Monday, February 29, 2016

January Update

The month of January was a balance of obedience and trust. We arrived in Honduras mid-January not quite sure of how the next weeks would turn out. It has been so beautiful to see God’s plans unfold as he continues to demand our obedience and trust.

1 Samuel 15:22
But Samuel replied, "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams."

Proverbs 3:3-6
Let Love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

You can read about the ups and downs of our first few days HERE. Even though we faced a lot of hard times, we felt like God was teaching us to be joyful no matter what. The most surprising thing that happened since we arrived was the provision of a place to live. We expected it to take weeks and honestly, we were pretty anxious about the whole process. Thankfully, God knows exactly what we need and when we need it. Through miraculous circumstances, we were shown the casita (little house) where we currently reside. The house is amazing- beautiful and furnished! You can read more about it and see a couple of pictures HERE. We don’t know how long we will be here but are thankful for each day.

The most amazing thing about where we live is actually our neighbors! The other family that lives on the property LOVES the Lord and serves Him in an incredible way. They have a feeding program that we are now blessed to get to be a part of. HERE is some information about the work God is doing through them. We look forward to getting to know the 75 children they serve each week and support Dennys and Yolanda as they fill the bellies and hearts of these young children.
 
We had a quick visit with our friends and family in Las Flores and in Puerto Cortes with Worldwide Heart to Heart Ministry. Thomas loved chasing the chickens, dogs, and cats around at his grandparents’ house in Las Flores. Since we had a place to come home to, we were able to bring Josué and Manuel back with us from Las Flores. They will be living with us as they work on completing high school in Peña Blanca. We are excited for the things that God is doing in their lives and amazed at the maturity and servanthood they both exhibit. Read more about them HERE. The boys won’t be the only ones studying in our home. Marvin has just begun the Dr. Stephen Youngberg Auto Mechanic School and is thrilled about the opportunities he will have to serve as a mechanic someday.

Although we miss many friends and family back home, ease of travel and communication, church, and purified water, we are all adjusting really well. We are blessed with joy each day. We love our afternoon visits to the girls home Eternal Family Project and hope to find ways to help meet more of their needs. We look forward to committing our Saturdays to Dennys and Yolanda’s ministry Home of Blessings. We have had our first visitors, Marvin’s cousin Flor and her two daughters Yulisa and Gloria, and hope that others can come and share in the blessing of serving others in Honduras.

Please keep in touch with us through our blog or email, we would love to hear how you are doing and appreciate your prayers and encouragement.

Blessings and Love,
Karen, Marvin, and Thomas Ramos
theharvest-honduras.blogspot.com