WOW!
November was a month of miracles for us, starting with the birth of our
daughter and concluding with a hug and kiss goodbye to Wil and Jane Meckle at
the airport. Let me start off with sharing the highlight of my month, meeting
Joanna Elizabeth Ramos on November 1st.
“God gives
good gifts” was a phrase that I wrote on a piece of paper in February while
coloring with Thomas. Little did I know that God intended on giving us a GREAT
gift, a daughter. Right about the time that news began pouring in about ZIKA
and warnings not to get pregnant and certainly not to travel was the time that
God planned out this gift. It is so easy to succumb to fear and not follow the
path that God wants us on. We already knew we were moving an hour and a half
away from the murder capital of the world, but now ZIKA! Thankfully, none of
these things changed God’s plans. He still intended us to live in Honduras; He
still intended us to care for and educate Manuel and Josué; He still intended us to support local ministries; He still
intended to give us a GREAT gift. On October 31st, Thomas and I were
coloring together again. I thought about how sick Thomas had been the last two
weeks of October, how the sores in his mouth prevented him from eating, but how
he was just starting to get better and starting to eat soft foods. I thought
about how God blessed us, not only with a church where we have been able to
grow spiritually, but also with a wonderful pastor, his loving wife, and four
amazing children that would watch Thomas when my labor began. And I thought
about Marvin, how thankful I was that God united us almost 6 years ago and how
we have grown so much in the past year. As Thomas and I sat on the tile floor
coloring, I found myself writing the same phrase I had written 9 months prior,
“God gives good gifts.” By the next morning, I was face to face with that “good
gift” and praising the Lord for his perfect timing and for this perfect gift.
Welcome to our family Joanna!
Bringing
Joanna home was a little distracting for Manuel and Josué as they completed their final exams, but they each did an
excellent job and were both on the honor roll. Josué even received an award for having the highest average in his
class for the whole year. What an amazing thing to see them complete a year of
high school. Manuel never expected to have the opportunity to go to high
school, in fact both his older brothers stopped studying after 6th
grade. Josué has always loved to study and has said he wants to be a
dentist for many years, but he never knew the path that God would open for him to
reach his goal. It has been a joy (and an occasional challenge) to share our
life and home with these two wonderful boys.
One of the
miracles that occurred during their time here was finding our new rental house.
If you don’t consider this a miracle, my guess is you have never looked for a
rental in a small Honduran town. We are so amazed at how God has again provided
for our needs in His perfect timing. The best thing about this house is its
location: less than a block from the church, closer to the boys school, closer
to town, and located just two short turns off of a flat paved road. The Meckles
helped us to secure this rental and have already blessed us with a table and
chairs. I am confident that lots of laughter will occur around that table and
if anyone is interested in visiting Honduras, joining us at this table, and
partnering with us in ministry over the next year, YOU ARE WELCOME!
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
Do everything in love.” 1
Corinthians 16:13-14 were two of the verses that motivated me through the labor
and delivery of Joanna. These verses continue to motivate me today. I hope LOVE
can motivate you as we enter into the exciting season of Christmas and that you
too can see the many miracles that are occurring among us and around the world.
