Oh, the places you will go...

In the last year, God has laid a path for me very different from the one I'd painstakingly attempted to construct for myself. Not only did He pull me from the world of fashion and nudge me into ministry, He also decided stamping my passport was much overdue.

Who am I to argue?? Sure, I was bummed when January rolled around and the passport I'd sadly stored in my firesafe expired with one lonely stamp from a trip to Spain in 2000. What better way to start a new passport's decade with a Central American stamp (and a MUCH better picture)??

The decision to go to Honduras was one of the easiest I've made in a while. Working for Our Father's Children blessed me with the opportunity to work in an office that shares space with Bread for a Hungry World & the faaaabulous Bobby Moore. Wanna go to Honduras?? Um, yes!! My first mission experience couldn't have been more of a God thing if I'd been sitting next to Him, sipping sweet tea, and having Him lean in to say "You know, I think you should do this young lady". What's even more is His sense of humor. Once upon a time, I was on a cruise ship that docked in Roatan - I know people heard me mention more than once my distaste for the country and my plan to never visit it again... how's that saying go?? "Never say never..." That God is one hilarious fella...

The words fell from my tongue without hesitation when I agreed to go, the blessing of time away from work was one I'm thankful for (thank you Darren!!), and the opportunity for Calvin to join me on this mission was granted without resistance. Because of the nature of our (somewhat) late and immediate decision, raising funds for the trip was the biggest stress, which quickly dissipated when every conversation I had was met with open hearts and helping hands. To this day, I can't find the words to express my gratitude to those of you who made this trip possible... thank you thank you thank you!!

So, after paperwork, quick funding, expedited passports, hasty immunizations, a team meeting, and a last-chance opportunity for the short-term mission funding from the church, Calvin & I were ready to pack our bags and leave the country on our first mission trip: Honduras.

We left on Friday, December 3, 2010. Today, a little over a week later, I've returned a little tanner, surprisingly rested, with a full heart, a happy outlook, and a desire to return to a place called Campamento. For those of you who couldn't go, I also returned with a journal full of stories and adventures I plan on sharing right here. That journal is filled with a week's worth of life experiences I'm going to work though (hopefully with pictures) over the next few days - I hope you enjoy what I brought back to share and are patient with the time it takes for me to get things posted.

Love & blessings!!