Hey Everyone,
First of all I want to declare that God is faithful whether we can see what He is doing or not!!! I am standing on that promise and His past PERFECT record during this very very hard time financially. I am amazed that in spite of the bleak circumstances, there is this assurance in me that HE IS STILL IN CONTROL!! Thankfully, He has been growing up my faith and I am not panicking as I have in the past, although this time is probably worse than our past struggles financially. Thank you for praying that God will show Himself faithful yet one more time and deliver us from this trial. Pray that people will have the desire to help us with these 200 children who desperately need Destino to have a chance for a life. Unless the Lord comes through unexpectedly, we will not be able to pay the teachers this week and we have never in the past had that problem. But God . . .
We have had some wonderful things going on (other than financial success, ha) — Carlos met individually with a lot of the 4th grade boys this week and quite a few of them gave their lives to Jesus Christ. I told him that I was teaching Bible in that class last week and was introducing them to our year’s study of spiritual warfare and the armor of God, etc. and when I asked how many of the children had given their lives to Christ, mostly only the girls raised their hands (girls I led to Christ last year) and I realized that Carlos never did get to meet with the boys alone. These children have been under the influence of Christian teachers, missionary stories, Bible stories, memory verses for several years but many times if someone doesn’t talk to them one-on-one, they don’t personally apply their learning to their commitment to Jesus. So we are rejoicing in all these new believers and Carlos will be meeting with more of the 4th grade and the 5th grade boys this week, so please be praying that God will prepare their hearts.
Praise God our Texas container is in the port. We are so excited for all the things that were donated to Destino, and we are so blessed by all those that have been working so hard to collect these things for us — all the computers for Destino will be hooked up soon. We had a former Bryan graduate offer to pay for the networking of the computers if we can find someone here in Honduras that has that ability — with the political situation, he said he was afraid no one might come from the US to help us with that. So we’ll see what is the best way to get that done.
We are getting two new little ones to live with us this week. Normally, I would say to anyone that wanted to place their children here that we are full to capacity with 13 in the house right now, BUT these are the half sister and brother of Cokie and Eidy (who I have had for 6 years now). Their father is bringing them to live with us. They are 3 year old girl (Stephany) and 1 1/2 year old boy (Gerson). We actually still have room for them with two extra beds and we know that God wants us to rescue them from a starving abusive situation. He will provide. I know it sounds crazy that we are taking in two more children when we are already having a hard time financially but I know this is what we have to do. God will provide.
We are planning to sell absolutely everything we can find around here that we can do without next weekend so pray for us to be able to get this big sale together and that people will come and buy. We are going to sell one of our vans and one of our pick-ups and a motorcycle (much to Carlos’ great sadness) and some other furniture that was donated long ago and we can do without. Please pray for us to know how to raise up the money we need to pay the debt we have right now. It is a burden, but like I told the Lord last week, these are HIS debts, not mine, and I am sure he is handling it somehow even though I can not see it right now. If I had a salary, I would give it up, or if I had something else I would donate it, but I don’t and this ministry is HIS idea and so I need to rest that he can handle HIS own debts!!! I asked you to pray a few letters back that I would learn to give up my burdens everyday and I think that is an answer to prayer — I finally realized this is HIS responsibility.
We have a great need right now for an accountant for Destino del Reino. We need them to be in the Augusta, Georgia area, or at least close enough to go there for a meeting now and then. If anyone knows of a retired accountant that has the time and willingness to offer this service to us, we would like to know. I thank Nancy Newbrey so much for her tireless work for Destino for several years. I think she gave at least 10 hours a week (probably much more) and did this outside of her own full-time work and children and a husband and lots of other responsibilities. We know God will greatly bless Nancy and we thank her. She has to step down though now because it has become too much and she is willing to train whatever person volunteers to step in and take her place. Please be praying for the right person to come forward. This is a huge (probably thankless) ministry for the Lord Jesus.
Please pray for my mom. She starts a new much more aggressive chemo tomorrow and we are praying that she will not feel the side affects that many experience. Thanks for your continued prayer for God’s healing of her cancer.
Carlos and Wendy and I are going to speak at a missions conference in Tomball, Texas in two weeks. (Don’t worry — they are paying for our tickets, ha). We are speaking at a banquet that Saturday night (17th of October) at Tomball Bible Church. Anyone in the Texas area that would like to come, I think you need to call their church and make a reservation. Carlos will be preaching on Sunday morning in the worship service. Pray for Carlos — that the Holy Spirit will flow through him and he will be greatly used of God. Pray for me as I will be translating for him. I need the same Holy Spirit to flow through me so that I can accurately translate his message. I am a little nervous about that because I mess up a lot — He still thinks I am the best person to do it because I know him and understand him better than another person may in Texas. So thank you for your prayers during this time and that God will cover all our children while we are gone.
I am so thankful for all that God is doing in our Sunday School classes. We had about 50 children today in my class and I am amazed at how much I LOVE teaching these children the Word of God. They are so attentive. We had every age from 2 to 13 in my class and they were all quiet and listened to the whole long lesson. The flannelgraph helped a lot but they are such a joy to teach!! Carlos has the young men and they are studying the life of John the Apostle. Then there is a small group of women studying the fruit of the Spirit. Alos continue to pray for our church — we are praying to become more of a praying and encouraging one another church. The logistics are kind of hard sometimes. Most of them come in on the bus, some come on Tuesdays and some come on Fridays. Some are teachers and assistants and workers that may be coming just because we require them to come. But God can make us a powerful church of His Spirit flowing in us and through us to the community and we pray that and ask that you pray for us as well. Pray for Carlos especially. He has had such a hard past and has many things to overcome but is called of God and needs to stand up to the accusation of Satan against him and KNOW that he is a new man and God wants to use even his past sins to His glory and let others know that God’s mercy is without limit. That is what Paul said of himself in the Word, . . . that he ws the chiefest of sinners. . . and the next verse says, “SO THAT all will know that God’s mercy is without limit.” Praise God for the way He uses all of us if we just surrender all to him (good and bad). Thanks for praying victory in Carlos’ life and that he will be confident of the work God has done and is doing in him.
Love to all of you,
Rhonda
