Twenty-five

A quarter of a century.

That's how old I am.

I am old.

Well, at least to the kids. I'm twice the age of most of them, and older than some of their parents.

In 25 years I have seen so much of the world, good and bad. I have seen the beauty of untamed wilderness, I have seen the horrible poverty of third world countries. I have felt the warmth of a pile of kids jumping on top of me, I have felt the sting of rejection. I have learned to share my toys and to share the Gospel. I have been victorious against skin cancer, and 16.5 years of schooling.

I have become independent. I have overcome my fear of the unknown. I look a challenge in the eye and laugh because I will always, ALWAYS triumph.

Yes. I am old.

But also
I am young.

I'm sure many of you are reading this and rolling your eyes. "What is this girl talking about being old?" you ask yourself.

It's true, 25 is young, I have so much ahead of me. On my birthday I was called "terrnita" which is a nice way of calling me "just a baby"

I have so much ahead of me, so many dreams to still be fulfilled. So much life to live, so much world to see, so much love to give (and receive). So much.

Right now the desires of my heart are simple and clear. I dream of writing a book. I dream of having a ministry, of serving my God to my full capacity. And above all, I want dream of being a mother and running my own household. (I'm still waiting for the husband part...good thing I've learned patience!)

I am perfect.

All in all, I think being 25 is perfect. I'm young enough to still get away with acting like a kid without embarrassing the girls. I'm young enough to do crazy and daring things without getting reprimanded. I'm old enough to make decisions and be in charge or things when it's called for. I'm old enough to finally be called an adult (that's still debatable)

Twenty-five and ALIVE (thank God for that)

Here's to another year, I think it's going to be a great one.

Life Is Good

Before I get started on the blog part, I have a confession to make.

I am not a good horse whisperer.

The day after my last post, Estrella died. It was really sad and awful-because I was home alone with the girls - and we all wanted to cry, but we were strong and didn't. So I guess I can cross that off my list of future jobs.

Regardless Life Is Good.

A while back, I "borrowed" a pair of socks from my mom. Cute "Life is good" socks with daisies. I liked them so much that she finally gave them to me.

The other day I grabbed a pair of socks from my drawer and scrambled to put them on. A few hours later, I looked down and saw "Life is good" staring up at me from my feet. It put a smile on my face, because it's true.

Sometimes I allow myself to get caught up in what is not good: the water pump is broken, Noe is fighting with Josue, I don't want to eat rice and beans, the horse is dead (you get the idea).

But the truth is: Life is good. It really is.

It's just that sometimes we have to dig a little deeper or look a little harder to see the rainbow through the clouds.

Last night I made a fire. It was probably the best I've ever made. It was so good, that we decided to throw some potatoes and roast them for dinner. They were exceptional potatoes. Life is good.

On Friday we went to a pueblo named Manzaragua to do an outreach. Over 120 kids came to see our kids sing, dance, act and present the Gospel. Then we got to break open pinatas filled with candy.
Life is good.

This morning I was able to talk to a college friend who I haven't talked to in over a month. She listened and encouraged me in so many ways.
Life is good.

God is good. Once we truly believe that and embrace it, we can believe and embrace the fact that life is good.
Being alive is good.
Living day-t0-day is good.

So yeah, our horse died, and the lock on the front gate doesn't work, and yesterday I had to walk nearly two miles to get vegetable oil, but usually the good outweighs the bad (because with the oil we made yummy banana bread).

Recap: God is good, therefore life is good.

Here’s the recap.

1. We received a horse as a gift.
2. We were surprised to find out she was pregnant.
3. The horse gave birth.
4. The man who took care of the horse left.
5. We realized that we needed to take care of the horse.

That’s where I come in.

I have always tended to avoid horses after an accident that occurred when I was younger. I will share the story so that you don’t think that it was some horribly tragic occurrence.

Some family friends of ours had a small farm. On the farm was a horse. Once I was riding the horse with the daughter of our friends. The saddle began to slide little by little, taking us along with it. (Picture two little girls still in the saddle, but now riding sideways).
Long story short, we fell off. She was caught, I was not. The story is more funny than traumatic, but I never had a fond feeling for horses.

Until now.

So our horse, we call her Estrella (which means star) and her baby Relampago (lightning) were running wild and not eating well and we basically sick and weak. It was proposed that we bring them closer to the house so we could tame them and keep an eye on them.

The boys were prohibited from getting close to the horses (you know how little boys are) and the girls were afraid.

Enter Miss Katie

For some reason, I feel a lot of sympathy for Estrella (I call her mama). She’s super thin and weak and still has to nurse her little baby.

Since her move to the house, I’ve taken to visiting her and bringing her water and treats. I guess I’m also in charge of untangling her (which happens a lot). Yesterday my head was way to close to her back hoofs for comfort, (she had gotten the rope wrapped around her two hind feet and was in danger of falling over) and all I could do was pray that she trusted me enough not to kick me.

So there’s the story of our horse. The veterinarian comes on Saturday and is going to give me official instructions for taking care of her. I’m kind of excited to be in charge of nursing her back to health.

And if it works, I can put a new job on my resume:

horse whisperer

Big Sister

I always wanted a little sibling. Mostly I wanted a little brother, but I would have settle for a little sister too.

My parents on the other hand (as wise as they are) decided that two girls would probably be enough to keep them on their toes...they were right.

But 20-some years later, God has answered my prayers in a BIG WAY. I am the official, un-official big sister of 12+ "siblings".

It's a fun job...

...most of the time.

Allow me to share some highlights.

1. This is my butt

Ok, this may not have been one of my best "older sister" moments but in my first month here, I taught the kids the phrases sit on your butt and this is my (hand, leg, etc). Well, they are fast learners and managed to put the sentences together. Imagine Betsy's shock when Josue went up to her and proudly announced this is my butt.

2. Cooking lessons

I love to bake, the kids love to eat. It's a great relationship. It's been fun teaching the girls to bake and Lesli can make a 5-batch of banana bread without having to look at the recipe. Success!

3. Stand-up Comic

It's not usually a good idea to laugh at the mom, especially when she's upset about something. But the "big sister" - you can laugh at her all day. Even better when she makes mistakes in her Spanish or does something culturally incorrect. But seriously, I don't mind being the butt of the jokes and usually I deserve it.

Favorite topics are my driving skills, my first attempts at cooking for large quantities of children, and my baby pictures.

4. College pays off

This is the one that set off this whole blog. It's 8:00 at night and I'm sitting at the kitchen table with the majority of the kids. We're studying for exams this week. Since I'm the most recent graduate of the ministry, I am the one to help the kids study and do their homework. Good thing I went to college to be a teacher.

5. All-nighters

What teenage girl doesn't love a good sleepover? I definitely did, and even more in college. Sometimes it's therapeutic to stay up all night and talk or to rent movies and eat junk food and then repent of it the next morning. One night around Christmas time, Angie and I stayed up until 1 am talking on the pull-out couch in Betsy's living room. Getting up early the next morning was rough, but so worth it!

6. Goof-off

This is my favorite. I like to act like a kid, I like to be super silly, and I love it when the kids participate. Last weekend we were sent to be early, but no-one was tired. So...the girls and I dressed up as super heroes and filmed "interviews" with each other. Super silly and super fun. I'd love to tell you more about what happened, but we swore each other to secrecy!

Being a big sister here has been such a blessing for me. It's also been a challenge. I've always looked up to my big sister but not I have kids looking up to me. It definitely makes me think about my actions and words because I have to be a good example. Luckily the kids are gracious with me and God continues to teach me.

This is the "super hero" night. Don't judge. And as an added side note: all the underwear in the pictures is straight out of the package...super clean!

We got a little carried away while painting a "Happy Birthday" sign!

Tranquility

Tranquility, what a beautiful word. I didn't use it enough in the States, actually I don't think I ever used it.

The word for calm in Spanish is "tranquilo" and so I find myself using the word tranquil more and more each day.

Right now, at 2:30 pm on Friday afternoon, my life is the epitome of tranquility.

Here I sit at my compter, with my cup of coffee. 9 0f the 12 kids have gone into Tegucigalpa for the day. The other three are playing quietly in the living room after spending the morning doing yard-work.

Looking out the window, I am met by beautiful green trees and a single pink rose that has risen above the rock wall of the front porch. Listening to the light rain, inhaling that "wet grass" smell and watching the fog roll up the mountain.

Yes. Tranquility.

And yet, a year ago (maybe even a few months ago) I would never have dared to use that word to describe my life. How can my life be calm with 13 kids and a enthusiastic puppy? How can I enjoy the stillness of nature when life is moving so fast around me? How can I possibly say that things are "tranquilo" when there is always someone yelling (yes yelling) my name?

Still, here I am writing about tranquility. The tranquility of a soul that rests in the presence of the One who is in control.

At somepoint in the last couple months, a transformation began to take place in my being. Somewhere along the road, the Katie that always had to be in control learned how to roll with the punches. The girl who always wanted to know that plan, has learned ask less questions and enjoy the adventure ahead. The worrysome heart has surrendered. The spirit that was easily overwhelmed by details has learned to take a breathe.

Yes life is still hectic and crazy. There are somedays that my "to do" list has the most basic things on it (like "shower") just so that I'll make sure to keep time open to complete them. No, life is not stress-free or without hiccups in the road.

But I have changed. I am the tranquility. God has calmed the storms of my heart, the worries that tried to creep around with me from day to day. And as He continues to transform my heart, I have become aware of one thing:

I carry the tranquility within me.

Even admist an intense game of cards, or an argument in the kitchen, I can find my inner peace and quiet among the chaos.

What a beautiful feeling.

And so as I finish my cup of coffe and prepare for activity and noise that is soon to arrive, I thank God for this day, the rain shower and all the joys that come with it. And I praise God for the inner peace and a calm spirit that only comes from faith in Him.

Just Another Day

I wrote a while back (maybe February 2010) about the typical schedule at Jericho Villa. It's changed a lot, so I thought I'd update with a typical day in the life of Katie Hutjens...missionary in Honduras.

4:40 am- The alarm goes off
I manage to groan out "everybody up" and then hit the snooze button until 4:55 when I drag myself to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

5 am- Prayer
We all manage to get ourselves out of bed and downstairs to the living room where we have worship, prayer and read the daily devotions. This is hard for me. My flesh wants to pretend like I didn't hear the alarm, but we somehow make it nearly every morning.

6:15 am- Chores
After prayer, the kids all run off to put on their uniforms and clean their rooms. I head to the kitchen to help with breakfast. Or I grab my cup of coffee and do the rounds, making sure that beds are made, pajamas are put away, and things are organized.

6:30 am- Breakfast
Self explanitory

7 am- Arrival of Miss Loreana
I love when the teacher gets here. She gathers all the children to the school and my "time off" commences.

7-8:15 am-
I don't have a good name for this time but it's when I have my time with the Lord, read the Bible, journal, do my homework for my Bible class, and prepare my classroom. I usually consume a few cups of coffee during this time...hey, I gotta have my energy!

8:15-10 am- English class
I have two levels of students. I love this time of day. Teaching kids English is so much fun. Seriously.

10-11:30- Run
I know that the fact that I "run" 1.5 hours makes me sound like an athlete. But the truth is, I have to walk 10 minutes to get down the mountain, then I run, then it ususally takes me 20 minutes to get back up because the last thing I want to do after a long run is walk back up a mountain.

11:30-12:30- Grab bag
In this time I do everything else that I need to get done while I still have personal time. I shower, check emails, write lesson plans, chat with Haeyoung, make lunch.

12:30 pm- Lunch

1-5 pm- Supervise
The kids have to do their homework and their chores in the afternoon. Then they can play. My job is to walk around the Villa and count to make sure that all the kids are accounted for. I also help the kids study in this time and hang out with them once they've finished their chores.

5-6:30- Dinner
I hang out in the kitchen and help the older girls cook. Translation: I watch them make the food and "taste-test". It's a great job! 6 pm is dinner and then dishes.

6:30-8- Family Time
We hang out in the living room and play games (Checkers and Uno are favorites), listen to music, sing, tell stories, etc. Sometimes when we don't have electricity, we make a fire. Basically we just hang around as a family before bedtime.

8-9:30 pm- To the bedroom
At 8 we pray together and then head off to bed. I share a room with the 4 youngest girls (Paola, Kimberly, Lesli, and Carmen). We goof off and dance around and tell stories. It's really quite fun acting like a teenage girl! I never had to share a room growing up, and I never thought I'd end up sharing one with 4 girls, but I'm having a blast!

9:30(ish) pm- Lights Out
The best thing about getting up at 5 am (besides having time with God) is that we get to go to bed early! This definitely didn't happen when I was in the University!



So there you go. 24 years old and a "mother/older sister" to 13 kids.

I never EVER would have imagined my daily schedule as the one above but I have learned to love it and embrace it.

Jericho Visitors Part VI

Sungduk Kim (South Korea)

This is the last Jericho Visitors blog…well for now anyways. I know, even I’m a bit overwhelmed at how many people passed through the Villa in such a short amount of time.

But this visitor is still here at the Villa, and he’s more like family than a visitor.

Sungduk is one of Haeyoung’s closest friends and is here in Honduras for the fourth time. Sungduk’s first trip was in 1998 before Jericho was even official!

Sungduk came in January and during his time here, managed to revamp our entire website! This time, he is back to visit and we were thrilled when he arrived with Haeyoung on July 18th.

Sungduk is absolutely fantastic with the kids, no matter what age. The little girls love him because he is so gentle and attentive to them, the boys love to go hiking and play soccer with him (he has so much energy), and the older girls enjoy spending time practicing languages with him.

Since Sungduk is a professor at a university in Korea, he is on break until the end of August and we’re so glad that he’ll be here for another month. He’s definitely an answer to prayers, since Eduardo leaves on Saturday to study in Dallas, TX.

What I’ve learned from Sungduk is that good friends stick by your side for anything. Sungduk decided to come back to the Villa when he heard how sick Haeyoung had been. Over 21 hours on a plane to make time for a good friend.

God gives us friends for a reason: to bless us, encourage us, and help us stand when things get hard.

(Sungduk and I at Picacho, a park outside of Tegucigalpa)