Mothers Day

In honor of my mom, who is no longer here on this first mothersday without her. Her wish was I would buy a new truck with the inheritance she left. Instead we welded the old truck back together and used it again to built two places of worship for two churches in the mountains of Honduras…from her vantage point now, I do not think she minds. Thank you mom and 2 churches thank you… Happy first mothers day in heaven… Sorry I wont be sending flowers

this year, but did what I could, hope you got it…

White field in green uniforms...

Another productive day. We went to the military base and a new group of recruits were ready to be preached to at 7am. Wilman one of our young men wanting to preach, gave the sermon and 20 plus young men came forward…including their commander.(He was front row center and the first one forward at the invitation). What a testimony of leadership… It is proving to be a white field to harvest. Pray we get some time to disciple them and get them in churches as they rotate out every few weeks. Still struggling with sickness in the house. Just keeps making the rounds. Now our teacher is sick(Jr wife) And Lisa just can’t shake it along with the weeks of allergic reaction to whatever it was...

His mercy is new in the morning...

We had a Honduras Missions preachers meeting Saturday for both the ones that are and the ones that might want to be. It was a good event. Great preaching and interaction and I sacrificed my Spanish preaching library yet again to get good material in the hands of hungry readers. Better in their hearts and minds than on my shelf. Lisa prepared everything the night before because it was our first breakfast meeting in an attempt to allow our mountain preachers to return on the last midday bus. Rushed them back to town and stopped the bus as it was pulling out, just in time. Pastor Augusto’s wife brought Ruth. The preemie baby we placed with them months ago. She is thriving and has become (we hope) a permanent part of their family. Our Nicaraguan pastor returned from his medical trip to Nicaragua just to attend the meeting. He is already doing much better, but has a lot of issues and will return in a few weeks for more testing. As the LORD does things, the preacher was able to get care at a Baptist owned health care facility 3 hours into Nicaragua. When they found out he was a baptist preacher they gave him all the free meds he needed… Amen. 

Kinder

Need prayers. Have a lot of sickness in the house, Lisa and kids, since the last group left, Try as I might, it even got me this past week. The kind of sick you just have to sleep in the bathroom. Lisa went to the Dr and got the right meds for all and they seem to be working. Also out, our pastor in Eyes of Water, is battling diabetic feet and a few other issues. The walking in Eyes of Water has done him in. He could hardly walk yesterday. Since he is Nicaraguan he cannot get social medical care here. I paid for him to return to family in Nicaragua and get their free care while there. His daughter is a nurse. It was cheaper and better than doing it here. So he will be out of commission for while. We are having a preachers meeting this weekend to regroup and plan. We have had the youth preaching this past couple of weeks. Amazing the wisdom found in youth when their heart is after God. After a few years trying, we now have been given a regular permitted time to preach at the big military base rather than just being special guests. Amen. It will be a good place to train the young men mentioned above as well. Trapechee has started 3 service a week since beginning in the new building with a lot of new faces attending. A lot more wear and tear on the motorcycle. Marc Antonio called Sunday morning with a flat in the middle of no where and his patch glue not sticking. So rushed out to help in a sick kia and a sick driver to get him and his wife back on the road. What do you do when the preacher doesn’t show up for Sunday morning?… Just wait, it is Honduras he will get there eventually. We were 5 hours late getting to one church years ago because of a storm and digging the stuck kia out… Where were the church folks when we arrived dirty, wet and in the dark?… Still waiting and expecting us to continue, which we did, amen.

Our kinder class/daycare/bunk room is almost finished. It is only 15 foot squared but it will serve as a daycare/kinder Sunday School class during church and a kindergarden/preschool during weekdays. We are also making a small attached fenced play area. With beds, it could also house a few guests willing to rough it a bit. The Kia…same story: broke, fixed, running. It costs several hundred a month in repairs it seems to keep it running at the pace we need it to run. Needs tires again… those hurt. Also got into a one car fender bender a few weeks ago. Set the brake, didn’t hold, and it rolled into a pole bending the passenger door. I got it to open and close again after a week of the kids crawling in and out the window. Kids did not mind...but Lisa did.
Keep us in prayer, for the spiritual battle continues for the souls of men.

One plants another waters but God gives the increase...

The Green team has left. It has been a week of preaching and firsts. Having the inaugural church building service for our mountain church which has met under a tree for almost 5years. Seeing and hearing the testimony of the widow of the preacher and his children who helped start it. And have five elderly people come forward for Christ Jesus. It was a beautiful thing to watch. But we were also allowed into the Military tank brigade for the first time and preached to a small group of 16 men and had all of them make a choice for Christ. How often in a life of a preacher does he get to respond to the question “How many trusted the LORD?” And he gets to answer, “All of them.” The Green team sang in the other mountian top new church building

 at sunset accompanied by a simple guitar made from paneling and had the whole church recognize the tune and start singing “At the Cross” in Spanish with them.
Preached in a public school handing out tracts and John and Romans. Race off one mountain across the valley and up the next to preach to a budding youth group where 8 young men are reading to preach. Take most of the same church out to an desert island in 100+ temps to preach and pray with them. In all I think we wore out the visiting American Green Team. Might have broken them spiritually and physically as well seeing the bruises and blisters from hanging on, but we sent them home with all the pieces except the little bit of their hearts they lost in Honduras… Oft times it is because the LORD works through the children in our home as they go and help us on every activity. They leave a lasting impression. Amen…

With all that is going on in the world, as a christian I think it is easy to fall into the gloom and doom trap. The LORD is not coming back too soon... Why? Because there are still places like Honduras, where the fields are still white unto harvest and the Master of the field is waiting until He brings in His full bounty... So have patience, till all have finished... There is no place on earth that has no access to the gospel, but there are many a heart who have yet to be told...

preaching

We started early Wednesday morning going to another military post at 7am to preach and found everyone waiting on us eager to hear a message. Our time was limited because the only thing punctual in Honduras is the military but that was ok. A simple short to the point message was all that was needed for 60+ souls to come forward wanting salvation. We had brought bibles for new converts but ran short as we left, so a promise was made we would return later with a few more. Meaning normally in a few days. We opted to drive out pick some up and return within an hour. As we drove back in, we saw many young men in the field sitting reading their bibles. Amen. 
After lunch we readied to go to Eyes of Water for another outreach. As we pulled out the belts screeched on the Kia requiring an hour delay getting new belts and an idler pully…an hour delay was much better than broke down in the mountain 2 hours from home…So I was good with that. Thank you LORD. Headed of the our next stop. It is about 5 miles behind a hydroelectric dam in the mountains. Short rough road often hanging right on the cliffs. As we pulled in I startled the Americans by suddenly turning left and driving off the path. It was a path cut for the drill rig.  I stopped at the well drilling rig to find they had drilled a second hole next to the first and retrieved the drill head. They were now packing the walls with drill mud and reading to install the liner. Not only that the well was producing near 50gpm of clean water. Put the kia in 4wd low full throttle 1st gear and almost not enough power to climb out. Stop to pick up our pastor there and the folks loaded down the kia with local fruit called ha cote. Considering we were not even welcome here in November what a change. On to the little public schoolhouse set up for a movie and preaching. Watch the sunset as people arrive winded from the hike. Sing, preach movie and then the long drive home. Arrived home at midnight... Maybe tomm haul rocks from the river for a nursery. Just another day in Honduras...
 

Mining with the Cross

Last week we finished the churches in the mountains. Doors and security windows so they can now put items inside. Saturday will be the first service in Colonia in a new building. Pastor Green will be the first one to preach in it. They have been 5 years preaching under a tree there, Blanca, Omar’s widow will be there so it should be sweet. Omar preached under the tree for several years before he passed. Full schedule of preaching this week. Will see if we get through it all. Military, public School, first church service, outreach evangelism, mountain top and beach front baptisms. Might be preaching and baptizing with a mountain church on the beach in Nicaragua…if we can get everyone across the border. Always if and always trying in Honduras…

As I was driving through town I saw a hand painted Mona Lisa. For the steep price of $200 you could have an iconic famous artwork hanging on your wall…A deal compared to the other one… I just smiled and thought this has to be in a sermon illustration just don’t know how yet.
Lisa has had a rough couple of weeks and it is still not over the allergic reactions to cashew trees burning. Had to go to hospital 2x for treatment and Ivs. Plus Cindy fell and needed stitches in her knee.

The drilling head is still down in the hole. I stopped by Monday on my way to the capital. They were digging a pit to hold enough water to use to try and open the hole again. Is has collapsed in on it self. I assume the water will penetrate and lift and clean more than just the air. Weee. So much for a cheap well…. But hey they got the transmission back in the rig… so it can drive out. It was a very steep incline to where they are drilling. Even in the kia it was steep.

　

We went to preach at one of the military post yesterday, going to another today. Pastor Green preached and follow up with MarcAntonio. Numerous soldiers stood and made decisions for Christ. As Pastor Green’s group went with Lisa through the market handing out tracts they had people coming asking for them. As Christians we often look around at the news and world and think the LORD has to return soon. And I do believe this, …but as bad it is might seem in some places to Christians, as long as there is still a hunger and thirst for God in the world, as long as the field is still white somewhere the LORD’s return will tarry…Until the last precious glory for God is mined by the cross of Calvary from the mountains of free willed human iniquity…And the cross makes it obvious God will spare no expense in this endeavor, and persevere till all Glory due Him has been harvested. Amen!

Beep Beep zip ding...

It is Holy Week here in Honduras. A time where school is out and everyone heads out to the rivers, beaches, bars and parties…oh yeah and church too, to ask forgiveness of their week's actions. I would say it is sarcasm, but there is too much truth in it. Normally not a good time to go do much or travel. So while I was out looking for some kind of blow up swimming pool for the kids(all 2x the normal price)… Change of plans, I made a zip line for the kids. I have had most of the parts collected for a while but picked up 200 feet of cable today before all the stores closed, strung it up in the mango trees and tied old bungee jump cords across for brakes (have had pieces of bungee jump cord around for years not knowing what I was going to do with it, till now)… Good thing too because on the first run Sayder must have been going 30mph and near hit the tree on the opposite side of the road… zip ding snap and whipped him 50 feet back up the line, ..no blood, broken bones, or parts flying... cool, horizontal bungee jumping, Hmm looks dangerous… “Uh, Jr… you want to try?” “The extra 50 lbs wont matter honest”. zip ding snap…bounce bounce bounce. Similar to a bungee jumper with a rope just a wee bit to long. Good entertainment for all onlookers…  like a NASCAR crash. … And Sayder wanted to go faster…uh no, raised the cable to slow it down. Then sit and eat mangos and watch the kids run up and down the hill giggle and scream all afternoon…Cindy got so scared on her first ride she almost bailed out on a full speed run. After showing her how the brakes worked she was fine… I call it Honduran snowless sledding… Jr even got Lourdes try to it...
The kids wore out the hand brake pads the first day of use… but with a bungee cord…who needs brakes? Now we only let the saved kids ride it, … just to be safe… J

Its only money...

Been an expensive weekend. Baby in Hospital, battery meltdown in Kia, installed roof on church before rains hit, ect. Still need to install doors and window bars for security on two churches at about $1000 each building. Then we can buy plastic chairs and put things in them without it being stolen. Being out of the rain is great, but having a place to sit would be nice… Went to get the generator ready for another mountain outreach in a couple of weeks…gone, it was stolen. Went out to start the kia and the batteries caught fire and melted down, even melting the terminals… Just 2 new batteries- $243 ouch. Lester got sick and we ended up admitting him to the hospital over night. IVs, meds for a day and more for the next week or several hundred unexpected dollars. But he came home much better and bright eyed. Had several kids complain of headaches only to wake with chicken pox. By the end of the next day a total of seven affected. A hundred here and a hundred there a few times and suddenly its a lot of money… While getting batteries, I noticed we had a bad tire and a broken spring from hauling the heavy roof up the mountain. Not enough for everything at the moment, maybe tire next week. Several kids need shoes more than the kia needs a tire. Just fixed spring. Took Pastor Enemesio some of the hardwood we cut on our property. Planning to make new pulpits for 3 churches. Still working a solution for the well in Eyes of Water. Plus need to stock up this week fuel, water, food ect, as everything closes down for Holy Week… Some people just go to church on the weekend to sit in a pew...how boring. :)  For 20 years in ministry I have heard Sunday is a day of rest... I havent found that to be true...maybe one day.

Just another day...Blessing and problems

Lots of news

Been 3 weeks and 3 days wrestling our kia away from a mechanic. Went from a simple fix to a complicated and very expensive non fix. Always with a promise first thing tomorrow it will be ready just need money for this or that. All torn apart and undriveable, always waiting on the next part… Inconvenient to say the least,one  example; hiring taxis at $50 just to bring food to the house. Lisa went into town with Jr on the motorcycle at the time it was promised (again) to be ready, and when he gave her yet another excuse, she blew up at him. Suddenly there were 3 guys scrambling around trying to find everything and putting it back together while she waited. Should have tried that a couple of weeks ago. She drove it back (not completely fixed) and I took it to another mechanic the same afternoon, $60, a little welding and 3 hours while I wait/help presto back on the road… 6am the next morning taking supplies up the mountain…

The well drilling rig is in Eyes of Water. Blessings… and problems. His heavy rig broke a gear in the transmission descending down the steep “road” where the well was going. So the rig is broke down on site but still able to drill. At the depth tested… not enough water for a village. Keep drilling. At 2x the depth budgeted for.. no change. At 3x the depth planned for, presto 25+ gal per minute, amen. Only to have the extremely expensive 600lb hammer drill head break off in the well. The rig owner was making a snare just like Jr and I built for ours (just bigger) to try to fish it out. He said if he could not get it out he would have to drill another hole…hmm. Welcome to Honduras, where nothing is imposable… Just more expensive, more time consuming and harder to do than elsewhere…

Big blessing!! The medical outreach is on for Aug!! Firming up to be around the 16th through the 24th. If you would like to participate contact me and I will give you the stateside Doctor’s contact info who is organizing it. Need Doctors (all types), nurses, helpers, soul winners, dental, eyes, supplies, funds ect. The ones who volunteer shape what can be done. These outreaches touch a great many for the cause of Christ. The response is normally overwhelming. The Doctor heading this is a full time missionary Doctor named Greg Waller, who has led many to the LORD through these efforts. Their heart is the Gospel presentation woven throughout all they do. I know no one doing it better. He is also reviewing one of our children in the Lighthouse, Micah the baby of Alba, who was born with Microtia an ear defect. Hoping he or another Dr might be able to do surgery to give him a more normal looking ear. Might be something they can do or might entail more than their capacity on a single trip. Praying.

Yesterday the charging system died in the kia so I could not shut it off all day (old style diesels do not need electric to run, just needed for lights ac radio starter ect)… Took workers to work on the church in the mountain. As I left the city at 6am, busses were gathering to protest along the highway, as well as what looked like all the police department with riot gear and the military helicopters ect… We passed through, but were unable to return back to the city or get home till this evening 6pm. After we passed, they blocked every road completely with busses. Put it in 4wd drive down the ditch to turn around bypass the traffic jam and drive to the next town 40 minutes north of us just to find a bathroom, buy more materials for the workers and to eat ect… It was peaceful, just a problematic 12 hours… But had a fun time with the kids playing in the catholic church next to the park we had lunch in. Lets see, park, kids uh…big ol historic church with twin bells next to each other left open and unattended…hmm, and me. For those that know me that should be enough info… And the kids learned a few things so its all good.

A few of our churches monetary needs to pray about. Hoping to put a roof on the second church soon. Both new churches we built need balcones(security windows) and doors, as well as chairs. The simple metal windows(11) and doors(2) cost $1000 per church to make, paint and install and 100 plastic chairs for each church cost $500. At that point the buildings become fully functional, it has been on my mind for a while but just beyond our capacity. Please keep it in prayer and if the LORD works on your heart to help please do.

Once we are out of our current construction phase we will be doing more outreaches again. Like with the medical team. These too drain our limited earthy resources but store up wonderful treasures in heaven as an eternal reward investment. Thank you to all of our ministering saints who by the LORD’s grace keep supplying the needs like a raven in the wilderness. Amen!