Good morning, Praying Friends,

I am so VERY thankful for your continuous prayers for us at Destino del Reino.  In these last few weeks of classes for the year, there are a lot of big decisions to make and I need the wisdom to make God’s choices for what students will return and what teachers will continue next year.   I have not been as diligent as in past years lately to eliminate students who reach junior high and high school and still are uninterested in spiritual things.   Once they reach 7th grade, they have been in Destino for 8 years and have had many Bible classes, scripture memory every day, evangelistic camps, teachers praying for them, sponsors praying for them, etc. and if they still are just at Destino for the free education and meals, etc. then we need to cut them out and concentrate more on those who have the desire to live for Christ.  Our theme is “Building Leaders for the Kingdom of Christ” — they are great kids but are in the wrong school if they are not interested at all in following Jesus.   We will be praying for wisdom and make those decisions in the next two weeks, so please be praying for clarity as to what God wants us to do about each student.   We also need to decide which teachers will be the best educators and encouragers for our students.

Another very hard decision that I have had to make this week is to let two of my kids go back to their village with a grandmother.   The 9th grader has been in various problems through the past three or four years and he truly knows Jesus but keeps living in secrets and I don’t feel that I can keep him here any longer — this is breaking my heart — I have loved him all his life and hate that I have to decide something so hard on both of us.   His sister has struggled a lot lately emotionally (7th grade) and she ran away on Thursday night and we drove in all the villages around us for five hours looking for her.   That is dangerous for her and also for the ministry because if something would happen to her while under my supervision, I would go to prison and the officials would close down Destino.   I don’t have any peace that she will not try to run away again so I need to send her to her family.   Please be praying for all of us in the next week.  It will be very hard on us all and also continue to pray for my two kids that they will learn to walk in the truth they were raised in.   Thanks.

God has been faithful as always.   We have had three months where I didn’t know where the funds would come from to pay all the salaries and bills — but HE DID IT!!   Please always be praying for God’s people to be aware of our needs and to be faithful to give.   Thanks for your prayers and gifts.

My sweet girl, Blanca, got married last week.   She is such a beautiful young lady and married a really great young man.   We put on a beautiful dinner/celebration here at Destino and it was a great night.   Please be praying for her and German as they start out this marriage and they will grow in Christ together.

Josue is now home again with us.  He and Cesar are putting things together and saving money to get their gym/clinic opened as soon as they are ready.   Cesar plans to take on some clients as a personal trainer in the meantime and Josue is working at Destino del Reino, helping with repairs and the grounds work.  Jonathan continues to work at Destino but has begun some photography jobs as well.  Sammy will be returning in December after graduating from Bryan and will start preparing to go to med school.   Emily and Abi have been doing on-line college classes but will be required to live in Tegucigalpa beginning in January for classes in person.   David graduates next month from high school and will work for one year until Christopher graduates and they will head to college together.   So many changes in our lives here but I thank God for the wonderful young people He has raised up here at Destino.  They are such a blessing to me personally and to all the people they are working with.

The high school students are enjoying their new building and classrooms.  We are finishing up the bathrooms this next month and a big outdoor  covered patio for the high school next year.  If we receive enough money to begin construction in December, we will begin working on the second floor of the high school building and hope to have most of it done during the three months of vacation time.   Classes will begin again in mid February.

One of my biggest blessings lately has been the family Bible study we started on Tuesday nights about 2 months ago.   We take turns each week with someone sharing a short Bible study, share prayer requests, thankfulness, etc. and then pray together.   I love watching my kids growing in Christ and leading each other.  Personally, I always need prayer to be more disciplined in many areas of my life, with the most important being my personal time with the Lord.   Thank you for your prayers for me in that.  I want to be concentrating on “being” more than on “doing”.  I want to truly abide in Him throughout my days and also to not waste time on my phone.

Jonathan has been working on the website and it is really a blessing.   Take a look when you have a chance.   www.destinodelreino.org    He keeps it up to date when we have school activities so you can see a lot of new pictures on there anytime.  I am so thankful for the gifts and talents my grown children have and are helping at Destino.

Thanks again for praying —  there are so many children and adults involved in Destino del Reino and therefore, MANY needs.

Remember you can’t hit “reply” on this email but I would love to hear from any of you at rhondadestino@yahoo.com    Let me know how to be praying for you as well.

Love in His grace,

Rhonda