Hey Everyone,

Well, as always, I have A LOT for you to be praying for us about.

I hardly know where to start because there are so many things going on at the same time.

(1) We found a new person to do our accounting for us and she is in the process of using her other two accountants to determine our needs. It is very very possible that we need to hire an administrator here in Honduras. We need to hear from God on that so that we will know if it is Him, then he intends to provide the additional money for the salary to pay an administrator. Carlos and I are so buried under so much paperwork etc. that we are afraid things are falling between the cracks. This ministry is growing so fast and big and we want to be legal and ethical in every paper that passes through our office and there is too much for us to learn and still do all the other things required of us. Thanks for praying.

(2) Carlos may have broken his foot yesterday. We will take him to the doctor for an x-ray this afternoon. He is in a LOT of pain though so either way please pray for him. He has continual health problems — his stomach was better for awhile and is acting up again (this may be stress and worry and he needs to let God bear his burdens); he has severe headaches at times and a sore throat that keeps coming back. I told him that he was the one that I count on to outlive me and keep things going so we need to have him healthy!!!

(3) Right now Carlos is in Comayagua talking to the people with the electric company. We have been told so many different stories from the idea that we won’t have to pay electric bills for several years since the Houston light company brought electricity to us and provided for many others with their work bringing in the lines, to requiring a $2,000 deposit from us. That is our newest news and Carlos is going to beg for favor for us. There are many that have said that we should not pay the whole amount of our regular electric bills either because we are a non-profit organization and the government usually helps these groups. Anyway, we need a lot of favor from God today, and if they don’t choose to help us, we need $2,000 to come in this week to cover the deposit. We may have to go back to our use of generators for awhile but we’ll be okay either way. God always provides our needs, not necessarily our wants. We are a bit spoiled having electricity and water all the time anyway. So just pray that we will trust God in the good times and the bad ones —

(4) We are in the process of getting our official school accreditation and it is very important that this happens quickly. We missed the last year’s chance in getting the approval because the director failed to turn in one paper in time. Now, we had to start all over again so please pray that all the papers will be right and filed in a timely manner. Our lawyer for this is a specialist in private schools so we are really praying for her wisdom.

(5) We start school in another week. We haven’t gotten the contracts worked out for the teachers yet. THere is no fear that they will not continue to teach this year but we do want them to understand some cchanges we are making and hopefully they will keep a good attitude about ministering to the Lord through these kids and not be looking for “their rights”. THere is much confusion in the legal system about the requirements for public government school teachers and for private school teachers. We really need the right person to help us come up with the answers.

(6) The IHNFA agent (child protective services in Honduras) showed up this last Tuesday. She came across as stern and strict and looked through all our cupboards and found a bottle of Dimetapp that was expired, as if that would matter. Anyway, she just wanted to look like she was doing a very thorough job. We walked to the school and she was so impressed with God had provided for the poor children. We ended up having such favor from her and at the end of the day she jokingly asked if she could move in with me too!! ha. She is going to be back in a few weeks to help us get our approval for INHNFA to operate as a children’s home in Honduras. Please pray for these papers to go through smoothly as well. There are so many details and legal documents involved in all these processes and we are cast on God for His favor and for sending us the right people with the right wisdom to help us.

(7) Please pray continually for the finances — we need to finish up the cafeteria and the classrooms below the school, as well as our regular weekly expenses. God is faithful and will provide in His timing and His perfect way.

There are other requests for prayer but that will keep y’all on your knees for quite a while, ha.

Praise God we had a wonderful baptism service yesterday at the river. We took about 80 people and about 12 were baptized. It was a sweet time. My two little girls, Eidy and Blanca, chickened out at the last minute. I want to make sure they understand a little better anyway so maybe next time they will do it. Thanks for continuing to pray that all our children will come to know the Lord Jesus soon.

I forgot to report about what happened with Carlitos’ mom. She returned last Saturday thinking that she would be taking him home with her permanently. She brought with her a new “spouse” (that just means the person living with her). He seemed pretty nice but Carlos was suspicious enough of him that he sent an escort with me to drive them back to the bus station in the afternoon. God gave me the boldness to just tell Carlitos’ mom that we were not permitting him to leave with her at this point. That she had 3 years without seeing him and that did not show me any real interest in his life on her part. I want to see about 6 months of her coming on the monthly visits and being regular and faithful to him in that way. I told her that her own mother, Carlitos’ grandmother, has big doubts about her taking him out of Destino del Reino. She seemed to accept my conditions well and I explained that we would talk again in 6 months if she was here on a regular basis and had built a relationship with Carlitos. Carlitos does not want to go with her though and I really don’t think this will happen. Please keep praying though. My desire is that the mother will see this as the best thing for her son and sign our paper that permits him to stay until he is an adult.

The kids are all doing well. Eduard is now on the soccer team at his school. We had a real compliment on him. The school teacher and principal came to Destino one day to tell us what a wonderful young man Eduard is and they personally wanted us to consider letting him be on their soccer team. I wasn’t here that day but Carlos said they really spoke highly of Eduard. Of course, we already knew he was WONDERFUL!!

Erick is doing well and is finishing up 6th grade in a few more months. A friend has already offered to pay his tuition for a private junior high in Siguatepeque next year. He says he wants to be an electrician but I think it is because he wants to go to the technical school with Eduard. That is a good career but his mom and I would like to see him go to a junior high that starts preparing him for the university. He is book smart and I think God may have different plans for him. Pray for wisdom for us and also that God will change his heart and put HIS desires in Erick for whatever HE wants for Erick.

The toddlers are all doing well. They are starting school a week from today. Even Cokie will be going to school. That is hard for me since it seems like yesterday when she moved in my house and could barely walk. She is very ready though for school and will be a star pupil, I think — if she can control her temper fits!! ha. We will only have the two babies, Josue, Jonathan and Sammy at home in the mornings and that wil really feel strange. Pray for me too as I start teaching English three days a week at the school and need time for preparation and wisdom as to best teach these children.

Sammy has FINALLY started eating better and I think it is making him sleep longer hours in the night. Please keep praying for him — I want to sleep longer hours in the night as well. ha. He is getting so big and we laugh at him all the time. He dances around and does whatever he thinks he can do to make the other kids laugh at him. He is definitely the one they all are partial too; he never lacks attention!!

Emily has her first tooth now and is as heavy as Sammy. They are only 11 months apart and I think she is going to be bigger than him, ha. Little Ana is growing every day and is so cute and lovable. We are so grateful that God rescued her and brought her to us.

Jonathan and Josue are still trying to get potty-trained. I think Jonathan is just stubborn and I don’t know what else to do for him but have all of you help me pray. He missed going to the river yesterday because I told him that I would not take children in diapers to the river. I don’t know if that will make him change or not but thanks for praying. It sounds like a little thing but he will be 4 next month and has no desire to learn and diapers are so expensive.

Also pray for Martha. She changed her attitude and has been so easy to work with lately but she still thinks she will move to La Ceiba to live and work in a clinic in January. Please pray for her to only move if it is God’s plan for her and not for restlessness or any other motive. Thank you for your prayers for Martha — she has been with us so long and it is hard to think of her away from Destino but I want whatever God wants for her.

OWANSA (“AWANA”) went well yesterday. We divided the children in their individual groups with their teachers. We started the games and Carlos was leading them. I think he had more fun than the kids did, but they are all sooooo excited about next week and I believe the crowds will grow. The biggest problem was the more than 60 four, five and six-year olds — we only have enough teachers to put about 10 in each group and no less. We need more teachers and also a different schedule. A new missionary family moved to the next village up and she is an experienced AWANA leader. She is bringing her 9 boys in their children’s home to AWANAs every week and she offered to take over the leadership of the smaller kids. Pray for her for wisdom as to how to manage this the best. We are thrilled to have her but she is nervous because her Spanish is not great yet. Her name is Paula and she will arrange a completely different schedule and different games for the little kids but we want them to have the same enthusiasm as the bigger kids — thanks for praying for this part of the program. I have 6 12-year olds and am so excited tobe their teacher and involved in their little lives.

I guess this is too long but there is so much going on and I need your prayers in so many areas. Personally, I have been struggling and feeling a lot of oppression but I noticed it is usually on the days when we have church in the evening and I never want to go to the services. Carlos told me that he gets discouraged when I do not do the music and so I guess I might see what is going on here. Anyway, pray for me to fight the oppression that comes on me and know that greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. We need constant awareness of the spiritual battles going on around us. The best thing is that the warfare and battles have caused Carlos and I to pray more lately than ever before and so God is doing a great thing out of a big struggle.

Love you all and praise God that you are behind us in your prayers and support in every way.

With great thanksgiving for His grace,

Rhonda

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