I find it a little challenging to reflect on October, when November 1st was one of the most miraculous days of my life, the day God brought our daughter into this world. Despite the challenge, there are many things we would like to share with you about October because we saw God at work in our community and in our own hearts.
We were incredibly blessed this month with 7 new friendships with individuals participating in the ministry World Racers. These 7 friends are on an incredible journey in which they go to 11 countries in 11 months to connect with local ministries. Honduras was their first stop and they spent the month serving Eternal Family Project Girls’ Home. Part of that blessing was shared with us as 2 of the team members cared for the toddlers at Eternal Family Project, they also cared for our son Thomas. Two weeks of morning childcare was one of the greatest gifts I could have received as we got ready for our baby’s arrival.
The best thing about the group from World Racers is that they stayed in the dorm housing on the same property we live on so we got to enjoy being in community with them each day. A challenge that brought us much closer together was lack of water. Water and electricity are not so dependable in Honduras. Electricity may get turned off for a day or two by the city or we may lose it in big storms. The water on the property we live on is usually wonderful, but we have had a few times where it just barely drips out of the faucets or days where we have none. Well, October was no exception from water challenges. We had two weeks on the property of very little to no water at all. Since there is a private pipe line here, Marvin took over the responsibility of working on the water for us, the World Racers team, and Dennys and Yolanda’s family. This meant almost 2 weeks of long days, muddy jeans, and very little water to wash those jeans with. In the end, after a lot of prayer and hard work, the water filled the pipes to the property and poured out of the faucets. Now, after a week with no water this month of November, we have had 3 days with a good water supply. We hope it stays!
Our work with the Home of Blessing has continued and the final health class is done. In addition to offering education, we wanted to provide something tangible that could improve the health of the children and their families. We chose to provide chimneys to these families like we did in Marvin's village Las Flores a few years ago. To read more about the chimney project and its significant health benefits click here. Just like we did in Las Flores, we asked each family to donate 1 pound of anything in exchange for a chimney. These donations which consisted of sugar, oil, plantains, firewood, noodles, celery, tomato paste, etc. were then used for the meals at the Home of Blessing. As my pregnancy progressed this past month, Manuel and Josué took over the Saturday Bible class at the Home of Blessing. It has been so much fun to watch them take the initiative to prepare a lesson and make coloring sheets for the children they teach. The class usually has about 20 kids between age 7 to 9 years old.
Another exciting thing this month was finally meeting one of the owners of the home we have lived in since January. Thank you John and Anna for your generosity and trust. We have enjoyed this home and property so much. It truly was the perfect start to our life in Honduras. We are now looking for another place to move to. This is challenging in a small community because there are not many rentals available. God provided once, and we know He will provide again. One of the amazing things about the home that we live in now is that it was furnished! We didn’t even need silverware when we moved in! Now as we get ready to move, we will need beds, kitchen appliances, chairs, shelves, etc. to furnish our next home.
Manuel and Josué finished their school year on November 4th! We are so proud of all the hard work that they have put into guaranteeing their success in high school. Not only do they study on their own without being asked, but they are content doing their chores and helping out around the house. Way to go guys!!! Something they really enjoyed this last month of school was a Christmas project. This project required creativity and lots of time to complete. Manuel and Josué both enjoy art and are creative in their own ways. They were both very proud of the final product and we are so proud of both of them!
Proverbs 16:1-3 says “To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” As we moved to Honduras, we trusted the Lord with His plans. As we awaited the arrival of our baby girl, we trusted the Lord with His plans. As we get ready to move, we must continue to trust that the Lord will provide and show us His perfect plan for our next home here. God seems to be testing our ability to trust Him, but time after time proves himself FAITHFUL and certainly WORTHY of our trust!
