Thank You Denver Team!

This has been a big week for me.  While the rest of the country was taking their week of rest, heading for the beach or traveling to see relatives, we hosted a group of teens from Colorado who served at the Breakfast Program.  They were completely awesome.  I met them at church last Sunday.  They were full of positive energy that was contagious.  They filled the church with even more of God's love and kept up the positive energy all week.

They got to experience the joy of having a lost suitcase.  Luckily, it didn't hold any of their personal belongings, but it did have craft projects they planned to do with the kids.  I don't think the kids even noticed. They kept the kids busy by playing, hugging, braiding hair, painting nails and even bathing the younger ones.  It was a great visit.  I never imagined how much those little ones would love being bathed.  What a fitting time for God's hands to bath the children.

Sometimes I had to remind myself that these guys were in high school.  They were very mature and seemed older.  I wished they could stay longer.  I'm sure the kids did too.

Homni fresh out of the shower, with lotion and new clothes!

Beth with Lorenzo

Leigh with Belkis, Cessia, Jose Manuel and Lorenzo

Scarlet having her face washed

Even Marlin got her hair braided!

In the midst of a lesson about Easter, Isaac accepted Christ!

Jarvin needed some extra hugs today

Memo singing

and dancing

Violet

Samuel

Samuel before he took a bite of cabbage and spit it all over the table

The team and the kids

The kids' first Easter Egg hunt!

Jose found two eggs!

One Year Anniversary Dinner

On Wednesday Jairo, Lourdes, Josselyn, Belinda (Lourdes' sister) and I went out to dinner.  A few weeks ago I asked Jairo if I could take his family out to celebrate the fact that I have now been in Honduras for one year and to thank his family for all that they do for me.  We planned to go to our favorite pizza place, which is really nice, but when we got there it was closed for Semana Santa.  I was really disappointed.  They asked where else I would like to go, but I don't know other places except chinese food.  I wanted somewhere special.  We drove around, but restaurant after restaurant was closed.  Someone suggested Denny's.  I kept my mouth shut and prayed (yes, I prayed we would not go to Denny's).  I really did not want do go to Denny's, but people here LOVE Denny's and since everything else was closed it seemed we may have no other choice.  We stopped at the stoplight by Denny's and turned the corner but Jairo drove past Denny's.  Phew!  He went to a gorgeous place he and Lourdes had never visited before.

When they told us to sit anywhere, Lourdes found a private room for us!

Delicious!

Me, Lourdes, Jairo, Josselyn, Belinda

Jairo asked this special opps man if I could have a photo with him.

The restaurant was called Haciendo Real.  My landlord's brother had told me it was a really, really nice place.  He was right!  We had an amazing dinner and really enjoyed each other's company.  It was a really special night.  We talked about the highs and lows of my time in Honduras.  We gave praise to God for bringing me here.  I thanked Lourdes for giving me feedback a few months ago that was a turning point for me.  Everyone agreed they have seen a difference in me since that talk.  They see me as more open and I feel more happy.  The Sarmiento family has been a tremendous blessing to me.  If I need to go to the store, if I need advice, no matter what, Jairo is always there for me.  We reminisced and laughed.  I felt very loved and expressed my own love and gratitude for everyone at the table.  We left with full bellies and full hearts.

In the parking lot there was a special forces military man standing outside to guard one of the people who was eating inside.  Jairo and I have a mission to try to take pictures of the military men on the streets.  We are not supposed to so we have to be sly about it.  But Jairo walked up to him and asked if we could take a picture with him.  He asked who would be in the picture.  When Jairo pointed to me, the man said, "Sure!"

I was surprised.  I stood next to him and he said, (in Spanish) "With the gun, or without?"  I told him, "WITH the gun!"  Jairo explained that in the US, people don't walk around with huge weapons.  He put his arm around me so I loosened up a little and we took a bunch of photos.  As we walked away, he and his buddy talked.  Then the friend said, "Wait!  You have photos of him, but he has none of you!"  So I went back and got my picture taken with his camera.  That was the ultimate topper to a great night.  We all had a super good time!

Second Day with Denver Team - visit to Los Pinos

Janell braiding Maria Angelica's hair

Even Violet got her hair done

So many fun hair accessories to choose from

Wendi looking pretty with her daughter Breyden

Kitchen Crew

Men at work

Keeping the rice from sticking is a 2 man job

Belkis getting braids

Nino praying

Angelica praying

Lorenzo found another lap

Kevin always sets a good example for the little ones

Even Camila got her nails painted

Angelica with her new dress, braids
 and painted nails

Delicious lunch

Sound asleep

After the team finished serving the kids and cleaned all of the dishes we served them lunch.  Then we all went to Los Pinos to visit two homes.  First we went to visit Marlin's home.  It was one room with two beds and a kitchen area.  We prayed over the family and gave them a gift basket of food which brought Marlin to tears of gratitude.

We took a bus to safely get as close as possible

Kenia and Vanessa's house

Lourdes and Marlin embrace after we prayed over the home

Marlin and her two children with the gift basket

I finally got to visit Marlin's home!

Then we went to visit Ubence, Christian, Lesli and Cindi's home where they live with their "Grandmother".  They are not related to their Grandmother by blood, but she took in the four children and their mother and gave them a place to live when they were homeless.  She helped their mother conquer addiction and hold a steady job.  We are so grateful for Grandma!

View of Los Pinos

The Team with Ubence's family

Christian, Grandma, Lesli and Ubence

Cindi must be hiding somewhere