Hey Everyone,
I am soooo sorry that I have taken so long to send out an update to you.  I know you have been praying for us and I don’t want to be so long in reporting what God is doing through your prayers.

Thanks for praying specifically about our financial needs.  We got out of the big hole we were in and paid up some debts but have many more ahead of us so please don’t stop your prayers for that area of need.  We have to buy uniforms, shoes, pay health insurance (we are over a year behind because I didn’t realize it was required by law), new school curriculum, higher minimum wage, etc.)  BUT GOD is faithful and He will do it and we just need to keep on praying for Him to bring in all the needed funds.  I am so grateful to all of you who not only prayed but sent in gifts.  I sometimes have the “George Mueller Syndrome”  — God told George not to tell anyone about his needs, but God didn’t tell me that and I am very timid about telling you what we are needing, even to the point when we don’t have enough food sometimes — thanks for praying for me that I will be so confident that those that give are greatly blessed by God and believe that you all
really do want to know our needs in how to pray and give, so that I will be more honest in sharing those things with you in my updates.  Thanks so much for loving us and being a part of this team.

Yesterday was an incredible day at Destino del Reino school.  I found out recently that no schools here have awards assembly or ceremony at the end of the school year.  We had our first annual awards ceremony yesterday and it was such a hit.  The kids and parents had no idea we were going to do that nor had they ever heard of any school doing it and they were overwhelmed.  Parents cried when their children’s names were called for highest grade in science, or math, etc.  We also gave out an award in each class for the student that worked the most diligently, no matter what grades he or she received. Also in each class there was one student that was given the “Character of Christ” award.  I am so proud to tell you that in every grade in which I have children, one of my children here in the children’s home received that honor.  Cesar, my 7-year old, got the highest honor in the school —  The Leader of the Year  — that is the award to whatever
student (no matter in what grade) voted by all the teachers to be the biggest servant of others.  I am so proud of him.  It was a great day and the parents were thrilled and told us how much harder they believe all the children will study this year, knowing they will be recognized in next year’s celebration.  The kids in Destino are so special and God truly has incredible things in store for their lives.  Thanks for praying for them.

We have to have 30 more sponsors in June ($60 a month) and we still need probably 50 more partial sponsorships ($30 a month).  Please pray for us fervently for this need.  Not only do we need the money to feed and educate these children, we also need the prayer support for each child.  Thanks for putting this at the top of your prayer list and also if you can mention it at your churches.  We have a DVD on the website that can be shown in church or Sunday School classes.  it lasts 3 or 4 minutes and is really good. Clay Sandoz (who is a missionary in Belgium for 2 years) produced this for us and you can write to Julie Kappas on our board of directors for a copy of the DVD if you would like to help us advertise our need for sponsorship.  Julie’s email is:  jkp@bellsouth.net   Thanks so much for anything you can do to help us get some more sponsors for these precious called-by-God to be Future Missionaries.  Thanks.

Carlos and I  got back from Texas this weekend.  We had an incredible time there and I believe God used Carlos in a tremendous way to encourage believers to wake up to the calling and power and authority they have in Jesus Christ to serve Him and see many come to Christ during these last days on earth.  We believe the times are drawing near to the coming of Christ and we need to not sit back and worry and talk about how bad things are getting, it is time for us to rise up and stand for Christ and use the power and authority we have in the name of Christ to complete his commandment — to make disciples of all men.  Thanks for praying for us during our time there.  We had no incidents here at the house while we were gone and that is a real relief.  We were able to get a lot of needed supplies as well and we had great times with our precious family in Christ in Texas.  We are so blessed by all of you and thank God for all you did to make us know we
are loved and prayed for.

While we were gone, on Saturday night, the same gang of thieves who broke into Destino several times this past year, broke into Sue and Roger’s home while they were sleeping, shot Roger in the chest and robbed them.   Roger was in surgery on Sunday and is recovering miraculously!!  Praise God for that.  Sue and Roger are a retired couple that came to work in Honduras and serve in whatever way the Lord would have them serve.  They are precious friends and live only about 2 or 3 miles from us.  Three hours after they were robbed, we believe the same gang robbed the Minnenite people in the village nearby.  We need lots of prayer for safety here and that we will be wise and not fearful.  Satan does not want any of us here in this community because God is changing lives and families and the next generation.  Thanks for remembering us continually in prayer for safety.

We have several groups coming in the next few months and please be praying that we will know exactly where God wants them to serve.  We plan to do short VBS’s in various villages and, if the funds come in, we will re-roof the second house (it is leaking horribly) and maybe work on the clinic, and paint the entire school and repair it to be ready for the new school year.  Thanks for praying for us for the funds for these projects as well as each individual who comes to work on these projects.  God uses these trips to change lives for eternity and we want to be ready to encourage each person that comes through our gates.

Please be praying for the American teachers we need.  We have had so many continuous problems in the past two years that I am, honestly, gun-shy about hiring anyone.  Zoe Tolson, though, came during the worst of our struggles and she has restored my hope that God can send mature, serious, believers here to help us with our bilingual program.  She is doing an incredible job and we are so thankful.  We are hoping that God leads Zoe back to us for the following year.  Pray for God to show her what HE wants for her though and we will trust Him for Destino.  We have an application from Kentucky right now and would ask you to pray that we will know how to interview this person to know if this is God’s will and also that we would be able to know how to prepare people better for the culture differences here.  This is such a huge burden on me right now and I would honestly like to be out of this whole part of the ministry; but for now, I think it has to
be me who interviews and decides and I need wisdom and lots of prayer.  We have a couple coming from Indiana and she will teach English and music and so we have to have two other teachers for English next year.  Thanks for praying for us.  God is faithful and this is HIS ministry and school and HIS responsibility.  Pray that I rest in Him.

Thanks for your continued prayer for us.  I need more discipline in administrative things, and wisdom, as I wrote above.  Pray for Carlos and Wendy in their leadership roles and that all three of us will be unified in the Spirit continually so that we can accomplish all that God has for us here.  Pray for God to send laborers for the harvest — — the harvest is plenty but the laborers are FEW!!

Love in His grace,
Rhonda

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