A Sisterhood Greeting...

Hey You Servant Hearted Sisters,

We had our first Purpose Team meeting since we left you and just wanted to check in and make sure you knew that you are now forever a part of our hearts and nestled in our prayers. We meant that and are committed to continuing to find ways to remind you. Wanted to share a moment of praise with you in your language and remind you that we treasure the time we spent with you - hearing your stories and cradling your hearts.

We will continue to do so. We promise.

With MUCH love,
Your Sisters

Ok this isn't in order, this is from our conference on Friday at the end of our week together, but I could NOT wait to share it. I watched the videos last night with tears running down my cheeks. These 3 are not only some of my favorite people on the planet, but they blessed our socks off by their worship. It was anointed by God and made God smile I have no doubt as some of his girls got together to refresh and renew. Enjoy it. Enjoy the fact that there are no orphans of God, He takes us all - no matter what that means. That moves me. Blessings on your day dear ones.

So since we told you it was gonna be amazing, we wanted to allow you to see a very small part of how amazing it was. This was our first stop after everyone got off the plane. Good Shepherd Children's Home where Leann got to see Cristian after 5 years of praying for him every night. It was beautiful!

Every once in a while people ask me the value of short term missions - this will forever be imprinted in my mind as at least one very good reason. A short term mission saved this little boys life. Who knows what the ripples from that might be. Only Heaven knows...

Safe and Sound...

The peeps have arrived all safe and sound. We witnessed one of the sweetest reunions I have ever seen today and I PROMISE to post pictures in the morning of some of what we experienced today. For tonight everyone is whooped as you might imagine and so we're going to bed and will be back up in the morning and back at it. Suffice it to say that we've already been loved on and changed forever by those we saw today.

Love and blessings. Sleep with the angels as they say here in Hondo land.

A Prostitute and a Princess...

She walked out of the homeless shelter tonight dressed for "work." She walked back in about a half an hour later with her dress torn. She now lives at my friend Ambers ministry house and is being loved on by her and those working with her. Feeding her children has come at a cost to her dignity no doubt. She is young, far too young, and her eyes are hollow in those places that expose the void in your soul.

I had just spent the day in wonderful ways loving on a little gal from one of the orphanages that we love to go to here - Didasko. Norma came with us today and Poppa Grose's main objective for the day was to make her smile. We tried on skirts and jeans and shirts and we found a lotion that she smelled at least 3 times with bright eyes and a smile on her face. It was so much fun and I was honored to be a part of it. She has had a fantastic day and presently she's sleeping on a mattress on my floor and she pillowed her head tonight with NO doubt in the world that she is loved.

I couldn't help but feel the divide tonight between a princess and a prostitute and realize that sometimes the distance between the two isn't really all that far. Some desperation and an opportunity and a few years time is sometimes all it takes. So tonight I'm praying protection over all the young girls we love so much in the places we visit and have come to love so much. I'm certain it wasn't long ago that the girl in the torn up dress wanted her daddy to treat her like a princess and how today a "daddy" did all he could to give a princess day so that she would have memories - long lasting memories in her heart of feeling like a princess, of being valued and loved. The ripples from that will go far beyond anything we can know this side of heaven I am sure.

I can't get the 19 year old girl out of my mind. Cause every girl knows when you've given away the last shred of dignity you have. And none of us know what we might be capable of if we were looking into the eyes of starving children. I have thrown so many stones in my lifetime but my rocks tonight were replaced by tears. With a prayer on my heart and tears on my pillow, Lord would you please make her feel like a princess...somehow show the prostitute Lord that the distance back to being a princess isn't very far either.

Thank you Lord that you are the restorer of dignity. You lift us from our shame. You redeem the broken places. You fill the void in our soul. You crown us as your daughters with honor and I pray Lord that you would be the lifter of that sweet girls head. You love so well and woo perfectly and so could you do that tonight for that dear one.

And Lord would you protect the princess who tonight is sleeping on my bedroom floor.

I watched this with tears in my eyes and goosebumps up and down my arms. I had the privilege to witness a few years ago when my friend Leann came on a short term mission trip with us and met a little boy in a state run home named Cristian. He stole her heart. They hugged and SOBBED when they had to leave each other after an hour and a half. It was one of those divine encounters that left us all changed by watching. So many people come and have encounters like that and leave with their lives changed, but what happened after Leann went home is what makes this story stand out from so many others.

She would NOT give up on that little boy. He had invaded her heart and stolen a sliver of her soul and she was dead set on doing everything she could to help him have a safe place to live. He was getting beat up at the government run home and he was so sad there. She contacted the director at one of the sweetest children's homes that I know of and begged shamelessly for him to take in that little boy.

He's not so little anymore and his life is completely different than it would have been had a ten day trip not led Leann and Cristian to cross paths. Anytime someone asks me what the value of a short term mission trip is, his face is one of the first that comes to mind. The truth is it never has to stop at a ten day trip. This is proof of that.

In a few short days, when the rest of the team arrives, we're going to have the supreme privilege of watching their reunion. They've been in contact often and Leann sends him gifts and letters and stays in contact, but this is the first face to face meeting in years. Overjoyed just won't even come close. We won't be able to hold back our tears, who would want to?? I think even God might cry a joyful touched tear over this one. :)

Be blessed as you watch his message he sent to Leann today. Thank you for supporting this and helping us get here to love on so many sweet people who are so incredibly precious. We are humbled. We are honored. We are already changed and the best is yet to come. :)

Well the first of our team (Karen and Jen) arrived today to begin preparations for the very full two weeks ahead. We are excited...the missionary registrations keep coming in and with every one the confirmed belief that God is up to something big in all of this. Thank you all so much for your prayers, encouragement, and support as we seek to be the hands and feet of Jesus over the next several days in a land that we have grown to love so much.

Stay tuned, we'll try to check in each day to give you updates on what's shaking in Hondo land. It'll be fun to watch God work. As for tonight we're pooped and off to get some supper and then head to bed before long.

Please continue to pray for the women who are right now trying to decide whether to come to the retreat/conference or not. Pray for each Honduran person we'll have the opportunity to serve...and please by all means, pray that God will empty us of ourselves and fill us with all things Him. It's the only thing worth pouring out and we know that. If they get us they lose. If they get Him...well we need not say more, they gain everything!

Blessings on all of you. May you sleep with the angels tonight as they say here in Honduras.