Inspirational Memes

Inspirational Memes

Introducing: my new "hobby." I'm using photos taken locally, and adding Bible verses, familiar phrases from hymns, and Christian quotes, to create inspirational memes to share on Facebook.

This is my first attempt. Hope you like it!

When you see one of these memes on Facebook, and you take a moment to "like" or "share" it, that helps spread the word about our ministry. We appreciate your help with this!

 - posted by Trish

The View from Kelsea: Regarding the Backpack Project

A backpack: what a simple thing. I remember the first time I was exposed to the Sowers4Pastors backpack program - I was helping to load filled and ready-to-go backpacks into a minivan at Lighthouse Church in Maryland.  I knew that they were specially packed for certain children by their sponsors, but that was about as much thought as I had given to them. After all, it’s just a backpack, right?

Fast forward three months. I found myself in a van bumping along the roads of rural Honduras on my way to distribute backpacks for the first time. As I looked out my window, I saw a variety of houses. Some were more strongly built: a shell made of mud bricks that were neatly stuccoed on the outside, concrete floors, actual windows or doors, a mostly intact roof, small enough to have only one room and a kitchen, and wired primitively for electricity.

Then there were the other houses: a partial frame of mud bricks supplemented by worn metal roofing, dirt floors, and very small with no windows or doors. I saw children walking to school in clean but used school uniforms that were usually either too small or too large on their small, thin frames. And on the same stretch of road, I saw other children who looked like they hadn’t bathed in weeks sitting in front of their houses wearing dusty, torn clothing, silently watching us drive by.

Something about what I was seeing didn’t sit well with me and being the problem solver that I am, I began thinking immediately about what could be done differently to change the scene I was witnessing. As I asked questions, it became clear. The main need in rural Honduras is education. Yes, well-rounded meals, better housing, clean water, medical services, bridges, churches etc. are important and much needed, but the way to truly eliminate the poverty of these areas is through educating the people.

Many in these areas don’t make it past the sixth grade, and as a result are unable to get steady jobs so they cannot afford the supplies to put their children through school.  This sets the children up to repeat the cycle and they end up in the same situation as their parents.

So, when we arrived at the church and began to hand out backpacks, I no longer saw just a simple backpack full of random school supplies. I saw an opportunity for each one of these children to stay in school another year, and in doing so, take one more step toward changing their communities. It’s a huge goal, a long and difficult process, and a cycle that will take a couple generations to change, but it can be done and it begins with a backpack.

 - posted by Kelsea

Taking a drive on the wild side

As I drove Ben to school this morning, we noticed that damage from last night's torrential rain was unusually apparent. We saw several minor rock and dirt slides, places where debris had been washed all over the roads, and lots of new potholes. The rivers were very full, and running tremendously fast - and clearly they had, in several places, come up out of their banks onto the roads during the night.

I decided to document some of that this morning . . . and then I got the totally brilliant idea to go home by a different route, where I would have to travel on dirt roads the whole way home. That, I thought, would assure me of some especially impressive photo opportunities. It might have been wise to consider the fact that my original route of the morning did not require me to actually ford any of the rivers, and this route would . . . but that didn't occur to me until a bit later. And, really, what's the fun of living in Honduras, if you're not willing to take on the occasional adventure, right? LOL

It turns out that the dirt road has recently been graded (since the last time I used it), and most of it did not experience much erosion from the storm last night, and is still very smooth. Good thing I had some rivers to ford, for better photo opportunities!

(Click on the photos to see a larger version.)

This spot is some pretty rough driving!

The road heading down to the river took a beating.

Here's one of the three rivers I had to ford on this trip. On a normal day, none of them are worth a second thought. 

Closer view of the water flow - making me nervous that the concrete bed of the ford might have suffered some damage. Did it? I don't know - the part my wheels touched was okay, though.

Normally, during the rainy season, the water is about 1/4 as wide as this

Closer look at the flow of the water I was preparing to ford. It's not so very bad, though I do get nervous when I can't see the state of the ground at the bottom . . .  

This is where I turn off the main road, to get home

Not very clear in this photo, but the little "ditch" the water created, between the main road and my road is about a foot wide there, and probably around a foot deep. I  hugged the left side of the turn, to avoid it. 

A spot on the side road which keeps getting larger, as the rainy season progresses . . . 

Yeah, I'm hoping not to slide down there . . . 

I picked up these hitch hikers on their way to school.

We have several months of rainy season still ahead of us. Things may get interesting. With Ben in school now, I don't have the option to just stay off the roads.

Just a nice picture

This photo of an old house was in a batch of pictures Boo brought back after her week with a visiting team. I've always loved old houses, they make me think of simpler times. I just wanted to post it here because I like looking at it, and I thought some of you might enjoy it, too. 

Sunday Sunset

Catulaca

This is one of the lovely views I enjoy on my drives back and forth to Gracias. These fields and homes are on the outskirts of the village of Catulaca.

Boo's Botanicals

I'm back from being sick, hurrah! I'm still moving kind of slow, but today I was working on organizing some photos, and I came across a few really lovely pictures Boo took of plants in our yard. I hope you enjoy them!

My daily walks . . .

I started going out and walking everyday, for exercise, a few months before Rachel's wedding. After the kidnapping I completely stopped doing a lot of things I had been doing, and this included the daily walks.

Now that I'm back home again, I've started the daily walks back up. They're still good exercise, but I also appreciate having the time alone, to think, and pray, and sometimes cry, when that seems to be the thing I need to do.

Because our house is located at the top of a very large hill, any direction you take from the house goes downhill, and the return trip is uphill. It's difficult, having the most strenuous part of the walk at the end, when I'm most tired, but that's just the way it is. Yesterday, the kids went partway down the hill and hung a hammock for me, so that I have a place where I can rest in the middle of my walk. It's also a nice place to sit and think and pray, and the views from the hammock are exceptional!

I took a camera with me yesterday, so I could show you a bit of my walk. Sorry some of the view photos aren't that great - it was right at sunset, with the sun shining right over the tops of the mountains, and some of the photos are washed out as a result of this (and as a result of my not taking enough time with the pictures).

Heading off into the woods . . .

I have a large number of canine walking companions. They make me feel very safe as I head off into the woods!

Starting to head downhill now . . .

Arriving at the hammock!

One of the lovely views from the hammock!

Another view from the hammock, in a different direction.

Here's a different view from the hammock! That's my puppy, Duke. He likes to keep an eye on me, and make sure I'm doing all right. He worries about me - you can probably tell. LOL

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

 

Rachel and Brandy's wedding!

With the timing of the kidnapping, the days when we would likely have wanted to sit back and just enjoy reliving the moments of beauty and happiness from Rachel and Brandy's wedding sort of passed in other ways. Today, I want to officially welcome Brandy to the family, and tell him how pleased we are that Rachel has found such a kind and Godly man with whom to walk through life!

We don't have the photos from the photographer yet, so these are just some glimpses of the day, from my sister Pam's camera:

Rachel and friends, putting together the flowers for on the tables.

Russell and friends, stringing the lights.

Rachel and sister Kirstin, making the bridal bouquet, while Brandy "supervises." LOL

Keeping the cake cool until the reception, with no AC.

Setting up for the ceremony.

The venue: Fort of San Cristobal, Gracias Lempira

Setting up for the reception

View from the fort . . . see the overcast skies, which cooled us and did NOT ruin the outdoor reception!

Another view from the fort.

Some of the family - international visitors and local family members

The lovely cake - created by my sister, Pam Llewellyn

Brandy surprised us by showing up in uniform - it was a VERY WELL RECEIVED surprise!!!

Our lovely and very poised flower girl

Pam videotaped the actual ceremony, so the only still shot of the ceremony I have right now is this one.

Rachel and Brandy, greeting everyone after the ceremony . . . but they actually only have eyes for each other!

All set to start the reception

The morning of the wedding, Rachel realized she hadn't thought to get a knife and cake server. I knew where my box of wedding memorabilia was, and so we grabbed the set from Allen's and my wedding, pulled off the yellowed ribbons and put on fresh ones - good to go!

Serving up the food. We had the meal catered by a local hotel.

The now-famous photo of Ben, seen all over the WORLD with the prayer request during the kidnapping.

The wedding party - between shots by the photographer

Brandy, with his mother and his groomsmen (my son Christopher, and a military friend, Obando)

The photographer, guests watching the formal photos being taken

My husband Allen, son Christopher, and daughter Kirstin

Me, with guests

My newly extended family!