Destination: Honduras (from Eli and Linz)

Family and friends,

As a Youth Pastor… I have gotten to lead and experience many short-term mission trips over the years.  Other cultures have always felt warm and welcome to me…like going home to a childhood place or a familiar memory.

As a dad…I have always returned to a smiling wife who wraps me in hugs and loud little voices and running feet as my kids throw themselves upon me and demand to hear all about the world across the seas.

So I have described my time away.  The colors.  The people. The smells.  The food.   The way God was there long before any of us.  The way life unfolded in the world far from theirs.

But we all know that the best description is only a glimpse…and I have waited for the day that my closest can be a closer part of a trip into a different land.  I have wished for the day that my family would join with me in some of these travels.

In just over a month… Lindsay, Riley, and I have the opportunity to be part of life and work and mission in Honduras but we need your help to get there.  We will be leaving on October 10th and return on the 18th.

We are partnering with a family who has lived and done ministry in Honduras for years.  The majority of our time will go towards a daily breakfast program.  This is an all day deal that feeds, mentors, teaches, plays with, and just shows love to local kids from the city.   For most of the kids there, it will be the only meal of the day.

We will also be doing everything that we can to build and support the local church of Los Pinos.  We believe that Gods heart is to grow, equip, and send the local church and we are excited about being a part of that in any way that we can.

We need your help…  We have to raise $5,400 in less than a month in order for all three of us to go and are asking that friends and supporters would help make this a reality.  Would you consider supporting us financially?

The area that we are going to is spiritually needy and physically dangerous and we feel that we really need your prayers during this time.  Would you pray that the gospel goes with us and that God would be near at all times?

If you choose to contribute to our trip please send your donation to:
K2 The Church
Attn: Honduras Mission
PO Box 521138
Salt Lake City, UT 84152-1138

All checks should be make payable to K2 the Church

Please write Shackelford Honduras Trip on the memo line.

Thank-you for your prayers and support.

From Lindsay:

As we thought and prayed about this trip, we were a bit daunted by the amount of money we would have to raise in such a short amount of time. But the thought and hope of the three of us going wouldn't leave my mind. I know HE is faithful and will provide for us.

Riley is 11 now, and as I see signs of young adulthood happening within him, I have a great desire to have him start off his teen years with a new perspective and love for other people prominent in his mind. For years, I have watched youth come home from trips like this "all in" for Christ. And that is what my hope and prayer for this trip is. I have already seen his heart begin to soften towards others as we begin to plan. He has started working to learn Spanish with me and has begun to make Lego sets with his toys to pass out to the kids. And what an amazing springboard for important conversations for Eli and I, as his main influence, to have with him for the next couple of years.

We need your support, but I know even more than that, we need your prayers. Not only for saftey, but for teachable hearts, for boldness in sharing love with those who don't speak the same language, and for compassion and grace for others. Thank-you!

The Shack Pack

landon is 5.

today is special.

5 years ago.

you came to join us in our lives.

a breath of fresh air. with your quick wit, easy smile, and love of humor.

you are so special.

a tiny soul-mate.

my constant buddy.

may you learn to temper your words with grace. 

may those with whom you interact receive a better understanding of love.

and hope be your constant theme.

love you, landon.

happy birthday

relationship with my kiddos--week #2

we're making progress here as the shackspack.

we still fight, yell, and are rude, but the tone is beginning to change a bit.

and

there ARE good character traits that my kids possess!

so...i kind of want to poo on my idea for week number two.

this is something that teachers are told to do in the classroom and seriously is so super duper annoying.

but, friends, it's in the curriculum, so i'm doing it.

the 5 to 1 ratio.

give 5 praises before giving 1 criticism.

i admit, i'm not that great at this in my classroom either...i just got a cueing report on myself back that was less than stellar.

what does that 5 to 1 ratio look like?

here's the scene.
a four year old (child #6) is practicing her donkey kicks that she learned in gymnastics class last night in the middle of the rug at circle time.

her good teacher says,
"child #1, i like how you're sitting on the rug."
"child #2, you have such a good listening body."
"child #3, look how your legs are criss-cross applesauce. you're doing a great job."
"child #4, i know you must be listening by the way you are sitting. perfect!"
"wow, look at that everyone, look how child #5 is sitting! isn't she doing a great job?!"

now her good teacher can say in her sing-song voice,
"please sit down with a good listening body, child #6!"

A N N O Y I N G!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

seriously. but...worth a try.

i'm scary

i'm frustrated
i'm crabby
i'm mean
i'm ugly
i'm scary

how can the people i love the most turn me in my very worst? how can the littles that i am more protective of than anything in this world, turn me into a crazy hulk version of lindsay?

i don't know. i just really don't know.

and it has to change. and it starts with me.

anywho, i need some accountability in this.

you probably didn't know, and probably wouldn't have cared if you did, that i am constantly writing curriculums in my head. curriculums for new mothers of babies. curriculums for girls going into adulthood. curriculums for studying certain books of the bible. curriculums for teaching preschoolers their ABC's...(ironically, that's one i actually don't think about) these curriculums are developed off of things that i read or am dealing with and researching. typically. don't get hung up this curriculum writing. i am just an ideas person with no follow through and curriculums in my head are a part of organizing my ideas.

so

i am in process of writing a curriculum, in my head, of course, on sibling rivalry in the home. but, here's the thing with my curriculums; they never change the course of history.
because they never get written down.

i don't have time at this point in my life to actually write it down, but i do have time to outline it and implement it. and hold myself accountable to an audience, even if there's only like 2 of you left.

here it goes:

week 1: learn to love the character of my kids and not their actions. and FOCUS on good characters

instead of spewing, "you're so selfish, all you care about is yourself!" which is not, in fact, a true statement; i need to be quick to praise their positive character traits when they are being used and be generous in pointing out the characters that i love in each of them.

so, that's it so far. week 1. simple. let's do this, lindsay. help me, GOD!