Family

Pero si a ustedes les parece mal servir al Señor elijan ustedes mismos a quienes van a servir… por mi parte, mi familia y yo serviremos al Señor! Josúe 24:15

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

This month we had a great sermon series at church on the family.  It was so good to have the girls sit in the congregation and hear a room full of people saying that they agree that a family should be based on Christ first and foremost.  And then they heard idea after idea about how to implement Christian principles into their own families.  It was hard to sit with them knowing that the family being presented is a mom, dad, and kids and that their families just don’t look like that for now.  They are a nuclear family with their respective babies.  And they are part of a bigger family in PDE and in the church.  So, they have to figure out how to be a nuclear family with the responsibility of raising their kids in a Godly way in the midst of living with other people and still learning themselves!  What a challenge.  But God is so faithful to them.

Monday night we sat and talked through all the principles that we had studied in church and how they can start to implement them.  Some of the ideas that they came up with…

1. Have devotionals as a family… sit and read the Jesus Storybook Bible with their kids before bed
2. Share responsibilities within the home… have the 2 year old help me make the bed
3. Have intentional conversations… take the time to sit with the babies when they first wake up and ask them questions even if they can’t answer them yet
4. Do things together frequently… take their babies on “dates” to the mall or to eat ice cream
5. Teach your kids to worship God… let the babies see them worshipping in church on Sundays and reading their Bible throughout the week, also sing worship songs with them
6. Model Biblical truths… watch the way they speak and the things they do because the babies are learning from them
7. Pray often… pray with their kids
8. Be generous… they don’t have much money, but they were thinking about how they can use their gifts to serve others
9. Join a service group… both have volunteered to work in the children’s ministry
10.  Put your walk with the Lord as the most important thing… make sure that as they get busier that they are making time for Jesus and for their babies

I was just so proud of them as I see the Lord really moving in their hearts to want to be good moms to their kids.  They are striving for a Christ-centered family as they learn what that looks like.  Please pray for them to be able to lead their little families well and also live well in community with each other!

Prepare Ye the Way

Caedmon’s Call

The Word of the Lord came one evening
Concerning His bride's great sin
He'd send down His Word to renew her
To prepare for the Bridegroom again

The Word said repent
From seeking vain glories
While the gifts in the Lord's name you give
Repent of all the first stones cast to kill
While your own self-righteousness lives

Prepare ye the way for the Lord
Prepare ye the way for the kingdom
Prepare ye the way
Prepare ye the way for the Lord

The Word said repent and turn from your strivings
Repent and turn from your hatred
Repent from the doctrines of men that divide
And fear like the wedding gown ripped

Walk in His love like newborn children
Walk in His love, let the wedding gown mend
Walk in His love, with humility come with pure hearts
And cast all your cares to the wind

The Word of the Lord came one evening
Concerning His bride's sin
He assured me we will be forgiven
And then let the marriages begin

In Honduras

You can buy…

a single sheet of computer paper
a single bandaid from the pharmacy
a single pill of whatever over-the-counter medicine you may need
a single plastic grocery bag, or buy them by the pound
a single plastic disposable cup
a single straw

We are not into wasting money around here, or buying in bulk.  If all you need is one bandaid, why buy the whole box?  My thought process… I will probably hurt my finger again at some point in my life… I should be prepared.  Maybe I’m a boy scout. :)

Oh the many differences.

When they want to share…

Yesterday C called me in the morning because she had learned cool things about the Lord and wanted to tell me.  Isn’t that awesome?!?  She is just exploding in how much she is learning about Jesus these days.  She is reading CS Lewis “Screwtape Letters”, and John Piper “Passion of the Christ” with me once a week and then reading Rick Warren “Purpose Driven Life” with a friend from church.  She told me the other day… Susana, I’m just learning so much about the Lord, its
amazing!  And I could not be more excited.  I am of course happy to study with her, but also so happy that she is studying on her own, reading the Bible in the mornings, and making friends at church who push her to know Jesus more.  The Lord is so much bigger than just one gringa missionary.  I long for them to feel connected in the church community here and to really know the Lord and be growing on their own.  And I see that happening and I’m just so thankful.

Introducing…

I am SO excited to finally get to show you pictures and introduce you to this sweet boy that you all have been to faithful to lift up in prayer!  This is Elias!!!!  As of today he is no longer a resident of Puerta de Esperanza (which is why I can share his picture).  His mom signed the papers today and he officially went to live with the Clows… teammates of mine here in La Ceiba.  To keep following his story with them you can read their blog.  I am so proud of G for unselfishly doing the best thing for her baby for this time.  She is at peace with her decision and fighting every day to get better so that she can be his mom again in the future.  The Clows have been wonderful to her and she knows that they love and support her and want the best for she and Elias.  Isn’t that the Lord’s kindness?  She feels so blessed by the Lord’s provision for her and the Clow family is a huge part of that.  Wow.

I will say, this is going to be a week of adjustment in a lot of ways for a lot of people.  So please keep praying.  Little J has basically grown up over the last 9 months as E’s twin.  And at 2 years old it is kind of hard to explain why he isn’t around anymore.  Same for Elias.  Hard for him to understand another house change, people change, change in consistency and authority figures.  And why there is a huge dog outside all the time… he likes dogs, but Oso was a little much :)  So pray for their little baby hearts to know somehow that they are well loved by so many and by Jesus most of all.  And then there are the aunts and grandma that have loved Elias so well over the last few months, really taking on his full care, discipline and loving on him.  There were definitely tears shed over this little guy today, even though they know they will see him again.  And there is a family of 6 who just took in a 2 year old!  They are just going to be exhausted, so pray for them :)  And pray for me too as I love this little guy and love his mom so very much.  I feel a special connection with him since they lived with me for a time and I was his care-taker for awhile… and maybe just because we have been fighting so hard for him these last few months.  So pray for lots of wisdom in how to love him well and his mom well and fight for what is best for both of them at the same time.

But, I can say nothing more than just… thank you Jesus.  I praise Him for the way that everything has worked out.  He has really faithfully gone before us in every step, in HIS timing and through his provision.  I have prayed many times this week that this sweet little boy will grow up to be a man of God who walks with Him faithfully and understands His grace.  I pray that one day He will know and understand how much the Lord has fought for Him and provided for Him and that he will praise Him for it. 

So many have you have let us know that you have been joining us in giving this little boy and this situation over to the Lord.  I really am so grateful for your prayers and your love for this little one who has stolen our hearts.  And man, if he blew you kisses just one time and grinned that little grin at you, he would steal your heart too!

Pay Day

I am so excited for the girls!  Today they receive their very first paycheck!  Saturday we had a basic budgeting class.  I made them a budget and they have to follow it… they have to write down everything they spend and we’ll evaluate it at the end of the month.  It just makes me proud of them that they have worked hard and are finally going to know what it feels like to support their family.

They will start paying all the milk and diapers for their baby, saving $25/month, paying towards food, paying towards medical things like doctor visits and medicine, tithing, paying for transportation, and then they’ll have $15/month for things that they want to buy.  Honestly I think they’ll be walking more now that transportation comes out of their own money :)

Thinking for the future… they can rent a room for them and their baby for $75/month.  So if they live with us even just another year and a half… they will have saved up $450 to be able to put towards a new living arrangement.  So I’m just proud of them and this big step that we are taking towards helping them in the future.

Stunned by God’s Goodness

I am so proud of G this afternoon.  Its been a long week of waiting and being worried, psych appointments and more waiting.  Wednesday we didn’t get to see the judge because she forgot her ID card and we didn’t have the right shoes on… who would have thought?  So we were back there this morning waiting for another few hours.  But in the end, she did exactly what she needed to do for her son.  She told the judge that although she loves him, she knows that she cannot take care of him right now and she wants him to be with a loving family.  So… little E is going to go live with the Clows!  For those of you who don’t know, this is another family on my missions team who are so excited to have this little guy temporarily join their family.

The next step is for the judge to draw up the paperwork and we are going back Tuesday just for her to sign the papers and from that moment E can move to the Clow’s house.  Please pray for everything to be ready when we get there Tuesday.  We are weary of this being so drawn out.

Although we are weary from all the waiting, the Lord is so sweet to give me a front-row seat this morning to how He is working in G’s life and why I need to trust His timing.  As we were sitting waiting this morning the girl who is the assistant to the judge came walking by and recognized G.  They met awhile back and had been friends that lost touch.  After sitting and talking the girl walked away to find her mom, who also works at the courthouse.  They came back and asked G to move in with them!  They also have another friend at the courthouse who is looking to hire house help, so G went to meet her and that went well.  So the Lord is blessing her with a new start!  They want to help her find a job, make a budget, opening a savings account, etc.  They want to help her get her life together to be able to be E’s mom again in the future.  They know that she has mental health issues and want to help her make her appointments and take her medicine.  Its such a huge blessing! 

G was telling me just this morning how she went to church last night and heard a sermon about the Lord being a rock in the midst of trials.  She was telling me how she felt like the pastor was speaking directly to her.  She was praying to be able to have faith and trust God, but had no idea how the Lord could possible help her out of her situation.  She has been thinking a lot about what she learned during her time at PDE about parenting and how loving her son means a mix of grace and love with discipline.  She is scared that she won’t be able to do that well, but is trusting that the Lord with that as well.  When we left the courthouse she was so encouraged.  Encouraged that the Lord is providing for her, encouraged that He is giving her strength to do what she needs to for her son, just smiling. 

I could not be more proud of her or more astounded with how the Lord is working!  Please keep praying, the Lord is moving in a mighty way!

proud

“Today I went to play soccer.  I scored 3 goals and my team won.”

Yesterday I wrote this very short story (in Spanish of course) on my notebook while sitting at a table in Pizza Hut.  And my little buddy Kevin read it all out loud to me!  I could not believe it.  Remember Kevin?  In February of last year he had learned to write his name for the first time at 10 years old.  He didn’t have a birth certificate and wouldn’t have ever gone to school.  Thanks for some of your generosity, he is in school and moving towards a much brighter future!  I could not be more proud of him and his face beams when he finishes reading and looks up at me.  Seriously I melt.

Prayers

I’m about to go to sleep with a big day waiting tomorrow.  At 6:45am I leave to pick up a scared momma to get her to court on time.  Tomorrow G has to make some really difficult decisions for her son.  She has to think through what it means to leave him well, not just what she wants.  She has to come to terms with her mental illness and the limitations that it brings on her current ability to be a mom.  She has to decide to fight for health and a future with him.  And she has to do something harder than I can imagine… ask that her son be given to someone else for a time until she can take care of him.  Please pray.  Pray that she will have the strength to do what she needs to do.  Pray that she will know God’s peace.  Pray that we will be able to love her well and support her through this difficult day.  And pray for little E and the transition that he will soon be facing in his life, whatever that may look like.  We’re all going to have transition… those who have been his caretakers at PDE, those who will soon have him full-time, those of us who see him on a daily basis who won’t anymore, etc.  So we’re bound to be a crying mess.  You can pray for us too :)  We sure do love this little guy.

A week and a half in…

We have a full store!  And boxes still to unpack.  THANK YOU to all who have donated clothes or come to shop :)  On Tuesday we are planning to have a grand opening.  These first two weeks have been practice for the girls in writing receipts and keeping the books and learning how to be organized and run a clean store and such.  So Monday is pay day and we’re going to have our grand opening when everybody has money!

Thanks for all your prayers and support.  It is so fun to see this become a reality. 

You can pray for the other two girls who are working with us… Leili and Beti.  Beti is C’s cousin and Leili has been part of the Pettengill’s ministry in Armenia Bonito for a number of years.  It has been a joy to get to know them better and have chances to talk about Jesus with them.  Please pray for lots of chances for spiritual growth for each of these four girls as we spend time together, do Bible studies during their down-time and just get to know each other more.

The Lord is working… its great to be here to see it!

My only comfort

A friend put this on her blog last week and I fell in love with it.  I’ve been reading over it every morning since.  It’s the first question from the Heidelberg catechism. 

What is your only comfort in life and in death?

That I am not my own but belong body and soul, in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watched over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

Praise be to God!

Family Day

Yesterday morning the church had family day.  There were sack races and water balloon toss, trampoline and bounce house, and so much more.  I love that the church puts so much emphasis on family.  This month the whole sermon series is on family, “how to be a family that loves God”, etc.  I am excited that the girls are in this environment where they are being challenged to raise their children to love Jesus!

Here are some pictures of all the fun!

Rebecca has the energy to keep up with Nicole!

Hopefully he didn’t get knocked over shortly after this picture…

I love boys… of course the balloon can double as a basketball!

This little one LOVES the slide!  I wish I could show you the huge grin on her face…

In other news… W came in second place in the baby crawling contest, the “Innes family” won the family marathon, and Rebecca was a finalist in the sack races.  We’re pretty awesome.

Lets be clear… I had no idea what I was signing up for in the family marathon.  But it started at the bottom of a STEEP hill and you had to keep your whole family together and run all the way up the hill and around the property… when I figured it out I tried to back out, but my family wouldn’t let me :)  So five of us competed and we won!

W’s birthday!

Yesterday our littlest guy turned one.  I can hardly believe it.  He was only 3 months old when they came to live with us.  Wow.  He has learned to walk, he answers the phone saying “allo”, he eats real food, and fights with the big kids.  He’s growing up :)

Yesterday we went out to Belfate to the children’s home where his mom lived the whole time she was pregnant with him.  This home is really her family and the missionary there is the most father-figure that she has ever had.  She loves them and they love her and W, so it was a huge blessing to spend the day with them.  The 27 kids living at the home spoiled W big-time.  Dona Oneyda made 2 delicious cakes, we had a pinata, and overall just a wonderful time together.

This is C telling me about the day that W was born…

Some friends from Costa Rica are here visiting… its so fun to have them!  Thanks for coming Anita and Stephanie!

Lots of kids!

School supplies

Its that time of year again!  We are collecting school supplies to help kids here in La Ceiba go to school.  This year I was able to give uniforms and school supplies to 3 cute little boys thanks to your donations!  Also the PDE girls each got a backpack full of school stuff that has lasted them through the year.  So THANKS for your generosity in the past. 

If you would like to donate school supplies this year, they go to benefit all of our ministries here on Team Honduras.  Here’s how you do it…  Please purchase school supplies and mail them to this address by December 31, 2012:

Mike & Erin Pettengill
P.O. Box 1090
La Ceiba, Atlantida
Honduras
Central America

Let us know if you would rather send money and our team can purchase the supplies in Honduras.