Category "Updates"

This past week we spent a lot of time in church meetings.  There were 3 outdoor revival meetings; one church members meeting; and a fast and pray service on Sunday. The average time for a church meeting here in Honduras is 3 hours.  That being the case, we spent 15 hours in church last week.  Our church attendance is growing, and we praise the Lord for that.  I have gotten a little more active in addressing groups in the Campana area.  Saturday night I shared briefly at the local pastor’s convention in Campana, and Wednesday night I gave the message at church.  I also meet with the carpentry class twice a week.  Thursday morning (4/11) Cheryl had physical therapy in San Pedro; and she had the women’s service in the church tonight. She spoke on bearing one another’s burdens. This is especially focused to the village women’s ministry leaders.…Yesterday afternoon our children’s group presented an Easter presentation, costumes, script, and all.   There were about 20 children involved.   The Jesus Passion film was shown for all classes of  older students. We had three showings to accommodate the schedules and capacity of the conference center.  It had quite an impact. More than several students accepted Christ. Honduras shuts down for Holy Week (Semana Santa). All stores, businesses and schools closed as of noon today.  Our church, Templo Evangelico Emanuel, will also show the Passion on Thursday afternoon with special services Friday and Sunday.    Christ Presbyterian Church from Tulsa will arrive the end of this month, we so look forward to them coming and pray that God will bless their time here.

                                                     
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If you choose to live your life in the comfort zone you will never know for sure what you really believe about God.

Last Sunday our church, TEE, celebrated Father’s Day and invited some who normally do not attend church. There was a great response. The children provided special music and lunch was served afterwards.

 Some will remember a lady from New Campana named Ramona.  Several years ago she was run down by a motor cycle and had two major bones in her leg badly broken.  She had surgery, but it didn’t go well; the metal they inserted in her legs started protruding through the skin,  and soon she could no longer walk.  About that time, Dr. Green (James Green from Tulsa) came to hold a medical clinic, and asked us to see about a restorative surgery to remove the metal and take care of the infection.  She began improving right away.  I have seen her twice this week and she has made great progress.  She can walk now, and sometimes even walks without her cane.  For awhile she had to be in a wheelchair.

Last week we had a dental clinic day thanks to some volunteer dentists from San Pedro. We continue to see more and more patients in the medical clinic four days a week.  

For the classes, there are close to 300 attending classes now. We share the Gospel in each class.

Yesterday, March 28, was Cheryl’s birthday.  The employees bought her a beautiful cake, and lovely necklace and earrings.  Last night we had a very special birthday dinner in San Pedro with our Russian friends the Gillans.  It was a great blessing.

• We got back to Tulsa last Tuesday (12/4); the trip was pretty much uneventful.  A day earlier we said good-bye to Denny Boersema.  He spent ten days with us working on the education program.  He and Cheryl worked on new applications of curricula, as well as procedural handbooks for students and teachers.  On the same day that Denny arrived, a group from Beacon Hill Baptist in OK was just leaving.  Candy Matheny and her parents have been running the 1000 Christmas gifts project since 2007.  This time Candy and her mom, Collene Jennings, along with Linda Thornhill, Avery Johnson, and Phillip Deckard came along.  It was a great experience for all.  First of all, the container came in much faster this year.  The boxes were in our warehouse by the time Jim Redyke and the group from First Methodist had arrived.  This year we went further back into the “jungle like area” to hand out the gifts.  Over past couple of weeks we have had several meetings regarding the future of our Honduras church.  Since Nelson Batista has been held in Venezuela so much of the time, the decision was made to ordain Nelson Osorto, so he can do baptisms, communion, marriages, etc.  He is working on a seminary degree.  For now the two Nelsons will be co-pastors…..Just before we left on Tuesday we had Saturday graduation at Gathering Hearts.  A real highlight was when the 94 graduates sang songs and hymns in English.  We served sit-down lunch to about 200 students and family. Later in the day we attended junior high graduation at the private school where we and other Gathering Hearts participants scholarship students. That was a very special time also…. Before leaving Honduras we also had several meetings about the land for our soccer field.   The deal was sealed just before we left.
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   Sometimes I think we may be fuel for the unbeliever when the things we preach are not the things we do.

Newsletter 2018 available as PDF.

GH-11-29news-web

We are currently getting the container with 1000 children’s Christmas gifts every other year—and this is the year!

Furthermore, this year we got the container in record time.  In years past it has arrived as late as the end of December, and at a much greater cost.  This week Nicolas, Joel, and I have gone into the villages of Tronconera and El Sauce registering the kids and giving them a ticket for a gift.  We began this program in early 2000 and we met many adults in those villages who remembered receiving one of our gifts when they were a child.  We have yet to hand out tickets in Seis de Mayo; and then next week we plan to distribute the gifts.  Candy Matheny and Celline, who have headed this project since 2007. will be arriving this week to help with the distribution.  Avery Johnson will also be coming, as well as Linda Thornhill, and Mr. Deckard.

Things are going well in the other parts of the ministry.  Last week 20 dump truck loads of fill dirt leveled the lots where the new classroom building will be built.  Classes are lively as we come to the end of another year.  Graduation will be in two weeks; Denny Boersema from Michigan will be here for that.

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