Top 3 Things that are OK or Not OK in Male/Female Christian Relationships

(Just some things I’ve picked up recently and in my 36 years of life)…

Men (if you are interested in a romantic relationship with a woman)

1) Pursue her! Show interest in her. Go out of your way to let her know that she has caught your attention and you think you might want to date her. She’ll either be into it or she won’t. If she’s not, it stings a bit, you regroup, and move on to the next girl that captures your attention (maybe she’ll be more receptive). Don’t test her to see if she’ll be the one to go the extra mile to be with you. God created women to be pursued, not the other way around. Believe me, if she knows she can trust you with her heart, she’ll go the extra mile and then some.

2) Don’t pursue multiple women at the same time. If you think you might have feelings for a girl or might have a future with her, she needs to know that you feel closer to her than any other girl (aside from mom or other motherly figures). If you need to spend time talking in great depth or meeting alone with other women, make sure you have a non-emotional reason for doing so and make sure you can tell your special lady about it. If you feel like you have to keep it from her then you probably shouldn’t be doing it.

3) Respect her physical boundaries and yours. As Christians, we know God intended sex for marriage but when you love someone you want to be intimate with them. Do the best you can to honor God, your body and your girlfriend’s body and if you slip up talk through it and do what you need to do to prevent the slip up from happening again. Crossing those physical boundaries can cause an enormous amount of guilt and shame, especially in women. She wants to be intimate with you. She wants to satisfy your physical needs but she also wants to honor God and her future husband by saving herself for the man who is committed to spending the rest of his life loving her and sharing life with her. A Christian woman who has engaged in pre-marital sex can feel like she’s betrayed God and her future husband and she can carry around a lot of guilt and shame for that until God heals her heart. Any recurring slip ups cause a woman to slip back into that guilt and shame. Men, know when you push those physical boundaries with a woman who is not your wife (not yet, at least), this is what it does to her heart. Again, she wants to be with you but how awesome would it be for both of you if you could be free and completely uninhibited to express your love for each other sexually, without the guilt and shame.

Women (If you are interested in a romantic relationship with a man)

1) Be yourself!!! If he’s into you, he will love you for who you are so don’t go changin’ to try and please him (to quote an old classic!). Trying to morph yourself into the person you think he wants, will keep you in a constant state of wondering if he could ever love the “real you”. In a relationship, people do tend to have to adjust to sharing life together but if you have to change who you are at the core, the guy is probably not meant for you.

2) Show him the respect he needs and deserves. He is the man that you are considering to lead you spiritually and in your relationship. Give him every opportunity to do that and trust that God will equip him to do it well. Most Christian women are looking for strong men to love them and lead them. God created men to be strong and lead so women need to allow them to do it. Let your man be a man and submit to him as the head of your relationship. When a woman starts to take over in a relationship the man can feel emasculated. He may also feel like he is not good enough for his wife or girlfriend. Other men may lose respect for him and tease him, saying his wife or girlfriend runs the show or wears the pants. Women…do not do this to your men!!! (disclaimer: men, don’t abuse your position as head of the relationship and lord it over your wife or girlfriend. You also need to respect and submit to her in the relationship).

3) Don’t pursue multiple relationships with men. Men, just like women, need to know that we are closer to them than any other man (except our dads or dad-like figures). Confiding in other men about our relationships is inappropriate and can be dangerous. If the guy appears to be sensitive to your plight when your man obviously was not, you may start to develop feelings for the guy who “understands you and your needs better”. Your man WILL NOT be ok with this. (FYI – women are also NOT OK with this, so men should not be confiding with women about their relationships either.)

Men (If you are interested in a friendship with a woman)

1) Don’t try to be a woman’s confidant or best friend. It’s too easy for a woman to develop feelings for someone if they feel that close of a connection with them. If the feelings aren’t mutual the friendship will likely not survive. Check in with them every now and then and hang out in groups. Women don’t need to have deep, meaningful, and emotional “friendships” with men. They get those needs met by their husbands or boyfriends and by their close girl friends. If you feel like you need to have these kinds of deep, close “friendships” with women but have no interest in a committed relationship, then you need to work out some issues before you do irreparable damage to some poor girl’s heart who thought you might be the one.

2) Make sure your actions match what you say. If you tell a woman that you are not interested in dating or you are not interested in dating her then don’t confuse her with flirtatious banter, frequent phone calls/texts/e-mails, inviting her to spend time alone with you (if you do spend time alone with her, don’t pay. She’s already either convinced it’s a date or trying to figure out if it’s a date. Paying just makes her think it’s a date even more). And be careful what you say to her. If you tell a girl who is single and available that she is beautiful, special, or something along those lines she is likely to think or wonder if you are interested in her. If she’s into you, she may start fantasizing about a relationship with you. If you were just trying to be nice and encourage her then you’ve got an uncomfortable situation on your hands that could have been avoided if you’d have just left the compliments to men who actually are interested in her or to her girl friends. Girls may fantasize about a relationship with you anyway so you should not do anything to encourage it if you don’t have interest in them. Just as I said in 1, if you like women fantasizing about a relationship with you but have no interest in a committed relationship, you need to work out your issues before you do irreparable damage to a poor girl’s heart.

3) As much as you can, try not to be alone with a woman if you have no interest in her romantically. If she’s single and available, it can send a message that you might be interested. If she’s in a relationship, it’s disrespectful to her husband or boyfriend. If you are helping her with something non-emotional and can’t avoid being alone with her, just make sure you keep it non-emotional and if there is a significant other in one of your lives, make sure they know what’s going on. Bring a friend along if you can.

Women (If you are interested in a friendship with a man)

1) See “Men (If you are interested in a friendship with a woman)” 1-3 and apply it to women! J

I wrote all the above based on experience, meaning I learned the hard way about how I should be relating to men. I’ve been hurt or have hurt others in one way or another in regards to all of the above stuff and I just wanted to share what I’ve learned with you in hopes that it might be useful or enlightening. Take it or leave it.

Love,

Erin

I was kind of excited about my time with God this morning and wanted to share with y'all! Some of you know that I've really been feeling the weight of the world bearing down quite a bit lately. I kind of feel like I've always got something or someone I'm having to go to the front lines for whether it be a country I care about, a cause, family, students, myself, or a dear friend. I don't see that ever letting up because that's not the way I'm built but man I do feel exhausted sometimes.

So anyway, today I was journaling about my frustration and God sort of enlightened me on how much He is moving right now on my behalf. I wanted to share just a couple examples with you.

The first is in regards to my mother (be prepared for chills)!!

I took my mom out for her 60th birthday on Thursday and they brought her a birthday dessert. My mom has struggled with diabetes for the past several years so I asked her if she could eat it (I was willing to bear the burden for her if she was unable because I am a good daughter like that). She said, "heck no", then took a big ol' bite. She was referring to the size of the dessert when she answered and I was referring to her diabetes. She then realized why I asked the question and told me that her doctor said that she no longer has diabetes and took her off her medicine. They also took her off her heart meds that she was taking for her rapid heart beating. She told me about a week ago that her MRI showed that there is no cancer anywhere else in her body and her lung doctor said that her cancer is shrinking and he doesn't need to see her for 6 months. Her oxygen level started out at a level 10 and now she is at a 3. Her hair, eye lashes, and brows are growing back and she is beautiful! My mom went into the hospital on May 5th and was there for almost a month. Her doctors did not believe that she would leave the hospital alive. She believes God is healing her and so do I!

In my classroom, you all know that they took one of my assistants and it has made it a little more challenging to do my job well. It has been pretty frustrating and stressful and I was starting to think that I wasn't able to handle it but then God reminded me of where my students were and where they are now. My students were non-verbal, now all of them are communicating their wants and needs either verbally or using picture cards or signs. They were destructive, now they are playing with toys appropriately... most of the time. They were unable to transition and complete tasks without full or partial physical assistance. Now they are functional and independent... in most areas. My twins used to lay down like babies so we could change their diapers. Now they are dressing themselves. All of my parents love our autism program and can't believe the changes in their kids. I have to pray every morning for strength, wisdom, and patience to get through the day. I don't always feel like God brings it but if you look at my kids now compared to where they were when they first came into the program, there is no mistaking that God is bringing something!

I guess what I'm excited to share is that God is moving in huge and amazing ways but I personally get so wrapped up in my own junk and how hard everything is that I fail to see it. For the time being though, I feel like God is with me and allowing me to look past the struggle to see things more clearly and as He sees them! Today I'm not exhausted! I feel good and refreshed! Phew...relief!

Before Bible time today:
On Thursday, I realized that I am so absorbed in myself and in the approval of others that I have forgotten to be what God wants me to be. A little pressure and criticism makes me obsess about being perfect so no one can criticize again but that mentality has caused me to be so far from perfect. I have failed to be a kind and considerate friend/person. I have neglected to help people in need. I’m too busy, stressed, crabby…whatever the excuse, it is no excuse. I got schooled in how I should be by a complete stranger. I stopped at Churches Chicken to get a sandwich on my way to Marian and the guy at the counter’s credit card wouldn’t work. I thought to pay for his meal but instead pretended to be ignorant of what was going on. Another guy stepped up and did what I should have done and the whole restaurant was talking about his kindness. The lady behind the counter started talking about how rare it is for people to do things like that anymore and how when she was growing up she was raised by the “village” meaning everyone worked together to raise kids, help each other out, etc… It doesn’t happen anymore. I was seriously convicted. The day before that, I was in a hurry to meet my friends for a movie, and a guy was standing beside the road with a sign that said “God bless” I made eye contact with him and thought to help him but quickly averted my eyes and drove away as soon as the light turned. Thoughts of the Bible, where it talks about not neglecting to help a stranger because in doing so, we could be entertaining angels, crossed my mind. I could go on and on about how many times I have grieved the Spirit. Every time, He prompts me to do one thing and I ignore Him and do something else. I’ve said it myself so many times…if we don’t respond to the Spirit, He will prompt someone else to do what needs to be done and we miss out on an opportunity to bring glory to God and share in that glory. It’s time for me to change.

James Intro and 1:1-27

James’s mission was to win Jewish brethren to Christ. I think that is why I love this book so much. I feel a burden to win the church to Christ starting with myself. How am I to win others if I am still on a wayward path? In so many ways, I am just going through the motions. I am so far from being like Christ that it makes me wonder if I have missed the mark altogether. The Bible says we will be known by the fruit we bear. My tree is pretty bare alright...how clever am I with my little play on the words bear and bare :)! So here's the burning question? How can the church witness to others if we ourselves don’t see.

I used to think that the biggest change that happened when I accepted Christ was the peace and hope I felt during times of struggle. I used to feel so helpless and hopeless whenever I faced some sort of inconvenience or challenge. Looking back the things that devastated me then seem so trivial. Young children and women are being trafficked as slaves, people are dying of starvation, and some have died never knowing a single act of kindness in their entire life. I could go on and on but the point is that there are bigger problems than mine. I feel ridiculous knowing that I stress and worry about such trivial matters even now. I am like “the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” I ask but am filled with doubt and lack of trust in God. So I try to do things myself and whether or not I fail or succeed, I am left feeling exhausted, stressed, frustrated, discouraged, and isolated. Where is my peace? Where is my joy? I do not have it because I do not trust God to bring it. I fight every day of my life for my own glory and the approval of man and that is why I am driven and tossed by the wind. I’ve engaged in my own personal war that I can never win. It will kill me unless I let go and surrender. It’s a war that was never supposed to happen. Who am I that I should be glorified? As I said before, it’s time for a change but not any kind of change I can do in my own strength. Lord, I am imperfect, trying to be perfect. I am ordinary, trying to be extraordinary. I am broken, trying to be flawless. Why? Because I have believed the lie that no one will ever notice or love me if I am imperfect, ordinary, and broken. I have coveted and fought for the love and approval of man so much that it has become an idol. I’ve wanted it more than the Perfect Love and Grace that I have always had from You without any effort at all on my part. Your Grace and Love are sufficient. Help me to believe and live that. Maybe then we'll start seeing some fruit on that bare tree of mine! :)

What is faith?

Is it earned? Is it conditional?

When I tell people I have faith in them, it’s because I believe they can do something they haven’t already done. If they’ve already done it, then it ceases to become faith and just becomes knowledge. The Bible says “…faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). How sad would it be not to have hope for things not seen? Where does purpose and meaning come from if not the pursuit of something we believe in that is greater than ourselves.

What does it feel like when people don’t have faith or believe in you? When someone shows a lack of faith in me it kills my spirit. I get discouraged. I lose focus of what’s important and anything accomplished is merely an effort to prove myself or to prove someone else wrong. That’s what happens to me but others have more tragic responses. They believe they are not worthy of someone’s faith and they walk through life without ever reaching their full potential or any potential at all. They are paralyzed. Or worse yet…have you ever heard the saying “misery loves company?” Some may put their efforts into spreading hopelessness, anger, hate, and bitterness. A lack of faith breeds these states of being.

Now let’s look at the other side. How amazing does it feel when someone has faith in you? How strong does it make you feel? When someone believes in me, I feel like I can do anything! I feel inspired! I feel like I have the power to accomplish great things! I feel important! I feel loved! I feel like I can change the world! Having faith changes the world! There is power in it! Amazing things can happen wherever there is faith! Faith can move mountains, calm raging seas, and produce miracles beyond our wildest dreams. I want people to have faith in me. Who doesn’t? God wants the same.

What would you rather hear…I believe in you or prove yourself to me? We have turned relationships, friendships and our faith into an audition. Prove you are worthy of my love? Prove you are worthy of my friendship? Prove you are worthy of my faith? I don’t think this is how it’s supposed to be.

True faith doesn’t require proof. It is a gift from God that assures us that something perfect and beautiful awaits us. I guess I just don’t understand why people are so reluctant to put their faith in someone or God. Is it because there are risks involved? Yes, you may get your heart broken. Yes, you may fail. Yes, you may be wrong. Lord knows I have experienced all of these things numerous times but I wouldn’t trade any of these experiences for a lifetime of doubt, emptiness and hopelessness. What more could come from a life without faith?

Healing Disappointment

Let’s face it! There is always going to be the good friend that blows you off for a cute guy and the cute guy who wants to be with the other girl because she’s just a little bit cuter. There will always be that person who can’t handle being your shoulder to cry on or the person who can’t resist telling you what you are doing wrong. There will always be someone who doesn’t give you enough credit for your hard work and friends who insist on learning things the hard way despite your best efforts to help them avoid unnecessary heartache. There will always be people who are too afraid to do the right thing because it is too hard and who doesn’t know that one person you simply can’t count on to be on time or remember to do something important?

People who don’t know what to say, don’t know what to do, or don’t do enough will walk in and out of our lives every day. We have enough reasons to be disappointed to squeeze out every ounce of hope and joy we might possibly have for the rest of our lives. My understanding is that if God allows it to happen then it must be some sort of test in the fires of affliction meant to make us a little more like Christ.

Several years ago I was living with a friend. The longer we lived together the more we grew apart. We stopped seeing eye to eye on most things and it ate away at my spirit and consumed my mind. I talked to my small group at church about it and received the most brilliant advice ever…move out or change your expectations of your roommate. I expected my roommate to respond the way I wanted her to respond. I expected her to care as much as I did about my struggles. And if we disagreed about something, I expected her to realize that I was right :-). She expected all the same things from me so we were both huge disappointments to each other! All of a sudden we both had gigantic character flaws that made us less worthy of the other’s friendship and respect. Seems ridiculous, right?! I mean we are all adults and should be able to reason together!

For those of you who don’t struggle with this, God bless you, but I’m ashamed to say that I struggle with this on a daily basis in one way or another. Why do I expect perfection from imperfect people? I ask the question but I already know the answer…just another devilish scheme to create division and distract me from what’s important. I forget that God provides for my every need. He sometimes uses people to manifest that provision but that person is merely an instrument, not the source, of the provision. We can’t expect that person to be our source for everything. If we do, they will fail because they are human, not God, and we will, yet again, be disappointed.

It’s also important to remember that I too have been a disappointment to many people, many times. I thank God that He has given a countless number of people the grace to forgive me of my shortcomings. And I thank God that He has given me the grace to forgive others of their shortcomings. I wish I could say that I have forgiven everyone who has ever disappointed me, but I can’t. It’s hard! I feel like some people don’t deserve forgiveness, but forgiveness was never meant to be conditional. I mean, let’s face it! If forgiveness was conditional, we’d all be up #*%@ Creek, right (Romans 6:23)!

So, how do we heal disappointment? Well, it starts with forgiveness. It's amazing how healing forgiveness can be. Can we do it in our own power and strength? Sometimes not; so, we should all start praying before we end up wasting half our lives agonizing about how much people disappoint us?!!

That friend I mentioned above who blew me off for a cute guy also loved and supported me through a huge low point in my life. I am so thankful that God used her to help me through a difficult time. …Maybe I should cut her some slack!! :-)

You know, I've been feeling pretty unlucky in the love department lately and by lately I mean pretty much my whole life! :) It recently dawned on me that there has been a reason for all of the bad, unhealthy, and some "not so bad but things just didn't work out" relationships I've had in my lifetime. I'll get to that reason after I tell you about a few short experiences that will seem random but it'll all come full circle in the end! That's just how I roll!! :)

This picture is a sunset at the base of Arenal, an active volcano in Costa Rica. I was not actually there when this picture was taken. An adventure photographer who pretty much saved my life on a white water rafting trip took this shot (He was very attractive, by the way, but not the point!). I have stood as close as you can safely stand to this volcano and didn't see a thing because it was covered by clouds, but I heard it erupting and I swam in the hot springs that are heated by the lava of this volcano! It was incredible! Just a small sample of God's power and might right before my eyes! It was followed by a relaxing soak in the hot springs with a pina colada and a warm fountain of water from a tiny waterfall, beating down my neck and back, giving me a nice massage.

Several years ago I was on a short mission trip in Mexico and I went outside in the middle of the night to look at the stars. It was a remote area with very few buildings or lights to obstruct my view so I could see millions! I laid on the ground and just stared for awhile. I've never seen so many stars in my life. God even blessed me with three meteors! Again, it was incredible!

Many times I have visited the beautiful beaches of Roatan in the Caribbean. Cheap, weekend trips when you are a missionary in Honduras are to the Caribbean islands! Gotta love that, right!! Anyway, one of my favorite things to do is to watch the sunset there because the sun looks so huge and the colors are so beautiful reflecting off the ocean. It sets in a matter of minutes, which I also find fascinating but sad because it's over all too soon. :(

My last experience happened when I was driving home from house church the other night. I looked ahead of me and the moon was incredible! It was huge and almost completely full! It was this strange peach-ish color and I couldn't take my eyes off of it. It was just for me! A gift from God!

All of these things were gifts from God and I started to think about what I want in a man. I want a man who is strong, smart, and passionate. I want a man who makes me feel safe and comforts me after a hard day of getting beat up by my students with autism! :) I want a man who adores me enough to bestow amazing gifts on me like the sun, moon, and stars! I want a man who thinks I'm worth dying for! Then it dawned on me when I was staring at the moon the other night that I've had that man all along.

I've prayed often to feel God's love because even though I know He loves me I often feel so unloved by man. Unfortunately, it's the love of man that I've been aching for. I've been so consumed by that longing that I haven't been open to God's love. Why not? No man on earth could love me the way that God does! And when I thought about all that I wanted in a man, I realized that no one could possibly fit the bill except God! I could hear God's strength in the thunder of an erupting volcano! Really, ladies, tell me that doesn't make you weak in the knees! He knows exactly what I need and when I need it. And He knows it even better than I do! He is so passionate about me that He continues to come after me even though I keep running after others. That must break His heart over and over again but He never stops coming after me (Hosea 2:14-23)! I did mention the awesome massage earlier, didn't I?! No one can do it quite like God can! He has literally given me the sun, moon, and stars many times. And He took my place on the cross so that I did not have to die for my sins! And all this time I've been pleading with Him to bring on the love and joy cause I'm just not feelin' it!

I feel a little ashamed that I didn't realize that I could do better than all of those unsuccessful relationships. I feel foolish for praying for God to show me His love and then not recognizing His efforts because it doesn't look like I thought it would. It is so much bigger and better but I never saw it because my sight was so limited. I finally get it! I finally feel God's love and it's forever! Sweet!!!!!!!!

What a good lookin' group of ladies, huh! This is most of the staff at New Generation. I could not have been blessed with a more gifted and fun group of people to work with in Honduras. Alas, my time there is finished...at least for now. I am back in the States, living in Indiana for the time being. I returned on Monday, June 25th, and then I was quickly wisked away to New York with my mom and step-dad, Gene. We stayed in a cabin on Oneida lake and it was beautiful but slightly chilly for a girl recently returned from Honduras. I met most of Gene's family for the first time. What a fun group of folks!! Gene's brother, Rich, drove me around on his Harley and showed me some of the sites. I have to admit I did spend a lot of time praying for my safety on those trips but hey, if it's not a little bit scary and exhilerating then it's probably not worth doing right?! Anyway, I had a great time and I felt super cool! SHHH...don't tell anyone I was a little scared. It might ruin my reputation as a super, cool chic! Anyway, now I'm back in Indiana researching how I might be able to get all of the proper certifications and licensures for teaching and/or counseling. I'm also trying to research all of my options for getting my student loans paid off in a timely manner so that I am more free to serve God in a larger capacity, meaning without financial debt limiting my options. I'm eager to talk to anyone who might have suggestions for me regarding any of the above. Please check out the Partnership Opportunities Post for current contact information if you think you might be able to give me some helpful guidance. Most of all I just need lots of prayer in this area. My student loans are the biggest mountain that needs to be moved in my life (at least in my opinion) and I could use all of the prayer support I can get. I want to be debt free because, honestly, the kind of work that God has laid on my heart is the direct, relational kind of work with children and families in impoverished and underserved areas. Probably not the best way to get those loans paid off. So please keep this in your prayers.

Time for funny stories!!! These are a couple of oldies but goodies that slipped through the cracks...

#1 The day evil Ms. Kelly made her whole class sick...

It was a day like any other at New Generation School and all of the children had just returned from recess and were preparing for an exciting Health lesson. Today's lesson was about dental hygiene. Ms. Kelly had prepared a little demonstration for the kids. The purpose of the demonstration was to teach the children about the importance of flouride to teeth enamel. Ms. Kelly took two eggs and put them in two separate plastic cups. One was filled with water and flouride toothpaste and the other was filled with a most vile, liquid substance...vinegar! She soaked the eggs overnight the night before so they would be ready to show the kids for Health class. After a whole evening of sniffing the nasty vinegar Ms. Kelly had developed an immunity to the horrible stench but the children didn't stand a chance. As soon as they entered the classroom the effects of the vinegar had already started to take place. First, their faces changed. Their bright eyes and beautiful smiles quickly contorted to watery eyes and ugly grimaces. Then that horrible Ms. Kelly subjected them to more torture by making them line up one by one to feel the difference in the egg shells. As the students drew closer to the dreaded cups their little tummies began to twist and turn. Then when they set their eyes on the cup with the vinegar, the sight was horrifying. They looked upon an egg floating in a brownish liquid with a creamy-white, pussy looking substance resting on top. The children started to gag a little as their recently ingested lunches began to rise up. Then...oh, the horror of it all...Ms. Kelly made them stick their little hands in the cups to feel the difference in the eggs. As their tiny, little fingers stroked the squishy, slimey egg there little tummies could take no more. Some of the children survived the torture but most had to quickly run to the nearest bathroom to upchuck their baleadas and tajadas. Needless to say that was the first and last time Ms. Kelly will be doing that little demonstration.

#2 The day evil Ms. Kelly taught all the students how to curse...

Being a Christian school all of the students at New Generation gather together in the church on Friday mornings for Chapel. The teachers take turns every week leading the children in prayer, worship, and a Bible lesson. One particular Friday, I wrote a little drama about Matthew 18:23-35 - the parable about the unforgiving servant. Students volunteered to play the parts and were given lines to read on index cards. As you may or may not know the servant's debt was canceled because he begged the king for mercy and the king took pity on him. After his release he went to collect from his own debtors and was not so merciful; so, the king demanded that he be put in jail and tortured until all his debts were paid. Hence some of the lines spoken by a couple of the students included the words "go to jail," If you think carefully about how the letter "j" is pronounced in Spanish then you can probably figure out where I am going with this. Needless to say, once again, this was the first and last time that Ms. Kelly used this particular drama to teach this particular lesson.

So, yes, I have ended one season and am beginning a new one. Honduras was challenging but hugely rewarding. I put all of my love and strength into those children and it was incredible to see them grow so much in Christ and me right along with them. We all lived, loved, laughed, cried, and learned together. None of us held anything back and we are all better people for it. I can honestly say that I received as much as I gave if not more. There were times when I didn't feel that way. There were many moments when I could not see the fruit of my labor. However, there were also many moments when I felt I wasn't giving all that I could. When I look back over the last two years and see how much change has taken place in such a short amount of time, I can see it all balanced out nicely. It is undeniable that God was there with us every single moment, working in all of our lives until we all came out just a little bit shinier. It was so hard to leave but I know what God has in store for me...harder challenges and greater blessings. We'll see what happens as the adventures continue!!

Praises/Prayer Requests



Praises:

1. Praise God for the awesome community with whom I get to share my life.
2. Praise God that I am not alone even when I feel like I am.
3. Praise God for the strength he provides to resist temptation.
4. Praise God because He can be trusted with ALL things.
5. Praise God that I am not in charge!! :)
6. Praise God for being the Great Physician!
7. Praise God for His mercy and compassion.
8. Praise God for loving broken and imperfect people.

Prayer Requests

1. Bless new marriages.
2. Restore broken marriages.
3. Help the amazing Godly women in my life who desire to be married (myself included) find amazing Godly men to love them and share life with them.
4. Set free the captives of addiction, abuse, poverty, corruption, disease and mental disorders.
5. Annoint believers with the power of the Holy Spirit so we can carry on Jesus' ministry.
6. Give wisdom to our political leaders and squash the Devil's influence.

Please use this post to share with me and others any praises, prayer requests, or needs that you might have or to respond to any of the praises, prayer requests, or needs mentioned in this post as well.

Partnership Opportunities!!

***I am no longer serving in Honduras right now. My contact info. has changed:

Mailing Address: 4535 Kingsley Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46205

Cellular: 317-656-1414

E-mail: erinbkelly74@yahoo.com

For those who have faithfully stood along with me during my 2 years in Honduras and supported me through prayer and financial donations, I cannot thank you enough. Your efforts and support helped change countless lives in Honduras, including mine! Your kindness and generosity will not go unrewarded. I hope to continue to work in Honduras and other nations in the future but I have a new mission now. It has not all unfolded yet but it includes honoring God financially by paying off my student loan debt. It is my desire to line up all areas of my life with God's will and this is probably the biggest mountain to move so please keep this in your prayers.

God never intended for any of us to work alone. He even sent His disciples out two by two because our all-knowing God knows that we are stronger when we work as a team. My mission in Honduras requires teamwork as well. I cannot do my part in Honduras without the prayers, financial support, and other contributions of those God has called to partner with me on this particular mission.

If you feel like God has laid me and my third graders in San Pedro Sula on your heart and would like to get involved, I would love to invite and welcome you to partner with me in any way that you feel led to do so.
Here is some useful information for those prayerfully considering partnering with me:

If you would like to make a tax deductible dontion to my mission in Honduras please make checks payable to Disciple Makers, Inc. and mail to:

Disciple Makers, Inc.
4393 Boron Dr.
Latonia, KY 41015

(Please note on a seperate piece of paper that the donation is for Erin Kelly - It is important that you DO NOT write this on the check.)

Donations are my only source of income and are used for my personal living expenses, bills, travel expenses, spending money, and classroom needs.

If you would like to send letters to me or any of my students in Honduras, my address will be:

Erin Kelly
APDO 986
San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Central America

(PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE SENDING SOMETHING - THE MAIL IS NOT PICKED UP UNLESS WE ARE EXPECTING SOMETHING)

It is very expensive and unreliable to send packages through the mail to me so please send any packages to the Disciple Makers, Inc. address with a note that it is for Erin Kelly and they will send it down with short-term missionary groups that visit the school many times throughout the year.

My cellular phone in Honduras is:

349-74-31

My Packet8 (U.S.) phone is:

317-225-4183

(Use this phone number if you are calling from the U.S. and you will not have to pay international fees)

My e-mail addresses are:

erinbkelly74@yahoo.com

or

erin@disciplemakers.org

I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to all of you who have chosen to partner with me. I truly could not do this without you! May God bless you abundantly for your kindness and generosity!