God has blessed us with some great friends here in Honduras. We can not be more grateful for the awesome people that we have met here…and the new ones that we continue to meet each day. I was so worried about having friends here…and of course my ever faithful God, is just that…faithful. We still miss our old friends at home like crazy, but it’s true what they say…one is silver and the other gold! Aubrey even got a sweet new friend too…

How cute is it that they eat their donuts the same way?! Who says saving the best for last is the way to go??? I think they are on to something!

I am learning a new culture. I am learning a new language. I am learning how to love some beautiful, yet very hurt teenage girls. I am learning how to be a better mom to my girls. I am learning who I am outside of the United States. I am learning who I am separate from my photography business. I am learning my way around a new city. I am learning how to truly serve. I am learning how to be flexible. I am learning how to clean a whole lot of tile on a regular basis. I am learning more about my Jesus every single day. I am learning….

On Sundays we as a family go to church with the Casa de Ester girls and then after church we go out for lunch. This is a special treat. After church today we headed to Kentucky Fried Chicken for lunch (yes, they have those here! along with lots of other fried chicken places). It was really crowded today and it is always a little crazy getting seated and food ordered for just under 20 people. I had just gotten my food and was working on getting my girls situated with their food when a very dirty little face appeared to my left and was asking me for something in spanish. My spanish is not very good. It is even worse in a loud, hectic environment. He left almost as suddenly as he had appeared and I turned to Ryan realizing at that moment what he had said….he was asking me for just a little bit of food. I immediately looked down at the pile of food in front of me and my heart sank. The words of Jesus rang loud in my ears “….whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.” I scanned the restaurant for him and saw him pass to a few other tables before leaving the restaurant pretty quickly with what looked like a half of a biscuit that someone had given him. Ryan and I both started piling chicken strips, french fries and biscuits in a napkin for him. Ryan went and filled up one of our cups for him. We had plenty to spare.

Then I saw the little boy outside peering in through the windows. You know what he saw when he looked in that restaurant…he saw families having lunch after church. Just as we were a family having lunch after church. He saw large tables full of people enjoying a warm meal together. He saw them eating, talking and laughing. I wondered in that moment what his little life was like…did he have a family? Was his belly always hungry? Did he ever get to share a warm meal with someone who loved him?

I am not going to lie I have always been opposed to beggars.  Here it is definitely more in your face than it is at home. I have always leaned toward the side that believes that giving to a beggar is somehow supporting him/her, so that he/she never has any desire to go get a job and work hard to make money the respectable way. The “me” side of me thought maybe I shouldn’t give this little boy food, because then he will always come in here and disrupt people while they are trying to eat. But luckily, the holy spirit was just a tad louder than my spirit in that moment. We were to share our food. Ryan went outside and gave him the food. That precious little boy sat alone on a bench in front of the restaurant and ate the food in a hurry. You know, now as I’m typing this I wish I could say I pulled up a chair and invited him to sit with us…wouldn’t that be radical Christianity? Wouldn’t that be the kind of thing most “Christians” don’t even understand? I want to be more like that. Because if THAT were Jesus….

God taught me something today and I know that He is stretching my heart in this area. I can not possibly imagine what most of these people’s lives have been like. I can not possibly imagine what it means to have REAL need. To really be hungry. To really be unloved. I can not possibly imagine, so how can I possibly judge? So often Christians forget that it is not our job to judge. I forget that it is NOT my job to judge. It is only my job to serve. Isn’t that what Christ said in Matthew 25:31-46?

I know that it is not safe to offer help in every situation, but I am praying that the Lord will open my ears so that I will hear. I want to hear His voice, so that I know when He wants me to help. I am learning…..learning to be one of His sheep.

While the Kutter girls were here visiting we took them to “Valle de Angeles” which is an awesome little tourist town that is only about 45 minutes from us. They have great food, shopping, and it’s just a fun atmosphere. Ryan and I got to go there on our first trip back in August, so we were excited to go back and spend more time there. The restaurant that we ate lunch at was awesome. (If you ever come visit us we will probably take you there!) Honduras has yummy, fresh squeezed juice everywhere! The lemonade at lunch did not disappoint! Oh, and I have to mention the popsicles, they are delish! They are a “must have” when visting Valle de Angeles (Valley of the Angels). My girl’s favorite part of the trip was the horse ride through the little town. Good family memories…some of our first here in Honduras!(what happens when both “daddy’s girls” want Daddy at the same time…)