Hey Friends,
Well, yesterday was our last day of another fantastic school year. I am so proud of how hard our students worked this year. We had our recognition day for great grades this past week as well as award for “Character of Christ” in each grade. We have such great students and we will miss them during the next three months. School begins again on February 9 and I sure look forward to seeing all those sweet faces again.
We will be adding our second class of sixth grade this year and are going to have about 400 students this next year. We are already working on schedules and plans for the next school year because these vacation months pass faster than I can hardly be ready. We need prayer for teacher interviews which will be on the 20th of this month and also for the matriculation for the next 60 kindergartners who will enter in February. Our principal and kindergarten teacher will be visiting the homes of all the pre-registered 5-year olds and determine which 60 are the most needy. Thanks for your prayers for wisdom for selecting new teachers and new students for the upcoming year.
We are in great need of more space now and have the plans to start our new high school building as soon as God provides the money. We will measure out the building we need next week and then have the tractor come in and level the land. After that we will get an estimate from the construction people for the foundation and start with that as soon as that money comes in. Thanks for praying for this great need. We will hope to have the first three classrooms ready by February and then continue to build on the cafeteria and other classrooms during the school year. Pray for God to move hearts to help us with the financing of this project. It should be our last building necessary as we will double our 7th, 8th, 9th and high school classes in the next few years.
We are all doing well here in the house. Today I worked out our vacation schedule so we can keep everyone busy and happy during the free time. There is a lot of work to do around Destino with a big garden and cows, horses, pigs and chickens, and LOTS of grass to mow so I think we can all keep really busy. During vacation we will continue to see our junior high and high school students on Friday nights for a fun time in the gym. They really need something to look forward to each week and also seeing their friends and some teachers will be some accountability to stay out of temptation during their time away from classes. Thanks for praying for this time — that they will grow spiritually and keep walking with the Lord during these three months.
We are having a wedding!!! For those who haven’t heard, Cesar and Kelly are getting married on the 19th of December and we are all so excited for them. Cesar and Josue are planning to start a gym for conditioning and also for rehab for athletes in our area, but until Josue can return from his training in the US, Cesar will work at Destino with our soccer teams, and at the school with PE and maybe even an English class (if he wants). We are so excited to have one of our college men returning to help us. Josue will finish up in the summer and then we will begin praying for a building to rent and the purchase of the machines and equipment they need. They have the heart to disciple young men here in Honduras and soccer is certainly the key to connecting with the young athletes. Thanks for praying for Cesar in his new marriage and work and for Josue as he finishes up his training in a rehab facility in Tennessee.
Franklin and Carlos are in the US for another year on visa extensions for work there. Not sure where they will end up but pray for them to know what God wants to do with their lives in the future.
Jonathan and Sammy are finishing up at Bryan College in the next year and need prayer for their future plans as well. Sammy wants to go to med school and Jonathan is interested in doing photography and advertising to help small businesses in this area.
Emily and Abi will start university classes in Honduras in January. Emily can live in Destino and do on-line studies for the first year but Abi needs to move to Tegucigalpa immediatley for her degree in Occupational therapy. God has already provided a safe Christian home for her to live in and I am so grateful to Him because it was pretty scary to think of her moving there alone. Thanks for your prayers for them.
Blanca has already taught English in our school since May and will continue full-time next school year. She loves teaching English and her accent is very good since living in the US for 4 years. The kids absolutely adore her.
There are several groups coming this year and we are so grateful for their spiritual impact on our students. We need a team to come to Destino before February to help us paint the school — it is really big now and a lot of work so we need some outside helpers. Let me know if you know of a group that could come for a few days to help us with that.
Thanks for always praying for the funds to keep running Destino. During the vacation there is no break in the pay for all the workrers and teachers. In fact, the teachers get government-required extra two months of pay as well as the 12-months of pay each year. I know God established Destino del Reino and can provide for all we need even if it is a ridiculous requirement from the government here. Thanks for all your generosity throughout the year. Every month after paying everyone, I just am amazed and thank the Lord that he did it again!!! He does a miracle every month for us and I am so thankful for all of you who contribute. We will be needing about 45 new sponsors for our new incoming kindergarten children so please be praying for us to find people interested in taking on one of these sweet kids in prayer and finance.
Love to all of you and so thankful for your many prayers for us. We are so blessed to have you on our team.
In His grace,
Rhonda
