Happy New Year

I hope that everyone is having a Happy New Year. We are having a wonderful time here in Honduras. The weather has been very nice here the past week. Today it's about 75 degrees. We have been playing games with all of the houses in the pools. All of the children are really loving playing in the water. There are 2 girls in the clinic right now with chicken pox, so they have to be away from all of the other children. I am really enjoying my last few weeks here at Emmanuel. I want to apologize to everyone and my Aunt(Tracey) for the lack of posts. My computer charger was fried about a month and a half ago so I have been unable to get on the computer. Thanks for the prayers. God Bless, Lindsey

Feliz Navidad

Merry Christmas... Today is Christmas here at Emmanuel. We were able to sleep in this morning till about 7:15, which was nice to sleep a little more. All of the kids, staff and volunteers ate a big lunch together. We ate chicken, rice, potatoes, some fruit and a roll. It was really great, and I enjoyed helping out with the lunch. After we went to the church and passed out the presents to all of the children in the church. This took majority of the day. It was a good day, and wonderful to see the kids smiling faces. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. God Bless, Lindsey

Wow, I am so sorry it has been so long since my last post. I have been really busy with getting ready for Christmas, having my family come in town for Thanksgiving, and going to Tegucigalpa for a couple of days. I guess I should start by saying that I have really been blessed this past month. I had the opportunity to meet a lot of really great people from one of the teams that came in November. They were actually from Gainesville, so it felt like they were close to home. That whole week I worked in the clinic with a wonderful Doctor and other very sweet women from the team. I had a really fun time with Redwine, thank you. I was able to see my mom on Thanksgiving, which was such a blessing. I had not seen her in over 4 months, the longest amount of time ever for us. It is so wonderful seeing people that you love and spending time with them, even if it was only for 4 days. This past week I went to Tegucigalpa with a friend here. She had to run some errands and well as visit the hospital, so we made a many trip out of it. She along with another volunteer here were very unfortunate and got Malaria. I think it is going around if that is possible. (Please pray for continual health.) We had the opportunity to go to a church in Tegu, which to my surprise was very nice and big. I really enjoyed the worship, and although I was unable to understand everything they were saying I could really sense the presence of God there. It is an amazing thing, and I can only pray that God’s presence is in the churches in the United States like it is here. The container came this week as well, so we sorted all of the gifts for the children. I am really enjoying my mission here. I am happy to say that I purchased a plane ticket to come back in February for 2 weeks. I don’t have the money for my plane ticket right now, but I have faith that God will provide. I want to encourage anyone that may have to opportunity to come to Emmanuel or go on any type of mission trip to proceed and go with good faith. This experience although it is not over has taught me so much about God, myself, learning to trust in God to give me strength. I am so grateful for all of the people that have been supporting me through prayer and funds. I would not be here if I did not have family and community support. I have about 6 weeks left of my trip, which is very crazy to think about. Once again thank you for your prayer and support. Have a wonderful week, God Bless, Lindsey

71 Days Left

Hey Everyone, I hope this finds you well. I just got home from my trip yesterday. I went to renew my visa with another volunteer. We left on Saturday the 25 and headed to San Pedro Sula. We stayed there till Monday and we drove to Puerto Cortez to take a boat ride to Belize. When we got there they let us know that they would not be making the trip to Belize on Monday because of the weather, but maybe on Tuesday. So then we road back to San Pedro to stay one more night. The next day they called and said that they would not be going at all. So we had to figure out another plan to leave the country because I had to get my visa renewed. I was able to find a decently cheap flight out of Honduras to Fort Lauderdale. The reason it was so cheap was because it left at 1:00 AM, but the Lord was good and we made it to the US at 5 in the morning. I have a wonderful friend with an amazing family that picked my friend and I up at the airport and let us stay at the condo for the week. I cannot thanks Francesca and the Guerrieri Family enough. We had home-cooked meals that were so good, God was definitely taking care of us during our trip. Our flight left Tuesday night at 11:25 which put us in San Pedro at 1:00 AM. I have a hard time sleeping on airplanes and there was a guy talking to me the whole trip, needless to say I did not sleep during the flight back. So we just hung out in airport until about 4:30 then took a cab to the bus station. After our 4 hour bus trip back to Tegucigalpa, we took another taxi to a different bus station that brought us to Guaimacia, and then we took one more taxi to the orphanage. I am glad to be back and finish my time. I am completely finished with school, which is really exciting. I will continue working in the clinic and we have to start working on cards for Christmas. Thank you for all of your prays, I really appreciate them so much. God Bless, Lindsey

Day 90

Today is the middle point of my trip in Honduras. I have officially been here for 90 days. When I think about it, at times it seems that I have been here forever and other that the time is going by real quickly. Since my last post things have been going much better. Sonia was let out of the clinic, which is such a praise. I am working in the clinic in the mornings and afternoons still as well as teaching school. I am giving my classes their finals early because I am leaving for Belize on the 25 of October. I am going with another volunteer here, so please pray that we will have safe travels. I am very excited to have a little break and get to see more of Central America. This past Monday we did not have school and a group of the medium boys went to the Mountains, so I went with them. I came back with so many mosquito bites, I think my ankles are swollen. They itch so bad too, but I try not to scratch them cause they will leave marks on my legs. The mosquitoes are different here, they leave little scabs when they bite. I have been hanging out with some of the new volunteers and they are really fun to be with. It's nice to be with people your own age to talk about things you have in common. Not much exciting is going on, but I can see the God changing my life in many different aspects. I have been reading The Purpose Driven Life, and I would highly recommend it. I learn something new everyday, it's really exciting! Please pray for the orphanage, there have been a lot of government official coming and trying to stir up trouble. Thanks again for all of your prayers and support, I really appreciate it!
God Bless,
Lindsey

Day 82

Hola,
Today has been a bit of a drag for me. Do you ever get in a funk where you just don't feel good and happy. That has been me these past two days. Two volunteers that I became close with left yesterday. They had been here since last October, so they were excited to leave. I on the other hand was not excited for them to leave. There are only two volunteers in the house now, me and the new volunteer that is from Denmark. The girls that left taught me so much about the orphanage and what to do, I am going to miss them so much. I think it is also sad because you develop a strong bond with these people that share your same struggles and triumphs while you are serving, and once you leave them it's not likely that you will ever see them again. Also every time someone leaves it makes you want to go and see your family too, but I am excited about my trip to Belize that is coming up in three weeks. I am still giving out medicine, but for the boys now. Sonia is still in the clinic, I think this is her 6th week. This has also been hard because the other volunteer and myself are constantly in the clinic. It is hard sleeping in the clinic every night and being here during the day. I am still teaching school, and we have about 5 weeks left before the end of the quarter. I am also helping in the clinic, I went to the hospital yesterday with a boy because we thought he might have broken his elbow. I don't think that he broke it, but he is wearing a cast. I am very excited to have my mom come and visit me over Thanksgiving. I really miss my family, but then take a second to think of how much these children probably miss their families. Please continue to pray for me, I really appreciate all your prayers. I pray that God would protect us here in Honduras and that he would continue to work in my life and revile the plan that he has for me. Once again thanks for all the support and Love!!!
God Bless,
Lindsey XOXO

Day 72

Hola,
This morning I am in the Clinic.... Still! Hopefully within the next 2 weeks Sonia will be able to go back to here house. A new volunteer came this week, she is from Denmark. The other 2 volunteer girls are leaving in the beginning of October, and I am going to miss them so much. We walked into town yesterday after school. I was actually able to buy chicken breast for the first time. I have not eaten one in forever. We have some new volunteers coming soon, and they will be teaching school. I am not yet positive whether or not they will take my place in the school. I have to go to Tegucigalpa soon to buy an extra month in Honduras. I have almost been here for 90 days, which is really hard to believe. At the end of October I am going to Belize to renew my visa for another 90 days. A little problem that I am having is there are no other volunteers that need to go. A family will be going and I will travel with them, but I still have to stay by myself which will make my trip much more expensive then originally planned. I do know that God will provide and protect me while I am there. I really wish that I could go on this trip with some people, because it looks really fun. I will have to opportunity to relax be myself, and that is exciting. There was a group here this past week and one day they served chili dogs to all of the houses. They smelled so good, but we didn't get to eat one. My Spanish is beginning to make better sense. I am still learning a lot of words every week, which to me is exciting. I hope that they weather at home is nice, it is so hot here especially if it doesn't rain. Everyday I am here I learn something new, whether it is about myself or just a fun fact I am always learning. God is working in my life right now, it is so amazing to me how I am changing. Just my outlook on life in general is different.
I really hope everyone is doing Great and I miss you all. Have a woonderful rest of the weekend!
God Bless,

Lindsey