Name: Corbett Nattalie Warren
Daughter’s name and age? Makenzie Lorain Warren, 4
Where were you raised? This is a really funny question. I’ve moved over 20 times in my life. I was BORN in Charlotte, NC. We lived all over NC until I was 9 and we moved to Waukesha, WI (which I love dearly!). We were there until I was finished with 7th grade, then we moved to Troy, MI (which I really really disliked with a passion!). Then we moved in the middle of my 9th grade year to (of all places) Fayetteville, AR. I consider my stateside home to be Fayetteville, AR. It’s beautiful, and I feel blessed to have been brought here 19 years ago.
We understand you’re a missionary in Honduras. Please tell us what that’s like. First of all, the thing that is cool for me is that you can see God so much more clear – everywhere. I think it’s because we are up in the Opalaca Mountains, and it is very secluded. The sunsets are incredible, and the downpour rainy days are also beautiful.
I have many days where I get to spend quality time with my Makenzie – that I would have never been able to do while I was a working mom in Arkansas. This is probably the most rewarding thing for me.
What do you do there? While we were there in 2009, I had the opportunity to begin teaching English to 4th, 5th and 6th graders, and that became another blessing to me. These kiddos are so much different than students in the states. They don’t understand so many of the every day things that our students understand. However, they appreciate things SO much more than our students ever could. (I do wish, however, that I could teach them the importance of LEARNING and so you don’t have to cheat. This will only come with time!)
What’s your home like? Our home is approximately a 1 mile walk from the mission compound that we are at during the day. We have grown to enjoy our walks, even when we have to do it in the rain. We are asking God to give us the opportunity to buy a vehicle, and we hope we can do that at some point in the next year – but in the meantime, we are happy to accept our current blessings. We do also have bikes, which have been a blessing, and a challenge to momma’s leg muscles. 🙂
We have a refrigerator at our apartment, and that is the only “amenity” that we have. A small pantry to keep “snack foods”, and a water filter system, which allows us to be able to drink water without having to purchase filtered water, are our version of a “kitchen”.
Any challenges you’d like to share? It is very important, in Yamaranguila, that we wear shoes all the time. In the dirt, there are parasites, and if you walk in the dirt, the parasites will go through your feet and get into your system. This was probably one of the biggest challenges for me as a mom – to teach Makenzie the importance of shoes. If you were to walk up to her and ask “why do you need to wear shoes, or keep your hands out of your mouth?”, her response would be “because you will get lady bugs in your tummy!”.
We had to have a talk to explain that many things in Honduras are not safe, the water, the dirt, etc. During this talk, I told her that those things could cause her to get very sick and get “bugs” in her tummy. Well, the first time she heard this, she was around 18 months old, and she interpreted bugs as Lady Bugs. 🙂 Even in our apartment, we will not walk around without at LEAST socks on. Makenzie and I have never had a parasite, and we want to keep it that way! They are, however, fairly easy to get rid of, but they are literally a “pain in the rear” (pun intended), and other things that I won’t go into.
God gives us some AWESOME opportunities every day… and we are blessed to have them both in the US and in Honduras.
What kinds of activities do you do together as a family? In Honduras, we generally eat dinner together, and lots of times will go home and watch a movie together. My husband is very busy when teams come in from the US on short-term mission trips, and so we cherish our time with family much more. When there are not teams, we like to go to a little (equivalent of) “Café” in Yamaranguila, called Doña Elba’s. On our way, we pass a park where Makenzie likes to play. We will often times take time to stop there either on the way there or on the way back. Also, most mornings, we walk/ride our bikes together to the mission compound.
When we are in the US, we enjoy reading books together, going to the library together for story time, watching movies together, and almost every night we enjoy dinner together.
While we are in the US, my husband, Andy and I, try to make it a point to do things specifically that Makenzie cannot experience in Honduras. For instance, this weekend, we will take a trip to the pumpkin patch. She is also enrolled in a gymnastics class, and is going to pre-school every day.
What do you miss the most while in Honduras? Two things: 1 – GREAT chips and salsa (La Huerta preferably)… and 2 – the ability to call family and friends without having to worry if I have enough minutes on my phone.
How long are you back in NWA? We will return to Honduras, God willing, on December 28th, 2009. However, right now, there are several issues going on in Honduras, which actually brought us back to the US over 2 months early this time. Our president was ousted on June 28th. And, since that day, the political state of the country is questionable. I would be grateful if anyone reading this would please begin to pray for Honduras. Please pray for the unrest to come quickly to an end.
A movie that always makes you watch over and over? Patch Adams. I love Robin Williams, and the things that “Patch” recommends that we do toward people in our lives. I really think that we can take from this movie, and apply it to every day life, and really make a difference for people.
What are your favorite hobbies? Before I moved to Honduras I loved to scrapbook, play the piano, and hanging out with my friends.
In Honduras – I love to hang out with my “Mak”, make pine needle baskets (I’ve completed ONE and hope to complete many more soon)….. and enjoy God’s presence.
Where did you meet your husband? This is funny. On my first day in 9th grade at Woodland Junior High School, my 6th hour teacher, Mr. Remmers who taught Science, took me in front of the class, and introduced me. No other teacher did this the whole day. Well, while I was standing in front of the class, I was looking around… and I spotted him… the cute guy on the right…. A few desks back. “I need to find out who he is, and get to know HIM!” Well, we became very good friends through youth group at church. Such good friends that we vowed in 10th grade that we would never date because we didn’t want to ruin our friendship. We had the opportunity, in 1996 to go on a (of all things) mission trip to Juarez, Mexico. This trip changed our friendship, and about 6 months later, we started dating. Andy is the love of my life, and he blesses me every day with his love for me and for Jesus.
How long have you two been married? Our 10th anniversary is May 27, 2010 (big one, girls… any suggestions for gifts?)
What are your favorite parenting moments? The best thing about it – is seeing her love for the Lord. She has this passion for praising God through song, prayers, and reading her bible. I am blessed to have a child that loves the Lord with all her heart!
I also love the funny things that she picks up on. I love her saying things back to me that I have said to her so many times. I also love something that she started doing this summer, and that is mimicking people. For instance, we have this guy that works with us in Honduras, and his name is Jim. He has a “big tummy”…. And we will say, “Mak… how does Jim walk?” and she will stick her tummy out as far as she can and walk down the hall.
I also love the way she interacts with people. She loves guys – especially really tall men that are in their 20’s. She has a friend that is around 6’5” that she claims is her boyfriend – and I believe he adores her – and she definitely adores him!
Tell us about a happy childhood memory: Ok so it’s hard to pick JUST one. One that I will never forget, was going to see the Michael Jackson, Bad concert. Yes, Yes… I’m a Michael Jackson fan! I had a great time – and it was my very first concert-I was in 8th grade! Also going to my great grandparents house (Yes, I had 2 sets living when I was young – and I was old enough to remember them!) My mothers – The Crocker’s (yes, I have an aunt named Betty Crocker) were wonderful people. Paw Paw always had a garden, and I loved to help him pick green beans. Grandmother Crocker taught me about cooking different things. My dads – Grandmother Williamson – she was very into animals. She would sit out on her front porch and feed Cardinals out of her hands. We also, several times, found injured baby rabbits or birds and helped them get well enough to go back home. I still to this very day, think of Grandmother Williamson when I see a Cardinal. I used to believe when I was a little girl that she would came back as a Cardinal after she died. (This was before I knew Jesus – but I still remember it!)
What’s something (besides Makenzie!) you don’t leave home without? I try to leave the kiddo home!! Ha Ha….. because in Honduras, she is ALWAYS with me. 🙂 All right – that would be cell phone, my inhalers (I have asthma) for emergencies, and my camera.
One word to sum me up … Loving.
Photo Credit: Big Shot Photography/Gwendy Lefforge
