February Update

Hello friends and family!

Can you believe it is almost March already?! Time is flying by! We have about 7 and a half more weeks here in Tegucigalpa. We are praying for endurance and provision to finish strong the work set before us. God is good.

Recently I've really been challenged with this passage from Luke 21:1-4,

Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and He saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And He said, "Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

I find myself far too often only giving to the Lord when I have "extra," but He asks for ALL.

"But Lord I need ______ to sustain myself." 

Hmm, does He not say, I am the sustainer of life? "But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith!"
He gently reminds me,

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Lk 12:32-34)

I want to be the one who doesn't hold tightly to the "treasures" of this world, the one who gives it ALL. My Abba Father's good pleasure is to give me the Kingdom, an unshakeable kingdom (Hebrews 12:28-29)!!!


On another note, things around here have been going well. Two weekends ago my students had their performance at the mall. They did such an awesome job :) I was so proud of them! We even made tutus for them to wear, 34 in all! I got to dance as well which I havn't done in quite some time.

Since then, things have been slowing down a bit. The studio is scheduled to move locations at the end of this week and it is amazing to see how the Lord provided for that. The space is about 4 times larger that our space now for close to the same cost! Our location right now is one room so everything has to be scheduled around each other. With the new space, we will be able to have both dance and music lessons at the same time and we will have a waiting room for parents and office and storage space! What a blessing from the Lord!

Jonathan has been working hard on school. He just had his first round of tests for the semester and he is doing great! Some cool opportunities have come up for him. This week, at the center where he gets his own tests proctored, he will start teaching a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) prep class for students wanting to go to a college or university in the states. He will be teaching 2 to 3 classes a week. We'll keep you posted on how that is going.

That is all I have for you for now. Be blessed friends and family!

Happy New Year!

Hello everyone and happy new year!

Sorry it has been quite a while since our last update... We've been back in Honduras for just over a week now after spending the holidays in the states with friends and family. It was really great to be home and back to "normal" life. So great that we almost didn't want to come back, but as soon as we stepped into our apartment we had peace and said, "It sure is good to be back."

Our time in the states turned out to be pretty busy, trying to see everyone and pack everything in. Our first weekend back we took a trip to Jackson, MS to see Ballet Magnificat!'s production of Snow Queen. It was a lot fun to sit back and watch a ballet production (I can't remember the last time I wasn't involved in a christmas production!). Along with getting to see my Ballet Mag family, it was great to catch up with our good friends, the Cooks, and our church family over at Hope Fellowship!

(driving... driving... driving... we spent a lot of time in the car over our break)

After returning to San Antonio, our task was to figure out the details of having a baby. We found a midwife, had our first appointment, and ultrasound. Everything is looking normal so far and it looks like baby Davis is going to be a... girl! Lydia Noelle is due May 17th (a month after we return to the states)! She has started getting little outfits already and they are adorable!!!

This was our first Christmas being married and with that comes double the festivities! I was so relieved that we were able to fit everyone in! We started out Sunday evening at Mamaw and Papaws house with all of the aunts/uncles/cousins from my side of the family. Santa showed up!

The next day we took a trip down to Rock Port to visit Jonathan's Dad's side of the family. His aunt and uncle have a beautiful house near the water where whooping cranes like to visit. Their property is one of the only places in the United States that you can see these cranes. While we were there we got to see some of them up-close!

Christmas day was spent with my family in the morning and then at Jonathan's mom's house that evening. 

After Christmas, Jonathan and I took a trip up to Kansas City, MO with my sister and our friend Luke for the Onething conference at the International House of Prayer. It was a wonderful time of being refreshed in the Lord.

Now we are back in Honduras. We had en eventful start to our travels with almost missing our flight... and then we didn't get our bags for a few days...  But we made it and we are all settled in now. Classes at the studio started back for me last monday and everything is already back in full swing. We have already had several new enrollments this week and we are preparing for a performance we will do at the beginning of February. We will be adding a few new classes this semester, so I am asking the Lord for His grace, creativity in teaching, and wisdom for knowing how to do all that He has put before me (while being pregnant!).  

Jonathan starts up his school classes this week!  He will be taking 4 classes again and 2 of them have labs. 

We are very excited about this semester. We have fresh eyes and renewed vision. We feel like this semester is going to be a lot different from last semester. We are praying for more opportunities to get out in the community. In this week we have already made some new connections with other believers here. 

If you could join us in prayer:

-That we would stay rooted and grounded in Him

-That we wouldn't lose momentum over these next few months. The we would run HARD the race set before us.

-That He would keep us safe from the attacks of the enemy

-That we would remain as useful tools

-That the country of Honduras would see revival!

We are thankful for you and your partnership with us! Blessings!

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good!

"Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will you give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will you give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your  children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" 

- Matthew 7:9-11

I just love my Abba Daddy! I love how He shows us His affection as a father shows affection to his child. He loves to do good things for us, He sees even the silly little desires of our hearts! 

He knows how much I LOVE thanksgiving, and He made it possible for Jonathan and I to celebrate our first thanksgiving together! Thursdays are usually my really long days at work, 1-8:30, but because of different things, we decided last-minute to cancel most of the classes. I ended up only going to teach 1 class in the afternoon for an hour. I am very thankful that last minute holiday shopping in Honduras is nothing compared to the states! We headed to the store after work wednesday night and we found a turkey breast (which I wasn't sure if they sold here in Honduras) and we got the last 2 cans of pumpkin on the shelf!  

It was such a sweet first thanksgiving for Jonathan and I. We woke up and got to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade (tradition for me), then we turned on some christmas music and got to cooking! We had a nice little traditional thanksgiving meal with our landlady, Alma. After work we had leftovers for dinner (of course!) and watched a little football. I am thankful for technology! It was great getting to FaceTime our families as if we were home with them.

Blessings!

2 more weeks!!!

I'll be home for Christmas

I have been a very bad blogger lately... sorry about that!

WOW how time really flies when you are having fun! I can't believe we have been in Honduras for a little over 3 months now and we will be back in the states for our Christmas break in just 3 weeks! That means our time in Honduras is about half way done. I honestly have to say that I struggle with looking back over the past few months and not getting discouraged in my own heart in saying, with my eyes, I don't see much "fruit" from our labor thus far. I find myself being so narrow-minded when it comes to what fruit should look like... Where are the masses of people getting saved or why havn't I seen the crippled getting healed. But I am reminded, "Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers."(1 Cor 3:7-9) Though I so desire to see those huge miracles, I can't forget the work that the Lord has put before ME right now. As we keep walking in His path and listening to His promptings and direction, the Lords plans will be fulfilled. I can't wait til that day in heaven when the whole picture is revealed! Even though about half of our time here is finished, we still have a few awesome months still to come in the spring! We will keep expecting the more and stepping out in faith! 

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;

    your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.

    Do not forsake the work of your hands."

-Psalm 138:8  

We want to send a HUGE thank you to all of you who have been partnering with us in prayer! The Lord truly has been sustaining us and providing everything we need! In the last month we were able to purchase a Moto! It has been such a blessing! Not only is it cutting our transportation cost in half, we are able to have more freedom in where we go and what we do. We can ride to the market instead of walk and go to the store whenever we want! It has also been a big help with Jonathan being able to accomplish more things while I am at work. We have had a few little adventures so far like riding to work on a flat tire and driving around in the rain. We are enjoying every minute of the bike :)

God is also answering prayers in that He is providing opportunities for Jonathan to earn money. Jonathan has had to have some tests proctored for school so he has been going to a place near the studio that helps kids succeed in school (think something similar to a Sylvan Learning Center). The guy who has been proctoring Jonathan's tests, Nico,  has a separate little business there that prepares high school students for college and he helps them with their college applications. Well, Nico asked Jonathan to help him with his work by reviewing the student's application essays and offered to pay Jonathan for every admission essay that he reviews. So in Jonathan's free time he has been over there helping out. It has been a great opportunity for Jonathan to get to know some new people AND it looks like through this some other doors are opening for Jonathan to teach some classes in the spring.

As far as school goes, Jonathan has been busy with setting up plant labs around our apartment and memorizing the scientific names of plants (which he says is killer...). In fact, he is sitting across the table from me right now studying for his next plant ID quiz.  He has about a month left in this semester of school. 

Last weekend, Jonathan got to go on a mens retreat with a church here. The name in english is face to face with God. He said it was an awesome time, and he came back super refreshed by the Lord! He also came back with a stomach bug that kept him in bed for a few days... :( We have been very fortunate for that to be our only encounter with a bacteria thus far. We got a hold of some antibiotics and the bug didn't stick around long and Jonathan is back to normal!

That was our first weekend to be apart since being married. It was kinda weird being apart and being home alone (Don't worry, I was plenty safe). It gave us both time to put perspective on our marriage. When things are going great you seem to forget how great it is until it is out of your life for an amount of time. I am so thankful that the Lord gave me Jonathan! How blessed I am!!!

We have entered the second trimester with the baby which means morning sickness is gone! THANK YOU!!! I feel pretty much back to normal except my belly is starting to get bigger! No pics yet though, I just look like I've been eating too many cookies ;)

It is starting to get cooler outside here. Everyone has been decorated for christmas for a few weeks now! We decided to join them this morning with some christmas music :) My favorite right now, "I'll be home for christmas..." in just 3 weeks!!! Yippy!

Well my friends, that is all I have for now. I promise it will not wait so long to update next time.

Thank you for your continued prayer and support!

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus!

Oops, it has almost been a month since our last update... We left off last time saying  we were about to head up to an orphanage, so let me start off there.

During our holiday break, Jonathan and I went out to an orphanage in the mountains called Rancho Ebenezer. This orphanage was really unique in the way that they have it set up in that they divide up the kids into houses on the campus and have missionary families come and raise the "ministry kids" (most of them along with their own kids) in a home environment. They have a school on the campus for the kids and missionary kids. We met a lot of young North Americans there who we have become friends with. Every morning they start out with a short devotion time with everyone from the ranch. One morning Jonathan played worship while I danced and another morning Jonathan spoke. Besides that, we didn't have much of an agenda while being out there. We got to hang out with the kids, I got to teach a ballet class, Jonathan played some soccer, and we also got to tour their campus. They grow and roast coffee, they have banana trees everywhere, and they grow blackberries and make blackberry jelly. Jonathan REALLY enjoyed being out there in the nature. He was able to give some good advice with what he is learning in school.We really enjoyed getting to go out there. It was incredibly peaceful and we met a lot of new friends.

When we got back from the ranch, we let out the big news that we are going to have a baby! It was so fun to tell everyone :) The morning sickness hit pretty hard soon after we told everyone, but I'm learning how to deal with it now. Right now, baby is approximately the size of a raspberry! So little! We'll keep you updated as time goes on.

Things have started picking up at the studio again after the holiday. The students have been working on learning choreography for an upcoming performance they have in November. They are working super hard. The highest two levels are learning classical variations, and the lower two levels are doing dances that I choreographed.
The studio was recently asked to participate in a huge event in February for a 100yr celebration for a bank. It is supposed to be an elaborate event! Live music and singers and huge scenery. They want me to choreograph 6 dances for 6 couples and they want us to figure out how to include hanging dancers from material. HAH please pray for us for wisdom on how to carry all of this out.
Jonathan recently stopped working at the studio except for teaching guitar on Saturdays. He is taking time to focus on school and work on guitar and Spanish. It was a good move, but we are having to trust the Lord for His provision with the pay cut. God is so good though. He always provides and gives peace.

If you could be in prayer with us and even consider supporting us. We are looking at the price of our second round of plane tickets for coming back after the new year and we need to come up with a few hundred more dollars to purchase our tickets. If the Lord puts it on your heart to support us, you can click on the donate button on the left side of the page. Thanks!

Here is a little update from Jonathan

Hello all,

     The Lord has been teaching me some things. Looking at life, this world and everything though the lens of being in Jesus is so much different than the norm. Why do we do things we do? What are we willing to do as the Lord leads us. I find myself sometimes, wherever I am physically living, out of my comfort zone. I have been through this many times and Jesus has broken me for the past few years, He has changed me a lot but I see the depths of humility that He has called me to and all of us. Sometimes it is hard for me to sign up for the next step. I know there is good and pain if I say yes to Him. I like good; the intimacy and the growth, the maturity. I don't like the pain; the dying of my flesh the discomfort the letting go, the time that passes when it seems like nothing is happening good, like I'm getting no where, the long spiritual nights and valleys. I just know that He is only good, even though sometimes I honestly struggle even with that, but I have seen Him work I have seen the work of His hands in so many things and so many times that I know it's just my perspective that's off, it's my flesh fighting the spirit. So I count the cost and I say yes I want more I want to be immersed in You I want nothing else, life is nothing without You and I trade in all my rags for your beauty Jesus. This is the thing I want to always choose, Jesus, I don't want to ever say no. I don't ever want to say that is too humble I don't want to go that low. I don't want to have a ministry or position and have a hard heart, to put myself above anyone no matter what the Lord has taught me or told me. I just want to have His heart. 

     We know that this world is falling apart, it has been since the fall, but it has also needed the only solution the whole time, Jesus! We need to bear up and engage in this war in the spiritual realm. We need to lift His name up. To be vessels, pure and humble. There are things that He wants us to step into the gap for, and those things are all around us. We need to be close to Him and stand in joy and intercession. I want to see His plan unfold and that lost saved and the systems of this world come crashing down and his kingdom come. Come Lord Jesus, we wait for you. I thank you, Jesus, that you are always with us, that you are our stronghold and we are under Your wing. Thank You, Jesus, that we can know You.

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
And to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus says the Lord!”

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

 

Hello, and Happy Honduran Independence Day!

Hello, and Happy Honduran Independence Day!

"For {Honduras} will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." 

- Habakkuk 2:14

Amen! Come Lord Jesus!

Here is a look into the past few weeks. 

We have made several more trips to the market and we are getting the hang of it!

Here are a few pics I took on our last visit.

             

      

On our last visit, for less than $20, we purchased all of this!

I would have to say that my new favorite fruit is the Lychee. YUM!

 

Things are going great at the studio. I am having so much fun teaching! We have about 60 ballet students that come each week. Most of them are between the ages of 2.5-6 yrs. old and they are adorable! Right now, one of the hardest classes for me to teach is on thursdays when I have 20 of them in one class for an hour! We are still figuring out how to keep their attention...

After the independence holiday, we will start preparing for a performance at the end of November. 

Since we got here, a new restaurant has opened above the studio called Power Chicken. They have been doing some major advertising around the area. Jonathan and I both think its funny because the name is in english, so you will hear people having a conversation and the only thing we understand is Power Chicken (except for some reason it is had for them to pronounce the "CH" so it sounds like Shicken). We recently got to go up and try it :)

We have been here a little over a month now and have "settled" in to the routine of daily life, but our prayer is that we won't settle. We have been asking for the Lords agenda to guide us; for eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit is saying so that we don't miss anything, even in the office work and in teaching students.

**If you could join us in prayer, we are asking for provision for a motorcycle or other cheep vehicle so that we can be more mobile. As of right now, we need to find both the vehicle and the finances.**

We have the whole week off for the holiday, so we are going to spend a few days at an orphanage called Ranch Ebenezer. It is about an hour outside of the city in the mountains. We are super excited to go spend some time out there and minister the love of the Father! I will be sure to send an update on our time out there. 

To update you on Jonathan, he has been working hard on his online school classes. He is taking 4 classes this semester and it is keeping him quite busy! He is learning a LOT about horticulture!                                                   

Until next time... 

Random blurbs of daily life thus far

HELLO everyone!!!

Today marks 3 weeks of being in Honduras (and 3 months of being married!!!). We are getting accustomed to Honduran life and we are getting in the swing of our schedule. Our Spanish is growing slowly but surely :) I enjoy our taxi rides as I sit in the back and Jonathan sits in the front trying to communicate with our driver, Ray, who only speaks Spanish. It is still pretty rough, BUT they are both putting forth good effort and the "conversations" usually end in them both laughing.

Every night on the way home we drive by a McDonalds, and without fail there are always Mariachis sitting on the bench with Mr. McDonald waiting to get picked up for a gig. (Sorry, this pic is pretty blurry...)

Hang drying our cloths has become the norm. Thank the Lord that we have access to a washer! :)

We made our first trip to the market! Since we don't have our own transportation, we went with Alma (the apartment owner and our new very good freind). I'm so glad we went with her! She showed us the ropes. The market that we went to was HUGE, and we were told it was the "small" market. (I'll try to take pictures next time we go.) You can pretty much buy anything at the market, but we only got some produce. Everything was so fresh and big!

Here is a carrot.

An Avocado.

We also tried this strange fruit. (I can't remember what it is called..)

It has a creamy substance on the inside. Jonathan describes it as, "milk with sugar, and a little tropical"

I am becoming an expert at this little meal :) mmm YUMMY!

Hondurans have a traditional "taco" called Baleadas. The main ingredients are refried beans and sour cream/cheese but you can also add other ingredients. I got to try them last time I went to Honduras and loved them, so I was really excited for Jonathan to try them.

He Liked them! :)

Well, that is all I have for now.

Blessings!