This will be my final blog post, and a conclusion of our stay in Honduras.
Chaunte and I boarded our plane headed for home on August 3rd , both of us with a heavy sadness weighing on our hearts. We knew that this time the return trip was meant to be, but we were reluctant to leave nevertheless. We had plenty of time on the return trip to reflect on our stay, especially with a four hour layover in Atlanta. It was during this time of reflection that God began lifting some of the sadness, and replaced it with a feeling of utmost blessedness. I realized somewhere between San Pedro Sula, and Charlotte NC, that God had blessed us with an absolutely amazing opportunity, and that thanks to Him, we had grabbed hold, and gone along for the ride. The experience we had is one we will never forget, and one that I believe has changed our entire outlook on life.
So just what happened to the Durand sisters while they stayed in Honduras……
Our days at the Casa Grande started early, and by early I mean the girls were up at 5:30 preparing tortillas, and ready to eat breakfast at 7:00 (by which time Chaunte and I were only beginning to stir) The girls found it highly amusing to watch us prepare our meals throughout the day, most of which I’m sure were just barely edible (excuse me if I’m not Rachel Ray). I wanted to learn the art of making baleadas almost immediately, so at lunch time Gabbi (Missionaries Allen and Michelle’s eight year old daughter) and I would help the girls with their cooking. The result was usually hysterical giggles on the part of the girls, and a rather embarrassed me with baleada dough stuck in my hair. Gabbi was quite a bit better at this than I was, so I left the cooking to her and the girls. Rixy, one of the young mothers, did manage to teach me how to make fried plantains, so I wasn’t completely useless in the kitchen!
Communication was a little rough at first, but our Spanish improved, and we were able to hold short conversations with the girls in no time, even though admittedly body language was a huge part of these conversations! Through the time spent with the girls, we slowly started building profiles for each of them. We discovered their likes, and dislikes, their good points, and their bad ones. Each girl is unique in her own way. Carmen is extremely sweet natured and affectionate, whereas Antonia is more tough, and lively. Karla strongly dislikes chocolate, and loves to talk one on one. Keyla loves being in the middle of things, and has a flair for fashion. Rosa prefers to stay to one side, and likes free time for herself. Rixy and Lorena are two jokesters, and they loved teasing us. Evelyn has a love for art and music, and is very conscious of her appearance. Reinitta has a great sense of rhythm, and loves to run around and play. Reina is a very even tempered and good-natured person, and has a smile that lights up her entire face. Merlina is quite and shy, and prefers listening to speaking. It was such a joy to be able to get to know each one of these precious girls.
Most of our days were filled with laughter and joy, but conflict, like it always does, would arise occasionally. These periods of conflict within the home, were perfect opportunities for the missionaries, and us to show the girls how to deal with it in a way that was biblical and pleasing to God. The girls would get irritated with one another, not surprising considering these are eleven teenage girls all living under the same roof, or with their children, and sometimes they would say really hurtful things to one another. I remember one night, staying up with a girl that was harboring bitterness and un-forgiveness towards another girl, and she refused to let that anger go. Penny Compton (the missionary, and one of the founders of open door ministries) and I was up with her for probably a good hour or two, trying to explain the importance of “letting it go” We quoted scripture to her, prayed with her, and loved on her. It took a long while, and we could see her struggle, but she finally approached the girl she had been arguing with, and was able to make amends. She went to bed that night with peace in her heart and a bit of the bitterness in her life gone. It was really hard to see the struggle, but the result was a much happier girl, and one who had made the right decision for herself.
Chaunte and I enjoyed going out and about in Tocoa a great deal. I would buy fruit from the local fruit and vegetable stands, and our trips to Dispensa (a Honduran supermarket) were always interesting! The stores there are usually jam-packed with people, and no AC. So grocery shopping was usually a very sweaty and tiring experience! Driving in Honduras can be summed up in one word: scary. There are no rules, no speed limits, no real space for maneuvering, and a whole lot of cars out at the same time. Surprisingly there are very few accidents, my philosophy being, everybody drives like lunatics, therefore they all expect everyone to drive like lunatics, and this somehow makes them concentrate more when they’re driving. Maybe this theory is a bit far fetched. It could be that Hondurans in general just have amazingly fast reflexes. Whatever it is, it seems to work for them! I took a taxi once with Michelle, and that was actually quite fun. The driver didn’t speak English, we hardly spoke Spanish, but we ended up where we needed to end up anyway!
Chaunte and I can’t speak of Honduras, without mentioning some of the amazing food we had there. Their Mangoes and Pineapples are simply the best, as well as any of the food you would buy at the local shops and restaurants. One place in particular, sold these amazing milkshakes called “coco locos”. They were very sweet, and milky, and I feel a bit of an indulgence, Chaunte however, had no scruples about downing a whole milkshake in one sitting. My favorite treat on a hot day (which was everyday) was a frozen coffee drink at Espresso Americano. Not strictly typical of Honduras, but yummy nevertheless!
Each outing taking us outside the Gates of Hope, were instant reminders of how blessed we are here in the States. Honduras is a country stricken with poverty, and Tocoa is definitely no exception. Most homes are little mud huts, put together with clay, sticks, and whatever other materials could be used. We would often times would see children running around naked. Disease and malnutrition are pretty much the norm. At times like these it was hard not to feel useless, and small, after all what was I really doing to impact Honduras? But that’s just it. It’s not about what I was doing, or Chaunte, or any of the mission teams, for that matter. It was all about God. HE is the one that orchestrates our lives, and He is the one that uses us. We are just tools, and if I ever had the mentality, of; “oh look at what I’ve done” I was very quickly reminded, that it wasn’t about me at all.
The main message I’m trying to get across, is that everything we are, everything we do, and have done, is because of God. We live by the Spirit, through the Son, to the Father. If the Holy Spirit hadn’t convicted us to stay, we wouldn’t have. If it wasn’t for the incredible example of servant hood that Jesus has set for us, we wouldn’t have known how to serve, and if we didn’t have someone to live for, someone to take our lives to, well it would pretty much be pointless, right? I want to encourage each of you to tune into what the Holy Spirit is trying to say. Sometimes a person needs a big jolt, like visiting a third world country to wake them out of their complacency, but other times all it takes is a few minutes of quiet time to listen to what God is saying to you.
I want to thank each and every one of you for reading our blog. We can’t tell you how much your comments, and prayers meant to us. I have one final request to make of all of you. Please continue to lift Honduras up in your prayers. Just because Chaunte and I are home safely, shouldn’t have to mean that Honduras gets “dropped” all of a sudden. The need hasn’t changed, and our hunger for serving there hasn’t been satisfied, on the contrary, it has increased. Keep the Tedders in your prayers. They are staying in Honduras until September 15th. Pray for the Compton family, as they return to and from Honduras on a regular basis.
We love and appreciate all of you so much!
Dios Le Bendiga (God Bless!)
Leandrie.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
A very quick update
Greetings!
I apologize for the amount of grammatical/spelling errors in the last post! I re-read it, and was very embarrassed at the amount of mistakes I made! I went back and edited the post, so hopefully it will be more understandable for everyone now!
It’s been a long while since I’ve written, and I apologize yet again. As I’m sure many of you know, I came down with a virus called Dengue. The virus has slowed me down considerably, and has definitely made day to day life quite a bit more difficult. I am recovering very well, and I expect to be back to business within the next day or so. I really appreciate all the prayer support, without which I’m sure my recovery would have been less speedy.
There is quite a bit of new news, so I’ll jump right in and get started.
About two weeks ago we had a new arrival, a thirteen year old girl, seven months pregnant. Her name is Merlina, and she is an absolutely gorgeous girl. Her baby is due September 1st, so unfortunately Chaunte and I won’t be here to welcome the new boy or girl. Merlina is very happy to be here at Casa Grande. I rarely see her without a smile on her face, and I can tell that she has adjusted very quickly. The other girls were very friendly and receptive towards her, and they include her in all the daily activities. Merlina is a very shy girl, so it took me a while to break the ice with her. I believe the Coke and chips I bought her is what finally did it! Shortly thereafter she started greeting me every day (by the title “Tia Leandrie), and giving me hugs. We are able to hold short conversations, but my Spanish is still a little rough! It has been so nice to get to know her. Her story is very sad, and one that I unfortunately don’t have time to share at this moment.
We have had two new mission teams come and go. The first team did dental work on all the girls, and the children, and spent most of their time at Casa Grande. This is unusual for a team to do, because Barry and Penny Compton run two other big projects as well. Usually the teams divide their time between the feeding station, orphanage, and girl’s home, but this team’s main focus was to spend time with the girls. The next team was a construction team that took a HUGE chunk out of the work that was being done at the orphanage. They completely tiled two casitas, and put in toilets and sinks. They were here at the girl’s home some of the time, but their main focus was to get the construction projects finished. There is one more team coming in- a team ballet dancers. They arrive tomorrow, and plan on teaching the girls a dance, which the girls will hopefully be able to learn in time to perform before the team has to leave. These dancers are all teenage girls, who compete on a national level in the States. The girls here at the Casa Grande are ecstatic about the chance to learn a dance. Chaunte and I are also very excited to meet the girls, and can’t wait to see their dancing!
The house mother, Tia Nilda, as returned from her vacation quite refreshed. She has unfortunately come down with a stomach bug of some sort, so if you could keep her in your prayers, that would be fantastic. The girls are almost done with school for the summer, and I can tell they are getting very restless. Many of them are slacking on their school work, and it has been a struggle to keep them motivated. Hopefully they will realize the importance of finishing their school year strong, and with good grades. Their education is after all a very important part of their futures. Without it they will just return to the same situations and messes they were in before Gates of Hope.
I don’t have time to write all I want to, but I hope that this post has given you a good overview of where we’re standing.
We love you, and are so thankful for all the support!
Dios Le Bendiga!
I apologize for the amount of grammatical/spelling errors in the last post! I re-read it, and was very embarrassed at the amount of mistakes I made! I went back and edited the post, so hopefully it will be more understandable for everyone now!
It’s been a long while since I’ve written, and I apologize yet again. As I’m sure many of you know, I came down with a virus called Dengue. The virus has slowed me down considerably, and has definitely made day to day life quite a bit more difficult. I am recovering very well, and I expect to be back to business within the next day or so. I really appreciate all the prayer support, without which I’m sure my recovery would have been less speedy.
There is quite a bit of new news, so I’ll jump right in and get started.
About two weeks ago we had a new arrival, a thirteen year old girl, seven months pregnant. Her name is Merlina, and she is an absolutely gorgeous girl. Her baby is due September 1st, so unfortunately Chaunte and I won’t be here to welcome the new boy or girl. Merlina is very happy to be here at Casa Grande. I rarely see her without a smile on her face, and I can tell that she has adjusted very quickly. The other girls were very friendly and receptive towards her, and they include her in all the daily activities. Merlina is a very shy girl, so it took me a while to break the ice with her. I believe the Coke and chips I bought her is what finally did it! Shortly thereafter she started greeting me every day (by the title “Tia Leandrie), and giving me hugs. We are able to hold short conversations, but my Spanish is still a little rough! It has been so nice to get to know her. Her story is very sad, and one that I unfortunately don’t have time to share at this moment.
We have had two new mission teams come and go. The first team did dental work on all the girls, and the children, and spent most of their time at Casa Grande. This is unusual for a team to do, because Barry and Penny Compton run two other big projects as well. Usually the teams divide their time between the feeding station, orphanage, and girl’s home, but this team’s main focus was to spend time with the girls. The next team was a construction team that took a HUGE chunk out of the work that was being done at the orphanage. They completely tiled two casitas, and put in toilets and sinks. They were here at the girl’s home some of the time, but their main focus was to get the construction projects finished. There is one more team coming in- a team ballet dancers. They arrive tomorrow, and plan on teaching the girls a dance, which the girls will hopefully be able to learn in time to perform before the team has to leave. These dancers are all teenage girls, who compete on a national level in the States. The girls here at the Casa Grande are ecstatic about the chance to learn a dance. Chaunte and I are also very excited to meet the girls, and can’t wait to see their dancing!
The house mother, Tia Nilda, as returned from her vacation quite refreshed. She has unfortunately come down with a stomach bug of some sort, so if you could keep her in your prayers, that would be fantastic. The girls are almost done with school for the summer, and I can tell they are getting very restless. Many of them are slacking on their school work, and it has been a struggle to keep them motivated. Hopefully they will realize the importance of finishing their school year strong, and with good grades. Their education is after all a very important part of their futures. Without it they will just return to the same situations and messes they were in before Gates of Hope.
I don’t have time to write all I want to, but I hope that this post has given you a good overview of where we’re standing.
We love you, and are so thankful for all the support!
Dios Le Bendiga!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Working Together
Hi Everyone!
I will try to make this update a little more detailed than some of the previous ones.
Firstly I would like to give a more detailed account of Gates of Hope (Casa Grande)
Gates of hope is a home for sexually abused girls. It’s a safe haven for the girls to live in , get an education, and raise their children in an abuse free environment. Most of the girls here are between the ages of 13 and 17. There are currently ten girls living here, five of the girls have children. Each girl has her own traumatic story, and all of the girls are still working through that trauma. The goal of the missionaries is to equip the girls with the proper tools they need to go out into the world, and to be successful in whatever they pursue. These tools are education, and homemaking skills. The most important thing the missionaries hope the girls take with them, is a personal relationship with Jesus, and a desire to serve Him for the rest of their lives.
This past Friday was “yard work day” here at the Casa. Two men came out to cut the lawn (about 2.5 acres of property) using only weed whackers! After the grass was cut, we all went out to rake the grass, pick up trash, and pretty up the yard. Chaunte and I are not the biggest fans of yard work, just ask our parents, but we decided right away, that we were going to make the time of work enjoyable. So we donned our working outfits and hats, and put on huge smiles. We went around whooping and hollering in an attempt to get the girls excited about the work. They were rather skeptical at our attitudes at first, but we must have done something right, because before long they were all laughing along with us. It made the hot work allot easier, and we were done before we knew it. The yard looked stunning when we were done, and I believe all the girls felt proud of their accomplishment. It was so much fun to work together with the girls, and joke around. All the girls are very comfortable with us, and we were constantly teasing each other. After wards we treated the girls with sodas and watermelon.
On Saturday we decided it was time for another yard project. Missionary Allen Tedder had the brilliant idea of building a fire pit so that the girls would have a place to roast marshmallows and hot dogs. For this project we decided to ask for volunteers, instead of enlisting all the girls in the work. Most of the girls were very eager to help, and we got started right away. This was probably the most fun any of us have had working together here in Honduras. We used a wheelbarrow to cart rocks and small boulders to the spot where the pit would be. These girls have got some major muscles going on; I’m amazed at the strength they used to heave the rocks. We had a blast pushing the wheelbarrow, and each other in it! One of the girls helped dig the pit, while the others placed rocks around it. It was a good two hour project, but the end result was amazing. Saturday night we bought chocolate, gram crackers, and marshmallows, and taught the girls how to make smores’. The girls enjoyed themselves immensely. It was so touching to see them laugh with each other, and cuddle with their children around the fire. One of the girls started to sing “Open The Eyes of My Heart Lord” in Spanish, and before long we had a beautiful chorus of voices signing in the night. It was such a blessing to see the teamwork and unity the girls had throughout the entire process. The girls came to us after wards, expressing their thanks for the night’s enjoyment.
The girls are enjoying our devotion time at nights very much. I have talked to the girls about many things, but the main message I want to get across, is that they can do whatever they set their minds to. These girls have been taught that they are worthless junk solely for the use of a man’s abuse. We are trying our hardest to break that mindset, and cycle of depression. These girls all have such potential, and I believe that God has an amazing plan for each and every one of their lives. My hope is that by the time we leave the message that they do have value, and that they are important will be drilled into their heads and hearts. After each devotion we have a short time of worship. The girls have such powerful voices and they put real soul into their songs. It is very touching to see them worship together. They don’t always get along with each other; after all they are ten teenagers sharing the same house! But when they sing, they are united. I can’t describe the love I have for these girls. I feel so blessed to be able to live amongst them. Other mission teams only see the good side of the girls, but Chaunte and I witness their true colors.
I want to thank each of you for your comments and prayers! We are amazed at the amount of followers we have accumulated, and hope that our blog posts serve as a blessing to you. Please pray for unity within the house. There have been some small cat fights the last three days or so. Also pray for safe travel for the new group arriving tomorrow.
That is all the news for now!
Thanks for reading!
Love you guys,
Leandrie.
I will try to make this update a little more detailed than some of the previous ones.
Firstly I would like to give a more detailed account of Gates of Hope (Casa Grande)
Gates of hope is a home for sexually abused girls. It’s a safe haven for the girls to live in , get an education, and raise their children in an abuse free environment. Most of the girls here are between the ages of 13 and 17. There are currently ten girls living here, five of the girls have children. Each girl has her own traumatic story, and all of the girls are still working through that trauma. The goal of the missionaries is to equip the girls with the proper tools they need to go out into the world, and to be successful in whatever they pursue. These tools are education, and homemaking skills. The most important thing the missionaries hope the girls take with them, is a personal relationship with Jesus, and a desire to serve Him for the rest of their lives.
This past Friday was “yard work day” here at the Casa. Two men came out to cut the lawn (about 2.5 acres of property) using only weed whackers! After the grass was cut, we all went out to rake the grass, pick up trash, and pretty up the yard. Chaunte and I are not the biggest fans of yard work, just ask our parents, but we decided right away, that we were going to make the time of work enjoyable. So we donned our working outfits and hats, and put on huge smiles. We went around whooping and hollering in an attempt to get the girls excited about the work. They were rather skeptical at our attitudes at first, but we must have done something right, because before long they were all laughing along with us. It made the hot work allot easier, and we were done before we knew it. The yard looked stunning when we were done, and I believe all the girls felt proud of their accomplishment. It was so much fun to work together with the girls, and joke around. All the girls are very comfortable with us, and we were constantly teasing each other. After wards we treated the girls with sodas and watermelon.
On Saturday we decided it was time for another yard project. Missionary Allen Tedder had the brilliant idea of building a fire pit so that the girls would have a place to roast marshmallows and hot dogs. For this project we decided to ask for volunteers, instead of enlisting all the girls in the work. Most of the girls were very eager to help, and we got started right away. This was probably the most fun any of us have had working together here in Honduras. We used a wheelbarrow to cart rocks and small boulders to the spot where the pit would be. These girls have got some major muscles going on; I’m amazed at the strength they used to heave the rocks. We had a blast pushing the wheelbarrow, and each other in it! One of the girls helped dig the pit, while the others placed rocks around it. It was a good two hour project, but the end result was amazing. Saturday night we bought chocolate, gram crackers, and marshmallows, and taught the girls how to make smores’. The girls enjoyed themselves immensely. It was so touching to see them laugh with each other, and cuddle with their children around the fire. One of the girls started to sing “Open The Eyes of My Heart Lord” in Spanish, and before long we had a beautiful chorus of voices signing in the night. It was such a blessing to see the teamwork and unity the girls had throughout the entire process. The girls came to us after wards, expressing their thanks for the night’s enjoyment.
The girls are enjoying our devotion time at nights very much. I have talked to the girls about many things, but the main message I want to get across, is that they can do whatever they set their minds to. These girls have been taught that they are worthless junk solely for the use of a man’s abuse. We are trying our hardest to break that mindset, and cycle of depression. These girls all have such potential, and I believe that God has an amazing plan for each and every one of their lives. My hope is that by the time we leave the message that they do have value, and that they are important will be drilled into their heads and hearts. After each devotion we have a short time of worship. The girls have such powerful voices and they put real soul into their songs. It is very touching to see them worship together. They don’t always get along with each other; after all they are ten teenagers sharing the same house! But when they sing, they are united. I can’t describe the love I have for these girls. I feel so blessed to be able to live amongst them. Other mission teams only see the good side of the girls, but Chaunte and I witness their true colors.
I want to thank each of you for your comments and prayers! We are amazed at the amount of followers we have accumulated, and hope that our blog posts serve as a blessing to you. Please pray for unity within the house. There have been some small cat fights the last three days or so. Also pray for safe travel for the new group arriving tomorrow.
That is all the news for now!
Thanks for reading!
Love you guys,
Leandrie.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Just another update..
Hello to all!
Sorry that I have taken so long to write this update, we have been extremely busy for the past few days, and I have not had time up until now.
Most of the political drama seems to have blown over, and things seem to be running as they always have here in Tocoa. Honduras was issuing curfews for 6:00 every evening for the past week or so, but I believe last night was the last of these. I’m sure the local businesses are very grateful that the curfews are coming to an end, I’m sure many of the businesses suffered financial loss.
A new team from Kansas arrived on Saturday evening. The girls and their children here at Casa Grande are always ecstatic when new members arrive. This means lots of attention and gifts for them. The blonder the American, the better! The girls are absolutely crazy about fair skinned, light haired “gringos” They are very affectionate, and are constantly hugging and kissing us. I love to watch the interaction between the new members and the girls. There is always some shyness at first, but the ice is easily broken, and bonds are formed very quickly.
Chaunte and I have really started to build relationships with the girls. Missionaries Michelle and Allen are absolutely adored by the girls. They are very genuine and loving. I believe that they are like parents to the girls and their children. They know how to balance discipline and fun perfectly, and are definitely spirit led people. I believe that they represent stability in the lives of these girls. Chaunte and I are like sisters to the girls here. Its amazing how attached I’ve become to them in such a short period of time. I am starting to become aware of their likes, dislikes, talents and dreams. The girls here are all so different from each other, and each one has her own unique talents. It breaks my heart to see such wonderful talent (art and dancing for instance) that is just too expensive to harness. There is one girl in particular that has a beautiful dancing ability, and if she could be signed up for dance lessons, she would be absolutely amazing. Another girl has amazing artistic abilities, but yet again she needs training to reach full potential.
Chaunte really surprised me when she took the initiative to start exercise classes with the girls in the mornings! It started out as a personal thing for her, and then she invited a few of the girls to join her, and before long most of the girls were doing crunches, and stretches! It has become a daily thing now, and the girls have a blast working out with her in the mornings. I plan on starting devotions with the girls in the evenings. I would love to do it first thing the morning with the girls, but that is a very busy time of the day for them, and inconvenient with little ones that are whining and fussing. I’ve decided to start at around 8:15 in the evenings, by which time the girls have showered, put their babies in bed, and had some free time of their own. Kayla, one of the girls here, is from Belize, and can speak English perfectly. She has agreed to help translate for me. Please pray that the devotions will speak to the girls, and plant a desire in their hearts to spend time with God. They are so busy with chores, school and their children, that I think they become discouraged to read their bibles and pray. Hopefully our time in the evenings will help motivate them.
Thanks again for all your kind comments. We love hearing from you, and your prayers are greatly appreciated.
Please continue praying for us as we stay here. Spiritual warfare is so real here, almost to the point that it is frightening. We rely on God constantly, and need all the prayer we can get.
Love you guys!
In Christ,
Leandrie.
Sorry that I have taken so long to write this update, we have been extremely busy for the past few days, and I have not had time up until now.
Most of the political drama seems to have blown over, and things seem to be running as they always have here in Tocoa. Honduras was issuing curfews for 6:00 every evening for the past week or so, but I believe last night was the last of these. I’m sure the local businesses are very grateful that the curfews are coming to an end, I’m sure many of the businesses suffered financial loss.
A new team from Kansas arrived on Saturday evening. The girls and their children here at Casa Grande are always ecstatic when new members arrive. This means lots of attention and gifts for them. The blonder the American, the better! The girls are absolutely crazy about fair skinned, light haired “gringos” They are very affectionate, and are constantly hugging and kissing us. I love to watch the interaction between the new members and the girls. There is always some shyness at first, but the ice is easily broken, and bonds are formed very quickly.
Chaunte and I have really started to build relationships with the girls. Missionaries Michelle and Allen are absolutely adored by the girls. They are very genuine and loving. I believe that they are like parents to the girls and their children. They know how to balance discipline and fun perfectly, and are definitely spirit led people. I believe that they represent stability in the lives of these girls. Chaunte and I are like sisters to the girls here. Its amazing how attached I’ve become to them in such a short period of time. I am starting to become aware of their likes, dislikes, talents and dreams. The girls here are all so different from each other, and each one has her own unique talents. It breaks my heart to see such wonderful talent (art and dancing for instance) that is just too expensive to harness. There is one girl in particular that has a beautiful dancing ability, and if she could be signed up for dance lessons, she would be absolutely amazing. Another girl has amazing artistic abilities, but yet again she needs training to reach full potential.
Chaunte really surprised me when she took the initiative to start exercise classes with the girls in the mornings! It started out as a personal thing for her, and then she invited a few of the girls to join her, and before long most of the girls were doing crunches, and stretches! It has become a daily thing now, and the girls have a blast working out with her in the mornings. I plan on starting devotions with the girls in the evenings. I would love to do it first thing the morning with the girls, but that is a very busy time of the day for them, and inconvenient with little ones that are whining and fussing. I’ve decided to start at around 8:15 in the evenings, by which time the girls have showered, put their babies in bed, and had some free time of their own. Kayla, one of the girls here, is from Belize, and can speak English perfectly. She has agreed to help translate for me. Please pray that the devotions will speak to the girls, and plant a desire in their hearts to spend time with God. They are so busy with chores, school and their children, that I think they become discouraged to read their bibles and pray. Hopefully our time in the evenings will help motivate them.
Thanks again for all your kind comments. We love hearing from you, and your prayers are greatly appreciated.
Please continue praying for us as we stay here. Spiritual warfare is so real here, almost to the point that it is frightening. We rely on God constantly, and need all the prayer we can get.
Love you guys!
In Christ,
Leandrie.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Birthday...Honduras Style
Chaunte had her 15th birthday here in Honduras!
She enjoyed her day immensely, and I think the girls here at the Casa Grande enjoyed it even more than she did.
For lunch/dinner we took her out to a local Balliada place. Balliadas are these fantastic chalupa like things, stuffed with meat, vegetables, and chili sauce. They are really a treat, and very typical of Honduras. We typically eat the Balliadas outside, under a thatched roof, with very loud Spanish music for company! Going out to eat is also a great time to whip out the Spanish, although most of the time I just manage to get giggles out of the locals.
After the Chaunte’s birthday outing, we stopped at a local Pasteleria to pick up the cake we had ordered the day before. The cakes here are really beautifully decorated and very tasty. Because this is Chaunte we’re talking about, the cake was obviously chocolate. We served cake and ice cream here at the Casa Grande. The girls and their children were ecstatic! Apparently they don’t eat chocolate cake very often, because all I heard the entire time was “CHOCOLATE, TORTA CHOCOLATE!!!” As with all Honduran birthdays’, the birthday boy or girl gets to have their face stuffed into the cake. Missionary Allen Tedder did the honors! After only two seconds all the local flies were having a fiesta of their own on Chaunte’s head!!
We enjoy our days spent here at the Casa Grande thoroughly. The girls are very receptive and friendly towards us for the most part. The only real conflict we’ve faced was when the missionaries made some room swaps and different sleeping arrangements. This involved Chaunte and myslef sharing a room with three of the oldest children (Normitta, Nowe and Mario, ages 3-4) It was important to start separating some of the mothers and their babies at night time, but this did not go over too well. For the first few nights we were up most of the night with crying toddlers, but they have finally began to get used to sleeping by themselves.
The girls have taught us how to cook many of the foods they eat here. They take turns cooking three meals daily. I’m absolutely amazed at their cooking skills! They make the best tortillas and fried chicken in the world. It is very neat to see the methods they use, and the time spent in the kitchen with them is very special.
That’s all the news for now. We will be sure to keep you posted.
Thanks for all the support and prayers, we appreciate your comments very much.
Please be in prayer for the current political situation in Honduras. The president plans to reenter the country tomorrow and this could cause some conflict and riots. We are quite safe here in Tocoa, but missionaries Barry and Penny Compton are in a larger city called La Ceiba. If the highways are blocked (like they were yesterday) they have no means of reaching Tocoa.
God Bless!http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=1324d04c2b&view=att&th=122345d418e8c709&attid=0.4&disp=inline&realattid=0.4&zw
Leandrie.
She enjoyed her day immensely, and I think the girls here at the Casa Grande enjoyed it even more than she did.
For lunch/dinner we took her out to a local Balliada place. Balliadas are these fantastic chalupa like things, stuffed with meat, vegetables, and chili sauce. They are really a treat, and very typical of Honduras. We typically eat the Balliadas outside, under a thatched roof, with very loud Spanish music for company! Going out to eat is also a great time to whip out the Spanish, although most of the time I just manage to get giggles out of the locals.
After the Chaunte’s birthday outing, we stopped at a local Pasteleria to pick up the cake we had ordered the day before. The cakes here are really beautifully decorated and very tasty. Because this is Chaunte we’re talking about, the cake was obviously chocolate. We served cake and ice cream here at the Casa Grande. The girls and their children were ecstatic! Apparently they don’t eat chocolate cake very often, because all I heard the entire time was “CHOCOLATE, TORTA CHOCOLATE!!!” As with all Honduran birthdays’, the birthday boy or girl gets to have their face stuffed into the cake. Missionary Allen Tedder did the honors! After only two seconds all the local flies were having a fiesta of their own on Chaunte’s head!!
We enjoy our days spent here at the Casa Grande thoroughly. The girls are very receptive and friendly towards us for the most part. The only real conflict we’ve faced was when the missionaries made some room swaps and different sleeping arrangements. This involved Chaunte and myslef sharing a room with three of the oldest children (Normitta, Nowe and Mario, ages 3-4) It was important to start separating some of the mothers and their babies at night time, but this did not go over too well. For the first few nights we were up most of the night with crying toddlers, but they have finally began to get used to sleeping by themselves.
The girls have taught us how to cook many of the foods they eat here. They take turns cooking three meals daily. I’m absolutely amazed at their cooking skills! They make the best tortillas and fried chicken in the world. It is very neat to see the methods they use, and the time spent in the kitchen with them is very special.
That’s all the news for now. We will be sure to keep you posted.
Thanks for all the support and prayers, we appreciate your comments very much.
Please be in prayer for the current political situation in Honduras. The president plans to reenter the country tomorrow and this could cause some conflict and riots. We are quite safe here in Tocoa, but missionaries Barry and Penny Compton are in a larger city called La Ceiba. If the highways are blocked (like they were yesterday) they have no means of reaching Tocoa.
God Bless!http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=1324d04c2b&view=att&th=122345d418e8c709&attid=0.4&disp=inline&realattid=0.4&zw
Leandrie.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Why We're Staying
A little more than two weeks ago my sister and I, along with other members of our church, were boarding a plane for Honduras with the intention of staying for two weeks. Never in our wildest dreams did the two of us imagine that we would end up staying until August.
So why are we staying? Before we answer that question, it will probably be best to outline our first two weeks in Honduras.
We arrived in San Pedro Sula airport on June 13th 2009. We were both, as most of you can imagine, very excited to be returning to Honduras, and couldn’t wait to get started on all the projects that lay ahead of us. We spent our first two days in towns called Yuro, Puerto Grande, and Yuritto, all of which are deep in the rut of poverty. We conducted medical clinics, and showed viewings of the Jesus Video in Spanish in Puerto Grande, and Yuritto. The time spent at these places were priceless, and only God knows the extent of our impact.
It wasn’t until we arrived in Tocoa, the town where we would be spending the majority of our time, that we felt “at home”. The first time we set foot in the Casa Grande (a.k.a Gates of Hope), it just felt right. We have a deep love for the girls and their babies, and a passion to serve them however we can. The first week flew by, and before we knew it some team members were leaving, and new ones were arriving. Week two arrived with a fresh sense if purpose and excitement on all of our parts. We left for the mountains of Tocoa, and enjoyed a rigorous 5 hour hike up the mountain (although the word “enjoyed” is questionable) Once we arrived at our destination we immediately began setting up the medical and dental clinic that we would be conducting for the next two days. Our time spent in the mountains was amazing. The people were so friendly and appreciative towards us, and the scenery was absolutely amazing. By the time Wednesday arrived we were back in Tocoa, and ready to serve some more. This is the part where Chaunte and I started feeling mixed emotions about leaving Honduras. Despite all the tiredness I felt from our trip up the mountains, I had trouble sleeping Wednesday night. I woke up at 3:00 am feeling sick, and very very sad about leaving. All day Thursday I was jumbled about leaving, and I found out that Chaunte had been experiencing the same emotions. So we prayed.
After talking to Barry Compton and his wife Penny (The missionaries here in Tocoa), and to Luis, we decided to call our parents, asking for the “thumbs up”. Late on Thursday night we got our answer, but it was not the answer we wanted to hear, it was a “No”. We respected our parent’s decision, and although we were heavy hearted, we knew that we needed to accept the answer and return to the States. Well this is not what God had in mind. All day Friday, the day before our return trip, we felt unhappy, and uneasy about returning to the States. It was hard to enjoy all the shopping and sightseeing, and our dinner at “La Plancha” ( a very nice Honduran restaurant) was not quite as fun as it had been last year. It was then, when I looked at Barry and Penny sitting across from me, that I knew I couldn’t leave the country. I needed to stay.
So out came the cell-phones, and we called our parents. They conversed back and forth with the missionaries and Luis, and after about an hour of intense nerves, we got our answer. Yes!
The timing for our stay couldn’t have been better orchestrated. We found out shortly after our decision to stay, that the house mother of the Casa Grande, was on a mental, emotional, and spiritual low, and planned on taking a vacation. There was thus, a need for extra hands, provided by none other than the Durand sisters! Just before we arrived, the other missionaries, Allen and Michelle, had put some new rules into place that involved separating some of the mothers and children at night time. There was a need for someone (other than the mothers) to share a room with these children, and Chaunte and I fit the bill perfectly.
We are still not quite sure where our purpose lies, but we know that this complete and total God thing. We will try our best to examples, mentors, and most importantly, friends to the girls here at the Casa Grande.
We’ll try to keep this blog updated on a regular basis. We are very grateful for the graciousness with which Michelle and Allen have complied to let us use their computers.
Please be in constant prayer for us as we stay here. We need all the support we can get.
In Christ,
Leandrie.
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