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=)