Febuary 2010!

1. Please continue praying for Gary.  He seems to be recovering very slowly.
2. Pray for the pastor training that will be going on this month.
3. Pray for Norma as she prepares to go to the U.S. for knee surgery.
4. Pray for Cheryl as she needs foot surgery to repair a broken bone. Surgery is planned for early March.
   

 

January 2010 Praise!

1. Over 1,000 patients seen

2. Medical care for the seriously ill is in process of being provided.

3. Norma Vanilla's passport is being processed for her knee replacement surgery in the states.

4. Thirty computer students graduated, sixty more have registered and attending new classes

5. One new sewing class shift has begun as well as another shift of computer classes.

6. Pastor's training starts this week.

7. The new church is being built right next door and is going to be beautiful

8. A medical team from Colorado just left, and are determined to return.

9. Children are being scholarshiped to go to school.

 

January 2010 Prayer Requests

1. Gary had pneumonia and it has affected his immune system; his thyroid, heart and liver have been adversely affected.  He also has been diagnosed as having a nebula goiter.  He is very sick and has lost a lot of weight.  He has been seen by Honduran doctors and they have him on medication until the first week in March. UPDATE 02/08/10: Gary has improved slightly, his appetite has improved somewhat but he still has very little energy and he has difficulty speaking because of the goiter.  He is still very ill and appreciates your prayers.

2. Cheryl has damaged her Achilles tendon.  Gary isn’t able to do anything at this time, so Cheryl is taking care of everything.  - UPDATE 02/08/10:  Cheryl had her foot x-rayed and it showed a fracture with detached bone fragments.  The doctors have recommended surgery.  Pray that Cheryl will know when and where to take care of this.

3. They have a medical team coming next week.   UPDATE 02/08/10: The medical team was such a blessing to so many.  Cheryl will e-mail an update soon.

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1. Cheryl, Michael and Jeffrey arrived back in Honduras December 30th. They were immediately faced with lack of water, and what water we had was contaminated, electricity off and on, plumbing backed up in the feeding kitchen.and yet it was GREAT to be back. Pray the details of getting the Mission Center ready for the teams goes smoothly.

 

2.  Pray for Denny Boersema and Howard, from Southern Heights Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan who are  to install a water filtration system in the Mission Center.

 

3. Samuel Johnson, Youth Pastor and Ben George who have come to install a security system for the Mission Center.

 

4. Dr James Green and the medical team who arrive the beginning of January to provide medical care in the jungle area of El Sauce. This will be a first.

 

5.  Pray for our vans and truck to continue running.  We have had multiple car problems lately.

 

6. Praise!  The container arrived.  Thanks to all of you who helped in one way or another - through donations, refurbishing items, spreading the word, transporting or packing. The response to this project was amazing; it was a huge endeavor that represents many hours of dedication, love and prayers of many wonderful people. In addition to the yearly Christmas boxes for hundreds of youngsters there in Honduras, we will soon be sorting through tools, computers, sewing machines, sergers, folding tables, desks, chairs, lamps, fabric, toys and many more needed supplies for the mission center and vo-tech ministries. These donations are greatly appreciated and will be put to good use.

 

 

June 2009 Prayer Requests 

 

1.   We, along with Michael and Jeffrey, remain in Tulsa at this time, continuing to speak on behalf of Gathering Hearts. God is opening up opportunities to share what God is doing in Honduras and many are encouraged as we share how God has supplied the needs of the ministry without publishing the needs.  We are meeting with medical doctors and others to enlist teams to come to the mission center to provide medical care for the village people who seldom if ever receive medical attention.

2. As many of you know Gathering Hearts has received permission from the IRS to operate as a tax exempt organization.  That will entail transferring everything from Bridge the Gap, Intl., the tax exempt organization we have been covered under from the start.  Meanwhile, the work continues under the supervision of our guard and supervisor, Nikolas. At this time a carport for the mission center is being constructed while the various vo-tech classes move forward.  Please continue to pray for us as we work stateside on behalf of the people we serve.

3. Water treatment is still a great need and it looks like it will take considerable time to set up water treatment for the villages. The Oklahoma State University chapter of Engineers Without Borders has committed to help clean up the contaminated water in those near by villages. Meanwhile, we hope that we could get pure water into the mission center sooner. With two youth teams of over twenty-five arriving in July, it is difficult to carry in all the water necessary each day.  Progress is being made on this problem while we are here in Tulsa, but this is a big prayer need.

 

May Praise & Prayer Requests

 

 

1.   Praise the Lord for Answered Prayers! The mission center has needed air-conditioning for the first-floor computer classroom’s 20+ computers for some time.  We  prayed that God would provide for that need.   Later that morning after praying for God to provide, the man who was working on the electricity showed up with a large air-conditioner.  He had just reclaimed it from a store that was going out of business so it was barely used.  He offered it to us at a discount that made it affordable for us to purchase for the classroom……that same day…just in time before the week the temperatures went into the 100’s!

2. This same electrician’s wife was educated in the U.S. to be a dentist. She came with him to our apartment to visit me.  Out of that visit came the plan to hire for a nominal fee, local young graduates of a dental school there in Honduras. This would be part time, but what a blessing to provide the local villagers with some dental care between U.S. dental teams.

3. We believe God sent these engineers to help us with the overwhelming need of water treatment. One of the biggest causes of disease in 3^rd world countries is caused by contaminated water.  We could have never imagined that we could attack such a large problem. God has His ways; they are above ours. What an answer to prayer that Dr. Goode and these young students are willing.  Please do pray for all of the details, funds, supplies, shipping, and expertise to bring about the water treatment, dorms, bridges and roads.

4. Please pray for opportunities for the Kuney’s to present the ministry in Honduras to churches, home cell groups and Sunday school classes while in the U.S.

 

 

March Praise & Prayer Requests

 

1. Thanks for praying for our Sewing teacher, Norma Vanilla  She is approved to receive surgery with an orthopedic surgeon in Maine. After several years of prayer and searching, our crippled sewing teacher has been approved for knee replacements with a surgeon in Maine.  This is truly an answer to prayer.  The hardware alone for the knees was $5000!  The company will donate this and the hospital and surgeons are donating their services.  As soon as we receive the documents, we have been assured that we can receive a visa with the Ruth Paz Foundation.  A businessman here in Honduras has tentatively said he would help with Norma's airline ticket; another ticket is still needed for the person who will accompany her.  Do pray for Norma as this is quite an adventure for her. We will let you know the exact date of departure and the surgery.   Praise God for His goodness.

2. When we were handing out the vitamins we talked to a mother who told us her child had just died of a disease related to parasites.  Please pray that we can get medical help to that community.
3. As the ministry grows and changes, several workers are experiencing significant changes to their jobs.  Please pray for Hermosenia, Lourdes, Marlon, Inti, and Mateo.
4. Pray that we will have opportunities to present this ministry while we are in the States in April, May, and part of June.
5. Pray for Nickolas, who will manage the various projects while we are gone.
6. A team of engineers from ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS from Oklahoma State University will arrive here on Saturday. Headed up by Sarah Cary, this team will make a five year plan to start the dormitories, and help the area with water and sewage. WHAT  TIMING ! PTL. Do pray that God will lead them and that the dorms could be started soon.
7. Continue to pray that we could finish the Mission Center apartment. The electricity, plumbing and closets are still a challenge.
8. Continue to pray for the students: that their hearts would change, and that they would learn a marketable skill.

  FEBRUARY 2009 Praise and Prayer Requests:

1.     Communication limitations. At the mission center they do not have e-mail or internet capabilities or reliable cell phone reception. 

 

Praise God: A portion of the satellite system that will provide both internet and phone service has been donated.  A business has committed to providing the monthly fees for this system and a technology company will donate their expertise and time to travel to the mission center to set up the system once the remaining funds have been obtained to purchase a necessary satellite and router. 

Please continue to pray: for the provision of the remaining funds necessary to purchase a satellite and router.

2. There have been a series of plumbing and electrical problems. Now there seems to be a leak in the concrete flooring in the kitchen area which needs immediate attention and on Tuesday afternoon they had an electrical fire at a time when they also had a medical team there ministering to a large group of local people. They had to resort to using flashlights for a time.

Please pray: for wisdom in finding good, local expertise to fix the plumbing and electrical problems as well as the necessary funds.

3. Carpentry needs. They have not unpacked all of their belongings as they are also waiting for some of the cabinetry to be finished.

4. Security needs:

Praise God: They were able to hire a second security man that they are very pleased with. Also, a security company in Tulsa will provide a video surveillance security system at their cost. Some of the funds to purchase this system have been donated and an experienced installer has offered to travel to Honduras to install it.

Please continue to pray: for the remaining funds necessary to purchase this system as well as the electrical needs to operate it.

5. Norma’s medical needs:

Praise God: Norma, one of the faithful, local workers with this ministry has been in dire need of a knee operation for quite a long time. A medical group has offered do the necessary operation for her in Maine.

     Please pray: Norma has never traveled far outside of her village so this will be a tremendous challenge.

   

JANUARY 2009 Prayer Requests:

 

 Prayer Requests and Praises:

1.  Praise the Lord...the container has arrived!!  The costs were higher than we have ever encountered but God was faithful to supply the needed finances.

2. January 9th, Medical Team.  Moe Rouse and friend and a Medical Team arrived.  See the medical page for all the answers to prayer for that teams stay in Honduras.

3. Please pray that our reason to move to the apartment: to reach these young men (to monitor the classes more closely, to help jump start this church in Seis de Mayo, and to be more accessible to the people) will be accomplished.

4. Please pray for our family to adjust to living out on site, especially our son, Jeffrey. We will be the only people from U. S. for miles around.

5. Pray for our protection as the security system has yet to be installed and we are still working on the Internet connection.

6. Praise God for all of these computers that was sent by Norman Haws and others from FUMC Tulsa.  We now have 75 computer students but had only 12 working computers.  Ten more computers arrived on the container!

7. Please pray for the seriously ill patients seen by the Medical Team that for now have no follow-up.

8. We are praying for a local bi-lingual nurse practitioner that can maintain the clinic between medical mission teams.

9. The Kuney's are moving in two days (Jan. 29th). Yet to be put into place is the security and internet connection as well as hastily finishing the construction of the apartment.

 DECEMBER 2008 Prayer Requests:

1. KUNEYS MOVING!!

NOVEMBER 2008 Prayer Requests:

 1. Pray for the people of Honduras who are suffering from the flood. President Manuel Zelaya declared a National Emergency in Honduras.    

BBC NEWS, October 28, said: "About 270,000 people have been affected by the disaster so far, either by being made homeless or losing their crops which would have been their main source of food for the next four months….It is definitely the worst and most widespread flooding we have seen since Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and it is bringing back difficult memories for people here."

2. Pray for Gary, Mark Hoff (ICF Church) and Tyler Winn in finding the people and distributing food in the rural areas around the Gathering Hearts Mission Center.  Many people have lost their homes and are in temporary shelters without food or water.  The International English Speaking Church in San Pedro has helped Gary in supplying aid in the form of rice, beans, and corn flour.

 

 

3. Pray for Flor as she has lost most of her first crop from the Agricultural project.  She is helping to meet the needs of the flood victims.

 

 

 

   

 

 

OCTOBER 2008 PRAYER REQUESTS:

1. A medical team will be coming mid October; Medical supplies are needed. 

UPDATE: PTL.  The medical team was able to see over 300 people.  Even with the lack of translators the first day, all were exposed to the Gospel of Jesus.  Thanks for praying.
 

2. During the return flight from the states to Honduras, the airlines lost a suitcase which had critical supplies.  So far it has not been found. 

UPDATE: The SUITCASE WAS FOUND AND RETURNED!!  This two week ordeal began when the airline could not trace the suitcase because all of the ID tags and bar codes had been torn off.  Also, someone else had claimed it!  Due to Gary's persistence and God's mercy, the suitcase was located by the color and shape.  After it arrived, Gary was told that he would have to have customs documents, passports, other documentation.  In the end, Gary was able to just pick it up. The suitcase was demolished but everything was all there. God is Gracious!

3. The annual container loaded with Christmas box gifts for 750 needy youngsters, vo-tech tools and supplies, water filtration units, and many other needed items is loaded and ready to go.  The shipping company that has graciously donated their services in the past and was expected to ship it has decided that they can not contribute their services as they have in the past.  Therefore we are in need of a shipping company that will donate their services or we need to raise approximately $3600 to pay a shipper.   

UPDATE: Gary talked with the DOLE representative again on Friday morning (Oct. 18). She will present our request on Tuesday morning and we are to call her back on Tuesday afternoon.  Please keep praying.

 4. Dorm construction: funding and construction workers.

5. Living conditions: The Kuney's house in San Pedro still has rain coming in and the ceilings have deteriorated significantly.  The landlord's has made promises to repair, but that hasn't happened yet. 

6. Mission house apartment - The living quarters are almost done.  Please pray for the finalization of the apartment (still need security system and cabinetry) so that the Kuneys can move from the San Pedro house to the mission house as soon as possible.

 

SEPTEMBER PRAYER REQUESTS: 

1. For the salvation of all the students.

2. That we would be able to reach potential gang members.

3. For Church planting in Seis de Mayo. 

4. For continued protection for our family and all involved with the ministry.

5. That security equipment could be purchased.

6.  Pray with us that we could finish the apartment before having to move out of our present home.

7.  Pray for American carpenters to come help finish the carpentry work at the Mission Center.

8.  Pray we find a local nurse to make our medical clinic available to the villagers between medical teams from the United States.

9.  Pray for more local dentists to volunteer to work in our dental clinic.

10. Pray for the American Medical Team coming with Dr. James Green, from Tulsa, OK  in late September.

11. Pray for creativity in creating a marketable project for the sewing class to sell in the United States.

12. Pray for Gary and Cheryl's health.

13. Pray for Michael to adjust to life in the United States and first year of college.