Posted in General Posts by Amy Christian on 7/1/2009
Kelly Kramp and I had gone to Maxi Bodega (aka Wal Mart) to get supplies that morning and also to Pollo Campero (fast food chicken restaurant with internet) to get the lesson and activities ready. My mom and her friend at work helped us out on finding the song ¨Zacchaeus was a Wee Little Man¨ in Spanish. The kids were excited to see us return to the orphanage. Today was our first day of VBS (Vacation Bible School). They came running down the steps of the unkept orphanage hugging us so tightly while a few of the shyer ones smiled at a distance. We all gathered on cement basketball court/ soccer field. The kids of all various ages sat down ready for what we had. Kelly did a great job of telling the story in Spanish and using the kids to act it out. We also had a short cartoon in Spanish about Zacchaeus that we watched off of my laptop followed by a few songs. We had made bookmarks for the kids with Jeremiah 29:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. They had fun coloring the words. While some kids colored, others played soccer, and most of the girls let us paint their finger nails. They enjoyed getting their nails painted. Their faces lit up while they were getting painted. They felt just as pretty as they are. They all wanted their picture taken once their nails were painted.
Here are some other random things we did while in Puerto Barrios:
-Went to the trash dump, gave out food and scripture. Some people went back to give more food and minister. It was really sad to see the way they lived.
-We spent some time with Pastor Willy, the pastor of El Cavario in Santa Thomas. He even asked Jared and me to go to the church early one night to pray with him before the service. Jared got to spend some good time talking to him. A man from their church asked if Jared was a Pastor. He had a good word for us and so did Pastor Willy a week before.
-Jared & I went the dentist and got cavities filled; afterward the dentist and Freddie took us to get a coconut to drink and to get a piñata for Rachel's b-day. We went back to the dentist a few times to say hello and to take Marissa to get her teeth worked on. The dentist wife took me on her bike to the laundry mat.
-Rachel Richard and Scott Sexton had a birthday so we had two b-day parties. We had a lot of fun and spent a lot of time hitting the pinata. We had a lot of kids that came up and took turns as well. Here's a picture of the food I got at Scott's B-day dinner.
-Two guys, Josiah and Ryan have spent a couple weeks with us.
They are from South Carolina and are spending their summer in Central America. They are walking and only have their backpack... no money, just faith. Jared got to spend a lot of time with Josiah. Look, they even have matching shoes haha. Our team will def miss them. Their flights leave out of Honduras. Please pray that they will make it back into Honduras safely. Their passports are being kept safe with some friends in Honduras, so we are praying they can make it back into the country w/o them. It's another story of how they even got into Guatemala. They are with us right now in Antigua.
-Jared and I spent a lot of time with a tourist named Freddie. We met him at the dentist office. He's friends with the dentist and he came in to interpret for us. He was so nice and took us all over on his motor cycle. We all three squeezed on his two seat bike, nothing unusual around there though. He also took several people to the doctor, including Jared. One night he interpreted a service that we did, asking for nothing in return. Jared, Josiah, and I went to church service with Freddie and his family the last Sunday we were there. It was so amazing. The music was good and loud and a lot of the people were dancing around.
-I got to spend some time with a lady named Natalie that we ran into on the streets, who happened to know English. I was able to hear her amazing story and pray with her.
-We left Puerto Barrios June 29 at 2 am and took a bus to Guatemala City, arriving around 7 or 8 am. We met with the rest of the I Squad at a seminary and spent the night there. It was really nice being back with everyone. Because of the problems going on in Honduras we're not able to travel through to Nicaragua. We are now in Antigua, arriving July 2. The weather is much cooler here than in Puerto Barrios... PRAISE GOD! We will get to hang out with the October Squad who is now on their 10th
month. They are here for debrief, meaning we'll also get to spend time with some of the World Race leaders.
We will be here around a week as they decide on the safest way to get us into Nicaragua, prob by plan or boat so we don't have to go through Honduras.
Thanks for all your prayers. As many of you know, many people have been sick. Everyone is doing MUCH better now. Also, if you have a facebook and we're not friend on their yet ask to be mine. I am always posting a few sentences of what we're doing.
Posted in General Posts by Amy Christian on 6/12/2009
Guatemala is extremely beautiful; there are mountains, trees, water and little Guatemalans everywhere! We spent the first week (for our last training period) in Panajachel. It's a busy tourist spot. Most of the tourist that come here are hippies. The Guatemalans line the main street with baskets or small stands ready to sell their handmade crafts. There's so much bartering for every item there, even the food. Our team would get excited, thinking that we made a good deal only to realize we were still over priced on many things. Though many of the people there are Christians there is much oppression. There were so many demonic wooden carvings in many of the stands. There are a lot of drugs in Guatemala. They would even sell tools to use the drugs on the streets. We were continually praying in the Spirit and in our understanding.
The kids were so sweet. There were a few of the kids that would follow us around everywhere, while we were grocery shopping, just walking around, or even while we were in a teaching session. Sometimes they would come in and sit while we had our session and sometimes they would sit by the glass door looking in and giggling, and one boy,Jose, would give an occasional spider man reenactment as if he was shooting his spider web.
Some of the little boys that would shine shoes for money would follow us around and lick their finger and put it on their eye pretending they were crying saying "we so poor, so poor." We would just laugh and play with them, always making sure they had more than enough food.
The Guatemalans are so little. There were two ladies that I would always stop to talk to (the best I could) and pray for. I would say loud in the street "does anyone know both Spanish and English" and someone would always come happily to practice their English.
One was a 20 year old who would always have her baby in a sling behind her back. The second time I saw her she got angry with me for not giving her money and as I was walking with the rest of the group she ran up behind me and punched me hard in my rear end haha. I was shocked as I turned around to see that it was the little lady that I had been talking with and she followed us for a while speaking harshly in her language at me. It was funny, kind of scary/weird at the time though. A few days later she asked me to pray for her after she saw me pray for another lady!
The other lady I prayed for was an older woman on the streets selling hand made bracelets, scarves, ect. I believe she said she was 77 years old. She had a pin on her shirt of a crucifix. I asked her if Jesus was in her heart and she said yes. It was so amazing how I was able to talk to her. I first did my usual (does anyone here speak both Spanish and English) and a young Christian man selling in a booth close by came to me. We realized that the old lady didn't speak much Spanish either. She spoke a native tongue. All the sudden the lady who had hit me a few days before began interpreting this native tongue. So through the two people I was able to talk to the older lady and ask her if I could pray for her. Becky and I laid hands on her and began to pray as tears filled her eyes. We spoke life into her body, soul, and spirit. After we prayed she was so happy that she leaned in and gave us both a kiss. It was so sweet as my cheek was sucked in, only held out by her one tooth. The next day as we were walking the streets she saw me again. She was sitting on a curb selling items out of her basket and she motioned me towards her. She quickly grabbed me, hugged me and gave me another kiss. Before I left, she grabbed my hand and placed one of the bracelets on my arm that she made. I began to tell her that I didn't want to buy one thinking she was selling it, but she let me know she was just wanting to give it to me. WOW! That really spoke to my heart. The only thing I think she knew in English that she would keep telling me was "I'm so poor, so poor." Knowing she had near nothing she still gave me something. That showed so much love to me.
Our time there was great. We were able to relax some, get good teaching, and worship together with our whole squad.
After that week was over we drove to Purto Barrios with team Neon. We have been doing various forms of ministry. We have worked on a house for a family, building them a fence and putting a water tank up and a gutter to catch the rainfall to fill the tank. Jared was amazing at the gutter by the way. They build their gutters with PVC pipe... (I'll try to get pics up of it). We have also played with kids at an orphanage and tonight we're going to love on the prostitutes. They made cookies to give them and we've also bought flowers. We're going to tie with ribbon some scriptures for them. I'm excited to see what scriptures the team used and how they look. I've been doing our teams laundry today and I haven't seen them yet. I know they'll be great though!
I'm going to add some pictures, so go check them out!
Posted in General Posts by Amy Christian on 6/4/2009
We had a great time in Boston! We stayed with Hannah Olsen who is also on the World Race with us and her mom. They were such great host! We got everything we needed to get done there, plus had a great time of walking around the town. We ate breakfast with Hannah's friends one morning in a cute little restaurant and got to see the ocean at the "Fisher's Memorial."
We picked up two other World Racers while we were there, Leigh and Erin. We had a great time spending the day with them walking the streets and riding the trains.
We went to a Burger place for our last dinner in America. We met a man on the train and he gave us 20% off coupons to eat at the burger place he worked at. Boy, was it good! I was so thankful, because I had told our friends that I was craving a burger for dinner. The man also offered to buy our drinks! I was so excited to get one last sweet tea in before I left, but I don't quiet think (most) the people in Boston understand "sweet tea." After explaining what I wanted he took off to the convenient store that was next door and bought a bottle of Nestea and poured it over a glass of ice. Not exactly what I was wanting haha.
They had different kinds of burgers all named after a certain region. I got the plain American burger. When they brought it out it had a toothpick in it with an American flag. I was so excited to have that to take with me to remember America for the next year. I also asked for a Texas flag... since they had the Texas Burger, a way to remember home for the next year!
Boston was definitely WAY different than Texas. Tons of fun, tons of history, tons of people, tons of beauty, but not home. Great place for a vacation though!
We got to the airport on the 30th around 9pm. We met with some of our team and waited for the other to fly in. I think I was the first to go to sleep in the airport. I pulled out my sleeping pad and bag under the escalator and went right to sleep! Our flight left at 7am on the 31st. We made one last stop in TEXAS at the Houston airport and then we flew off to Guatemala City and drove another 3 hrs on the crazy streets to our hotel.
I had to write this blog fast, b/c I don't have much battery time left on my lap top. I'll get another blog up soon about Guatemala. We are leaving the place we're at on Saturday to go somewhere on the Coast. A man has a radio station and we'll be helping him with whatever he needs. I heard it will be evangelizing and some minor construction (prob) things can also change here on the race! Thanks for all your prayers. Please pray that we find a good way to get to this other city on the coast and that we get there safely. Guatemala has some crazy drivers :)
Posted in General Posts by Amy Christian on 4/13/2009
Thank you everyone who has been praying for us and supporting us financially!
Jared and I need a total of $27,600 for our trip. Currently we have a total of $8,695.00 in our account.
PRAISE GOD!
We still need $18,365.00 in our account to reach our total goal for the entire trip.
$27,600.00 Total Trip Cost
-$ 8,695.00 Current AIM Account Balance
$18,365.00 Needed to Cover Total Cost of Trip
Our current needs for the trip:
We are scheduled to leave on our trip June 1, 2009. We have a May 15 deadline for 60% of the total funds to be in the AIM account. 60% of $27.600.00 = $16,560.00
Minus what we already have, we still need $7,865.00 to reach the May 15th goal. If you would like to contribute, you may do so by clicking the link to the left "Support Me" or contacting Jared or me directly. We would appreciate your prayers as we continue to have faith that this money will be provided.
More Blessings:
Also, thank you to everyone who have given directly to Jared and me for supplies, shots, insurance, ect. My backpack was bought for me by some dear friends and I like it sooo much!!! Here's a picture of me with my backpack on right before we left for training camp. Wow, it was so heavy and that was only for 10 days.
There is a shoe, a sandal rather, that the World Racers highly recommend. I'm proud to show you a picture of my new Chaco Sandals! I thought they were so ugly at first, but they grew on me. They're so comfortable, durable, and... they make me feel more like a World Racer! )
Posted in General Posts by Amy Christian on 4/8/2009
Meet my new team, Agape8! They're amazing!
Scott (the tall one) on top, then Jared and Dan (the two married men), Amy (me) and Beckey (the two wives), Amanda (the 7th grade Social Studies teacher), Rachel (works in the family business some...they have the finest of meats), and Patricia (another teacher and she's also an amazing singer).
In this picture we were bowling. Once they told everyone who was teamed up with who they told us to go out and make a memory with our team. So...we went bowling and ate at some chicken place.
Our team name is Agape8. Christ love is what is compelling us to go around the world sharing that love and telling them about Jesus! Someone even said that the theme for the WR June '09 Squad was LOVE! And well, there's 8 of us on our team and that's where we get the 8 at the end of Agape. Christ love is compelling all 8 of us to do this and to also grow together as a community, a family, well...just being the church!
They are amazing and they are my family! I'm looking forward to spending the ups and the downs with them this coming year!
Posted in General Posts by Amy Christian on 4/2/2009
Healing, deliverance, and restoration.
Those are the three words I use to describe training camp. It's been so amazing to see people open and receive things they've never been taught before and let go of things they've been holding for way too long....knowingly and unknowingly.
Oh what sweet peace and joy that soon filled the room after the healing and restoration had come. Tears of sadness, shame, and hurting soon turned into tears of joy, righteousness, and for some for the first time knowing they're loved and called the sons and daughters of the Most High!
The teachers and staff are AMAZING here! They are not afraid to speak the truth, but when they do, they do it in sooo much LOVE!
It's so amazing seeing people from all backgrounds and denominations coming together in unity. And for my brothers and sisters on the June '09 team, well words can't describe how incredible they are. I love them all!
Jared and I had a prolonged time getting to camp b/c of flight problems so we got there the next afternoon. O and by the way, we got to stay in amazing hotel/resort/or something of the sort! It was even nicer than all the resorts in Cancun that we saw on our honeymoon. I had no idea this area was even in Dallas. PRAISE GOD! We were able to be there for four hours until we had to catch a bus back to the airport. We slept deep there!
When we arrived at training camp and they were in the middle of a teaching session. We grabbed some food they saved for us (thank you AIM staff) and snuck in to eat and listen. When we walked through those doors I felt such a strong presence of God's love and family. What a sweet family I have and I've fallen even more in love with them this past week. They are filled with the Spirit of the living God and it radiates from them!
The girls are amazing here! We've been able to minister to one another and speak life and blessing over each other. This is one thing that AIM leadership asked us to do each evening on the World Race to end the day. It's so encouraging! As for the guys, the are so great! They are a picture of what men of God should look like. Thanks guys!!!
God is so good! I've never connected with people this fast before. Now that the restoration has come we will be able to minister more effectively and I know God will bring more restoration and unity to us throughout the year. I'm ready for the next two months to fly by so I can be back with my World Race Family being the church together around the world!
Ok...so I'll be home late Sunday night from training camp. It's been amazing and I def have more blogs just about what all God did at training camp in more detail.
Posted in General Posts by Amy Christian on 3/27/2009
Hey everyone!
Just wanted to let everyone know that we're going to training camp today (March 27)!!! We leave Midland at 9:55 am and we will return next Sunday April 5. Jared's in the bedroom right now packing and me, well I'm taking a break! It's hard to pack for 10 days in only a backpack....and I'm going to have to do it for 11 months ahhh. We'll be in Gainesville, GA for training and it's suppose to be raining a lot and highs only in the 60's. We are sooo excited to be there and meet everyone! A lot of the girls who are going have been talking on facebook a lot, so it's been nice to get to know them a little before training camp. This week all we've (the girls) been talking about is how are we going to pack using only a backpack and what are we going to pack. It will be fun seeing what all "stuff" we didn't even need.
Right now it's 4:30 am...(I know Mom, don't even say anything, I'll sleep on the way)! I'm so tired I'm not even thinking straight right now, much less writing correct senteces or even making any sense.
I'm watching a moth walk around on the computer screen and it keeps distracting me from getting this blog sent out :) I'm also listening to Jared behind me as he's getting all his meds...you know, his probiotics, vitamin, fish oil...who knows what else, prob some stuff for me to take as well.
I better get off and finish so I can get a little bit of sleep, but I just wanted to fill everyone in on what we're doing!
Hope you all have a good time, until we chat again!
Posted in General Posts by Amy Christian on 2/18/2009
Ok... So when we first found out our race route to be honest I was a little disappointed. I was excited about some of the places we were going, esp. Mozambique (I've been wanting to go there for a few years now) but, I had a huge desire to go to Thailand and work with getting the girls out of the sex trade, to speak life to them, to let them know their true value, to tell them about their Creator and the love He has for them. It's been on my heart more and more and the I'm constantly reading blogs of people who have been there and who are there right now. I'm talking to everyone I run into about those girls and also about human trafficking.
I knew that God was going to take me there, but I just didn't know when. I'm constantly praying and crying out for them.
I saw that the July WR team was going to be going to Thailand and also to Israel, which Jared and I have both been wanting to go to. When Jared and I were praying about which month we should apply for we were deciding between June and July. When I saw that the July race route was going to both of those places I thought, had I missed it God, were we suppose to go on that team esp. since the girls in Thailand are on my heart all the time? God do I need to see if we can change months, or am I just being selfish, wanting to go where I "want" to go? I talked to Jared about it some and I prayed about it. I felt that we were suppose to stay and just trust God. I just put it all in God's hands, but I was still praying for the Thai girls.
Well...I just found out that we had a change in our race route. I was shocked! We are now going to both Israel and Thailand. I was sooo excited! I could hardly believe it. God is sooo good. God has put those girls on my heart for a reason, He is already preparing me to minister to them, I am already praying and speaking the Word over them!
A lovely lady named Peaches once told me that she knew God was going to take me to Israel one day. I never had a huge desire to go there until she told me that. I knew it was true once she spoke it out, a few years later... I'm getting to go. PRAISE GOD!
God is sooo good, sooo faithful, and He knows the end from the beginning!
Here's our new RACE ROUTE:
Guatemala. The nation of Guatemala is a
region known for its spectacular beauty, volcanic ranges, rich cultural
heritage and Mayan roots. Temple ruins from the past speckle the
landscape and stand as tributes to the historical significance of the
country's spiritual history. Guatemalans are people of art and
expression; yet, very few see the beauty around them as evidence of a
divine Creator.
Nicaragua
The nation of Nicaragua has been heralded as one of the poorest
regions in the Western Hemisphere. Homelessness, slums, addictions,
destitution, poverty and a severe lack of medical, educational and
spiritual resources make Nicaragua a challenging environment to
communicate hope. Yet, God's love is reaching the far corners of the
country in miraculous ways.
Romania
The northern regions of Romania are home to the gypsy people of
Romania. Strangers in their homeland, they are segregated, ostracized
and forgotten. Yet, they are a strong, proud and vibrant people who are
beginning to embrace the light of Christ in a whole new way. Teaching
English, leading sports camps, and planting churches are but a few of
the tasks set before us as we enter this area of the world.
Ukraine
The developing country of the Ukraine stands caught between its past
oppression under the U.S.S.R. communist regime and the desire to be
accepted into the Western world. The forgotten and marginalized of
this area are quick to be found if one looks close enough. Come be a
part of a revolution, taking back a region from the bondage of Islam
and other folk religions. It's a new day for the countries of Eastern
Europe!
Israel
Israel is the epicenter for pilgrimages worldwide. The Holy Land
attracts Jews, Arabs and Christians alike to be a part of a location so
rich in our combined religious roots. Serve in this new World Race
location while walking the paths that Christ Jesus once did.
Mozambique/Malawi
Enter a world of lions, elephants and monkeys, and welcome to Africa.
Potentially the most fruitful of mission fields, northern Mozambique
and Malawi is seeing sweeping revival in the form of mass conversions,
miracles, and churches planted on a daily basis. Teams will be a part
of breaking the hold of fear on the people bound by witch doctors and
animism.
Swaziland
Swaziland made history by being the first country to reach a 51%
HIV/AIDS infection rate across the general population. Through lack of
education, superstition and other such deceptions, it is speculated
that in 50 years, the country will no longer exist. Though small,
Swaziland has great potential to spread the light of Christ to all of
Africa.
Malaysia/Indonesia
Enter a world entrenched in Islam. A people with the thriving
metropolis of Kuala Lampur, Malaysians still live in ignorance of the
Good News of Jesus Christ. Delve into this culture of works-based
religion, strong self-discipline, and uncanny faith, while delivering
hope and pointing the people to their Redeemer.
The 17,508 islands that make up the nation of Indonesia are as diverse
as their population. Certain areas are completely untouched by outside
influences; others carry the exposure, even if only for a moment, of
the Gospel story. Be prepared to explore uncharted territories and
forgotten areas to further the cause of the kingdom of God.
Philippines
The Philippines exists as an Asian nation marked by notable Spanish
influences. The Catholic church and the Spanish derivative of Tagalog
(the national language) display a developed and developing front. Yet,
the Filipino people are in need of truth to combat their folk religions
and deceptive fronts, allowing them to understand God's greater
purposes for their lives. They are a strong, beautiful people found in
a marvel of God's creation that includes volcanic lakes, island
beaches, beautiful mountains, etc.
Thailand
Even though the official law states that prostitution is illegal, it is
estimated that nearly 2 million women and men engage in this practice
daily thus creating the lucrative sex industry of Southeast Asia. In
addition to reaching out to the rural communities of Thailand, we go to
the streets, into the darkest of spiritual environments to share what
is most needed: hope. By helping women learn practical vocational
skills and providing an alternative form of income, the face of
Thailand's premiere sex industry is being changed one life at a time.
Posted in General Posts by Amy Christian on 12/23/2008
I'm sooo exicted about this Christmas! I'm going to fill you in on our Plans for Christmas and New Years. I will try to post another blog with more details & pictures. First....We're (my mom, Jared, and I) going to Ronnie's (my dad-in-law) on the 24th (Christmas Eve) and eating lunch there in Blanco, TX. After we spend time there for a few hours we're going to my mom-in-law's house in another small coutry town, Hallettsville, TX. I'm so excited we're going to be able to spend time with ALL (trust me, it's big) of Jared's side of the family. They're all amazing and I love them so much! I love how they have such a big family. I grew up in a small family, but I love being around a lot of people! Then, on the 26th we're going to my sister's and her family in Tyler, TX! Woo hoo! This is the first time Jared and I will be going to my sister's together! I'm so excited to see them all. I miss them O so much!
Ok, there's more. My mom's staying at my sister's for the week and Jared and I are getting up really and are headed to Kansas City, MO. We're going to the One Thing Conferece with IHOP (International House of Prayer) It's going to be amazing..check out more about it at www.ihop.org. I went w/my friend Cari two years ago and it was that most amazing conference I've ever been too, really! Jared and I will be staying w/ a really sweet family that I met online 2 years ago (that's who Cari & I stayed with) through www.couchsurfing.com. It's a great way to find a free place to stay! I'm sooo thankful that we're able to stay with them this year as well, they are so welcoming! Jessica Phillip from the World Race is going to try to come to the One Thing Conferense as well (at least part of It). I am sooooo sooo so excited about that! I really want to meet her as well as the rest of our team. I think it would be way cool to meet some of our WR family before training camp! After we bring in the New Year at the Conference we're going to stay with Rachel Richard from the WR in Tulsa. I'm soo pumped about getting to meet & stay with her! Ok...and finally, we're getting to stay at my cousins! They are Pastors of a church and we're really excited to spend time & go to church with them. Then we'll be making our way back home to Midland, TX! We'll be driving over 2100. I'll try and be good about taking pics so I can post them for you all to see! Please pray for our travels & for us to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in all that we do while we're gone!
Posted in General Posts by Amy Christian on 12/3/2008
Our One Year Anniversary
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give me the desires of my heart.
Psalm 37:4
I know this verse to be true time and time again. I am so in awe of how great our Abba Father is!
October 13, 2008 marked the day of our one year anniversary. Jared knew this day meant a lot to me and that I was wanting to do something special. I was blown away by how special he made it for me!
I wasn't thinking we were going to be able to do much of anything. I thought about what I would like to do, but at the same time I was looking at our checking account. Silly me to be limiting our amazing Father. God knew the desires of my heart before I even told Him.
So here's what happened:
We got to go exactly where I was wanting to go, Ruidoso, NM! We stayed at a nice, huge house in a really nice neighborhood. An amazing family from my mom's church was letting us stay there, however long we wanted, for a really cheap amount (only the clean up fee). I was so excited and so thankful, knowing that was God who did that. Wait, it gets better. Once we got there we noticed the cleaning lady hadn't come from the last people that stayed there, seeing the sheets taken off the bed and their check still there. We called the family who owned the house, not knowing what to do and guess what...we got to stay there for FREE (I think 3 nights)!! Wow, God had really blown me away.
I had packed a lot of food so we wouldn't have to eat out all the time, then Jared surprised me. A dear friend of Jared's gave him $100.00 for us to go out to eat at a nice resturaunt. At this point, I could of cried... me not cooking, oh so heavenly! Everything was going beyond what I had asked for. I didn't pack anything real nice to wear, thinking we wouldn't eat at a nice place, so I got to go out and buy a new shirt for dinner!
I had a blast!! We got to go shopping and hiking! Everything I wanted to do and more (I actually got to buy something instead of just look haha). Jared found a GREAT deal on a backpack for the World Race that was 1/2 off. PRAISE GOD! It was incredible!
On the day we were leaving we were going to take hike for about an hour and it ended up taking six hours. That's a whole story in itself. It was fun though!
We took our trip the week before our actual aniversary date. I thought we wouldn't do anything execpt maybe eat out on the real date b/c we already had a great time! But no, Jared went far above and beyond what I would of ever thought!
You know that dear friend of Jared's I was talking about earlier that gaves us $100.00 to eat, well he was so sweet to the both of us. He owns a cute local Italian restuant, that just happens to be my favorite resturaunt. He let us eat there for FREE! Not only that, when we got there, they took us to our table pulled out our chairs for us. I have NEVER felt so special as I'm looking at our table with a huge vase of roses sitting there! God was showing me how special of a daughter I was to Him. I really felt like a Princess! I looked at the roses in awe and shock knowing that Jared didn't get those for me b/c he already got me some pretty purple (my fav color) flowers that day. That's right, I got two bouquets of flowers that night! Jared also got me a cute jacket I had been wanting. Jared and I were both treated royally that night! We got to eat whatever we wanted and they even brought us a "special" dessert out!
God truly does know the desires of our heart and He loves to treat us royally!
Look, they even have matching shoes haha. Our team will def miss them. Their flights leave out of Honduras. Please pray that they will make it back into Honduras safely. Their passports are being kept safe with some friends in Honduras, so we are praying they can make it back into the country w/o them. It's another story of how they even got into Guatemala. They are with us right now in Antigua. 
Romania
Israel
Mozambique/Malawi
Malaysia/Indonesia
