Rocks, Babies, and Puppies (a typical week in Honduras)

Hi, all! Here is a summary of my week and an update on what’s next!
 
On Saturday, none of us had heard any news about Marlin or her baby. All we knew was that she went to the hospital on Friday morning, and that the hospital is super sketchy. Since we couldn’t get ahold of her mom either, Andrea and I went to the hospital to look for her. As I’ve said, the hospital is super sketchy. No system whatsoever. No room numbers. No check-in’s. No records of who’s there or what they’re there for. Nothing. Not only that, but it’s also super overcrowded and super dark. Pregnant women literally in labor, about to give birth right then and there lining all the walls and the stairs. There was absolutely no joy. Only anguish and stress in the eyes of these new mothers. Sad stuff. After 3 hours of searching every bed in every room on every floor of the maternity ward, and asking the few doctors and nurses we could find, we gave up and left. So that was Saturday.
 
On Sunday, we got to go to church!!!! This was very exciting!! (We’ve been either doing “church on the streets, “ going to Spanish church, or doing our own church service on the property), so I was WAY pumped to go to a legit Americanized church. A pastor from the states came over here and started this church a couple years ago. It felt so much like home. I loved it. We even had translator earpieces, so I got to hear a sermon in ENGLISH! Oh, how I took that for granted. After church we realized that we had nothing at home to make for lunch, so we went to Little Caeser’s (the pizza of missionaries) and were super confused when we were told that we were actually going to eat the pizza inside the restaurant. That night, we finally got ahold of Marlin’s mom and heard that she had her baby and that all was well! Yay! God is good! Thank you all for your prayers!
 
On Monday, I showered (big deal). And then the girls on my team all went to the hospital to visit Marlin and her baby. It still took a while, but this time we found them and got to visit and pray with them. Marlin had a C-section and a hysterectomy the day before and was on no pain medications, no IV’s, no nothing. In a room with 7 other women, on a bed with one sheet and her baby. The baby doesn’t have a name yet. But she's thinking Diana. On the bus ride home from the hospital, I met a (way cute) 22 year old guy named Tony. First guy I’ve met here who wasn’t an absolute pig. We talked the whole way home. About an hour later, who shows up on our property? Tony. He’s gonna start working with us to better his English. We’re gonna help out his church, and he’s gonna help out our ministry. God uses us to plant all different kinds of seeds in all different kinds of places. Tuesday night, we had SALAD for dinner. That’s always crazy exciting here, as the norm is all things fried and sugary. That night I shared my testimony with my team and they prophesied and prayed over me. Good stuff.
 
On Tuesday, I became a mom. Yep. Mama. Mommy. Madre. I was called those names for the first time that day. And I loved it. I loved having darling little 1 year old Marisol run to my arms and no one else’s, calling me mama and wanting my soup from my spoon and my water from my water bottle. I loved holding her tight and watching her play with the brand new puppies that we got. I loved being mama. I wish I could take her home. 
 
On Wednesday, I shoveled rocks, picked up rocks, and painted rocks. Lots of rocks. Sitting and painting rocks in a room filled with tons of colors and little Honduran children was pure joy. It took me right back to last semester – my days as an art major at the community college. Good times.
 
On Thursday, God told me that He wears the pants in our relationship. Then 95% of our squad found lice in their hair. I am (as of now) in the other 5%. (Lice like clean hair.)
 
Today, Friday, is our last free day here in Honduras. Weird! We're going back to that church tonight, and I'm way excited!

Tomorrow, Saturday, will be our last "church in the streets" at the plaza. That's always an adventure and probably my favorite ministry.
 
So that was my week! Now for some logistics:
 
On Sunday my team will be leaving for a week in a rural village that’s a 4 hour bus ride away. We’ll spend all of next week living and doing ministry there, with no electricity and dirt floors to sleep on. Pray for us! The other teams have all had crazy awesome God stories from their weeks in the village, so I can’t wait to see how He’s going to work in and through my team!
 
Then we come home for a few days and then head back to the village with the whole squad. That'll be fun.
(So what this means for you is that I won't have internet for a while – So don't expect to hear from me until debrief!)
 
The week of November 12^th, we have 3 days of debrief, and then we leave for Thailand! Time is flying by so fast. I’m in a good place, though. I absolutely adore the people here, but I am not at all in love with the country. It won’t be easy saying goodbye, but I’m already way excited to see what God has in store next.
 
Thank you all so much for your prayers and thoughts and encouraging words. They mean the world! I know I am terrible at replying to comments on here, but I do read them, so feel free to comment letting me know how I can be praying for each of you at home! I love you all!
 
Abby
 

Marlin and her 1 day old baby 🙂

Baby. Possibly named Diana.

Rocks.

Marisol's first french fry.

And sleeping puppies 🙂 

On that note, have a great week!!