Ava's 3rd Birthday Party

The day after I got back from Honduras we got to celebrate Ava's 3rd Birthday. Sunni had such a fun party at this place in Southlake called The Art Class. Each child got participate in an art class. This was Ella's first time to ever do something like this and she had so much fun!

Not quite sure if fabulous artistic ability with painting is in her future, but she was so cute while doing it.

My sweet girl ready to get painting.


I tried to get a sweet picture of Ella and the birthday girl, but I was always one step behind one of their cute moments, like hugging.




The first thing the art instructor had the kids do was to decorate their name plate. I had NO idea that Ella could draw circles!! I was very impressed.


Let the painting begin.










This was the painting they were copying.


What do y'all think? Ella & Ava's completed works! I love it!


It was such a fun party Sunni!! Happy 3rd Birthday Sweet Ava!!!!

I'll Be Honest

There was more of a reason why I have been so absent from the blogging world since Honduras other than I was just really busy.

The truth is, the Sunday after I got back from my trip, I was in the kitchen doing the dishes and felt a funny pain in my left breast. (Sorry, I seriously doubt I have any male readers though.) So I felt to see what the pain was and there was a definite lump.

I completely panicked. My world totally turned upside down. Heath wasn't too overly concerned but did tell me to make sure and call the doctor first thing in the morning.

My doctor couldn't get me in until Wednesday, so I spent 48 hours living in my mind the worse case scenario. It pretty much paralyzed me.

My doctor felt it and said he thought it was probably just a cyst, but that he wanted me to go get a sonogram just to make sure. This helped me feel a little better, but I was still constantly feeling that anxious feeling that put your stomach in knots.

I couldn't get in to get my sono until the following Monday, which was just this past Monday. So it was another 5 days of anxiousness and waiting.

The sono Monday morning went well from what we could tell even though they are "not allowed to tell you anything".

And then it was another 2 days of waiting to hear back from my doctor with the results. He finally called yesterday morning with the results that everything is normal and it is just a cyst. And I need to come back in 3 mths so he can check it again.

I was wishing the entire time I was panicked that I was one of those people that can be calm and fully trust in the Lord and "only worry when there is something to worry about". But I wasn't. I was a basket case, unable to focus on anything longer than 30 seconds. Which made me really reevaluate my trust that I thought I had in the Lord. Do I really have that? If so, than why was my world so totally rocked? If I really do fully believe that God is in control and He has a plan for my life and that plan is "that He who began a good work in me will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" than why was I unable to function for 9 days?

This week has certainly been a stretching, learning and faith increasing week. Mark 9:24 says, Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief."

That is my cry, God...I DO believe, HELP me overcome my unbelief!

I have SO much to update my blog with and will start on that right away. But I just had to tell my blogging family what has been going on with us. I know y'all are so sweet to care about me and my family.

Love,

Ella's 3rd Birthday Party!!

Last month, Ella turned 3, and as you all know, on the morning of her big birthday party she woke up with a stomach bug. It was so sad. We had to call all of her friends and cancel.

So, we rescheduled the party for this morning and it was wonderful!!! We had a great time!

The Birthday Girl!

Photo taken by Amber Burger!

Ella & Laney!






Little Gabe and Jacob! They are barely 1 year old, but were able to figure out how to climb half way up. I was amazed.


Sweet Ava!


I loved this moment. When Titus got to the party, he was so excited to give Ella her gift he ran up the playground chasing Ella with the present! It was so cute.


Ella at the top.


Silly Daddy.








Jared at the top with the kids!


He so sweetly slid down with Ella.


The bottom of the slide was often the gathering place for all the kids!




Me & Laney!




The My Little Pony cake my Mother-on-law made for the party last month was froze for the party this month. Thankfully, it unfroze perfectly! It still looked and tasted great!






Another amazing photo by Amber Burger!








I love how kids always want to help the birthday kid open their presents!


Ella so excited about her presents!!




Ella & Titus!


It was such a fun day!! Thanks again to all of our friends for being so great and flexible. We are so blessed. Y'all made this 3 year old's day.

I'm Still Here

It is driving me bananas that I have not been able to share more stories or pictures yet of Honduras. When my plane landed late Friday night, I hit the ground running. Saturday was full of napping and birthday parties. Sunday was full of doing church. And then Monday and Tuesday have been filled with helping with our church's youth camp.

So I haven't even had a chance to download all of my pictures from my camera. I know, so sad. But things will hopefully calm down today and I'll have a chance to do that, plus clean my house, plus catch up on all my laundry.

It was such an amazing week though. I loved every second of it. And can't wait to share with you all the amazing things that happened.

And my sweet girl was precious at the airport to greet me. Her and Heath brought me flowers and she was so excited to give them to me she was squealing. It was perfect.

Only One More Day...

Well, we have almost completed our week in Honduras. I can't believe it's already almost over. It went very fast. We have a short break right now in between our shopping trip and our celebration dinner out at a fun restaurant we go to every year. It's a fun way to end the trip.

We have had an amazing week!!! Everything has gone SO well. I wish each of you were here so you could experience the work God is doing first hand. I really am not good with words, so it's hard for me to explain situations.

The hospital was an okay experience. We stayed a lot longer this year, which means we saw a lot sadder situations! But I did have one moment of total rejoicing which I will tell you about later when I have time.

Our 3 days in Cataluna were awesome. We had 120 kids in VBS and 45 women in the Women's ministry!!! Oh, it was so good!!! I grew way more attached to them this year than last year. It was a lot harder to say goodbye to those sweet families. And it was good to see the babies I held for hours last year, walking all around and so happy! So many amazing things happened this year that I can't wait to share. I hope I can find the words. Maybe through pictures it will be easier.

Thank you for your prayers!!! We saw many works of God that blew are mind and that is because of the prayers you voiced for us. I couldn't ask for any better support.

We leave Tegucigalpa airport at 12:00 pm tomorrow. Please be in prayer. The take off is almost as dangerous as the landing. To sum it up, it FREAKS ME OUT! Not that I'm overreacting or anything.

Thanks y'all! And in 28 hours I will hopefully be squeezing the crud out of my little girl! I can't wait!

Honduras Day 2!

Today was a great day. We got to worship this morning with Communion Baptist Church. This is the church that our church in Irving partners with and has for years. The pastor of the church is very good friends with our Pastor. Pastor Pena spoke to our group, after an amazing morning of worship with their congregation, of the vision of Communion. This church that start over 20 years ago with 12 members, has now planted 25 missions and churches in Tegucigalpa and surrounding villages. It's amazing to see how the Lord has blessed this church with incredible growth.

It is very awe inspiring to watch the members of Communion worship. They are so passionate! Our Pastor told us tonight during our nightly time of reflection and prayer that he desires to love the people of Irving like the Pastor of Communion and his family loves the people of Honduras. It is incredible to see.

After church, we went to Cataluna to introduce ourselves to the people there and let them know about VBS that will be going on for the rest of the week. It was GREAT to be back there. I didn't recognize a lot of the kids from last year, but there were a few that I recognized and was so excited to see. I spent most of my time last year taking care of the babies while their mothers went to the Women's Bible study. It will probably be difficult for me to recognzie a lot of them because babies change so much in their first year of life.

So what I did was, I printed a bunch of their pictures off so I could walk around and ask if this is their baby. I know weird, but then I can give the mom the picture and I think it will make them very happy because they don't own cameras and probably have zero pictures of their families.

Please pray for tomorrow...

We are starting our day at the hospital which is the day I dread tremendously. It's very difficult to go to this hospital. It's nothing like an American hospital. Very bare and slightly dirty and incredibly sad. You can read more about the hospital here.

Then after the hospital we will head to Cataluna to do VBS/Women's Bible study and then an evening service. I'm sure it will be as equally great of a day as today was...if not better.

We Made It!!

Y'all, I am SO excited because I brought my laptop this year, not knowing if the internet would work where we are staying, but it is working great! And I am laying in my bed checking email and blogging. I'm so pumped because this means I will be able to communicate with Heath and Ella more than just once the entire week like normal.

Things are great! We had an amazing flight and landing. Tegucigalpa is a VERY dangerous place to land. Last years landing was so rough that I really thought this was the end of our lives. But this year was much different and I am so thankful because I stress about it for weeks leading up to the trip. I know...pathetic.

Anyway...we have such a great group this year, just like every other year. And I'm excited to spend the week with them and get to know them all better.

Today has been very laid back. We are now just relaxing, unpacking and getting stuff ready for the week. I guess I should probably go, so I can help with all of that.

But I just wanted to check in and let y'all know we made it safely and things are going very well!! Will hopefully update again.

Honduras!

Hey Y'all!!

Well, in 9 hours I will be loading a plane headed towards Honduras!! I am so excited.

Obviously, very sad about leaving my family. I hate having to say goodbye to Ella. But I am SO BLESSED that she gets to go stay with grandparents that she loves SO MUCH!! She gets so excited that she gets to go stay with them, that it covers up any sadness she might have about us leaving. Which is definitely what I would prefer. I don't want her to feel sad, like I feel. Heath works such crazy hours that it's just best if she stays over there and then Heath will go see her often. Ella is going to have a great week with her Grandparents.

Just like trips past, like Honduras and Africa, God's grace is sufficient enough and I usually do very well with missing Ella once the trip starts. So I am clinging to that promise once again.

I wanted you guys to have a schedule of what we will be doing each week. So many of you are such faithful prayer warriors for me, that I thought you would like this. And it brings me so much comfort to know that my friends and family back home are praying for specific things and times during the week.

First Irving Honduras Team
Mission Schedule

Saturday: 3:30 a.m. Arrive at church
6:00 a.m. Flight Leaves Dallas
11:50 a.m. Land in Honduras
12:30 p.m. Lunch at Dona Lidia's
2:30 p.m. Visit Jesus Statue/Time for prayer
Evening Unpack/prepare the week/dinner/devo/Prayer

Sunday: 9:00 a.m. Attend church
12:30 p.m. Lunch at Comunion
1:30 p.m. Visit Cataluna
5:30 p.m. Evening Service at Comunion

Monday: 8:30 a.m. Hospital Visit
2-4 pm VBS at Cataluna
6:00 p.m. Evangelistic Service
Dinner/Reflection after Cataluna

Tuesday:
6:30 a.m. Be at the church to load truck with water
9:30-12:00 Hand out water and prayer walk at Cataluna
2-4 p.m. VBS
6:00 p.m. Evangelistic Service at Cataluna
Dinner/Reflection after Cataluna

Wednesday: 9:30-12:00 Prayer Walk – door evangelism at Cataluna
2-4 p.m. VBS
6:00 p.m. Evangelistic Service at Cataluna

Thursday: 9:30 a.m. Visit Nursing Home
12:00 p.m. Lunch/Picnic Head to Valley of Angels (Shopping)
6:30 p.m. Dinner at El Porcao

Friday: 9:00 a.m. Leave for Airport
12:10 p.m. Flight leaves for home!

Thank you for your prayers. This year our church is taking a group of 29. It's a really great group! I'm very excited to get to know each of them more. I can't wait to give all of you an update. Please pray that we will be able to plant many seeds and God will work despite our weaknesses.

(Cataluna is the village that we spent our days at last year. It is an incredibly poor village with lots of needs. They have to pay for their water, but a lot of times can not afford it, which is why you will see on Tues. we take water to them and deliver it for free. We are spending our days there again this year, doing door to door evangelism/prayer, VBS and evening church services. You can look back at my posts from last year to read and see pictures of this village.)
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This is one picture of the village. I am SO excited to go back here and see all the kids and BABIES that I held last year. They are going to be so big and walking. Oh, I can't wait!