Hey Y’all,
Thanks so much for your continued prayers for all of us here at Destino del Reino.
Things are so busy right now but we are being so blessed in so many ways. The Lord continues to provide all that we need in just the exact timing that we need it. Some weeks we look at the bank account and think there will not be enough and then God provides from another direction exactly what we need!! He is soooo perfect in all His ways.
Thanks for praying for the monthly men’s meeting last Saturday. Nine more men received Christ and many more are continuing to receive discipleship through Pastor Carlos. He is such a humble and sincere man and I praise God always for sending him into this ministry. He works too hard though at times and I try toget him to take some time off. He said there are too many needs right now at Destino so he just keeps coming to work and runs home to get ready to preach at nights too. He is so happy though in this ministry and God is blessing him. Keep praying for support to come in for him financially though as I know that is a struggle for him at times with his family.
We had a difficult week in one situation. Carlos has offered to come and take all the kids to school in the next village each morning. He was late for a couple of days and the older kids were complaining about him etc. He works so hard and then has to be here at 6:30 in the mornings to pick them up. They do not pay for their rides each day and instead of being grateful, they were complaining about him and to him. When I found out about it, I talkedto all the kids and told them they owed him an apology because this was a free ride for them and they needed to be grateful etc. Instead, they all got upset and their parents got mad, etc. It was just a big mess and Satan really was having a great laugh at what he was doing to our church and neighborhood. I prayed and prayed and talked to the teenagers about forgiveness and that it is conditional with the Lord. Whatever wall that you choose to put up between you and someone else through resentment, God puts up the same wall between you and Him and you cannot have communion with God if you choose to harbor resentment. THey listened to me, Praise God and came to the house and talked to Carlos. Carlos apologized for being late and is doing better, etc. Anyway, then the parents were still holding a grudge and wouldn’t come and get the free water at our house or come to visit, etc. They told the kids they were not going to be able to come to Sunday School anymore or ride in our car to school and back each day. The whole thing was completely RIDICULOUS, but I could see Satan’s clear footprints in the whole situation. We prayed and Carlos went to talk to the families and all is well again. THursday night EVERYONE was in church and I was just praising God so much for His victory. I realize though that these are all new believers and they need clear teaching on forgiveness. Satan uses resentment and unforgivenss to destroy people’s spiritual growth and their very lives. Thankfully, they have all learned a big IMPORTANT life lesson through this hard week. Please keep praying for them all as they are learning to walk in the Truth. Many people think that Honduras has been “covered” with the gospel and it is said that the Baptists are actually moving out of here in the next 5 years because they say Honduras has been reached for Christ. The problem (GREAT PROBLEM) is that there are many areas that have been rpesented with the Gospel message and many have received Christ but there are FEW disciples. The Word instructs us not to go and tell people about Jesus only but to go and make disciples!! It takes years to build strong disciples and that has not happened in Honduras. Many people start little churches and leave after a couple of years and the churches fade away. There is such a big need here for people to continue for years to build into these new Christians’ lives and make them strong in their walk with the Lord so they will be able to make other disciples as well. Keep praying for us. I am so excitied about the disicples we are making at Destino — the little ones that live here, the school-aged that attend Sunday School and memorize scriptures continually, and the adults that are growing through the church and Carlos’ leadership. I believe in years ahead we will be able to send MANY out into the world to make disciples of others for Christ.
Thanks for your prayers for my absess on my back. It is still draining a lot but others that have had the same things before say it takes more than a month to completely heal up. Thanks for praying — it is better but still hard at times. Many of the kids have had so many little infected sores on their bodies and I finally started all of them on an antibiotic this week. I think there is something in their systems that needs to be fought off. Pray for all of them please. They are happy and don’t seem to mind but it is hard to deal with those continued problems all the time — I need wisdom as always.
God is providing for me in another way. I am to be in the States from June 10-30 and I was praying about what to do to cover wit hthe kids while I am gone. Marta has school in the mornings and my helper, Gloria, cannot take care of 11 little ones by herself. My friends Jenny and Joel Hunt who were here from Hawaii a few months ago are praying about coming to take care of the children while I am away. They are asking their church to support them for this trip and also Joel needs the leave from the military for those days. Please pray that all the details will be worked out and they can cover for me. That would give me so much more peace while I am away than to just hire an extra worker fora few weeks for the kids. They will do such a good job of nurturing and loving on the kids. God is so good in all His ways and is providing for every need before I can even ask for help!!
Today we go to pick up Dusti, the young lady that is coming from Pennsylvania to help us for 5 weeks. It will be so good to have her here with us during this time with the many adjustments with the new baby and new kids coming. Thanks for praying for her stay here. Her timing was wonderful!!
We have our next group coming next Saturday and I will appreciate your prayers for every detail of their ministry here. We have 4 days of medical/dental brigades planned and I am so excited for all that God will do through them during that time. I may be able to go along and help some too since it is Easter week and Marta is out of school and all of the bigger kids can help with the smaller ones.
Praise God, I got a really good worker in the house. Her name is Gloria and she is so sweet and humble and works so hard. She is not a Christian and we are all praying for her and she already has expressed and interest in coming to church one night and learning about God with us. Please be praying for her salvation with us as well. I know God brought her to us and I am so excited for her help b ut also that she may be introduced to the Savior through her coming to work here.
I hear the van is coming soon and the Houston friends are packing it with all the things that were too big to send us by suitcase in planes so this is a double blessing for us. Continue to pray for the details of shipping it to us. I can hardly wait. I took a few of the kids in the pick-up yesterday to pick up the others from school in the afternoon. They were so excited and giggling to just get off the property and see trucks and buses, animals, etc. on the highway. They will love to get out once in awhile when we finally get the transportation.
Keep praying about the bus too. A precious group in Alabama have raised almost $2,000 of the $8,000 we need and are continuing to do fund-raisers, etc. to help us. Pray that we will get all those funds in when God’s timing is right. We can do so much ministry more when we have that kind of transportation too.
Another big thing on my mind and heart is about building the pavillion in July with West Acres Baptist. We are trying to design it and figure out how much it may cost. We may need as much as $16,000 to build it but it would be such a huge addition for ministry opportunities. We can have big evangelistic meetings, have medical brigades right here on the site and bring villagers in for care, etc. Please pray for us to know what God has for us. We just need to know if that is what HIS plan is for the next building project. Thanks.
I guess I’ll close for today but thanks soooo much for the many many prayers. There is sooo much going on each day and yet my main thing is loving Jesus first and then loving these little ones in my care. Pray for me to continue to have the energy and overflowing love and patience of the Lord Jesus in my life. Thanks so much.
Love in His precious GRACE,
Rhonda