Thank you so much for all your faithful prayers and support for us here in Honduras. I was unable to use this site until my son, Jonathan, came home and fixed it for me. So I am so sorry it has been so long since my last update. I will try to be more prompt in the future.
We just finished our first quarter of the year at the school and we have had a really good year so far. We have really precious new teachers who love Jesus and love our kids and for that I am so thankful. Many Christians in Honduras have never been discipled and therefore are not strong in their faith or able to raise up disciples in the classroom but God has sent us an amazing group of 24 who are equipped and ready to help these kids become leaders for Christ. We have about 370 students this year and it is a little overwhelming at times but God has provided enough to feed and educate them each day and we continue to depend on Him for the provision. I was teaching three high school classes in spite of my inadequacy in teaching english but my two older girls have returned from college and are teaching all the English in the school, for which I am so grateful. The students love them and they are great teachers and love children. Grades came out yesterday and I have several in my home who now will have study hall in the evenings with me, ha. Please be praying for all the students whose parents are not motivated and so do not encourage their children to dream of a future and pursue a good education. We prepare the kids from Kindergarten through high school and even provide for the entrance exams and matriculation fees for colleges for each of them, but few go on to study. I believe their parents would prefer they find some work and help feed their families, not realizing they could provide so much better if they studied a few more years.
I had five of my children graduate from college last week. It is amazing that God has provided the funds to send them to private Christian college in the United States and we are debt free. We need prayer for future plans for the other children in my home. We are probably going to start sending the future kids to Honduran universities in the future as there are many more opportunities here than were offered just a few years ago. Pray for each of them to know clearly what God wants them to do with their lives in serving Him. We also are bringing in someone from one of the universities to give all our seniors a test to discover their interests and abilities in order to encourage them towards a college education. In Honduras they have to take an entrance exam before declaring a major and once they declare a major, they have to stay in that idea. I changed my major 6 times in college so this would never have worked for me, ha. But anyway, they need wisdom from God about what entrance exams to take.
I have two in the US who stayed with OPT extensions on their student visas to train for sports strength and conditioning coaching and also for rehabilitation. The plan is for them to return to Honduras in a few months and open a gym/rehab clinic. They are bold witnesses for Christ and I believe this clinic will be a real ministry to bring many to Christ. Please pray for clear direction for them in this. One of my older kids wants to study occupational therapy and another wants to be a doctor — I wonder if all of these careers will work together to build and incredible clinic for ministry. Thanks for your prayers.
I guess you all know that I have had a really hard year with illness, one thing after another. As of today, I have a very good report from my doctor and am feeling really good and stronger finally. I thank you for the prayers and love for me. My blood pressure was out of control for a few months but is now stable. We had a lot of really tough situations for a few months there and I believe that is why it shot up so high. I am praying and trusting the Lord to help me remain in peace when these struggles come and REST in Him instead of getting so worked up and causing health problems. Thanks for your prayers with that. I have a lot of concerns with my older kids and the paths they are taking and just need to trust the Father that He loves them best and will keep working with each of them.
We have some groups coming in to help us in the next month. We have a group from Atlanta coming to do camp for 5th and 6th graders. Many say that for children growing up in Christian homes and schools, they don’t personally accept Christ until about the age of 11 or 12, so we are really praying that this camp will draw these students into a real relationship with Christ personally. Also pray for the sports camp from Tomball Bible Church the last week of June. For many years now, this has camp has made a huge impact on our junior high and high schoolers. This year they are studying the life of David. Please be praying for each of these camps.
We have our newest parents (about 30) attending discipleship classes for the first quarter of school. Pray that each of them will come to know Christ and be able to raise their children (our students) in a godly home. Our church is such a blessing with Pastor Dalis leading in teaching in church and Bible classes in the high school. We are worshipping in music on Friday nights and then reading the Word for 40 minutes together. It is amazing the impact of just reading the Word out loud as a congregation. We finished the book of John and now are in Romans. After each book has been read through, Pastor Dalis preaches once or twice and then we continue to read another part of the Word together. God told me that this is what he wanted for our church and, although it is unusual, it is exactly what we need.
Pastor Wade along with three other American pastors will be here the first of June to continue discipleship training with a new group of pastors. I believe these conferences will change the spiritual future of all of Honduras. Pastors all over Honduras and even in nearby countries are being trained to raise up disciples who will make other disciples and these pastors are beginning to practice this all over our country. The pastors stay in our lodge and are taught for 4 days and challenged to change the method of their ministries. It is so amazing the fruit coming from these training sessions. Thanks for praying for them.
My children in our home are doing well. My youngest, Hannah (age 4) was the only child home during school days and we now have a new “sister” for her. Genesis (age 5) moved in a couple of months ago and they are great friends — always singing together and laughing. So thankful to have little Genesis with us now. She has adjusted so well. Her mother was unable to feed her and didn’t have a home to care for her.
Always be praying for our finances. God is faithful ALWAYS and I need to trust him more fully when the money is low. Sometimes we have a little extra and sometimes we are counting every cent to make ends meet but we always have ENOUGH and that is a miracle. So many times when we are really low on funds, we suddenly need to repair a bus or have another emergency–I feel that God is just stretching my faith more and more and I need to trust him when it looks impossible, because with HIM all things are possible.
Thanks so much for your prayers and love for us here and I will try to write more often and share our requests for prayer. We are so blessed to have so many of you praying for us faithfully. My son, Jonathan, has one more year studying Communications in college and his internship is with us at Destino del Reino this summer. He is brilliant in web sites, and technology and photography and will be working on our website and other media for Destino this summer. I hope in the next month to announce that FINALLY our website is updated and full of news for you.
Remember that you can’t hit “reply” to this email in response to me but I would love to hear from you at rhondadestino@yahoo.com
Blessings to each of you,
In His grace,
Rhonda
