SUPERALO! (get over it!)

Learning a new language kills any pride you may have left. But if you really want it bad enough, you will be willing to make many mistakes, then, learn from those mistakes in order to become better. This is true in anything we do in life. Mistakes cause us to reflect and to learn.
I beg the people to correct my horrible spanish but very few do. They are so thrilled that I am trying, (and sometimes laugh, or hold back from laughing at me) that they don't want to correct me.  I've convinced only a few to "AYUDAME!" Help me! Then I explain to them that it is for their good as well, because how else will I learn to preach well enough without an interpretor.
Sometimes, throughout the day, after I have had a good conversation with the maid concerning anything in general, I have to hold back the tears and say to myself, "thank you Jesus," for giving me more and more pieces to this language every day. Sometimes during Paul's spanish class, he sits across the table from me, and at times I look at him and he is teary eyed. When I asked him why, he says it is because he is amazed at how I understand all the teacher is saying when she is rattling off so quickly and I am comprehending and answering her.
I struggle with perfectionism, as many of you know, and I forget to be thankful for what I can do instead of what I can't.
I was left at the beauty shop for 3 hours the other day, alone, without the pastor's wife to translate for me. At first I was very nervous, but I decided ....Superalo!, to "get over it" and just step out and spoke. Once I did, the ice was broken and I didn't care that my conjugation was perfect or that I forgot to put my direct object in front of the correct word, etc. etc. I just enjoyed the time in being able to be alone, without an interpretor, in a 3rd World Country, communicating with the people and making myself understood in their language. Who cares if I sounded like a 3 year old or 5 year old, I was being understood.
Fear and Pride have no place in the learning experience. NONE> When fear and pride come together, they become a powerful force to hinder you in whatever you do.
Sometimes I think God wants to see just what it will take to make us quit. It feels that way. So....do we bow down to the fear and pride, or do we stand up to it, like a giant in our lives? True faith has no fear! God is showing me this through perfecting the spanish language. Of course we know this in our heads and have heard it all our lives, but when you are facing that mountain.....confront it as a child would do, fully trusting in his father....without fear. Children learn things quickly, especially a 2nd language. They approach it without fear and have no pride to fight as they approach the new venture. Two children, speaking two completely different languages, can play together all day long without any thought of how they say things or if they are correct, yet, eventually and quickly, they learn each other's language.
So, my desire is to become as a little child, have the faith of a little child and simply step out and try.
"Superalo! Get over it!
What a fool I must look like or sound like, no matter how wonderful they tell me I am doing, one shouldn't have to SWEAT so much to carry on a conversation or to preach a simple message. My perfectionism is dying daily here in Honduras. Maybe that was God's plan all along. hmmmm.....I'm smiling.

Settling In

during the story time

Audrey Dawne and I

We had a great first week in San Pedro Sula staying with Jhon and Valerie Allard. Paul was sick almost the entire week, so he go to relax and just sleep a lot, which was much needed. I got to go with Jhon and Val and Arnald, an 18 year old Honduran boy, to visit some missionaries and their three girls and 4 Honduran foster kids in Seguatepeque last Wednesday. Jhon loaded down the back of the truck with lots of food for them, for which they were very thankful with all the mouths they have to feed. As I expressed early, I really enjoyed this trip, even the WILD RIDE through the mountains, in the rain, to get there. When we arrived I had to put on my jacket, as it is much cooler up there and not quite as humid. I just love it. I think if I had my choice I could live up there in the mountains. Not only is the weather cooler, but much of the fresh fruits and vegetables and flowers and plants are grown and raised in Seguatepeque as well....so I need not say more, for those of you who know me well, know that would be right up my alley to live amoung all of that. (I laughed thinking of the term,'right up my alley' as I have had a hard time trying to find a translation for this in Spanish. I guess I say it more than I noticed before.) 
Val and I also had a wonderful prayer meeting with a very sweet Arab lady, Normita, whom I met many years ago. She has a gorgeous "mansion" which was originally her parents home. I asked a "million" questions, of course, and she told me her life story and that of her children, 2 of which are in the states, and her husband as well, as he is waiting for a kidney transplant. She runs a school for disabled children of all ages, with all kinds of disabilities. She shared with me stories of precious children with autism, down's syndrome, deaf, muscular dystrophy, etc. I told her I had volunteered work with adults with the same disabilities twice a week for 3 years back in the states and just loved that job. We were able to relate on so many levels. Then we prayed and prayed about so many things. I felt truly refreshed when I left her house. Prayer meetings like that are never boring or "work."
Then I went with Val to teach a bible lesson to the children and feed them donuts afterwards. The donuts are such a very special treat for them. They could never afford such a luxury. The pics below are proof of this. I listened in amazement to Audrey Dawne(my name sake) interpret for her grandma, the bible lesson. She is only 13 but does an amazing job. I hope to be as fluent as she is some day. Sometimes, during the story, she took it upon herself to improvise and change what her grandma was saying a bit. I caught her several times and was trying not to laugh out loud for the children's sake. I was merely a spectator, along for the ride, but I did get to talk to several of the children and babies one on one, which I so enjoy.
We are now in Tocoa, with Pastors Helio and Yesi Robleto, enjoying our new home for the next 4 1/2 months. It was good seeing so many faces I remembered from our last visits here, last night at church. It wasn't so good being put on the spot, when Helio asked me to come up and interpret for Paul while he prayed. You should have seen the look on my face! I told him he had the spirit of my dad, by pulling me up in front of everyone, unplanned and making me do something I didn't necessarily want to do. So, I began to speak in Spanish first by explaining how scared I was. (everyone laughed) Then, I leaned over to Paul and told him to pray a SHORT prayer, then repeated in spanish to everyone what I told Paul and they laughed again. I was so so scared and nervous. I did a horrible job(in my eyes) but they understood anyway. Oh Lord! I guess they appreciate me trying. So, while we are still standing before the congregation, Helio proceeds to announce that Paul will preach this Sunday and I will translate then next Sunday I will preach in Spanish.  My mouth dropped completely open wide and everyone was rolling with laughter. I turned to look at Pastor Helio, who was taking a picture of us and said, "ONLY if God supernaturally gives me the language in the next 4 days." He just laughed. (Someone will translate for us both, unless a miracle happens in me.)
He is putting us through bootcamp, bringing a teacher in 5 days a week to teach Paul Spanish and to communicate with me. She speaks NOT ONE WORD of English. If Paul makes it through an hour and a half class five days a week, I will be amazed. Last time in Honduras, when we were here for almost 2 months, he couldn't take much more than 30 minutes at a time and he needed a break. It does stretch your brain!!!
So, all of you can pray for us. Helio is on a mission to have us speaking spanish. I do ok talking with their housekeeper and Yesi all day, but when we are put in front of the church, it is a whole different story. I am constantly reminded of my favorite verse in the bible,"Apart for Me you can do NOTHING," Jesus said.
And so....the journey begins.

(PS. I will be sharing with the young people on Saturday and teaching a new dance to the dance team for a special meeting on December 22, which will last all day and night until 5 am. So...more to pray about. :)



coloring time(she would not smile for anything)



He is a little doll, and he wasn't going to be left out without a donut!





Look at that smile. Donuts make them smile.



Big sister taking care of her little brother. She would pat and love on him like she was the mother. So precious.









Milagro para Gaby (miracle for Gaby)

Dark hair and eyes and a magnetic smile radiate from this little girl of only 5 years old. At least that is the age they believe her to be. When her soon to be adoptive parents first laid eyes on her she was only 18 pounds at the age of 3. No one is for certain how old she really is since her past is extremely vague. She was found on the streets and brought to a lady in Tegus, (short for Tegucigalpa) Honduras. This lady called some American missionaries and asked if they would be interested in trying to work with her, love her and to help her gain weight and restore her health. Of course, they said yes. At first Gaby, the frail little girl, was very fearful and scared of everyone. If anyone would try to hold her she would bite, kick, hit and scream. Then, at times she would retreat somewhere deep within her own self  to try and "hide" and no one seemed to be able to reach her. One can only imagine the torment, torture or fear she must have endured at such a young age. To look at her now, you would never know she ever lacked food, love or attention.

I got to meet Gaby last week for the first time, up in the mountains of Seguatepeque. She took to me right away, or maybe it was I who took to her. She is a doll. Being raised by American missionaries who haven't conquered the spanish language yet, Gaby's English is very good. In fact, she hardly remembers her native tongue at all.

{ Men pretending to be officials with the adoption agency and orphanage have been to the missionaries home a few times, inquiring about Gaby and always showing great interest in her ability to speak english and as to how well she is doing with her english. The missionaries have since learned that these people are indeed not officials but are only interested in selling Gaby into prostitution as she can bring much more money if she speaks english. The last time these men tried to take Gaby away from the missionaries, the mother got on the phone and called the real officials and found out they hadn't sent anyone, so she told the "bad" men to leave her house immediately. }

So Gaby took my hand and pull me out onto the huge front porch of the house where she is now living. She then pulled the cushions off of the outdoor furniture and sat down with her new puppy, pulling on my jeans, commanding me to sit down with her. "I like your earrings and your necklace is very pretty," she said, as she twirlled a part of my hair around and around her finger. Then she reached down to pick up my camera and said, "take a picture of me and you." I obeyed. Then she giggled after I showed her the picture of us. "Again, again!!" she said, so I obliged. Then she reached up to touch my eyelashes, and said, "I like your eyelashes.". I said, "Thank you, and I like your smile." Gaby then laid her head on my shoulder for a few minutes and hugged my neck, an action her soon-to-be mother said is not common at all with strangers.

I had to fight back the tears. Little did Gaby know as she touched my eyelashes, that she touched my heart as well.  She has no idea the life that awaits her, and the miracle that she is, having been rescued and soon to be adopted by a precious couple who took the time to take her in and unlock her fears, all because of the love of Jesus. A miracle indeed, for Gaby.....Love.