Don't Let Them Think Less of Us

I was reading my Bible and quickly read over 1 Timothy 4:12. I continued to read verses 13 and 14 before what I read hit me. I stopped reading and went back to read the verse again. Here's what it said:

"Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity."

What a coincidence that I would run across this verse mere days after turning 18! Except for the fact that I don't believe in coincidences (Oh wow, how cliche!)

I am confident that God had me read that verse today to remind me of something. To remind me that my life doesn't start when I can vote. My life didn't start when I got my driver's license. My life won't start when I'm out of college.

My life is happening right now.

Just because I'm young doesn't mean I can't make a difference. I'm supposed to be an example to all believers, living the life Jesus taught me to live. I'm supposed to be pure, I'm supposed to love others, I'm supposed to show great faith.

Your teenage years aren't a time for you to do a bunch of stupid things so you can be a "good" adult later. This is a stereotype that has been made about teenagers in this generation. Destroy that stereotype! Your teenage years are some of the greatest years of your life. You could use your able-bodied years to make a difference, to impact the world and culture you live in.

I squandered some of my early teenage years thinking and caring about things that didn't matter. I'm determined not to waste my life thinking I'm too young to make an impression on this world.

Don't let them think less of us because we're young.

One World, One Culture (Why I Chose to Work with Teen Guys in Honduras)

I want to tell you why I decided to work with teen guys in Honduras. It's not what you might think. It's not because I get along with them better, or because they're easier, or anything like that. It's because they have the most need. Many teenage boys in Honduras desperately need a change in lifestyle, to one that is God and people-honoring.

Let me tell you about the village across the lake from my home. It's called El Carbon, and it is filled almost entirely of only women and children. For the most part, the only men in the village are too old or too young to work. Why is that? Why do we find villages unable to provide for themselves because half of the workforce is gone?

Let me tell you.

Almost every man that has at one time lived in that village, left because it was inconvenient for them. They started a family, and it was too much work to take care of them. So they leave their wives, sometimes still pregnant, and children to fend for themselves. In a country where it is already hard to feed a family, imagine how hard it is when half the working population of a family is gone. Those men usually leave and start other families within the country, or illegally attempt to go to the United States.

All of this happens because we, as a world culture, have made it okay to devalue the family as a unit. I prefer not to implicate specific countries or cultures, especially because most of the world has contributed or allowed this change to happen. However, I can guarantee we have all seen it. We have listened to that song, seen that movie, watched that TV show, etc. We've seen our global culture make it acceptable to treat women as objects and not people, we have made it acceptable to treat children as curses for our mistakes, we have taken God's design for our culture and have continued to tarnish it.

Countries all over the world have taken what we see on the TV and hear in our music and have applied it to their own lives. Throughout the first and third world, families and entire cultures our disintegrating because of our general self-interest. Culture has taught us that it's okay to do what's best for us and not consider anyone else. This is having a disastrous impact on the world we live in today! Not only that, it is completely contrary to what God's Word tells us.

Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect".

That is why I am called to teenage boys in Honduras. I'm doing my best through God to bring about a change in this culture. Not to make it more like my own, but to bring our whole world closer to Christ. God wants us to live in HIS culture. A culture where we respect the institution of marriage, love our brothers and sisters in Christ like He loved us, and in all things, honor Him.

I pray everyday that God's work throughout the whole world will open hearts and minds.

And I think you should too.

What work is God calling you to?

Thank You

I get a lot of people asking me everyday what I miss the most about the United States. I would answer with quite a few things, however trivial they may be! Such as regular air conditioning, Barq's Root Beer, affordable frozen pizza, and so on.

But I have to be honest with you all. The biggest thing I miss about the U.S. is you. Yes, you reading this blog right now. I can't imagine having a better group of friends than the friends I have back home. I definitely couldn't do any of this without you.

So thank you.

Soccer Jerseys!

On my recent trip to Costa Rica, I was able to add extensively to my new soccer jersey collection. Along with the
Costa Rican jersey, I also purchased a jersey in Guatemala and El Salvador. I love soccer jerseys!

Love and Pepsi in Honduras

"Jesus said, 'The first in importance is, 'Listen Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these." Mark 12:31, MSG

In my personal life, this is the commandment that is the hardest for me to follow. I know I was born with a selfish heart, one that seeks to serve my self-serving desires. How do I find a way to love others more than myself? Many people believe that being a missionary is the epitome of selflessness, but let me tell you, it's far from the end of battle. It's still a struggle everyday to constantly seek God in every relationship I have.

I feel unequal in most of my relationships here in Honduras. I'm supposed to be here to create relationships that edify Christ and give memories that will last a lifetime. Instead, I find faults in myself while I learn about true faith from them. In reality, they're the missionaries to me. In these past nine months, I have seen faith, reliance, trust, love, hope, and selflessness in a way that's indescribable. All I can say is that God is truly working in Honduras. He has His hand in the day-to-day lives of these people, and He has great plans for them. 

The best example I can tell you is perhaps one of the most simple. Just to refresh your memory, my family and I work at a boarding school for underprivileged boys. The students are able to receive cash from their parents to spend in La Tienda, a small snack shop we have on campus. Some boys receive 100 Lps. ($5) a week, while some receive none at all. So many times I have seen a boy lay down all of his money just to buy a three liter of Pepsi to share with his friends. Many of these boys only receive a dollar occasionally, and they lay it all down for moments of fun and sharing with their friends. You would not believe how far those three liters go! They can easily split one of those between thirty kids! And they will share with anyone. Best friend? Pepsi. Acquaintance? Pepsi. Enemy I argued with yesterday? Pepsi. You would be amazed by the effect just a few minutes of time has on people. I've seen enemies turned best friends over something as frivolous as a bag of chips. This is just a small example of the love I have seen in Honduras. Families with no food giving half their money to buy chairs for their growing church, barbers giving their services to the homeless for free, fruit vendors giving away their livelihood so those without food can eat. These people are following  Jesus' two biggest commandments in a way that amazes me. They prove it's the simple gestures that mean everything. No amount of money or things can match anything I've seen in Honduras.

Honduras is a nation in the process of seeking God's heart in all things. Please pray for its welfare and wisdom to heal a broken nation. 

Halftime in Honduras

It's incredibly hard to believe that I've already been in Honduras for nine months. This is the halfway point in one of the most amazing journeys I have ever undertaken. A lot has been accomplished since the time I've been here! My parents learned Spanish (Though it's not as good as mine!), I made lots of new friends, I went to two different high schools, and so on. This time of the year is really a good time to reflect on all that has happened so far. The boys are out of school until January, so the time will drag by until they come back. Things get pretty lonely around here, and there's not so many people to talk to! But I know once they come back, the time will be flying by until I come home.

I'm feeling pretty conflicted about coming home. On one hand, yes, I miss all of you and I'm excited to be back. But on the other hand, I'm leaving a country that I've also called home for three years of my life. And that's a big deal. In a perfect world, I would bring everyone I care about here, and we would all be set! I'm sure all of you with the cold weather would be fine living in 80 degree weather year round!

The other big thing I'm thinking about now is college. Only nine more months and I'll be going to college! For those of you that don't know, I've chosen University of Northwestern, St. Paul. It's my dream school, and I don't know if I've ever been this excited for anything! I know God's got His hand in this, and I'm ready to see what He has in store for me at UNW.

Thank you, guys, for all the support I get down here. It's a great feeling to be here and to hear from my friends and family back home. If you ever want to talk to me, drop me a line! I'd love to tell anyone more about what's going on in my life, or how much I still love frozen pizza.

Hammock Time

I have decided hammocks are the greatest invention ever. My dad finished hanging three hammocks on our front porch today, and I’ve spent much of the day lounging around and napping on them. They’re cozy, offer a good view, and give you time to relax. Fun fact: the hammock was actually invented in Central America by the Aztecs. Man, I love Honduras.