I'm going to be a mom!!

...seriously!!

[October 2010]

Those of you who have been following my World Race blog this past year probably already know that the Lord is calling me back to Honduras to be a mother to a 14-year old boy, Luis. I have told his story before, but I will tell it again...

First, let me paint a picture of where he lives...

Luis lives in Los Pinos, a mountain village just outside of the bustling capital of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The community he lives in does not have running water, electricity, trash services, waste removal, public education, etc. Many of the people are unemployed because there are very few job opportunities available. Most cannot afford to feed their families. Parents often send their children out to beg or dig through the local dump to find food. There are many broken homes and children living on the streets. People turn to paint thinner (a highly addictive drug) because it is cheap and easy to get and it numbs their hunger. It is one of the most dangerous communities in Central America with a lot of gangs and violence.

[Los Pinos]

This is his story...

Luis lives with his very sweet, 85-year-old grandmother (dad's mom) and 15-year-old sister, Fanny, in a small shack with a tin roof and a dirt floor. His dad lives about 2 hours away and Luis only sees him about once a month. His mom disowned him at a young age and tells him often that she doesn't love him. She lives only a few houses down the hill with her youngest daughter, Elizabeth Nicole. Luis always told us she was his cousin. Turns out they have the same mother. He was trying to hide the pain. The fact that his mother abandoned him hurts my heart so deeply. Nobody should have to deal with that. I can't even comprehend it. It's just not fair.

[Luis & abuela]

I have never loved someone as much as I love Luis. During one of our last days together (in October 2010), we were talking and I told him how much I love him and that I wish he was my son. At that point, we were both crying. He hugged me tighter and I just held him as we both cried and I prayed over him.

I can feel deep down in my core that God is preparing me to be a mom for Luis when I move back to Honduras in January. This is not normal. I'm 24 years old and have no experience as a mother, especially to a teenage boy that doesn't know English! It's terrifying, crazy, and exciting all at the same time!!

------------------------------

I was able to return to Honduras for a short 2-week visit in September 2011 immediately following the World Race--I didn't even see my own family first! It was an amazing trip filled with tons of laughter, fellowship, prayer, and some serious confirmation from the Lord. I know that is exactly where He wants me to be in the next step of my life!

[September 2011]

Follow my blog for more details about my journey, adventures, support needs, stories, and more information about the ministry I will be partnering with in Honduras in January 2012!! Please partner with me in prayer during this time of preparation for the next season of my life!!