Honduras

This week, A and I have been on a mission trip in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I have been processing much of our week and wanted to share some of it with you all. We have spent most of our time working with the kids at Jubilee School in La Era. La Era is a barrio of approximately 10,000 people. Driving up the mountain in La Era is to witness poverty as I have never seen before. The houses are very small structures made of pieces of steel, cardboard, wood, or whatever materials are available.  It is dirty, dangerous, and scary. 

Jubilee School is a private school in the area that charges parents $5 a month to send their children there. They are trying to educate these children to help get them out of the barrio and at the same time, teach them about the love of Christ. Approximately 25% of these children have lost a parent or grandparent by murder. Many of these children live with a grandparent or aunt because their parents are living in the US trying to make ends meet.  The stories are heartbreaking. 

While I knew to expect such sadness, there has also been great joy this week. I have spent time with these kids and seen the love of Christ in so many ways. These children are joyful. They have truly taught me that to live is Christ.  They know the good news of Jesus and they are content and even joyful, despite their dismal circumstances.  They are excited to spend time with us - their brothers and sisters in Christ. What a privilege and a joy to be able to love them and serve them this week. 

 

This is Daysa. She has been my special little friend this week. She is one of those children that lives with Grandma because her mom is in the US working.  Daysa has sat on my lap and held my hand for the past 3 days. Even though we don't speak the same language, love has crossed all barriers. I have been able to hold her and love her when her mom can't.  Saying goodbye tomorrow will be heartbreaking but I will find comfort in knowing that someday, there will be no more hurt and instead of worshipping together in a classroom, we will walk the streets of heaven together. 

Summer Fun

Forever and day since I have posted on this blog.  The sun is hot and life is good in Texas. I finally downloaded the app to update my blog from my phone. So, here's to many more updates! 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!  We had a wonderful Christmas here in Texas.  This Christmas Eve we were blessed to spend time with another family from church.  We all attended our church service together and then came home for what has become our traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner.  Yummy lasagna followed by Happy Birthday Jesus cake!  We had an evening of loud, wild, chaotic fun with the 8 kids in attendance. We sang Happy Birthday to Jesus at least 5 times - every child had to have a turn blowing out the candles!  After dinner, we shared our Christmas Eve tradition of reading the Christmas story - no not about a red rider bee bee gun - about Jesus's birth.  The kids all opened one present (new pjs of course) and snuggled up together to hear about the first Christmas when Jesus was born.  It was a wonderful evening and so great to hear so many little voices speak with such confidence about the true meaning of Christmas.  Some of the things said by the 4 three year olds in attendance... "Jesus came to save us"  "He died on the cross to save us." "Mary was Jesus's mom."  "They went to Bethlehem to be counted."  "The angels praised God in heaven!"  How special to hear the truth from such little mouths. 

Four adorable three year olds...

The Jesse tree filling up with ornaments representing God's story

 Christmas Morning!

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

 Merry Christmas!

We are in full swing getting ready for Christmas around here.  This year we are enjoying a new nightly (hopefully) tradition of the Jesse tree.  We have a devotional each day that is a story from the Bible with a corresponding ornament to put on the tree.  The stories show God's plan throughout time to send Jesus, a savior for the world.  It is a fun way to dig into the Word with our kids, and to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

 

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Possum Kingdom Posse

This past weekend we had the opportunity to get away from the city and explore a little of Texas.  We headed to Possum Kingdom with three other families from church.  We had such a fantastic weekend.  Our children played the weekend away, exploring the woods and being silly with their new buddies while we sipped coffee in the cold.  And yes, it was cold!  I know, I have been complaining about the heat all summer - finally the cold hit us and we had temps in the 40's and 50's all weekend.  A welcome change, if you ask me.  It almost made me feel like I was in the mountains of Colorado again.  (Or maybe at Port Hacking for a chilly church weekend away in Australia.)

Check out the cactus!  I did not expect to see these on our hike.

The closest thing to a family portrait...

The view from the top.

She thinks she is a koala bear!

Brrrr....  it was cold on the water!

This weekend held many things for me.  For the extrovert in me, there was non-stop social activity.  For the nature lover, there was a morning hike and a boat ride.  For the rest of me, there was great fellowship with new friends.  What a blessing these guys have already been in our lives just by including us in their group and making us feel at home with them.  Weekends like this make me feel like Texas is almost "home." 

A 5 year old ballerina...

Yesterday was C's birthday.  These days, she is all about being a ballerina.  So, for her birthday, we celebrated ballerina style.  It was so much fun preparing all things ballerina themed.  The party was lots of fun.  We had a house full of giggling little girls ready to plie the day away.  It is hard to believe this little girl is 5!

I am pretty proud of the cupcakes I made.

Yum!  Little sis enjoyed it too!

"Ballerina Says" Arabesque!

Decorating ballerina cookies

Back to School!

We have had a wonderful (hot) summer here in Texas!  I wasn't sure what to expect this summer.  I was sort of dreading three long months with the kids home.  My thoughts were... no school, no friends, no activities = no sanity for mom.  I was wrong.  There were certainly plenty of moments of insanity (but what family with 4 kids doesn't have moments like that?!).  Overall, we had a great summer.  The kids have made fast friends with lots of kids in the neighborhood and spent plenty of time playing with each other.  They past the days fishing at the neighborhood pond, riding bikes and scooters and swimming.  Did I mention swimming?  We swam almost every day and put our pool to very good use. 

That brings me to today.  The first day of school.  As always, bittersweet.  I am happy to return to the routine of school and the kids are happy to be going back to see their friends daily.  But, I am sad to enter the whirlwind that will be our life for the next 9 months.  And yes, they grow up too fast.  W and C don't start preschool until next week so at least this week I can savor those last days of summer and spend unlimited moments of insanity with them!  For now, here are  a few pictures of A and M on their first day of 6th and 3rd grade!