Gonna Be A Long One...

Alright well I haven't posted about anything that's going on for a while now (with the exception of the water adventures) and so I'll try and give you an update here on several different things.

Let me begin here...a couple of years ago in God's complete kindness He built a relationship between my heart and a precious family that aren't mine biologically but you sure couldn't convince the love in my heart of that at this point. Takes nothing at all away from the family God allowed me to be born into, I love them dearly so much it hurts sometimes, it's just that He decided to double my hearts blessings I guess. Anyway, in the middle of the blessing I inherited some brothers. What a treat that has been. One of them, has touched my heart lately in some of it's deepest places as I have watched him search and seek out what God really wanted Him to do with his life. He was working a "good" job in Columbus as a sales rep and if you spend any amount of time with his heart you quickly learn that he seeks more in life than a behind the desk sales job. He's got a helping people heart. He just had an offer for a different position within the same company that really looked pretty good and you know what the boy did? He politely declined so that he could come to Honduras for the summer because he felt like it was what he was supposed to do. Now he's trusting that when he gets home God will open a door for somewhere else that he can work closer to home doing something more in line with the gifts God put in his heart. You have to love that kind of faith! So starting Tuesday I'll get to spend the summer with my adopted brother. I LOVE that!!

This country is waiting for the gifts and love that you bring Jeff. Thank you for teaching me some great lessons as I've watched you the past month or so yield to Him to use you however He so chooses. It's been more than fun to watch and more than a blessing to get to be just a small part of. Check out his blog, (under my links) I am sure he'll keep you posted on how this experience is touching him this summer. We are honored to get to have him here.

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Ok so last week my mom was here. She brought her friend Gloria with her and Karen's mom was here as well. We had a great week getting to show them around and allowing them to see what God allows us to do here. Here are just a few pictures of that adventure.
















Ok so that's all the pictures it's letting me post for some reason, so I'll have to share more later. I didn't take my camera much so am waiting to get copies of mom's picture cd. She got some good ones. I think it was good for her to be here. I'm not sure if she left more relieved or more afraid of me being here, as we had a few scary moments with the bus and taxi strike and a couple other moments, but I think she also saw that I love this place and she got to meet so many of the people our hearts have become close to and that was fun!! Pray for her heart, I know she wanted to pack me up in her suitcase. It is hard I know, what I am asking them to sacrifice as I do this as well and I'm grateful everyday for that.

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We have inherited more Santa Ana family this week. Mike and Janet Paden moved down here from Illinois just within the past week or so. They have been a tremendous blessing already for our hearts and we are delighted to have them here. As with anything though the beginning can be difficult and so I would just ask that you cover them in prayer as Satan will surely be attacking hard while they try to adjust and get settled in here. When good things are happening, Satan fights that with a vengeance as we all know and so we covet your prayers. I look forward to working with them and know that God has led them here for such a time as this.

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Think that about covers all the things I can think of to update you on at this point. Ohhhh no one other thing...our paperwork is now officially all signed and there are a few more steps in the process but the biggest hurdles are jumped. Please continue to pray for that to happen soon. The IHNFA inspectors will be coming out Tuesday morning to check out the place. They publish some formal publication in a newspaper here and ask if there are any objections to us being here and then I think we are pretty much good to go. I pray it won't be long now. It's time for some kiddo's to come home. :) We have seen so many times through this how God's timing is so perfect though. We are in the process now of doing some repairs that need to be done before kids can be here safely. The container is in Honduras now with the remainder of our things including the dryer and the oven and things like that so it should be here sometime next week. He still really does know best. Have no idea why we doubt that so often.

Ok now I really do think that covers the highlights. I am way missing people I love from home right now though and won't see them again for several months so I would appreciate your prayers for a heart that will always and forever now live in two places. Some days that's easier than others. Part of my heart will always be with them, part of my heart always here in this land that has captured it's own piece of it. It's a blessing to have so many people that you love and so many people that love you, it just at moments is difficult to do the missing them thing.

Thank you for loving us, encouraging us, and for praying us through. We couldn't do this without you!!