New Year's Eve... with a purpose

Last night was the annual New Year’s Eve celebration at the church (pictures to follow later). There were people singing, dancing, and sharing what the Lord has done in their lives (since 2007 was the Year of the Harvest). We had an amazing dinner and got to spend some more time with the Pastor and his wife, since they had just gotten back from 3 months in the states 2 days ago. The best part, though, was after.

When everyone had left and we were cleaning a bit, we saw how much food was left and we decided to go downtown and give it to the hungry people there. At 2 am we went to them… most of the people we gave food to were drug addicts, thin from lack of food, they spent all their money on drugs. Prostitutes smelling of alcohol, one pregnant… some kids… but the Lord was there! We were able to minister to them, give them food, and pray over them. They were so grateful we felt so blessed to be there and to be able to serve them in that way. Pastor Ricky says that the church will try to do this more often this year, maybe once a week. We want to see these people turn their lives around and go after something much greater than chasing after their next high! Please pray that we can see fruit in this ministry and that lives may be redeemed!

One week til Christmas!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!! Christmas spirit is hitting us full force and we couldn’t be more excited to get to share it with family! The Lord has blessed us tons and tons and what we’re most grateful for is you guys – our wonderful friends and family!

We’re done with school – yay – but we want to share some of the Christmas play with you. It was adorable!!!!! The idea was that a little mouse family was telling the story of an American family and a Jewish family in Israel. At the end, the son of the Jewish family has to go to war, and they focus on the thought that no matter who you are or where you’re from, when you’re in war all you want is to go home. The message was for us to be grateful for what we have and to remember that though we’re fortunate enough to spend our Christmas with our friends and family, not everyone is. They showed a slideshow with some photos from Colombia, Iraq, and the Sudan reminding us to keep ourselves in prayer and to help those less fortunate than us.

(PS – if you would like to help a refugee from Sudan get to the States, you can send money to a World Harvest Church, http://www.rodparsley.com/, and he brings them over, but I think that time is running out because the Sudanese government is enacting legislation to prevent the refugees from leaving…)

Below are some of the photos from the play and there are many, many more on Dave’s website: http://community.webshots.com/user/virginiatechdave

Dave hurt his arm, here are his x-rays! He sprained his wrist playing soccer at the youth thing… but we are happy to report that at 8pm, clinics in Honduras are nothing to be scared of! Cheap and good, couldn’t be better! Paint was peeling a little on the walls, but the rooms were very clean, the instruments were sterile, and the staff was friendly and skilled. All in all, if you come visit us and we wound you, you will be ok! J And Dave’s wrist is healing nicely!

Also, thank you mom, Paul, and Papa for the package! We love everything in it, and just about everything edible in it is gone… heh… Ang – we got your card and I almost peed my pants, I was so happy to hear from you!

Liza left us!!!! Well, ok, she’s coming back, but she went to NY for the holidays. We miss her; having her cat live with us is ok, but Ceiba (her cat) is a poor substitute for Liza herself. We love you Liza!

Ok, I think that’s all for now, we love you guys and we’ll post again soon!!!

Long time, no post!

Hey all! I almost forgot how to type, it’s been so long since we’ve posted!!! MUCH has happened, so I’ll try and tell you about it, though it may not be in chronological order…

We spent a wonderful honeymoon at a resort on the beach called Helen’s. It’s right on the water and the upstairs suite is only about $40 a night. We relaxed all weekend and dreaded leaving…. It only we could be independently wealthy and not have to work… :)

This is the view from the private balcony in the suite at Helen's

We are almost done for 2007, only 2 weeks left in the school year and we find ourselves getting very attached to the students here as well as our coworkers. Our relationships are getting deeper and God is providing opportunities to minister in a variety of ways! Keep praying that He will open doors and allow us to love on them!

Dave preaching at chapel last Friday.

Some of our wonderfully energetic 7th graders!

We went to a soccer game last night with Megan and her 2 kids (she is a teacher at the school and also took Elizah and I to bible study). It was AWESOME! Our team from La Ceiba, Victoria, was taking on a team from Tegucigalpa. It was a 1-1 tie in the end, but tons of fun to watch! The people around us were screaming, cheering, running back and forth and setting off their own fireworks from the stands. A few drinks went flying, but we were doing well so it didn’t get too rowdy!

Adriana, Megan, Andrew, and I in the stands at half-time.

Right after Victoria scored a goal.

And most exciting of all… MY MOM IS COMING!!!!!!!! Yes, you read it right, my mom and Paul are coming to La Ceiba!!!!!!! :) Praise the Lord!!!! Thank you Papa! I can’t wait to see them and I’m in the process of making arrangements!!!!! If you would like to come too……. :)

Ok, enough for now, and we’ll try to be better about posting… sorry!
Love you all!
-Becky

our address!

here you go, if you want to send chocolate and love, here is our address:

Dave and Becky Sharp
Iglesia El Faro, Carretera Ceiba- Jutiapa, contiguo Terminal de buses de la Hedman y Alas, La Ceiba Honduras

When it rains...

you can apparently still get sunburned if you live in Honduras!

Dave, Elizah, and I went with our friend Miguel to the beach on Saturday. We took the bus to Sambo Creek (a Garifunas village where life is not the same as in the big city...) and then walked to the beach out front of a hotel called Helen's. (Which, by the way, is where we'll stay for a few nights if you come visit us beacause it's ON the beach, beautiful and around $25 a night for a 2 person room!) We got in the water and played in the sand, only being asked for money by a weird guy once! :)

We were in the water, honing our football skills by throwing a coconut back and forth, when all of a sudden, Dave felt a sharp sting. We ran, terrified, to shore to figure out that he was stung by a jellyfish! It swelled a bit and turned red, but apparently (according to the staff at the hotel) there are no secondary effects... The swelling subsided and the pain went away and all was good as new. We ate lunch and hung around for a while longer. Then, around 3pm we went home.

(This is an old photo of a nearby beach. Sorry no photos from this weekend, Miguel told us to not bring anything we didn't want stolen...)

... To discover that we were FUSHIA! Turns out if you're a gringo/gringa and you don't use sunscreen you will get burned EVEN IF IT'S RAINING! heh... we certainly learned our lesson. From now on, I'm wearing sunscreen to bed! We've been showing our love for each other by applying aloe and lotion to each other's backs. What devotion!

We love and miss you all, but GOD IS GOOD and He is blessing us left and right here! Our prayers are with you as we know yours are with us!
Much love,
Becky

My amazing Dad-

So yesterday seemed like any ordinary day... until I was in Geometry class with the 11th grade and Lupe knocks on the door. I open it and she is holding a BIG vase of beautiful flowers, saying "They're for you."

For ME!

My dad sent me flowers from allll the way in the States just to say that he was thinking about me!

I LOVE YOU DAD!!!!!!!! I couln't stop telling people yesterday and today about it! You are awesome!

Love,
Becky

Something to pick you up!

This was written by a dear friend and ever-mentor, Barbara Robinson. She posted it to the comments, but I love it so much and I don't think that everyone that reads the website reads the comments, so I wanted to post it here for all to read!

Love you Barb!!! So glad to hear that you are loving where you are - that makes 2 of us, God is SO FAITHFUL, and I am so glad He put you where you can shine for Him!! You are a blessing!! Keep on posting! :)
(I love you so much too, Carrollyn!!, you just didn't write a poem... :) jk)

God’s Love is Grander than the Grand Canyon!!

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God’s love is as wide and deep and great as the Grand Canyon He made.

His love flows like a Niagara Falls waterfall.

His light shines like a Key West sunrise.

His love sparkles more than all the lights in Las Vegas.

But His love is true and steady, instead of glittering and flickering false hope.

Nothing is grander than our own Lord, not even the Grand Canyon He personally created!

Like an expansive canyon view, or an ocean-front view, His love spreads and expands throughout all eternity with no end in sight.

All you have to do is invite Him in as your personal Lord and savior, trust Him, and He will be your guiding light, outshining the glitter of Hollywood and Vegas.

©Barbara Robinson, July 19, 2007