Now I know we all don’t have the same amount of competitive drive in us… but still, it is there, deep down.

We all like to win.

The shy. The homely.

Even the ones that don’t have the necessary skill.  

We still try, just because, because there is always the chance.

It drives us to do things.

To get off our duffs; and compete.

Compete for the chance.

The chance to win.

Currently Listening Illinois By Sufjan Stevens see related

“Jenn come down its time to eat.”

A phrase I grew so tired of hearing.

Waiting till the last minute to descend those 26 steps.

Now I wish more than ever I could grasp more than a faint echo of my mothers voice calling up those stairs.

“Get the drinks.

Set the table; not those use the plastic.

What kind of vegetable do you want? We got corn or asparagus…”

Corn.

Always the corn.

Who knew corn could mean so much now…

What a blessing.

Not the corn on the stove, but where it went after it was ready….

The Dinner Table.

We sat.

All of us.

“a family that eats together stays together…”

Dad was absolutely right.

A day in Honduras: Jennifer Gill

J  July 8^th 2005

When it said in Matthew go the extra 2 miles, I think Jesus meant .2 miles. That extra .2 is enough…

After an affordably easy morning of concrete at the Mateo church of Christ, we are told we have another job to do.  So the ten of us climb into the back of the beat up Mazda truck, and off we went. What we found is a hill. A large hill, not uncommon in the Moteo region of Honduras. However this one, we are told, we must hike up. Suddenly the 1.2 miles to the summit looked a lot higher. It was then that we were told that we would be carrying 18 foot boards of wood that would be used to build the walls of the house. At this my mouth uncontrollably dropped open. My thoughts fought with the task that I had just been instructed to do. “1.2 miles! With that huge board! Have they seen me? I’m a girl, and not a very muscular one. Surely I must be exempt.

The board wasn’t that heavy at first.

My partner walked in front of me carrying the front load of the weight while I pushed on from the back. We would switch shoulders every two minutes to ease the pressure. With every movement she made, the board would sway in awkward jerking movements and cut into my shoulders and the side of my neck. Onward we walked through the dirt terrain pausing every 15 minutes to catch our breathe.

Finally we reached our destination and the sight was absolutely breathtaking. Rolling green hills littered with small Honduran shacks. You could see for miles.

I was ignorant in thinking that this would be a one time deal…I never realized how much wood it takes for house with only one room. So, after six more trips to the top of this ever-growing mountain, my entire body was about to call it quits. Down the mountain we tromped for the last time…or so I thought. As we reached the last decent, there he was. 9 years old, barefoot, struggling in his efforts to single handedly carry a thick rolled sheet of tin for the roofing. “Can you guys help me carry this up there…” I found myself turning around and bitterly walking up those same miserable trails, this time with an awkward tin roof. To make things worse, it had rained and the thick mud layered on my shoes making each step an obstacle. The size of the tin made it impossible to switch shoulders and I found myself getting frustrated with the heavy burden I was given. “I’ve already hiked this trail, I walked the mile, why can’t someone else do this…” And in the midst of my complaining it hit me “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles…love your neighbor as yourself." It was like Jesus was right there on that rainy Honduran path with me.

Never have the scriptures been so alive to me as they did that day on that muddy hill. You never know where God will make himself known. For me, it was in the middle of a muddy trail in Honduras. He was there. 

You can see God anywhere when you are serving Him. In the people working around you or in the face of a poor child. He is there. Seek to serve Him, and He  will make himself known.

Isn’t God amazing? The way He can work in your life if you only let Him? I think so.

 In April I was presented the idea of traveling to Honduras for the entire month of July this summer to further a church that Dudley Chancey has been ministering to for over a decade. When first hearing about it I was more than ready to jump on the next plane. However, having just committed to recruiting for OC for the entire summer and realizing that 1600 dollars was out of my price range, I quickly put the idea out of my head. However, God had other plans for me. Without even mentioning the idea to my boss, a situation was quickly worked out so that I would have the ENTIRE month of July off. And not only that, but Honduras will actually it actually count towards my summer recruiting as well. Crazy I know! This was the first time God intervened. The next big issue was buying a plane ticket and applying for a passport to actually get there. You see, I didn’t exactly have 800 dollars ( 700 for the ticket and 100 for the passport) I could pull out of the bank without over drafting by 600…So this posed an immediate problem. However, once again, God already had this entire situation worked out. So one day while I was sitting in the coffee shop at OC, my friend Joe opened up his mail with a sigh and looked troubled. “What’s the matter I inquired?”  “Well” he replied, “My aunt just sent me X dollars for my mission trip this summer and I already have all the money I need.” “wow that’s lucky I replied, I haven’t even sent out letters for my Honduras trip. Well see ya Joe.”…nothing more said… however the very next day I received an email from Joe asking if I had come any closer to getting the money that I needed. After he learned that I hadn’t, he offered me exactly 800 dollars of the money he wouldn’t need! Uhhh yes you talk about the moments where you can look to heaven and just say ‘thank you God.” Well, that was definitely one of those moments. So after realizing Gods plan and giving up my own fears, I committed my July to spreading the word. 

 And what a journey it is going to be. Seeing how God has worked so much before I have even gone makes me excited for all He has planned while I am there. We will be working with a Church of Christ in Tegucigalpa, as well as helping Amber Foster, a HIM worker that has been in Honduras serving  for two years now. Three youth groups from all over the United States will be accompanying us in building houses for the impoverished people as well as distributing much needed supplies. I also hope to lead children’s bible studies, and as you all know I have been speaking Spanish for 8 years, and I feel this will be something I will be able to do often. This is going to be a mission well served in the name of our Lord.

So I last wrote in January... its now April. I am pretty sure I am one of those people that give Xanga a bad name. Oh well blogging isn't my religion, so i think its okay that I'm not faithful.

Four months of life. And so much has happened.

20 is a strange age. I can honestly say that yes i feel older. I've left the years of a teen and am pressing on further every day to adulthood. I doubt i will ever truly consider myself an adult though.

I think one of the most important characterisitcs that a person can posses is the ability to laugh at oneself. We are all human, we all mess up. Life is too short not to be able to look at your flaws and mishaps and crack a smile. So go on, laugh at yourself. Its okay, I promise.

I am pretty much sold on the fact taht i have the best majors ever. Spanish and Communications. First of all spanish. I mean come on, who wouldn't like to know another language? Who wouldn't want the ability to speak the native tongue of a person from a different country? Oooh spanish fascinates me. It is the only subject i can say i have taken my own time to study outside of assignments. I never knew how intriguing a dictionary could be. Second Communications. Are you kidding me? You can MAJOR in that? Words are so amusing. We all use them. My job is to be better at using them. Wow. Im am going to love my job some day, communicating, and communicating in Spanish. what a life.

I would have to say Oklahoma Christian is God blessed. Spend three days on the campus and meet some people and you will see that.

Ever wonder? I do. All the time.

Dios Le Bendiga.