Biggest team...and full of blessings!

In June of 2008, when we were finishing up our year of teaching here in Honduras, we were asked to join a team as support staff/translators with a ministry called El Ayudante. Our friends John and Adriana were in charge of the team. We jumped at the chance to experience something new. It was that week that God really spoke to us and showed us where He wanted us to serve Him. That first week of seeing and working with El Ayudante there was only 1 toilet working, mostly everything was unfinished and everything was at the basics. Last week, 4 years later, we had the privilege of hosting the same team that we worked with the first time we ‘got’ El Ayudante. This was their 4^th trip coming to work with El Ayudante and their focus was in 3 parts: VBS in schools (we went to 9 schools and did programs!), medical : saw almost 2,000 patients between the general medical exams and eye clinic which was giving away glasses – both reading and prescriptions, and thirdly – Construction: continuing the work they began on the clinic – this year they painted the entire inside and outside as well as did the electrical! This is the same church that has paid for 95% of everything that has happened on the clinic so it was very special for the team to be here and see the clinic at it’s almost completed state. 

Some special stories of the week:

This team required 19 translators in order to accomplish all that they did in these 4 days – one of which was Sigel. He translated for the eye team and worked so hard. It was his decision to do so, even knowing that he’d have to be at breakfast by 5am and he’d be working translating until 4pm. I was a proud mama to hear all the compliments about how great of a young man and also a translator Sigel was during the whole week! He said that he enjoyed it and that the best part was hanging out with his friends. 

I was on the VBS team and we went to 9 different schools – singing songs, doing crafts, leading lots of games, showing a movie, and telling them about the love of Jesus and about how important they are! I only took Maddy along 2 of the days as they are very early mornings and long days  - but one of the days she was with me there was also a 15 month old baby toddling about the school and Maddy kept sharing her Fruitloops with…the little girl is very bow-legged and we noticed how incredibly tiny her shoes were and how her feet her so cramped in the shoes she had on. Weeks prior, we had taken Maddy to get new shoes as her birthday present and her old shoes hadn’t been taken out of the car yet (even though I’d often almost grabbed them to bring in many times!). So Maddy and I went to the car and Maddy happily watched as we put Maddy’s shoes on the ‘baby’. I was so proud of Maddy to happily give away her sandals (as she’s not the best sharer). The shoes fit perfect – which I was surprised since the baby was only 15mo and Maddy’s 2! God is so good and knew weeks ago that I needed to leave those shoes in the trunk of my car for that long – so that they were there when we needed them. Amazing how he looks after even the needs of little feet. Hopefully having shoes that fit will help adjust this little girls walking problem.

I was also very blessed this week in seeing how God takes care of us. On the phone my mom was saying she wished she could be here to help us during this busy week… and I told her that God brought into our lives such an amazing family here in Honduras to help fill in the gaps! Our friend Miranda came with her 3 girls for 3 days just to watch Madelyn for me and anything else we needed! Now that is a friend! (and Maddy chose to be up from 2-5am 2 of the nights) and also my friend Jenny came to work with the team to be our support system – she not only led the VBS, but also jumped in anywhere there was a need – I’d start a project and get pulled to a different one and come back and she’d already finished the one I’d left!  I felt so supported and blessed this week by all those that were looking out for my family!

I don’t have pictures of this team yet – when I get them I’ll post some. 

this week is 'normal' - if there is a normal... getting ready for the next teams, Tristan has some projects he's working on in the mission house and the guest house. we're planning on 'camping' out in the guest house for the next 5 weeks because of the back to back teams but the shower is not yet hooked up ... so there's some work to do this week. He's also going to build a retaining wall for the house that a team is building the end of July. I'm confirming all the ministry locations for the teams for the next 4 weeks, making curtains for the guest house, and preparing for this baby...I'm in the mood to organize! :)