Hey Everyone,
I am soooo sorry that it has been a whole month since I have updated you on what is going on at Destino del Reino. That is a long time, especially since each day is a new adventure here, but I will try to remember the most important things to share and try to do a better job of keeping you up more often in the future.
First of all, I thank you for your prayers for me as I continue as administrator without the help of Carlos. The decision to have him leave has been confirmed over and over to me by the Lord during the past month and I thank Him for giving me perfect peace in this decision. I thank God that Wendy continues as our school director and is always doing an excellent job for us. I have battled honestly about whether I should have had Carlos leave earlier but I cannot look back now and re-analyze every step. During his struggles, I was before God continually as to what to do and every time I felt that the Spirit said to keep showing mercy and let God do His work in Carlos. I am second-guessing myself now, but have to go back to the confidence I had at the timeand believe that I was obedient to the Father in each decision. Pray for me now to just look ahead and thank God for what He is doing and going to do in Destino del Reino from here on out and forget all the what if’s. Thanks so much. for your prayers. This is my biggest struggle right now and I need to hear the Father’s loving voice reminding me that we have a NEW DAY each day and His mercy covers everything.
We had a good Christmas break but my kids were so ready to get back to school. Our students absolutely love school at Destino and I am so grateful for that. I praise God continually for the teachers that love these kids so well and nurture them every day with the love of the Lord Jesus. They just finished their exams and received their mid-year grades. Please pray for us as we are making some tough decisions this week. We have two or three that may need to leave Destino because they are going to fail the year and have made no efforts to study and pass their exams. The reason we need to make the decision now and not later is that the public schools begin in February in Honduras and if we have them leave Destino now and not later, they will not lose an entire year of study in another school. We need wisdom. Of course, we want to rescue every child and we love them all but we have to make some hard decisions sometimes and it is painful.
I just got back from a city-wide missions conference in Augusta, Georgia. It is so sad that more people did not get in on that conference. It was a true blessing to all of us that attended. I think it will be a yearly event though and hopefully more will participate next year. I went to it feeling really empty and depressed through all I had been facing with the changes at Destino and God knew that so His timing was perfect. I came away very encouraged spiritually and many more people have committed to pray for me and Destino and I ALWAYS need more prayer!!! I shared with them what God has been teaching me lately – -that I cannot do one thing without the Holy Spirit’s control. He only wants to use my body to carry HIM around each day and accomplish what HE wants. It really can be that simple and I am counting on Him now to lead me through these days of decisions in areas that I have no personal experience or knowledge. He is so faithful.
I am so grateful where I see the Lord coming beside me to support me in so many areas. All of our workers have suddenly shown so much more initiative to help me and are working hard without supervision continually. I think they realize that Carlos is not here and I need HELP, ha. We hired a new watchman a couple of months ago and he is the first watchman that we have ever had that does not sleep instead of watching. He is very serious about this job and so helpful. Also we hired a new bus driver who has a gift for organization and he gently explained to me that we are missing a lot of tools in the workshop and that the right way to do this is to have an inventory, one person in charge of everything, and if someone does not return a tool they use, then they pay for it out of their salary — he and Erick have now done the inventory and the workshop is amazingly in order FINALLY — Also, Amanda Bowen has taken over the sponsorships for the school and she is so dedicated and is really getting on top of the whole system and I can’t thank her enough. We even had a mechanic come out to fix a bus and he offered to start coming out and taking our trash for us each week (without pay) — says he just wants to help. God is amazing and is providing me with such a huge support system.!!!
Well, all of you have asked about the electricity situation. We went to the electric company on Wednesday and they say they really want to help us but legally cannot do anything more about our debt. he said the best thing we can do is keep pushing on the Minister of Education to give us the benefits that the public schools receive, i.e. free electricity, and then he can write off the debt (actually the government will absorb the debt) and we can start over with just a simple counter on each of our houses and there should never be a big bill again. Thankfully he is being patient with us at the electric company and we are waiting a decision from the Minister of Education. We were there on Tuesday and they seemed very kind and interested in helping us but we need a LOT of prayer for God to move their hearts. The guy at the electric company says that even if they say no this time, we need to take the mayor of Siguaepeque with us and a petition from all 200 families and keep pushing. So for now we have electricity and we thank God for that. I have told the Lord though that I will live however he provides for us and we may not always have lights. He is God and what matters is that we continue His calling in this place to raise up a new generation who love Jesus and become leaders of integrity here and in the rest of the world.
We had 6 men come back with me on the plane last week and in just 3 days they built the most amazing HUGE beautiful deck on the church/kindergarten class. It has built in tables and benches all around so the students can eat their lunch out there and not go out into the weather. We will be able to use the deck for so many other things as well though and we are soooo thankful for all their hard and QUICK work. While they were here, they also looked at our dental clinic (to be) and said it would only take about 3 men for about 4 days to get the clinic up and running so that is our next big request for a group’s help. We have dentists from lots of different states ready to sign up to come and help us with our students’ teeth once we get that clinic going so pray this will be accomplished soon. We have almost all the equipment we need so pray for that to be completed as well.
Please be praying for the Valentine’s Day of Purity seminar we are having for our 6th, 7th and 8th graders. The Mellon family is coming in to help our American teachers put this on and this is sooooo necessary for this society in Honduras. They have even purchased the promise rings for those students who choose to make a vow to the Lord to remain pure until marriage — please keep these students and the leaders before the Lord in prayer. This is a BIG day and I am so excited about this.
PRAISE GOD — the flooring for the junior high (two classes) will be here on Monday and should be in by the next week, then we just need two days to have the windows installed and we will have the junior highers FINALLY in their building in February — it has been a long time but God has perfect timing and we will rest in HIM. Erick and his friend in tech school did all the electricity and it is painted and Memo made the doors and we are almost ready. We are so happy. We will continue working on the other two classrooms on the bottom level as the money comes in so that we can be ready for August. Hopefully, we can also get a group to come and build the bathrooms for the junior high as well before August. God is doing great things and we are praising Him for His goodness each day.
Thanks for your prayers for our bus situation. We have been running one bus (our smallest one) for several months for about 275 students and teachers. We are expecting the oil pump today for the big bus and will get it repaired by next week. Please pray that these two buses keep running and that God will provide the third bus we need before next school year. There are so many expenses but each day He continues to provide for us and we are so grateful.
Thanks for all your prayers — that is why we can continue to fulfil our calling at Destino with these children. I need more faith daily to just trust Him and rest in His wisdom and I praise God for putting such a team of prayer warriors like you together for us. Remember if you would like to write me, you cannot hit “reply” you have to send me a message at rhondadestino@yahoo.com
Love in His grace,
Rhonda
