Hey Everyone,
I thank you as always for your prayers for us but hope that you will pray a little extra today for us. We are struggling so much financially and we have been buying just enough groceries for each day and were hoping for a big amount to come in today so we could pay the last teachers’ salaries and buy more gas for the buses and more groceries — but we didn’t get much. We are really in a big bind and when these things happen, it is so hard not to overanalyze ourselves trying to figure out what we did wrong or if God is displeased with something, etc. but I know that is not the case because we are before His throne everyday, surrendering and seeking that He show us His way — so please pray for both Carlos and I during this time. Carlos has used his salary up for the week on repairs on the bus and Wendy is still without her pay, so even as a family they are struggling. So many people have so generously agreed to up their support for the students to
help us and I know how very sacrificially and generously so many have given to Destino del Reino and so I just ask that you pray pray PRAY for us. I don’t like to talk about money but it is not for me personally or Carlos and his family — there are 200 kids eating a hot meal here everyday and learning the Word of God and preparing themselves to be leaders for the Kingdom — so this is a wonderful investment of all our time, money and resources and God will provide but maybe it is just a big call to get on our knees and seek HIM. We have all the children in the school praying together right now as I write this so pray that God will open the heavens and demonstrate His power to them as well. If more does not come in by the end of this week, we will have to close the school down until there is money to run the buses and feed the kids. Thanks for praying and we will continue to REST and TRUST His sovereignty. As Corie Ten Boom said one time, God
will provide, he may have to sell one of his cattle on a thousand hills, but He will provide for us.
Now for the GOOD NEWS. It has been on my heart to talk with every child in the school one-on-one in order to know them better, be assured that they know Jesus Christ as their savior, check on how to pray for their families, etc. I am meeting with the girls and Carlos will meet with the boys starting this week. I met with the fourth grade girls individually on Wednesday and 4 of them came to know Jesus as their savior that day. Two of these little girls have been with us since the school started (4 years ago ) and have heard the Word of God, memorized the Word of God, had Bible stories, heard the gospel, etc. day after day but no one had ever talked to them personally and they were READY — it was an amazing day for me and I rejoice in the future that God has for these little ones here. Yesterday, I had my meetings with the third grade girls individually. Three of them accepted Christ and all but one of the others are very sure of their
faith in Christ. I asked them a few more personal questions as well so that I could share with each of their sponsors how to pray more specifically for each one of them. Pray for Carlos as he meets with the boys and for me too as I continue on down the line and work with the second grade girls tomorrow. This is such a huge opportunity for us and we cannot make them into missionaries until they know Jesus Christ themselves.
The Lord also put it on my heart to help them become missionaries immediately and not wait until they are grown to share their faith with others. The first through 4th graders are memorizing in the next month, all the verses that correspond to the evangelism bracelet beads. I will take several class times in the month of April and train each class to lead othres to Christ. I am going to have the teachers do the same training with the kids becaus through this lastweek of meeting with the children, I recognized that our teachers are not comfortable sharing the gospel with the children individually and they need to be trained as well. Please be praying for these opportunities and that I will not be slack in completing the things that God has placed on my heart to do.
URGENT PRAYER for Friday night’s church service. We are featuring the third grade class in our worship service Friday night so the bus will be packed with their families coming to hear them sing and recite their verses. Carlos will share the gospel and pray for him to preach throug the Spirit so clearly that many will be drawn to Christ that night.
Pray please for Zoe Tolson who will be arriving in two weeks from Augusta, Georgia to finish our our school year as the teacher of English for kindergarten, preschool and first grade — she is nervous but confident that God will give her wisdom and ability to complete what He is calling her to do. Pray for her too for wisdom as to the next year, whether God would have her continue with us permanently at Destino.
Also pray for Tori Halvorsen, Paula Spoede’s 17-year old daughter, (for the information of those of you from Bryan College) who will join us for 6 weeks during the spring to help in the English classes as well.
Pray for the safety of the school. The thieves broke in again last week and stole some more materials for the school, CD player, shoes for 6 kids, refrigerator, two microwaves — it is getting so discouraging and we cannot find a watchman that we can trust. We had one for one night and he just didn’t come back. We received the security system that was donated to us but it didn’t have included the computer cards that make the alarm codes work so we are still waiting on those cards to get that going. Carlos and our boys are worn out from having to guard themselves every night. This is sooooo hard. After we marched and sang, etc. they have never stepped foot on the children’s home property so we feel pretty safe over here but the school is over there in the dark desolate part of the land and it is easy for a target. Please pray for us.
Pray for Carlos and I as we leave for a missions conference at Day Spring Baptist Church, in Augusta, Georgia from February 24 to March 1st. We need prayer that we will be an encouragement to all that come in contact with us and that God will use us as He wants to. This seems like a horrible time for us to be leaving — without money and without a watchman still for the school, b ut we will obey Him and trust Him for all the details. We will be at my parents’ house (706) 731-5216 if you want to call — we will be very busy with the conference schedule but leave a number and we’ll call you back if we miss your call. Thanks for praying for this very special week for the church there.
Also please never cease praying for Carlos and Wendy and I to grow spiritually more every day and that we will not sacrifice our time alone with the Father for pressing urgent things that need to be done here. There is always so much to do and keep us distracted but there is no greater priority for us than time in the presence of God to know His plans and will for our personal lives and for the leading of this ministry.
There are so many decisions to make each day and we need real wisdom especially in the area of how to adapt Americans to this culture and to prepare them better for their coming. I have talked with several directors from other bilingual schools and they have had continual problems for years with using the Americans and blending them into their culture and making them comfortable here, etc. This has been a battle for us and we want to know what to do to make this easier for them and also that we can continue to benefit from their teaching skills and English training for our students. Thanks for praying for wisdom in this area.
I cannot express enough gratitude to all of your for your faithful prayers. You have prayed us through so many hard times and have prayed in some really incredible miracles (like the land — which by the way ended up being instead of 100 acrres, 140 acres — wow). Thank you for your faithfulness in loving us and praying for us and encouraging us — this is a very hard time for us but I know you will b e praying and God will show Himself to be sovereign, wonderful and faithful as ever.
Love in His grace,
Rhonda
