Hey Everyone,
I am just going to be honest and open with all of you prayer partners of Destino del Reino. Things are soooo hard right now and I am feeling kind of desperate.
We have had a lot of financial burdens lately (you can read about some of them under the new category “Needs” on the website www.destinodelreino.org I know that God has always provided for us and I am counting on that again. We have to have several thousand just to get started on uniforms and shoes next year, $1,500 to fix the big bus that has been sitting on the side of the road for 2 months, and we have to have more than $2,000 to order the books in June to have them for next year, etc. etc.
BUT, on top of all of that already heavy burden, on Friday, our bus driver was not paying attention and hit a car and caused 3 cars to wreck — it was so overwhelming and I just wanted to run away. I called desperately out to the Father and he is helping me arrange some situations to cover some of the problems. The car that was completely demolished was my biggest fear but the man and his wife started talking to me and God gave us favor in their eyes and they accepted our red van in exchange for their ruined car. This was okay with me because we have been completelyl destroying the red van on our horrible roads to Destino. The man and his wife have become friends now and they want to even support one of the students at Destino for the upcoming school year — so God is doing miracles and being glorified in the middle of all of this. My biggest concern is the car that was just damaged a little bit – -that man I think, saw an American and thought there must be money there, and wants to get some more money than he should from it. We settled out with the man whose car had very little damage for $175. Now tomorrow is the court date and I will have to pay the attorney that has arranged everything and also a few medical bills for two that went to the hospital with very minor injuries (and thankfully, clinics in Honduras do not cost much). More than anything, this is a HUGE stress on me and I am so frustrated right now. The driver had to be fired since we have told him many times to not follow cars closely, driver more carefully, etc. and this was clearly his fault. But we praise the Lord that he wasn’t out on the highway at top speed with a bus of children.
Now for the really big stress in my life: To explain a little, you have to undestand the government of Honduras’ laws on employees. They have to be paid the minium wage which is double what we are used to paying our workers and then they are entitled to 2 months extra pay for the year as well as other benefits. We were told by an agent of the government that we could do 2-month contracts with people, let them go for a week and rehire them and alleviate all of these rights of the employee because they would be under 2-month probation always. Well, we had two women that have been like family to us here at Destino, quit out of anger (not at me but at another employee) and they quit — left us stranded and then later went to the Labor board for their rights and today I had to go to a hearing where they were demanding to be paid. I have no choice but to pay them — it was going to be $2,000 a piece and I couldn’t believe it. finally they came down awhole lot and I will have to pay about $700 and I will have to pay it out a little at a time, but the frustration is that we are a ministry– with no earnings whatsoever and yet the government treats us like a company with earnings that needs to share the earnings with the employees and be fair wth them. I have had no salary for 11 years, just want to help the poor and live to bless their lives and we have all of these problems with the people taking advantage of us. Please pray for us. Either that the Lord will provide the money for us to pay all our debts or that he will send some American volunteers to take some of the work load off of us as independently supported missionaries and we can hire less Honduran employees — the jobs with children, cleaning, cooking, etc. are too much for me to do alone and so I have had to hire workers but it is just so disappointing to be taken advantage of by people we have loved and given lots of extra clothing to, etc. etc.
In the middle of all of this stress financially and emotionally, God is blessing us with so many things for the ministry– a 40 foot container is on its way in another month and just filled with so many needed items for the school, farm, clinic, etc. i thank all of you who have so generously given to us in this way. We are blessed by your great generosity to the Lord and to us. I pray that you will be blessed beyond your wildest imagination for what you are doing for these poor children.
Also, we were blessed with a wonderful new bus which finally arrived last week– it is incredible how God provided that within a few hours of my writing about the need in an email. Thanks to you who paid for the bus as well.
The school year is ending in a few weeks and the children have learned so much this year, they are incredible and grateful children and we are so blessed. We had a great staff of teachers this year — and i can’t say enough thanks to the Father for all of those blessings.
Destino played in the soccer tournament between 11 or 12 bilingual schools during the past two weeks. They are the only school that had a team in more than one category (there were three categories — small boys (8-10) big boys (11-12) and girls (9-12) — we won first place in the little boys and girls teams and 2nd place for the big boys. We were so proud of them because they are really troopers. God just keeps blessing these children in every way and I am so proud of them.
We still need to pray for two more Americans to come and teach this upcoming year. We have two teachers returning (Amanda Bowen will teach 1st and 2nd grade English, and Mallori will teach 5th and 6th grade English, and her husband Nathaniel will continue as PE teacher and I am hoping Bible class teacher. We are so blessed that they are returning and the kids just love them all. Sheena Rader from Augusta Georgia wll come to teach and assist in English as well and we need two more — please be praying for just the right people that God wants with these children. I know he will provide but please be praying with us about that.
I’m sorry if I sound whiney today in my message — but I wanted to be honest about how much pressure is on me right now and I know you will seek the Father for His provisions and also His peace over me. I feel desperate right now and yet I know he will be faithful as He has forever been and forever will be. Just need prayer.
Praise God for all He is doing miraculously in the life of Carlos. He is receiving godly counsel from Spirit filled loving people and God just keeps confirming to us that He truly called Carlos to a great and incredible ministry and will use all of his past problems to the glory of God to rescue others in the mercy of God. Thanks for praying for him and we are so excited to have him back here on the 29th of May. He has three more weeks of counseling and I will go to the US on May 22, spend a week with my parents and come back with Carlos. God has done above and beyond all I could think or imagine and I am so thankful that God is always up to great things in our lives when we are surrendered to Him.
Love to all of you and thanks for your prayers. I need them more than ever right now and know that I wll sense a different peace as soon as you receive this email and start praying for me. I am blessed to have you all behind me and on your knees on behalf of Destino del Reino.
In His grace,
Rhonda
