My Support Letter

God called me to be a missionary at a young age. I couldn’t tell you where I was the first time I knew that I was going to be a missionary. I don’t even know how old I was when I felt the call. But, I do know that I have known God’s plan for my life since I was a very little girl. And over the years I have wrestled with this calling. Though God has clearly confirmed it time and time again, there have been times of doubt and times that I have struggled with the call to go and serve God abroad. Then this summer, I made my second trip to El Progreso, Honduras. The trip followed what had been a difficult year. I had 3 knee surgeries within the year leading up to this trip, I had left Bethel College and started taking online classes, and I felt lost and lonely in the new world of being an “adult.”

          The second day that I was in Honduras, Jesus came and shook up my little world. For the first time in months, He gave me an overwhelming sense of peace. I felt like I was at home. I knew that I was in a place where I belonged. And the rest of the week, I worked through those feelings, trying to better understand what the Lord was saying to me. It became very clear that I needed to move to Honduras. I had no doubt that this was where God was calling me to be. I knew that I was home, that I was in the center of His will for my life, and it was a wonderful feeling. I cried the whole way to the airport on the day we left. I sat in the back of the bus with my dad and my cousin Kara, and I was sad to be leaving the place where I had felt God’s presence so strongly and heard his voice so clearly. Throughout the entire bus ride, I kept hearing Him say, “You are coming back. I have plans for you here Charlotte. This is not goodbye.”

          The week that I got home, I got in contact with a school in El Progreso called Eternity. I emailed them and told them about my love for the country and the call that I felt. I heard back from them within a few hours and later in the week, they had offered me a job. With all of the physical challenges I have faced with my knees, I was unable to move right away. As this year has gone on, I know that this is the time that God has prepared for me to go. This summer, I will be moving to Honduras to teach English for one school year (Well, for now, who knows what is to come).

          You are receiving this letter because so many of you have not only supported my missions trips to Honduras, but you have also been a constant support through the years. Your encouraging words, visits to the hospital, meals brought to my home, laughter, movie days, and persistent prayers have been a constant source of joy for me! I want you to continue to be a part of my journey as I step into the new things God has for me!

YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED!

Prayer is the most important way- I would not be where I am now had it not been for so much answered prayer from my friends and family.  The prayer card is .a reminder that I need daily prayer.  Some specifics are;

·        Continued healing in my knees.

·        Anxiousness at living on my own in a foreign country

·        Wisdom and peace

Keep in Touch-

·         I will post frequently on my blog  thejoyfullittlecupcake.blogspot.com.

·        Facebook and tweets on Twitter

·         Email me  charcharlainey@gmail.com

Financially- While I will receive a monthly salary from the school, it will not be enough to cover my total expenses, including travel. I have estimated the cost for my year abroad to be an additional $6,000 beyond my salary. There are two ways to give to help support me:

·        Monthly support which can be given through Hope for One Child (June 2015-June 2016).

·        One-time Gift

What My Friends Have Taught Me

I am at a great place in my life. I find myself realizing that I have learned a lot in my 20 years of life and I am sure that I have so much more to learn. This morning though, I realized that my close friends have taught me so much and I am truly thankful for that. And in keeping with the spirit of my most recent post, I will also make this one a list.

Here is what my friends have taught me, and what friends can teach each of us.

1. No matter what time of day, my friends have taught me that they will always be there for me. I cannot tell you how many times I have texted a friend late at night and they have responded. Whether it be to say something completely stupid (like telling them that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are having a new baby) or something super serious, they always respond. They have taught me that being there for someone else is so important and I hope that they know that I will be there for them. (Seriously, I'll be there for you when the rain starts to pour, like I've been there before, because you're there for me too)

2. It is not always about me. I have learned this many times. A friendship is a give and take relationship. You cannot expect to keep taking and taking and taking and still have a functional relationship. This is a two way street. Now there will be times when all you do is take, it is just life. However, the times that you give and give and give should out way all the times of take. I think that this is something that friends forget too easily. It works both ways, or it doesn't work at all.

3. Laughter can cure anything. Well, it can cure most things. It 100% can not heal you after just having your gallbladder removed, It can't. Laughter can overcome so many things. If there is a disagreement, making a light joke can help. If someone is feeling down, puns are a great way to lift them up. It doesn't matter what brings about the laughter, laughing with your friends is just one of the greatest things in this world. I work really hard to make people laugh.

4. My friends have taught me what real and authentic love is. There is nothing that I wouldn't do for my dear friends that I love. This is going to sound crazy, but have you ever wondered if you could love someone more than you do. Seriously, I love my cousin and my best friend, Kara, so much that sometimes I can not find the words to adequately express how much she really means to me. I think that is what authentic love is. I would go to the ends of the earth and back for her, and I know that she would do the same for me.

5. My friends have taught me to dream big, and then dream a little bigger. If you have a desire in your heart to do something, find a way to do it. I think the potential for greatness that all of us have is so amazing. Sometimes we can't see that in ourselves though and we need someone to point it out. My love language is words of affirmation, and I love to tell people what I see in them and I am always 100% serious. I have learned that we all have the ability to change the world, and I think that many of my friends are going to do just that. I love when I have a crazy idea and I share it with a friend and they are just like, do it! (Though most of the times I think they think I am joking, but really I am mostly 100% serious).

6. Not everyone has the same talents, and that's okay. My strengths are different than my friends strengths. My weakness are not the same as theirs. This is all good. While I might not know what to do in a situation, one of them might be able to help me out. Or, if I am good at something and they aren't so good at the same something, I can help them out. It is so great to have different abilities and talents.

7. I have learned that you don't always have to like the same things. Seriously, friends can have different interests and passions. Kara is super passionate about math, and I am not, but when she makes a math joke, I laugh because that's what friends do. My friend Lauren is super into music, and I am not, but she is always telling me what I listen to and I end up liking the songs. I am really into princesses and most of my friends are not, but they still let me wear my princess crowns and call me Princess Charlotte. And that's awesome. If everyone liked the same things, life would be boring and there would be no room for exploring (unintentional rhyming).

8. I have learned that I am blessed. That is the most important thing that I have learned. I have an incredible support system. God has blessed me with some of the greatest friends on earth. Friends who keep me accountable, who walk beside me in hard times, who laugh at silly movies with me, who support my dreams and my plans, who push me to be the best me, who listen to me, and who love me as much as I love them. I am so blessed by all the friends I currently have, and all those who I have had over the years. Life is so much better when you are walking through it with crazy awesome people. Thank you so much for being my friends.

(I had tears in my eyes thinking about all of the incredible friends that I have, oh my goodness, I am going to miss so many people when I move to Honduras)