Hey Everyone,
I just wanted to give you an update on what is happening with the container coming in from Houston. I had asked you all to pray for it to get through the customs, etc. without a hitch. Instead, it did not arrive in Honduras yet at all. It should come in this weekend instead and the new date is August 31st — so just transfer your prayers for that date, ha. Thanks so much for praying. We had hired a big tractor trailer and had to pay him $100 for holding off on other work for that day but it could have been a lot worse and I know that God has His perfect timing in all of this. I was so thankful to find out that Carlos has a great friend working at the port and he plans to help us in every way to get it through smoothly. Also Padraic O’Neil is helping us through with a lot of papers to help us not have to pay the taxes since we are a ministry. I am so thankful for all he is doing for us as well. So keep praying.
In my last email, I wrote that the mother of the baby we were to receive in December had miscarried the baby. I found out that I misunderstood Marta’s conversation and instead, the mom is having trouble and staying in bed but the baby is still alright at this point. Please pray for the safety of Mirna and her baby. Thanks.
Marta got home from Jocon and is still concerned for her mom so will be going back for the weekend on Friday morning. We have a little harder time doing everything without Marta’s help but I am so glad that she can go back and check on her family. There were a lot of tornadoes that hit after the hurricane here last week so all the phone lines are down in Jocon and she cannot get through by telephone to check on them. She may be able to bring Gabriela back with her but we are waiting on God’s perfect timing on that one as well.
I found out that I am going to have to go ahead and come back to the states on September 25 and will probably be there for 10-14 days. This is because of the new law that requires us to leave Honduras every 3 months. I am in the process though of getting my residency and two of the things that the lawyer needs are a doctor’s certificate of health and a police record on me and I have to get both of those done in the states anyway so this trip is part of that plan. I know God will show me why He has worked this out in this way, and I will rest in that. I think I can stand 10 days away from the kids and I know they will be fine. Loani (the new Sunday School teacher at Destino) will stay here at the house with Marta and help with the kids. They will do great and it will just be me that struggles being away from them — they are all so adorable!! Please pray for me to find the right doctor to do my physical and for God to direct every step and appointment of my time in the States. If I have promised to share at your church “next time”, then let me know if you would like me to share during those two weeks and we can go ahead and get that on my calendar. Thanks. Oh by the way, our organizational papers for Honduras are almost complete so keep praying about that. Also Pastor Cesar is going to let me get my residency through his church organization and that will save us a LOT of steps — God is so good to me.
I had a very interesting visit today by a group of people. They are with a funding organization that has been working to build and run a girls’ home in a city nearby. Without going into all the horrible details, they have been ripped off by a Honduran pastor that has been running things for them. They have spent more than half a million dollars and he can’t show much for it. There is a home built and they have 17 girls in it but they want to move it out of that area and start over but keep the same 17 girls and take care of them. They don’t want to trust another Honduran and they want me to pray about being the overseer for the new place. We talked about the possibility of them buying the land adjacent to ours to make things easier in coordinating both homes. Who knows what God is up to??!! My initial thought was that is too much for me but I have been in way over my head for a long time now and it is all about what God does through me and I just want whatever HE has for us here. He will give us the strength to do whatever He calls us to. I really want to help them but I need a lot of prayer for God’s wisdom and what HE wants. If this was part of His big plan for us, then we could train those young ladies to be workers here with the little ones, and who knows how this can all work out. Just pray and we ‘ll see what God directs for all of us.
We haven’t begun looking for a bus yet but will wait until all the expenses for the electricity and the immediate needs are taken care of this month and see what we have as far as funds. We may have to wait a few more months but it will be all in His perfect timing — as always. We had about 50 in Sunday School this week and we are amazed at all the new children that come each week. It is very exciting to be able to help this many children and adults learn the Word of God.
I am going to attach a picture of Cokey and Jonathan on Sunday about noon. I had given them their lunch and went into my room for a few minutes to get some things accomplished and it got real quiet in there — I guess they were too tired to eat — ha.
Thanks so much for all your prayers for us — God is accomplishing so much and evidently is planning to accomplish a WHOLE lot more in the years to come and I am just trying to stay in step with him — not running ahead or lagging behind — He will do it perfectly and thanks for all the prayers continually that keep us all going.
Love you all,
Rhonda
