So I went back to the states for Spring break last week and had a great time with people I love. The time flew by and I drove all over the Carolina's but the time was blessed. Everywhere I stopped and most of the time in the car was quality. I had dinner with a few friends, had a solid time at the 1 dollar theatre, threw rocks with my nephew, went to Golden Coral with my Grandma, and spent good time with the rest of my friends and family on the coast. So while I was driving and making all these stops God revealed something to me that I wasn't expecting. Here Goes:
About 2 months ago I started having a feeling that God wanted me to keep an open mind about coming back here next year. I brushed it off and tried to ignore it because I know that I want to come back to the States. My time here is awesome and God is allowing me to be a part of some great stuff but I miss my friends and family. Anyway I didn't think much of it, I thought maybe God just wanted my obedience, to keep an open mind but I didn't actually believe he wanted to keep me here against my will. So a couple weeks after I got this feeling, I talked with my friend John who encouraged me to think about staying another year also. He was making the point that one year just kinda lays the ground work and if I stay another year, God will be able to build on what has already begun. I agreed with what he was saying but I still wasn't ready to receive it. Spring break came around and I was headed stateside to see a lot of ya’ll and maybe get some clarity on what I am supposed to do next year. The week was a blur of goodness so I will just hit a few points here. I am told by my good friend Kendall that she feels like I will be in Honduras another year, then I go to Charleston and met up with Doug (an older friend who has become a mentor to me over the past two years) who immediately began to tell me the importance of staying in Honduras for at least another year. Keep in mind that I hadn't talked to Doug about this at all, but this isn't the first time God has used him to speak into my life. That night I hung out with a few of the fellas, smoked some cigars and really got encouraged in what God was trying to reveal to me as I talked and prayed with my buddy Chris. 5 hours later, I woke up ate some breakfast and drove up to Myrtle Beach. On the drive I called an old friend who I did not get to see while I was in Charleston. I gave her a brief summary of what I do here in Honduras and told her that I now thought I may be here another year. She asked if she could pray for me and began to ask God to fill me with love for kids with no parental guidance. Again God was speaking clearly to me about the kids he has brought into my life here in Honduras. All this woman knew is that I love the Lord and teach PE here. It was very encouraging to have God repeatedly speak his will into my life through so many different people. I accepted Gods call to stay here for another year and I continue to be excited about what he is doing on this island. He is giving me a vision for the rest of this year and next. I see a solid Younglife style youth group being established that leads this community into fellowship and service. I see tutoring and mentoring the street kids in our community. I see more organized sports teams that allow our students some structure and discipline. I see Gods powerful spirit invading this island.
Recent highlights:
- More relationships being established with kids on the island who lack any supervision or guidance
- -Paul (13) and Jarbie (12yr) are coming over 3 times a week. We usually make pancakes and work on learning to read for about an hour. They now both know the alphabet and can read some basic words.
- I found out there is a baseball league on the other end of the island
- I am enjoying teaching more than usual
- Our first youth worship and movie night is this Friday
The year is starting to wind down though, one more month of classes, then exams, then home for the summer. I am trying to figure out a way to make some money this summer that pays well, has no commitment and complete flexibility, haha let me know if you know of anything. I can mow your lawn, paint you house, pull weeds, change your oil, just give me a holler. The kids are getting antsy about the end of the year and the days are getting hotter. It was 97 on Tuesday with humidity that makes charleston seem like a dessert. We had to cancel classes for the day and cram the kids into our three air conditioned rooms. In this heat PE was a bad choice, but I am making it work. We got some wood this week to make ping pong tables. The plan is to set them up in the shade which will give us all a little break. I will keep ya'll updated on how things work out with our rigged up tables. Thanks for reading, I will update again soon! Have a beautiful day
