"All Flesh will Know the Salvation of the Lord" Luke 3: 6

My Heart

"Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father through Him" -Colossians 3:17

I have had a hard time teaching this year because my heart has not been in the work I am doing at the school. I have not put any time into planning my classes and I have done all other preparations last minute. Last year the Lord spoke clearly to me that I was meant to stay on the island but I felt like I had the option to teach or not. I decided to come back to the school because it made sense and it was safe, not necessarily because I really wanted to come back and teach PE. Luckily I haven't put the kids at to much of a disadvantage because of my lack of effort (its not hard to get kids to play games). My passion is not PE or coaching soccer, but over Christmas, the Lord reminded me that this is the responsibility I have chosen and it is an honor to serve Him here. It is a beautiful mission field that I come to everyday. I encounter over 160 kids and teenagers everyday who are in need of Gods awesome touch. I am here to teach PE in the name of the Lord. I love the work I am able to do in the community here, with our mentoring program to street kids and with the home build but my first priority is to love the kids who are right in front of me 7 hours a day! My heart aches for the lost on this island, in the drug infested streets, in this upper class school, in the resorts, at the cruise ship docks and for those who have been shoved in the dirt with no hope. Its easy for me to get caught up in doing things and taking care of peoples physical needs, but the Lord is continually reminding me that its the heart that needs the most work. My Fiance (!!!) reminds me of this often as I am able to watch and hear about her loving the kids around her. She works at an orphange here on the island and is seeing breakthrough with multiple children who have undergone unimaginable abuse physically, mentally and spiritually. These kids have a roof over their heads, food, toys, and safety and some of them have had that for years at the orphanage but they have not undergone healing and restoration of the heart. The Lord has given Kendall an opportunity to listen, love and watch his spirit heal these kids. She is a reminder to me that I must slow down and look at the person right in front of me. We all have places in our lives that need Gods touch and we should be honored to reach out as his hands. My heart is to Love God and Love people! I am refreshed after Christmas break and going into this new year excited about PE, excited about Soccer, excited about the kids in the street, and excited about the ways God is moving in all of these places. I pray that God will open my heart and yours to see the world around us the way that He does, Amen!

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters" -colossians 3:23

Money, Prayer, or Spreading the Word

We Have 73 days left to raise over 7,000 dollars, please contribute through donations, prayer, or simply by sharing this link with someone who you think would like to support this cause! Thank you and Much Love!

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Merry Christmas a little early!

Phonics

Every Tuesday and Thursday at 3 o'clock, three other teachers and I meet up with a hand full of kids from the community and tutor them in reading and writing. This gives us an awesome opportunity to get to know them deeper and be a good influence in their lives. Every time we get together we make sandwiches for all the boys, give them some water and usually an apple or some cookies. This is huge for these kids because they can rarely even count on one meal a day. If they do have a meal prepared at home it is usually just for dinner and something with very little sustenance. Our first Tuesday, we had one kid show up (Pablo), last Thursday there were 11. If the kids come to 8 classes they get a free soccer ball from us, we have already given away one. I love getting to pour into their lives, but teaching 11 kids at a time with only four people is kinda crazy so I think we are going to shift the vision to more of a bible study youth group time. We are making progress with the reading and writing but we feel like the Lord is calling us to focus more on their hearts. Keep this in your prayers and thank you to everyone who has contributed financially to what I am a part of here in Roatan. This is one of the ways your money is being used.

Baby Kendall

I have been so honored and blessed this weekend by the people I came here to serve. I realize that I have not been brought here to fix them. I have been brought here to know them, to love them and to do life with them. I was invited to the public school 6th grade graduation on Friday ( I work in a private school). Two of the kids I work with outside of school (Mephi and Tommy) were getting their diploma's. After tutoring on Thursday, the other teachers and I were able to take Memphi and to the mall and buy his white shirt and black shoes he needed for his graduation. It was a really sweet time to share with him how proud we are and to encourage him to continue working hard (Erin and Amber did an amazing job with this). He is an incredible kid and very smart but he has almost zero positive influences in his community and at home. When Kendall and I got to the graduation Friday night I was handed a stack of diplomas and told that I would be sitting in front on stage handing out diplomas to students. So I tucked my shirt in and recited the names with my best Spanish Accent while Kendall entertained the baby's that were handed to her. It was an incredible honor to get to hand Memphi his diploma and stand up front with him. After the ceremony, they gave Kendall and I a box of food and we were on our way. The next night I was invited to Pablo's mama's baby shower (my first and most likely last). Kendall and I showed up on time at 7 and left at 8:30 before it had really started (island time). We talked, held baby's, joked and told stories about the kids I know from their community. It was awesome to be included and welcomed in by the people whose kids I spend a lot of time with. So today I got a call at about 12 o'clock from Pablo (13 year old boy from French Harbour). He called to say his mom had gone to the hospital and is having the baby today. I hung out with Gus and Daniel, two 17 year old boys from French Harbour, who were at my house after church. We ate hot dogs, talked for a bit then headed to the hospital. As I stood there holding a 10 minute old baby, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by how beautiful this child is and how much God loves him. This family lives in a very dark place, the husband just got out of jail 2 weeks ago, they are surrounded by drugs, sex and violence, and there isn't much change on the horizon but this child is pure and beautiful. He is a blessing. It was awesome to see the husband, Santos, staring at his baby boy with so much joy and gentleness. I was able to pray with the father and the new baby before I left and truly loved that moment. That Child is the Lords and I am excited to see the way he blesses their family. In the time I have gotten to know this family and continually pour in to Pablo I have seen a change in the kids and the parents. He is slowly learning to respect others and to simply believe in himself while the parents are taking more of an interest in their kids and in what we are doing. God wants us to look at people for who they are not for who we want to make them. This is something he is teaching me right now and the embrace of this community has reassured that over and over this weekend. I am so thankful for these opportunities that God has literally brought to my door. The baby´s name is Kendall!

Get outa the pews!

“Dear Children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
-1John 3: 18

My heart has been moved and burdened by this instruction for the past four years. I spent most of my first couple years as a Christian, seeking community, learning about the word and pouring into other Christians like me. This was extremely valuable time that helped me develop and have the foundation to step out of my comfort zone. Rarely do the people of a church actually step out and leave this place of ease. I hit a wall of frustration my senior year of College when I sat with a non-Christian friend who was expressing his disappointment and confusion to me about Christianity. He felt that all the Sunday services and lunch dates that follow were a waste of time and resources. He shared his vision with me of a church that met in the streets and served the community around them by not only talking about the Lord but doing what he has commanded us to do. Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself and to feed and clothe those in need. He said that whatever we do for the least of these (the needy) we do for him. I am continually challenged with this and I want to bring the challenge to whoever reads this as well. Do something worthwhile, outside of yourself. Take donuts to the office on a Monday morning, learn something new about your co-workers, have a conversation with the homeless man who asks your for $5, come to Honduras, haha. Please just don’t settle for a faith that is only lived out in a church. Take the love of Christ to the streets, to your home and EVERYWHERE you go. Show people what that love looks like, if you don’t know seek it out, its our job as the body of Christ to show you. If you don’t know the love of Christ, test us, challenge us to step up and show you but have grace. We are still human and learning too. There is a balance involved here as well, along with doing, we must proclaim his goodness and the driving force behind our actions. If we build a house here in Roatan for a family in need and leave it at that, we are nothing more than some generous Gringos. But if we share Christ as its being done and tell them of the true reason we are sweating side by side, they can have a transformation of heart along with a new home. They can receive more than a gift from our hands but a gift that has been given and made possible through the Lord. I strive to give God all the glory for anything that is done here. When that is done, it is amazing how the dots line up and his divine touch is undeniable. Proclaim his goodness as you show people who Jesus is by your actions.

“When people look at the Church, they should see the one who declared – in word and deed to the leper, the lame and the poor – that His kingdom is bringing healing to every speck of the universe.”

I can see it now!

A little love for the USA!

I bought a car! I am no longer restricted by taxi drivers and bus schedules. When you think island, you think small. Roatan is 30 miles long but it takes me 40 minutes to get from my apt. to school every day and that is only halfway up the island. The car is a huge blessing.

After a year I have found rock climbing in Roatan!!!!!! Check.

Studying at the house after a swim with the boys!


We had 5 of the boys from the community come over for a sleep over two weeks ago. This was our trip out for cinnamon rolls after dinner.


A day at the beach with Kendall and the kids from the Children's Home where she lives and works!