Hey Everyone,
I thank you for your faithfulness in prayer even when you haven’t heard from me for a while. I apologize for not writing. Things have been more hectic than our usual and I haven’t taken time to update you. Sorry.
The main thing that I wanted to update you on was about the university plans. We have taken two years to put together the huge pile of documentation necessary for applying for permission to run a university at Destino del Reino. We went a few weeks back, with expectations of opening the university after three months of investigation of our documentation. However, I was EXTREMELY upset when I found that it will be at least another year and a half before we are able to open the university. The three months that we had been told about is the time period of their examination of our documentations and our correcting any information and adding information that they require. Once that three month time of refining our papers is past, they will take another year and a half to go through three different levels of examination and investigation, etc. Only God can move this process along but thankfully, He is the BOSS! I was so upset and angry at first but you know how it is when you know that you are kicking up against God — He always wins and no matter how mad you get and try to force things, you can feel His steady hand saying, Give it Up!! So after a few hours of anger about the long loooooong wait, I relaxed and again turned it over to Him. He knows when is the right time and He will do it perfectly in HIS timing. I was most concerned about my three who have graduated (Blanca – two years ago) who are anxious to get on with their studies. But I talked to the head man and he assured me that if the kids go to the public university in Comayagua and start their studies, once we are approved, every one of their credits will transfer to Destino’s university. As I prayed about it, I realized that I think the Lord will really use this time with my three in the public education system. They have been sheltered and built up in the Word of God and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and now they can have their faith tested and learn to be a light to others around them. I actually had some relief at the thought of having a little time before starting the university since we are opening the tech school next week and there will be a lot of kinks to work out in that new training center. Thanks for continuing to pray — God will do it, and I can trust His timing. Right now Wendy (our Director) and our lawyer are finishing up the last documents and then we have to have 20 copies of it all made to present in Tegucigalpa very soon.
One of our biggest needs right now is to find a few new buses. Please be praying about this. We have hope of receiving at least one from the school system in Georgia but that is not a guarantee. We have had some money offered to put towards one bus but finding a good one for the money in Honduras is a real job — but God can lead us to one or provide how He sees best — thanks for your prayers. We continually have broken down buses and always for different reasons — they are all very old so that is understandable. We have to haul over 300 people daily so we are feeling a little desperate about this. Thanks for praying.
During February we had three Honduran teachers leave us for various reasons. It was a little stressful at first but amazingly, God has provided three replacements that really want to serve the Lord at Destino and we are so very thankful for them. God is always doing HIS will at Destino and I can see that He was in this process and is bringing in people that He wants to not only use at Destino for spiritual growth of our kids but also to encourage them individually in their spiritual lives while serving here. Thanks for your prayers for these three new teachers — Moises (high school science); Carmen (jr. and high school Spanish); and Flor (6th grade). We also hired an assistant to cover classes when another teacher is out. Her name is Mariel and she has been a believer for 2 years and is really precious as well. Thanks for always praying for our teachers. As my daddy once told me, “however your teachers are doing spiritually, is how your students will be.” So prayer for our teachers is so very important. I am going to list the rest of the teachers here so you could maybe select one and begin praying for them by name regularly: Wendy (Director); Irma (secretary and computer and Bible teacher); Dina (Kindergarten); Maried (First Grade); Edith (Second Grade); Cinthya (third grade); Ana (Fourth Grade); Elvia (Fifth Grade); Mildred (jr./high school math); Martha (jr./high school Social Studies); Nora (10th Grade); Kelin (5th and 6th math and English assistant); Sofia (Assistant); Adela (Bible and assistant in elementary classes); Blanca, Franklin and Cesar (my kids) and Ana Yensi are assistants as well. Our American teachers are: Sheena (4, 5 and 6th English); Maredith (1st, 7th and 8th English); Laura (3rd English and assistant in English); Lauryn (2nd, 9, 10 and 11th English; Chris (Bible 6, 7, 8, 9, and Science 5th and 6th — also in charge of technical school). Prayer is so important — actually the MOST important thing so please consider taking one of these names and being a faithful prayer warrior for our teachers!!!
All the kids are doing well. I see God growing them up continually in His Word and that is my confidence that they will live for Him and be a light in the darkness. They still memorize for about 15 minutes a day and those who are 13 and older have over 40 chapters of the Bible memorized. His Word will not return void and it will flourish in their lives and prepare them to follow Him!!! Fernando has returned, as I shared on Facebook, and it is such a joy to see him back with us after 11 years. He was my first baby to come and only stayed for 5 years but God brought him back to us once he was 18 years old. He is working for Destino until tech school starts next week and he will take that 6-month course and become certified in welding. In September, he will go into his senior year at Destino and finish up his high school degree and then wants to attend our university once it is open.
Our sweet dentist, Dr. Wright, is unable to return to Destino in the future so we are in need of a dentist to volunteer to come to Honduras one week a year to serve our students. We have the equipment and the clinic for use so please let me know if you know of a dentist who may be willing to come to help us. The next time we would need dental care at Destino would be late September or during October. Thanks for praying for God to meet this need. We are so grateful to the dentists who have come in the past — what a huge blessing they have been to our students and staff and ME! The students at this point do not realize how much they have been blessed — they just know it hurts, ha. But one day when they have children they will realize how costly it is to have dental work in Honduras and that they were given a tremendous gift to have free dental care. Thanks for praying.
Please pray for me — I have had a 2 month struggle with cough and phlegm that I just can’t get rid of. I’m not sick but it is hard to sleep at times and really hard to sing and lead worship in church. I know God can heal me so thanks for your prayers of faith!!!
We have quite a few groups coming in this next few months so be praying for God’s clear direction on how to use each group in the best way. There are so many needs here but knowing what is the best plan for each group is the wisdom that I need. We have two medical teams (one is pending still) and need to know which villages need to be served not only with the medical attention but the gospel.
Oscar is almost fully cured. He is back to working TOO hard and I really want him to take more time to rest but he is so diligent and doesn’t want to leave anything left undone each day. Please pray for God to continue to protect his health and encourage him to rest more.
As I mentioned above, the tech school starts this next week. We have 20 students most of whom have not received Jesus Christ as their personal savior YET! I will send names out in a few weeks so that you can choose one to pray for. They will have a Bible course each day in their schedule and Chris Eng will be leading that. He will begin with basics of salvation and spiritual growth. Thanks for praying for the safety of the students, the salvation of the students (and possibly the instructor as well) and that this new program will be used for His glory in preparing young men not only with careers to support their families but with the Truth that will set them free!!! We’re excited and know God is going to do great things.
Thanks for your faithfulness in praying for our needs. I know this is long and there are many other things that I haven’t even asked prayer for — so many people with so many conflicts and struggles, but God knows them all and thanks for your general prayers for wisdom and strength and encouragement to lead the people to the One who will meet all their needs.
In His grace continually,
Rhonda
