There’s a bun in the oven and a tortilla in my hand

For a year and a half Luke and I have been “waiting on the Lord.” There were times when patience came easily. And times when it fled from us. We have always known that there would be physical challenges lessening our chances for biological children, but we also knew that if the Lord desired for us to have a child naturally He would make a way.

Well, in His perfect timing He has chosen to bless us. It is with great joy (and a bit of nausea) that I can tell you we are expecting! I am approximately 8 weeks along and in the full throws of all the symptoms that come along with this blessed event. It is amazing that even in the midst of a beautiful gift from the Lord He reminds us just how all encompassing the effects of sin are.

Luke has always been a kind and patient husband and friend, but never more so than now. He has shown just how much he loves serving our Lord and me through these past several weeks. Compared to many women I know I have had it easy, but I have still had bouts of fatigue, nausea, and flu-like symptoms. Every need or request I have had Luke has met quickly and with compassion. I am thankful to God for such a sweet husband.

We will be making a quick trip home to reset our visas in late August. That will also be the perfect time for a Doctor’s visit. I’m also planning on visiting several of my favorite restaurants that I have missed dearly while being out of the country! It is a mild form of torture to crave things that are no where to be found. One of my first stops: Chick-fil-A for a number 1 with sweet tea. Oh, the simple things in life that make me happy.

Being pregnant in a third world country has definitely had its ups and downs. For example most of the roads we use to get to friends and churches are poorly maintained dirt tracks. Not very conducive for a queasy woman. On the other hand being in a country where women have an average of five babies each has its advantages. Have a question or concern? Who better to ask than the women who have been there and done that. Even if you don’t have a question, they may give you their input anyways. Like, for example, not walking in high-heels. Because, you know, now that you are pregnant, you have to protect your baby against clumsy falls.

Please join us in celebrating this new life by praying to our Lord and asking Him for health, protection, and salvation for the little one. We love you all. And thanks to each one of you who have been praying with us for this day.

It’s raining… Puppies!

It may not be the rainy season yet, but it sure does feel like it is.  Every day for about the past 10 days we have had morning, afternoon, and evening storms.  Normally people try to stay in out of this weather, but not Luke and I.  We are braving the weather at least three times every day.  Why?  We have been asked to help care for and train two German Shepherd puppies.  They were purchased by the clinic that we live above to be guard dogs.  The only obstacle was no one from the clinic knew how to train puppies.  Luke and I both had dogs growing up so we were chosen for the job.  The puppies arrived two weeks before our trip to Florida.  They were malnourished and plagued with parasites, but after some medicine and extra helpings at dinner, they have come around well.

At 7 weeks

In the beginning they were identical brothers, so to tell them apart we got two different collars for them.  One had pictures of bones on it and the other had ducks.  Naturally this meant calling them Ducks and Bones until more suitable names could be decided on.  When we returned from Florida we were pleased to hear that they had been named: Ducks and Rosco.  We have a suspicion that Rosco might be the runt because Ducks is growing at about double the speed, but they are healthy and full of energy.  We have started leash training them and teaching them basic commands.  All of their training will be in English, so after we are done, it will be time to train the clinic staff!

Ducks and Rosco at 12 Weeks

An English lesson with Lucy

Luke and I think it would be fun to teach our kids a second language early on (i.e. Spanish).  The mastery of a second language would open plenty of doors to them in the future.  But according to I Love Lucy, we need to have a better grasp of English before we even consider passing on a second language.

Busy First Days

Our first day in Honduras was a busy one.  The Yoons were here with about 10 dental students from the states who are getting hands on experience in tooth extraction and oral surgery.  On Thursday, our first full day here, we traveled with them to a mountain village called Rio Viejo about 3 1/2 hours away.  There is a medical clinic that was started by Dr. Martin Williams, a Canadian man who moved here with his wife and two children 15 years ago.

Luke and I were able to sit withhim and learn about his great heart for the Honduran people.  His friendship and thorough storehouse of experience from dealing with the Honduran culture will be invaluable.  When he was young the Lord began laying Central America on his heart.  He knew that one day he would end up spreading the Gospel in this area through his medical outreach.  There are currently six Americans volunteering at his clinic and he has plans to expand the reach of his ministries to other villages near to and far from Rio Viejo.  We look forward to opportunities in the future to learn more about this work that is being done.

It rained much of the day Thursday, so on the way home we were severely slowed down by limited visibility and cars that seem to be ready to fall to pieces because they are so old!  It is especially important that we are cautious drivers because we have been told that if we are the victim of any small fender-bender we are at fault due to the fact that we are American!

Friday was the last day here for the American students so we were invited to go with them to a nice dinner in a touristy area near the beach.  It was a beautiful restaurant about 45 minutes away.  After dinner Dr. Yoon asked Luke to share with the students why we are here and a bit of our testimony.

Saturday morning we took the group to the airport for their departure.  In some ways it was almost scarier for me to say goodbye to them than it was for me to leave Florida a few days ago.  It is going to be so challenging to adjust to the culture without being fluent in the language.  I know that this is going to be a great time for Luke and I see the mercy of God in ways we have never before been able to experience before.  We anticipate many great things to come of our time here.  Perhaps it will not be visible to us on this side of heaven, but we know that “all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His good will.”

We made it!

At times the preparation to leave Florida seemed to take forever.  At other times it seemed like we were rushing to get everything ready for our departure.  Now all the preparation is done and the adventure begins.

We flew into San Pedro Sula around 12:15 pm Honduras time (one hour behind Florida) and came straight to our new home where Dr. David, Dr. Florence, and Dr. Andy Yoon greeted us along with some staffers from the clinic and a group of dental students form the University of Pennsylvania (go Quakers!).  They had a wonderful lunch ready and before we had finished eating preparations for dinner had begun.  The weather is pleasant and the scenery is as beautiful as we had remembered from our quick trip back in September.  We are asking as many questions as we can without making pests of ourselves.

Already we have seen the Lord pouring His grace and mercy out on us.  It was difficult saying our goodbyes to friends and family over the last several days, but we are looking forward to the Lord filling the void with Himself and we are certain He will provide new friends in His timing.  Thank you all for your prayers.  Please continue to petition the Lord on our behalf because now the real work begins.