Photo essay of my US trip so far

Jack's birthday cake

Jack's friend Tess

The party guests

Joey playing pin the tail on the donkey

Tess and the piñata

Mr. Piñata head

A sweet homemade card from McKenna

Christmas Party:

Jack's response when Santa arrived

Jack meeting Santa

Joey hasn't met a Christmas tree he didn't love

I told Joe he had to smile for a photo
before he got his gift - great smile Joe!

Jack and Santa

Joey, my brother and my sister in law

Skiing with Bob:

First snow I've seen in a few years!

Avalanche area, No parking

Looking down as we went over Loveland Pass

 Always have to get a picture of the Continental Divide

First views of A Basin
My favorite ski resort in Colorado

Hurray!! The parking lot is empty - no crowds!

Snow making machine

We found some powder in the trees

Mom and Joe

Reading books - a favorite pass time of Jack and Joey

You know, looking back on all of these photos, I am reminded that I have a darn good life.  I live in beautiful Honduras and I still get to spend time with my family and enjoy skiing with my brother in the mountains of the US.  I am blessed and grateful and can't ask for anything more.  Thank you Heavenly Father!

Pre-Christmas update from the US

One more week left in the states.  Here are some highlights of my trip so far:

The first week I spent in Denver.  I had Ethiopian food with my friend Julia.  Got to babysit my nephew Joey one morning.  Went Christmas shopping with my Mom, then out for Thai food for lunch.

It was Jack's birthday and we went to a Christmas party which the boys loved.

Jack blowing out the candles
with a little help from his friend Tess

Joey and Santa

Jack and Santa

The second week I went to Salt Lake.  The first day I met with church leadership at my home church.  It was nice to share the latest news from Honduras with them.  From there I met with people who are working on plans for the next teams who will visit.  I had dinner with my friend at my favorite Thai in SLC and got to meet her husband for the first time.  Then I was invited to visit a small group in the evening.

I got to see my friend Kate's daughter and visit with Kate and her husband for a while.

Kate's daughter Samantha

Had dinner with Robin, who used to mentor me.  It was great to catch up with her about all that has happened since we last saw each other when she visited Honduras with the team in October.

Another night I had dinner with my friend Heather, who is one of my closest friends in Salt Lake.  It was a perfect girls' night out.  We had lots of things to celebrate and catch up on.

During the day I received prayer ministry.  It was helpful in several ways.  God showed me a pattern that I have been living since I was very young which is not serving me well.  In fact it was hurting me.  At the end a lady from my church prayed over me.  She said that God has plans for me which are big things that I have not even thought of yet.

I have numerous friends here, in the US, who are unemployed.  I see them stressed out and anxious.  But if God's plans for me are things I can't even think of, then there is no sense in even trying to figure out what He has for me.  I can just relax, keep myself open to all opportunities, seek after God and see what He shows me.

My friend Jody had an open house in Salt Lake for people who wanted to stop by and see me.  I got to spend quality time with people from my small group in my home church.

It was a busy, busy week.  I had every minute from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. scheduled with something.  In the end I got to see everyone and had lots of good quality time with most.  It was nice.

Everyone in Utah commented that I looked more relaxed than they have ever seen me.  They said they can see a physical change in my face and my eyes shine more brightly.  When I told my mother that people in Utah had noticed a change in me, my mother said she can see that I am happier than she has known me to be since I was 10 or 12 years old.

I think the change in me is due to the prayer and classes I received in Honduras and time with God I spent before I came to the states.  I have really, truly learned to put my life in His hands, which leaves nothing for me to worry about or try to control.  What a relief!

I did notice when I returned from Utah to Colorado I was craving alone time with God.  All of the socializing in SLC was great but I was missing my alone time.

Back in Denver I have been spending time with my nephews.  Reading good night books to them is one of my favorite times with them.  My brother and I went up to the mountains and skied together one day.  That was one of my highlights so far.  I love skiing with my brother.

We tried to take my nephews skiing yesterday, but the traffic was horrible.  After spending three hours in the car we were still an hour away.  Finally we decided to turn back.  I was wishing we could get a hotel room and ski the next morning, but I forgot the importance of sleeping with stuffed animals.  For them, being able to sleep with Woody and Peace, outweighed a powder day in the mountains.  So we turned around and went home and I never got to see my nephews ski.  We did, however, stop for Indian food which was the last thing I was craving that I can't get in Honduras.

Joey when we first headed out

Joey as we returned home
He said, "At least we got to dress like skiers!"

Three big horned sheep we saw while we were stopped on the highway

For the first time in my life I have my Christmas presents wrapped before Christmas Eve!

One friend is coming to Denver on Christmas day for three days and another is arriving on Christmas day for five days, so I am looking forward to spending time with each of them.

Yesterday as we sat at my brother's house, relaxing after the drive, the snow storm that was in the mountains arrived at his house.  The whole front of his house is windows.  I loved sitting and watching the snow fall outside.  I could do that for hours.  It was exactly what I miss about snowy days.

You can't quite see how hard the snow was falling.

Christmas has not come yet, but I have already done everything I was hoping to do.  The ministry I received was awesome.  I've had every type of food that I miss when I am in Honduras.  Once I see my two friends who get to Denver on Christmas day, I will have fulfilled every wish I had for this time in the US.

I talk to friends in Honduras almost every night, which keeps me from feeling too homesick.  It is nice to know I am still thought of and missed, even after I've been gone almost a month.  I've been getting sweet emails from my new friends down there and chat on FB with other friends.  Fany, who is taking care of Jetty, sends me pictures of Laura and Jetty every few days.  It's almost like having a pet cam!

Looking forward to dinner tonight with my Mom and Brother at a fun Moroccan place in Denver, then time with my friends who arrive Christmas day, Christmas with my nephews, and hopefully one more day of skiing before I head back to Honduras.  This has been the least stressful time I have ever spent in the US.  Not sure if it is my new attitude, or just the way everything is falling into place.  But it has been lovely so far and Christmas has yet to arrive.

Pre-flight

Hey readers!  I forgot to tell you that this week we reached over 20,000 hits!  I never imagined that when I started this little thing to keep in touch with friends in the US while I visited Honduras in 2009.

At that time I never dreamed God would bring me back here to live.

Tomorrow I leave for the US.  My unexpected trip that came straight from God.  Today it was even more evident.  I got a message from my brother that he was at the Emergency Room with my Mom.  He said she had abdominal pain, possibly appendicitis.

If I did not have the tickets to leave tomorrow I might have been scrambling around today, trying to buy a ticket for tomorrow.  But God knew and He already gave me one.

I asked a lot of people for prayer.  People were praying all over Honduras.  In the end it seems that my Mom has some kind of virus.  Apparently a lot of people in Colorado have it.  The emergency room doctors told my brother they were full of people with the same symptoms since last weekend.  They did a bunch of tests and all of the results were good.  Now she is home resting with pain medicine.

I got everything finalized for the flight.  The car is going into the garage for a new clutch while I'm gone.  I am blessed with a good mechanic.

Today I met with almost all of the church leaders, officially or unofficially.  One called, one was behind me in line at the grocery store and I arranged a meeting with another.  They were all really good conversations.  We are not sure what the future holds, but we do know that we respect each other and want to serve God in the way we are called.  So we are all on the same page.  It is nice to be told by one church leader after another that I should do whatever I need to do in order to be happy.  They all have my best interest at heart.  And they all agree I belong here in Honduras.  I am glad they can see that.

Tomorrow at this time, I will be in a hotel in the US, settling in for my flight from Atlanta to Denver in the morning.  I am so happy with my life right now.  And even more excited for the future.

Tonight Saul, an older boy who is very special to me, called to say he missed me.  He just finished his classes and got a job!!!!  He starts on Monday.  It is 20 hours per week, but it is a job, which is amazing in a country with 48% unemployment.  I am so proud of him!  And honored that he bothered to call and tell me.  When I get back we are going out to dinner to celebrate his new job.  I have known Saul since 2009.  He is one of those boys who you feel honored to know and support, as best you can.  I expect he, too, will have a bright future.  Yay Saul!

Countdown to takeoff

Tonight we went out for 2x1 chicken wings again.  This time there were 8 of us and we were celebrating my leaving for the US.

Travel outside of the country is a big deal to some people in Honduras.  I have had 3 groups of people pray over me about the trip.  Friends and mere acquaintances want to meet me at the airport where they have another little send off.  The whole pomp and circumstance of the bon voyage party at the airport is wasted on me.  I like to check in, get through security, get to my gate and settle into flight mode.  But if people show up, I will play along for their sake.  It is a kind and thoughtful thing to do.

I have started the list of phone calls to say good bye.  These are expected and people are really hurt if you don't call before you leave and as soon as you get back.

When I told Fany someone bought me the ticket she said, "No!" and she looked so sad I thought she was misunderstanding me.
I told her, "Fany.  I am not moving back to the US.  I'm just visiting for Christmas.  I'll be back in a few weeks."
"I know," she said.  "I just don't want you to go.  Last time you were gone (when I went to the weekend retreat) Laura woke up in the morning and asked if you were home yet.  When I told her you weren't home she didn't want to get out of bed.  We just slept all day!"   :(

At least I know I will be missed.

Another custom is that people tell you they will be waiting for you with open arms.  And there are lots of "I love you"s and "I'll miss you!"  In North America people aren't so expressive.  I am lucky if I can get someone to take me to the airport, never mind have a whole group there to send me off.

Today was a really big day for me.  I am not ready to write about it to the general public yet.  But it was a good day.  I did something that has been a long time coming and I feel great.  I can't wait to tell you all about it when the time is right.