When I first arrived here in Honduras I began sending out email updates to those who wanted them... however I've decided that this would be an easier way for anyone to check in on how things are going down here in good ole Guaimaca (and would give those of you who didn't realize how many emails they were asking for a way out)! For those of you who have never received an email update, here's a quick little catch up on what's been going on in my life in the past two or so months.
I have been living at Orphanage Emmanuel in Guaimaca, Honduras since the end of January. When I first got here I worked in the toddler house for a couple of weeks- a fun but exhausting place to be! Then, I met Ninoska. She is a fifteen year old girl living with epilepsy, and who's brain is a mystery to her doctors right now. Before I got here, I'm told that she was capable of walking, talking, even running. When I met Ninoska, she was laying in a bed in the clinic, unable to walk, talk, or even crack a smile at anyone. After about a week, she began to smile every once in a while. And then we got her to start feeding herself. And then she would walk (with our assistance) and use the bathroom on her own. And then the words started to come, and suddenly this girl I spent so much of my time with had a voice. Ninoska is still a mystery, and she can be her own worst enemy at times because she is so stubborn! But her doctors and us are still working with her in hopes that she will return to her normal level of functioning. Some time during that adventure, I got the exciting news that I was going to be co-teaching a class for some of the children here with special needs. My sweet friend Elisabeth and I have absolutely no experience in teaching, however God has provided us with two housemates who do, and through all of our pooled resources we are slowly but surely getting the hang of it. I also got moved to the small boys house to assist during meal times. Breakfast, lunch and dinner I head over there to do medicine and bandages and all that fun stuff for 54 boys ages 7-11. I love them! They are so sweet and helpful, and there is always some fun story to tell from a day with them. So that is where I'm at now. My days are spent trying as best I know how to fix all my boys' "dueles" or "hurts" and loving on as many children as possible in a day, and to my surprise, teaching (or at least trying to teach). By the way, I have the kids pretty fooled... I'm now referred to often as "profe" or "maestra," both names for teacher in spanish. Little do they know I'm learning just as much as they are as we go!
I originally planned to return home in May after four months of being here, and had no intention of returning to Emmanuel, or at least not any time soon. However I have decided I will be returning to Emmanuel in either June or August, and I am not sure how long it will be for. Possibly just the summer, maybe only a year or two, maybe much longer... I am living by faith on this! I am so in love with all of the children here, I love the language, I love the mountains that surround me, I love the beautiful sunsets I am spoiled by every single night... I love this place. I hope to work more in depth with the children here who have special needs, and not only with my class of 18, but with all of them. I would greatly appreciate prayer on all of these things, because there are decisions that need to be made and that need to be made soon!
Today in church our speaker read through Hebrews 11, and for those of you who have read it will not be surprised to hear the topic was faith. The chapter starts out with "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (v 1). It continues to speak on Old Testament examples of people who lived by faith. It is such an amazing chapter and such a great lesson to hear about during a time when I so desperately need to cling to faith! I love that even though I am in Honduras, in a spanish speaking country (I took six years of a foreign language in school.... six years of french), I still can go to church on Sunday morning and Worship and learn and receive fellowship, just like I would back in America. I really love Sunday mornings here at Orphanage Emmanuel.
Overall, I am so happy and so blessed and so thankful to be here. Thank you to everyone who has supported me thus far, whether financially, or in prayer, or words of encouragement... it all means so much to me and I truly could not do it without my amazing support group you all have provided me with. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
