Carol comes each year especially for these sweet Honduran ladies. She greets them as they enter the church with love and compassion. She genuinely ask them their name one by one. Carol enjoys this part of her week. I believe Carol has been doing this ministry here for at least four to five years. We thank you Carol for making this day so special for the ladies who sometimes are in the background and go unnoticed.
As the ladies arrived for their special day of many surprises some had to bring their children. But as it is these little ones were not a hindrance but a blessing. You did not know they were even with a circle full of ladies. The newborn is four months old and has two more brothers at home. God showed me a little of my boys and their mommy when I was talking with this young lady who is the same age as my daughter. Thank you God for such a sweet time with this young lady and how I was able to reflect a little on my own little ones back home.
Carol introduced her self first of all in all Spanish. Meida sat patiently and waiting for Carol to start speaking in English. Carol did a phenomenal job introducing herself in Spanish. This was a great start to a very special morning.
Carol shared how there is little time spent with the ladies around their construction project. We are so similar in so many ways. We all cook, clean and take care of our families. We need to set aside time for ourselves and today we are going to treat all of you special with some activities relating to the bible verses I will share. The first activity was Katie, Sarah, Anna and Lynda gave out to each lady a bag and then a mirror for their first activity. The bag was for the storage of their materials from today's bible study conference. The first item given to these ladies as a mirror. They immediately looked at themselves in the mirror as Carol shared not any two of us look alike. We are uniquely made by God. We are created by God and are fearfully and wonderfully made. We each are very special to God. She shared you have an orange card with Psalm 139:13-14 written out on it let's read this together.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:13-14
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:13-14
Carol continues to share how we are all created by God and we are special in His eyes. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. God gave us all special gifts which is our responsibility to use these gifts to further His kingdom here on earth. She then ask them to look at their yellow card they received earlier. Let's read this together:
For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10
God had a plan and a purpose for our lives. We are responsible to answer His calling. God knew before we came here today we would be here sharing in this special moment in your church. What is it God wants you to do for him. You can teach Sunday School for the children, you can cook a meal for a sick friend, family or church member, or you can pray diligently for your family, friends, and church. If we all had the same gifts where would we be. It takes all of us to help our church run according to God's plan.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
1 Corinthians 12:27
Now as you look into your mirror know you were created in a special way and God has decided to use YOU to serve HIM.
This is one of my favorite times of the bible study. Each lady is handed a tube of hand lotion. They are asked to pair up and put a little lotion into their hands and gently apply lotion to their friends hands and arms. As they are doing this Carol shares how hard they work with these hands. They make tortillas, wash the laundry on the pilla and take care of all the needs of their families and their church families as well. While building the home for Victoria this week we noticed how you cooked a meal daily for the workers and the North Americans. Everyone was served before you all served yourselves. You always put others ahead of yourselves. Carol shared sit back and enjoy this time of being treated special. She encouraged the ladies to take time to do this for themselves once in a while. Treat each other special and take care of each other as sisters in Christ. You all remind me of the Proverbs 31 woman. You are a woman who fears the Lord and will be praised. Each of you are important to your families. Take the time now to enjoy your massage.
This is also a special time for the ladies. The sweet ladies of Salemburg Baptist Church made aprons for the Honduran ladies. The ladies lay the aprons on the altar of the church and allowed the ladies to come and pick out their choice of apron. They tried them on and compared one with another. They were your typically women trying to make a decision on which apron was just right for them. They helped one another in selecting their aprons. These ladies had a blessed time finding just the right apron for each of their friends.
Carol proceeded to share as they settled back in their seats these aprons are a symbol of the Armor of God. What is the purpose of this apron? They shared to keep us clean while cooking or cleaning and to store items in. Carol shared looked at this apron when you are wearing it as the Breastplate of Righteousness. Righteousness is being right with God. It is having a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. It is living according to God's will for our lives. God has given us Jesus to show us how to live a godly life. We need to read the bible daily, pray continuously but it all begins with our salvation. Each day we spend trying to grow in Christ Jesus. We try our best to live godly lives to glorify God in our actions. Please wear your apron and be strong in the Lord and share your love for Christ with others you come in contact with.
While all these activities with the ladies are going on we find Katie right where she is the happiest, with the children. Katie was found on the stage with the children coloring pictures. Katie kept the children entertained while the mothers enjoyed their time in Word and fellowship.
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Matthew 19:14
Lastly the ladies were able to make a craft to keep their five different bible verses on. This was a task which took everyone's help to complete. We had an elderly lady Katie assisted and Anna helped the lady with the newborn. Carol, Sarah and Lynda were helping ladies who were struggling or did not quiet grasp what to do. While all this was going our sweet Meida was blowing bubbles with one of the children. Everyone was doing their part to make this a special and stress free day for these beautiful ladies.
Carol pulls the ladies back together to thank them for having them and read one last verse together as a group. Carol closed in prayer with her 26 new friends in Christ. God blessed this time for each and every lady as they thanked and hugged the North American ladies. We had one man enter the premises at the end, Pastor Iinocneto. He looked very handsome in his wife's apron. The ladies of the church love their pastor and it was obvious as they all laughed with him as he modeled the apron.
"'"The LORD bless you and keep you;
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