To our Faithful Prayer Partners:

We are praising God for health this week.   We spent over 3 weeks with a virus in the house that was similar to Dinghy Fever.  The fever lasted about 6 days and the 5th day was the “most dangerous”  (according to our doctor).   It left us with bronchitis and weakness.   We had our breathing machine working constantly but we are so thankful to report that everyone is healthy at last.   I have 22 kids and only 4 did not have the virus.   We have never had any virus hit us all so hard but I think because the fever lasted for so many days, we couldn’t avoid it passing on to others.   There were a whole lot of sick kids in the school as well.   But finally things are better.  Thanks for your prayers.

We are now in our second month of school and things are going pretty smoothly.   We have some wonderful students and three new fabulous teachers who love their subjects and have passed on that enthusiasm to their students.   We are starting our adult education classes next week and our mothers and family members who have been studying with us for the past few years are now in their last year of junior high school.  I’m so proud of these adults for wanting to continue on with their educations.

This year we have also added something new.   For several of the young men who graduated from high school and are awaiting the opening of our university classes, we have started some technical classes.   One of our drivers is also our full-time mechanic at Destino and he is teaching a basic mechanics course to these young men.  After several months, Erick will begin electricity classes with them.   Towards the end of the year we want to find a Christian man who can teach them some basic carpentry skills as well.   This may be the beginning of a full-time tech school at Destino in the future.  Some of our kids are not interested in going to university but they need some training in other areas.   Since our mechanic and Erick are already on our staff, this is of no extra cost to Destino and is such a huge opportunity for these young men.  Please pray for us to have clear direction from the Lord as to what He wants us to do as far as technical training.

The university is probably my biggest area of concern right now.   Please be praying for continued wisdom for each step of this process.   The professor who is doing all the work to prepare our applications for accreditation and the initiation of the university is a Christian and he is working hard on all the necessary documentation.   He says that this will be the first college for the poor in all of Central America.  That surprises me but I am so glad God wants to use us in this way.  Right now my biggest prayer is for the funding.   When we start classes the university won’t cost more than adding a few more grade levels, but to begin the process and receive the approval it will be about $25,000   — this is payment for the professor and for the other fees that are involved.  There may be more expense later but I think that will get us as far as we need for the next 6 months.   Please pray for these funds.  As many of you know, we live from week to week and provide food and materials for 300 kids daily but do not have extra for the university preparation.  Right now our plan is to start with nursing and agriculture and then while the students are taking the basic university classes next year, we will open two more majors  (probably civil engineering and electricity or computer science).   Each new added major costs about $10,000.   Please pray for me to walk in faith and trust that God will provide for all we need.   There is a long list of materials needed for laboratories and other classrooms and we have some friends with contacts who can possibly get all we need on the next container (in March or April).   I feel kind of panicked at times just knowing how much money I need immediately to keep moving forward with the university and part of me just wants to chicken out and stop at high school.  But God told me to raise up leaders and missionaries for His Kingdom work and they are not at all prepared for anything with just their high school diploma — so I know this is His will and He is stretching my faith once again.  Thanks for praying!!

Discipleship classes are going well again this year.   Please be praying for our sixth graders though.  That class has always been difficult — lots of strong personalities.   They are not participating in discipleship and seem to be resisting learning the Word of God.   Sixth grade is where we decide who will continue on to junior high school — those who show potential and interest in spiritual things — so this is a crucial year for these kids.

The container has arrived in port after waiting for months to have it sent.   We were waiting for some donated computers we need in the school and it has taken this long to finally get them shipped to us.   Please pray now that the port officials will not cheat us by adding extra taxes and that those who inspect the container items will not steal anything.   Thanks to all of you who have so graciously given items to Destino del Reino.  We can’t wait to get the container delivered and start opening boxes and seeing once again how GREAT is the generosity of God’s people to us!

We were told we would be receiving a newborn abused baby boy this week but his grandmother came forward and claimed him and is willing to raise him.  For now, that sounds like a good option for him.   We will probably be taking in another baby or two who is abandoned in the next few months.   I had not wanted to continue because the first four babies we took “temporarily” ended up staying with us for almost a year and we were so attached to them that it broke our hearts to let them go to other families.  But after talking to my older kids, we have all decided that it is worth the hurt in our hearts to let them go in order to be able to love on them while they are in transition and to pray for them to find the homes and families that God has for them.   So we are willing now and waiting on those that God wants us to minister to.

Thanks to each of you for your faithful love and prayers for us at Destino.  Always be praying for our finances — every week is a step of faith to continue and believe that God will provide for us as our ministry grows bigger each year and we are reaching more families.   He is faithful who has Called us and HE WILL DO IT!!!

Remember that you cannot hit “reply” to this message on your email.  If you would like to send a message to me, you can write me directly at rhondadestino@yahoo.com or find me on Facebook.

Love to each of you.

In His GREAT mercy and grace,

Rhonda

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