So lets try this again:)

I head back to Honduras for the 2nd time tomorrow!

     As I sit by our warm fireplace in my parents home, warm, safe, secure, comfortable; I realize how much I LOVE being home. I love my family. After being away for 3 1/2 months working with children who come from such unloving situations, my heart sings at the precious home in which I am apart.

   I love Bellingham. I have known this for ever but every time I come home from being far off it rings clearer. The smells of the sea, the gulls at the parks, smoke from wood fireplaces. Freedom to sit in my car listening to the music I feel like listening too, or switching it cause I don't feel like that song today. Deciding to go buy a coffee drink cause I am cold and need something to wake me up.

    All these things have become something I definitely don't take for granted anymore. Sad for me to realize it would take me traveling to Central America to discover these things but God opened my eyes to all that I have.

    I praise God for another opportunity to journey back to Honduras. I am excited to see how God will use this 2nd time to teach me more about who He is and more about who I can become through Him.

Sometime I cannot believe that He chooses to use us. He doesn't have too. Were really not that smart, we fail daily, were stubborn sinners and do our own thing thinking we know best.  And yet, He desires for us to be apart of His plan. He wants us to glorify Him here on earth. May we all continue to find joy serving Him wherever that may be. I love that that means in the grocery store, on the soccer field, in Honduras,  Bellingham,  in school, etc. He doensn't care where as long as we are living daily for Him and while doing that glorifying Him.

    I am sitting here realizing how comfortable it is to be home, and I love it. But should we be comfortable?  I miss the kids terribly which is why I feel lead to go back. But I know these next 4 months will be stepping out again in faith and uncomfortable. I know God is going to use this differently than the first time. I am going by myself. My challenge to myself is to rely on the Lord every moment. I know, I should already be doing this but when you have close friends around you during those hard moments, you turn to them first.

I am praying specifically for awesome conversations with these precious kids. Since we know one another really well already, we can skip the awkward "get to know each other" questions. Now for them to be able to come to me as a best friend, sister, mom, whatever and know I will be real with them. To be able to give godly council, in Spanish:)

A roll of Toilet Paper, really?

So, here I sit, 3 days till departure! Crazy, this prep time has flown by and I think I am ready to go:) I have been fervently praying these last few days and week about this next 3 months. I am a little nervous to see how God will use and stretch me but really pumped to see how this affects my relationship with Him. 


This last week I have been experiencing high stress. I hate that about sinful nature, I am a worry wort. But I don't want to miss out these last few days on the great many blessings God has for me before I fly to Central America. God has been teaching me trust the last 24 years and I am slowly realizing that to not trust is sin. And I am missing out on the many joys of  leaning on Christ. 


I am reading, "On Being a Servant of God," by Warren Wiersbe. Excellent book on serving the Lord. I was challenged with the thought to be proactive in my reading. I tend to sometimes flip through my Bible and the first encouraging verse that jumps out I claim to be just what I need. And sometimes it is, but thats not how God wants us to live out our faith. Flipping through His word to meet the needs of where I am at. I need to be diligent in studying Gods word and as I do that, He will allow His words to meet my needs at just the right time, God is big enough to do that for His children. 


So, in saying all that, I wanted to prep my heart with a verse that I could claim while I am down in Honduras. I had been praying about which verse or passage it should be and in reading "On Being a Servant of God," the one that the Lord laid on my heart is 2 Chronicles 28:20. "David said to his son Solomon: Be strong and brave! Dot it! Don't be afraid and don't panic! for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not leave you or abandon you before all the work for the service of the LORD'S temple is finished."


This was just the words that I needed, to remind me, "Molly, do it, this is where God wants you these next 3 months."  The God of David that strengthened him and Solomon, is the same God I get to serve and He will not abandon me! Praise God! 


On a lighter more random note, I received an email about bringing Toilet Paper with me, hmmmm, and yes, still a bit stumped on why, but, I have learned to not ask questions and do as I am told:) This could be more of a challenge than I thought! ha

1 week and 1 day till departure!

"Remember the last few verses of 1 Corinthians 3: 'For all things are yours... and you are Christ's; and Christ is God's. Throughout all our personality we are God's and since God has made our whole selves, there is great joy in realizing who is our Creator. this realization is to permeate every area and level of life. In appreciation of beauty, mountains, music, poetry, knowledge, people, science--even in the tang of an apple--God is there, to reflect the joy of his presence in the believer who will realize God's purposes in all things". (Pete Fleming) Through the Gates of Splendor.


I so desire this time to look for the sweetness of Christ in all things. My prayer for this first 3 months away is to seek the Lord with ALL my heart, soul, mind and strength. To put Christ first and foremost and everything else will fall into place. I am praying about volunteering at another orphanage in Peru, but I don't want my planning for that to take away from the time I have now in Honduras. God has been so faithful to lead me and show me where to go and He will continue to do so as I seek His will in my life.


Please be praying for:
Safety as my friend Lindsay and I travel next Tuesday, September 14! (Central America Independence Day) :)
That we would not get the Dengue fever ( caused from mosquitos, and apparently a few of the kids at the orphanage have it, totally fine, but we were told to take extra precautions)
That my focus would be Christ, and trust Him with my future plans
The food there is apparently only rice, beans and noodles, which I love, but takes a toll on the body, so a good attitude and strength to do my job.