Remember when?

At 5:00 am on the day we had to leave Honduras, the kids and I and two precious friends piled into a busito and headed north toward the coast.  As we whizzed by small towns, banana trees, and men on bicycles carrying truckloads of wood, someone kick-started our storytelling tradition with the words, “Remember when…” Long car rides are great for remembering when, even if you’re all smooshed into a busito carrying 15 people across Central America. I loved hearing from my people all about their memories of Silver Dollar City, the beach, what they loved about our house in Georgia, and the funny things they did that they never told me about. The heat, the road noise, the wind from the open windows, and the chitter chatter from the back all add character to a new story the Lord is weaving into the one’s he’s been writing with us, a new story that someone will kickstart one day with the words “remember when…”

Remember when we had to leave Honduras in a hurry and so we smooshed into a busito and drove to Belize? 

We arrived in Honduras on January 19^th and entered the country on 90-day visitor’s visas, with the intension of applying for residency during our first 90 days. We weren’t able to file as planned, though.  We just didn’t have enough money. In the months before our move to Honduras, we had created a budget and raised funds, but it didn’t take us long to figure out that we were underfunded. It was a rookie mistake, a first time missionary miscalculation.  At times Dean and I lay next to each other late at night and wondered if our rookie mistake was really a misstep, but then something like this trip to Belize is woven into the storyline and we are certain we’re abiding in the shadow of the Almighty.   

Before we had to go to Belize, we were able to get a 30-day extension on our visas in April.  Dean and I made the trip to San Pedro Sula to make the application to immigration. We left before sunup, and I’m glad because it was a long day filled with copy-making, lines, and waiting. Praise God, we walked out of the immigration office that day with 30 more days to pray and ask for guidance about what to do next. 

When May 14^th rolled around and we were still short on funds, we knew that plans had to be made for a trip out of the country.  I spent a quick minute teetering on the edge of panic, in part because we were so confident that this trip would be unnecessary that Dean was in the States attending to some business. I was certain I was going to end up carrying 11 children by myself across the ocean in a banana boat headed for Belize.  I had heard rumors that the boat is nicknamed the Vomit Rocket. Dread began to envelop me as the hours of that Sunday night ticked by. Here’s the thing, I really want to be that girl that was praying and telling the Lord, “I trust you, Lord, Your promises and Your plans, whatever they are,” but there was a moment in the night on May 14^th when I was that girl praying, “Please, Lord, no.”  

I woke up on Monday praying.  I was done asking why and peace had replaced the dread from the night before.  That’s one good thing about being awakened by prayer.  When my eyes opened, my friend Lisa immediately came to mind. It was a little odd, actually, because we hadn’t chatted in long while.  There with my head still on my pillow and Lisa’s family floating around up there in my mind, I remembered that she was involved in some mission work in Belize, and since I was thinking about a little boat trip to Belize anyway, it made sense that we should connect.  I shot her a FaceBook message that went a little something like this: “I know this is going to sound like a strange request but I’m needing a little help in Belize.”

When I told Lisa what was going on, she put me in touch with some friends of hers who flung open their doors, set the dinner table, made up the spare beds, and said, “Come on over”, all for some strangers from Honduras. So we did. 

A well-timed, seriously divine, post on social media gave me the idea to try to rent a van instead of taking the boat.  Dean had rented a van before from a lady who lived right around the corner, so I gave her a ring.  I got to thinking about what it would be like to drive across Central America by myself with the kids, so I asked the owner of the van if she had a driver available, and she did!  All the details quickly fell into place, and soon the van and motorista Don Jorge were confirmed. The more the merrier is how we roll, so we asked our friends Ellie and Marta to come along with us, too.  They said, “yes”, of course, because going on an 18-hour car ride across Central America with 11 kids smooshed into a busito sounded like the most fun ever.  By the time we crossed the border and entered Belize, I was certain that God had something important for us there.  If we had been able to apply for our residency, we would’ve missed it since we wouldn’t have needed to go to Belize in the first place.

Have you ever been to Belize?  It’s cooler than a pack of peppermints. Your car will be freshly fumigated for diseases as you exit Guatemala and enter Belize, but don’t scratch your head too long about that strange happening or you’ll miss the tailgate, complete with pickup trucks, coolers, lawn chairs and cases of beer, all going on in the parking lot of Belize’s Border Control.  It was quite the sight, especially after spending all day long in the busito watching banana fields and sweet Guatemalan villages pass by. 

Heads up, it seems a tad unusual for a woman to travel with 11 children across Central America without her husband. God’s hand was upon us, and it all worked out for His glory, but we were detained at border control and customs for a minute or two or 120.  I don’t know what they thought we were up to, but they kept saying, “We’ve just never seen anything like this before.”  I am truly glad they are careful when it comes to the safety of children, especially given that there are some horrible things happening to children in this world.  Eventually they determined we were on the up and up, gave us the entry stamp on our passports, and let us in.  Make sure you have a little money on hand in case you need to tinkle.  It’s about $0.50 a person, which adds up when you have a big group.  Ellie was guarding the little ones while I was detained, and she didn’t have any cash on her.  Thankfully a nice gentleman paid the $5.50 so our people could “go”, because the potty guard wasn’t letting anyone through with no money, no matter what.   

We hit another little snafu as we exited border control.  It seems you cannot drive in Belize without purchasing their insurance policy, even if it’s after 9 pm and there is nothing open.  We had to drive around town looking for someone to sell us insurance before we could head to our destination.  I met a guy in line at the liquor store who knew this guy who sells the insurance.  I know it sounds odd – that I was in line at a liquor store. It’s uncharacteristic of me, I know, but that’s what was open, and I needed to ask for help.  I still can’t believe we did this, but when the guy I met in line at the liquor store told me he knew a guy who sold insurance, I thanked him so much, got back in the van, and we followed him down the dark streets of Belize to a stranger’s house. The stranger wasn’t home but there was this other guy who said could meet us back at the liquor store, so we were able to buy the insurance.  I filled out the forms, paid the guy about $20, and we were on our way again.  I recommend learning the words to the Fruits of the Spirit song before your busito adventure.  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are all needed in abundance, my friends. 

We arrived in Camalote around 11:00 pm. Our phones no longer worked once we crossed into Belize, and there was no where to find WIFI, so we couldn’t call for directions when we couldn’t find our way. No worries though, we pulled into the only place we saw that was open to ask for directions, and they unstacked the chairs and invited us to sit a spell while they called the camp director.  I kept looking at Ellie and thinking, “Oh my, her parents entrusted her to us and within just a few months we’re hanging out in front of the One Barrel Bar.”  The owners were the sweetest and in no time the director of Camalote Camp was there to show us the way. Even though it was almost midnight when we rolled into camp, the staff met us and fed us and made us feel welcome. The beds were made, the AC was hopping, and I fell asleep in utter amazement of what the Lord had for us there.  The body of Christ is the only way to describe our experience.  We met so many Jesus loving people and experienced God’s lovingkindness is so many unexpected ways during the three short days we spent in Belize.

There’s much more to share but this post is already long, so you’ll have to come back for part two.  I always hate it when bloggers do that, but now I get you long-winded bloggers and your two parted posts. Sometimes the story is just too good to skip parts to make it fit in one post.  Glory be to God for getting us to Camalote Camp. 

Thank you for reading along, praying for us and supporting us to be here in Honduras.  If you’d like to become a part of our support team and a make a difference for orphaned, abandoned, and vulnerable children in Honduras, check out our "Partner with Team Robinson" page or make a donation to the Robinson Family at www.bethesdafund.org.  We could really use the help – right now especially because as much as we loved Belize, we hope not to have to go back there in August.

Verbos de Deseo

This morning, as I was reviewing all the learning objectives we've covered over the past 10 weeks in language school, I came across a powerful memory from a few weeks ago when Marta wrote the day’s objective at the top of the whiteboard and then sat down across from me. 

Objecto:  Expresar deseos que tenía

Express wishes or desires that you've had

I sat there staring at the whiteboard with hopes and dreams swirling around in my heart and mind, while Marta made a list of verbs. When she finished, the two of us got busy turning that list of verbs into conversation. I’m pretty sure I cried when I realized I could actually carry on a conversation in Spanish about these hopes and dreams that God has given us. 

Desear (to wish)… Esperar (to hope)...Querer (to want)

Deseamos...We wish that every child could experience the love, care, and protection of a safe and nurturing family.  No child should have to endure the pain and suffering that accompanies abuse, neglect, trauma, or abandonment.  No child should grow up without a family. As foster and adoptive parents, we’ve witnessed time and time again what happens to children when they’re abused, neglected, traumatized, and abandoned. We’ve seen the effects of institutionalization and how even the best of orphanages cannot replace the families they lost. We've also seen how being a part of a family can transform the lives of children from hard places. Children belong in families. 

While we mourn with our children the loss of their first families, the lives they had before us, the things that happened that couldn’t be fixed, and all that left them vulnerable and alone, we also celebrate with them the beauty of adoption and the new hope that we all have together as a family. Esperamos...We hope for healing and bright futures for the children in our home and the children we have the opportunity to serve in Honduras. The Lord has given us cause to hope.  He’s equipped us, provided us with others who encourage us, and surrounded us with those who edify and strengthen us in our work. 

The Spanish Institute of Honduras, Tuesday night Bible study and fellowship

Queremos...We want to make a difference in the lives of children who have been deprived of the love, care, and protection that they need and deserve. This is why we are working alongside Legacy of Hope Foundation to provide holistic solutions to orphan care in Honduras.  Their vision (Defending Children, Preserving Families, Restoring Hope) aligns with the vision that God gave our family as we prayed and dreamed about ministry in Honduras:  A safe and loving family for every child.  

The Legacy of Hope Foundation Family

I've posted a copy of our new prayer card below.  If you don't mind, please print it out and stick it up on your fridge. Agradecemos...We thank the many who have prayed for us, encouraged us, and given financially to our work in Honduras. Not a day goes by that we do not recognize how God supplies our every need through those who are moved to come alongside us and make it possible for us to be here. Because of the generosity of many, we are able to live here and be a part of the work being done to transform the lives of orphaned, abandoned, and vulnerable children and their families, giving them the best chance of a bright future.  

Thank you for following along, praying for us, encouraging us, and making it possible for us to be here through your generous financial support.

I love Him more than water

"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water" (Psalm 63:1).

Do y’all remember the snowpacolypse in Georgia two years ago?  I’m sure you must.  It seems like all of America was laughing about Atlanta that year, well, except for the people stuck on the highway in Atlanta.  It was so cold that one of the pipes running between buildings on our property froze, and we didn’t have water for a week.  We ended up spilling $800 dollars worth of water before the water company showed up and cut off our water.  They said that it couldn’t be reconnected until we found the problem, fixed the problem, and paid the bill.  We were shocked.  We didn’t even know there was a problem, and they couldn’t offer us any advice about how to find it, how to fix it, or how to finance it.

As we looked at the plumbing inside the house, between the house and the barn, and between the barn and the pasture, we became frustrated because we just couldn’t find the problem.  We stopped looking and started praying.  We asked friends and coworkers to pray, too.  We hauled water from the pond to flush the toilets and bought water at the Piggy Wiggly for cooking and drinking.  We loaded up the children on a trailer behind the ATV and drove next door to shower and bathe them.  Somehow, we survived.  We didn’t despair, but I’ll be honest and say that I did cry.  I cried because taking care of 12 children isn’t easy anyway, and the extra work made me tired and cranky.  I also cried because taking care of 12 children is expensive, and we didn’t have an extra $800 lying around. I cried because I just didn’t want to deal with the hassle. 

Finally we found the problem.  Pipes had burst underneath a trailer on our property, a trailer we didn’t even realize was supplied with water.  We fixed the break.  (Really, Dean fixed the break while I watched.) We paid the bill, and we added “survived almost a week without water” to our list of hard things we’ve done.  We experienced God’s amazing grace in many ways that week, and we saw His mercy up close and personal.  We found out a few things about ourselves, too.  For example, we can endure more than we thought we could.  We can also consume much less water than we’re used to consuming. We found out that week that tears do not mean that we despair and hauling water isn’t really all that hard or that much of a hassle.  We discovered that serving one another and serving others is worth the hassle that sometimes comes with less than ideal circumstances.

From our vantage point right now, we can see that God used that week to prepare us for the life we now live here in Honduras. Ultimately, what we gained through that experience two years ago was worth every bit of exhaustion, all the hassle, and every dollar we had to spend.  We’ve been able to trust the Lord in our circumstances, and we’ve experienced the joy that comes from doing so. Plus, we have the skills now that we need to cope and deal with some things that have been hard.  

These last two weeks here in Honduras have certainly been easier because of the experience we had one winter in Georgia. Over the course of the past 12 days, 10 Robinsons have fallen victim to a nasty stomach virus.  At the same time, the water rationing in our city has kept us without enough water almost every single day.  We can buy clean water for cooking and drinking...

and we can even have it delivered....

but there are many days when water just doesn’t flow from the cistern through our pipes. 

Without water, sick messes cannot be cleaned up, the laundry cannot be done, people cannot be bathed, dishes cannot be washed, and Tamara sometimes cries. We’re so thankful for mercy from God in the form of friends who over the past few weeks have repeatedly offered up water from their wells, washers to run a few loads of laundry, and showers to bathe the grimy ones. The generosity in our community here is amazing.

Yesterday early in the morning we heard water coming into the pipes.  We jumped out of bed, rejoicing and praising God.  Dean and I were both able to have showers, and then the pipes dried up.  As the water stopped flowing, I ran outside, looking like a crazy person I’m sure, to go look into the cistern.  I’m not sure why I was going to look into the cistern, except maybe I had hope that there would be water there and the problem wouldn’t really be that there was no water.  As I rounded the corner from the patio, I saw this:

The night before last it rained a little and my clever kids set out every container we had so that they could collect rainwater to flush toilets.   

And I heard this:

“Look, Mom, God gave us water.  We can fill up a whole bucket with these!”

I felt such an incredible rush of peace and joy at the sight of my young ones combining all the water they collected into the largest bucket. I asked Dean how he felt about the whole situation. “I think we trust the Lord more when we don’t have any other option and we can’t really control anything anyway."  It’s so true, and what an opportunity to trust Him more these weeks have been.  We are so thankful!  The inconvenience, the extra work, and the hassle of not having water every day really are worth it to be able to be here and to serve the Lord and others with our lives.  Honduras and its people are amazing, and the vision God has given us brings us hope.  

Many have asked how the kids are doing.  They're really doing great.  They're happy and adjusting well, and they deal with no water with much more grace and peace than their momma does.  

Thank you for following along, praying for us, encouraging us, and making it possible for us to be here through your generous support.

Love,

The Robinsons