tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979546188207817232024-03-05T06:34:02.827-08:00For His Glory-HondurasElizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-4532154701134988712017-02-16T19:37:00.003-08:002017-02-16T19:37:36.503-08:00Consequences<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A group of preschoolers tried to<br />sneak up on me outside of my window.</td></tr>
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I've now officially been working with Nueva Esperanza for over a month. It has been a very full time with getting child sponsorship packets ready and welcoming students in for another school year (since their schools started February 1), and there are days when I just feel exhausted. We even had a team in from Tennessee last week! Things are starting to feel more normal as I'm finding my community and creating routines for myself.<br />
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This week I've started to interact more with the students who come to the ministry. In the mornings I'm still working in the office with child sponsorship responsibilities. In the afternoons, I get to tutor one kindergartner a day and then work with students who have made bad choices. I love having the opportunity to get to spend more time talking with and getting to know the kids, but I'd be lying if I said it was easy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kmvTgYXuc0bprDIHwzjKkeOyYRAB6m7RW85rXaGc-dXptklh18u2illIuIipF5XuArhkwtFK9MehLljI0SnbR-kLQbGPq1puYRMHyG1FrOAcNh_8dChHpXHLBK-Odd3ukMsg8z4m3CM/w503-h670-no/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kmvTgYXuc0bprDIHwzjKkeOyYRAB6m7RW85rXaGc-dXptklh18u2illIuIipF5XuArhkwtFK9MehLljI0SnbR-kLQbGPq1puYRMHyG1FrOAcNh_8dChHpXHLBK-Odd3ukMsg8z4m3CM/w503-h670-no/" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alison is my first kindergartner<br />who I started tutoring!</td></tr>
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My biggest issue in all of these new afternoon duties is not being able to communicate as I would like with the kids. I've taught before. I've worked with students who have had diagnosed behavioral problems. I have lots of ideas to share on how to help these students grow to be people who will bear the image of Christ well. However, doing all of this in Spanish as I'm still trying to figure out the language is a lot harder than I anticipated.<br />
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Even though it's been so difficult at times, I am so thankful for these opportunities. Every time I've needed help in communicating my ideas or trying to teach something to a kindergartner, someone has been there to help me. Fany, one of the wonderful staff members at Nueva Esperanza, has helped me to handle some behavior cases with such grace and love. She seems to always understand what I'm attempting to say, even if my verb conjugations are totally off. I have been so thankful this week to have her help me and take control when I literally can't think of words to say.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1nJ7bzZ9EwsEML-bZw6M4S7aRs45WOokQj3JwxXTKO6e62pM_Kdl2MnSelK9C4dHyLviHnlisLzA0Z5Y8MWVqt1ifOhSZudVYthbqjRMWi6x6nKFjBi0oP-Y4DafeqBvjmZfFdnoYdg/w503-h670-no/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1nJ7bzZ9EwsEML-bZw6M4S7aRs45WOokQj3JwxXTKO6e62pM_Kdl2MnSelK9C4dHyLviHnlisLzA0Z5Y8MWVqt1ifOhSZudVYthbqjRMWi6x6nKFjBi0oP-Y4DafeqBvjmZfFdnoYdg/w503-h670-no/" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical recess time</td></tr>
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I thought thinking of logical consequences for students was difficult before, but now thinking and talking through those consequences is even harder. Even though it's hard, I have come to enjoy my time with kids this week who might be seen to some as "the troublemakers". I love being able to tell them that they're receiving consequences because I want to help them become who God has created them to be, not because I want to punish them. I love being able to pray with them and communicate that I care for them regardless of the bad choices they make. Far above those things, I love sharing with them that we all make mistakes, but God forgives and still loves us anyway. After hearing more about some of their stories today, it's no wonder why they make bad choices. My prayer is that God would continue to renew their minds and show them the love that He has for them. I pray that they would also see more of that love and grace at the ministry. I pray that because of God's love for them, they would start to understand what it means to bring God glory through their lives simply because they want to please our Loving Father.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXVuaNeYfc5JDTVuPlGk1RBSLdDmZTxW-dKhcI1Cr1PsvZlUszoaSE6F66OpU5iJvHrPdOo1gxXOcViIQbxdVSFszmC8nNwnMeQkBfefj-tlkss4gxp1D7mwOK6YgK5uUBQQOcJurPnA/w1192-h670-no/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXVuaNeYfc5JDTVuPlGk1RBSLdDmZTxW-dKhcI1Cr1PsvZlUszoaSE6F66OpU5iJvHrPdOo1gxXOcViIQbxdVSFszmC8nNwnMeQkBfefj-tlkss4gxp1D7mwOK6YgK5uUBQQOcJurPnA/w1192-h670-no/" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Oscar. He is 73 and still works<br />at the ministry. He's great.</td></tr>
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These kids are wonderful. The ones who are viewed as "troublemakers" still come up and hug me the day after I've made them missed their favorite class to write an apology letter to the kid they hit during soccer. Please be praying that God would be working in their hearts and in the lives of their family members. Please pray for their protection. Please pray that they would see Christ's love so that they can begin to better imitate Him. There are so many bad influences surrounding these kids in their families, neighborhoods, and schools. If they are able to start being image bearers of Christ now, how much brighter will they shine in all the darkness that surrounds them?Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-25151650792762957972017-01-14T14:32:00.001-08:002017-01-14T14:32:41.708-08:00A New Side of Tegus<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihaubUAgfDXDmWShcuN6z41LZsUccpjCbWrrsu6sDqttyh4GE4NczbmJowH0fJlSgLgJKkbodbBYGLDVIo0hW2ivF2Ey4Eqg1mYbMUjRaLv19_j5Pu_XW3gPoJ6kXSgzyHAHqOpiFSfkk/s1600/IMG_0562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihaubUAgfDXDmWShcuN6z41LZsUccpjCbWrrsu6sDqttyh4GE4NczbmJowH0fJlSgLgJKkbodbBYGLDVIo0hW2ivF2Ey4Eqg1mYbMUjRaLv19_j5Pu_XW3gPoJ6kXSgzyHAHqOpiFSfkk/s640/IMG_0562.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pano view from the ministry office</td></tr>
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For those of you in colder parts of the world and interested in the weather here in Honduras, my phone says that it's 79 degrees. The sun is shining brightly, and if I could send you all sunshine I would. Trust me. My mom already asked about that.<br />
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I've officially been back in Honduras for just over a week. There have been a lot of changes, moving difficulties, and new things to get used to, but honestly things just feel so familiar. It's so nice to recognize people and places around to have a sense of normalcy even a place I've been away from for 6 months. I have been so supported by family and friends that I'm left speechless at times. Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement in this time of transition!<br />
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I'd love to give you guys a quick recap of my week before I forget what happened. I landed back in Tegucigalpa on Friday the 6th where I got picked up by the Barahonas. We went to lunch and I got some groceries before we made it to my apartment. My landlords greeted me and made sure I had everything I needed! Every time I think about this apartment, I just think of how blessed I am to live here. It's so wonderful! After having some frustrations with getting in contact with people in the states, I was able to talk to my family and get unpacked.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_SUsFU28JwORcwZrAFlKvQODikZg2oXu-Hw38Cnp9SG5dawmF0oCjxyg1wIoO0_qZ7Vuw28pU_9y4yeQg6QkUpMhl7oWJhjmdATgHyLK9vWMaD5x4ytjI_URyRnKCxVNADsiI7E3vNg/s1600/15826715_10208180963946568_3688496757467939814_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_SUsFU28JwORcwZrAFlKvQODikZg2oXu-Hw38Cnp9SG5dawmF0oCjxyg1wIoO0_qZ7Vuw28pU_9y4yeQg6QkUpMhl7oWJhjmdATgHyLK9vWMaD5x4ytjI_URyRnKCxVNADsiI7E3vNg/s320/15826715_10208180963946568_3688496757467939814_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friends!</td></tr>
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On Saturday, two of my wonderful friends came to pick me up for a day of shopping (you know, for practical stuff) and just reconnecting. We made lunch together and definitely had some laughs. That night, 14 other friends came over. I am so thankful for friends who will come over and sit on my living room floor just to enjoy a time of fellowship. I do have places to sit, just not enough for that many people.<br />
On Sunday, I was able to return to Union church and see some familiar faces. I went out to lunch and did some grocery shopping with my favorite Cruz family afterwards. Have I mentioned that I'm so thankful for the community I have? Monday was a day of rest since I didn't have to start work at Nueva Esperanza until Tuesday.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5017cPE7-eExlQBojbxbxZdwoLJsCwjFmj9xWLwz-rfi_5ZJaowDPvDN3WTynkXEG93vaSGGvJvh-AO4KOV-bkpQsv7auvGtpf0yLQZXW7KqcEXSHdSfuVACl6UNDbEZE8UxeYixCXQ/s1600/IMG_0570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5017cPE7-eExlQBojbxbxZdwoLJsCwjFmj9xWLwz-rfi_5ZJaowDPvDN3WTynkXEG93vaSGGvJvh-AO4KOV-bkpQsv7auvGtpf0yLQZXW7KqcEXSHdSfuVACl6UNDbEZE8UxeYixCXQ/s320/IMG_0570.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Barbara and Carlos picked me up around 9:30 on Tuesday to go to the ministry. Barbara showed me my desk upstairs and gave me a key. After I stopped staring at the view from my desk, I started working right away on editing child information sheets that need to be mailed out to sponsors in February. I was also introduced to the teachers at the ministry when I went down to eat lunch with them. Since Tuesday, I've started riding to work with a woman who works at the ministry, practiced speaking Spanish a lot, gave a short teaching training on Wednesday, worked a lot on child information sheets, and gave a birthday gift to a teenage girl in the youth program at the ministry.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1HX2a6uWn5aqcKFCFguX9CcvPmE5Hm59WezQ3P1JfQki9xj2sfOcJvRE6I-JeuTjITlUd2RJ9LKW558d3ICk165whQzs12t_msXV_AR_ocXnkrypH63v3rZPT1_P0oLwBLAb51g3v88/s1600/IMG_0574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1HX2a6uWn5aqcKFCFguX9CcvPmE5Hm59WezQ3P1JfQki9xj2sfOcJvRE6I-JeuTjITlUd2RJ9LKW558d3ICk165whQzs12t_msXV_AR_ocXnkrypH63v3rZPT1_P0oLwBLAb51g3v88/s320/IMG_0574.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iced Aeropress coffee at one of my favorite cafés in Tegus. </td></tr>
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Outside of the ministry, I've also been able to do a lot with friends these past few days. I went to a Bible study with some women from my church on Wednesday night, and I went to a friend's house for dinner on Thursday. Friday night I stayed at the Barahonas' house for a game night, and this morning I met a friend for coffee after thoroughly confusing a really kind taxi driver. I have really enjoyed my time with people this past week as I'm relearning what my community might look like here.<br />
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Even though I'm living in Honduras again, I've said more than once this week that I'm starting to learn my "new part" of the city. The school I worked at for the past 3 years is across town, so every time I get in a car I try to figure out how the roads around me connect. Most things feel normal, but I realize that what I'm doing now is so very different. I have learned so much about the children who are enrolled at Nueva Esperanza through reading and rereading the child information sheets I've been editing. Tears have formed in my eyes more than once as I read what the families at the ministry have been through. I have also been encouraged to read how some of the kids have changed through what they have learned about Christ and the love He has for them through Nueva Esperanza.<br />
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To say that I am excited to work with this ministry would be a drastic understatement. Although I'm excited, I also am slightly scared and nervous to be working in such a different capacity. Tutoring five year olds in Reading and Writing in Spanish will definitely stretch me. This is so much different than IST. I know that my heart will be broken more than once as I get to know these kids and families more personally. I know that I haven't cried in the ministry office for the last time; however, I do have hope. Kids' lives and the lives of their family members are being affected through Nueva Esperanza. I am so glad to be apart of it in this capacity.<br />
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Here are some specific prayer requests:<br />
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<ul>
<li>the families involved with Nueva Esperanza</li>
<li>the teachers at the ministry as they prepare for a new school year</li>
<li>practical things for me in transitioning--figuring out rides, how to continue transitioning well, taking taxis on my own, finishing child information sheets, etc.</li>
</ul>
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Once again, thank you for your support, prayers, and encouragement that helped me get here. When I think about the amazing, supportive community that I have all over the world, I'm left speechless. I am definitely looking forward to working with Nueva Esperanza this year, and I couldn't have done it without you. Also, below are some pictures of my apartment. Yes they are all different sizes and not arranged in any sort of pattern.<br />
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Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-74875017835989128452016-12-06T18:16:00.001-08:002016-12-06T18:16:20.653-08:00Almost There!Hey there!<br />
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This may be a shorter post than usual because I require lots of sleep and still need to teach tomorrow. However, I wanted to give a very exciting update on how things are going in regards to my support raising!<br />
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As far as funds go, last night I posted a picture of the confirmation for my plane ticket along with an update that I had 83.3% of my monthly support. If you didn't read that sentence, try it again. That says HAD. Within the past 24 hours, <b>I've received other monthly pledges that have raised that percentage to 95.7%</b>!!! I have been overwhelmed with thankfulness to the point of tears in response to the support I've received. It's hard to believe that in one month from today, I'll be on a plane back to Honduras.<br />
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My last post on here was one of honesty, despair, and a little bit of hope. In the month since then, I can say that God has shown me His faithfulness through so many prayers, checks, words of encouragement, and people. I had the privilege of speaking at a women's retreat and a nearby church in the month of November. As nervous as I was at both events, I was so blown away by the responses I got from complete strangers. There is so much love in being the body of Christ. People were so open to listen about Nueva Esperanza and what I hope to do there. Many of them have come beside me to make the ministry I hope for more of a reality. At the church that I went to, they prayed for me as if I was their own! I was able to see another glimpse of what the universal Church looks like.<br />
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In the past 6 days of December, I received the phone call giving me permission to buy my plane ticket and shared at another church in a neighboring community. Once I got off the phone, I promptly went around my house telling everyone who would listen that I officially get to go back to Honduras. I have been so blown away by my family's support that their reactions were very similar to mine with high pitched voices and hugs. That phone call from Barbara was also filled with things to do in preparation for leaving and what I can expect to do in my first month with Nueva Esperanza. This past Sunday, I also spoke at Dorset Baptist during Randy's sermon. That was a new experience, but many words of encouragement afterwards helped me to believe that it was well received. Once again, support from strangers is a weird, wonderful phenomenon to show that we are joined together by one Savior.<br />
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In this next month until January 6 (literally, ONE MONTH), I have a lot of things to do. I need to buy international medical insurance, pack up a couple suitcases, spend as much time with family as possible, see as many friends as possible, finish working at my schools, continue working at the ministry office, and try to raise that last 4.3% of monthly support so that I can be fully funded. I've been waiting for this for what seemed like forever, but now in light of my to-do list, it seems like I need more time!<br />
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Please be praying for my patience, raising my final support, and leaving well. For those of you who have had to transition your life to a new place, you know that leaving well is the hardest part. After getting accustomed to life in Ohio again, leaving will definitely be bittersweet. I'll go from living in a house with 4 other people to living on my own for a bit. I am so excited to finally start work with Nueva Esperanza, but transitions are hard. Thank you SO MUCH for your encouragement, prayers, and overwhelming support!Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-2600054686623002712016-10-31T14:25:00.002-07:002016-10-31T14:25:37.692-07:00Trying to be a Tree by a RiverbankTomorrow is the start of November. NOVEMBER. I'm not sure how the last few months in the states have gone quite so fast. When I was first talking with Barbara about support raising, <b>I felt mostly excited to see how God would work through people to provide the support I needed</b>. In these last few months, I have experienced times of excitement when I am overwhelmed by a pledge or donation that comes in. I have been astounded and brought to tears by the encouragement I've received. The people who have supported me through prayer are too many to count. <b>I'm currently at 100% of my start up funds, and 63% of my monthly pledges! Praise God!</b><br />
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But here's the flip side. The excitement that I was anticipating isn't a constant state of mind anymore. Even though my support is increasing, <b>there have been times when I've also felt discouraged and defeated</b>. When contacts don't work out, my plans don't happen, or a week without pledges goes by, I start to doubt that I'll get the support I need. I know that people are praying for me and encouraging me all the time. There are just also days when my negative thoughts overtake the excitement and hope. My situations begin to influence my mindset more than they should.<br />
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Some days I wonder if I should be taking things off of my to do list so that I can spend more time on the actual process of support raising. <b>Then I realize that I have had so many wonderful opportunities through what I'm doing right now</b>. I am learning so much about my students, and it's amazing to see them grow not only in academic knowledge but in character. My heart breaks to hear of their backgrounds at times, but I am so thankful to spend even 30 minutes with them a day pouring into them too. I enjoy my time at the Nueva Esperanza office because it connects me with the ministry even when I can't be there. From my online college course, I am learning so many valuable things to apply in my teaching as well as simply how to interact with my students. <b>Every opportunity and thing I'm involved in right now is good for endurance, growth, and relationships.</b><br />
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A few weeks ago, I read through Jeremiah 17. I've been thinking about a few specific verses from the chapter as I read through the rest of Jeremiah. So here's the context in chapter 17: Jeremiah is describing more of Judah's punishment because of their worship of other gods and other sins (a common theme throughout the book). Here's what I found amazing though. Even after 4 verses of that kind of message in the chapter, Jeremiah shares wisdom from the Lord in Jeremiah 17:5-8.<br />
<b>5 This is what the LORD says:</b><br />
<b>"Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,</b><br />
<b>who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD.</b><br />
<b>6 They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future.</b><br />
<b>They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.</b><br />
<b>7 But blessed are those who trust in the LORD </b><br />
<b>and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.</b><br />
<b>8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank,</b><br />
<b>with roots that reach deep into the water.</b><br />
<b>Such trees are not bothered by the heat</b><br />
<b>or worried by long months of drought. </b><br />
<b>Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit."</b><br />
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That passage seemed to have smacked me in the face. <b>Looking back, I can see times when I was trusting in "mere humans" instead of making God my hope and confidence</b>. How silly. I shouldn't be bothered when it seems as if there are days or weeks of little financial support. Right now, my challenge is to trust even more in the perfect God whom I serve. The God who created me and gave me a new life through Jesus Christ.<br />
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If you'd like to pray for me, here are some requests!<br />
- Make more contacts and appointments with area churches<br />
- Trust God more fully because He's always been faithful<br />
- Find more people who are able to support me monthly<br />
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If you would like to get in contact with me, please email me at elovejoy634@gmail.com. Thanks for reading!<br />
<br />Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-27057101348240954522016-09-21T18:36:00.002-07:002016-09-21T18:36:17.738-07:00New and FamiliarIn the past month since my last post, a lot has happened and changed. Even though I'm working on raising support and working at the Nueva Esperanza office while I'm in Ohio through Ohio, I also decided to sign up to be substitute teacher to bring in some money for college loans. One day after I got my first call to substitute in a first grade classroom, I was called in by the school district I graduated from to interview for an Intervention Tutor position. I ended up accepting the position after talking through details the same day I got their call! They were even very accepting of my decision to only teach through Decembr so that I can return to Honduras in January. I wasn't expecting to be working full time this fall, but I'm super grateful for this opportunity that seemed to have fallen in my lap. I'm going to be able to pay more money on my college loans, and I'm enjoying my time with students again. In my position, I get to teach guided reading groups, work with reading intervention groups, and help out identified students. Some days, I feel very overwhemed and exhausted. Then I remember that I've been given so many surprise opportunities that are such blessings.<br />
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I've also been working in the Nueva Esperanza office since July when I first officially met with Barbara. My work involves a lot of computer work such as writing thank you notes, tracking donations, and inputing new information. I feel as if I'm always learning something new, and I know that it will be so helpful when I move back to Honduras and work in the Nueva Esperanza office there. It also provides me with the chance to see donations that come in from family and friends for my personal account within Nueva Esperanza. I'm blown away by the support I've received. Honestly, I tear up every time I see another one of my support cards come to the office.<br />
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God has shown his faithfulness in such amazing ways through this support raising process. I love seeing the ways that people show their compassion and Christ-like love towards me. I know I have mentioned God's faithfulness a lot, but it has been such an important lesson for me throughout this year. In times of uncertainty, God is faithful. In times of support raising, God is faithful. When I begin to doubt that the financial support I need will come before December, God is faithful. If I begin to feel discouraged, God shows His faithfulness by surrounding me with friends and family. He is just so good.<br />
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Currently, I have a fully funded start up fund (woot woot!!!), and I have about 33% of my monthly support pledged. This weekend, I have the opportunity to do two things. First, I get to help direct a senior high retreat at Camp Koinonia. I'm so excited to see loved campers and friends again before next summer! Second, I get to speak at a women's retreat to tell about my ministry opportunity at Nueva Esperanza. I'm praying for good teaching time and community time this weekend in the different things I'm doing.<br />
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Please be keeping me in your prayers as I continue to teach, work in the Nueva Esperanza office, and do more support raising. Specifically, I would love prayer for new connections with churches and people to partner with me by committing to support me monthly. Thank you so much for your continued support and prayers as I continue to journey in this support raising process! I couldn't do it without you!<br />
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Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-15576776570533845872016-08-21T20:56:00.000-07:002016-08-21T20:57:04.838-07:00Pressing Forward--One Step at a TimeHere's a very necessary update for those of you keeping track of what I'm doing in life! First, I'll start with a little recap. In June, I finished working at the International School of Tegucigalpa. I worked there for three great years stretching myself more than I thought possible and building relationships with phenomenal people whom I wouldn't have met otherwise. God grew in my heart a passion for the people, culture, language, and need of Honduras through my experience there. Toward the second half of this past school year, I was desperately praying for God to show me opportunities that would allow me to work in a ministry in Honduras. In researching the possibility of teaching at a school in Siguatepeque (another city in Honduras), I realized that I there was a different ministry I already loved in Tegucigalpa. Upon researching this ministry called Nueva Esperanza, I kept pursuing working with them by taking one step at a time.<br />
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Here are some of those baby steps I've been taking to get where I am now. After not feeling super comfortable with the decision to teach in Siguatepeque, my wonderful friend Lindsey asked if I had looked into Nueva Esperanza. In that moment, it was almost as if I had been blind to an opportunity that was in front of me all along. I scheduled a meeting with Barbara, a founder of the ministry, back in May where she told me she thought I would be a great fit in working with their Child Sponsorship program. Little did she know, that was the position I wanted to have if I was approved to work with Nueva Esperanza. She also talked about the possibility of me tutoring kindergartners in reading and writing to help prepare them for public school and working with students who have behavioral issues. (Basically, she would love for me to use the skills I've learned from my education and work in the area I have a passion for all at the same time.) We continued to talk about the process of working together as well as dreams of all the things I could do with the ministry. Did I mention that Barbara is also from my hometown in Ohio, goes to my church in Honduras, and has invited me to work with their ministry on short weekends before? She's wonderful, and our meeting went so well that I was excited to start taking bigger steps.<br />
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That meeting lead to me filling out an application to work with the ministry, talking more with Barbara about position possibilities, and slightly stressing about having to raise support for this next adventure in life. In early July, I met with Barbara about what my budget would look like. When I tell you that it worried me to look at the numbers, I mean that it really worried me at first. Then I was reminded that God had brought me through every step so far, and He would continue to be with me in each next step. I put off budget worries as I started working with the Nueva Esperanza's stateside office learning how to do computer things dealing with their Child Sponsorship program. I have loved learning how the ministry works first hand and being involved in the "behind the scenes" process. I also had the opportunity to meet with Nueva Esperanza's board members and present my plans to them. They were so supportive as they genuinely wanted to get to know me and seek what is best for the ministry before they voted to approve me. I can now say that <b>I have been officially approved as a missionary candidate for Nueva Esperanza!</b><br />
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Some of you might be thinking, "Well that's nice, but what now?" Since it takes time to raise support, I'm planning on staying in the states through December to do so. This will hopefully give me time to visit with people, meet with churches, and talk with mission boards in order to raise prayer and financial support. Meanwhile, I'll be volunteering with the Nueva Esperanza stateside office to learn more about the ministry and subbing in schools in the area. I'm already anxious to get back to Honduras, but I know that this will be a great time of preparation, waiting, and expectation to see how God provides.<br />
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Speaking of God's provision, He has already literally taken my breath away a few times since I've been stateside. Even before I knew I was going to be applying for Nueva Esperanza, an anonymous donor sent me a check that reminded me to believe in what God is doing through me. This was back in FEBRUARY when I had no idea what I would be doing the following school year. It was such an encouragement that God would provide for my needs, no matter what those needs might look like. This summer before I was even approved, people continued to encourage me with kind words, prayers, and gifts. At the beginning of August, I received word that I even have a safe, furnished apartment waiting for me when I return to Honduras in January. And now, only 2 weeks after I've been officially approved by the Nueva Esperanza board, I have about 3/4 of my start up funds already raised. Thinking about the ways God has provided for me in this adventure to Nueva Esperanza literally leaves me speechless. I know that I don't deserve an ounce of the grace He has shown me in His faithfulness, but I am so thankful for a Heavenly Father who provides for me abundantly.<br />
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Now I'm smiling as I'm now reflecting on all the ways God lavishes His love over me daily. Thank you for supporting me by reading to see how God has been working through my life these last 6 months. I'm so excited to see what lies ahead. If you would be willing to support me through prayer, I would definitely appreciate it!<br />
Here are some specific things you could be praying for:<br />
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<li>That I would trust that God will continue to provide</li>
<li>Open ears/hearts that are willing to support me through prayer</li>
<li>Preparation for returning to Honduras</li>
<li>Training with Nueva Esperanza's stateside office</li>
</ul>
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If you would like more information on what I'm going to be doing at Nueva Esperanza or how to support me, please feel free to email me at elovejoy634@gmail.com.Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-36226374525956529212016-02-13T16:07:00.000-08:002016-02-13T16:07:44.892-08:00Catching UpHey friends!<br />
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So I've failed at posting any blog updates this school year. It's been a mix of a busy life, lots of learning opportunities, and of course some traveling too. I'll try to give you guys a quick recap of the school year so far!<br />
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For those who have lost count, this is my third year teaching at International School of Tegucigalpa. Going into it, I assumed that it would be my easiest teaching year by far. I was right and wrong about that. Although I feel more confident in my ability as a teacher, every year has its challenges. I've dealt with hard student situations, lack of teaching supplies, and teaching without a 3rd teacher in my department. However, this year I have especially appreciated the relationships I've been able to create with my students. I love the experience of being able to see them grow in their knowledge of Christ and love of others. It's beautiful.<br />
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Outside of school, I've hiked across a mountain, been white water rafting, visited a few new coffee shops, attended a wedding, learned how to play volleyball (that's still a work in progress), taken a couple trips to Siguatepeque, and held a few babies. Those are just the highlights! I'm sure there's lots more that I missed. Life has been nothing short of an adventure. I love having the opportunity to live and thrive in this place. God has truly grow in me a love for this country and these people. Even Spanish is a language I enjoy struggling through now!<br />
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Along with the fun adventures, I've also seen a lot of pain this year. I know it always exists, but I think my eyes have been opened to more of it this school year. I know multiple people who have lost family members. Even students as young as six-years-old have lost parents. I have friends who have struggled with physical pains that just won't go away. Yet, God has been providing as He always does, and I've been able to see that in so many ways this year.<br />
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Through all of the pain, I've also been able to see how God uses community to encourage us in His truth. I've seen His healing both physically and emotionally. I've seen His faithfulness and goodness in my life and in the lives of those around me. In my prayers, that how I find myself referring to God first. "God, you are faithful and you are good." It has been so good to have that reminder through this year--a year that has proved to be harder than I originally anticipated.<br />
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Now that the year is about halfway over, it's time to decide what to do next year. Honestly, I've been trying to push the necessity of making a decision out of my mind. If I ignore it, then it will go away, right? I won't have to make a decision, will I? Right now I know that any decision I make will involve a big transition of some kind. Even though I've made a few big decisions that involve hard changes, I never like transitions. They're filled with emotional goodbyes, weird cultural adjustments, changes in lifestyle, and the feeling of starting over. I'm in a place where I now feel comfortable. Why would I want to leave that?<br />
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If you're wondering what I'm planning on doing next year, I can't give you an answer. I do know a few things though. I know that God has given me a passion for this country and the people who live here. I also know that ever since I was about in junior high, I've wanted to work with an orphanage in some way. In December as I went with a friend to pursue a possible internship at a coffee shop in another city here, I learned about an orphan care school called La Providencia. In January when my friend was getting more information about her possible internship, I was able to meet with the English director of the school and visit the school itself. It is a wonderful place. As I think about the possibility of teaching at such a school, I feel slightly crazy for wanting to leave my school where I get paid to instead teach at a school that would not be able to pay me for being there. I would have to raise support and depend on other people for what I need.<br />
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As all these thoughts are running through my head, I would ask you to please pray for me as I'm trying to decide between the future opportunities that God has put in front of me. I really just hate making decisions--especially decisions that have large effects on my life. However, I know that wherever I go, whatever I do, God will be there. He is good and He is faithful.Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-1049707835872003602015-04-25T06:11:00.001-07:002015-04-25T06:11:03.738-07:00In Light of God's Faithfulness <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First of all, my apologies for not writing in quite some time. I feel like this year has been a whirlwind of events and emotions, and it doesn't appear as if that is going to stop anytime soon. In the midst of everything, God has been showing me His faithfulness more and more. I'm going to try and give a brief update on some major events that have been going on since November (which is unfortunately the last time I posted). A lot has happened including a flight back to Ohio, a coworker having to return to the states, and adding another country's stamp to my passport. Here we go.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Coming back to Honduras in January after seeing so many wonderful people in Ohio was definitely hard. It's like transitioning back to a "different" life for a while, but this year seemed to be a little bit easier. It might just be that I've done it once before, but God has also been teaching me of how supported and encouraged I am with people in Ohio and here in Honduras. I wasn't feeling when I first came back in January though. I knew God had given me friends here and a wonderful community, but for some reason I went through a period of loneliness at that time that I couldn't explain. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> On January 31, I got a message that my grandpa had had a heart attack and his kidneys were shutting down. At that moment, I had never felt more homesick. I couldn't process the thought of losing my grandpa while I wasn't even in the country to say goodbye to him. The week that followed was full of prayers, tears, and phone calls to the states. On February 7, I was coming home from a 1-year-old's birthday party to find my roommates solemnly waiting for me at the house (we were supposed to go to another friend's house for a movie). They stayed home to tell me they saw a message on facebook that my grandpa had passed away. I wasn't sure how to begin to process that. I just wanted to be with family, but they were thousands of miles away. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> After quickly talking to my administrators and booking a last minute flight, I made it back to Ohio for my grandpa's calling hours and funeral. In the midst of so much sorrow and pain, I've never felt more supported or cared for by the body of Christ.. It was so wonderful to be with family, and a few friends even came to the funeral. Even more so, people were literally praying for me all over the world. How cool is it that God can show His faithfulness and care through such a marvelous body of believers!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> When I returned to Honduras a week later, I found out that my friend Melina who works as an Interventionist with me would be moving back to the states by the end of the month. Her father-in-law had been sick with cancer for a few years, but it had recently gotten far worse. She was going to return to Indiana with her husband and son to spend precious time with him and help her mother-in-law go through all that comes with losing a spouse. Once again, I wasn't sure how to go through another loss, even if it was just having someone depart from the country. God showed His perfect timing once again as Melina's husband got back in time to spend one more week with his father here on Earth, and Melina and her son got back in time for the funeral services. Prayers for their family would be appreciated as they're still transitioning and looking for jobs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> God showed love, encouragement, and support through this community again as many friends showed up to a surprise birthday party for me since I was in Ohio during my birthday. After January where I felt so much loneliness, and then feeling isolated without my family during my grandpa's passing, God showered me with the love of his people. I enjoyed such a great night of chocolate cake, coffee, nerts, and Fast and Furious. It was humbling and simply fantastic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> From the end of February to mid March, there wer a lot of transitions as Melina moved back and Marcela came in to teach in Melina's place. I was able to spend some great quality time with Melina and her son Elias before they left, and hopefully I'll get to see them again this summer! I stayed home during spring break at the end of February because I felt like I just needed time to relax and take everything in which was so so good. I knew that I had also spent a lot of money on a last minute plane ticket to the states, so I didn't think my budget would accommodate traveling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Little did I know, God was about to blow me away and show me how He was going to provide for my plane ticket instead. I still tear up thinking about all the ways that God has shown me not to worry about money, and this situation was no different. Let's just say that my plane ticket was around $1,000 to go back to Ohio for my grandpa's services, and God provided $1,000 through people who just felt lead to support me in that way. I still remember the phone call when my mom told me that she had received more money toward my ticket, and I laughed. I finally chose to purchase something big and figure out the financials later, and God chose to bless me so much through that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wow. So reflecting on everything these past few months has brought me to tears in seeing God's faithfulness. I'm so humbled by a God who loves me and supports me and extends grace in light of my failures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> During Semana Santa (holy week), I was able to go with 4 friends to Copan, Honduras, and with 3 of those same friends to Antigua, Guatemala. I'll try to sum all of that up in a paragraph. In Copan, I was able to see the Mayan ruins there, go to some natural hot springs, visit a place called Macaw Mountain and hold some macaws, and spend time with some wonderful people. After 3 days in Copan, I went to Antigua, Guatemala, which is the old capital of Guatemala. We stayed in a beautiful vacation house as we explored a little bit more everyday. I was able to climb a Volcan Pacaya (volcano #2!), walk around the city of Antigua, and help build a carpet out of sawdust which is a big thing that is done in the streets for Holy Week. There were parades like I've never seen before and carpets made of more colors than I've ever seen. In short, it was a packed but spectacular vacation with terrific people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I'd like to ask that you be praying for some specific things here. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Rain. We really need rain here. I know it's been cold in Ohio, but it's been upper 90s here which I will say is not fun. There's also so much pollution that I can't see the mountains from my classroom window anymore. Kids and teachers alike are getting sick. It's just no bueno. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Safety for students. I was reminded this week just how much potential danger there is here for some of our students and their families. Please pray for protection over the kids and their families alike, and that their parents would receive wisdom as how to best keep their families safe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Endurance for teachers. This time of year is often hard as homesickness is setting in kids are anxious for the end of school. It's also hot which just makes everyone cranky.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whew. Thanks for reading all of that. Next time, I'll try to post more regularly so I'm not reflecting so much at one time again. Thank you so much for all of your support, love, and prayers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">**Sorry that there aren't any pictures of things done recently. My phone died about 1 month ago and it had all of my pictures from Semana Santa. Check out facebook for pictures!</span>Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-12821751496062182322014-11-13T15:15:00.001-08:002014-11-13T15:15:13.453-08:00Adventure Is Out ThereI love having the opportunity to travel while living here. Traveling is usually accompanied by finding more out about the people I go with and seeing more of God's beautiful creation. This past trip was no different. The Honduran government decided to give the country another 5 day weekend, so I went with 5 other teachers to Managua, Nicaragua.<br />
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After a day of traveling on a bus and a night of rest at our bed and breakfast, we started our first full day in Managua. We decided to go to the volcano that is fairly close by. All 6 of us crammed into a taxi for about $4.00 and headed to the "bus station" by the university. After being ushered into a 15 passenger van, we made it to the town of Masaya. Apparently there was a misunderstanding, so a nice lady helped us to take another bus to finally get to the entrance of the volcano.<br />
Success! So we got to the entrance, but then we had to decide if we wanted to pay about $4.00 each to get a ride up to the top of the volcano, or walk the 6 kilometers to the top. We decided to walk, well, more like hike, and I'm so glad we did. I'm constantly amazed by the beauty God displays in His creation, and walking up to the top of the volcano left me speechless once again. The hike was a bit much at times, so we decided to walk backwards up the hill. Seems strange, but that was even more awesome. It was a reminder of God's strength displayed in His creation as well reminding me that He was giving me the strength to keep walking.<br />
Anyway, we eventually go to the top and I looked inside of my first volcano. Once again, speechless as I was reminded that my God created that. How cool. We even got the opportunity to ride horses up another hill to see two more craters and of course more gorgeous views. Our trip to the volcano was probably my favorite part of the trip.<br />
We got a ride back down to the entrance and went back to the town of Masaya for some shopping and dinner. As soon as we sat down at the restaurant where we ate dinner, it starting pouring rain, and I was reminded of God's power once again. The food was delicious, and the bathrooms didn't cost too much to use either. All in all, a fantastic way to start our trip.<br />
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The second day, we decided to go to the nearby town of Granada. We sat down to eat breakfast and enjoyed a meal talking with a couple of pastors from Oregon and Texas who were in Nicaragua checking on the churches they had helped plant there. It was a great conversation about how God is continuing to use people from all over to build His kingdom all over the world. We then took a bus to Granada and started adventuring. God was definitely protecting us as we walked through the streets of Granada (some not so touristy) and looked in lots of different shops. We enjoyed delicious pizza, stopped in the Chocolate House, and even played so Trivial Pursuit in an art coffee house. We made sure to buy some coffee for back at the house before leaving Granada and heading back to the hotel.<br />
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Our third day, we stayed around Managua. First, we went to a lagoon in the city and walked around it for a while. It was a good time to just reflect on how God had provided for us throughout the trip. We walked to a nearby mall once finishing our walk around the lagoon to get some lunch and snacks for the bus ride back to Tegucigalpa. I ventured out to a nearby coffee shop with two friends after leaving the mall. I think we found Nicaragua's version of Starbucks in Casa del Cafe. Once again, I was amazed at the way God had used traveling as a way to talk and share life with friends in my community.<br />
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Since coming back to Tegucigalpa, I've been to the doctor twice. The first time I went last Monday, I found out that I had bronchitis and that the weather and pollution were aggravating my asthma. After 2 days of resting and a week of using a nebulizer, I still wasn't feeling better. I went back this past Monday, and the doctor told me that I had a sinus infection and an upper respiratory infection and needed 3 more days of rest. I've realized something while trying to fight these illnesses. I don't like resting. I like being busy. I like doing things. I don't like being in the house by myself. But, that time has been good to reflect and remember God's goodness to me. Man. I'm beginning to realize that I'll never fully understand God's steadfast love, and I'm so thankful for that. It's greater than my comprehension! I haven't always been the best student, but God continues to teach me more and more. Thank you so much for your prayers and support as I'm here and even when I'm back in Ohio. I am blessed with wonderful communities wherever I go.<br />
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Now, get ready for a picture overload...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My housemates and I at the beginning of our 6 kilometer journey!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Romans 1: 20</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Psalm 46</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isaiah 40</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crater number 2</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking through Granada</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See those mountains in the background? I love those.</td></tr>
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Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-59486636313715270162014-10-23T19:30:00.004-07:002014-10-23T19:30:54.538-07:00Ephesians 3:14-21: Students, Community, and Lessons The first partial of school is already over, and November is quickly approaching. I finally feel as if I'm back in the swing of teaching again as I have routines and schedules. My kids are working super hard to do all that is asked of them, and they continue to bring me joy in their random comments and gestures. The more I'm here, the more I realize how blessed I am to have the opportunity to teach in a place where sharing the gospel and the love of Christ is encouraged. I love being able to stop and pray for my kids when I'm frustrated. I love hearing the preschoolers shout praises every morning (the most precious noise ever). I love being able to take time to sit with a crying student and remind him that God made him with unique gifts and talents. There are definitely hard parts of teaching with its work load and technicalities, but the intentional time with my students is so so worth it.<br />
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This year, I've seen both deeper sadness and deeper joy from my students. God continues to teach me so much through them. My eyes have been opened so much as well to the reality of the home lives of some students. Most of the students at my school are from higher income families, but that doesn't mean those families aren't broken. One of my students showed me a bruise on his leg that brought me to tears when I learned that it was from his father. A lot of my students only live with one parent and sometimes even their grandparents. A lot of my kids also don't understand why they need extra help in their learning and have cried because they don't want to be "different". My heart is breaking more and more every day. BUT God also shows me continually why we are to become like children. They are so full of joy and so genuine in their concerns. They break out in dance daily, and I'm constantly laughing at their sweet words. As I asked for prayer requests one day, my third grader said "Miss, we just need to pray for the people who don't have homes or food." I know that teachers never stop learning because education is constantly changing; however, I would say that I never stop learning because my kids are always teaching me new life lessons.<br />
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The teacher community has also blown me away this year. Just last week, we had a worship/game night where many of us gathered together to sit and worship in Spirit and in truth on a Friday night. The message was presented from Psalm 107. I loved being able to simply look through scripture together as the body of Christ and make connections to Jesus even in a chapter from the Old Testament. It never ceases to amaze me how sound God's word is, and how that is just proven more and more as we search it and know it. Worship night left me with the desire to learn the many names/descriptions of Jesus, so that's something I'll be doing in these next few months as I search through the gospels. I'm already blown away by it.<br />
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This school year is off to a fantastic start, and I'm doing my best to take in all that God is teaching me. I think I've specifically been learning about humility this year in so many different ways. A lot of it has to do with my desire to control certain areas of my life that I can't. This past week, both of my grandparents ended up in the hospital. It really scared me. It's hard to be here when I know that hard things are happening back in Ohio. That is when God helped to remind me of the peace that comes when I place my trust in Him and put my focus back on Him rather than my worries as "'Tis So Sweet'" started to play on my radio station. He encouraged me through the prayers of many friends and showed me of His might and power. I was humbled and brought to my knees once again as I remembered that in the end, God has the victory. He is sovereign and bigger than I can ever imagine. His love is incomprehensible. He chooses to call me His child, and I am so thankful for that grace. God's goodness leaves me speechless and smiling. Even though these teachable moments are often the hard ones, I'm blown away by the way that God is continuing to teach me more about His faithfulness and goodness day after day.<br />
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<br />Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-3819221010415033652014-09-17T15:50:00.002-07:002014-09-17T15:50:23.863-07:00Psalm 73:26So this is just past my month mark of being back in Honduras for the new school year. September is already half over, and I've already settled back into my house and community. It still amazes me how quickly God has provided me with communities wherever I may be in the world. This country is no different. Of course things have changed a bit with old teachers heading back to the states and new teachers arriving, but a community is still here for me to be a part of. I was fearful that the transition out of summer life and into Tegucigalpa would be difficult. I knew I would miss friends and family who I was blessed to see and have wonderful conversations with this summer. And there have definitely been times where that difficulty is present. However, God is constant and faithful, and He has been reminding me of that even still. <div>
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I've done more this month than I thought could be packed into a few short weeks. One of the first weeks here, we went on a teacher retreat where I was able to get better acquainted with teachers whom I had never talked with before. I've gone to a lot of community events, spent time with my housemates, gotten sick a few times, missed people from Ohio, and written lots of lesson plans. Just last week, I even learned a few Honduran dances that myself along with other teachers performed in front of teachers, parents, and students to celebrate Honduras' Independence Day. I went with a few friends to a couple beautiful waterfalls, even though we may have gotten lost along the way. My life has been full of so much "doing" in the past 4 weeks that I've been here. I love doing things and being with others, but have I really been making the most of the "down time" that I have been given as well, or have I just been wanting that time to pass in order to do more things?</div>
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This past weekend was a 4 day weekend for teachers at IST which turned into a 5 day weekend. Last night when I heard that we didn't have school today because the Honduran Minister of Education declared it a holiday, I was thankful for another day to do things with people. I was planning on playing ultimate frisbee, going to get groceries, and spending time at Bible Study later tonight. Instead, I got super sick last night with something that continued into today. When I woke up, I was so mad to be experiencing the same pains in my stomach that I had last night. Wasn't this supposed to be another day for me to enjoy and hang out with people? Instead it turned into a day when I honestly spent most of my time either in the bathroom or on the couch. There were a few things that came out of this day though.God reminded me to be thankful and humble. He gave me a day where I didn't have to worry about teaching my kids. He helped me to be thankful for good health when I do have it. And now as I'm reflecting, God is reminding me to be thankful of those alone times I get with Him. I prayed today more than I have in a few days because I continued to ask God to heal my body. After I was praying for a bit this morning, those cries for healing turned into songs of praise. That's right. I was thanking God for taking care of me even when my body seemed to be fighting me. </div>
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I have Psalm 73:26 written on a notecard right next to my bathroom mirror. It made me laugh this morning as the words read "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." My body seemed to be failing me this morning, but God was my strength. I am feeling a lot better even though my stomach still hurts. God gave me opportunities to rely on His word and His strength. Today was a day to be reminded of the goodness of God. More than that, I was taught about the importance of taking time to stop and listen to what He is teaching me, even if it's through my sickness. I'm thankful of how God has been speaking into my life, and how He has taught me the importance of glorifying Him and humbling myself. </div>
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Please continue to keep me in your prayers as transitions are still taking place and my health still isn't great. Thank you so much for all of your support!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My student and I during Fiesta Catracha (the day my school celebrates Independence Day).</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This waterfall is called Pulhapanzak. God rendered me speechless with this one.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lago de Yojoa, Honduras</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Natalie Grace! She's the brand new daughter of two IST teachers :)</td></tr>
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Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-82927064160276084352014-08-10T20:36:00.000-07:002014-08-10T20:36:51.883-07:00Summer Days This summer has flown by faster than I could have ever imagined. I came back to Ohio thinking that 7+ weeks sounded like such a long time to visit, but now that it has come and gone, I wish I had just a few more days. I feel so blessed to have spent so much of my weeks in Ohio with wonderful people who have continued to help encourage and support me both here and while I'm in Honduras. I even got to spend over 2 weeks at camp which is definitely one of my favorite places to be. Despite spraining my ankle, having to go to the doctor's office a few times for my toe, getting in a car accident, and doing less work than I was originally planning, this summer was well spent and God protected me. He has reminded me so much of His faithfulness through those not so great situations. Tonight my parents opened the car insurance and medical insurance statements too, and not only is the medical insurance covering all of my summer expenses, but the car insurance sent us a check that will more than cover the repairs needed for my car. As much as I worry, God is constantly blowing me away by taking care of financial issues.<br />
So now the 5 day countdown has begun. I leave on Friday, and honestly I don't feel ready to do so yet. I've told a few friends that I think I've finally adjusted back to living in the states. This is comfortable now and I don't want to leave it. Transitions are also always difficult with saying goodbyes and readjusting, and I just don't want to feel those emotions yet. However, days and hours are still passing, and soon I'll be back in the place I called home just 2 months ago. I know that once I reunite with friends, church family, coworkers, and students in Honduras, everything will seem familiar again and be wonderful. The time in between is simply rough.<br />
Through the anticipation of moving back to Tegucigalpa, I've been able to spend a lot of time in prayer as I ask God to remind me to trust in His faithfulness and guidance in my life. Change is often hard, but God has reminded me that He truly is my constant. No matter where I am, He is there, and He is the same. The people around me will change. I'll have new students and different challenges, but God remains constant. And His faithfulness is so magnificent. He has not only provided me with one place to live with a supportive and encouraging community of brothers and sisters in Christ, but with two. I'm thankful for those times when I am brought low in order to be made more aware of God's love, grace, and mercy for me. I've been showered with that lately, and I'm seeing what a blessing that has been. So, the next time I post will be from Honduras, full of more lessons that God is teaching me and experiences that He is giving me. Thanks again for all of your prayers and support! I really appreciate them :)<br />
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Here a few pictures of some wonderful people I saw this summer!!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiezvGo1e4c_Yu-4wHzIVMAGcM0rqN5JV82AjXxEq0LzAnLIvlaBTYOooedn5_i6SpbC6YXmRDJN1mVRwGY6t0ZVWc12CymsD2kWbBcAyJn6h9RLOsf2zM8kS3M6gsxJShHZFJ03SN244/s1600/0726141239-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiezvGo1e4c_Yu-4wHzIVMAGcM0rqN5JV82AjXxEq0LzAnLIvlaBTYOooedn5_i6SpbC6YXmRDJN1mVRwGY6t0ZVWc12CymsD2kWbBcAyJn6h9RLOsf2zM8kS3M6gsxJShHZFJ03SN244/s1600/0726141239-00.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was able to meet this beautiful girl this summer!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rS8Q-Jo3pSuD2e4dwN0n9eQLOlCXR3a9P8ag3je1m9c7y4XD1DjPSl5Kp4dxc-wqQ2bICK-5_9m9qUV-nXEjmtxnnCxqiqLTHxUHf2XCGNljAOYuStfC-HlUQRNJY93oamsYOaP_wvw/s1600/0803141716-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rS8Q-Jo3pSuD2e4dwN0n9eQLOlCXR3a9P8ag3je1m9c7y4XD1DjPSl5Kp4dxc-wqQ2bICK-5_9m9qUV-nXEjmtxnnCxqiqLTHxUHf2XCGNljAOYuStfC-HlUQRNJY93oamsYOaP_wvw/s1600/0803141716-01.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A surprise meeting with Meagan at The Fest :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0t29nszvTt9ZOE9YTNvQNgOm3SqmZ_WPVBhdSNHLMA-ovBEN1HqFtcW2TL0sQLxxJVjztp7p5nUowS6_7fll6W5-S8JJ4w00p-IXSyD03XSKE2PBB3tvl7-EpxMrrWeOX6YQB5us8-Vc/s1600/Alex+and+I.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0t29nszvTt9ZOE9YTNvQNgOm3SqmZ_WPVBhdSNHLMA-ovBEN1HqFtcW2TL0sQLxxJVjztp7p5nUowS6_7fll6W5-S8JJ4w00p-IXSyD03XSKE2PBB3tvl7-EpxMrrWeOX6YQB5us8-Vc/s1600/Alex+and+I.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex taught me how to play a few chords on the ukulele at Marjorie's house.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3yf1bsWGsf2H7L-nOy6VPGgaGTbcdSX0s2WRpP5k2gkuE_suVF3-RgUMivHLrZyYJxR3dPeO51gSzUJs2LitoFZu7x8bOBd0RUvPTVfGUqH5MNLvhRPoeYJf1J8wpCEu3F1dp4oAyAQ/s1600/Andrew+&+Josh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3yf1bsWGsf2H7L-nOy6VPGgaGTbcdSX0s2WRpP5k2gkuE_suVF3-RgUMivHLrZyYJxR3dPeO51gSzUJs2LitoFZu7x8bOBd0RUvPTVfGUqH5MNLvhRPoeYJf1J8wpCEu3F1dp4oAyAQ/s1600/Andrew+&+Josh.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black raspberry picking with these great guys!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YcHnunkPzdam4U-SJOPl4e0x3QsGeOwbkPYVm1tq1EGwOy1ZM842rk0QSEG8CEt51BOTGj8-jXBGrjxUFDRA2O7hYqQQs0gelD3-PDiVpKP6nCPtO77kl8ABJUjvPsJUwAtMzI2fvUQ/s1600/Camp+friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YcHnunkPzdam4U-SJOPl4e0x3QsGeOwbkPYVm1tq1EGwOy1ZM842rk0QSEG8CEt51BOTGj8-jXBGrjxUFDRA2O7hYqQQs0gelD3-PDiVpKP6nCPtO77kl8ABJUjvPsJUwAtMzI2fvUQ/s1600/Camp+friends.jpg" height="154" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mini camp reunion took place in the back yard.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8cc8w3HEJJTk0cDCs8QjP5A-cZv4P3d2L6CZfdpUoaaSIRRjyo06Glab1NJPOr1nInTM8_JRTZzYJPHA0isWZYqbfVz_r_tdIlucTv7RWWdqfONW8D-RUH77rWEyzOyHiYsSfeYuVeY/s1600/Chara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8cc8w3HEJJTk0cDCs8QjP5A-cZv4P3d2L6CZfdpUoaaSIRRjyo06Glab1NJPOr1nInTM8_JRTZzYJPHA0isWZYqbfVz_r_tdIlucTv7RWWdqfONW8D-RUH77rWEyzOyHiYsSfeYuVeY/s1600/Chara.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And finally, a wonderful reunion with this gem from Wisconsin :)</td></tr>
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<br />Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-61024258900106967192014-04-26T13:53:00.001-07:002014-04-26T13:53:54.350-07:001 Peter 5:10In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 1 Peter 5:10 NLT<br />
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Like usual, a lot has happened in the past few weeks, but I'm not quite sure how to summarize it. Third partial at school ended with parent teacher conferences this past week, fourth partial (and my last 8 weeks of school!) has begun, and I now have a few more stamps in my passport. I have felt overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, upset, lonely, and frustrated lately. Through that, God has also been faithful to restore me, support me, and strengthen me despite the emotions I have been feeling. His promises are truth and I have been learning to lean more and more upon those promises daily.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1n9Ln4YskIzxOZ6QrfctcrUjQ9HqtPgc1sgPTz9f9TohnVEunZ7-ghW4Yv4o8mdKbUsFH1UkYlCrc74fzLtRSYTgUgc4MY4SKMcXPXYym04A-OZgyWYC0JJNFh0ZeV_uyPEdkRkxYdbg/s1600/2014-04-19+09.37.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1n9Ln4YskIzxOZ6QrfctcrUjQ9HqtPgc1sgPTz9f9TohnVEunZ7-ghW4Yv4o8mdKbUsFH1UkYlCrc74fzLtRSYTgUgc4MY4SKMcXPXYym04A-OZgyWYC0JJNFh0ZeV_uyPEdkRkxYdbg/s1600/2014-04-19+09.37.27.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the beach we visited every day during vacation. </td></tr>
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Last week, I had the opportunity to travel a bit with four friends during Semana Santa (Holy week) as we enjoyed a week on a beach in Costa Rica. This was definitely a time where I felt God restoring me as I felt so refreshed upon my return to Tegucigalpa. I absolutely loved being able to experience a more laid back surf town for a while where life seemed to move more slowly. My friends and I relaxed on the beach, built a sand castle, jumped in the waves, walked along the shore, met such hospitable people, and discovered delicious restaurants. We also did some more adventurous things such as ziplining through the jungle and kayaking down a river that led to the Pacific Ocean. Every morning I was able to start my day reading through the gospels about Jesus' betrayal, death, and resurrection in a hammock looking out to the ocean. God used Semana Santa to refresh me physically and spiritually as I was reminded of the rest I can find in Him. He brought me so much restoration during this time as well as showing me a little bit more of this beautiful world He created. Seriously. Creation is simply gorgeous.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh35BR-REwwkWJlasIAMDLNg9xUZPM44qB1DCKVfDrc8vu0ld2Bxs5hCgBM528useARcAh84qAqQcMly4rGOk4T0hi3hj-YWMl6Hd-Bk5TeNTpBR8V-H2LB2PKuS05PTFDRVJf-fGNoNo/s1600/2014-04-16+13.37.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh35BR-REwwkWJlasIAMDLNg9xUZPM44qB1DCKVfDrc8vu0ld2Bxs5hCgBM528useARcAh84qAqQcMly4rGOk4T0hi3hj-YWMl6Hd-Bk5TeNTpBR8V-H2LB2PKuS05PTFDRVJf-fGNoNo/s1600/2014-04-16+13.37.40.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just ziplining through the jungle in Costa Rica...</td></tr>
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Throughout the past few months, God has supported me through so many people in my life. I am humbled at how many people have just listened to me and prayed for me in such various ways of communication. My bible study here has been such a blessing as we have started reading and digging through the gospels together. It's rare to find such a strong group of women who are also as vulnerable as those ladies. My family and friends in the states have also been so encouraging and uplifting during my time away. God has introduced me to so many people here as well to speak truth and hope into my life in the most incredible ways too. Man. I am blown away by the way God has taken me care of me in terms of supporting me in this life He has chosen to give me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3HGd41b2zqt1S123Bs_1SmFCzSv6Gu-YeU2_GnfIwWKv0yfhci-3Q9410oNHd0dhPuZAo3f1uZRIkQ24oSEvKMiBKE5eaMzsvGRpngtA1-D6xK2B9xJcErdf3RBmPAarPPPwJzEKfo8/s1600/2014-04-15+17.42.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3HGd41b2zqt1S123Bs_1SmFCzSv6Gu-YeU2_GnfIwWKv0yfhci-3Q9410oNHd0dhPuZAo3f1uZRIkQ24oSEvKMiBKE5eaMzsvGRpngtA1-D6xK2B9xJcErdf3RBmPAarPPPwJzEKfo8/s1600/2014-04-15+17.42.47.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of my housemates. She has definitely been a blessing in my life!</td></tr>
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In terms of becoming stronger, I feel that typically happens when my weaknesses are magnified. This year has definitely not been easy by any means. I have gone through more transitions that I can count and I've wondered what I am doing here a few times. Through all of that, God has strengthen my trust in His will for my life and He has shown His hand in my life through whatever may come my way. I am more confident than ever before in the promises God has made and that confidence fills me with such joy. I have learned more than I thought could fit into my brain. I've been blown away by God's faithfulness time and time again. This is hard, but so worth it. God has taken my weaknesses and turned them into learning opportunities. When I start to get down on myself, I am reminded that God is working and moving in my life. Praise Him!<br />
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I really can't thank you all enough for you support and encouragement throughout my (almost) 9 months here! Please continue to pray for me to seek and take advantage that God presents me here in my time here before I return to the states for the summer. Next weekend I'll be helping with a Camp for the Blind just outside of the city. I don't feel like I can adequately explain how excited I am to see what God does in that time. I'm so thankful for opportunities that God has already placed in my path, and I'm sure it's just the beginning!<br />
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Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-57196384147486578022014-03-15T08:54:00.000-07:002014-03-15T08:54:30.913-07:00How Deep the Father's LoveI feel as if February didn't really happen and these past few weeks have flown by. My time here has gone by so quickly. Then again, as a friend says, what is time? I was looking at a calendar the other day and realized that I moved to Honduras 7 months ago. Four years ago, I never would have imagined feeling this content living in a country outside of the states for so long. God has surely blessed me in my time here through the many joyful times and times of weakness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fgomzp0TF8pqyTyklLRVEgKXxSRfRvd3g_OflCNV9E0wmSGuvxeVGfpD7mcBwOh7vDF-kXOsCMwM3j-2rvW3W8ucz8BN04mrrvRLj1ycdmEW6jg3W_OahQaB9f2oYGENZgHJWTj5vNQ/s1600/2014-02-21+14.37.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fgomzp0TF8pqyTyklLRVEgKXxSRfRvd3g_OflCNV9E0wmSGuvxeVGfpD7mcBwOh7vDF-kXOsCMwM3j-2rvW3W8ucz8BN04mrrvRLj1ycdmEW6jg3W_OahQaB9f2oYGENZgHJWTj5vNQ/s1600/2014-02-21+14.37.12.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>A few weeks ago during my spring break time at the end of February, I was able to meet up with Carlos and Barbara from my church here and volunteer with a mission team they had in to help at Nueva Esperanza. We acted out the story of Joseph for the preschoolers and kindergartners, built a bunk-bed in the home of a few Nueva Esperanza kids, talked with kids in broken Spanish, and went to the children's museum in town called Chiminike (kind of like CoSI in Columbus). It was amazing to see how those kids just love unconditionally. Even though it was the first time I had met all of them, they immediately gave me hugs and kisses because they just wanted to love and be loved. Seeing them experience Chiminike for the first time and have the opportunity to explore and discover new things was wonderful as well. Such excitement exuded from their faces :) Throughout my time with the mission team and Barbara and Carlos, I felt extremely blessed to meet the people that I did.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Veronica. She was my shadow <br />during our trip to Chiminike :)</td></tr>
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Since coming back from Christmas break, I think the relationships I have with my students have been deepening too. This is something I have been continually praying for, and I ask that you would lift those relationships up in prayer as well. I am confident that God is working in their lives. One of my students was working on a test in my room yesterday, and he had to write a sentence with one of his spelling words in it. The word was "nothing", so he wrote "Nothing is compared with God's power!" What a rich and simple truth to be reminded of by a fourth grader.<br />
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I also had the opportunity to read with three special second graders yesterday. To celebrate reading, parents of students were invited to come into school at the end of the day and have their children read to them. During this time, I went in to visit some of my students in the second grade class I work with. My precious little girl who I work with broke down crying when I noticed that something was wrong. Her mom wasn't able to come and read with her, and she was very upset. Because of this, I asked her teacher if I could take her outside and read with her. Instead I read with three girls whose parents weren't able to come. I absolutely loved this precious opportunity to spend some time outside of class to simply shower these girls with love.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinftyJSKnq_Mo3EZMjzVNoMJyjvxrYDZrrrUMFAYebpxNZAV-Eho3_8117QnfN9mDPGO1DqQ2EqBxv1157hVpj_EkvkomPOw5t8zUrPtEJQ0m5SOHk7hT-NbjDX9u6e9G8HlfNF2fL3Fs/s1600/IMG_20140314_140324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinftyJSKnq_Mo3EZMjzVNoMJyjvxrYDZrrrUMFAYebpxNZAV-Eho3_8117QnfN9mDPGO1DqQ2EqBxv1157hVpj_EkvkomPOw5t8zUrPtEJQ0m5SOHk7hT-NbjDX9u6e9G8HlfNF2fL3Fs/s1600/IMG_20140314_140324.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are two of the second grade girls who I had<br /> the opportunity to read with yesterday. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSQrrZlI2nV6U0Ti37QgRvSeR9GFzF9caQBvaynMYwoIPKyGCJCl-psfFgQ6IidOHx0R5J2OAjP6VfPbK0zIrtxbK1RkLW1NnzD-sNQTeZMjKos01YE_nMXLrPCjsRmfKgo2xSK27J2M/s1600/IMG_20140314_141248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSQrrZlI2nV6U0Ti37QgRvSeR9GFzF9caQBvaynMYwoIPKyGCJCl-psfFgQ6IidOHx0R5J2OAjP6VfPbK0zIrtxbK1RkLW1NnzD-sNQTeZMjKos01YE_nMXLrPCjsRmfKgo2xSK27J2M/s1600/IMG_20140314_141248.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Six of my second grade girls! They're all so beautiful :)</td></tr>
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Within the past couple weeks, I have been overwhelmed by encouragement and love from people who God has placed in my life. Last weekend, I had the opportunity to head up the mountain and stay with two other wonderful women from my school. During that time, we were able to find a quiet spot in the beauty of God's creation and pray, journal, read, and share together. God has also given me an amazing prayer partner at my school to lift me up and keep me accountable. In the past few weeks, I've been able to skype a few people who spoke such truth into my life as well. I'm humbled and blown away by how much support God has provided for me especially in these past few weeks.<br />
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I know these were a bunch of random tidbits of my life from the past few weeks, but I think that throughout this entire year, God has been teaching me more about His faithfulness and His unending love. I've seen it through my students, my friends, and my coworkers, and thinking about it renders me speechless. The more I think about His deep love, the deeper it appears. God is faithful, and He always provides exactly what I need.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKynMbTV3s35kDrEXMfLUZBX2kbVaR9AEB46VKRhyoSFd_Q6MGGKMGuXCUhMKB7CigTDfP48XcvCNEJxvtn43pSQJro2h4O0_bG2aJT2eXWN2q1466c32oMF66CmUTS1bk-V1Owci9c4I/s1600/IMG_20140307_161223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKynMbTV3s35kDrEXMfLUZBX2kbVaR9AEB46VKRhyoSFd_Q6MGGKMGuXCUhMKB7CigTDfP48XcvCNEJxvtn43pSQJro2h4O0_bG2aJT2eXWN2q1466c32oMF66CmUTS1bk-V1Owci9c4I/s1600/IMG_20140307_161223.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rainbow from my school parking lot! God is constantly<br />reminding me that He is fulfilling His promises. </td></tr>
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Thank you so much for your prayers and continued support! I truly am blessed to be lifted up by so many wonderful people. As a special prayer request, I want to ask prayer for my friend and fellow teacher here. Her name is Lindsey, and she had an appendectomy here late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning. She is doing well now, but prayers for continued healing would be much appreciated. Thanks so much :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPkL0uJ62WXTmUQNJRoNC7tx-4ZVpUtQfOZ4muBTxzXSSvBfRFZlciKVoaBHWSOl5gEn0bvqdtWTxbBD9yHzVlN6KmMfNWXlN4PhWx34sqQVI8OtyoV-e6jnrGrnWPIsA7D2fG3boq5A/s1600/IMG_20140221_122851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPkL0uJ62WXTmUQNJRoNC7tx-4ZVpUtQfOZ4muBTxzXSSvBfRFZlciKVoaBHWSOl5gEn0bvqdtWTxbBD9yHzVlN6KmMfNWXlN4PhWx34sqQVI8OtyoV-e6jnrGrnWPIsA7D2fG3boq5A/s1600/IMG_20140221_122851.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonus picture! This is Genesis from Nueva Esperanza. She<br />is sponsored by a wonderful woman from my church in Kingsville!</td></tr>
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This past month has definitely had its ups and downs, but I've been constantly reminded that God is constant and faithful. More than that, He is constantly faithful. In my church here, my pastor started a sermon series on 1 Peter. The very beginning of 1 Peter is Peter encouraging believers that they are chosen people who are living as foreigners in a land that is not their home. As the first chapter continues, Peter talks about the joy that is ahead even though we may have to endure many trials now. I know that God's glory will be revealed on the last day for all to see, but I don't always understand why some people seem to endure such great suffering and others so little. Then I continued to read. 1 Peter 1:7 says this, "These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious that mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." I know that God is working through every sorrow and trial because I feel Him drawing me even closer to Himself in the middle of those times. <br />
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On a different note, God has reminded me so much of His abundant love and grace over this past week. On my birthday last week, I told a friend that it was a great day when I felt so blessed and humbled. I felt extremely blessed because of all of the love that I felt showered with from family and friends in person and through facebook. The dose of humility, however, was something that I wasn't expecting. Have you ever been given something that was a wonderful surprise and you felt like you could never ever deserve anything like it? That's how I felt on my birthday. I couldn't tell you how many hugs from students, notes from teachers, and messages on facebook simply overfilled my heart with joy. Then it struck me. That love that I felt was only a glimpse of the love that God my Father has for me every day. It might be extremely hard for me to accept it, but He extends it freely anyway. There's nothing that I did to deserve it, and nothing I could ever do, just like all of the kindness I received on my birthday. I just have to accept and remember that it is a true gift. His grace and love struck a different tone that day, and now I feel continually reminded to just be thankful for that grace and love. I hope that my life will be seen as a constant praise of who God is and what He has done/is doing in my life.<br />
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Thank you all again for so much encouragement and love. Your prayers mean the world to me. To know that so many people are lifting me up to the One who cares the most about me is just about the most heartwarming thing I can think of. And as a treat, here's a picture of baby Elias Keane at just one week old :) Much love to you all!<br />
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<br />Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-34294589102791120442014-01-13T18:20:00.003-08:002014-01-13T18:20:46.277-08:00Philippians 3:20<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">This
past month has been quite a whirlwind of transitions, hellos, goodbyes, and
lots of emotions. I had a wonderful time getting to visit and spend time with
family, friends, and church family while I was back in Ohio for just over 2
weeks for Christmas break. What a blessing it is to have so many people who
support and encourage me even though I may only get to see them every once in a
while. My eyes well up with tears at the thought of how humbling it is to find
out that so many people have been praying for me continuously as I've been here
in Honduras. So thank you so very much to all of you who support me in so many
different ways!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I
absolutely loved being back in Ohio, but that made coming back harder than I
expected. I was worried and afraid that as soon as I landed I would have to
make a huge transition back into the country again. Readjust to the culture,
start over with friendships, and learn how to be a teacher just like back in
September. That was one of the hardest times for me, and I definitely did not
want to have to repeat the process. With flight delays and cancellations
bringing my travel time up to three days, the anxiousness I associated with
coming back only intensified. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">God
was so faithful in getting me back into Tegucigalpa, and all of the flights
ended up working out one way or another. He sent me people along the way to
guide me and comfort me, and they even spoke English! Once I was picked up from
the airport and starting going back to my house, I realized that everything seemed
familiar again. This is where I work and live. I recognized the stores, houses,
and potholes in the roads. I </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">wouldn't</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> have to go through a major transition
again after all.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">This
got me to thinking a lot about where I call home. When I was in Ohio, I had a
moment when I </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">couldn't</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> find my winter hat. I looked everywhere in my room for
it, but I got so frustrated when I realized that it could be in quite a few
different places just because things never got fully put away from moving back
from college and then down to Honduras. I felt blessed and frustrated all at
once to come to the knowledge that I basically live in two different places.
God then started to whisper to me and tell me that it’s almost good to be
uncomfortable in this world because this </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">isn'</span></span><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 115%;">t my home anyway. My home is in heaven.
That fact blows my mind! No matter what city I end up in, heaven will still be
my home. I love living in Tegucigalpa, and no matter how cold it may get (-35
degrees) I love living in Ohio, but I also am now more confident than ever that
when I get to heaven, I’ll truly feel at home. What a blessing that is :)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">“But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are
eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Philippians
3:20</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-34587293776228839042013-11-23T17:41:00.004-08:002013-11-23T17:41:12.766-08:00In the WaitingI'm sorry that I haven't posted in 4 weeks! Life has gotten pretty busy with the end of the first partial at school and the transition into the next. Not a lot has happened within these past four weeks as they have flown by, but I'll try my best to give a general overview of how life has been going.<br />
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I know it has been three months now, but I think I have finally realized that I am indeed a real teacher. I get home from school and constantly think about my students. I research how to help them, share stories about what they said or did, and pray about how I can practice more patience with them. I love it. It really is a lot of work, but as I see them growing and learning, I am confirmed that this is the right place for me at this moment. I especially enjoy working at International School as I am able to share freely about Jesus' love and watch the students ask questions and talk about God too.<br />
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This past week was spiritual emphasis week for the elementary school. Every day, the students would go to the chapel and listen to a message from the special speaker the chaplain invited from El Salvador. She showed the students so much love and spoke such truth into their lives. It was amazing how still they could sit for 30 minutes! Watching them worship God with the songs they sang at the beginning of every chapel time this week was also such a blessing. To see students from first grade to fifth grade genuinely worshiping the Creator was such a blessing.<br />
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Yesterday was also the annual Thanksgiving Dinner for IST teachers and staff. It was a more formal event, so everyone in attendance dressed up and enjoyed a nice dinner and talent show at a nearby hotel. It was a fun evening to give thanks to God for the opportunities He's given us at the school. The time to fellowship outside of school was very enjoyable as well. It was just nice to have a night out to relax but also simply remember all the things we have to be thankful for. I know I am so blessed, and that, my friends, is truly humbling.<br /><br />
Although these past few weeks have been busy with school work and small social gatherings here and there, I feel like right now I'm in "the waiting". It doesn't really feel like anything big is happening at the moment; however, God is reminding me that I don't just have to be waiting for the next big thing to happen. I can still be running after Him in the waiting. This made me think of a passage I read in a book that I just finished reading in my bible study. In <i>Growth: Training vs. Trying</i>, it says "It all counts. Life counts. Every moment of life--at least potentially--is an opportunity to be guided by God into his way of living." I don't want to waste this time God has given me. I would really appreciate prayers to continue running after the Father in order to learn and grow from Him. As always, thank you so much for all of your prayers and support!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of two rainbows here I've seen this past month! I am so thankful that God is always reminding me of His faithfulness. </td></tr>
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Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-84129845737557445692013-10-26T19:07:00.001-07:002013-10-26T19:07:08.016-07:00Honduras as a HomeA couple weeks ago, shortly after my last post, I came to the realization that I have been living in Honduras longer than I have lived in any other country outside of the states. I feel like this should have come with more of an impact, but it hasn't truly hit me yet that Honduras is a place where I live, not just a place where I'm taking a short trip. I'm in the process of investing a lot of my life here as I aim more on making it a home. I'm transitioning well to living here, and I think I feel comfortable here now, but still feel kind of distant from communities outside of the school. If you think of it, please be praying for opportunities for me to become more involved in the city and with the people of Tegucigalpa.<br />
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There hasn't been a lot that has happened in the past couple of weeks, but last weekend I did get to take a trip with other teachers from the community last weekend. We went to Amapala which is an island off the southern coast of Honduras. It took over 6 hours to get there and back, but it was definitely one of my favorite days here so far. On the way to Amapala, I got to spend a lot of time just listening to music and talking to the Father. God really spoke to me throughout the day and gave me much needed restoration in spending time with Him. I also got to hang out with some wonderful people on the beach and simply enjoy the beautiful creation around me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the mainland from the boat to Amapala</td></tr>
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<br />
School has been going very well as I've had more IEP meetings and pressing forward into this new intervention program I'm helping create with the other two teachers in the department. My kids are cute, frustrating, exciting, loving, and wonderful. I've definitely had days when I just stand back and wonder what I'll do next with a student who tests my patience, but God always guides me in what to do with my students. My students have had light-bulb moments which just make me so proud to be their teacher. One of my second graders now knows his addition facts of 1 + a number 1-9!! That same second grader can now sound out three letter words which is something he couldn't do at the beginning of the year. I'm just amazed to see the growth they are experiencing in two months of school. Those are moments that affirm my decision to become a teacher.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrh9l1OgNUp1p2eVQOMC13pLjDlJv-LwEaRexV_y6Y81yvXfy6zvwLfd3KTlVHaeMWzOgLIyDhkTD9_KG1vtCF04k96XsR6NZVYO1kUnMcia67_WxSQpZOg6oSJVxeJ6F48MOtxq3XPE/s1600/IMG_20131025_084205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrh9l1OgNUp1p2eVQOMC13pLjDlJv-LwEaRexV_y6Y81yvXfy6zvwLfd3KTlVHaeMWzOgLIyDhkTD9_KG1vtCF04k96XsR6NZVYO1kUnMcia67_WxSQpZOg6oSJVxeJ6F48MOtxq3XPE/s1600/IMG_20131025_084205.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2nd Grade Reader's Theater: The Three Little Pigs </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2nd Grade Reader's Theater: Turtle the Taxi </td></tr>
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This past week was also Prayer Week at IST. I had the opportunity to sit in the prayer room during lunch for the 1-3 graders. What an amazing experience! It was humbling to see these young students praying with such genuine hearts. I prayed with a couple of them and hearing their prayers brought tears to my eyes. They pray so BIG. My first thought when I heard a few of their prayers was, "Well, that would be nice." Then I was reminded by these little children that our God IS big. He can do the impossible, and we need to be praying for big things to happen. We are called to have the faith of a child, and I got to see what that faith looks like.<br />
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I've definitely had struggles throughout this school year with homesickness, frustration with students, and living in an unfamiliar place, but God has shown His faithfulness through it all. He has given me an awesome community to support and encourage me. He lead me to a church that I look forward to attending every Sunday. I'm in a great Bible study that meets once a week. When I look back at everything that has happened so far, I'm amazed at God's provision. Through everything, whether extremely difficult or easy, I've been beyond blessed. Even through the hardships, God has pulled me closer to Himself. I'm loving being able to look back and see how He is truly working in every situation.Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-11952530102202074852013-10-12T07:56:00.002-07:002013-10-12T07:56:46.664-07:00Nueva Esperanza<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDm5sa0bF0jAjMiVEuIojRpajGKiIE5wkqxvUY-hH4B9YWivRyCq1drS0-DN6SS1MuLo7fsB0_B_Kw6AQ_0Cdkde32ZQB_bDp2Ehvs-5y3NcVIN-v6DesdWEms_ueCq38eoWBb-vYwPYo/s1600/IMG_20131007_092652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDm5sa0bF0jAjMiVEuIojRpajGKiIE5wkqxvUY-hH4B9YWivRyCq1drS0-DN6SS1MuLo7fsB0_B_Kw6AQ_0Cdkde32ZQB_bDp2Ehvs-5y3NcVIN-v6DesdWEms_ueCq38eoWBb-vYwPYo/s320/IMG_20131007_092652.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view from Barbara's office</td></tr>
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This past Monday, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit a ministry called Nueva Esperanza, meaning "New Hope", since I didn't have school. This is a ministry run by the Barahona family who came to my church last summer to share about their lives and needs in Honduras. I'd been wanting to visit Nueva Esperanza ever since I accepted the position here, and I was very excited to see their service first hand.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view showing Tegucigalpa in the background</td></tr>
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Four of my friends here who work at IST and know the Barahonas from our church here went with me to check out the ministry. We met Barbara part way and followed her to a little neighborhood that sat on a hill in the center of Tegucigalpa. We parked in front of a building that appeared at first to blend in with the others. Upon entering, however, this building went back farther than I thought, and I realized that it was three stories high. As we walked past the gate, we started to hear kids and soon we saw about ten of the playing in the area they use for recess. All of them said "Hola!" to as as we passed with a smile lighting up each one of their faces. We then walked up two flights of stairs to Barbara Barahona's office.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The street where Nueva Esperanza is located</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the neighborhood</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1Ma0t7WB1qjjSHmEPJsenYHEZt_9RX9pKdJrm_0iJvYxewqhHj-t65jt0J5_dTq4_ZqMUoBJOwZ9NnuIQl0_uHui0AvCkLTqv79jQnBIAbGq3g2J14_zlPh1CSQM0Ef9GWfO6tXGkGY/s1600/IMG_20131007_101242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1Ma0t7WB1qjjSHmEPJsenYHEZt_9RX9pKdJrm_0iJvYxewqhHj-t65jt0J5_dTq4_ZqMUoBJOwZ9NnuIQl0_uHui0AvCkLTqv79jQnBIAbGq3g2J14_zlPh1CSQM0Ef9GWfO6tXGkGY/s320/IMG_20131007_101242.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The music classroom</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOlJqP-pe0jxyvej2AxVp6k1IO5fvm1ee1daV8UAcpDQ2tW5ikF3LsaB4fbyueGep54pB8b_myKfFuvZ2WL4r05CVyfJeteW05Ht6Le6UOIVXF7fQKghALeEPSiiXSRRPuLRBGFzvoIzI/s1600/IMG_20131007_101508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOlJqP-pe0jxyvej2AxVp6k1IO5fvm1ee1daV8UAcpDQ2tW5ikF3LsaB4fbyueGep54pB8b_myKfFuvZ2WL4r05CVyfJeteW05Ht6Le6UOIVXF7fQKghALeEPSiiXSRRPuLRBGFzvoIzI/s320/IMG_20131007_101508.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behind Nueva Esperanza</td></tr>
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Once we got into the office, we listened to Barbara about the ministry and everything that they do. It was amazing to hear about all of the projects and outreaches they have within one organization that Barbara and Carlos, her husband, started about 18 years ago (I think). They run preschool and kindergarten classes (there isn't kindergarten in Honduran public schools) every weekday morning until about noon. Honduran public schools are only half a day, so at noon they also have classes and programs for students in 1-6 grade. These are special classes that they don't receive at school such as music, art, and sewing. For students in 7-12 grade, they don't have specific classes, but they are allowed to choose to come to Nueva Esperanza a few days a week in order to have a table to do homework on, tutors to help with school work, and have a safe place to be.<br />
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In addition to all of this, there are youth classes they provide to the older students to teach them more about God and help them grow in their faith. There is also a Bible study for mothers of the children who attend Nueva Esperanza so they can learn as well. Mothers are also taught skills in special classes they provide such as making hats or jewelry so they can sell their products and have another source of income. There are a number of Honduran employees at Nueva Esperanza as well, so not only is the ministry reaching those children and families who are a part of it, but the teachers are also experiencing and sharing the love of the Father in this place.<br />
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Barbara gave all five of us a tour of Nueva Esperanza showing us the different classrooms, the cafeteria, the auditorium, and even the garage. It was just amazing to think that God helped them build such a place in 7 years. Every time we went into a place where there were kids in a class, they would stop what they were doing and come give each of us a hug. These children are so so precious, and I'm so glad that God is blessing them through such a wonderful ministry.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoVOrPbWlrqK1WS7_De2riuMRIMqyq0XcJSrAqDVCgTH_rUp8XIMI1dGPScaT5pTj_B7RfV0eqSiEI3bHVtPTd4SDRNtauSixsSd3W1hAN59bqWoWCYMt029IDFcD48oNp7ZbPPlCVDc/s1600/IMG_20131007_102638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoVOrPbWlrqK1WS7_De2riuMRIMqyq0XcJSrAqDVCgTH_rUp8XIMI1dGPScaT5pTj_B7RfV0eqSiEI3bHVtPTd4SDRNtauSixsSd3W1hAN59bqWoWCYMt029IDFcD48oNp7ZbPPlCVDc/s320/IMG_20131007_102638.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the teacher's lounge. When the building was first built, it had seven rooms for seven families, and each family would live in one room. This is one of those original rooms.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_bGbZQNffq-kd7cuSeuBLescyf1oOO00K01ZKNnF4o_S8NEz561hKQOdYQQ-TNGL_xnf4ZY1Gd0AWA4xFXGk0Tn74DdopvBDEJYGL1cfqb-rnKWVjkL1vyuqDEuXLwt1s3emerVN2pPI/s1600/IMG_20131007_103552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_bGbZQNffq-kd7cuSeuBLescyf1oOO00K01ZKNnF4o_S8NEz561hKQOdYQQ-TNGL_xnf4ZY1Gd0AWA4xFXGk0Tn74DdopvBDEJYGL1cfqb-rnKWVjkL1vyuqDEuXLwt1s3emerVN2pPI/s320/IMG_20131007_103552.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few preschoolers playing at recess</td></tr>
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Needless to say, I was absolutely blown away by amount of opportunities that God is working through at Nueva Esperanza. I know that God has given a strong passion to Barbara and Carlos to transform families who have less in Honduras, and He is defiintely working through that. They pour so much into their ministry as they have set up sponsorship programs for kids, send out newsletters throughout the year, and really aim to meet the needs of the families they serve. They depend on God to provide them with what they need, and He has been so faithful as they continue to build this ministry. If you would like to know more about their ministry, feel free to visit their website <a href="http://www.hopeinhonduras.org/">http://www.hopeinhonduras.org/</a>.<br />
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To those from Kingsville First Baptist, if you sponsor a child at Nueva Esperanza and would like to tell me the name of your child, I can see about visiting that child personally at the ministry. Thank you for continually supporting and praying for this ministry as God is choosing to use it to transform many families in Tegucigalpa.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few of the preschool kids we met :)</td></tr>
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Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-1194785532267303682013-10-05T14:28:00.001-07:002013-10-05T14:28:05.086-07:00An Overdue UpdateSo it's been just about a month since my last post. That is mostly due to the hard drive crashing on my computer and having to get it replaced. Thankfully, a friend in my Bible study had an extra hard drive here that was compatible with my computer, and after 3 weeks I have it back. A lot has happened in the past month, but I'll try to stick to the highlights.<br />
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About 3 weeks ago, I had the awesome opportunity to take advantage of a Monday off school and head up the mountain with my housemates and three other wonderful women. On our way up the mountain, we stopped to get pupusas at Valle de Angeles and saw a huge parade forming throughout the town for Honduras' Independence Day. We stayed at a German couple's bed and breakfast even further up the mountain where we enjoyed the view, the food, and some hiking. It was such a great time to relax and marvel at God's creation as we hiked for a few hours, saw a magnificent waterfall, read in hammocks on the side of the mountain, and ate delicious homemade food that Jorge and Monika<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the views from our hike</td></tr>
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(the German couple) prepared for it. I was literally speechless as I simply stood on the porch of our small cabin looking out at the surrounding mountains and small towns, knowing that God had created it all.</div>
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As far as school goes, I think that myself and the other teachers in the CIRA department (providing services for students who have learning disabilities) are making great strides to update the program. We're making a lot of changes this year which can be very stressful, but I think we're finally starting to feel more comfortable doing so. This past week, we really focused on writing IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) for our students and getting those in place. I even had an IEP meeting with a set of parents and it went far better than I ever expected. It definitely helped to boost my confidence in knowing that God has prepared me for this job and will use me in the lives of my students.<br />
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I am loving my students more and more each day. Even the kids who aren't technically my students are starting to remember my name and open up to me. I've made a habit of hanging out with Paola (the student in my last post) every day after school when I can. She always makes me laugh and brightens my day because she is never without a smile. I love being able to just spend time with her as she waits for her sister to pick her up. Another student named Fernando (he's not actually my student) shared his stuffed animal with me yesterday during their reading time. I know that's random, but the hearts of these kids is just so neat to see.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqog8wXH9yrGWhnnXoiLWUB9hR0SjNt3gnWGazCQCwsRtoW1NKFN5vz9VD3-s4Mr2lCajQyRHjF3xFbIUnEu1aAWcHhU1FvwtdWaBeavYopc-_r6EpW-h4VfYo-yt9t0hlf-8oCUmKmA/s1600/Paola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqog8wXH9yrGWhnnXoiLWUB9hR0SjNt3gnWGazCQCwsRtoW1NKFN5vz9VD3-s4Mr2lCajQyRHjF3xFbIUnEu1aAWcHhU1FvwtdWaBeavYopc-_r6EpW-h4VfYo-yt9t0hlf-8oCUmKmA/s1600/Paola.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Paola!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-7kMk5UlspmPyLauxJLEeQr6njJVR7jn8SayzZkDZYv8UOzEozp_UzROS3C7RETLOGq4ypm2rAApMz-nN6OZ7aoIW8a1S-T51HWpw84z3REPPUDxLx7NQ2fhpU8xf3pTbBmqbc-45RY/s1600/Fernando.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-7kMk5UlspmPyLauxJLEeQr6njJVR7jn8SayzZkDZYv8UOzEozp_UzROS3C7RETLOGq4ypm2rAApMz-nN6OZ7aoIW8a1S-T51HWpw84z3REPPUDxLx7NQ2fhpU8xf3pTbBmqbc-45RY/s1600/Fernando.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Fernando, myself, and his pug named Whitey.</td></tr>
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Although I've been living here for over 7 weeks now, I'm still adjusting to the mindset that I live here. This isn't just a trip I'm taking to visit another country. I'm here to live. That's becoming more of a reality every day with walks down to a pulperia, trips to the grocery store, cab rides to the mall, or even short conversations with the guys who guard the gate to my street. I rode a busito down to the main market downtown today, and that trip was definitely an experience that made me feel more comfortable here. I was surrounded by Hondurans, doing something that is so common for them. It's experiences like that that show me God's intent for me to be more intentional about being present here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of half of my street from the gate to my house</td></tr>
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God has deifnitely been working in me through my time here. I struggled with homesickness a lot last month as the new-ness of Honduras had worn off and I really began to crave time with friends and family from back home. It was through that time that God continued to be present and draw me closer to Him. I'm learning about being more and more dependent on the Father, and I feel so blessed to be learning such a wonderful lesson. I would love and appreciate any and all prayers as I continue to see what God has for me here. Thanks again for all of your encouragement and support!Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-28015289398573030412013-09-07T12:18:00.000-07:002013-09-07T12:18:37.611-07:00Shining ThroughIt's hard to believe that I've been here for almost 4 weeks now. On one hand, I feel like I've been living here for so much longer. I have my routines, a job, and amazing friends who I get to work with. On the other hand, I can't begin to comprehend how that much time has gone by already. Whatever the case, it's happened. I've lived here for almost a month. Time is such an interesting concept as it is, but I'm trying to do what I can with my time and make the most of my moments here.<br />
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I haven't done anything too crazy outside of school. I've been to Union church twice now, and I've loved both of my visits. The people are wonderful, and I even got to exchange information with the Barahonas so I can get together with them sometime soon. I've gotten a phone, paid my share of the cable bill, ridden in a few taxis, and experienced more power outages than living four years at MVNU. Last night, I went out with a few friends to watch the Honduras vs. Mexico game (WE WON!!), and after waiting for an hour at Chili's, we went to Denny's. I can tell you that I've never been in a Denny's that was so loud or excited. It was so great.<br />
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School has been going for 2 weeks now, and I have a feeling that I'm really going to enjoy my job. I'm already enjoying working with the teachers and getting to know such a wide age range of students. This week, I pushed into a few classrooms and had conversations with many students. I have no doubt that this is where God has called me. With the one-on-one conversations I've had with a couple students, I am so excited to see how God will move in them throughout this school year. There is one particular student who has A LOT of energy, and I'm thrilled for the opportunity to work with him. I have a good feeling that the Father is going to use my relationship with him in a big way.<br />
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One of my favorite days of school so far was yesterday as we celebrated Children's Day here. After lunch, the students went from classroom to classroom playing games, making hats, and eating lots of candy. I stopped in a second grade classroom to help with making hats and ended up leading the craft after the teacher was called away for a meeting. After there was still no sign of the teacher when school had let out, I lead many students down to the buses and loved being in the company of these second graders.<br />
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A miscommunication and quite a hike later, I walked one student back to the main parking lot to get picked up by his dad (after he told me he rode the bus) and found a different student sitting by herself. Paola's in the second grade class I work with, so I sat down next to her and asked what she was doing. She was waiting for her sister who is in high school (I only figured that out after a lot of English/Spanish misunderstanding and some laughter). I decided to wait with her until her sister came. We talked about what she liked and blew some bubbles. I would say it was my favorite moment of the day. You see, she doesn't appear to have a lot of friends in her class, and she has some trouble walking as well. Yet when I took the time to sit and talk with her, you never would have guessed that there was anything wrong. Paola lit up, laughed, and joked more than I could have ever imagined. As her sister came walking down the sidewalk from the high school, I noticed that she had a lot of difficulty walking as well. She smiled as I introduced myself and said goodbye to my second grader. I'm so looking forward to spending more time with Paola and seeing how I can show her love through giving her more personalized attention.<br />
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Show God's love is sometimes just about being present. I've heard this phrase a lot over the past year or so, but this was so reinforced as I sat and talked with Paola. Her smile was the most beautiful thing I saw that day. God's light was shining through her, and I hope I was shining a little bit too.<br />
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<br />Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-7319550747139723502013-08-25T18:51:00.000-07:002013-08-25T18:51:05.776-07:00I'm a teacher?So I've slacked on blogging this past week, but I'll try to condense things as much as I can so this won't be a super long post.<br />
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Let's backtrack to a week ago where I experience my first church in Honduras. A bus came around to most of the teachers' houses to pick everyone up and took us to a church in el centro called Santidad. On a normal Sunday, the service is only in Spanish, but since the pastor knew a group of us would be coming he had someone translating everything in English for us. The translator was Eduardo who is the recruiter for IST. He actually remembered me from MVNU and I got to take a picture with him after the service so he could send it to Enrique who is the guy I tutored at the Naz who graduated from IST. Long story, but it's still wonderful to see all of the connections God made to bring me to this beautiful country. Anyway, the church service was pretty wonderful as everyone was so welcoming and gracious to us. After church, we went to one of the administrator's houses up at the top of a mountain for lunch. It was a wonderful, relaxing way to spend the afternoon.<br />
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Honestly, this past week is kind of a blur in my mind. Like I said before, I've only been here for a short time, but it feels like it has been a while. I worked another 6 day week because the school had an Open House for most students on Saturday. It made for a rather long week, but a lot was accomplished in that time. I attended more training, met with the vice principal many times to talk about what CIRA (the intervention program) will look like this year, separated and organized all of the materials that were left in my classroom, and divided up the students who will receive intervention services among the three CIRA teachers. I am now so looking forward to meeting students, especially the 16 on my case load. I'll be working with lots of 5th graders, a few 4th graders, and four 2nd graders. I can't wait to put names to faces and start building relationships with them. This week has definitely had its stressful and overwhelming moments, but when I remember that I'll actually get to be teaching soon, it makes it completely worth it. Although I probably won't actually start teaching until next week, the school will be full of students tomorrow. The silence will be replaced with voices, and the chaos and delight of working in an elementary school will start. I'm super nervous but excited to really become a teacher.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from one side of my classroom!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of the Pepsi and Dunkin Donuts plants on the other side of my classroom!</td></tr>
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More on the transition side of things, I think I'm still doing pretty well! My housemate invited people over for dinner a couple nights this past week so I was able to spend some time with people I wouldn't normally. I also went over to a house of some of the other elementary teachers just to hang out and take a night off. We even had people over to the house last night to simply fellowship and play games together. It's been wonderful to see how God has brought everyone here and be able to listen to their stories. I think our community is pretty tight and supportive of one another which is a huge blessing. I'm encouraged by so many of these Christ followers and I'm looking forward to investing more in those friendships.<br /><br />I can't really explain it, but I have a really good feeling about this year. I'm not quite sure what God has in store, but I know that it is something bigger than I could imagine. I mean, He already brought me to Honduras. That was big in and of itself. I know that very difficult times may lie ahead, but I'm just so awestruck by God's majesty and provision that I look forward to seeing the mystery of the future revealed. I pray that God will use me in the lives of my students, the staff, and of the Honduran people who I come in contact with. I pray that He would change me and break me so that I can look more like Him. Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated as I continue to seek God's will in my life here in Honduras!Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-81378836359038627682013-08-17T12:41:00.000-07:002013-08-17T12:41:06.080-07:00The BeginningWell here I am! I've officially be in Honduras for 3 days now although it feels like it has been longer. I think I'm adjusting pretty well to life here now that I'm settled into my room and getting to know the teachers of IST (the school where I'll be teaching) more and more each day. These past few days have been packed with meetings, training, devotions, and lots of food, but everyday I am reminded that this is where I have been called to live and serve.<br />
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I was nervous on Wednesday as I began to take off from the Cleveland airport, but God showed His provision even on my way to Tegucigalpa. On my flight from Houston to Tegus, I met two other teachers going to IST and I was comforted even before I arrived. Once we got to the airport in Tegucigalpa, I was warmly welcomed by my lovely roommates and many other teachers returning to IST. We waited for a couple of other flights to arrive and went back to our houses.<br />
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I live in Casa Naranja, and it truly does have an orange wall facing the street. It's such a cozy little house complete with a place for my hammock out front. I'm sure that it will be an absolutely wonderful home for the year :) The rest of the night was pretty relaxed as we ate with most of the North American teachers who had arrived and talked some about the culture.<br />
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Thursday was our first day at the school, and I can say that IST has the best views of any school that I have ever seen. The campus is absolutely gorgeous with palm trees everywhere with the mountains in the background. During our meetings that day, the new headmaster strongly emphasized how we need to be a Christ-centered school. In order to do that, it is the responsibility of all of the teachers to ensure that Christ is the center of all of our lives. It was absolutely wonderful to be reminded right away of my purpose in working at the school. Not to be a fantastic teacher or become the best in my field, but my focus needs to be on building my life on Christ more and more each day so that I can show Christ's love and compassion to my students.<br />
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This morning after having devotions and a quick faculty meeting discussing the book we all read over the summer, the preschool and elementary staff and teachers did a prayer walk throughout the preschool and elementary school. This time was such a blessing to me. It was a wonderful time to pray for students, parents, staff, and faculty, and to really focus on following God's guidance of the school for the upcoming year.<br />
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In between meetings and time working at school, I have made a Walmart trip, ate a baleada (which was absolutely delicious), played Wii, met Lucy (my roommate's cat who has now joined us), killed a lot of ants, attempted some Spanish, and had conversations on the school bus. It's been a very busy 3 days, but I'm seeing more and more every day of why God has lead me here.<br />
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I love being a part of a school that takes time to pray and be reminded of Who we are serving. I have greatly enjoyed getting to know the hearts of the teachers I will be working with. The love these people have for Christ is simply beautiful. I'm excited to continue to have conversations with people from the school and meet even more people from the community at church tomorrow. I would appreciate prayers as transitioning can still be difficult at times, but thank you so much for encouraging and supporting me already by lifting me up! There will be more to come :)Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897954618820781723.post-22286434687459998022013-08-13T21:18:00.001-07:002013-08-13T21:18:52.462-07:00Waiting in Expectation<span style="background-color: #444444; color: cyan; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">"In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: cyan; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Psalm 5:3<br /><br /> Oh what a day. Today was filled with more packing than I would ever enjoy, saying hard goodbyes to loved ones, and coming to the realization that this is really happening. I'm moving to Honduras tomorrow to teach for two years. I know that I'll be back home to visit within those two years, but to think that I am making such a huge commitment to make a new home in Honduras seems crazy. A few years ago, I never would have even imagined moving more than a few hours away from my family for a job after college. However, while in college God gave me such a deep passion to learn more about His people outside that now I'm traveling the world to do so. To say that I feel completely humbled and blessed to have this opportunity would be a drastic understatement. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> Currently, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, nervous, scared, anxious, and very excited to fly to Honduras. This morning, however, was a quite a different story. All I felt was stressed and scared. There was so much left to do and so little time to complete the list of tasks in front of me. Then I looked at my phone and saw that I had an event on my calendar. When I decided to take this teaching position in Honduras and booked my flight, I put an event in my phone so I wouldn't forget the day I would leave (not that I could have anyway). The event was titled "Leave to fulfill God's calling". Although I was still stressed throughout the day, those words stuck in my head. No matter went wrong or right in the last day before I would leave, I would still be leaving to fulfill God's calling in my life. I know that God lead me to teach in Honduras, and that has been confirmed so much even since signing my teaching contract. I know this is what He has for me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> And so now I wait. As I began talking to God this morning, Psalm 5:3 came to mind. I am confident that He has me going to Honduras for reasons that have yet to be revealed. As I pray that God will use me in ways far greater than I could ever imagine, I will wait in expectation to see how He will begin to reveal His plans for my life in Honduras. I expect Him to change me. To break me. To use me. To show me His love for people. To better love a different group of people. To teach me more than I thought I could ever know. I will lay my requests before God and wait in expectation. I am so excited to start this adventure and strive to glorify the Father every step of the way. Because none of this is for me, but all for His glory. </span></span>Elizabeth Lovejoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10064514029122488631noreply@blogger.com0