The Aldape Daily Buzz!: Thoughts on Honduras & Having a Baby

As many of you know, Aaron recently returned from a missions trip to Honduras. It was a missions trip like no other, completely unprecedented in size and scope. 2,000 missionaries converged on the country of Honduras from July 14th - 20th in a massive movement to bring the Good News, help, hope and healing to the nation of Honduras during the 1Nation1Day missions event. The national government allowed (invited) the missions team to go into all the schools and thousands of students were brought to Christ that way. Food and aid was distributed to the needy and medical care was provided free of charge to those needing healing. In the clinic that Aaron worked in they saw over 2300 patients within 5 days and several of the patients experienced the miracle healing power of Jesus Christ and walked out of the clinic free of the pain and physical limitations that they had been living with for years. Saturday, July 20th was a national crusade day, and the good news of Jesus Christ was shared with the entire nation via 18 live crusade locations held in each state in soccer stadiums, and shared via the web and television to the entire nation. It was truly exciting stuff, and I am so proud that Aaron was able to be a part of this incredible event.

There is however a back story to this missions trip that not many people know about that I thought I'd share. Last fall Aaron and I first heard about the 1nation1day missions trip. Our church was excited to be able to be a part of reaching people and building lives in the nation of Honduras the following summer. When Aaron learned more about the trip from various people he felt called to go on the trip. When I heard more about the trip I felt complete trepidation...we had just started talking about growing our family again...which I was already terrified about...and this missions trip just was not on my agenda of things to do in the summer of 2013! Whenever Aaron would bring the subject up I would immediately dismiss the thought that God would actually call Aaron to go on this trip...how could He? We were planning to have a baby then (if we could get over the fear of what pregnancy could bring), and I was terrified to let Aaron leave me during a high risk pregnancy...he had already missed Eli's traumatic birth and he was just 45 minutes away at the time things started going downhill...how could he leave the country??? There was just no way God (or I) would let Aaron agree to go on the missions trip...right???!!! WRONG!

One night during yet another discussion about Aaron feeling led to go on the missions trip we had a complete blow-up...and when I say "we" I really mean me. I was so mad...at Aaron...for "wanting" to leave me during a potentially delicate time, pregnancy wise...and at God...I mean, how could He desire for me to feel scared and afraid and left alone? I was convinced if I held out that I would win and that Aaron and God would have to agree to my terms. Yeah, things don't work like that, and no matter how hard I tried to run away from the prodding in my own spirit that this was indeed the right choice for us to make, I could not hide from the fact that Aaron leaving on the missions trip was truly the right choice, and that we both needed to follow the Lord's direction in this matter. So, late that night Aaron and I decided to take a leap of faith, and I remember saying "Well, I guess you're going on the missions trip and we're going to have a baby!" Both decisions brought equal amounts of fear, and trust is something that hasn't come easy for us. BUT, we've both learned this last year that fear doesn't mean you can't trust, and faith is putting your heart knowledge into action. You can still "feel" afraid and trust at the same time, emotions don't need to run the show and God is faithful. He does want our good.

So, when Aaron came home and brought me back these precious little shoes I felt like it was the perfect picture of what this past year has meant for both of us spiritually. God's faithfulness to bring us to the point of relinquishing our own fears in order to follow His direction...for His mercy as He brought Aaron back home safely from Honduras...and for His protection over this sweet baby girl who (in His perfect timing) is due in two months...not smack in the middle of July as she would have been if she would have come according to our plans! I guess God does have things under control! Imagine that!!! ;-)

So that's been our journey over the last year or so. We're learning to much about the Lord and about each other as we allow ourselves to be vulnerable to what the Holy Spirit is teaching us. Here are a few pics from Aaron's trip...and lookie who also got to go...Grant! That's a whole other story in itself. I know Aaron was more than blessed to have some quality time with "Brosky J" during the trip. It was one of those once in a lifetime type things! Although, the missions organization that put together this incredible trip is already planning on going to Peru in two years, so who knows what's in store! :-)

At the airport in Miami...worship & training day for 1Nation1Day team.