Honduras 2010

Well we left Dec. 17 and arrived back home on Dec. 27, although technically it was midnight :) The trip was great much more different than I had imagined. I guess I thought time had stood still in that country and everything would be the same. But it was all quite different.

My girl Tenisha was unable to be with us during our time there. Due to some personal problems and needing to work things out as a family she was away. While the news didn't come as a huge shock it was still so different not having her be there around us, loving us, signing to us, talking to us :) every second of the day. I would have loved to hug her and hear how much she has grown but unfortunately it didn't happen. We had the chance to see her but opted out of it. I think it was for the better. It still seems surreal that we didn't see her but we trust Robin and Jeff and their decision and continue to pray for Tenisha as she deals with the horrible past she has, we pray that she will release it to the Father and be able to move on with life.

I didn't see my two precious boys Errol and Fly. Their parents have recently decided to hate church. It makes me mad at their parents because I know the boys are innocent and probably confused. But I have to be reminded that Kerry and Ruth are on a much lower Christian level than I am and while their decisions seems ridiculous, in their minds its right. We pray for them to grow up and learn truth so that their family can grow in the Lord.

While the trip wasn't what I had in mind I know it's exactly what God had in mind. I loved being there again, serving again, hiking into villages, being around people who have absolutely nothing. It's what I long to do and what I know I'm suppose to do. I miss it when I'm not there but know that in God's time another trip will be provided. There are so many stories that I will have to process. I'm not sure how to share them all yet, day by day or each village, etc.

The picking a polished rock tradition continued. This is always done on the last day. We are reminded that we are a rock and God polishes us and makes us perfect. Our time in Honduras was part of that polishing. As I shifted through the tin of rocks this year I couldn't help but think back over the previous two years.

The first year I picked a rock and accidentally dropped it at the river lodge. It was gone but I picked up a plan rock, never been polished, but it had significance. That rock was me, I was so unpolished at that point in my life, there was so much work to be done to get my life looking pretty. I'm thankful that I as picked another rock the next year that I was able to know that God had so much patience with me to really polish me. He polished me up nice between the first time I was there and the second time. This year was significant as well. As I looked at all of the polished rocks I sat there wondering just as Honduras had changed in the 2 years I was gone and it was evident; how much had I changed and was it evident?

Could people look at me and see changes? Could they see growth? I want to come up with some way of making my rock into a piece of jewelry so that I can be constantly reminded of needing to have God in my life polishing me. So that I can look back in a year and see how much more God has polished me from this time last year.

How fitting that the New Year starts tomorrow. I've never been big on a New Year's resolution most of the time I don't stick with them anyway, besides can't resolutions be made throughout the year? While there is no doubt that BIG changes are in store for mine and Phillip's future in 2011, I know God will walk us through everything and I hope this year is a year of great trust in him, in his time and his plan.