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.