling the shirt off your back.

2. This post by Katie over at The Journey broke my heart and made it smile all at the same time. If only I could have the faith to abandon myself to God's call like she has.

3. How observant are you?



I did okay. I think I got about 10 out of the 21.

4. And if you haven't checked out the Mocha Club Experience, go do it now. These guys are giving up holidays with their families to go to seven countries in Africa for three months and visit some of the projects that Mocha Club is supporting. Why? So that they can show us first hand what our money is helping do in Africa. If you are a supporter and feel the tug to do so, click here and find a project that hits home for you. And then donate. It's just $7 a month.

5. And finally, click here to see how much money has been raised for the kindergartens in Vietnam. After raising $30,000 in 18 hours for one, so many people have joined Jon in raising $60,000 for two more kindergartens. As of today, $44,614 has been raised. So if I calculated that right, that leaves $15,386 that still needs to be raised. Will you give?

What is REALLY going on in Honduras?

If you've read this or this or this, or seen this or this, you know I've been to Honduras and what a life-changing event it was for me. And how much I love Honduras and the people there now.

Recently, Honduras has been getting a lot of media coverage lately with the craziness that is going on with the president. If you don't know, read here. The article will tell you that it was a military coup. As you will read below, this is not so. President Obama even came out saying that the "coup" was illegal and that President Manuel Zelaya should remain the president. He had no clue what he was talking about.

Please read the below emails that I receive from a friend, Emily, who is currently teaching in Honduras. Obviously, there is a lot of confusion going on down there but clearly the Honduran people know more than we will ever know.

Please pray for Honduras and do anything you can to help in this situation.

Please:
If you are receiving this email it is because we need your help.

There has NOT been a coupe in Honduras , The country is NOT in crisis. This all started over a year ago when our president Mel Zelaya with the help of Hugo Chavez and Daniel Ortega began shredding the Honduran Constitution and setting the stage for him to become dictator of Honduras . As we neared the November elections that would seat a new president Mel Zelaya became more ruthless. Zelaya was informed more than once that his actions were outside the bounds of the Honduran Constitution. Zelaya earlier this year denounced democracy and announced he would seed an Venezuelan style of government, he then began receiving large sums of cash from Hugo Chavez.

This last week tensions mounted as the National Congress after a ruling from the Honduran SUPREME COURT that Mel Zelaya has committed crimes against the Constitution. As Chavez and Ortega offered Military assistance the National Congress of Honduras, The people of Honduras and the Courts of Honduras did not flinch, They stood beside their Constitution and detained by order of the National Congress Mel Zelaya for crimes against the Constitution.

President Zelaya and a small portion of the population tried to highjack the country and destroy democracy in favor of a Chavez-style government. Zelaya was shredding the constitution he swore to protect in order to stay in power past constitutional limits and firmly align Honduras with Venezuela .

President Zelaya was clearly, and more than once, informed officially that his actions were outside of the constitution and law. Given his obedience to Hugo Chavez and Chavez’s money, Zelaya was a traitor to this country in the truest sense of the word. I am writing to you as an American investor living in Honduras to express my admiration and respect for this country and how its government handled this crisis. They were faced with a difficult situation that was only growing worse. This was NOT a coup, but a criminal arrest. Hondurans should be applauded for how they handled this! They used their Constitution and stood firmly in the face of Chavez, Ortega, Morales, and Castro and said no to this form of Government. You would think the US would be applauding the situation. The US will if not careful give Chavez and Ortega the fuel they need to invade Honduras and remove our democratic form of Government. We can not believe the news reports and the statements by our representatives. We need your help. All Americans and Hondurans are franticly emailing and sending information to the US . We need you to forward this email to your local news station, CNN, contacts that you may have at any level of government. Email your senator, congressman, etc. Please pass this along. If the US ushers Zelaya back into power they are condemning this country to a communist regime.

Has a deal been struck between the US and Chavez for Honduras ??????
Written by Kent Burns

-----------------------------------------------------------

No big surprise, but the media is getting it ALL WRONG on what is going on in Honduras. This is NOT a coup. A coup is when the military or others take over the government without regard for law and constitution. This is not what has happened in Honduras at all.

In fact, the military did not initiate any of what happened yesterday. The Supreme Court--constitutional civilian authority--ordered that the military arrest the president because of his illegal orders and activities. The military followed the civilian orders but took no control of the government nor took any unconstitutional authority. The Congress voted unanimously--and that includes the majority of the Congress which is from the Liberal Party (Zelaya's own party)--to remove him from office and to swear in Roberto Micheletti, the next in the constitutional line of succession for the presidency. Micheletti has been the president of the senateand is a member of the Liberal Party. It is clear that this was not a coup but was a clear commitment to the constitution and to the checks and balances that are there for just such a time as this. Gen. Vásquez, the chief of staff who was fired by Zelaya for refusing to carry out an illegal order, showed great courage and commitment to his country, as did all the members of the military, in standing for law and justice rather than doing the "politically correct" thing according to Zelaya.

We are really encouraged about what has happened in Honduras in these days--signs of political maturity, not a return to the days of the banana republic. They are actually showing the rest of Latin America how to stand up to would-be dictators and power brokers. Good for Honduras!

Most sincerely,

Karin Thomas

Highland Manor

Some people have heard me talk about when I go to Highland Manor every other Tuesday night. 

Some people wonder what it is. 

I'm here to explain.

Highland Manor is a somewhat assisted living facility in downtown Birmingham that houses a lot of Lakeshore Foundation members. 

(Sidenote: It's an old hotel or apartment building, we think, and the top floor used to be a club/bar back in the day called "Top 21". We gather this from the fact that it is in fact the 16th floor but the elevator button is labeled "Top 21" and the layout of the space is quasi-old timey clubish.)

But I digress...

This bi-monthly meeting was born out of our desire to bring a good meal every other Tuesday to a few of our favorite Lakeshore members. Since most of the people we meet with aren't very mobile (i.e. cerebral palsy and other phyisal handicaps), they aren't really able to fix a very good meal for themselves every day. Usually, they just fix one meal and have leftovers or order out or whatever. 

So in my old bible study that I used to do with a group of girls from church, we decided (with the guidance and suggestion of my roommate Kelly, who actually works with these people every day) to start doing this every other week about two years ago. It has quickly spread to our other small group that meets on Thursday at our house and has become more of a fun night with friends now than a service opportunity.

I wasn't able to go for a couple of months because of spring sports and I had forgotten how much I love going. For two reasons...well three...okay, four.

1 and 2. These two precious people:

This is a picture of Randall and Kisha. I guess you could call them my favorites. They both have CP (cerebral palsy) and are two precious souls. I met Kisha first when I voluteered at the Lakeshore Triathlon. As I stood out in the parking lot waiting to help people who were hand-cycling up the daunting hill if they needed help, Kish came and kept me company. She talked to Emily and I the whole time we were out there and when our time was up, Emily and I just craved more time with her. 

After we planned to start doing dinner, we met Randall and he became my second favorite. He's so funny. I can't stand it. I leave with half of my makeup off because I've been crying from laughing so hard. 

3. This...

This view. Highland Manor sits right above Five Points in downtown Birmingham and it "Top 21" (heehee) has a sweet little patio that covers a whole two sides of the building. And the above picture is the view of Birmingham from it. I'm telling you, if there is one great thing about Birmingham, it's the views. There are some amazing mountain top/building aerial views here.

Anyway, it's just so calming to look out onto the city and see what's out there. And then to pray over that city and seek God's work in it. Amazing.

3. The fellowship. There might be days that I don't feel like going to Highland Manor but there is never a day when I leave that place wishing I hadn't gone. I'm always filled with joy and thankfulness for each person in that place. It's just such an amazing experience to share life with some many different people. To love on each other. Share our triumphs and our low points and know that everyone is rejoicing or fighting or grieving with you.

We used to just go and have dinner and talk and then leave. One day, one of the guys that goes with us felt lead to start doing a devotion. And y'all, it's been amazing to see the response to that devotion. Just a little 5-10 minute devotion has changed that bi-weekly meeting from a time to just come a get a free meal, to a time to come and share life with 12 or 15 or 20 other people. 

God, thank you so much for placing me here in Birmingham for such a time as this. Everywhere I go and in every person I met, I see you. I see your love and I feel just a tiny bit more of your compassion for the people that you have created in your own image. I am constantly in awesome wonder of the ways that you show yourself real to through so many people and situations. And by your faithfulness to take care of every need and every situation that I or anyone else may have. 

I praise you for the sight that I have in my eyes so that I can see your glorious creation and the smiles on each person's face that I gather with. I praise you for the legs that carry me to my car that carries me to the place where I am able to fellowship with your children. 

Please continue to bless our time with the people at Highland Manor so that you receive the glory in everything that we do. 

And that's Highland Manor. Now you know.

Kids Are Great...Especially When You Can Send Them Home With Someone Else

Last night, my roommate and I carried on our tradition of offering free babysitting to our neighbors and friends. We've done this for the past two years and although our schedules were jammed packed these past two weeks, we were able to find a night to offer our services.

We roped in some guys and girls from our Thursday night small group and ended up having seven people altogether who were willing to help, considering that we thought we would have quite a large showing of kids. Last year, we had about 10 kids with only about five people helping.

This year's turn out was quite smaller, only four kids were able to come. But one of those kids, equalled about four kids himself, energy-wise, so things worked out.

Out of the seven people that volunteered to work, only four of them showed up and one was an hour and a half late. It was no big deal. It was fun anyway.

(Melissa, sweet Denver (2), handful T.J. (almost 2), Kelly, Sam (7) and Amelia Grace (4)...everyone is intently watching Cinderella III, except for T.J. I think this was the most still he was all night. Notice no other guys in the picture. Dan showed up late. It was his idea, and he forgot.)

Speaking of Cinderella III, we watched it twice. I'm guessing this is the alternate ending of the original Cinderella movie. It picks up right after the Prince's ball and somehow the step-sisters get a hold of the fairy godmother's magic and Anastasia was able to make the glass slipper fit her. I'm not really sure how it ends, other than the fact that Cinderella and Prince Charming live happily ever after of course.

We watched Cars too. Well, half of it. Denver decided halfway through it that he would rather watch All About John Deere. This, from the looks of the box, is a sort of "Baby Einstein" take on John Deere tractors. Boy, was I mistaken. Some catchy tunes but this is in no way Baby Einstein-ish. The 10-year old boy that was narrating was throwing out some technical terms that I've never heard off and I'm almost positive he would have a hard time spelling. However, two-year old Denver seemed to know what was going on.

On a completely different note, Birmingham is hosting one of the first rounds of the Davis Cup. Yeah, the tennis championship between the U.S. and Great Britain. How does this happen?!?! First we bid for the Olympics. Then we get the Davis Cup. Read more here. I really wish I could go but I'm pretty sure I'll be in the Hub City (Hattiesburg, Miss.) March 6-8 for a softball tournament. Sadness.

Oh, and have you heard about Ole Miss head basketball coach Andy Kennedy being arrested for assault in Cincinnati. Read more about that here. I know Mississippi State hasn't had much to brag about with basketball coaches, especially after Richard Williams (except for the fact that we went to the Final Four under him, but doesn'ts sway my feeling of him either), BUT I still have to chuckle a little bit. Golden boy no more.

I'm pretty sure today may be a day full of blog posts. I've pretty much finished up the work that I need to do before the holidays and I'm not really motivated to start a new project. So look for more.

I Need Africa Part Deux

Last week, I blogged about the statement, "I need Africa more than Africa needs me," in conjuction with the start of a campaign initiated by Mocha Club. Click here to read the whole thing.

Today is the official lauch of the campaign and I wanted to comment on a few things that have been tugging on my heart lately.

The whole world has been consumed with "philanthropic duties" for the past several years, and it's sort of become the "cool thing to do" to give to charity or have a cause to fight for. Not one thing is wrong with this picture. I actually think it's great that the world has finally woken up and become a different kind of people who seem to care what is going on, and is rising up a generation who cares about world issues rather than getting the high score on a video game.

However, I just hope that these causes aren't backed up by empty feelings, by people who are just doing "good" because they think it makes them a "good person" or because it's, like I said before, "the cool thing to do" or "the right thing to do."

It is the "right thing to do" (Can quotations be overused?), but I hope people are doing the right thing for the right reason.

As a Christian, I have been commanded to look after the poor and widows. However, feeding the poor and looking after widows will not solely get me into Heaven. It's the heart with which I do it.

We are all saved by grace along, through faith, not by what we have done for God or by how good of a person we are, but only by what God has done for us (Ephesians 2:8, Walden paraphrase, of course). We CANNOT merit our own salvation. It is a free gift from God. A gift that frees us to be "good people".

No amount of money or clothes or toys we give, no amount of food we serve, no matter how many houses we build, none of that gets us into Heaven. God does.

The reason we do "philanthropy" should be evidence of what God has done for us. Our motivation for doing "good things" is that we are so overwhelmed with the blessings that God has given us that we want to share that with others.

We are a relational people. God made us to build relationships with others. The more we get to know people, the more we want to help them right? My whole outlook on people who are, and I hate to use this term now, less fortunate, than I am has been changed over the past few months. I no longer look at them as someone who I need to give money to, but as someone who I should take to a restaurant, buy a dinner for, and have a real conversation with. Ask them what their story is and how they got where they are which may, in turn, lead to an opportunity to share my story of how I got to where I am through the grace of God. (Some people jest about Tony Romo and his taking a homeless man to the movies. I say, well done Tony Romo. That's just what I'm talking about.)

I read this on the Mocha Club website today:

"Many in the west think Africa is simply an object of charity. This mindset does
not breed true compassion. And there’s something about truth… when it becomes
clear, it hits you in a way that is hard to ignore. The same is true with
people. If we invest in knowing someone, love is the automatic response. We
can’t all make a trip across the ocean, but we can seek to have a conversation
that recasts the damaging images that force pity over partnership."

Pity over partnership. It should be the other way around, right? We shouldn't pity the people of Africa. We shouldn't be sitting back saying, "Mmmm, that's a shame." We should stand up, reach out to our brothers and sisters, and build relationships that will last for eternity. We should do it with a heart that knows that they would do the same for us. We should do it with the heart of Christ, knowing that because Christ loved us first, we can love each other unconditionally.

With our philanthropic deeds, we build relationships with those whom we are serving, but we also build relationships with those with whom we are serving. And we realize that "possessions in our hands will never be as valuable as peace in our hearts."

I Need Africa More Than Africa Needs Me

I was asked by Mocha Club to write about why "I need Africa more than Africa needs me." Mocha Club is a community-based website where members can start a team and invite friends to join them in giving $7 a month – the cost of 2 mochas – to support a project in Africa. Mocha Club's vision is to provide a way for people who don't have hundreds or thousands of dollars to make a difference in Africa.

(The directions were to write "about 200 words" on this subject but I'm feeling that I might go a little over. Forgive me. Please.)

"I need Africa more than Africa needs me."

That sounds kind of backwards, right? I've got way more than anyone in Africa could ever imagine having. Shouldn't they be the ones needing something?

Sure Africa needs a lot. Millions of children are dying every year of AIDS, preventable diseases, starvation and war. UNICEF says that 5,500 children under the age of five die across the 21 countries of the eastern and southern regions of Africa. AND the majority of the deaths are largely preventable. More than 300,000 die in as little as two months. TWO MONTHS. I can't even remember what happened in the last two months because I've been so wrapped up in my own life. Did we elected a new President? Huh?

Anyway, I think what this statement means is that we need Africa to change our view of the rest of the world more than Africa needs us to "help". Now, I put the word "help" in quotations because we see Africa as this feeble continent of sick and dying and poor people rather and a continent that is rich of a hopeful future and an opportunity to display the glory of God.

I heard a man speak last night who had grown up in Africa. He and his sister were the only white kids in an African village. He said he would pray every night that he would wake up and he would be black. This was 54 years ago. You know, 54 years ago, America was fighting over Civil Rights. This four-year-old white boy was praying that he was black. Interesting? To say the least.

This man, when he was seven, lost one out of every four of his friends to preventable ailments such as small pox and measles and poisonous snake bites. He didn't get any of those diseases because he had gotten the vaccinations but he was stuck with the memory of holding his friends in his arms and coaxing them into an early death. That man was Wes Stafford, president of Compassion International.

Besides his life story, something else he said stuck with me. He said that we shouldn't look down on the poor and the impoverished. We shouldn't look down on them with eyes of pity and feelings of guilt. We should look at them as God looks at them -- beloved and blessed. Rich in righteousness and promised with hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

Africa is a nation of hope. A nation of opportunity for us Americans who live an ocean away and feel we can't do anything. We CAN do something. And as a Christ follower, I don't want to look at Africa with pitiful eyes and a soul full of guilt. I want to look at Africa with a humble heart, knowing that I have much more to give than I think, and relishing in the fact that God is getting the glory from every cent of that $15 that is taken out of my bank account every month. Fifteen dollars isn't a lot to most of us. But my $15 is helping several kids in Zimbabwe get an education. And that's a whole world of wealth to them.

Jesus said in Matthew 25, (Walden paraphrase) "If you done anything for anyone, especially those "less fortunate" (and I can totally see Jesus using air quotes here) -- fed, clothed, quenched thirst, bailed out, given shelter -- you've done the same for me."

Our ministry to others is our ministry to Jesus Christ. And we can't do any of that without Jesus Chirst. How neat is that?

James (1:27) tells us, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

So I think I've come full circle. Why do I need Africa more than Africa needs me? James just slapped me in the face with the answer -- to keep myself from being polluted by the world. I've never been to Africa but I have been to Honduras and New Orleans and the Latin slums of Arlington, Texas, and those people, who have no more than the clothes on their back, are happier, or should I say more joyful, and believe more in Jesus Christ inspite of their circumstances than I am with all the material things that I have in my possession.

So, if only to change my outlook on life, I truly do think I need Africa more than Africa needs me.

In closing, I ask you to share your thoughts in my comments, and challenge you to maybe even blog about it yourself. Take time to think about it. I was presented with this a week ago before I committed to even try to blog about it. Join in the worthwhile care of recasting the damaging images that force pity over partnership. Come back Dec. 1st to see what Mocha Club is doing about reforming that image.

Join the club...

So I've been pretty convicted lately about my service and my giving. I've wanted to give to an organization for a while but it was so hard for me to commit to on an intern's salary. When I finally got my big girl job, one of the things I said I was going to do was start giving and serving more. I'd promised myself that I was going to give to some charitable organization but kept putting it off until today. Today I took the plunge and joined this, the Mocha Club. It's an organization that is helping build Africa from within through monetary donations that go toward causes such as education, orphan care, HIV/AIDS, child mothers, job creation and Sudan regrowth.

Africa has been on my heart recently, as has been Honduras (since my visit there) and now Cuba, which is probably devastated by Hurricane Ike.

(Sidenote: Archie, one of my friends from our Honduras trip (he was our videographer and is actually from Venezuala), told a group of us one day about his heart for Cuba. His dream, and near-future reality, is to go to Cuba and lead a group to do mission work down there and get some discipleship in the works down there. Lord knows they need it.)

Anyway, since Dave Barnes promoted this at the first show I went to, it's been on my mind every since. I said to myself, and I think to Casey, that once I get a big girl check I'm actually going to start giving to this. I know it's $7 a month and I should have been able to give it up when I was on the intern salary but I'm just showing my selfish ways.

Anyway, if your heart is telling you to start giving, please check out my team at the Mocha Club by going to this link and let me know if you want to join by commenting and ask me to send you an invite. Or create your own team if you want to give to another cause. I won't be disappointed. I might even join your team too! You join mine, I'll join yours. (All little "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" action.) And it's easy to give. You give them your credit/debit care number and they take $7 out on the 15th of every month.

I wanted to give to more than one cause because so many of them mean so much to me but I had to just pick one. I chose education because it's just been a big part of my family. Both my parents are educators and now my sister has joined the ranks as well. Education is huge and is crucial for these kids on the road of life. Plus, it's fun. Yep. I said it. Learning is fun. I do it every day.

Anyway, so if you so feel called, join my team, Spreadin' the Love, because that's what we are doing.

Honduras Video

This is a video that I made from pictures from my Honduras trip. Enjoy!

My Honduras Blog is up and running

That's right folks! I have posted my day journal from my trip to Honduras on this blog. I've also included some pictures and some of my favorite verses from that week and soon I'll be putting up a video that I made with some pictures. I wish that I could post our video that was made for our group by the church but it's not a compatible video file and I'm not that advance in transferring files. Maybe I'll try to get some help one day. Go check it out. Next stop -- South Africa in July! Hopefully.

Sleepless in Homewood

Ok, so it's 3 in the a.m., I can't sleep, and feel like total crap. This crud that I got in Honduras is really taking it's toll on me. I can't stop coughing, blowing my nose, and my head hurts now...I'm quite sure it's from the coughing and the blowing of the nose.

That's not the only reason, though, why I can't seem to get some z's. My thoughts are still in Honduras and the amazing people that I met down there. However, there is one person who has truly been on my heart for the past few days.

Her name is Ariana. She's 12 years old and she is a stud. Seriously, this girl has an amazing heart, and in that heart is a true passion for God and his people. This rock star Christian served as one of our translators for a couple of the days that we were there. (There was also another 12-year-old, Elisa, that worked with us for one day, but I didn't get to know her as well as I did Ariana so I can't say much about her.) Anyway, Ariana, at the ripe old age of 12, is bilingual, a leader in her chruch (in my opinion anyway), and is third in her grade at school.

In Honduras they attend school year-round, but the week we were there was a rest week for the middle school and high school kids. Ariana gave up her week of rest -- when most of her friends were out having fun and playing around, doing things that normal teenagers do -- she was out with us, sharing the gospel and showing the love of Christ to her people.

Everyday, we were able to go out into the community and pray for the people in the community, but there was one particular day that Ariana joined us in that. She ended up being the translator for my group on the third day that we went out and I would venture to say that everyone in my group had no reservations about praying with these people. However, there was one point during our door-to-door trek where Ariana just took over. She spoke to the people and asked them what their needs were and if we could pray for them. Of course, she let us do the praying but instead of just serving as our translator the whole time, she actually worked as part of the group and joined in the serving.

I am completely blown away by the devotion of this young girl's heart to God. I can only pray that she will continue to surrender to God's will for her life daily and that God will continue to use her for his glory. Well, I don't have to pray for that because I know that He already will but I can pray for continual blessings on her and her family.

I can tell you for a fact that when I was 12 I was definitely not even thinking about going door-to-door, asking people what needs I could pray for them about. I mean, I was a Christian, I had been for five years, but the thought never entered my mind, nor had the opportunity even been presented to me or explained to me, that you could even do that. I can only hope that if I ever have a son or daughter that they will turn out to be half the stud at 12 that Ariana is.

Praise the Lord for placing her in a home of believers who care enough to teach her how to be a disciple of Christ and how to disciple and serve others!

As my friend Issy (who is also 12 years old) said the other night, "I guess a 12-year-old girl really can impact the world!"

Amen!

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack!

So I'm back from Honduras and I've had the most amazing week of my life! I truly understand what making disciples of all nations means and my prayer is that the fire in my heart will never go away. Soon I'll post pictures and videos and a bit of my journal from the trip but my head is reeling right now and I'm crazy tired so I'm just posting a bit to let everyone know that I'm back. I really did not want to leave and I have a few kids down there that I'd like to just go back and adopt. I could bee the Angelina Jolie of the unfamous world. These kids were amazing! Pure joy in the midst of nothing. It was such a blessing to serve them and to see them wanting to serve us.

So I'll leave you with one of my favorite images of the week: the Honduran flag. As you know, everyone across country, especially coutries in Latin America, are soccer fanatics. I painted faces at the carnival in the mornings all week and this was a big request...along with the American flag, the Costa Rican flag, the French flag, and the Italian flag. I even bought a little Honduran flag to put up in my room so I'll never forget this amazing place!

The countdown is on!

I can't believe that this time next week I will have been in Honduras for about seven hours. It still has not hit me yet that I'm leaving the country in a week for about a week and still really have no idea what I am going to be doing. I mean I have a semi-itinerary of what we will be doing, but really there is no telling exactly how things will go until we get there.

Today several members of my group got together and went to finish buying supplies to take with us. We all get to take a bag/suitcase/plasitc container that weighs about 50 pounds with us of supplies that the church we are working with can use. Most of us have opted to get bags or plastic containers that we can just leave there in Honduras and the church can make better use of them than we can.

I did some pre-shopping Friday (on my first day off from work for the summer). I took over the job of buying soccer balls for the group. I got some pretty awesome looking balls...too bad I didn't take pictures. I also picked up a pump/air release. While I was at it I bought a big duffel bag to put all the supplies in since I didn't have any bags here in Birmingham that I could leave in Honduras. I also went to the Dollar Tree to stock up. They had some awesome stuff. I racked up on bubbles and frisbees and some other stuff.

So today when we went shopping as a group, we filled in the gaps. We made stops at the Dollar Tree again, Hobby Lobby, and then Walmart. I think we seriously cleaned Walmart out of travel toothpaste and the Dollar Tree out of crayons, toothbushes, and candy.

Post-shopping, the whole group gathered at Candace's house to pack the supplies up in various containers and bags. We took all the supplies that we had gotten today, along with supplies that other had brought, and our hundreds of Spanish New Testaments and started loading them into bags and suitcases and plastic trunks. My bag ended up with an assortment of stuff (coloring books, balls, bubbles, crayons, toys) and weighed in at a grand total of 47.3 pounds. I'm thinking that's good enough if I have to carry this thing around.

Anyway, I really way too excited about this to even focus on what could go wrong or things that I should be worried about. I think that's God working though. He's filled my heart with such joy and anticipation so that I won't worry about what might happen or what might go wrong because that's not what I need to be focused on. My focus should be revealing God's glory to the people groups that I'm going to interact with. Sure, I'm going to show love and help out people who are less fortunate than I am, and that's exactly how I've been describing my trip to everyone, but what I should have been saying is that God wants the heart of every person of every tongue in every nation to see his glory and we are the tools he is using for this specific mission.

If anyone even reads this, please pray that that is exactly what will happen. That these people will see God's glory revealed through what we do there. We aren't the only group going down there so this isn't just a feel-good trip to satisfy some urge in our minds to make us feel like we actually made an impact or something. We are one of many groups from my church, The Church at Brookhills, that is spending a week or more doing God's work in a country that may or may not get just a glimpse of Him once in a blue moon. However, we are joined by tons of other groups/churches doing the same thing.

I read the journal of my old youth minister who now works at Pinelake Baptist Church in Brandon, Miss., who just returned from a trip to the middle of Africa -- Nairobi to be exact, I believe. Throughout his journal, he talked about the many people that he worked with, some from his church, who had dropped their lives in the comfy U.S. of A to live in the jungle/desert of Africa and mission work as the response to God's call. He mentioned more than once, most in a prayer, that although he didn't feel that God was calling him to do just that, he prayed that if God were to call him to relocate to Africa this is answer would be a whole-hearted "yes". He said of course, right now he would say that he would definitely say yes, but when the time came, and if God called, would he really respond that way, no questions asked? That made me think. I do have a desire for the nations, in particular, Africa, but I really don't feel God calling me to relocate. But if he were, and I know I'm probably playing with fire right now (Ask and it shall be given right?), would I respond with a whole-hearted "Yes, Lord, I'll go!" My prayer is that I will.

So to sum things up, I can't wait for my upcoming trip. The stories I've heard from other people who have been to Honduras and Venezuala in the weeks before us just pump me up even more. And I've already decided...my next trip...Africa!

The group. 10 + 2 that aren't pictured from my singles class at the church.
I am the youngest.