September and October!

Can it really be that it’s already? These past (almost) 2 months have flown by since I
returned from my trip to the states. A week after I got back I moved into a beautiful home a
little further outside of town. All I needed to hear was that it has a washer and dryer and I was
sold. I’ve missed doing my laundry, as crazy as that may sound. Carrying my laundry to a
laundromat wasn’t always convenient and added up in extra costs as well. (there isn’t an
option to wash your own laundry here and laundry is weighed and charged by the pound).

I’ve had several opportunities to volunteer this past month. The first one was at Oasis, which
was one of the two places I was considering serving at long term. I spent the day there helping
take care of the babies, as the nannies had the day off for a staff retreat. After two months and
me initiating a followup meeting nothing has happened. So I am considering the door closed at
this point. I definitely feel at peace about that not being what God has in store for me.

I have had several opportunities come up to help with fair trade projects, something I am
definitely passionate about! It is something I was considering and hoping to be a part of at
some point, just didn’t think I’d get to so soon. Being able to be a part of the design process
and seeing the products made is pretty exciting. But more than that, seeing their faces light up
when they see what they have created is the real reason. To equip, encourage and empower
people to discover or learn a skill that can provide for them and their family is why I love this.
Below are a group of women who learned to make aprons and will also be making pillows for a
non-profit that will launch next summer. This is one of the projects I am helping with.

Over the next few months I will be helping by selecting and purchasing the fabrics they will be sewing, along with assisting in designing. Such a fun and exciting experience!

One of the things I continue to be amazed by is just how many ministries I continue to learn about and all the wonderful work God is doing here. I visited a children’s home that focuses solely on getting children adopted. This is something that isn’t a priority here, as the amount of children needing homes is overwhelming. But Diane has chosen to believe and fight for each child to have a forever family. What a challenging feat, but it was so worth it.

These two adorable little brothers are part of a sibling group of 4 that will soon be adopted! Love this mission! I am in the beginning stages of working with the Founder/Director to further her fair-trade/non-profit to help support these children. Please join me in praying for what opportunities God may have in store with her.

Sometimes when all your friends are missionaries you get asked to help translate at a medical clinic, even though your Spanish is nowhere near good enough! I worked in the pharmacy so felt very capable of helping translate directions for how often to take medicine, for how many days and when. Glad I wasn’t responsible for communicating people’s symptoms…one day!

I continue to be so blessed by my church, Shoreline, here in Antigua. Serving on the host team every week and helping host the women’s events, Sisterhood, has been such a great opportunity for fellowship. The numerous friendships that have come from there, being able to do life with other missionaries and help people feel connected, is more than I ever could ask for or have expected.

It’s hard to get kids to stop eating popcorn and smile for a picture. These are 4 of the 8 children Little Lambs has received this year. During my visit there I got to experience the transformation that is happening in these children lives. Hearing a little boy who used to live on the streets now pray and thank God for a home and to keep the other children safe who are living are the streets is a powerful experience. Talk about witnessing a miracle! Although the days and nights have been challenging for them with all of the trauma these kids have gone through and needing to learn what discipline is and what it is like to have a parent, change is happening.

Part of what I did while I was there was write a proposal to create a sponsorship program. Since Little Lambs is just now entering there 2nd year and just starting receiving children this year, there isn’t a program in place yet. So I proposed what the program would look like, the budget for the children’s daily care, and what it would consist of. It will be presented to the board soon to see if they approve. I was able to have the co-founder read it and he is on board, so we will see.

Things are still uncertain of whether or not I will be serving full-time at Little Lambs. I have provided the board with all the information they requested and am just waiting to hear from them. Nothing moves quickly here so I continue to embrace the culture here and make use of the waiting. I know that God works within His own time frame and my patience continues to grow through all of this! One thing that was revealed during my last trip there was that while I have peace about the job description and the areas I would be serving in, I do not have complete peace about the environment there. Besides the remote location, there lacks opportunity for spiritual growth/nourishment and fellowship. It has been pretty discouraging as I have been praying about this particular ministry for most of the year. My prayer has been that I can decipher between fear and red flags. I don’t believe God has closed the door yet and am absolutely still praying about the possibility of working with them. It just may not be now or may look different than I imagined. I truly believe God has created the environment here in Antigua to where I can thrive and serve others well because I am not just pouring out, but am being poured into. If there is one thing I have learned from doing full time missions it is that those two go hand in hand. The work God is doing through me requires a constant check of is this coming from me or from Him and making sure I continue to be in a place where that balance can be achieved.

Although, it feels like lately I have become like a missionary consultant helping out who I can and where I can, I love that God continues to provide opportunities to help and serve others while I wait on him to reveal all he has for me here. I have learned and continue to learn that God is still working and is using me in the waiting! I continue to be so grateful to each and everyone who joins me in prayer and financial support in what God is doing here.

Love,
Marissa