Guatemala Mission Trip: Day 1

I rode on an airplane for the first time today! We left Little Rock National Airport at 9:51 and made it to Houston at 10:50 which was just in time to catch our flight to Guatemala City as they were doing the last boarding call. The flight from Little Rock to Houston was on a smaller plane with two seats on one side and one on the other. I traded seats with one of our team members so that I could sit by someone on “my first flight.” The flight to Guatemala was on a larger plane which made the take-off and landing a little less anxious.  I am very proud to say that I made it through both flights without any anxiety problems whatsoever. I know it is all by God’s grace that this was possible! Unfortunately, the missionaries we were coming to stay with missed their flight this morning and so we sat in a little restaurant/café until they got here……9 hours later! Now that they are here, we are at a hotel for the night and will travel to Huehuetenango (where we will be staying the week) tomorrow. Now I’m going to get some sleep and prepare for a day of 6 hours on the road tomorrow! Love you all! Thanks for the prayers and keep them coming!

Natalie

Mission Trip testimony

I am leaving for Guatemala on a mission trip in 6 days. For this trip, I have been asked to prepare a testimony to share. The testimony didn't have to be about when I was saved but about a time in my life that I had to rely on God the most. I know I have written a previous blog about my trials with becoming pregnant but this was the time in my life when I did have to rely on God the most. Also, what I talk about needs to be something the people in Guatemala can relate to and having children is just that. Below is my testimony for the trip. I would like open and honest feedback about it.

6 years ago, I was diagnosed with Panic & Anxiety Disorder. I was having panic attacks to the point of not being able to leave my own home. After 3 years of trying out different medications and going to therapy, we finally found the right medications for me.  Those 3 years were some of the toughest years of my life. Why? Ever since I was a little girl, all I dreamed about was being a mother to children of my own. Yes, I was ecstatic to find the right combination of medicine to help with my panic attacks but one of those medications would be dangerous for me to be on and become pregnant. During those 3 years, I had many family members and close friends who became pregnant and gave birth to healthy babies. I was very happy for them but every time I found out about them, I would cry and it wasn’t a happy cry…it was a hurting cry. I had tried at different times getting off of this one particular medication but every time I tried, I couldn’t function without it. I had come to the decision that I would never be able to have a child of my own and seriously began looking into adoption. In the fall of 2008, I found another therapist to begin seeing. She opened my eyes to the root of my problem and a lot of healing took place. As a matter of fact, so much healing took place that I was able to get off that medication and became pregnant in the Spring of 2009. Even though I was excited to be pregnant, I couldn’t help but wonder why I was able to do so well now without the medicine than I was before. The realization I came to was that it was when I stopped focusing on my wants for my life and more on what God wants for my life.  1 Peter 4:12-13, it says “Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”  Once I realized that what I was going through was not because God wanted to keep me from experiencing joy, I was more at peace.  God was trying to teach me to depend more on him and less on medication. Romans 5:3-4 says “we can rejoice when we run into problems and trials for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” Today, I am proud to say that I do have a child of my own. On December 1, 2009, my dreams came true and I became a mother! Neela Kate Vaughn came into the world and blessed my life in more ways than I can explain. Every moment I look at her, I can’t help but praise God for allowing me to have such a beautiful gift in my life. 

Once again, please feel free to tell me what you think. 

Thanks!

Natalie 

Feeling stupid......

Have you ever had one of those moments where you find yourself thinking: "Why did I say all that? I probably sounded so stupid. What is wrong with me? Why can't I just be quiet?" Well I had one of those moments on the way home from praise band practice tonight. I didn't say anything bad or wrong, I just look back and think I should've just been quiet because talking so much made me look really stupid. Anyway, if you have ever had one of these moments, here are a few quotes that will make you laugh and help you to feel better about yourself.

(On September 17 1994 Alabama's Heather Whitestone was selected as Miss America 1995.)
Question: If you could live forever would you and why ?
Answer: 'I would not live forever because we should not live forever because If we were supposed to live forever then we would live forever but we cannot live forever which is why I would not live forever'
--Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest. 

'Smoking kills. If you're killed you've lost a very important part of your life'
-- Brooke Shields during an interview to become spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign . 

'Half this game is ninety percent mental.'
--Philadelphia Phillies manager Danny Ozark

Hope you enjoyed them!
Natalie  

I'm baaaack!

It's been a while since my last blog, so I decided that I would update everyone (all 7 of my followers....lol!!) on what's been going on.

This summer has been busy to say the least! As soon as school was out, I had two days of traveling to Camden for workshops. The next weekend, I went to Little Rock for the AEA (Arkansas Education Association) Leadership Conference. I am going to be Vice-President of the Strong-Huttig Education Association this next year so it was very beneficial for me to go. That following Monday, the NV3 (that's the nickname I have given our family since we all have the initials NV) headed to Fayetteville. Nick had a coaches conference to attend and Neela and I went to catch up with family & friends who live in NWA as well as some mother/daughter shopping! Wednesday morning, we loaded up and came back to El Dorado only to unpack, do laundry, and pack again for our beach trip.

Neela & I with the cousins!

On Saturday, June 26th, we made the 9 hour trip to Gulf Shores, AL to cash in on our Christmas present from Becky & Bruce which was a week in a beach house! I absolutely loved this trip. Not only were we at the beach but Neela is old enough to play in the sand and water and she loved every minute of it! We got back from our trip yesterday, July 2nd, and still haven't completely unpacked. We are all 3 trying to regain our energy from the wonderful but exhausting vacation. I have included some pics. If you want to see more, there are plenty on my facebook page!!

Ready for the beach!

Total Diva! loving the beach!

family pic!

playing in the water with my girl

The Bruce Holsted Clan

Neela loves her Daddy

What do I have in store for the rest of the summer? Well, I will tell you. Tuesday, July 5th, I travel to Lake DeGray Resort to spend two nights while Neela stays home with Daddy. No, I am not going on a "Mommy Vaca", I have been asked to be a part of the Strong School District's leadership team and we are having our meeting at the resort. I will return from there on Thursday and then Neela and I will head to White Hall to spend the night with my parents on Friday. Nick has a 7-on-7 tournament in Springdale and so Neela & I are jumping on the chance to spend time with Maw-Maw & Pops! Next week, I will travel to Camden 3 days for literacy workshops and then on July 22, I will hop on a plane to Guatemala!! Nick will be on contract with football by this time so Neela will be spending most of the week I am gone with her Maw-Maw & Pops.

I am very excited about going on a mission trip to Guatemala with some of my church family. We will be working in a medical clinic in the mornings and then doing a VBS type camp in the afternoons. We will have one fun day in Antigua before we return home but I am very excited about doing missions. This is my first time on an airplane as well as leaving the country. I know what you are thinking, "Are you crazy?" and my answer to you is "obviously!" I made a promise to myself that I would not let my anxiety and panic attacks keep me from doing God's work and no matter how hard Satan is trying to talk me out of this trip, I am going! When I get back from the trip, I will have a few days to recoup and then professional development starts for me on August 3rd!

So there you go. That is what I have been up to and will be up to until August 15th when school starts. It has been an extremely busy but absolutely wonderful summer for me. I have gotten to spend a lot of time with Nick & Neela and have enjoyed watching Neela experience new things. I am going to do my best to blog while I am on my trip to Guatemala but not sure when I will have time to actually blog again before I leave. So until then, I hope everyone is having a great summer and I my next correspondence will be from Central America!!

Natalie