Michelle Holloway, Author at 61 Isaiah

April 5, 2024 by Michelle Holloway 2 Comments

Home is Where the Heart Is

I have never been known for my eloquent writing or profound ideas, but I am once again faced with an empty page and a needed blog post. The last several months have brought many changes, some good, some bad, and some just change. If you know me on a personal level, you know that change isn’t really my favorite thing, so I have been struggling a bit lately.

As I was reflecting on what to write, I realized that I can relate to our father Abraham in many ways. Just as the Lord told Abraham to pack up everything and head for a land he had never been to, I too was asked by God to leave the only town I had ever known (except the beautiful Bryan/College Station of course) and move to Honduras. Just like Abraham, there have been ups and downs, but through it all I have felt the Lord’s presence with me, urging me to continue to fight when things get hard.

In January of this year, our ministry position changed slightly. Jeff and I are now the Stateside Team which means that we spend considerably more time in the U.S. While we are in the U.S. we speak to and train groups that are coming to serve with us in Honduras as well as fundraise for different ministry projects. While we are in Honduras, we continue our village ministry work. We spend about half the year in Honduras and half in the U.S., but it is broken up into 3-month, 2-month, and 1-month sections.

At first glance, this seemed like it was going to be the best thing ever, the best of both worlds, but I soon felt like I was relating to Abraham again. I often feel like a nomad, constantly moving and setting up “home” again in different places. Just when I feel like I get back into a routine and schedule, it is time to move again. Adjusting back and forth to the different cultures has also been a challenge. Life in the U.S. is faster-paced and always on the go, while in Honduras, there is a much more relaxed atmosphere and go-with-the-flow spirit.

It is inevitable that when I first start driving back in the U.S. I am astounded at how fast the cars are going around me. I am often reminded of Dorothy’s quote in the Wizard of Oz, “People come and go so quickly here!” It takes time to readjust, and the same is true when returning to Honduras.

But, more than anything is the feeling of being torn between two homes. Most of our family and long-time friends live in the Crosby area, the place we called home for most of our lives, but we have also built a family here in Honduras. We found that we quickly realized how much we missed them as well. So, much like Abraham, home moves for us. It seems like we are in a constant state of moving, but we, just like Abraham have to trust God during this season. Although we are experiencing much change currently, we serve the one true God, Who doesn’t change. My challenge through this season is to cling to the Lord, to trust in Him and to find comfort in His unchanging nature.

May 12, 2023 by Michelle Holloway 1 Comment

What if the Answer Is No?

We ask for a lot of things in our lifetime. Sometimes we are told yes, sometimes no, and sometimes, maybe later. As a parent, I have responded in these ways more times than I can count, and I often think nothing of it. But, when it comes to my spiritual life and prayer life, these answers take on a whole new meaning.

God ALWAYS answers prayer. While I know and trust this truth wholeheartedly, I am also faced with the truth that sometimes His answer is no, and sometimes it is wait. That is even difficult to type.

We often hear Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” As believers, we love this verse, but what happens when we feel like we are in the will of the Lord and our heart is set on something that is of Him, but it doesn’t happen? Maybe it is a no, and maybe it is a wait, but nonetheless, we cannot see when and/or how it may come to fruition.

For me, this is just a difficult thing. I am a mathematician at heart, so in my thought process, if you have all the factors for the equation and plug them in correctly, you will get the correct answer. Unfortunately for me, life is not a math equation, and things do not always work out as planned. So as I pray and call out to God, I am faced with the truth that, at least for now, the answer is no. How do I deal with that? How do I work that out in my brain?

Well, for now, I am still working on that, but I am constantly reminded of God’s faithfulness. I may not understand the current why of the things that are happening, but I can trust the Lord. He has always been faithful, and I know that He knows what is best, and He has a plan, which I do not understand. I have to remember that He sees the entire picture, not just the piece that I am currently fixed on.

One of my favorite songs that has helped me through difficult seasons of life is “Goodness of God.” The song says, “All my life you have been faithful, all my life you have been so, so good.” Even in my darkest and most frustrating times, I have to remember this truth. The song goes on to tell of how God has led me through fires, stayed close during the darkest nights, and how He is so so good.

We cannot throw up our hands and act like a child when we don’t get our way, even though it is sometimes tempting, but we have to keep our focus on the truth. We serve a good God. We serve the God that tells us in Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future.”

His Word is truth, and even in the times when I don’t understand why things are happening as they are, I must trust and believe in His truth. After all, His goodness is running after me, I just need to wait on His perfect will and His perfect timing.

October 28, 2022 by Michelle Holloway 3 Comments

Patiently Waiting

I am not known for my patience. I usually see a problem and attack full force to solve it. The quicker you solve the issue, the better, right? Well sometimes that is the case, but oftentimes I have to wait, and like I said I am not usually patient in that waiting. The Lord has been working with me recently in this facet of my life. A couple of verses that the Lord has given me are Romans 8:25, “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently,” and Psalm 37:7, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” That “p” word is tough, but it is also life.

My head is often swimming with different thoughts and ideas. I try to figure out solutions to problems I see; I try to make things happen. The problem with that sentence is there are a lot of “I’s.” I feel like the Lord is using this season to teach me to wait, but not only to wait, but to do so with a patient expectation of the work He is doing. Just because I am ready, doesn’t mean that everyone else affected by the situation is. I often take for granted that God sees the big picture. Only He knows how the puzzle works, I only see my little piece of that puzzle.

One such example of this that stands out is a recent trip to Mongual. I love the village of Mongual and the sweet fellowship that congregates there. Jeff, Javi, and I have the pleasure of serving there every Thursday evening. It is a wonderful time of fellowship and study of God’s Word, but it is late in the evening at the end of what is almost always a long week. This particular Thursday, we also had Paul and Taylor with us. We are in rainy season, so we sometimes face issues such as people having difficulty getting to church in the rain and the distracting noise of the rain hitting the metal roof (great for napping, not so great for Bible study). When we arrived, there were very few people at the church. There had been a funeral that day, and with all the rain not many had made it to Bible study.

We were thinking we would pray and then leave early. Yay for getting to bed early! But, that wasn’t God’s plan. We began with a time of prayer and then Jeff was sharing a word. I noticed a man sitting outside the church door. He seemed a little out of sorts, so I walked back to ask him if he wanted to come inside. This sparked a conversation that my Spanish skills were not up for, so I motioned for the Pastor to help. Little did I know that Pastor Hugo had been praying for this man and looking for opportunities to speak with him.

The man, Roger, has been struggling with alcoholism and was seeking refuge at the church. We saw him pray and call out to God, and as a congregation we prayed for his healing. Had we gone home early we would have missed this opportunity to minister to Roger, to encourage him, and to point him to Jesus. We left the service excited about what we had just seen the Lord do. But, as I look back on that night, I am once again humbled by God’s grace.

He showed me that night His timing is perfect. That even when we are tired and overwhelmed when we wait on Him, the rewards are immeasurable. I don’t know what decisions Roger will make, but I do know that when I am patient and wait on the Lord He shows up in ways that are far greater than anything I can imagine. So I continue to wait patiently and expectantly on the Lord.

February 4, 2022 by Michelle Holloway 9 Comments

The Balance of Life

I am often at a loss of what to write in blog posts. I do not feel I have any great truths to share or knowledge to bequeath to others. Many times, I simply write about my everyday life and how God reveals truths to me in this way.

This past December, we traveled back to the U.S. to spend Christmas with our families and to get some necessary medical procedures. It was a busy and full trip, but the time with our family was truly priceless. One of our goals on this trip was to gather some items that had been donated for the ministry. As such, we had several bags that we were returning with to Honduras. I knew the allowed weight limits and baggage sizes and I was pretty sure I had it all worked out. I wasn’t able to find my luggage scale, but I figured they weren’t too heavy as I could pick them up.

Well, I guess the workouts have paid off, but I overestimated my strength. When we arrived to check in our bags, I had one that was quite a bit over the weight limit. Panic ensued, but thankfully I had somewhat prepared for this. There was a bit of juggling of items, rearranging, and reweighing, but I finally got it all worked out.

I didn’t mention that the day we left Texas, it was in the low 30s with a lovely wind blowing and we checked our luggage in at an outside kiosk. So, there I was, with several open suitcases in the cold and wind trying to get everything to balance out just right so that we wouldn’t get charged extra. I am sure you can imagine this sight. I probably should have had Jeff video this fiasco, it felt like we would have won America’s Funniest Home Videos.

But regardless of my embarrassment at that moment, I walked away thinking how much this juggling of items in my luggage resembled my life. With the new year often comes New Year’s resolutions. I am going to read my Bible more, pray more, lose weight, eat healthier, start a new hobby, etc. We live life as a juggling act, and we are desperate to keep all the balls up in the air. I am always afraid of dropping the ball in some form or fashion.

But as I looked back at the cold concrete where I had just rearranged my suitcase items, I pondered how often I do that in my own life. I put so much on my plate and then must balance it all perfectly to get everything done. I could have easily avoided my problem at the airport had I just found my luggage scale. I realized that I could easily avoid the juggling of things in my life if I just consulted the Lord.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Scripture tells me exactly how to balance my life, but if I am being completely honest, I lean way too much on my own understanding and often don’t ask God’s direction before adding one more thing to my plate. It isn’t until I am panicking because I can’t get everything done that, I finally ask God for help.

As I walked through that airport, I realized I had things completely out of order. I must seek the Lord in the things HE has for my life, not the things I think He wants in my life. I must trust the Lord and not lean on my own understanding. I just bet if I consulted Him before adding things to my plate, I would have a much easier time balancing everything.

So, as we start this new year, I want to challenge myself to stop and ask the Lord before I commit, to trust Him, and commit everything to Him. I look forward to seeing how He shapes and molds me and how life balances in a way a never would have dreamed!

November 4, 2021 by Michelle Holloway 1 Comment

Paul and Taylor join the team!!

Paul

My name is Paul Chandler and I am from Mt. Pleasant, TX. I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was six years old and have continued to grow in my faith. I was Homeschooled and graduated in 2016 and knew the Lord was leading me to Howard Payne University in Brownwood, TX.

In my freshman year, I received a call to ministry and switched my major over to Christian Education which I finished in May of 2020. I absolutely loved working with youth students and knew that youth ministry is something I needed to be involved in for the rest of my life. I then graduated with my Master’s degree in Theology in May of 2021, three weeks before marrying the love of my life Taylor Chandler. My first time interacting with 61 Isaiah was in May 2019, before I really knew Taylor, with a class at Howard Payne. It was a class called International Practicum and we actually got to come to Honduras and partner with 61 Isaiah for the final week of our class. At the time, I had no idea that God would call me to Honduras, let alone my future wife as well.

I will be serving as a pioneer missionary with 61 Isaiah with a focus on Village Ministry, Youth Ministry, and the bilingual school here in Gracias. The focus on spreading the Gospel is exciting to me and it is an honor to be able to participate in God’s mission like this.

Taylor

Hello everyone! My name is Taylor Chandler and I am a new team member serving on the 61 Isaiah Field Base Team. I was born and raised in Texas and grew up in the small town of May, Texas. It was there that I was challenged and grew in my faith. When I was seven years old I accepted Jesus as my Savior. At the time, I knew that I was a sinner and needed a Savior but I did not completely understand what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. When I was in the 7th grade my faith and personal relationship with Jesus started flourishing and became something that I sought after daily. In 2016 during a youth camp, I felt God calling me into ministry, but I did not know what that might look like. In 2018, I graduated from May High School and planned to go to Howard Payne University (HPU) in Brownwood, Texas to pursue ministry. However, God had different plans. Instead, I studied at Ranger Junior College in Ranger, Texas, and pursued an associate’s degree. During this season, I wrestled a lot with being called into ministry, but God used mentors and encouragers in my church and family to affirm that call in my life. This past May 2021 I graduated from HPU with a Bachelor’s degree in Christian Education.

During school, I served as the student ministry intern and student ministry interim at May First Baptist Church. Working in ministry I was able to experience many ministry opportunities such as; missions, worship, and youth ministry. Each of these areas included hands-on and behind-the-scenes work, and God used those years to grow my understanding and experience of ministry. While serving with May FBC, in 2019 & 2020 I was able to visit Gracias and serve with 61 Isaiah during Spring Break mission trips. God used these short-term mission trips to prepare my heart for the calling to serve and live in Honduras now with my husband. Paul and I are continually amazed at God’s provision and timing. Being a part of the 61 Isaiah team is an act of God’s faithfulness.

While serving with 61 Isaiah Ministries I will be serving as a pioneer missionary serving in different areas of ministry in the administrative department, village ministry, and school ministry. The primary goal in serving with 61 Isaiah is finding out where God wants to use me to bring Him glory. Paul and I are truly excited to be a part of this ministry and home away from home.

Paul

Taylor

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