26 Mar Be careful what you pray for……
5 years ago…I prayed the Prayer of Jabez….my 2 kids were grown…Mandi was happily married working on her masters/doctorate …Shelton was in college playing sports and working part time as a youth pastor (but really loving the mission field)…neither of them really needing their mom continually anymore…I prayed “Lord increase my territory….show me my work is not done…show me what I can do for you.”
God revealed so many of His promises to me this past week…so many answers to prayers…I never doubted…but I have to admit that there were times I felt impatient, sad and frustrated waiting on His perfect timing…So many emotions are stirring in me as I am sitting on the plane returning from Honduras…I can’t help but reflect on the past 5 years…God has answered so many prayers…and directed my path with His footprints all around…I couldn’t always see them….But I knew they were there…As I look back and reflect…His footprints were obvious and strong…Revealing His plan in a perfect way…Giving me a little glimpse at a time so I didn’t screw it up…
But 5 years ago…Most of you know I fell madly in love with 2 specific kids from Copprome Orphanage…
I knew that God had given them to Johnny and I to parent..to adopt as our own…There was NO doubt that they were meant for us…All I could think about in the beginning was bringing them home to the US…But they were too old to adopt (according to the US laws), but I knew that God GAVE them to us… faith…dedication…prayers…persistence…All along I never questioned they were ours…but how can we parent them from afar? Faith…dedication…prayers…persistence…Staying on the path that was laid out by Him…I knew that was the only way…
So…5 years later…our 2 Honduran kids…they are now adults living in Honduras…learning to travel but knowing they need to help their country…The difference they can make in Honduras is astounding!!! I now know God needs them there…
Gabby, now 21 years old…sassy and smart…organized and clear minded…she heads up our administrative duties in Honduras and will soon be heading up the homework classes at the learning center…She also buys the food every 2 weeks for Copprome Orphanage…Shelton (our 26 year old who lived in Honduras 2.5 years and co-founder of H2H) trained her and worked with her to understand our operations…Hearts2Honduras, Inc…A nonprofit company that believes all donations should be spent on the people of Honduras…Making sure they are spent wisely on people who will better their country…on children’s education and food so that one day their generation will do things differently and Honduras will be a better and safer country…Gabby understands that goal and she loves serving and teaching…She loves our mission “breaking the circle of poverty, one child at a time.” She works daily to help H2H be exactly what God created it to be…And now…she has been given her VISA!!!! So she can come to the US to tell her story…to share all that God has done through H2H…seen first hand…a once little girl who hid at night to keep her stepfather from taking advantage of her..is now a strong, “straight A” college student who understands what it means to work hard…love big…follow Jesus….yes…the sky is the limit for our sweet Gabby…
Gabriel is now 18 years old…kind and humble…a baby boy in an 18 year old’s body…with a singing voice of an angel…He knows God has given him that voice…but is not sure yet why… or how to even use it… He has never had voice lessons and really has no idea the level of his talent… He loves math and wants to be an accountant like me… but his passion is singing… He brings tears to the eyes of most who hear him… He is sometimes too sweet and giving… allowing people to take advantage of him… But he is growing up and learning how to say no and take care of himself… He is an interpreter for H2H and will soon be helping coach the Suyapa H2H 14 and under futball team and also helping the kids at the learning center everyday with their homework… He started at the University in January and loves it! This past week he was in a singing competition at the University…I was there…and I was so proud as he got on stage and belted out that beautiful voice…boldly and confidently…for a theater full of people…as a new freshman…not many knew him…His cheering section was small… until he began to sing… and his cheering section grew… and grew… the crowd was shocked that such a little boy had a voice so big… He won and had to go up and sing again…this time…his cheering section was huge!…Now they know him as the small boy with the big voice… Oh how God will use him…A once baby boy found abandoned on the side of the road…sick… not expected to survive…now a young man with a big voice and an exciting future… God will use that voice in mighty ways… We will apply for his VISA soon…and just like Gabby…it will be His perfect timing…
Yep…this momma is giddy and thankful for the past 5 years of parenting these 2 from afar…lots of tears and lots of prayers… worth it all as we see the fruit…His perfect timing….We have been given 4 amazing kids and 2 amazing granddaughters (so far)….This blended family from 2 countries is looking forward to the day when we can have a complete family photo…All of us on the same soil even if it is temporary… There is much to be done…from Franklin, TN to Salt Lake City, UT….Our 2 US offices and all the way to Honduras…
5 years ago when I prayed the Prayer of Jabez…for God to increase my territory…I had no idea He would give us so much… Be careful what you pray for…You just might get it!!!!
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