Since at least June I have been waiting for October. Why? Because for the first time ever I will be hosting a team from my own church. I love hosting teams from other churches. I hope I will enjoy even more hosting my own church.
I was thinking about this last night. The first time I ever visited Honduras it was with a team from my church. That team was led by two people whom I had never met before, but got to know here, in Honduras.
A year later when I returned to Honduras on my own to work on my Spanish, God called me to serve here. I went back to the US and decided I needed discipleship. I am still a new Christian, but at that time I was very, very new. So I picked the person who I thought would be the toughest on me. I didn't have time to mess around. I had to learn as much as I could quickly, before I moved to Honduras.
Little did I know it would take 3 years. I thought I would leave in months. Three years was a long wait. Every Wednesday, without fail, we met. I was learning and growing. Sometimes it was learning from mistakes. Even though I was eager to be in Honduras, I could see how God was melting away my rough edges during that time and shaping me to be a better servant.
Guess who is going to be on the team that arrives in 10 days? The very lady who led me here the first time and helped me prepare to live here! What an honor it will be to host her.
Would I be here without her guidance? I think so because God's calling was so clear. But would I be the person I am today, if she had not devoted her time, her wisdom and her love to me? Definitely not.
Thank you Robin Geddings for investing in me. Thank you for loving me and being tough when you needed to. I can't wait to see you and meet this team that you and Kim are bringing! Who knows what God has in store for each of you?!? We do know one thing. If we let God work through us, it will be good!
My only wish for your team is that they keep their eyes, their ears, their minds and their hearts open. I pray for you guys and your time here every day. I can't wait to meet you at the airport and to walk with you on this new journey! Yup. I am crying, thinking of what God has in store for you all. It is going to be amazing. I am so blessed to be able to experience it with you!
Here are some photos of my first adventure in Honduras.
My unexpected baptism. (I did not want to be baptized in Honduras. But God forced the issue.)
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| My team after the baptisms |
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| My team in August, 2008 Little did I know that first morning in Honduras, the lady standing to my right, Robin Geddings, would play a significant role in the rest of my life. Several other woman who were strangers on this day are now my closest friends and greatest supporters. |
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| The first child I fell in love with in Honduras, Wendi. |
2 comments:
You've come a long way, Baby! Thank God for mentors who take the time and energy to help get rid of those rough edges. Consider it training to mentor others. Learn and repeat, learn and repeat.
What a long, strange trip it's been - And continues to be. They say that's how you know it's really God. When your journey is so strange that nobody in their right mind could have imagined it. Although some of the women on that team in 2008 said they saw something like this in my future. I sure didn't! Thanks for joining me in all of this craziness Charlie!
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