2011 in My Rearview Mirror

Two-thousand eleven... Dos mil once... 2011.

The year seemed to rush by in so many ways with highs, lows and many in-betweens.   Here is a recap of a few of the things the year brought.    Reviewing it all makes me aware of how much of the ministry news I've left out on this blog.   Also, I'm clearly reminded of how dependent we are upon the Lord for every single thing.  

January -

• My thoughts about our first Christmas and New Year in Honduras were compiled and shared.   Thankfulness abounded for the Gifts That God Brought.

• I met Baby Y's Dad and was surprised by his t-shirt from the church where I was raised.   The world really is tiny.   God caught me off-guard that day and taught me that most of my days here are not going to be clearly sketched in black and white.   The year has continued to be one where gray areas, filled with grace, reign.

 Ahuas, La Moskitia

• I traveled upriver to Ahuas and had a chance to see another part of La Moskitia.    Waves, Crocs and Swamps  were part of my first long boat ride.   I enjoyed my Walk to the Outhouse in Ahuas and came back to Puerto Lempira with a deeper love for the beauty of the region.

• Surprise and gratitude filled my heart as Viborly returned from her village to ask forgiveness and petition for another chance to go to a boarding school in Copan.  God Redeems!

• Finished January off with a great awareness of the way God equips His people to do the jobs He has prepared.   

February:

• The highlight of February was a visit from the Abshire family.  And the collision of emotions as they left was the stuff of this post, When the Plane Flies Off.  

• The post about Lessons from Mama Tara reminded me of how much time I spent those first few months just getting to know Mama Tara.   Hours and hours of sittin' and listenin' lead to friendship, a bit of trust and the chance to be called her 'hija'  (daughter).

• Looking back, the same feeling holds... I Still Don't Need A Washing Machine.

March:

• My baby, Aaron, turned 4! 

• A great Team from Texas spent Spring Break with us.

• Our family welcomed Di into our dinners and lives.

• We fully explored the concept of MKs - Missionary Kids, concluding that MKs are just like every other K we know.

• A rare moment of clarity of thought emerged on how my Hungering for God is, in practice, a circular thing.

 My cutie, Aaron, when he was almost 2

 April:

• We started our fantastic visit to the US which started with a trip to San Pedro Sula for our VISA residency paperwork  ...   Before,   Take-Off,  Receiving ...

•  We celebrated Easter with our church family

May:

• In the midst of our return to Honduras, I was finally able to express my deep affection for My US of A.

• We arrived home to find our house had been broken into and we lost many important 'things'...  the verse from James about 'Considering all things Joy' became my song.

• Di's Garden was a delightful surprise.

 
June:

• Celebrated 3 kids' and 1 husband's b-day.   June is always a fun and cake-filled month for us.

•  We had Holly & Jenna visit for 2 weeks!  What a treat for the entire family.

• We got our first dog, Lily.

• God reminded me that He loves and cares for Every Single One...

• Descending Vultures provided ingredients for a post.

July:

• TIME flew by, but I had plenty of TIME to write 21 blog posts.

• The question was answered "What Exactly Do Missionaries Do?"

• My linguistic skills moved forward by baby steps with Words and Oh, For a Thousand tongues to Sing.

• My Sunday School class covered the Lord's Prayer and I gained some great insight into how they view their Padre Celestial.

•  Our family was on the Receiving End of a beautiful dinner.

August:

•  I began to help a friend in another country with adoption paperwork for a child from here and my first visit to the judge was a Judicial Symphony.

•  The non-baker that I am had an impromptu Baking Class for teenagers.

• We had the opportunity to witness one of God's Miracles.  

• My mind tried to wrap around how we Carry the Burdens of Others.

• Celebrating one year in Honduras, I shared what life might look like If We Had to Return to the US Tomorrow.

September:

• Fruit distribution for Street Kids!

• September 11 Boat Trip to Cocota

• My eyes were opened to the desperation of one mom in Orphans or Not?  and More Thoughts Along the Same Lines.

• Something Continued to Disturb Me.... education in Honduras.

October:

• We made a trip to Copan for a conference and to visit Viborly at Arbol de Vida

• 4 members of the Mama Tara US Board visited and truly became like family to us.  During their visit, I had an opportunity to share God's Word in a way I had never done before.  God is HUGE
  

• I got to attend a missionary women's conference in Tegus and was BLOWN AWAY by my experience.

•  My friend, Romy, experienced a horrible day and, as always, God was faithful to teach me large lessons in the midst.

 Viborly

November:

• I road a roller-coaster with Di as she made some really poor choices and more and then, gratefully, watched her come back around.

• Expectations vs. Reality detailed how our expectations on coming to Honduras have played out in real time. Oh, and there was Reality - Part 2.

• We had some special Dinner Guests

• Our Thanksgiving was filled with the love of our friends from Texas.    This group was incredibly flexible, hard-working, prayer warriors with a heart for every person God brought our way.

Di and her Grandmother

December:

• 9 girls, 1 young mom and me began a journey through True Love Waits in Spanish.   We have covered a lot of ground in 4 weeks, see Part 1 & Part 2.   Seeds have been planted, Scripture memorized.  Only God knows the end of the story.

• A group from North Carolina came to serve at Mama Tara's.  They brought TOM shoes, painted Scripture and beautiful paintings on walls, repaired screen doors, sang, danced and loved on kids.   There were 3 young children in the group which was a delight for my family.

Happy Birthday Jesus!  Feliz Navidad.


Thank you, Lord, for another opportunity to LOVE and SERVE YOU and the MANY that YOU LOVE right here in Honduras.