To the glory of God...

My aunt from Florida is currently here with a group, part of which includes my cousin, Baylor, her husband, Adam, and people from their small group from their church in Birmingham, Alabama. Their church is Brook Hills, where David Platt, the author of the book Radical, preaches. Adam and I were talking about part of this book, where David Platt talks about God being able to use all skill sets to his glory. He tells of a man in his church, who led a rough life and I think came to Christ while in prison. Any way, this man offered his skills to "smuggle contraband across borders" if they ever needed to get Bibles into closed countries!!

I, too, feel like God surprises me in the way He prepares us for things. On Tuesday a lady from the Hogar called at noon and asked me to come to the Hogar at four to teach the girls a "baile de gimnasticos ritmicos"... which translates to a rhythmic gymnastics routine. So, never being one to say no, I agreed. I just happened to remember a routine from high school cheerleading, and I just happened to have the music on my computer. Of course, I don't really think that any of that "just happened"... I think that God was preparing me at age 16 for the job I would be doing in Comayagua, Honduras at age 23.

Stories like this are everywhere down here. My Grampy (my mom´s dad) used to volunteer for Turtle Soup Luncheons at Brooklawn Youth Services in Louisville, which led to my mom and dad later volunteering on their festival committee, which led to my mom tutoring boys with behavioral disorders once a week. Now, down here, that kind of experience has given her a basis to work with some of the kids in their projects. It is always fun to see people come down here who "had a little Spanish in high school", who then find that they remember more than they thought.

I guess the point of this post is that we never know how God is preparing us to later use us for his glory. Whether your skills include illegal transport of contraband across borders, cheerleading routines, "handy man" type stuff, bowling, etc. etc. etc., be assured that God can and will use you to his glory if you will follow his lead. You may be in a phase of life right now where you feel like you are going no where, but maybe this is a season of preparation that will later prove valuable as you serve God. May the Lord bless you as you seek to follow him.

Let´s start at the very beginning... a very good place to start.

I wanted to share why John 15:13 is at the top of this page... It actually is my favorite verse but also happened to be the scripture basis for my devotion this morning. In "My Utmost for His Highest", Oswald Chambers writes that this verse does not say that we die in order to express love, but that we lay down our lives. He says, "It is much easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling of God. We are not made for the bright-shining moments of life, but we have to walk in the light of them in our everyday ways." I found this to be extremely appropriate and it prepared me well for some of todays trials. Before coming to Honduras, I said over and over that I didn't know exactly what I would be doing, but that I knew God was calling me here. Today I realized that we may not be here for some grand, bright-shining task, but rather to daily lay our lives down before the Lord. Repeating flash cards with kids who just don't get it, repeating "No, no estoy aqui para conseguir un novio" to teenage girls, holding kids with wet diapers, opening the gate for others, asking the tough questions that everyone else avoids, and simply being here to walk through life together may be the ways that God calls me to daily give my life over to Him. My life is not my own- it is His to use for His purpose and His glory. May we all show our love to God by laying down our lives for Him and for His people.

I have never blogged before, but I was encouraged multiple times that it would be a good idea to blog throughout the next couple of years here in Honduras. So, here it goes=)

I arrived in Honduras yesterday. To quote my dad´s Facebook status, "Emily safely in Honduras, luggage safely in Miami". Haha! He is a kidder... but really, my bags didn´t arrive. So, we left the airport and drove here to Comayagua, my new "home".

It was so exciting and such a blessing to meet the girls who live here with my parents. This past January my parents took over a couple of extra projects, so I had not yet met these young ladies. They were quickly calling me sister and introducing me to their babies, and I love it! I am excited to get to know them and hopefully build a strong relationship with each one.

This morning we went to the Hogar, and I got to see all of my dear friends. It felt like home being there... joking and hugging and catching up with the girls. I helped my mom teach her English class to the little girls, which culminated in Sarai (age 7) reading a children´s book to me in ENGLISH!! It is crazy to think about how these kids will grow up speaking English, and I pray that it will open up opportunties for them in the future.

I also saw some of my older friends today... kids who have left the Hogar in the past few years. They need a lot of prayer as they work to figure out what their adult lives will be like. It was great to see them and talk some, but I feel pretty burdened for them. I pray that God will lead them down a safe and solid path and keep them close to Him.

Tonight ended with devotions again and kicking a soccer ball around with the girls here in Buen Pastor. It felt like family, all talking and playing together.

And we got my luggage=)