Month 2 ~ February/March 2013

Here I am, at the end of month two. It's pretty crazy to me that I've been here this long. But I am absolutely in love with Honduras. It's home to me. It might sound a little weird, because I'm only 18, but I've never felt completely 'home' anywhere. But two years ago in La Villa de San Antonio, Honduras, I felt home. I'm in Comayagua, Honduras right now, but everytime I visit San Antonio (it's about 20-30 minutes away driving/taking a bus), I'm home again. I get those funny butterflies in my stomach everytime I arrive in La Villa, and my heart starts dancing. Because I'm home. Here in Comayagua, it is not the same as La Villa, but I know that I'm supposed to be here right now. Because I have 63 students who need a math teacher. And I need them. I learn so much from them, it's truly a gift to be with them everyday. Now, I have to back up. I do miss my family. More than anything, and seeing their faces on Skype makes me want to see them right now. Sometimes I want to be in Michigan to be with my family, not because I want to be in the U.S. My family is something totally separate from my location. At the beginning of the school year, we had almost no books for the students. We usually had about one of every book we needed, so we had to make lots, and I mean lots, of copies. It was pretty stressful. But God was faithful, and He still is. We got our Saxon math books about the third week, (praise God!), which leaves me making copies for only 6th grade, which uses a different curriculum that I am hoping to receive soon. Mail is a funny thing down here, lots of places don't have addresses, and it's just, well, complicated. The past week has been Semana Santa down here, (Holy Week), celebrating the week leading up to Easter. Last week on Wednesday, I went swimming with my kids and other teachers at a place called Casa de Campo. We had lots of fun, I thought I was going to drown from all the kids on top of me. Haha. It was hot, and I got sunburned on my shoulders, even after putting on sunscreen. This gringa needs to learn how to re-apply. That Thursday, we had our last day of class before vacation for the Holy week. The kids were so ready for a break, they were basically bouncing off the walls. :) (no worries, not literally). This week, I have enjoyed participating in watching a children's procession for Holy week, a skit portraying Jesus' betrayal and suffering, I helped to make a colorful rug out of different color sawdust until 4 in the morning, slept, and then at 7:40am the same day I picked myself up, and went to see all the different rugs people had made around Comayagua, with some friends who live here (US and Honduran). We saw the catholic priest (?) and a long procession of people walk over the rugs (All our hard work!!) and sing in Spanish. We climbed many steep, uneven steps up to the top of a very old bell tower in the center square of Comayagua, and we enjoyed lunch afterwards. Needless to say, I felt dead at the end of the day. Today has been a day of rest and grocery shopping, and building up muscles from walking home with heavy grocery bags. ;) Tomorrow, all over the world, people will be celebrating Easter. For us Christians, it is a time of celebrating our Savior who came to earth as a man, who taught us, suffered at our hands, was killed, and rose again on the third day. For us, it's a day of miracles and joy. For others, it may be just another day of spending money and eating candy. Please don't forget the true reason of Easter, and the sacrifice that not only Jesus, but the Father Himself made when He sent His only Son, whom He loved, to be our atoning sacrifice. Think about it, it's a gift that still holds value after 2000+ years. That is pretty incredible. I felt the tug to read Mark about a week ago. I didn't know why, but yesterday it made sense. I arrived at the part where Jesus was riding a donkey through Jerusalem. Today I read about a parable that Jesus told. In it, He told the story of the Tenants. Where the owner of a vineyard hires tenants to care for his vineyard, and then he goes away. He sends servants to collect some of the income, and some are beaten, and others are killed. Finally, he has no one left to send but his son, and it says "whom he loved". Everything became clear to me. God is the owner. The tenants, were the religious leaders of that day, and of the past. They were hard hearted, and only concerned about a profit. The servants were the prophets of the past, who came before Jesus and tried to turn the people's hearts back to Him. But the world did not always accept them, and they were treated badly. Jesus, of course is the Son. But something struck home in me today. The words “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son." I wanted to cry. God had no one left to send to us, no one but His dearly-beloved Son. And He sent Him. Even though we disrespected Him, beat Him, and put Him to death on a Cross, on of the lowest forms of death. What a beautiful miracle in and of itself. That a God who needs nothing would give up His treasure, His Son, to be close to us. May God bless you this Easter and Always, From HONDURAS, Delaney

Something I've been thinking about...

Sometimes we make plans for our lives. We make plans and pretend that God is a part of them. That God approves of them. That they really are God's plans. And then those plans fall through, or they don't play out the way we want them to. And we cry out to God, "why?! why is my life falling apart around me? I thought that this is what You wanted for me?" Then God says, "Really? I had great plans for you. I had everything planned out for you, from your first breath, your first job, your first kiss, your last breath. Did you think that I needed help to guide my own creation? Is the creation greater than the Creator? My child, come close to me. Be still, and LISTEN to me. Don't try to rush through life and make plans. I already know what you are supposed to do." We cause so much pain in our own lives when we work in our own time. God isn't trying to frustrate us. He isn't trying to make life difficult. But He does see a lot farther than we do. In fact, He sees from before the beginning and after the end of this world. He is eternal. He is all knowing, He is all powerful. Do you sincerely believe this? If you do, you will trust Him, and WAIT for Him to act. If you don't, you will try to run your own life, subconciously making your own plans for your own life. And because humans are finite, their plans are created from the present view. What is happening NOW, what we feel NOW, what we want NOW. God's plans are formed from seeing the whole picture. Can I encourage you to do something? Take time to just sit with God. I know that it will feel weird, we are not used to just sitting, being quiet, and listening to God. But this is the answer to all of our problems. We spend too much time worrying about the future, when God is waiting, wanting to guide us. So just sit. Tell God everything you are feeling, everything that you are worried about, your desires, and your fears. And then, just sit. Open your ears, your spirit, to everything He says. And if He convicts you of something, listen. God is able to work through us when we are willing to do whatever He wishes to do through us. God loves you! He doesn't want to make your life boring, or to take your fun away. He wants to lead you on an adventure, a way of life that will stretch you and grow you into the spiritually mature child of His that He wants you to be. He wants to give you good things, to fill your heart with joy. He wants to fulfil you, and that happens when you fulfil and follow in the plan that He has for your life. And, He wants you to have a share in His kingdom. He wants you to be a part of His plan to bring this fallen world back to Him. It's pretty amazing. Thank You God, I trust You to make the best plans for my life. Thank you to everybody who is praying for me and supporting me while I am in Honduras. The Lord is working through me in so many ways, and blessing me beyond all imagination. Life is different, life is hard at times. But life is rewarding, because God is a part of it. I still have a lot to learn, but I am so grateful for what God has taught me already. I know my life is in His hands. Thank you for letting me share a little of what He has taught me. Much love and blessings in Christ, Delaney