jour·ney [júrnee]process of development: a gradual passing from one state to another regarded as more advanced, e.g. from innocence to mature awareness
As I sit down 
to write this blog I really can not believe that this time last year I was on an airplane to come to this country I now call home. When I boarded that plane I had never been to Honduras, now it is a place that will never leave my heart. It is truly amazing
to see all that can happen in one year. I could not even Begin to explain all that God has taught me since being here. In the big scheme of things I think most people would say that one year is so little time, but I would have to disagree. Everyday that passes shapes us into who we become 
in the future. I have had 365 days to be shaped, 365 days to grow, 365 days to have m
y breath taken away, 365 days to cry, to laugh, to feel the sunshine on my skin, 365 days to live... Wow, what a blessing we have been given, to live. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the bad stuff and the hard times, but if we had never cried, would we cherish the times when we laugh? I find that even in the hard times there is a blessing. Without those moments we would not be who we are today. Although you d
on't have to move to an other country to grow, to learn or be shaped, I know that I would have woken up a differe
nt person today if I had not lived in Honduras for the past year. I think being in a different culture challenges what you always thought to be "normal" or the way things "should be." You begin to see flaws in your own thoughts, you even shock yourself with ideas you didn't know you had. You watch others and realize that there is an other way to think about things or to do things. Being in a different culture h
as definitely shaped my thinking, and expanded my worldview. I have also been shaped by the beautiful children here. I have learned a love I didn't know existed. I thought that I was coming to Honduras to touc
h the lives of the
children here, but the thing about kids is that they unknowingly touch your life more than you ever hope to touch theirs. While I hope that I have made a big difference in their lives, I 
have no doubt that they have made a difference in mine. They make my laugh without even trying and make my heart melt, just by wanting to hold my hand. Just today Kensy came up to me and said "Miss Jessi can I hold your hand?" as if it were a privilege to be able to hold my hand. It would 
take me a year to recount all the precious moments I have had. I have been blessed to no end being here. My prayer is that I have truly given more than I have received, but at times I find that hard to believe.
Personally I really love the title that I posted, I think that one day I will write a children's book with the same title. It will be a story about a little girls journey to growing up with only brothers. Weather I will make it comical and touching I have yet to decided. I will keep you posted on how the book turns out. My inspiration for the book comes from something that happened today. I had taken all the kids outside to play, being momentarily obsessed with all kinds of bugs and small animals, they immediately began looking for what kind of animal they could find today. It wasn't long before they came across a frog, which means instead of following me their eyes were glue to the frog like it was gold. For some reason when they find something interesting their eyes start working double time, relieving their ears from having to work. I'm certain I could have been shot and killed and they wouldn't have heard anything. Jennifer is very brave when it comes to grabbing animals so she quickly snatched the frog right up, leaving the others in distress, since they didn't have a frog and Jennifer did. About 12 steps later they found another frog, and who do you think grabbed that frog? None other than Jennifer, leaving the others double distressed. They were quite verbal about it too. Anyhow, what's a girl to do when she has a frog in both hands and a chance to catch more frogs? You guessed it, stuff them in her pockets. I thought it was hilarious although I did tell her that she needed to take them out of her pocket and suggest that she might want to share with her class mates. She didn't exactly "want" to share her prized possessions, but she did anyways. It was a beautiful moment that made me laugh. The moment will forever live in my heart and maybe one day in my children's story!
This Morning I jogged up to the pond located here on the Ranch. No matter how many times I go up there I never cease to be amazed at the beauty entrapped in such a small place. Some people may say that it is dirty, or less than appealing but my heart sings when I'm up there. After I got to the top I stopped and watched as Emmaline was swimming. I was looking at the trees and the sun was just starting to peek through the thick leafs. You could see each individual ray peeking through, it was breath taking, the rays washed down and floated on the water, causing the water to sparkle. As I watched this scene I thought about Christ. Sometimes our lives are like that of the thick trees and underbrush. Even as Christians we go through hard times, we feel as though we are trapped in a deep dark forest where no light can reach us, that there is no way out. At times we may even feel like there is no hope, no light, no truth, we are in despair. But just like the sun rose above the brush, and density, the SON will rise above our despair and heartache. Isaiah 9:2 says " The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,on them has light shined." Christ redeemed us on the cross, making us like the sparkling water, reflecting his glory. Once we have become Christians we have been given the light also, Matthew 5:16 says "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." It is comforting to think that no matter how "great" our problems that our father is greater. That nothing can stomp out the Light and that the Light can rise above anything thing that we face.
to write this blog I really can not believe that this time last year I was on an airplane to come to this country I now call home. When I boarded that plane I had never been to Honduras, now it is a place that will never leave my heart. It is truly amazing
to see all that can happen in one year. I could not even Begin to explain all that God has taught me since being here. In the big scheme of things I think most people would say that one year is so little time, but I would have to disagree. Everyday that passes shapes us into who we become 
in the future. I have had 365 days to be shaped, 365 days to grow, 365 days to have m
y breath taken away, 365 days to cry, to laugh, to feel the sunshine on my skin, 365 days to live... Wow, what a blessing we have been given, to live. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the bad stuff and the hard times, but if we had never cried, would we cherish the times when we laugh? I find that even in the hard times there is a blessing. Without those moments we would not be who we are today. Although you d
on't have to move to an other country to grow, to learn or be shaped, I know that I would have woken up a differe
nt person today if I had not lived in Honduras for the past year. I think being in a different culture challenges what you always thought to be "normal" or the way things "should be." You begin to see flaws in your own thoughts, you even shock yourself with ideas you didn't know you had. You watch others and realize that there is an other way to think about things or to do things. Being in a different culture h
as definitely shaped my thinking, and expanded my worldview. I have also been shaped by the beautiful children here. I have learned a love I didn't know existed. I thought that I was coming to Honduras to touc
h the lives of the
have no doubt that they have made a difference in mine. They make my laugh without even trying and make my heart melt, just by wanting to hold my hand. Just today Kensy came up to me and said "Miss Jessi can I hold your hand?" as if it were a privilege to be able to hold my hand. It would 
take me a year to recount all the precious moments I have had. I have been blessed to no end being here. My prayer is that I have truly given more than I have received, but at times I find that hard to believe.
