Hey Everyone,
Thanks for so many prayers for us recently. God is teaching me so much about trusting Him and not having all the answers ahead of time. He is so gentle with me because I am a VERY slow learner!!
We had another men’s meeting on Wednesday night and it was a great time. Carlos told me that he felt the Spirit tell him to teach the men about serving others and giving. The men are so amazed that they suddenly have work and are being able to provide for their families, etc. and Carlos challenged them to look around their villages and see who needs help. It was so well received and they are eager to spread their blessings to others. That blessed me so much to know that these very poor men are willing to share with others now. Please keep praying for them to continue to grow in Christ and lead their families to Christ as well. One of our main workers was not a Christian when he came to work here but his wife was. He has come to Christ and is now coming to our church with his whole family.
The church is growing too and we are so happy about all that God is doing there. We continue to have new people coming each week and they are so eager to hear the Word of God. Continue to pray for Carlos as he has lots of preparation for these services and he has very little time. Carlos had a divine appointment at the Texaco station this week when he was trying to get some cash out of the ATM there. A man started helping him because the machine wouldn’t work and they began to talk. The man was desperate and thinking about committing suicide and so depressed about his family etc. Carlos began to talk to him and he came to church with him a few hours later. He came to know Jesus Christ in our service that night and plans to start bringing his entire family to church here. He was Jehovah’s Witness before. God really convicted me about staying in the services and helping through the whole thing and it has ben a blessing to me. Before I would play the piano and go back to the house in case the kids woke up. We are alternating turns with Martha, Eduard and Erick and so I can stay and finish out the services with music and that has made a lot of difference.
We are getting another newborn this month. Last weekend a famly walked the hour walk from Las Germanias to my house. They know they can get medicines here and so they came for cold and allergy medicines. The older woman had her daughter along who was 8 months pregnant and she has 3 other little ones and no husband. The older woman knew me from other visits and said she would like me to have her daughter’s baby because they cannot possibly feed it. She wants us to have full custody of the baby and I knew we couldn’t pass up that opportunity. What a wonderful chance to start raising a child up in the love of Jesus from birth. The baby will be born in the next 3 weeks and the grandmother will walk it down the mountain to us the day following. We will then go to the judge and get all the papers signed. Thanks for your prayers for us. We will have Mirna’s new baby in December as well and then Sammy’s little brother or sister in January. If this becomes too much for us, we are open to hiring a night person and putting a nursery in the second house for just the night hours so that Martha and I can sleep enough to be able to care for all the children during the daytimes. I am so excited though about all the precious little ones that God is bringing to us. What a beautiful gift for us to be able to bring them up from the very beginning of their lives to know the love of God for them and to get them started out in good health as well.
The school is coming along so great. Steve sent us some estimates and that was so helpful and we are still considering how much of the school can be finished before February. The work load is not too much and we expect to be able to do that in time but it will depend on how much funding comes in and that is all in God’s hands. We are open to starting the whole thing there or keeping the church open for two classes as we finish up the school during the year. Please keep praying that we will know what God would have us do. For now we just continue to work as the money comes and and will see how it goes. It is amazing all that has been done already and after the next two weeks, the hardest part will be finished and they will begin on the laying of blocks which will go pretty fast. Thanks for your prayers. The clinic and third house remain ready to be finished whenever God directs there as well. I am amazed at all that has happened here at Destino in only 3 years. God is so GREAT!!
As I was watching the school children last week, I suddenly realized what a blessing it has been for me to know them individually because I had to teach them English this year. I suddenly realized that I like teaching them and wanted to continue that if I can next year. I have been praying forever for another person to come and do this (and hopefully one will come by next year) but I can manage this and even enjoy it, if I can have the time available. We are still praying about getting a satelite here so that I can send messages from home and that will cut down on a lot of my time-consuming trips to town every week. If we can do that by February, then I will just use about 2 hours, 3 days a week and teach the children English. Caryn and Nathan are helping me look for the right curriculum because that would make all the difference for me. I don’t know what I am doing and have had to wing it too many days. Please pray for us to find the right curriculum and to also get the satelite system in so that I can be freed up to teach English to these children. I love being part of their lives and knowing their famlies, etc. and believe God has changed my heart about this because that is his desire for me.
Pray for the group of medical and construction people coming tomorrow. I am praying fora wonderful week together and that God will really use this time in each of their lives, as well as ministering to many poor village people. We are going to a new village near Siguatepeque where a man has begun a church but only children are attending so far. We hope that through our evangelism and ministering to them physically, that many will come to Christ and start attending the church there in the village. The last two days of medical we will go to Las Germanias and El Socorro. Those are villages that we regularly minister to and neveer want to leave them out when there is a chance for medical treatment. Thanks for your prayers. Carlos will use the 10 construction workers that are coming with all the projects going on here right now and please pray that we will know how to best use their skills while they are here. It is hard sometimes to fit people into what is already going on but God knows what He is doing and I know this will all turn out great.
The kids are doing wonderful and growing up so fast. Sammy is ready to walk and is not yet 9 months old. Eidy is her usual honery self. She was in trouble this week AGAIN and I said, “Honey, why don’t you ever obey me?” and she said, matter of factly, “Because God has not changed my heart yet.” At least I know she is picking up something from my talks with her. ha.
Thanks again for all your prayers and I am counting on you to continue that ministry for us. God is faithful and uses the prayers of His people to accomplish MUCH!
Love in His grace,
Rhonda
