Jenny

I've already posted some pictures of Jenny in previous posts, so I don't want to over post.  I have some other pictures of her, where she is being silly, but I don't think she'd want me to post them.  :)  During my time at Emmanuel in 2004, I worked in the kitchen with Jenny and Lourdes (my next post will be about her!).  That consisted of setting places and doing dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and also helping with dinner prep during the afternoons (translate - spend LOTS of time in the kitchen peeling eggs, chopping stuff, opening cans with machetes, hunting mice, etc.).  Most every afternoon I spent hours with these two girls.  I was very excited to see Jenny, having kept up with her on Facebook for a few years, I was aware that she'd gotten married and had a baby.  I was excited to meet her husband and have our kids play together.  

Jenny has grown into a beautiful woman, both inside and out.  She encouraged me a great deal, speaking openly about having faith and honoring the Lord.  She and her family live on the farm, since her husband is in charge of the pigs that they raise and use for food.  He came to Emmanuel as a missionary and became enamored with my beautiful friend - for good reason!  

The last full morning we were there, Wednesday, I was blessed with the opportunity to have a couple of solid hours with Jenny.  We walked around the orphanage and went to the store for ice cream and soda.  I did not expect to be able to do that, and was exceedingly glad that it worked out.  I have truly missed my friend, remembering with fondness our days together when I was a volunteer.  

My one regret is not doing a better job of keeping in touch during the time I have been away.  Jenny speaks really good English now, and we were able to communicate much more than before.  I'm going to really try to be better at that.  

But that aside, it was great to see Jenny again, to spend time with her, to see with my own eyes her life as it is now.  It was great to see her married to a man that seeks to honor the Lord, to be raising a baby in a family, loving God and seeking to trust Him.  

Suly

As I mentioned before, when I left Emmanuel 8 years ago, Suly was 14.

I remember her as being silly, fun-loving, tender, and very loving.  The kids seem to choose "extranjeras" to attach to when they live at the orphanage.  Probably because mostly the "extranjeras" are able to be affectionate and giving, whereas most other people in their lives are authority figures in one way or another.  Suly attached to me.  I remember when I would be in the volunteer house and she would be in the yard right outside the window yelling for me over and over and over (totally against the rules).  I would sometimes have to ignore her because I was resting, and I needed to take care of myself.

But I remember those times with fondness, and love having the memory of 14 year old Suly yelling my name again and again outside the window.

Every year that Snowbird has returned to the orphanage, she has asked for me, and sent letters home with a friend to give to me.

The first night we were there, someone yelled, "Michelle, Suly's going by!" and she was sitting in the back of a truck riding down the road and I rushed out to wave to her.  I could hear her yelling, "You came back!" and she was literally dancing.  I finally returned.

As I mentioned before, she is now employed by the orphanage and is provided room and board and a small monthly salary.  Not much, but her needs are met and she is warm and fed, which is a lot to say in a country where 60% of the population lives below the poverty line.  She also speaks English quite well, although I wouldn't go so far as to call her fluent.  She made me talk in Spanish to her though, and then laughed at all my mistakes.  I enjoyed speaking to her, because she would correct me so that I say the right thing.  And if I couldn't get it, I could switch to English and she would usually get it.  Between my Spanish and her English, we did a pretty good job of communicating.  

She teaches preschool during the school year, and manages a house of boys ages 7-11 (about 40) year round.  That includes ensuring that they get their two daily Bible studies, are manageable during meals, and are dressed for the day in the morning and showered and dressed for the night in the evening.  She goes home about 5 and helps the baby house shut down for the night and then she is free, but when I went there, the babies were up every night (and from living with babies, I know that "free" doesn't mean "free." 

Olivia and I spent a good deal of time in the yard where her boys were playing.  I went down by myself and spent time with her while Olivia was napping or being cared for by other ladies on the trip.  I also spent about an hour with her at her house after she got "off" work, which is normally not allowed but in some cases you can get permission to do that.  We talked and shared our stories.  She asked me how my life has been since I left the orphanage and I was able to tell her.  She shared with me her story, which I had never heard before (we were always told not to ask the kids to tell us).  She told me of her conversion to Christianity and her baptism.  I was able to encourage her in the Lord.  It was so obvious to me that she strives to please the Lord with her life.  I am so grateful to have had the chance to fellowship with her, and I believe she was encouraged and uplifted. 

We sat together through two church services and she wrote me several notes, a piece of which I will share after I share these photos (with her permission!).

Suly was one of the the three girls I was looking forward to connecting with when I went there.  My time with her, though limited by the presence of Olivia and the limitations we had concerning her, was excellent.  I would call it a resounding success.

Here is an excerpt from one of the letters Suly wrote to me.  I've cleaned up her English to make it flow.

"Thank you Michelle because you are my sweet friend and thank you because you are here again.  God protected you in your home and in your trip.  Thank you for making me happy in this week, its been a good time in Emmanuel.  I love you.  Every day I work with the small boys they are so special to me.  But thank you again...I hope that you come back next year, I pray for that.  I hope everything is fine with God and I pray a lot that you come back next year to see me.  Thank you for spending time with me and thank you for everything."

I'm convinced, through observation and words like Suly's, that it really does matter whether or not people go to places like Orphanage Emmanuel, and not just go once, but multiple times over.  Thank you for your prayers, support, and generous giving that made this all possible. Thank you.

"How was your trip?"

I imagine that is a question I'll be asked a lot over the next several weeks.  Right now, the answer is, "I don't know."  There are so many aspects that I could answer from...I am still processing it all, and will be writing as I do, so I will update when I am able.  For now, suffice it to say that it was very very amazing, and very very difficult.

I am wrestling with some of the difficulties, and at times, insecurity threatens to overwhelm me.  I started to get sick when I got home, on Thursday night/Friday morning and have stayed sick since, so I am physically feeling out of it, and really unable to process the emotions and everything else.  

For now, let's focus on the really really amazing stuff...such as this beautiful woman.

Suly was 14 when I saw her last, and you can see the glimpse of the beautiful woman she will turn out to be.  The same sparkling eyes and bright smile.  She was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.  This girl loves Jesus and strives to serve Him with her life there at the orphanage.  She was brought there at 2 and has never left.  She is now 22 and employed there, with a bed and food provided for her still, in addition to a small monthly salary.  This is the best case scenario for her right now.  In a couple of days, I will share some words she wrote to me (with her permission) stating what it meant for her that I came.  I told her that people had given me money to come and asked if I could share some of what she'd written and she said I could.  I want you to know, from her, how important this trip was.

Then there is this beautiful woman.

We have both married and had kids since we saw each other last.  Jenny married a man that went down there to be a missionary and they live in a house on the farm.  They have a baby named Jacob that is a precious boy.  Another best case scenario.  Olivia and I spent quite a bit of time with her and her family, and the last full day I was there, we spent two solid hours together in the morning and walked around the orphanage and got ice cream at the store.  :)  It was a blessed time to be able to be with my friend again.

When I was there in 2004, I spent almost all of the time I was there working in the kitchen beside her and another woman, Lourdes.

Lourdes met us at the airport.  She left the orphanage 3 months ago and is living in Tegucigalpa trying to get work.  I am afraid for her, what will become of her soon.  She had found a job as a nanny but had to quit and is out in the job "market" again.  Please pray for her.  Tegus has very little opportunity.  

Tomorrow starts the plunge back into life.  I took some baby steps today and did laundry and dishes.  Soon, I will be back in the full swing of things struggling to remember the part of my heart that lives in Central America with clarity.  But I intend to fight for it this time, not let it slide like I did last time.  More on all of that later.  

Making Preparations

I'm making lists.  I'm making lists about what to do before I leave, what to pack for clothes, what to pack for entertainment for me, what to pack for entertainment for Olivia....and apparently I'm making lists about what lists I'm making.  I made a list of things to clean and take care of here at the house before I go and I got partially through that, but luckily I have a husband that knows how to do dishes, and he also likes to make sure things are in order for me when I return from somewhere, so I'm not worried about the house.  At all.  Hear that, honey?  :)  (positive reinforcement works well for him)

I wanted to share some specific prayer requests tonight, because this will be the last post I make before we go.  A friend is keeping the littles (Emma and Rebekah) for me in the morning so that I can get stuff done, and I will likely not find time to do anything but prepare tomorrow.

Olivia is so excited she can hardly stand it.  She is talking about it all the time, parroting information that I've given her.  

I'm a mixture of excitement and apprehension.  Excitement about returning to the place I've missed for 8 years, and the girls I've longed to see, and apprehension about the same, because I know it will be different - but I'm not quite sure I can put my finger on how.  Apprehension about bringing my 5 year old daughter on our first trip - to a third world foreign country for that.  Dread about the LONG travel days.  Our flight leaves at 6am Thursday and when we return we fly in at 11pm on the following Thursday.  Early mornings, late nights with a small child.

I feel awe that I am pioneering the Steinmetz family vision of doing mission trips with our children instead of Disney World. 

I feel pressured and nervous about all the packing.  I'm concerned about something happening to my family while I am gone.  I am comforted by the capable hands we are leaving our girls in during the days when Peter will be busy. I am sad to be missing Olivia's gymnastics show.  So many, many things.

So, with all that in mind, here is my prayer list in no particular order:

Please pray that - 

1 - I will be organized and efficient in packing.
2 - Our travel will be smooth.
3 - My Spanish will be sufficient (its marginal at best).
4 - For emotional energy to parent at the same time that I attempt to minister.
5 - That Olivia and I will convey Gospel truth and love to the children at all times.
6 - That God will be glorified in it all.
7 - That I will have clarity on the two Bible studies that I am required to prepare (all the people are being asked to do this).
8 - The peace of God would guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus throughout the week.

I think that pretty much covers it.  I cannot express enough my gratitude to you for joining us in this adventure.  :)  Next time you hear from me it will be with pictures of the completed trip.  Yikes!

   

Goal MET!!!

Check out that beautiful thermometer!  :)  Over the last couple of days donations have come in that have completely met our goal!  I have been praying, refusing to get worried but choosing to trust God as we came within two weeks of this trip with our goal not met.  And God came through (as He always does!).  

There are some anonymous donors, and I have to assume you are reading this blog...I want to thank you!  God has used your gifts to encourage and strengthen my faith, and will use your gift to encourage and strengthen the faith of the children we are going to minister to, and I am grateful beyond words to your partnership with us in the gospel.  Thank you!

If we get any extra funds, I plan to take the money to Honduras with us and spend it on the kids while we are there, or in the community, such as purchasing from street vendors or from local vendors (there are women who sell corn tortillas from their homes).

Thank you again, to all who have supported us.  The journey is about to begin!

Letting Go (A Special Guest Post!)

Hey ya'll, it's me (Peter) finally,

As you can see, the ladies were hard at work selling the donated yard sale items at the second (and much smaller) sale that was piggy-backed onto one that Michelle's friend was having.  Olivia did good, eating and picking out her favorite items to try and take back home.

I know you know that I'm really excited to see Olivia go on her first mission trip, since I am, sort of..

It was really hard for me to accept that I was not going to be with her out there- way out there.  It's hard for me just to know I wont be with her on her first jet plane take off (which is always my favorite part of any such trip).  There's just something about her little self being buckled into her window seat, chewing her gum and chattering (probably the whole way) about everything she can think of while sitting in the belly of a big aluminum bird that soars her over the cloud tops to a far away land where she will take in all of the sights, sounds and smells of place that just might change her life forever.

There was a fateful day a very long time ago in another far away land that determined the fate of all the world which was all about a father and his boy.  It seems to be the story that parents like to use as the ultimate example of trusting God, since perhaps it is.  We like to show our kids that God never intended to let Abraham sacrifice Isaac- He was both testing Abraham and validating his faith in God, since he supposed in his heart that God could raise him from the dead.  "See kids, we need to trust God with everything, even if it means..."

"Follow me."  This is not just a command from the King, it's an invitation to be led by the Shepherd.  Obeying God can be easy after a while- you stay away from the harmful 'don'ts' while pursuing the joyful 'do's', but trusting God is a whole 'nother way of life.  Obeying God has visible boundaries while trusting God is boundless, and that can make us really suck in our breath.  So the question is, have we really given everything and everyone in our lives over to the absolute Lordship of our Savior to do whatever HE wishes, while trusting in His goodness as we remember that all of creation was made for the purpose of His death on our behalf through the cross?

Now I'm getting excited again.  Jesus knows what it's like to have sadness from separation infinitely more than I ever will but He still understands what I struggled with.  But He is also well pleased to see His Spirit at work in me to remove any bitterness or disappointment and I follow His plan for my family, which is really, and always, His family that I have been entrusted with.

So after all of our prayers for the last bit of money and of safety for the trip are finished and that bird lifts off and the wheels tuck themselves into that belly where two of the people that I love the most in the world are buckled in and chewing gum, I know that it's not my will, but  in His will, that I will eventually have the most joy. 

For His glory and name to all the nations!

Yard Sale, Shots, $ Adjustment and 4 MORE WEEKS!

Thanks to generous donations by friends, we had a yard sale Saturday at our church.  We had about six tables of stuff (my brother and his wife joined us to make it even bigger!) and some furniture and other things.  We started the day pretty slow but it was steady until we finally closed down at around 4:30.  We just decided to keep going as long as people were coming, and we did it donation only (no prices) and people loved the idea of what they were buying benefiting missions.  Big success.  Thanks for all who were involved, either in donating or storing stuff or helping the day off.  

Olivia and I got our shots completed on Friday.  That was an unexpected $300.  Added to the $200 we already paid, it was about $500 to get us the immunizations that I felt we needed to be safe to travel and be in close quarters with the orphans.  I know some people don't do immunizations for travel, but some of the kids we'll be working with could be pretty fresh off the streets and I just feel that its wise to be prepared when you can.

That brings us to my next point...if you'll look at the thermometer that is tracking our donations, you'll see that  we met my original goal, and I have moved up the goal amount.  The reason for that is that when I did the first goal, I failed to factor in the shots, passports, parking, etc.  The cost just for the trip is $1650 for Olivia and I, and then all the other expenses added up much much faster than I anticipated.  All that to say that I am  changing the goal to $2200 and we have $335 to raise to get to that goal.  I'm going to look at the good side of that and realize that I am $335 away from meeting my goal!!!  YAY!

Finally, we leave in EXACTLY 4 weeks!  Its really hard to believe its this close to actually happening...its on our calendar at home now.

I have childcare lined up for Emma and Rebekah, and I am starting to think ahead about how to best prepare her for the transition.  That one kind of bends my brain because she's still nursing and I don't necessarily want to stop nursing her, so I'm not going to wean her.  She's going to have a hard time, I know, and that's the hardest thing about this whole trip for me.

The detail-y type stuff is what I have to take care of now...entertainment and food for Olivia on the plane, treats to bring for the kids at the orphanage, copies of passports, what to pack, what type of bug repellent to use, that type of stuff.  But that is the small stuff!  And...I'll probably wait until my uber organized sister visits around Thanksgiving and put her in charge of all that stuff!  She was a whiz at my wedding!  :)

PS - If you are wondering about that post from Peter, it's coming.  He hasn't had time to do it yet.

Pondering

I mentioned to Peter the other day that I needed to write a blog post, but since we are sort of in a holding pattern as far as things go, I didn't really know what to write.  He suggested I go through the blog I kept during the time I lived at the orphanage and see if I could post any part of it over here, just to give a sense of that trip to this new group of friends.  I spent a couple of days revisiting my first journey to Orphanage Emmanuel.  That trip was so challenging.  Those of you who walked with me during that time will recall the challenges, although some I did not even recall until I read my record of them on the blog.  The part I chose to post over here was from after I got home.  

I had been home 10 days.  What I found when I returned was that I missed the kids like an amputation, and I had such a hard time readjusting to normal life once I came back.  I had spent 8 months in full time ministry, four of those months out of the country, and I had to come back and start working almost immediately.  Also, I was sick.  I have a dust allergy that surfaced while I was in Honduras (remind me to get Allegr.a for my trip), and it took me 7 months of being home to get well from the immune shock my system went into to.

But back to this blog entry.  I was reflecting on my time there, still wondering what it all meant (truth be told, I still wonder what it all meant), and this is what I came up with:

As this season ends and the next begins, I look for one thing as the constant in it all, Jesus Christ.  My circumstances will change, but He never does.  And I thank God for that.  People have been telling me that I will continue to see the effects of this time for the rest of my life.  I know I have seen fruit already from my time there, from the deepening of relationships that occurred while I was there to the reduction of the power of want in my life, and I will continue to see fruit in the months and years to come.  Something life changing, eternal occurred there.  And it was worth all the lice, all the exhaustion, all the frustration, everything.  I recall the day I arrived there, and was standing in front of the airport, God gave me a sense of peace, an assurance that I was right where I was supposed to be, and I still have that sense of peace about it.  I know that I went there out of obedience and I fulfilled the task that God put in front of me.  I didn’t do it perfectly, but I did it, and He will honor that.  That’s all I can possibly ask.  I don’t regret a minute of it, and I feel as though I know God better for having gone.

If you are so inclined, you can read the entire entry by clicking HERE.

I'm thrilled to be bringing my daughter to the same place that meant so much to me then and means so much to me now, to be introducing her to the world of loving others in the name of Christ on foreign soil.  

We have bit more to raise, we are having a yard sale at our church on Saturday and a few people have asked how much more we still need, and I am fully confident of God's provision for the rest of the trip.  Blessings, blessings, blessings.  :)  

The next post I am going to ask Peter to write, about sending his precious wife and daughter to the mission field without him.  It'll be a good one.

Look what came today!

Oooh she was pleased as punch to get it, too!  She looked at every page, scratched the inside covers and I eventually had to take it away from her to keep it safe.  She just wanted to carry it everywhere.  And, in classic form, when I asked her to give it to me so I could put it up, she said, "But its mine!"  She did NOT want to part with it.  :)  Much sooner than I expected it to come, it's here...and that is one thing marked off of my list.  Yay!

This and that

I just called Olivia into the room and asked her to tell me about our Honduras trip, and she said to me: "We are going to Honduras.  We're gonna bless the mission trip and we're gonna bless the orphanage and we're gonna pack food for the plane.  We're taking two planes.  Honduras has special mosquitoes, if they bite you you'll have a virus."

We went to the foreign travel immunization clinic at the Alachua County Health Department  the other day.  Thankfully (praise be to God) Jared and Celia were gracious enough to keep the littles so Olivia and I could go alone.  The woman we had the consultation with spoke to us for an hour (!) about things ranging from benzo (something or other) wipes to buy, anti-malarial medicine, and vaccinations.  I am currently having to decide if I should get my 2nd Hepatitis A shot (I got my first before I went but never returned for the booster - those are expensive shots!).  We got Olivia's Hepatitis A but have to go back for one more for both her and I (I can't remember what it is and I'd have to actually get up to go find it. ha!).  I'd have taken a picture of her getting her shot but I was too busy restraining her.  Literally, full body restraining.  Can we say traumatic???  There is no convincing her that it will be just a moment of pain.  She starts stressing about the shot as soon as she figures out she's getting one.  

On a happier note, I did (finally) get the passports sent off last week.  I was waiting on having the funds to do so, it was quite expensive to do.  We took some pictures of us getting pictures, the ones of me, Olivia took.  :)  She's a natural, as you can see.

Did you happen to notice the red line on the thermometer?  It has literally JUMPED since my last update.  We have gotten about $700 donated in the last two weeks.  We are SO close to meeting goal...and still have a yard sale to do!  God has been so good to us in providing so quickly, and I feel so blessed, and Olivia does too.  

If you are praying, please pray for the following:

• That all of our funding would be provided, ours and the other people going on the trip.  I am only one of 70 people raising funds for this.
• That our hearts would be prepared for the trip in all the ways God knows they need to be.
• That God would prepare specific people for us to connect with and bless during our time there.

Thank you, again, for journeying with us.  :)

Let's talk about money!

I figured I'd just get right to the point.  Y'all know me...and you know that's what I'm about.  :) 

So far, we have been given $355 by generous donors.  I feel so blessed and loved that people are actually opening their wallets and gifting us their money.  Matthew 6:21 says that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also, and so I know that hearts are with us on this journey, and I am beyond grateful.  I love that you guys love us.

This will be my only post on the finances, other than to update you on the amount collected at intervals, most likely through the use of the handy-dandy thermometer on the right hand side there.  

So, here is the run-down on how to best support our mission.  :)

First, if you pray, please pray!  God has sovereign control over all the finances necessary and I believe He is going to provide all we need.  I want to be dependent on Him throughout this process, and prayer is the way that happens.

Second, if you cannot, or do not feel led to give, please don't!  I understand that not every mission is supported by every person, and love that you're reading along and following with us even if you have no intention of giving!

However, if you do feel led to give, and have not yet, the rest of this post is for you!  

• If you want to do a tax-deductible donation, you can do so two ways. Either:
• Send a check to Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters, 75 Mae Johnson Way, Andrews NC 28901 and be sure to put Steinmetz Honduras in the subject line.
• Go to Causes by clicking HERE. This donation goes directly to Snowbird and they know its for us.

• If you are not interested in tax-deductible and don't want to do an internet payment, you can send me a check. Email me at michellestz78 at gmail (dot) com and I will message you our address!
• You can donate cash when you see me!
• You can order from a fundraising catalog I have...lots of cute Christmas stuff, decorations, cards, wrapping paper, etc., and I get to keep 50% of your donation!
• You can donate stuff for a yard sale!  Check this out!!

All that stuff is crammed into our dining room, waiting for a yard sale!  Yikes!

Okay, I think that about does it, unless you have other suggestions.  We are trying to think of as many ways as we can do bring money in, and so I may mention something else down the road, just to let you know what we are up to, but there will not be another post dedicated just to money.  I figure once is enough to beg. Ha!

Pictures!

I wanted to do a post of pictures, to give you a visual of where we are going.  These are all pictures from the 4 months I spent at Orphanage Emmanuel!

These are four of the girls' houses, the ones that are about 15 to a house, with an older girl(s) in charge.

Me and three of the girls during a special party/gathering. On occasion, I was able to pull ten or so girls out of their houses at night to just spend time with them.  It was a very neat way to connect with them more deeply.

Nap time at the toddler house! Crazy!

The toddlers all in a line. 

Another party/gathering.

The girl in the blue shirt - Zully - and the girl in the yellow shirt - Yenni (Jenny) - are two of the girls that I have maintained contact with over the years.

Q & A - 2nd Edition

Welcome to the second part of my Honduras Mission Trip Q&A.  :)  I forgot to answer one question that pertained to Olivia on the last post, so I will start with that one today and then move on to questions about the orphanage itself.

1.  What will Olivia do there?

• Mostly, Olivia will play with the kids.  I am going to look into having her eat all her meals with them one day, and also to help in the kitchen duties, which is what I did when I was there, but since I am not in charge of this trip, I don't know if that will pan out.

Now onto questions about Orphanage Emmanuel.

1.  Where in Honduras is this orphanage?

•  The orphanage is in Guaimaca, Honduras, which is about two hours northeast of the capital city of Tegucigalpa.  I found a picture for you!

2.  How many children and staff are there?

• According to the orphanage web site, there are currently 460 children and 24 staff.  This number does fluctuate, though, as new children can be brought quite often.  There are also a fluctuating number volunteers there.

3.  What structure is used in the orphanage?  Family style, boarding house style, live in parents, rotating nannies...

• I'm not quite sure what to call it...there is a toddler house, where the littles live (I believe up to age 6), then they move into a house, that one older child is in charge of.  I'd estimate there are about 15 to these houses.  They bunk in the rooms together, usually the older one in charge has her own space. 8 years ago when I was there, this is how things were run. Its possible there have been some changes made.  (If there is a SWO person that is reading this than can confirm, correct or clarify any of these details, your input is welcome!)

4.  What is the expected future for these children?

• This is a tough question.  Some of them will return to the streets.  When I was there we got a 9 year old girl in that ran away days later.  Some of them will always run back.  The orphanage provides education (when I was there it was up to 8th grade and they were working on high school - again, its been awhile since I've been there and these are details I haven't kept up with as well as I could have) so they will at least be schooled, whereas if they were living with their parents that is not a guarantee.  Some of them go to Bible college in Costa Rica and other places.  Some of them stay on and assist in the running of the orphanage. A few come to the US and go to college.

5.  What is the hoped for future of these children?

• Personally, I hope (and I think I am in line with the orphanage itself on this one) that the children will become Christians during their time at Orphanage Emmanuel and take the gospel into their country and live as light and salt among their people. 

6.  Do they necessarily speak Spanish, or are there other languages used?

• They speak Spanish, but English is taught by the school and by the groups and volunteers.  I worked with one girl on her English during the time that I was there.  There is also some connection to Denmark there, and I served with at least 6 Danish volunteers while I was there, so the children get exposed to Danish as well, but really they mostly speak Spanish.  This is one area where I could use prayer.  I am trying to cram language preparation into my days right now.  Haha.

7.  How does the local church interact with this orphanage?

• There is a pastor from one of the local churches that is involved with the orphanage.  When I was there, David Martinez, called "Papi" by the children, did all the preaching in the orphanage's church.

8.  What is the long-term impact of this trip on the orphanage?

• There are two parts to this answer.  Snowbird takes a trip to Orphanage Emmanuel every year, providing a consistency of involvement.  They focus on strengthening the children in their understanding of the gospel, growing the ones that are already Christian and evangelizing those that are not, they work and play alongside the children, and just seek to give them attention.  This is vital to the kids and provides something that the staff and volunteers alone are not able to do with the ratio of staff to children that there are.  So the long term impact is measured more by the consistency of Snowbird returning and the relationships that are developed there, and obviously the eternal implications of the gospel being proclaimed.  
• The second part is more personal.  There are three specific girls that I have been in contact with since I left there.  As recently as within this month, one of them has expressed that she misses me and wishes I could come back and see her again.  She recently got married and had a baby and lives with her family at the orphanage.  Another sends me a letter back with one of the girls that visits with Snowbird every year.  And the other I chat with on Facebook sometimes.  I believe that these girls will be encouraged and strengthened simply by me coming (I hope that doesn't sound arrogant!).  I have a friend that visits me with frequency, and it means the world to me because I really don't have the ability to pick up and go see her.  I treasure our visits and thank God that He allows that for us.  I think it will be the same for them.

I think that pretty much wraps it up for now.  I'm not afraid to run another one or two of these, so if you did not get your questions in or answered, please feel free to email.

To update you on the financial outlook, so far I've had many people express a desire/commitment to give.  So far, I've been given $125 out of the around $2,000 that I need.  I am not worried, our God owns all the resources in the world!  I am currently in discussions with several people regarding fundraising, trying to figure out the best way to go about getting this money together.  Please pray that God will provide for all our needs (and some of it soon!  :)  I gotta get these passports mailed off!)

Thanks so much for following our journey.  It really does mean so much to me.

Q & A!

Thanks for the responses to the email I sent out requesting questions!  Here is where I attempt to answer some of them.  Remember -  grace, people, grace.  :)

1.  How did you happen to go see the orphans the first time?

•  During college, I had a scholarship that was sufficient to pay for a 4 year degree.  Since I goofed around and failed two semesters of college due to my drug addiction, I was a bit short on scholarship for finishing my degree.  In the fall of 2003, I had one more semester left of scholarship, and it occurred to me that I wasn't tied to school anymore for the time being.  I began to desire to serve people in a foreign country (specifically Spanish speaking - I just love the language).  Thinking that through led me to land on serving in an orphanage.  I believe that was a God-given desire, because summers when I was in college, I worked for a Christian youth camp called Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters, an extreme recreation camp, and this desire started growing in me after a fall trip to the camp.  When I went there for the Christmas reunion, I spoke to the wife of the assistant director about this desire, and she immediately informed me that her dad, the director of the camp, had just recently been in communication with an orphanage in Honduras and that they were wanting to begin building a relationship with the orphanage.  My funding fell into place, and I was the first missionary to go to Honduras from Snowbird - but by no means the last, or the one who stayed the longest.  I went from August to December 2004, and Snowbird took their first group there in December 2004.  They have returned every year, but due to my work of building a family, I have been unable to return until this time.

2.  What prompted you to include your daughter this time?

• Peter and I have a heart for missions, and when I was pregnant with Olivia, we discussed our priority of instilling the same in our children.  We pray, as a family, for the persecuted church in various countries (one time, Emma was asked where the circus was, and she replied that she thought maybe it was in Nigeria!), my brother and sister-in-law are going to the Dominican Republic to be missionaries, and Olivia says she's going to be a missionary when she grows up because she knows the love of Jesus (she also says she's going to be a mermaid so we don't take her too seriously, but we love that she even thinks of it as an option).  Instead of family vacations to Disney World, we want to take our kids to foreign countries (I'm not slamming Disney!).  We also plan to take them to the Dominican Republic in July 2013 and go back to Honduras as a family next year and every year, as the Lord allows.

3.  What are you hoping Olivia will gain from this trip?

• The answer to this question sort of flows from the last.  I'm hoping that she will come home with a sense that all the world is not like the United States, that all children do not live like her and her friends live, and that she really can go into the world into a different country or a different place in our country and live to make an impact for Jesus.  I'm hoping she will gain a more global perspective and understand more about herself and the world around her.  I know for myself, travel has greatly broadened my thinking.  When I took my first solo vacation, I went to Los Angeles to visit my sister, and it seriously changed the way I looked at the world.  I'm hoping to impact her heart, to develop a love in her for people that do not have as much as we have, whether that is material goods or spiritual opportunity. (And I'm hoping that if I give her some food she doesn't want, I can just say, "remember the kids at the orphanage?" and she'll feel guilty and eat it! Just kidding! Sort of. I don't want guilt. But I do want gratitude. I'm hoping she'll begin to develop a sense of gratitude for what she has.)

4.  What do you think Olivia has to offer these children?

• Pretty much the same thing I will have to offer them....love and attention.  The orphanage has around 460 children with about 24 full time staff and a variable number of volunteers at any given time.  They have school in the mornings and then they eat lunch, and in the afternoons, they spend their time together in groups (separated by boys and girls - last I was there, there were two girl yards and two boy yards) supervised by older children who have gained that privilege.  Its seriously like Groundhog Day.  The children love it when groups come to visit them, and they really love Snowbird.  The groups provide them with activities and attention that they will not otherwise get, alleviating a perpetual boredom. Another benefit will be their ability to see a healthy mother/daughter interaction. The orphanages in Honduras are sort of like our foster care system, most of the children have parents but they have been taken from their families.  Some of them will never leave the orphanage during their growing up years.  By bringing families to them, they have the unique opportunity to see something that they would not otherwise see, a healthy family in Christ interacting with each other.

5. Are you aware of other families that have taken kindergarteners on short term trips of this nature?

• Yes!  Actually, every year since 2005, Snowbird families have taken their children to the orphanage.  One of the girls that began going when she was a bit older than Olivia is preparing for God's call on her life to be a missionary to an unreached people group in India.

6.  Isn't it dangerous to take Olivia to Honduras?

• It could be (it could also be dangerous to stay here!).  But, we will go from the airport to the orphanage (about a 2 hour drive) on a bus that comes from the orphanage, and the orphanage itself is gated and guarded, with armed guards that patrol at night.  As I said above, the group has taken their children every year since 2005 without incident, so I feel that the safety is no more an issue than it would be doing anything else.  

Tomorrow, I will do another post addressing questions regarding the orphanage itself.  I feel that this one has gone on long enough.  :)  Please email me or comment if you have other questions or need clarification on anything. 

Passports!

The first step in the process of getting things together for our trip is for Olivia to get a passport, and for my passport to be renewed/updated with my married name!  The other day, when I took Olivia and Emma to school, Rebekah and I went downtown to get the paperwork and ask about the process.

The last time I got a passport, I went to the courthouse to do it, so I parked in the parking lot and put Rebekah in the stroller and we strolled to the courthouse, went inside and went through security...I put my purse on the belt and Rebekah and I walked through (well, I carried her!) and they took the stroller and examined it (embarrassing because its filthy in the seat, from all the times I've fed the kids in it and food has dropped onto the seat!). When we got all that done, I asked where I should go for passports, and I was tersely told that I was in the wrong building.  :)  Great! 

A few directions and a block and a half and a little sweat later, Rebekah and I found our way to the passport office and we made a new friend as the woman who helped me was very kind, and just loved Rebekah (who doesn't?!).  She walked me through the process and wrote the instructions and fee amounts on the passport applications, and sent me on my way.

This morning, I have filled out the information and over the weekend we will get our pictures taken and next week I will mail mine and take Olivia to the office and apply for hers (she has to be present because she's a minor, I also have to bring a notarized paper of consent from Peter - apparently to prove I'm not trying to kidnap her).  So, Step One is in process.  :)

Please continue to pray, especially regarding the finances.  We are committed now, and if I cannot raise the funds for some reason, we are still required to pay for the plane tickets.  And we definitely don't want that to happen. 

When I was thinking about seeing those smiling faces again, my stomach got butterflies.  I can't believe I am actually going back.  I'm so excited!!