PRAISE GOD!! Our water is in!! Thank you sooooo much for praying so faithfully (and so long) for this incredible gift from God!!
It has been a hard week of waiting and praying and God is so faithful to do as He promised. One morning Carlos told me that the night before he had been struggling and wrestling so much with the fear that the well would not produce water and we would be out of all this money for the ministry. He said that he finally decided to quit worrying and just go on to working on his sermon for that next day. He found himself in Exodus 17 where the children of Israel were thirsty and complaining that there was not any water and God provided the water through a rock miraculously. The end of that passage says the key phrase that God used to calm Carlos’ heart. It said, they were saying “Is Jehovah among us, OR NOT?” He said he felt like the Spirit of God said to his heart, “Am I with you, or NOT?” and that was his answer and he felt such a peace come over him at that point. I shared with him the next day how the Spirit had told me over a year ago that there were abundant waters here — in fact, he led me to different scriptures three days in a row with those exact words “you shall have abundant waters.” Carlos was so excited about my sharing that with him and we decided we could really rest in this situation. During the next two days of drilling and no water, we kept saying to one another, “Is the Lord with us, OR NOT?” and kept ourselves encouraged in God’s promises. But, it was really hard at times and I went through such frustration with myself for having fear — it is so scary to be spending other people’s money and then having to tell them there is no water. That was my constant battle and I knew that Satan was initiating much of this fear in me. Finally, on Wednesday night, I was struggling and struggling with my lack of faith and constant battle with fear and I felt that the Spirit taught me something. He said, faith is ACTION. You came to Honduras on faith and that didn’t mean that you weren’t afraid at times and had doubts — but you ACTED in obedience. He told me, I need to make all decisions based on faith and keep confessing the fear as sin but not to think I didn’t have faith because my emotions were not always lined up with my faith. That was such an important lesson because the next morning, the well-drillers said they were finished and we had 6 gallons a minute of water and there was rock below and they didn’t want to go farther and that was enough water for these two houses. I told them we were not willing for them to stop because GOD PROMISED ABUNDANT WATERS and we wanted to go until we had them. God had taught me that lesson the night before so that the decision I made on Thursday morning was based on HIS PROMISE. So they went farther about another 100 feet and we have about 40 gallons or more per minute and they are finishing it up today. We had enough money too (as always) and it will cost about $9,500 for the 550 feet that they drilled. God is perfect in all His ways and He has used this to teach me so much about faith and my emotions too. Thanks for all your prayers and please tell everyone that was praying for us for the well the GOOD NEWS!!! We will purchase the pump this week and get the water in the house, hopefully, very soon. Thank you each for your prayers and all of you that gave so sacrificially so that we could have running water. I don’t think I still have fully taken it in what this will mean to us — to just flush toilets and run water in the sink to do dishes, or just step in the shower and turn on WATER!!! WOW — what a wonderful feeling that is going to be!! Fernando was out on the picnic table standing beside me on the bench with his little chubby arm around my shoulder and watching the drilling. All of a sudden, a bunch of water came spewing out and he shouted, “Hallelujah!!” — ha. That sums it up completely for me too — out of the mouths of babes. . . I found out yesterday that all the neighbors and the neighboring village people are already AMAZED at God’s power because none of them thought there was any water up here. They said everyone had always said that and so they know this is a true miracle too.
The van is still looking like a wonderful answer to prayer. My cousin and his friend (who has a real heart for missions too) are working on the van in their spare time, but they both have many other obligations with regular jobs and families, etc. so pray for their time to work out to do the repairs. Another piece of great news is that Pastor Cesar came over this week and said the president had just passed a new law that Americans can bring their cars into Honduras for FREE (no taxes) because he is trying to encourage more Americans to come here to live. That timing is perfect — please pray for all the details to be worked out in shipping it from Houston. We think we have a possibility of sending it with a group from Houston for $900 and that is a great deal. Thanks for your prayers. We will be patient on God’s timing in getting it to us, but we are soooo excited for His wonderful provision to us AGAIN!
The kids are doing well. They are all FILTHY DIRTY right now as they have been playing hard in the sand that was delivered here for construction. Cesar’s ear is completely well. We took him to the doctor on Monday to have that ball on the back of his ear lanced to get the puss out. It surprised the doctor even to find out that he had a “torcillo” — it is a fly that is around cattle and when it bites, it plants a worm under your skin. Then it grows into a huge painful boil and has to be lanced. A huge worm was in that bump b ehind his ear. No wonder he was in so much pain. But after a round of antibiotics, he is all healed up now. (for those of you who are coming to see me, don’t worry, he got that bite while still living in north Honduras!)
Jose and Samanta left with their mom about 12 days ago and she has not returned them. They don’t have a phone so I just keep praying for them and hoping she will show up with them again soon. She doesn’t like caring for her children and that is why we had them in the first place and she cannot keep a job, so I am not sure what is going on with them. Please pray they will be returned to us soon (if that is the Lord’s will for them). I had a real scare this week when Fernando did not return from his visit with his family. Marta had left him with his mom when he was sick the day she was returning but I had a bad feeling about it. The grandmother (on his dad’s side) is very abusive but controlling and she didn’t want him to leave her house again. The father was agreeing with his mom and so Fernando’s mom couldn’t let him return to us. I had sent Marta back for him on Sunday. Marta told me this in a phone call from Jocon. Well, I prayed all night long that God would change the circumstances and work out the best for Fernando because that is not a good situation for him. His mom is planning to leave his father soon and it is very unstable and unsafe emotionally for him there. Well, Marta came home on Tuesday and PRAISE GOD Fernando was toddling along beside her. My heart just about burst!! It ended up that his father had gotten so drunk and abusive the night before that the mom called Marta and said, “Come and get Fernando out of here!!” I learned a BIG lesson though. God had told me a long time ago that the parents are to visit here at the home and the children are not to return to their families until they are grown. It was hard to hold to that rule with Fernando because Marta is his aunt and I didn’t want to enforce rules on her in the same way. But we both agree that we should have listened and done it God’s way and he will not be going back to visit anymore. He has had a hard adjustment the past two days because he was completely outside of any discipline there and yet was not loved either so he is doing much better as the days go by and is so happy to be HOME!
Vanessa had her monthly doctor appointment yesterday. That doctor is so amazing. After she had examined Vanessa and told us the baby was doing great and is growing TOO big for Vanessa, etc. She started talking to Vanessa about having a grateful heart — first to God and then to me for rescuing her. She said many many women are on the streets and you have a beautiful home and food to eat and that God would continue to bless her if she would be careful to keep a thankful heart and obey me and respect me, etc. etc. She said she didn’t know why the Holy Spirit had prompted her to give that talk but she knew it was Him. So she talked to her a long time about how she should live her life, etc. It was so sweet and Vanessa really listened to her. I know God picked this woman doctor for Vanessa specially and am so thankful that He did!
Jonathan is walking everywhere now and smiles all the time. I think you will be able to see him on the web site. A friend, Ric, in Houston is helping Judy in Augusta on the updating of the web site and they are doing a great job. I am sending out pictures to Ric this week and he will get the kids all listed on the web site with their pictures and biographies so you can get to know them better in that way.
Pray for Eduardo. He left on Sunday with Marta to return to Jocon. He was crying so hard in my arms and later in the arms of Pastor Carlos and we were crying with him. I called my friend, Rosy, in Jocon and asked her to go reason with Eduardo’s mom about his living with us permanently. This is such an important time in his life and he is growing in the Lord and such a help here. She wanted him home to help with chores. I told Rosy that I would pay for someone to live with his mom (200 lempiras a month ($15) is the going price there) if she would let Eduardo live with us and go to school here, etc. I heard through Marta that their mom was giving it some serious thought so please pray with me for her to see the importance of this decision in the life of her son. He is 13 and really needs to get out of Jocon NOW!
The men’s meeting was a little different last Saturday night. Pastor Carlos just had the meeting for the men who had expressed an interest in getting married to their women and the mother of their many children. There were about 10 couples there and they had a great time and he shared so much about communication and commitment with them . They played one game about how well they knew the woman they had been living with so long, i.e. what is her favorite color, favorite food, etc. My neighbor, Luis, won. But Carlos said it was pitiful how many of the other men did not know one personal thing about their women they had been living with so long. He really gave them a strong lesson. We haven’t set a date yet and are finalizing Carlos’ talks with some of the couples personally but I will let you know when we will be renting the bus to take these couples to get married — what a fun day of celebration that will be. I want to have some extra printer’s ink on hand and be able to make a picture of each of the couples that day and frame it. I would also like to get each lady a little corsage or something too. This is going to be so fun and special and a great testimony to the whole community. All my neighbors are getting married — Luis and Alba Gloria, Antonio and Karen, Jorge and Olga. (father and mother and their two sons and their “wives”) YEAH!!
The bodega (storehouse) is almost done and we will be able to move into it with our stuff and use the other store room (actually a future apartment) for more Sunday School space in a few weeks. We also ordered a door for the babies’ room/video room, and I will start a nursery there on Sundays so we can keep the noise down in Sunday School classees — things are growing constantly.
We have two groups coming in March and April (and maybe another one too) and we need prayer for exactly where God would have each group minister. He has a very specific plan for the various villages we are working with and I really want to hear from Him CLEARLY where we are to go and what service each group is to do.
The second house is on its way. We received an extra gift for “whatever” and we can continue on the second house for several months with that amount, so we are praising God for that as well.
As you can see, things are hopping and God is SOOOO amazing and I thank you for your prayers and faithfulness to encourage me. I really need more prayer for my faith, as you can see from the first paragraph about the well. I struggle there and don’t want to ever miss anything God has for this ministry and for me because of a lack of faith — so please pray for me in that way.
Don’t forget to pray for the funds for a bus to come in. We are praising God for so much already but we really need a bus in the near future too to haul a lot of people in for ministry here. Thanks.
Love to each of you and I hope you have fun rejoicing in the news with us!! God gets all the Glory — ONLY HE IS WORTHY OF ALL THE GLORY AND HONOR FOR ALL THAT HE HAS AND IS CONTINUING TO DO AT DESTINO DEL REINO!!
Love in HIS Amazing GRACE,
Rhonda
