Our final week

We are entering into our final week here at our contacts.  It's so hard to believe that our first month in Honduras and on the Immersion trip is actually is over!  God has been so good, and so faithful as we have been here.  We have been able to build a few strong relationships as we have been here.  At the ministry site, there are 4 girls who were victims of rape who have babies.  This past month, we have been loving on them, and being examples to them.  These girls have been my little sisters this past month.  We have had some intense conversations, so funny moments, and some hard times with each other.  All of these girls are under the age of 18.  One girl just turned 16!  My team and I were talking and we realized that it's going to be hard to be without these girls.  We all have adapted to the pranks, them expressing their love, and how we would find some random pictures on our cameras or phones.  

However, as hard as it is saying goodbye, we realize that we need to look at the impact that we have left for these girls.  One girl, Maria who is 13, was baptized just a couple weeks ago!  Her story is intense.  She was kidnapped by an older man.  She has left to go back to the government (kind of like foster home in the USA), but she has one of the most intense stories and will be a light in a place that is so dark.  
A huge success moment for me was getting this one baby to smile.  I can't even begin to express how many things I would do to make her smile.  She's also one of those babies who won't let you sit down if you hold her, and if you dare put her down, she will go into melt down mode.  One day, I was walking by, and of course I had to pick her up and play with her.  And behold, she actually smiled!  I can't even express the joy that she gave me when I was able to see the joy she had.
This past month, ministry has looked really different for us.  We weren't out in the community, but we build a new dorm, and two trenches.  We did this with no machines, but our hands and shovels.  We learned to appreciate concrete mixers as we hauled water, concrete, and sand up and down some intense stairs.  We laid bricks, showered in the rain, and saw a part of Honduras that melted our hearts.  We laughed, but we also cried.  We even started intense dance parties.  But all good things must come to an end.  The other half of our squad will go to Gracie's for a month, and see why we fell in love with this place.