Second month pregnant

There´s not really anything to see since at this point I was nauseated and losing weight. The next picture you´ll see a big differernce!

Yes, so many blogs, so little time

I go so long without blogging becuase I think...¨Today, nothing really happened. there´s nothing to write about.¨but then I get to the end of a few weeks and think, ¨Wait! I have so much to write about!¨

Here´s a picture I´d like to dedicate to Miss Dani, becasue I can totally hear her cracking up at the Mateo picture. One day the house got very quiet while I was in the kitchen, so after awhile I went to investigate. Our bedroom door was closed and upon opening it Beto´s face pops up with a surprised look on his face like a little kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He had been trying to get a shirt onto Mateo. This was the second one that seemed to stay better. We left it on him for about an hour and then I could see that it was starting to really annoy him. Upon taking it off I realized he had peed on it! Poor guy, what could he do? He couldn´t move the fabric out of the way! So needless to say that was the last time we dressed him.

My first lemon merengue pie!

A few months ago I sold muffins in front of our new house(the first and only time). One Canadian man passed by and bought some. He´s been here many years and heads up the hidroelectrical project in town. A few weeks ago he came by again and asked if I had anything for sale, but I only make when someone asks me becuase I don´t have time now to sell out front. He didn´t order anything then but a few days later he came by and asked if I could make Hot-Cross-Buns. ¨Well, I´ve never made them before but I have a recipe.¨So he ordered a dozen and loved them. When he came by for those he asked if I could make a Lemon Merengue Pie, and I told him the same, that I´d never made one but I could try. Well, last night I made it and for my first one it did turn out quit nice, if I do say so myself. I´m not sure if he´ll like it but we´ll see. I´m grateful to God for these opportunities to make money always at the time when we need it and by doing something I love!

National Bible Day

Yesteray, Sept.28,(also my sister Glenda´s birthday!) was ¨Dia de la Biblia¨. There was a ¨walk¨ from one end of town to the center. There were lots of floats, for instance the one in the picture with the blue and white baloons represents the fruit of the spirit, and people dressed up as the twelve disciples, and our churched marched, as others did, with banners. The man dressed up in his army uniform is representing the armor of God...he has his sword and shield, etc. It ended in the center where there was a big truck set up for speakers and worship. As Beto says, it´s a great day to show the world that God does exist and even though they may think we´re crazy, we do it as a praise to Jesus, that others may know Him.

Clothes giveaway

One of the people getting onboard with us in helping out Miguel´s family and his neighbors is Rony, a brother of our church and successful business man in town. We don´t know where he gets the clothes but he´s asking people he knows to donate children´s clothes. Last week he called Beto and Beto went to pick up the clothes and sorted them out into different bags to make the giving away easier. The picture of the mom with her kids is Fidelina, Miguel´s neighbor. We were able to give away a few articles to the parents but mostly this time it was for the kids. The mother holding her baby is Fidelina´s sister-in-law, and the other pictures are of Miguel´s sister and two young nieces.
We continue to ask for your prayers. It is encouraging to see how others are getting involved and how Lilian, the oldest sister, is growing rapidly in her faith. We look forward to seeing all God is going to do with these families.
Miguel´s mom has come to church once and we have prayed lots for her and with her, but she continues to drink everyday in the street. Even though the police threatened to take away her children and she was in jail on night last weekend, she is not willing to change...yet. We know it is a struggle and a process but God IS FAITHFUL.
We have plans with other brothers of ours to put the kids back in school in February when the Honduran school-year starts. They havn´t been in school in 3 years so they will all be the oldest in their classes but they probably won´t be the only ones in that situation.
Thanks for your prayers.

15th of Septiembre

Once again, Independence Day in Honduras. There was the biggest event of the year for this town...The Parade. There weren´t a lot of musical instruments, only drums. It spanned three day¨s: Friday only Preschool and Kindergarden marched. Saturday the elementary schools and Sunday the High Schools. The picture is of Beto marching with some banners from our church as part of the Bible class participation. It was a loooooooooong parade because at the end each school performs their entire prepared ¨drill¨in front of the city and department officials and TV cameras, and some schools had 30 min. presentations, so the whole parade has to stop and the other schools behind them end up just stopping in the street, going into different businesses to use the bathroom or buy snacks. I´m so glad I didn´t have to march this year! For the elementary they marched from 7:30am until 3pm and it´s only like one mile long the route! but then they got the whole week off of school after that. Most of the schools practice everyday from May until September. It´s like training for a marathon!
Beto did really well and had a little presentation prepared with some of his students as they carried banners declaring the Lord´s faithfullness and goodness and others with Bible verses on them. It was a great testament for all the town.

Beverly and Diane

Last week my very favorite Beverly came to visit with her cousin Diane (who is now my favorite Diane). We had a lot of fun with them. Beverly is the one in the background of the foto. They are washing my dishes with HOT WATER!(aren´t you so happy mom?) I couldn´t believe it. It was such a blessing to have them here. Beverly lived in the Southwest School apt. complex with her husband Ken who is recovering in the States from a nerve illness. They have been there for about a year and we are praying they can come to Honduras to work at the school again soon.
We had them over for lunch and there were so many dishes they took over the whole small kitchen. But because the sink is so low their backs, like mine, got sore fast, but they were troopers and finished them all!
We got to go out to dinner and another time go to have a snack. They really blessed us wiht thier presence and some presents...tons of kids´books, chocolate chips(so important!), maternity clothes!, other things and even let us borrow thier TV until they get back so we don´t go blind watching movies on our computer.
Beverly and Diane, we love you and miss you! Come back soon!

Quick update on Miguel´s family

Last week Beto and I were ¨downtown¨when another street kid came up asking for money. Beto recognized him and asked him where Miguel was. He said the cops came and took he and Jorge to some kind of juvenile detention center. So we called Lilian, the oldest sister right away. She explained that the police escorted them to their house and told them that they were going to come back to put them in the government social services, but so far that hasn´t happened. We mentioned to Lilian about the possibility of sending them to a local Christian orphanage with people that we know personally. She was very excited about the idea because there they would have 3 meals a day, clean clothes and an education. It would also put them in a much healthier environment, but there are also the two young girls who don´t hang out on the street as much but need a safe place just as much.
Please pray with us about this that with God´s leading we can find a solution and finally begin them on the road to a better life.

Tuesday night at church

Every Tuesday at 7 we have a prayer time at church. It´s always very uplifting as we have worship, then a devotional, and then time to give prayer and praise requests and then pray together, where most go up front and kneel. Our church is growing and great things are happening.
So you can imagine our surprise when Wednesday morning Beto gets a call saying that in the middle of the night the church had been robbed and he needed to get there ASAP. A few other leaders met at the church to pray and take inventory of all that had been taken. A sound equilizer, some microphones, Kathy´s keyboard, a new electric guitar, and some other sound equipment. Kathy and Bob´s bedroom window was open and faces the church, but they didn´t hear anything nor did their dog´s bark( although if you knew their dogs you may not be so surprised, but that´s another blog). They took off the kitchen window of the church to enter and we think they may have gotten scared off when Bob got up at 4am to go pray with the men´s group. (I thank God I´m not a man for if no other reason, THAT ONE! The women pray at 4.30PM)
The police came and took fingerprints but I don´t think anyone´s holding their breath to see the items again or figure out who the thieves were. In that area, and really in all parts of town, there have been many house robberies lately, mostly in the middle of the night while the people sleep, and they take heavy stuff, like stoves, fridges, etc. I don´t know how they do it.
Like I said, it came as a surprise but then again it´s not surprising that when God´s church is on fire the Devil isn´t happy and will do whatever it takes to discourage us.
Please keep us in your prayers.
On a lighter note, as I mentioned, the women´s group is growing and thriving, thanks to God. Last Wednesday we had about 16 women meet to pray at one sister´s house. It was a very uplifting and powerful time of sharing and praying together.

May God bless you today. Thanks for all your prayers.

Educatodos in Gracias

A couple of weeks ago Beto's students and other teacher's, along with some chaperones Bob and kathy and our pastor, all took a day trip to a town about 2.5 hours from La Esperanza, on a very bad dirt road, which is why I didn't go. It was a plan Beto had had for a long time. Some of the studetns had never been out of our little town. they went on some hikes and saw a good view of the city, and at the end of the day got to swim in the hot springs. At one point our Pastor Raul also gave a devotional. Most of these kids don't attend any church and come from very difficult family situations. It is great that they had this experience with 4 very mature Christians and that Beto is also giving devotionals every Friday afternoon. We are praying that through this program many youth will be raised up as leaders for Christ.