Sunday, March 30, 2014
Leaning on the everlasting arms
Helloooo my dear friends and family,
We are starting the last parcial (or last quarter) this coming week - I don't know where the time has gone! The Lord is continuing to open my eyes, touch my heart, and grow me as I lean on Him during the last home stretch before school is out.
One major thing the Lord has been teaching me is leaning fully on His strength and not my own. It's easy to get burnt out in ministry, but the key is to be plugged into the vine, Jesus Christ, and to be filled up with His strength. We can't do anything on our own strength -"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) And I can feel the difference in my classroom when I am trying to juggle different situations and responsibilities in my own strength! It's when I'm relying on the Lord's strength that I can "run and not be weary." (Isaiah 40:31). Please pray that during the next two months I would be filled with Jesus' supernatural strength and finish strong.
Rest is also a necessary aspect of our walk with Jesus. Most of us would not put rest on the top of our list when we think of missions - but it is so crucial! The Lord has been showing me that rest and being in His presence, is vital to completing His call in our lives. I am reminded of the story of Martha and Mary, many times I find myself in the position of Martha. I love to serve and to help others - and there is a time and a place for that. However, the Lord has placed on my heart the beauty and the necessity of worshipping Him fully and being in His presence. When we are in the Lord's presence, He fills us up and renews us so that we can truly be His hands and His feet as we minister.
Lastly, trust has been on my heart the past few weeks and months as I pray about the future. I have no idea what I'm doing this summer or whether or not I'm coming back in the fall...I am waiting on the Lord right now and praying for Him to open and close doors. My faith is growing during this season of my life as I'm relying on Jesus like never before to provide direction and wisdom as I look to the future. I am thankful for the Lord's faithfulness and have been resting in His promises, knowing that "all things work together for good to those that love God and are called according to His purposes," (Romans 8:23) and that "The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me." (Psalm 138:8). Please pray for me to have wisdom as I rely on the Lord during this time of trusting and waiting. This song has been on my heart lately and reminds my heart to not be filled with stress or anxiety, but to keep my heart focused on the Lord:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaAMd5R8Jig
Praying the peace of Jesus fills you today and that He blesses you richly!
Sending all my love,
Beka
Saturday, March 8, 2014
How He loves
Hi friends and family,
Happy March! I am excited to catch you up on what God is continuing to do - not only in Honduras, but in mi vida (my life) as well.
A few weeks a medical team came down from the west coast to serve in different areas throughout Honduras. The other teachers and I worked with the group one day while they were here and we were forever impacted by the experience.
A few weeks ago we ended up going with the medical team to Nueva Esperanza, a government-run orphanage in San Pedro Sula. Although the children had their basic necesities met, there was something vital missing: love. It says in Jeremiah 31:3 that God has loved each of us with an everlasting love! How beautiful and precious to rest in. It also says in Ephesians 1:4-6: "Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ." God knew and loved these children we met, even before the earth was created!! And that day, each of us had the opportunity to show this love to these beautiful children.
Here are some thoughts from our teachers:
David
As soon as I walked up the steps to meet the kids, one boy instantly yelled with great enthusiasm, “Sin pelo! Sin pelo!” His name was Josue I believe and he made it his goal for the day to inform everyone that I did not have any hair! His shorts were completely saturated with urine, which I realized after I picked him up and carried him around for several minutes. In Honduras, you sweat so much- I just figured that my arms were wet with perspiration. The smell was pretty intense, but I decided that I would not let that stop me from giving this boy my full love and attention and carrying him around with me. I was reminded of the times when I was caught up in filth and stunk from my sin. Jesus chose to love me anyway and hold out his arms for me. What an incredible privilege to be able to hold and love this child; pee and all!
Sarah
I came to Nueva Esperanza expecting a hell-hole. I had been told horror stories about the conditions there from people who had visited a few years ago. So, in anticipation of seeing some really bad things, I prayed for much of the bus ride there. What I and the other volunteers actually met with was a compound, in some ways, nicer than that of the Heart to Heart children’s village. The kids had a swing set and a wonderful playground. They had a library, several school rooms, and a very friendly teacher. They were fed a large, healthy lunch before we left. I saw nothing overtly bad, yet my impression of Nueva Esperanza was of a very sad place. I think nobody really loved those kids. They were literally the street-sweepings, the unwanted, and maybe, each in their own way, they knew it. The Honduran government had plucked them up from situations of abject poverty, fed them, and clothed them, but that is all it could do for them. And that’s great as far as it goes, better, apparently, than it had been a few years ago. Many of the kids where mentally handicapped and they so desperately wanted a hand to hold, a lap to sit on, or someone to just pay attention to them. They seemed broken and pushed into a corner out of sight.
Mikaela
He’s 18 years old and has spent most of his life at a government run orphanage in Honduras, ironically called Nueva Esperanza (New Hope). The people here have very little regard for the disabled population. I am sure his parents discovered him to be disabled and abandoned him. Not only has this young man spent his whole life at the same place, he has been in the same room and bed as well. I would guess he has severe cerebral palsy. My heart broke for him, but shortly he had me smiling ear to ear. One of the ladies from the dental team gave him a flashlight to play with. He loved moving the light. The same four sterile and boring walls he had looked at his whole life immediately came to life. I got the idea to make shadows on the wall with my hands. He laughed and laughed, and helped guide my hand to where the light was. I could not stop smiling, I was witnessing joy in its purest form.
Katie
I got to hang out with a little girl who had cerebral palsy. Her name was Daniella. She was so excited that we were there. When we first got there, she took me around to every room in their orphanage showing me each bed, toy, and book that they had. Her shoes were way too big and they kept falling down. She struggled to bend down and put them back on. She couldn’t say more than a few words, but she was really smart and understood anything I said to her. She really wanted to communicate, but her handicap made it difficult.
Mercedes
As a sophomore in high school I was dead certain that I wanted to be dental hygienist, and thank goodness I veered away from that! It’s definitely not my strong point. I had the awesome opportunity to work for the day with our dental team. In reality I was handing out toothbrushes and toys, but I’d rather describe my duties as a dental assistant. I spent most of the time just chatting with children, trying to distract them from the horrors of Novocain and giant needles all around them.
One girl in particular, Johanna, really touched my heart. As she sat in the chair waiting for her turn, she reminded me of a china doll. This adorable little thing, only 6 years old, sat with perfect posture and a polite look on her face that never faltered. When looking at her face, however, I could see the pain and fear behind the mask. I got the impression she was a girl who had been put through many horrific times in her short life, and had perfected the brave face. She was a champ through all of hy er dental work, and as she was about to leave I just couldn’t handle her perfect face anymore. I scooped her up in my arms and just held her. After a few seconds she relaxed a little bit and I told her that she is beautiful, and special, and loved. I told her she is a beautiful child of God, (which really pushed my Spanish abilities). As I was talking to her, I will never forget how she clung to me, and how perfect she looked. Even though we couldn’t take her with us, I pray that I was able to give her a little bit of comfort in these terrible times in her life. It was a hard thing to load up the bus and leave all of those kids behind, but I have never in my 6 months of being in Honduras felt more sure of where God wants me.
Me (Beka)
Children read to me everyday in my classroom, but one little reader in particular touched my heart over the weekend. This little girl, Melissa, who is eleven years old, caught my attention right away after I climbed the stairs at IHNFA. She had the most beautiful smile and her eyes glowed with hope when I approached her. I instantly felt love for this little girl as she shared stories about her family and showed me around the building.
When Melissa finished giving me a tour, she asked, “Would you want to read with me?” How could I resist? She found the book, Cinderella, and started reading. It was the sweetest thing to hear this girl read and watch her look up at me in between sentences. My heart melted as I had the dear opportunity to be mom to a little girl far from home.
Melissa and I exchanged bracelets before I left and she will remain in my heart. She touched me in a special way and I will pray daily for her precious life and the lives of all the dear children at IHNFA. It was an experience that I’ll never forget.
Abby
Maria is a 14 year old girl who is crippled and didn’t talk much. She had one arm that is nonfunctioning and both feet had a bit of a limp/scoot thing going on. When I first saw her, I thought it was a huge feat for her to walk, but I was soon proved wrong. We walked around the square shaped building about 10 times and then she wanted me to chase her. She started moving faster and I started chasing. She had such joy and laughter! She would scream with excitement each time she turned around to see how close I was…she just loved to run. As I was jogging after her, I was given a beautiful picture of The Kingdom. I imagined her running to Jesus with her whole being. Without hindrance and without pain she will one day run into her Father’s arms. I was blessed to catch a glimpse of the Kingdom that day.
Even though it may seem like the world has forgotten these children, God hasn't. It says in John 14:18, "I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you." God hasn't left these children and He won't forget them, "For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever."(Psalms 9:18) I won't forget them either - please join with me in prayer each day for these children and for our children. God's love story in the lives of these children hasn't finished yet, and it is my prayer that one day some of these children will come to the village and be part of our Heart to Heart family.
Love you all and thank you for your continued prayers for this ministry and for my life! You are all so wonderful and bless me more than you know!
Always His,
Beka
Happy March! I am excited to catch you up on what God is continuing to do - not only in Honduras, but in mi vida (my life) as well.
A few weeks a medical team came down from the west coast to serve in different areas throughout Honduras. The other teachers and I worked with the group one day while they were here and we were forever impacted by the experience.
A few weeks ago we ended up going with the medical team to Nueva Esperanza, a government-run orphanage in San Pedro Sula. Although the children had their basic necesities met, there was something vital missing: love. It says in Jeremiah 31:3 that God has loved each of us with an everlasting love! How beautiful and precious to rest in. It also says in Ephesians 1:4-6: "Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ." God knew and loved these children we met, even before the earth was created!! And that day, each of us had the opportunity to show this love to these beautiful children.
Here are some thoughts from our teachers:
David
As soon as I walked up the steps to meet the kids, one boy instantly yelled with great enthusiasm, “Sin pelo! Sin pelo!” His name was Josue I believe and he made it his goal for the day to inform everyone that I did not have any hair! His shorts were completely saturated with urine, which I realized after I picked him up and carried him around for several minutes. In Honduras, you sweat so much- I just figured that my arms were wet with perspiration. The smell was pretty intense, but I decided that I would not let that stop me from giving this boy my full love and attention and carrying him around with me. I was reminded of the times when I was caught up in filth and stunk from my sin. Jesus chose to love me anyway and hold out his arms for me. What an incredible privilege to be able to hold and love this child; pee and all!
Sarah
I came to Nueva Esperanza expecting a hell-hole. I had been told horror stories about the conditions there from people who had visited a few years ago. So, in anticipation of seeing some really bad things, I prayed for much of the bus ride there. What I and the other volunteers actually met with was a compound, in some ways, nicer than that of the Heart to Heart children’s village. The kids had a swing set and a wonderful playground. They had a library, several school rooms, and a very friendly teacher. They were fed a large, healthy lunch before we left. I saw nothing overtly bad, yet my impression of Nueva Esperanza was of a very sad place. I think nobody really loved those kids. They were literally the street-sweepings, the unwanted, and maybe, each in their own way, they knew it. The Honduran government had plucked them up from situations of abject poverty, fed them, and clothed them, but that is all it could do for them. And that’s great as far as it goes, better, apparently, than it had been a few years ago. Many of the kids where mentally handicapped and they so desperately wanted a hand to hold, a lap to sit on, or someone to just pay attention to them. They seemed broken and pushed into a corner out of sight.
Mikaela
He’s 18 years old and has spent most of his life at a government run orphanage in Honduras, ironically called Nueva Esperanza (New Hope). The people here have very little regard for the disabled population. I am sure his parents discovered him to be disabled and abandoned him. Not only has this young man spent his whole life at the same place, he has been in the same room and bed as well. I would guess he has severe cerebral palsy. My heart broke for him, but shortly he had me smiling ear to ear. One of the ladies from the dental team gave him a flashlight to play with. He loved moving the light. The same four sterile and boring walls he had looked at his whole life immediately came to life. I got the idea to make shadows on the wall with my hands. He laughed and laughed, and helped guide my hand to where the light was. I could not stop smiling, I was witnessing joy in its purest form.
Katie
I got to hang out with a little girl who had cerebral palsy. Her name was Daniella. She was so excited that we were there. When we first got there, she took me around to every room in their orphanage showing me each bed, toy, and book that they had. Her shoes were way too big and they kept falling down. She struggled to bend down and put them back on. She couldn’t say more than a few words, but she was really smart and understood anything I said to her. She really wanted to communicate, but her handicap made it difficult.
Mercedes
As a sophomore in high school I was dead certain that I wanted to be dental hygienist, and thank goodness I veered away from that! It’s definitely not my strong point. I had the awesome opportunity to work for the day with our dental team. In reality I was handing out toothbrushes and toys, but I’d rather describe my duties as a dental assistant. I spent most of the time just chatting with children, trying to distract them from the horrors of Novocain and giant needles all around them.
One girl in particular, Johanna, really touched my heart. As she sat in the chair waiting for her turn, she reminded me of a china doll. This adorable little thing, only 6 years old, sat with perfect posture and a polite look on her face that never faltered. When looking at her face, however, I could see the pain and fear behind the mask. I got the impression she was a girl who had been put through many horrific times in her short life, and had perfected the brave face. She was a champ through all of hy er dental work, and as she was about to leave I just couldn’t handle her perfect face anymore. I scooped her up in my arms and just held her. After a few seconds she relaxed a little bit and I told her that she is beautiful, and special, and loved. I told her she is a beautiful child of God, (which really pushed my Spanish abilities). As I was talking to her, I will never forget how she clung to me, and how perfect she looked. Even though we couldn’t take her with us, I pray that I was able to give her a little bit of comfort in these terrible times in her life. It was a hard thing to load up the bus and leave all of those kids behind, but I have never in my 6 months of being in Honduras felt more sure of where God wants me.
Me (Beka)
Children read to me everyday in my classroom, but one little reader in particular touched my heart over the weekend. This little girl, Melissa, who is eleven years old, caught my attention right away after I climbed the stairs at IHNFA. She had the most beautiful smile and her eyes glowed with hope when I approached her. I instantly felt love for this little girl as she shared stories about her family and showed me around the building.
When Melissa finished giving me a tour, she asked, “Would you want to read with me?” How could I resist? She found the book, Cinderella, and started reading. It was the sweetest thing to hear this girl read and watch her look up at me in between sentences. My heart melted as I had the dear opportunity to be mom to a little girl far from home.
Melissa and I exchanged bracelets before I left and she will remain in my heart. She touched me in a special way and I will pray daily for her precious life and the lives of all the dear children at IHNFA. It was an experience that I’ll never forget.
Abby
Maria is a 14 year old girl who is crippled and didn’t talk much. She had one arm that is nonfunctioning and both feet had a bit of a limp/scoot thing going on. When I first saw her, I thought it was a huge feat for her to walk, but I was soon proved wrong. We walked around the square shaped building about 10 times and then she wanted me to chase her. She started moving faster and I started chasing. She had such joy and laughter! She would scream with excitement each time she turned around to see how close I was…she just loved to run. As I was jogging after her, I was given a beautiful picture of The Kingdom. I imagined her running to Jesus with her whole being. Without hindrance and without pain she will one day run into her Father’s arms. I was blessed to catch a glimpse of the Kingdom that day.
Even though it may seem like the world has forgotten these children, God hasn't. It says in John 14:18, "I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you." God hasn't left these children and He won't forget them, "For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever."(Psalms 9:18) I won't forget them either - please join with me in prayer each day for these children and for our children. God's love story in the lives of these children hasn't finished yet, and it is my prayer that one day some of these children will come to the village and be part of our Heart to Heart family.
Love you all and thank you for your continued prayers for this ministry and for my life! You are all so wonderful and bless me more than you know!
Always His,
Beka
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