In Joy and Sorrow

This week has been interesting, to say the least.  We are suffering some culture shock, without a doubt.  The poverty here will challenge anyone's worldview.  I have shed some tears in utter disbelief of what I am seeing.  And there are plenty of things here that are just plain different than our own culture AND the culture of Costa Rica where we just spent a year.  Our children's adjustment is just as confused yet vital as ours and takes some time and care.  And then, I could make a laundry list of things have have been less than pleasant, the top of the list being our house being broken into again and all our Wii games stolen. (Yes, someone came over the razor-wire fencing and robbed us through the bars that protect all of the windows.)  Some definite sorrows in the mix this week.

There have been some joys, too.  The main one being we continued to search for a community in which to start a ministry and the Lord was faithful in helping us see clearly.  We still have some leg work to do to narrow it down but are thrilled that we are moving in that direction and closer to making a decision.

We don't have to look hard to see the blessings in all of it.  There is evidence of growth in our marriage through hard things and conversations as well as the fun and new adventures, too. The strengthening our faith is produced through the perseverance of the less than desirable circumstances. We are becoming versed in how to love our children better.  We are also learning how the Lord loves the poor and more of His perfect character. 

It's not hard to realize that we had such an easy life in the States and how I couldn't see that then.  I watch pictures flash by on my screen saver and know we had so much nice stuff, so much comfort, so much ease. Safety is relative but it seemed like we had that, too.  I know it was not in vain to give it up, not for loss.  I know we are here in His perfect time for His purpose.  I have more verses posted around the house as idiot reminders than I did before.  I have to because otherwise my sinful mind and heart forget and go back to the easy, the "safe," and the comfortable.  

God is indeed good.  He is my home. He is my fortress. He is my treasure.  I want to treasure Christ more than any Wii game, than any earthly possession, than any stability, than any certainty of my children's safety, than any ease that I sometimes crave.  This week, I am seeing and worn down by the fact that there is a cost. But that too is ok because Christ bought me with the greatest cost.  He suffered 
more than I am suffering for.  

The Snatch

I was recently huddled in the corner, my eyes held open with toothpicks in an utterly unsatisfying Mom-funk. My friend, Joy, knew this because she too has an infant and invited me to join her in a challenge. The challenge includes 8 weeks of the Paleo diet and a minimum of hitting the gym (Cactus Crossfit) 3 times a week. I had vaguely heard of this recent crossfit phenomenon and thought nothing of it since I am familiar (and actually LOVE) working out. (I had just fallen away from working out and blamed it on the children! Good mom points, right?)

I showed up the first day and was immediately outside of my comfort zone. "What is a WOD? You want me to do 25 reps of that? How long is a meter? Touch my toes to the bar?" And I still after 4 weeks don't know what AMRAP means. All I know is I have to work super fast, report how many, and I dislike when it's 18 minutes. But I digress.

Last week, we did a little exercise called the snatch. (Olympic weightlifting people, Google it.) Kevin, my friend Joy's husband, was the coach that morning. I have found all the coaches at Cactus Crossfit to be super informed and great teachers when it comes to explaining the movements alongside of what NOT to do. Regardless of said explanations, I still need a lot of correction and help. NOT THE SNATCH.

Kevin enthusiastically shared that I had "Missed [my] life calling." and I should "put my children up for adoption." Intense, I know. I laughed but then I haven't been able to get that first sentence out of my head. "Missed my life calling." I can't get it out of my head only because I can say with all certainty that I have NOT missed my life calling. I am sure without a doubt that my husband and I have been called to Honduras to serve out great God. I honestly don't know if there is a better feeling. To know that you are at the center of God's will for your life is wholly satisfying. What great work has God set you apart for?

Confession: I'm a Hoarder

Does anyone watch A&E's show, Hoarders? I have three shows I religiously watch on Hulu and this is strangely one of them. I am just mesmerized! I have a hard time turning away while totally repulsed. I also have a innate desire to go organize ALL of it. Weird, I know. I may have OCD. So, I bet you are surprised as I am to find out that I too, am a real life hoarder.

I didn't find this out though until we were called to move to Honduras. The night Adam came home and told me (Michelle) that he felt called, I laid in bed (8 months pregnant and awake anyway) mentally cataloging our entire house. What in the world would HAVE TO move with me. I only came up with four things. Dying to know, aren't you? KitchenAid mixer, food processor, pressure cooker and immersion blender. The rest I had mentally sold, given away, or trashed.

And now it has come time to start that process of selling, giving away, storing, or trashing. And that's when I discovered I am a HOARDER! There is sooo much stuff here and I used to pride myself on being a minimalist. "I don't need all the baby gear, don't desire the latest and greatest of technology, don't buy a lot of stuff ." WRONG! Just stepping into my closet causes hyper-ventilation. Looks like Target may have gotten the best of me. And it's not about getting rid of it. It's the sheer amount of stuff.

So I started with the obvious. . .shoes. Donated 18 pairs. Failed to mention I still have about 25 pair. Eek! So I guess along with my confession, I am asking you to consider what in your closets could you purge? What need could you fulfill for a "neighbor"? All that cute girl clothes I bought for Asher? I found a friend who is actually having a girl. What could you do without? What could you stop purchasing to put that money towards someone who could really benefit from it? And I am not pointing the finger, trust me. I am asking myself the same thing!

Check out Matthew 25: 35-37!

Day Five: Longest Day Ever!

Ever seen anyone crying in the airport? Yeah, yeah, goodbyes are so hard. I mean crying out of sheer exhaustion while the itinerary continues to add 3 hours to your already long 5 hour layover (just 40 minutes at a time). That was the end of day five of our vision trip.

3:30 AM- get up for 4:00 shuttle to the airport

6:30 AM- arrive in San Pedro Sula

7:00 AM- grab a monster baleada at Baleadas Express to fight that not-enough-sleep feeling

9:00 AM- Flight to Miami (+hour time change)

12:45 PM- Arrive in Miami expecting a five hour layover

5:00 PM- Anticipating boarding soon but see gate marquee change to Bermuda. 40 minute delay til our flight. I am disappointed as our firstborn is staying with friends and I know this is gonna make his pick-up even later than previously anticipated.

6:00 PM- another delay; baby gets fussy

6:40 PM-another delay; baby fighting rocking

7:20PM-another delay; baby clawing my chest and trying to gouge my eyes out; Mom crying

8:00PM- maybe going to board

8:30 PM- leave for Phoenix

11:00PM (4.5 hour flight -2 hour time change) arrive in Phoenix

At this point we had arranged to pick Jacob up at 6:00AM the next morning, seeing he had been told he would be at home in the morning. I have never yearned for my earthly home and complete family quite like I did that Friday. It made me think of longing for heaven and how Christ has prepared a place for his family to live all together. How He as a parent longs to be with his children and how that feeling of belonging in a family is only a small glimpse of how wonderful Heaven will be!

Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Day Four: Clinic Day

Thursday, November 17, 2011: Our last full day in La Ceiba, began with our team leader and host, Mike sick and vomiting.  (In Honduras, this seems like a public affair because the windows of every room in every house are continually open.) Although Mike was unable to join us for the day, we trudged forward to clinic in Armenia Bonito without him.

RN Erin saw 34 people that day!  Adam assisted John as a pharmacist and Michelle assisted Kathy with intake:

 John giving instructions for medicine usage

Adam reacquiring some Spanish along the way!

 Michelle and Asher helping with intake

 Michelle putting her CNA skills to use (taking some vitals)

(see Dad, two years of nursing school put to use!)

Asher making friends

After clinic we drove over to the construction site in Armenia Bonito.  John Clow, the construction manager, showed us around.  It is well underway and looking good!

Multi-room high school

Generally assembly area/Soccer fields awaiting a roof 

Clinic

We felt sad as we loaded into the truck and pulled away from Armenia Bonito that day.  We are confident that the Lord is calling us to Honduras.  We didn't want to leave!  We are excited for the next steps in the process but longing to be back!

Day Three: A Day In the Life

November 16, 2011: Our second full day in La Ceiba was supposed to be like a "normal" day in the life of these missionaries. They didn't disappoint!  We toured three neighborhoods where we may live and then three neighborhoods where we may work.  Below are your "average sights."

Average lemon as big as your head (well, your baby's head, maybe)

Common basilisk (no really, that's it's name)

aka Jesus Christ Lizard 

Average cherry (different species than your average bing)

We had lunch with the Clows (delicious baleadas and papusas, if you must know).  Kathy Clow was then going to take Michelle to the supermarket and John Clow was going to take Adam to the construction site in Armenia Bonito.  Instead, the girls spent the afternoon getting to know each other better and the boys took the van to Discount Tire (ok, not really) to get their flat tire repaired. This was actually a really good taste of what life on the field is like.  Thwarted plans!  We did finally get to see Mega, the average supermarket (the middle range one; one of three supermarkets).

The Clows and Michelle

Average deterrent to what you had planned

We had dinner with the Pettengills (delicious homemade beef and broccoli, if you must know), chatted about life in Honduras and passed out. We were excited to have seen life as the missionaries there experience it.  No rainbows and unicorns through rose colored glasses, or something like that.  

Asher adjusting to the heat and humidity!

Day One: What? No Infant Car Seat?

 Big blue bag with everyone's clothing for a week -check. Diaper bag- check.  Carry-on with computer and reading material- check. Friend's guitar- check. Infant car seat- check.  


November 14, 2011: We were on our way to La Ceiba, Honduras for a "Vision Trip."  Our sending agency, Mission to the World (MTW) and Team Honduras require a trip to confirm your calling to that area.  We had arranged for Jacob to stay with our closest friends in Phoenix so we could tote just Asher along for our whirlwind trip. And we're off!

We had left the wealthiest country in the world and traveled 13 hours to arrive in the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.  We proceeded through the tiny airport, through passport control to pick up our luggage and head to customs.  In Phoenix, we had debated gate checking the car seat but decided to check it so we only had to lug the guitar with us to the plane.  We immediately found our big blue bag and searched for the infant car seat to no avail (it was in a neon yellow bag, nonetheless).

Every fiber of my (Michelle's) being was on it's way to panic. "What?  No car seat? In a third world country? This is my baby we are talking about!!  Someone is stealing it out back right now! Shame on you Michelle Cain for thinking that.  Am I going to hold a baby in the car the whole week?  Is that legal? Probably. Maybe not. Why didn't we gate check it, again?  Why am I in Honduras with one child but not the other. Why. . ."  But after 3 seconds of processing, I felt a peace.  I do serve a sovereign God and having no car seat is no surprise to Him.  My thoughts quickly changed, "This is going to be my life if we move here.  God knows my troubles and is bigger than this.  The Lord has already worked this out."

And He had: our airline had a handful of loaner car seats.  We used one for the week and I'm sure even Asher didn't know the difference!

Interview & Orientation pics

The week of September 25th, we traveled to Mission to the World's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.  We attended a week long training called Interview and Orientation (I&O).  We finished the interview process and received much valuable information regarding the next steps in our missionary journey!  Picture highlights below:

Just been accepted to the Mission To the World family! So exciting!

TEAM HONDURAS!  Our future teammates, the McLaughlins, in training with us!

New Missionaries with MTW!

*Photo cred to The Langs and Robin Price

Why We Shouldn't Be Missionaries #127

Don't worry.  We'll backtrack and tell you the other 126 ways we are inadequately prepared and unequipped for this calling.  But today, we thought we would share a funny story.  It is a story of how we almost, quite literally didn't become missionaries!

September 25, 4:05 AM: The day Asher turned 4 weeks old, we were headed to Georgia for a week-long Interview and Orientation (I&O) with our soon-to-be sending agency, Mission to the World.  The bags were packed, in the van and all we needed to do was get up, get the boys in the car, and head to the airport for our 6:00 AM flight.  Explosive diaper!  Emergency diaper change and new clothing. There went 10 minutes.

4:35 AM: We arrived at our usual park-and-ride facility.  We love them.  We use them every time we leave Phoenix.  They are affordable. Our van is always there when we return. They are quick to drop off and quick to pick up.  Not that day, however.  We kissed 20 minutes goodbye, sitting on a bench waiting for a bus.

5:05 AM: Whew!  We made it to the terminal only to walk in to see the longest line EVER at the ticket counter!  Okay, we'll curb check.  No big deal.  Somehow, the two skycaps continued to serve people arriving after us.  Although confused, we maintained our tempers.  We are, after all, leaving to share the love of Christ with people.  Finally, we get called upon only to be told they won't curb check children's car seats. (But we only have two??)   15 MINUTES GONE!

5:25 AM: Get in ridiculously long line. The cut-off for checked bags had come and gone. Panick ensues.  We'll nicely explain the situation to the ticketing agent.  No need.  I think he just knew by the look on our faces, while holding two sleeping children in our arms, dragging luggage and car seats behind us.  We've never seen an agent move quicker than this guy.  He slapped those stickers on everything including our overweight bag, threw our car seats in the right area, and called the gate agent on his walkie-talkie whilst running through the airport.  He escorted us up to security and shoved our little family in front of the entire line.  We sweat through security with boys, strollers, milk, shoes to then run to board the plane where they were WAITING FOR US!  Embarrassing.

6:00 AM: We sat down, both in tears.  What just happened?  We left the house at 4:15 a.m. for a 6:00 a.m. flight.  Thank you David H. for being so gracious towards us.  Thank you Lord for getting us to I&O.  We tried to avoid this calling but I guess You really want us to do it!

Once Upon A Time...

 ...there was a boy and a girl.  The boy lived in Arizona, loved Jesus, and participated in lots of church activities like mission trips.  The girl lived in Texas, loved Jesus, and ALSO participated in lots of church activities like mission trips.  Both the boy and girl ended up at the most awesome school in the universe, Texas Christian University, where they continued to participate in missions trips with their churches.  One day that boy and girl met at a costume party and started hanging out.  On their second date, the girl told the boy that she would "live in a cardboard box if that is what the Lord called [her] to do."  The boy thought this sounded different than most girls he knew.  The boy and girl continued dating and eventually got married.

In 2007, the boy and the girl took a mission trip together with their church, Covenant Community Church, to Uganda.  They discussed the possibility of moving to Uganda to serve AIDS orphans.  Once back in the States, life and fears overwhelmed them and the dream fizzled out.  Knowing that the Lord calls everyone to participate in missions, the boy resigned to support missionaries through giving, praying, and visiting them on short-term trips.  Still feeling called to the field, the girl was not satisfied with this answer but wanted the boy to feel called by the Lord, not called by his wife.  The girl resorted to praying and asked her Bible study to pray along side of her.

In 2011, their church announced a short-term trip to Honduras. The boy and girl had two close friends whom they loved and supported serving as full-time missionaries in Honduras.  The boy thought this was the perfect opportunity to witness the work of their friends.  However, this would leave the girl home to care for their energetic toddler while very pregnant.  Much to the boy's surprise, the girl agreed to let the boy go on the trip.  While sitting in the airport on the way to Honduras, the boy felt a stirring and began to ask the Lord if he was being called to Honduras!  Can you guess how this story ends?  Or is it just beginning?