Well, I made it!! I'm here!! Sorry for the lack of updates, but my computer wasn't working... until now!! Yay!!  So, I'll try to give a brief summary before the internet connection disappears!

Thank yall for all of your encouraging comments and emails, it's so great hearing from home!

I LOVE it here!!! The kids are sooo precious and loving... they run up to me like I'm their long lost friend and tackle me with hugs! So sweet! And, it is absolutely beautiful here... there are mountains surrounding the orphanage, the sunsets are incredible and it's warm here!!! I'm going to have a nice tshirt and chaco tan before too long! :) So much has already happened, and I've learned so much, that I don't even know where to start.  There are around 400 kids here... most of them technically aren't orphans... they just come from rough family environments or from families that aren't able to provide for them. Each of them has a story and have been through more in their short life than I can ever imagine going through... I've only been told of a few of their backgrounds, and it's absolutely heart breaking to hear what they been through. It's shocking to me how happy they are, despite their history. I pray that Orphanage Emmanuel will be a place of peace and restoration for them. The kids are split up by age and gender... there are the small(5-10) girls, middle(11-14) girls, and big girls (15-20ish). The boys are split up the same way and all of the toddlers are together (2-5). Right now it's summer for them, so they've been spending most of their days in their "yards"(big open area near their houses) or in the gym. I've spent the majority of my time with the middle kids... the boys are so fun! I've played soccer and/or basketball in the gym with them almost everyday. They love to laugh and run, and I've learned that I don't need much spanish to do that! :) I've been eating lunch and dinner in the different houses with the kids... there's not too much variety rice, beans, tortillas, ramen noodles and a few vegetables thrown in from time to time.

I feel like this is getting a little long, so I'll leave you with this last picture (in your head, until I figure out how to upload pictures to this thing)... today, around 40 or so girls and 40 or so boys were given cowboy boots... they look so adorable!! :) The boys got brown and the girls got pink. Nashville has found it's way to Guaimaca, Honduras!!! HOWDY!!!! :)

Ahhh... the pressure of the first blog written by someone who is quite unfaithful to the journaling thing... and, a little frightened by the fact that I'll be speaking my thoughts on the world wide web. But, in an effort to stay connected with my family and friends while I'm in Honduras, here I go...

First, thank you to whoever reads this and remembers to lift me up in prayer... it's quite humbling to think that I have people in my life that would take time out of their busy day to see what's happening with me and to make petitions to the Father on my behalf. Thank you for going on this journey with me; I'm eternally grateful. Also, thank you for the role that each of you play in my life... I am her in part because of you... each of you has influenced me to put me on the path of where I am today. So, thank you for your encouragement and guidance. The Lord has used you greatly in my life.

So, this Friday, January 16th (also my mom's bday!), I'm headed to Orphanage Emmanuel in a small town called Guaimaca. There, I'll live life alongside kids that don't know what it's like to have earthly parents. I'm going hoping to give to these kids, but I know that what they give me will far outweigh what I can even begin to imagine. I pray that I soak in each moment, the great and not so great, because I know that the Lord is teaching me something through it all.

As the weeks have dwindled to days before I depart, I'm feeling a lot of emotions... a lot of excitement mixed in with a lot of fear. To be honest, I'm pretty anxious about it... what do I have to offer them? I don't what it's like to be abandoned by my parents. I don't know what it's like to be in need of basics like food, clothing, and shelter. I can't speak Spanish beyond a 1st grade level. I'm pretty scrawny, so I can't build them anything. I have a degree in accounting, what good will that do at an orphanage? How am I going to relate???... it's easy for me to look at the things I'm lacking and get pretty darn discouraged. But, I'm going... I'm trusting, walking by faith knowing that this is the next step that He has called me to. I remember hearing one of my pastors at church say that we will never be fully equipped or prepared, but we offer ourselves to the Lord and trust that He will make us enough. That is the Truth I'm clinging to... He is enough, and if I am in Him, then He will make me enough.