return to me.

hello again from honduras!!

i just wanted to give you a quick update. my time here so far has been wonderful!! i have been blessed to be able to spend the past week at casitas (a home for girls ages 12-19). the reasons for the girls being in the home vary. rape, discipline, protection, and abandonment are some of the reasons the girls are brought to the home.

last wednesday i saw a girl sitting in the corner all by herself. as i got closer to her, i realized she was crying. i sat down beside her and asked for her name. she had a piece of sidewalk chalk and wrote out her name, Sheley Paola. she told me that she had only been at casitas for five days. she was brought here because she had gotten in trouble. she missed her family and desperately wanted to see them. i really did not know how to respond. the only thing i knew to tell her was that God loves her more than her family ever could and the only place to find comfort is in his arms. she nodded her head yes. i held for a few minutes and let her cry on my shoulder.

she picked up the sidewalk chalk and wrote ¨regresa a mi¨in english, return to me. i took the chalk and wrote ¨si.¨

it is my prayer that the Lord would draw sheley to himself, that she might know the love of her heavenly father. please continue to pray for the girls at casitas. for the girls who know the Lord, pray that the Lord would strengthen their faith as he molds them into the women he would have them be. for the girls who do not know the Lord please pray that God would reveal himself to them.

there is no doubt in my mind that the Lord is going to use the girls at casitas to do great things for his name. i feel so thankful to be able to spend time with God´s beautiful creations. i am loving the journey the Lord is taking me on and i am so glad you are taking it with me.

:)

hola!

hola from honduras!!

i have officially been in honduras four days!! it feels so great to be back in this amazing country!! i love the girls on my team terra and christina!! they are so precious and we are getting along beautifully. the past two days we have visited the transitional home and today we visited the girls at casitas. they were all soooo beautiful!! as soon as i got there margerie (a girl at casitas) brought me a picture elizabeth had given her. after that i had about 50 girls run to me asking me if i was maria´s sister. they were all telling me how much they loved maria and how beautiful she was. (sweet lizzy, i definitely think you underestimated the impact you made on all of these girls. they absolutely adore you!!)

i was able to somewhat communicate with the girls. i will definitely blog more in depth after i spend more time with girls. :)

we have visited the girls at the transitional home the past two days. (they all remember you lizzy). they are really great girls. i have played the wii with them!! they are all so good at it. my competitive side has come out and the girls think it is so funny when i get mad and start talking to myself!! (thank you dad for my competitive side)

tomorrow we hope to visit nueva esperanza and las brisas. i absolutely cannot wait!! the Lord is already showing me and teaching me so much. i have never been more content in my surroundings. i love this place, i love these people, i love everything!! i would ask that you pray for me. i have struggled with some feelings of inadequacy. i have no idea if what i am saying and doing are what the girls need to hear. it is my prayer that God would guide my tongue and my heart.

even though the little spanish i speak is horrible, and i have a hard time understanding the girls, i trust that the Lord will work through me.

the Lord told Moses:

¨Who has made man´s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.¨ Exodus 4:11-12

thank you for taking this journey with me!!

i´ll update again as soon as i can!!

:)