GRADUATION!

School is over until January, and we're all so ready for a break. Enjoy some pictures from graduation! :)

Nilsy and Oscar, the graduates

Folding the Honduran flag

North American Teachers

Oscar and Brayan

The ants go marching one by one......  

(The cutest skit ever!)

We celebrated the close of this semester with our 2008 Graduation ceremony! Today, two of our Hondurans graduated from High School, a great success and honor in this country. They will go on to attend college soon. They have been properly prepared to move on in life and they both seem to be excited about the future. 

Enjoy some pictures below and praise God with us as we send off Nilsy and Oscar into the real world. :)

A break down story

About a week and half ago, I broke down. I was totally and completely overwhelmed with everything in my life. From work, to family, to friends, to all things personal, Satan really got the best of me and I just lost it. (I thank God for a friend that was there at just the right moment and brought me exactly what I needed to recoup.) I knew that I was on my way to a break down, but I have yet to learn how to stop the process of a break down. someday.

As I have just become vulnerable with the whole world by posting this blog, I'm so much ok with that. Why? Because I'm a Christian. But don't Christians have it all together? you ask yourself. No!

Guess what? Being a Christian doesn't mean the hard times will go away. In fact, it's Biblically know that they will come! James reminds us to "Consider it all joy, my brethern, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." (James 1:2-3) My faith has certainly been tested and I'm feeling the work of building endurance as I type this. We know that when we endure under the trials we will "be approved and receive the crown of life which the Lord promises to those who love Him." (James 1:12) 

Guess what else? Christians are not perfect. If we were, we wouldn't need a Savior. 

Really. What is the purpose of a perfect and Holy Savior if I have it all figured out? He becomes nothing if I know everything and have it all together. I don't, so it's a good thing I have a Savior who knows it all. Jesus Himself makes this very clear to us: "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick" (Matthew 9:12). I'm sick, aren't we all? I need a Savior, don't we all.

During the break down, God held me all the way. He is still holding me. He's never let me go, even when I scream and try to twist myself out of His grip, He says: "No, Shelly, no! I love you, and you aren't getting away! Never! So stop trying." 

AMAZING. Simply amazing. 

LOVE. Simply Love. 

Salvation: God brings home one more!

It's been over two years since I began to pray for a specific teenager in this ministry and for God to bring salvation to this teen. 

Guess what? GOD DID! He did! Recently this teen accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and is now beginning a new life by living for Jesus. 

I would say that over the past year or so, I have seen a gradual but drastic change in this young persons life. 

When I first joined WGO, this young teenager and I had a bit of a head-on collision. I found this teen doing something that I thought was questionable, so I took it to leadership. There was confrontation and it was not pleasant. Let's just say that for about the next year, this teen didn't speak to me. So, I began to speak to God. Daily, almost, begging God to take away the evil that I was seeing in the heart and life of this teen.

Now, things are so different. One day, about a year or more ago, this teen began to come around toward me. I could tell things were still not the same in this formerly harden heart. My prayers continued. 

I remember specifically praying through one of the Psalms (one of the smaller numbered Psalms) but I can't remember which one now. I was praying for Satan to be cast out and way from tempting this person into believing the lies that we believe and the temptation we fall into.

I just know that God was working in this teens life from the moment of birth: calling, pursuing and tapping on the heart. Just in God's perfect timing, this now Child of God, turned over the old way of life and now lives for the life everlasting!

PRAISE GOD! Join me in prayer and praise for the salvation of one more. We now have one more to join us in eternity, for eternity Praise our glorious God and Savior for ever and ever!

PRAISE YOUR NAME JESUS!

Jephthah: a Hebrews 11–Hero of the Faith

God's word is so clear. 

Our pastor here in Teguc, of Union Christian Church, has been taking us on a "Journey with God" by highlighting a different "hero" of the faith from Scripture each week.

Each week has left a particular impact on certain parts of my life, after taking a deeper look at specific, sometimes the lesser mentioned, heroes of the faith. 

JEPHTHAH was the topic of conversation this week. 

Check it out in Judges 11, that's where we spent most of our time today. 

Once we began reading the text for today, the story struck a familiar cord with me, but I will never look at it the same again. 

Hum, to make a long sermon short let me just say this:

Jephthah's word was GOLD. Those are not my words, but solid and very true words they are. 

After you read the text you will be able to see that this man of God made a vow to the Lord. He promised God something: "If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering."

God give the Ammonites over to Jephthah. 

Jephthah went home and his only daughter came running out of the home with tambourines to meet him after his victory. His only CHILD!  This was it – her – she must sacrifice her! wow!

And he does. By Faith, he sacrificed and kept his vow to the Lord. 

Did he make a rash vow? A vow and promise without thinking? 

Scripture says that the "Spirit of the Lord" came upon him, he did some things and then made this vow. 

He followed through, by the power and strength of Jesus Christ on his vow he made to the Lord, he sacrificed his only daughter. 

Talk about integrity! Talk about a man of God! Talk about walking by faith! How exciting to get the heaven one day and meet this guy. Yes, you too, child of God, will get to meet people like this. 

He made the Hebrews 11 "Heroes of the Faith." He's one of those that the writer of Hebrews mentions toward the end (11:32) among those that the writer "finds time failing him" to write about several other heroes.