Hello Everyone,

I just realized how long it has been since I sent out an update.  I am sorry for that.   God is so faithful and has been very busy and faithful to continue His work at Destino del Reino.

We have finished up our school year now and hopefully many of you will be receiving your letters from your sponsored students in the next few weeks.  I thank you for your faithfulness in giving and especially for your prayers for the students that you sponsor.   We will be taking in about 50 new students in January and need more sponsors so let me know if you have any friends or family who would be willing to begin sponsorships as well.

We only have 4 graduates this year — four amazingly wonderful young men, who will graduate on December 2nd.  (We lost a majority of the students for this class during Covid when they had to study Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Algebra, etc. at home without teachers).  I taught English class to the four of them this year and since they had had English since they were 5 years old, I thought we should start using it by reading out loud and practicing conversation.  They really amazed me at how well they can both read and speak and express themselves in english.   I used a book of questions called “4000 Questions to Get to Know Someone” and I was so impressed with their honest, open answers about their lives.  The biggest encouragement to me was to hear of their faith and their desire to follow the Lord in their future.   Please pray for them to be able to continue their education and prepare for a career.  Sammy (my son) is going to Bryan College on a soccer scholarship and wants to study medicine.  Eduardo wants to go to college here in Honduras and become an engineer.  Kenneth as well wants to study in Honduras.  Allan is interested in going to our tech school which we plan to begin in February.   They are great guys and am so proud of them.

Speaking of the tech school, please pray for that to become a reality.  We never got off the ground with the tech school several years ago due to a lot of obstacles, but we still have the building ready as well as the welding machines and tools.   We are looking to hire a Christian man who is a welding teacher to begin in February.   The classes will be half days and include a Bible class.   We decided not to use the government group to teach the classes and plan to only teach 5 or 6 in the class.  We want to prepare our graduates for a good career so they will be able to support their own families one day.   Please pray that we will find the right man to fill this teaching position.

I have been seeking the Lord the past two years about what He was planning for the university, and asking if I had misunderstood that we were to have a university since it has been 6 years since we began paying Dr. Melvin to prepare the documents etc. for the approval process. We tried to communicate with him for two years during Covid and  I had pretty much decided that I had messed up in paying him thousands of dollars to do the work, and then he suddenly showed up  here about 6 weeks ago.   He said he was ready to finish up the documents and wanted another $1,500 to start.  I told him we would not pay another cent until the documents are submitted for approval.   He agreed and has been very busy getting it all together.   He says we will be able to submit them in the next month or so.   Please pray for God’s timing in all of this.   We will need about $8,000 to submit the documents and pay Dr. Melvin.    The district office representative came this week to review the graduating class’ documents and final grades, etc.  She knows people in the offices for the university approval in Tegucigalpa and has offered to help us get the process completed faster.   God seems to be doing this and just in His perfect timing.   Honestly, it is scary to take on a university here when I have 6 (soon to be 7) kids in college in the US, but God is not limited in his resources and if He is doing this, then He will provide every dollar we need to do this.   It is heavy on my heart that we have graduated so many kids from high school in the past 6 years and very few of them have been able to go to college and prepare for a career.   Please be praying for us to clearly know what God wants for the university and that he will provide all we need in His timing.   We will be starting with nursing and agriculture degrees.  After receiving approval to begin the university, we will need 6 months to add more majors.

My kids at Bryan College are doing amazingly well.   They are all very diligent and grateful for what God has provided for them.   Sammy will be going in January to begin studies as well.  He got a very good scholarship for soccer and the coach at Bryan is looking forward to him being on the team.  He got the trophy for the most goals last month in the under-18 division.   I am completely amazed at how God is continuing to provide for their education.   I believe they will serve the Lord with their various careers and know that He is preparing them at Bryan to be mature in their faith and in leadership to be able to impact the world for Christ.  It will be so great in the next few years to see how God will use them.  Maybe some of them will come back to run Destino del Reino in my place one day??!!   Please keep them in your prayers — (Blanca, Franklin, Carlos, Cesar, Jonathan, Josue and Sammy).

Bryan College is getting more and more inter-twined in the ministry at Destino del Reino.   The men’s and women’s soccer team came last March for a week-long mission trip and they are planning to return this year in March.   It was a great week and many were impacted in a great way with their first exposure to missions outside of the US.   Please pray for the funds for each of the soccer players to come in March.   Last year someone gave the college a big donation towards the mission trip but this year it will be up to the individual kids to raise their own support.  Thanks for your prayers.    Another amazing thing that God is putting together is that Bryan College’s education department has approved Destino del Reino as a place the education students can complete their student teaching practice credits.   This is a great thing for Destino del Reino as we can have student teachers coming in for 3-month turns and cover English classes for our students.   Also, the university is considering sending other students with different majors to Destino for their internships required for graduation as well.   I am very excited to see who God will send us to help in so many areas that I have not been able to cover.   I am imagining that someone could come in with a communications degree and set up our website better and help with our sponsorship, etc. etc.  There is much that could be improved on with some more help!!

We are just completing the house above our dental clinic to hold up to 6 student teachers at a time.   Pray for the money to finish up the building before March.  We lack the drop-ceiling, the ceramic floor, doors and windows and railing on the porches, and toilets, sinks and paint.   It is coming together and will be a beautiful place for them to stay while teaching here.   Sheena Rader is returning to teach the 4th, 5th and 6th graders each day as well as help train the in-coming student teachers.   Pray for her to remain healthy and energetic.  We are so thankful for her.

Pastors Wade and Kevin just completed their 5th pastor training conference here at Destino del Reino.  They were so encouraged how this group of pastors is already beginning to disciple others and are applying the principles and teachings from the past conference.   In January, they will return to conduct another training session on discipleship with a new group of Honduran pastors.   The pastors are provided with transportation to Destino, their food and lodging and great teaching on God’s mandate to disciple (not just preach).   The Lord can change all of Honduras by these pastors beginning to disciple and multiply obedient believers throughout Honduras!!   Pray for these pastors to continue in the things they have been taught.

My kids are doing well here at the home.   There are now going to be 18 here in the house and 7 in the US.   We have never had a 3-month vacation when it wasn’t hot and sunny and we could swim each day.   We changed our school calendar to conform to the Honduran schedule and now have classes from mid-February to first of November.   We are having nice weather but not warm enough to swim so pray we will keep them busy here in the house during this 3 months.   The bigger kids are helping a lot, working in the house, learning to make tortillas, cutting grass, etc.   I started teaching Sunday School again a few months ago and it is really good for them to hear the Word in a deeper way and good for me to really study the Word more.   Daisy and Dariana recently accepted Christ and we are praying for Suzi to commit her life to the Lord soon.   She is 12.   Behind her are Karin and Caleb who have not yet given their lives to Jesus.  Thanks for your prayers for them.

Thanks to all of you who are busy collecting used good tennis shoes for our students to be sent in January.   They all need two pair so that makes about 600 pair of tennis shoes (all sizes) that we need.   The shoes are being collected at 4217 Anderson Circle, Evans, GA 30809 if you want to send them by mail or take them by the house.  If no one is home, just leave them in  the garage.    Thanks so much.  This will be such a blessing to all our students in February when they begin classes.

For me personally, please pray for my faith to grow.   Sometimes, in spite of all of the miracles God has done for us here at Destino, I start to panic about the money needed.   But God always covers all our expenses in His perfect timing, no matter what we need.   If He wants to get the university started, He will provide every cent and He is faithful to His promises.  I am the one that doubts that sometimes.  I love the verse, “When we are without faith, He remains faithful.”  What a confidence we can have in him that He will do His will whether we are worried and doubtful or not!!!     The other day when I was thinking about the university opening and at the same time sending my 7th child to Bryan College, I was panicking for a minute and then thought — God doesn’t run out of money and He is RICH!!!!   So if he wants the university to begin it doesn’t really matter how much money it costs — it is HIS decision and He will provide.   As humans, we always consider the cost of things and sometimes don’t even pursue something because of not already having the money in the bank.  But when God tells us to do something, we need to head in that direcction, knowing He will provide when it is His time, no matter what it costs.   I’m still learning to trust Him.

Thanks to all of you who pray faithfully for us and also to those who are so generous in your giving.   We are so blessed to have you on our “team”  and I am blessed to be on God’s “team” here in Honduras.

Remember you can’t hit “reply” on this message but you can write me at rhondadestino@yahoo.com   I would love to hear from you.

In His amazing grace,

Rhonda

 

 

 

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