Honduran Horizon - JUNE

Believe it or not, I'm getting this newsletter out early!

I returned home last weekend and I cannot get enough of this wonderful state! I got home Saturday night and have been loving every minute... including the freedom to flush my toilet paper, drive a car, hug my brothers, and have dinner on the porch with my parents. LOVE IT.

There are some things that only happen in Iowa.

There are also some things to praise God for because of His provision this year. I wrote about a few things in the newsletter this month, but I want to highlight a few.

Last year, before I left for Honduras, I made prayer cards with the following requests:

• For the Lord to prepare students’ hearts for another year at Pinares

God totally provided in this area. I saw students transformed this year - growing in grace and Truth ... and slowly finding their courageous feet to move in service for Christ.

• For the Lord’s blessing on the ministry of Pinares and the staff

I felt such a wonderful sense of community with my roommates, co-workers, and staff. I know the Lord has blessed Pinares as a school and each staff person comes in answer to a personal call.

• For the connections to surrounding communities through service work

I was overwhelmed with the opportunities to reach out and work with other organizations this year. I have built bridges through "hands and feet," the new student organization, and also through serving with Manos Extendidas. God definitely provided these connections.

• For my abilities as a teacher, counselor, co-worker, and friend

In every way, even in my weakness, I felt the prayers that sustained me. God most certainly showed up, because I couldn't have finished on my own.

• For a humble heart to enter into ministry and work alongside other servants

I always seem to struggle with pride and this year was no different. But when I did allow the Lord to work in ways He designed, I was a joyful part of something much bigger than little me could ever create.

• For traveling mercies and other details

Though this is the shortest request, I know my mom prayed real hard for it! Actually, I am very very thankful for all the traveling and detail-oriented prayers. I may never know how those prayers protected me.

Here is the newsletter for June. It's still short, but I wanted to get it out quick because I'll be writing my summer newsletter to include updates from Camp Bethany. I am speaking this week as the missionary and I have already felt the Lord moving and working.

Click on the image below to go to the Honduran Horizon page and then click on June 2009.

I have attached a new prayer card as well, so that you can continue to pray this year for the ministry in Honduras. Thank you, thank you, thank you! And may the Lord bless your faithful hearts!

Please keep checking back this week for more pictures and updates from Iowa, Camp Bethany, and other exciting stateside adventures!

power of prayer

The Lord is sovereign over all Creation. I believe it.

Please pray for these things tonight:
-cousin Livvy in the children's hospital in Denver for pneumonia of unknown origin
-grandma still in the hospital with little improvement today
-friend Anna, whose heart is broken into a million tiny little pieces
-student, Bryan Vasquez, here who had appendicitis and had an operation, but he has a blood condition and there have been many complications and he is bleeding now internally

God is sovereign and holds these things in His hands. He has weaved each one of us together and nothing escapes His sight. Each of these prayers is just all about brokenness. We are so broken. Humanity is so broken. We have to trust our Savior is Lord over everything.

please pray for my gram

My gram is on my mind tonight. I just got back from a praise/worship session and before I was at a potluck for my care group and before that I was playing capture the flag and before that I was organizing a surprise party with our 10th graders for my roommate and before that I was working.

But, right now I am praying for my grandma Phyllis because she is struggling to recover after having surgery for cancer in her colon. My heart is aching for the frustration I know she must be facing right now at being immobile. I know that the Lord is holding her in His hands, but the prayers of the righteous lifted up to Him are powerful and effective. My grandpa is such a strong, steadfast man with so much love to give. I know his support of gram is endless, but both of them need strength right now.

This verse that a student gave me awhile back is again reminding me the power and authority our Lord possesses.

Isaiah 40:28
"Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable."

I just praise God for his faithfulness and pray He will be the strength and steady hand guiding both my precious grandparents tonight.

a little light creativity and some deeper thinking

Here's a new website my friend Macayla suggested, that I now love:
www.curbly.com

Here's something I stumbled upon (by way of twitter of all places!):
www.redmetyellow.com

I was browsing Justin Taylor's blog and came across this book. The author spoke at one of the Next Conferences and it definitely looks like something I want to pick up while I'm in the States:
between two worlds

So, there's a few things for your Monday.

Honduran Horizon - May

I can't believe it.

With 45 minutes to spare, this newsletter is actually on time! I hardly know how to start this post because it usually begins with a lame apology.

So, here you have it: click on the image below and then go to May 2009 to see the full pdf newsletter.

Though you may notice that this edition is somewhat abbreviated, I hope you will like my honesty. I worked really hard to get it out tonight because I specifically need prayer for several things.

I hope this find you ready for June, because it's coming tomorrow whether you like it or not!

Blessings!

Proyecto Miceas!

joy is a funny thing. sometimes it bubbles right up out of the smallest crack of earth to surprise me when I'm distractedly searching for my next suffering step. joy surprised me in just such a way this weekend and I am beyond thrilled.

God doesn't have to surprise us. Yet, somehow I imagine He sits, enthroned in glory with angels bursting beautiful harmonies, positively giddy (in a majestic sort of way) at the idea of surprising His children with joy. We may be down here, trudging through hardships and trials... but amidst and underneath all of the regular rubble, a steadfast stream just gurgles up with inexpressible joy. Mmmm.

How perfectly thoughtful of our Lord to meet that subtle need (that escapes explanation and then makes me crazy searching for what I'm "missing") in the form of joy.

C.S. Lewis wrote a book about his life, "Surprised by Joy." Given my unwavering appreciation for that man, I know this inexpressible joy has touched others as deeply (and who are able to articulate it more aptly than I).

So, all this abstract talk has surely been a surprise to you, since I've been straining to get any information at all up here lately. Well, don't go expecting any similar bursts of inspiration ... today may not be habit forming (unfortunately, I generally can not control surprises). I would, however, like to share how God blessed me with joy in the form of Micah Project.

(A little background) We've been trying to get a service group going at the school called "Hands and Feet." Throughout this year, we've held bake sales, donation drives, awareness campaigns, and ventured out on a few field trips. After a series of random events strung together perfectly, yesterday we invited the Micah Project to give an after-school assembly.

(Here are a few posters I made to publicize)

Not being at all confident in our students' interest in anything not including personal gain, I presented the idea to our teachers that they might offer extra credit for students who attended and completed an assignment.

I'm not sure if it was the extra credit or the praise and worship that followed, but the room was packed out! We arranged for a taqueadas (tacos/gringas combos) vendor to sell after school to raise money for the Micah Project and then everyone crammed in to listen to the story of this young organization, whose purpose is to rescue boys off the streets of Tegucigalpa and then provide discipleship training and education. The director, Michael Miller came, along with Becca (operations director), and three of the boys from the program (Kristopher, Wilmer, and Michael).

Praise God, for he did indeed move. After the event and before we moved into the auditorium for the last praise and worship night of the year, I had a little moment of "Lord, yes!"

Though I still struggle with mission-envy (a new term I've given to being jealous of those involved in other missions), I can see that God has a very sure role for me here. Before I came, I saw an opportunity to connect the students who can make a difference with those who need the difference made here in Honduras. I just felt the biggest, blessed confirmation that the Lord will be faithful to complete that work in this school.

Many, many things are changing next year - more than I can explain pushing these keys. I do know, however, that God is the same. He is just as faithful, just as perfect, and just as concerned with the lives of His children today as He was yesterday.

Praise God for joyful surprises!

PRAYER:
I will write more soon, but I have found a car to purchse for next year. If you have not read in previous posts or my newsletters, I have been looking for a car to expand my outreach next year. Though I feel perfectly comfortable and safe traveling around on my own with public transportation, it limits my ability to meet up with students (public transportation is too dangerous for them). A car would allow me to set up times to meet girls for discipleship and pick up students for different events when they do not have a ride. I am also looking forward to increasing my involvement in outside ministries (and getting the students involved as well!).

So, having said that, I am planning to pay for a portion of the car and raise money for the rest. I know the current owner (she's a good friend) and my plan would be to bless a missionary with the car whenever I decide to leave Honduras. I am still praying about everything, but if you are feeling led right now to support this next step in ministry, please let me know.

wow.

My friend Nicole always used to start her papers in college with "Wow." As I read this short devotional this morning from our daily bread, I thought about all the ways we are "wowed" by our awesome God. Truly amazing. I'm sorry for my week away from the blog world, but I'm not sorry for the wonder of a week wrapped in my battle cry to, "Finish well!"

I'll write more later, for now have a taste of this and do like Jeremiah - take and eat the Word (Jeremiah 15:16).

Wow!

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READ: Romans 11:33-36

Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? —Exodus 15:11

One blustery day in June, our family, holidaying in the Canadian Rockies, went to a tourist site that was billed as a “must see.” The cold wind made me reluctant to go on until I saw a group of people returning from the scenic spot. “Is it worth it?” I asked. “Definitely!” was their response. That gave us the incentive to go on. When we finally reached the spot, its beauty rendered us virtually speechless. “Wow!” was all we could manage.

Paul reached that point as he wrote about the work of God in saving Jew and Gentile in the book of Romans. Three things about God “wowed” him.

First, God is all-wise (11:33). His perfect plan of salvation shows that He has far better solutions to the problems of life than we are capable of devising.

Second, God is all-knowing. His knowledge is infinite. He needs no counselor (v.34) and nothing surprises Him!

Third, God is all-sufficient (v.35). No one can give to God what He has not first given to them. Nor can anyone ever repay Him for His goodness.

We can say with Moses, “Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Ex. 15:11 ESV). What a marvelous God we serve! —C. P. Hia

By God’s grace I stand on tiptoe,
Viewing all His wonders grand,
Praising Him who freely gave me
Simple faith to understand! —Bosch

In God’s character and in His creation, we see His majesty.