Before Honduras

Last August at the annual church picnic, our friend, Steve The Youth Pastor, asked us to pray about going with the team of youth to Honduras in December.  Tim instantly said "sign us up!" and I was like....hold on... let's check our schedule.

We determined that we could go on the trip, and this trip is what I have been living for for the past several months.


After that hot, sunny, and hot church picnic, life suddenly got very busy and (seemingly) spun out of control.  We planned the all-church retreat (made exponentially more complicated by my "great ideas") then somehow managed to fill nearly every weekend of our calendar until Thanksgiving with a trip to the Balloon Fiesta, a 5 year anniversary celebration, fundraiser for the trip, and numerous other social engagements.  It was quite a whirlwind, and while I loved spending time with people and doing those fun things, I kept screaming "stop the world, I want to get off!"  In November I went up from working 3 days a week to 4, and all along Tim has been spread paper thin over his company's two biggest projects--both of which need to be done NOW.

At some point in October, I was talking to the mother of one of the kids on the trip.  She mentioned that her child had thought of going out for swim team but decided not to.  This mother was glad, because she felt that her child would need more "down time" to prepare for the trip.  I thought that was wise, and said to myself, "Self, find some down time."  Ha.  Life remained busy, and now I was working an extra day each week.  How in the world could I prepare myself for this trip?

As always, God is faithful.  He knows what I need, and He is preparing it for me before I even ask for it.  Allow me to illustrate...

• Our book club book for December was Angela's Ashes.  If you ever want to read a depressing book, this one's a great one.  Seriously, its a great book, but I don't recommend reading it as the days grow ever-shorter and sunlight seems non-existent.  However, I realize God's timing in this was good, as it forced me to think of the problem of poverty, and appreciate how beautiful and comfortable my life is, especially going into the greedy Christmas season.
• The week before Christmas, the Lord graciously gifted me with a snow day.  We were hit with a blizzard, and I knew there was no way I could make it in to work.  I could have worked from home, but decided to spend the time doing the approximately 1000 things I had to do to be ready for Christmas and our trip to Michigan.  I was blessed with rest that day, as well as productivity.  Everything that HAD to happen, happened.  Stress level= lowered.
• Christmas with my in-laws was SUCH a blessed time, and provided some much needed r & r for Tim and I before we left on our trip.  One of the gifts my mother-in-law gave me was the Design*Sponge book.  The book is great, but the best part was the inscription she wrote in the front.

"A good woman is hard to find and worth far more than diamonds.Her husband trusts her without reserve...She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing...She's up before dawn, preparing for breakfast for her family and organizing her day...then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden.First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking...excerpts from Proverbs 31:10-19
Stephanie, may this book bring you inspiration and creativity as you continue to build your home, family and life together with Tim.  Merry Christmas with lots of love, Mom Taylor."

Yeah... there were tears.  Even though sometimes Tim might not communicate his appreciation for me, his mom sees what I do and how I try to be a good wife, and she appreciates it.  And God sees me.  And He knew that was exactly the encouragement I needed right then.  I never could have asked for it, because I didn't even know what I needed, but He knew my need and He met it, right then and there.

This was just one of the blessings of my Christmas with the Taylor/ Focht clan.  Leaving was so hard to do.  Mom Taylor was helping us pack up the car, and when it was loaded, Tim went back inside.  Mom Taylor and I stood in the driveway and hugged a good long hug, and the tears came again.  We pulled ourselves together and went back inside... Dad Taylor was going to pray for us before we left.  Everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) gathered in the kitchen to pray and see us off.  As Dad Taylor prayed and Grandmom had her arm around me, I felt so, so, so blessed to have such godly in-laws.  Of course I was a mess, and when he said "amen" Anna looked up at me and said "Steph!  Are you crying?!"  I quickly blamed it on Mom Taylor, then started the good-bye hugs.  All 14 of them.  With my red, blotchy, snotty, crying face.

That is one of the hardest good-byes I have ever said.  Leaving family is usually hard, but I comfort myself by remembering that I am going back to my home and my  friends and my life.  Expect this time I wasn't... I was going to Honduras and I had no idea what it would be like.

We left Michigan in the middle of a snowstorm.  What should have been an 8 hour trip home to 12 hours.  We got home at 11:30, unloaded the car and went to bed.  Tim asked if we should set an alarm, and I said no, we needed rest.

His phone rang at 8:30.  I went back to sleep.  A little after 9 he came in and told me he had to run to the Big City to fix something on a big project.  Also, the police department had called and was going to stop by because a lady drove through our fence.  Wait....what?!

Apparently a lady was parked in the church parking lot, confused the accelerator and the brake, and completely knocked over two 8-foot panels of our fence.  AND WE DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE.  She filed a police report, and we contacted her insurance company who will pay for the repairs.  Meanwhile, we had to patch the fence so that Anthony (who was house sitting) could let the dog-burts out and not have to tie them up.

After Tim's trip to the Big City, patching the fence, and completing our mile-long to-do lists, we were packed and ready for bed.  We got about 1.5 hours of sleep the night before we left for Honduras.

Needless to say, I was an empty shell of a Stephanie when we left for the airport.  But I think that's exactly what God wanted for me... less of me and more of Him.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)