The month of May has flown by and we give thanks to God for all your prayers and support. We are so grateful to be able to communicate with you all from such a long distance!
Pic: Discipling youth. In May we continued the discipleship ministry for these at-risk youth that come from broken and hurting families. Soccer allows us to awaken the interest of these teens that have never attended church. Of the 20 youth that come to the soccer games, 3 are already beginning to come to Awana and Youth Group. It’s a blessing to see how God works in their lives. Our goal is to share the gospel, disciple them, and to become role models to follow.Pic: Showing God’s love to farmers. God has called us to be his ambassadors all across the globe. Our duty is to be the salt and light of the world. Therefore, we make the most of each opportunity we have to help farmers. The farmer has a difficult life and even more so when they are a subsistence farmer. For these agriculturalists that suffer the consequences of the greedy middleman, it is so difficult to obtain fertilizers and quality seed for their production. Because of this, we have been taking fertilizers and seeds to their communities so that they can take advantage of the rainy season and start cultivating. Also, we use our visits to share the gospel, as well as offer access to a better market to sell their harvests. This allows the farmers to gain higher, more just profits for all the efforts that they put into cultivating by hand.Pic: Wells that need repair. God also allows us to be ambassadors of His kingdom through helping our neighbor gain access to clean drinking water. This month Job traveled to the southern region of the country for a week. This zone is the most barren, desert-like land in Honduras where water shortage is the most common. During his time there he located 12 wells that need a new hand pump. We are hoping to have a well repair brigade come in July. Over 5,000 people would benefit from these wells!Pic: Water filters for El Junco. We are filled with joy to share with you that in May, all the water filters were distributed in El Junco! A total of 36 families received a water filter and instructions on how to maintain their filter. We shared the gospel while there and 4 people accepted Christ and 1 was baptized! Praise the Lord! Our friends at Serve Hope and The Bucket Ministry came to the community and donated the filters for each family there.Pic: Wedding and Baptisms in El Arrayan. Back in March we distributed the water filters to the community of El Arrayan. These filters were also donated by Serve Hope and The Bucket Ministry. Job has been visiting the families that received the filters, sharing the gospel, and praying for them. During the visit with these 2 ministries, we saw how God convicted 3 people of their sin, and each one wanted to be baptized to complete this step of obedience. We are filled with joy that Rigoberto and Ana Luz, that believed and were baptized, recognized that they were living in sin to be living together without having married, and they wanted to get married. We have begun the marriage license process but the religious wedding couldn’t wait. They didn’t want to continue living in sin. So together with Serve Hope and The Bucket Ministry we pulled together a wedding ceremony 2 days later! We prayed for them and shared the gospel during the ceremony. The Holy Spirit works in wonderful ways when you are convicted of your sin and you no longer want to continue living the same way.Pic: Elsy and family. Please continue praying for Elsy, that God would work in her life as Job continues to visit her to encourage her and pray. She needs to have a relationship with God in order to confront this great trial of being abandoned to raise their 3 kids on her own.
Praise God:
For 7 new brothers in Christ, 1 wedding, and 4 baptisms! It fills us with joy that our prayers are being answered!
For the strategic alliance with Serve Hope and The Bucket Ministry that provide access to clean water while sharing the gospel!
Even amidst the political unrest and subsequent violence God has protected us from harm!
Pray to God:
That the new believers would grow in faith and truth.
For El Junco. Even with the water filters, the water shortage problem has not been fully addressed.
For Honduras. In May a new wave of protests began. The health and education sectors are against the new laws that manage their respective sectors. There are already wounded and dead because of the violence that has erupted during these protests. Also, the main highways that connect the country are blocked during the entire day. We ask for peace and that God works in the hearts of the teachers, doctors, and politicians so that calm and tranquility may return to the country.
Thank you for praying with and for us. Your part is GREATLY appreciated!
We give thanks to God for the blessing He gives us to be his children and for the month of April that has filled us with joy for all that God has allowed us to do!
Pic: April WAC Team. We thank you for praying for the team of Water Ambassadors Canada. God allowed us to share the gospel in 5 different communities and repair 6 wells that provide access to drinkable water to more than 3,000 people! We praise God for allowing us to accomplish this act of love for our neighbor and also because a small school was included in receiving access to water, where 75 kids and their families can now drink clean water.Pic: Sharing the gospel during soccer games. Of something I’m convinced is that God allows all of us to share the gospel wherever we are. Our church recently installed lighting over the outdoor play area and now it serves as a soccer field. Youth that never had come to youth group before, now come, to play soccer with us. However, we are not just there for fun. Every game opens the door to share the gospel. Every Saturday night Job and two other men from church take turns sharing the gospel and discipling the youth. These kids come from families with economic and social problems. Our desire is to show them God’s love and that they would surrender their lives to Christ.Pic: God allows us to help Agustín and his family. Being a farmer in Honduras brings many challenges. One of them is to afford fertilizer for the crops. Job met Agustín one week while serving with Sustainable Harvest International. Agustín is over 80 years old and he continues working to provide food for his wife and grandchildren. This month we brought him 50 bags of chicken manure so that he could fertilize his corn and beans. The rainy season is approaching and farmers are preparing the ground for planting. We also helped him sell his chickens and make enough money to pay his debts. Our desire is that Agustín and his family can better their quality of life, but even more so, that they would surrender their lives to Christ.Pic: We continue to pray for water for El Junco. El Junco continues without access to water. During our visit this month and with the help of Serve Hope, we were able to donate a water filter to Wilmer and his family. This filter removes all impurities, particles, and bacterias in order to provide drinkable water. Wilmer and his neighbors couldn’t believe the transparency of the clean water as Job showed them how to use the filter! They are so accustomed to drinking cloudy, opaque water. The filter is placed in a 5 gallon bucket and is very simple to use. Thanks to God that Serve Hope plans to donate this filter system to each of the families of El Junco. This is a great blessing and we continue praying that these plans would soon be accomplished! We are also praying that God allows for a well to be drilled in the community and for individuals that would be willing to cover the finances to make that possible. The cost for a well there would be at least $6,000. Please pray with us!Pic: Sustainable Harvest International (SHI) Board of Directors visit. As we’ve mentioned before, Job is volunteering with SHI to help support farmers. SHI as an organization does not hold to any religious confessions and Job’s primary focus is to share the gospel with the organization’s members. This past month he had a great opportunity as the Board of Directors came to visit their national office here in Honduras. During a lunch meeting Job had the privilege of praying for the meal. At the end of the day, one of the board members approached him and shared with Job that he is a believer and that Job’s prayer in public helped him to see his need to lose the fear of showing his faith. Please continue to pray for more opportunities to share his faith with this organization as Job serves with SHI one week each month.
Praise God:
For the health, time, and resources that God has given us to do our work this past month.
For taking care of the Water Ambassadors Team during their trip here. Thank you for praying with us. Our prayers were answered!
For the resurrection of Jesus Christ! Our ministry would have no purpose if He would not have resurrected. We work with much conviction knowing that we serve a living God!
Pray to God:
For the finances to drill a well in the community of El Junco as well as the provision of filters for each family.
For people that want to have a personal relationship with God. That as the Holy Spirit convicts them of their sin, that they would see the new life God has for them!
That as our ministry grows God would continue showing us how He wants us to serve others.
Thank you for praying with and for us. Your part is GREATLY appreciated!
The month of March went by in a blur! We continue to pray for you all and it was a great blessing to visit some of you during our short visit to Kansas.
Pic: Elizabeth’s 1st Birthday On February 13th Elizabeth turned ONE! After she recovered from tonsillitis we finally celebrated on March 3rd, complete with a piñata and a fancy cake.Pic: Visit to the USA. March also brought Elizabeth’s first plane ride as we flew to the States for a couple weeks to visit family in Kansas! We are so thankful we were able to visit some of you during our short time there.Pic: Community Development in “El Arrayan.” Our friend, Fred Jackson, continues his community development work in El Arrayan with the organization he began, “A Leap of Faith.” He visited March 24-31 to make a survey of the families living there, their needs, and the abilities that each family has to contribute to the growth of the community. Job and Fred together gave oral hygiene classes to the families at their local school.Pic: Water filters for El Arrayan. Without a doubt, you cannot work towards healthy community development if there is no access to potable water. To reach that goal, we have joined efforts with Serve Hope, the organization of our friend Mark Fittz. Now, with water purification filters, 15 families are enjoying access to clean drinking water! Fred is planning to return in July and is hoping to provide enough filters so that every family in the community has clean water to drink. Please keep praying for this ongoing work!Pic: Elsy and family. We are asking for prayer for Elsy. She is a single mother in El Arrayan. She is currently battling with a deep depression after her husband left her. She is an example of someone who overcomes difficult problems, as just this past year at 30 years old and with 3 children, she finished high school. During one of their visits to her house, Fred and Job saw that she was crying and they prayed for her. The next day, she confessed that she had been planning to abandon her kids because she had nothing to give them to eat, but God had used their visit to encourage her to continue working towards a better future together with her 3 kids. Please remember to pray for Elsy and her kids: Walter (6), Abdias (8), and Nehemiah (11).Pic: Dry well in El Junco. Last month we began to dig a well in El Junco, another community without access to clean drinking water. With pickaxes, shovels, digging bars, and buckets we have dug down 30 feet by hand. Unfortunately, we have not found water. Also, during this process a person was injured after a stone fell on them from above while they were digging. We continue to pray for God’s mercy and clean water for this community. We are talking with a couple different ministries here to see the possibilities of providing access to drinking water to the more than 40 families who live there. Please keep praying for the people of El Junco!
Praise God for:
Our visit to the States to see family and friends in Kansas! It was a great blessing!
Our fellow missionary friends that join us to have a greater impact in communities throughout Honduras!
The hearts that have been encouraged and strengthened through the work that God has allowed us to accomplish here!
Pray to God for:
A strategy to provide access to clean drinking water for the community of El Junco.
The upcoming trip of WAC (Water Ambassadors Canada). A brigade is coming April 6-13 to repair wells. That God provides for successful well repair and that the people of the communities come with hearts ready to hear the gospel.
That the seeds we are sowing and watering begin to grow in the hearts of the people.
Thank you for praying with and for us. Your part is GREATLY appreciated!
We are praying you all are well, despite those record-breaking wind chills up north! This past month we have had quite the variety of work on our plate. We are energized to see God opening doors this year!
Pic: Water Ambassadors Canada work. The first week of February we started working with WAC to restore broken wells that were drilled by the Japanese in the 90’s and have been broken now for over a decade. That week over 1,200 people gained access to water! The locals were blessed with not only access to water, but also the gospel. After pumping the first gush of water, Job prays with them to thank God and gives the gospel message. At least 6 people accepted Jesus during their time together. Praise God for them!Pic: Sustainable Harvest International. Sharing the gospel with farmers. This month Job has been investing his time visiting communities with SHI and getting to know the people. He also helped teach them how to vaccinate chickens to prevent avian pox. For the locals, a way to safeguard their only source of eggs and meat is nothing short of a miracle. We tell them it’s only our love for God that brings us to do this.Pic: Oansa. We are so excited to see what God has in store as we begin another year of discipling kids in Awana! There are about 150 kids and 10 parents that are coming every Saturday. Volunteers from our local church are the leaders. Our goal during bible time is learning to grow to be like Jesus.Pic: Digging a well for El Junco. While Job was visiting communities with SHI, he came across the community of “El Junco” with Jonathan, an SHI technician. Currently, this community does not have access to any source of water. The kids are sent out to hike a couple kilometers to bring back water by the gallon from a local, scum-filled pond. (see picture below) Job, with help from WAC and the locals, is digging a well and planning to install a pump to give this community access to potable water. During his time there he is sharing the gospel with the locals, and especially with Jonathan. Unfortunately, Jonathan has seen bad testimonies from the church and now he doesn’t want to hear anything about Jesus. We are praying for open hearts in the village and for Jonathan!Pic: The current water source at El Junco, a scum-filled pond.Pic: A dream come true! While visiting communities with SHI Job has begun to identify a network of organic farmers with whom we want to start a cooperative. A co-op would offer much needed stability for these families as well as provide cash for bus fares, medicines, school supplies, and farm tools. Here, Doña María received her payment for the harvest of 120 bananas. We paid 50% more than the average middleman and still made a 10% profit. We’ve all heard the saying: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” We believe this, but we want to go a little further. We want to teach people how to SELL their fish!
Praise God for:
The beginning of Awana, as God is entrusting us to reach the souls of 150 kids and their families!
A productive week with WAC while the founder of the organization was visiting. They were able to fix wells in 3 communities and reap a harvest of 6 new believers!
The restoration of health in our family. All three of us suffered a nasty cold this month. The flu, coughing, and fevers were overwhelming at times. Elizabeth suffered from an infection in her throat and I learned how to give a baby medicine! Glad that’s over!
Pray to God for:
Hearts sensitive to listen to God’s voice, in both the personnel of SHI as well as the locals in the communities.
Our trip to Kansas in March. We are planning a quick, 2-week trip to visit Adria’s family. We are looking forward to introducing Elizabeth to more aunts, uncles, cousins, great-grandparents, and the rest of the family!
Ripe hearts in the community “El Arrayan.” Our friend, Fred Jackson, is planning a visit the last week of March to begin this year’s sustainable projects for this community, as well as to share the gospel with them. He is planning to install a home water filter in each family’s house, a total of 70! He wants each one to tangibly feel God’s love for them.
Thank you for praying with and for us. Your part is GREATLY appreciated!
Well, 2019 has begun and we give thanks to God for continuing to bless our ministry in Honduras! Many challenges may come for all and we pray to God that He sustains us and allows us to do His will.
Pic: Search for wells. This year we are expecting 5 groups to visit for well repair work with Water Ambassadors Canada. We thank God for the 30 wells we have found in various communities through the central and southern regions of Honduras. We are working with each community so that the impact of the well repair is not just a material help, but also brings about spiritual change for the people.Pic: Helping other missionaries with their farm projects. One of our petitions to God is to have a farm, but until now God has not yet blessed us with one. However, He has allowed us to provide support to other missionaries with farm projects. This month we worked with David Guevara, giving some technical help as he begins restoring his coffee farm and building a classroom building where his ministry can train pastors.Pic: Helping the Colbath family. The Colbath’s farm has been where we have invested the majority of our time and efforts. We thank God for 14 new sheep, which are helping to keep the grass down, fertilize the mahogany trees, and are providing meat for the 8 foster kids in their care.Pic: OANSA: Because children are important to God. Yet another year God has provided for AWANA! This is the ministry of our local church where we are involved in evangelizing and discipling kids and their parents. This year we are expecting around 150 kids! We ask for your prayers that God touches the hearts of the kids, along with their parents, to accept Jesus as their Savior.Pic: Sharing the gospel with Sustainable Harvest International (SHI) Sustainable Harvest International is an NGO (non-governmental organization) with the mission of transforming the lives of agriculturists. Unfortunately, the policies of SHI prevent that the life change of the people be integral. It is prohibited to speak of religion in this organization. However, Job has become involved with the aim of evangelizing the agricultural members of SHI and all of the technical personnel within the organization. Job serves with them 1 week each month, visiting farmers and spending time with various personnel of SHI. We ask you to pray that God could use Job’s conversations for the salvation of the farmers as well as the organization’s personnel.
Praise God for:
Your place in our network of supporters! Daily, we give thanks to God for all of you that are praying for us and sharing your blessings with us!
The service opportunities that God has recently been opening to us for reaching out to more farmers and providing help to other missionaries!
Adria’s health continues to improve! Ever since I started taking a vitamin supplement for the thyroid I am no longer dealing with insomnia and I’m sleeping well again! I so appreciate your prayers! Thank you!! Please pray that my metabolism would also return to normal.
Pray to God for:
This week the founder of Water Ambassadors Canada, along with a few other staff, is visiting to help establish this year’s plan of action for repairing wells in Honduras.
The beginning of Awana, that God provides sufficient leaders that are available to disciple kids and even the parents that come.
The health of our friend, Mitch Cooper. Even though he is now out of danger, the recovery is slow. We pray that God will give him patience. If you would like to help with his medical expenses, please follow this link:Help Mitch Cooper
Thank you for praying with and for us. Your part is GREATLY appreciated!
We want to give thanks to God for 365 days full of mercy! We thank Him for giving us family, friends, supporters, and churches that share His calling these past few years that we have been serving in Honduras!
We invite you to journey through the updates of 2018, where you will find that God touched the hearts of over 50 people to accept Christ!We not only shared purified water in dry summer months, but also the Living Water in communities from Central to Southern Honduras.Also, in 2018 God provided for almost 20 communities to gain access to potable water through wells that had been broken down for over 15 years!Nearly 250 kids were discipled through the ministry of AWANA, where a total of 34 kids accepted Christ as well as 1 father, who Job continues to disciple in his walk with Jesus!In Puran, more than 40 families were taught how to grow home gardens for better health and life. Some of these families were able to reach enough production to establish a side business selling their vegetables, and increasing their monthly income by about 30%!
In a nutshell, in 2018 God blessed us with His mercy, with a beautiful daughter, health, and with you all who are reading this update. THANK YOU for encouraging us, THANK YOU for praying, and THANK YOU for giving all your support that allows us to continue the ministry that God has given us here!
Our prayer for you is that God fills you with mercies and blesses your lives, families, jobs, studies, and ministries.
Praise God for:
Job’s improved health! The bacterial infection is nearly gone and he is feeling so much better!
Locating 28 wells! Job has been on quite the adventure this past month hunting for broken wells. So far, WAC has planned 4 well repair trips for 2019!
Opportunity to serve with Sustainable Harvest International (SHI). We have been praying for opportunities to serve with organizations that will help us connect with farmers to open doors for sharing the gospel. Job has met with SHI and they have invited him to serve as a volunteer! More info on this work to come!
Pray to God for:
Mitch Cooper, a fellow missionary friend of ours. On January 3rd, Mitch was in a motorcycle accident. He suffered 7 broken ribs on his left side and still has fluid around his lung. The doctor at the Evangelical Hospital here in town saved his life and he has received at least 9 blood transfusions at this time. Please pray for his full recovery!
Fruitful ministry work in 2019!
Hondurans with eyes to see, ears to hear, minds to understand, and hearts softened to accept their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Thank you for praying with and for us. Your part is GREATLY appreciated!
The month of November has passed and we feel blessed to be able to share our news with our family and friends that support us spiritually, morally, and financially!
Pic: AWANA. We’ve wrapped up this year’s AWANA program in our local church. We give thanks to God because on the last Saturday 8 kids accepted Christ as their personal Savior!Pic: AWANA. Throughout the year, 30 leaders supported the ministry in discipling the kids and parents that came each Saturday. Around 250 kids were instructed in the Scriptures and a total of 34 kids accepted Christ!Pic: WAC Work. Also this month, God allowed us to work with a team from Water Ambassadors Canada to bring water access to 4 communities, where about 2,000 people now have access to water!Pic: WAC Work. The WAC team also gave classes on hygiene and shared the gospel. During that time, 14 people accepted Christ in these communities! We give thanks to God for each new profession of faith.Pic: Colbath farm. Also, we continue to develop the farm in the Colbath family children’s home. We give thanks to God for this family that allows us to be involved in their ministry using forestry. We have started the last stage now of establishing the tree nursery to cover the property with hardwood trees. They are also learning how to take care of the pasture for the sheep and cows.Pic: House Construction for Juana Maria with Serve Hope. Juana Maria is a single mother with 2 boys. Both of her boys were born with muscular atrophy disease, an illness that prevents them from walking. We feel honored to be able to serve God alongside Serve Hope, as it is a ministry founded by one of the missionaries whose example is one we would like to follow.Pic: Car trouble. We also want to thank God for His protection. While Job was driving with a group to help build Juana Maria’s house, our vehicle suffered a failure in the cylinder heads. The radiator hose was too old and it failed, so our car spent some time in the shop. However, we can see the hand of God in this because the mechanic said it could have been much worse! It was a blessing to know that God is taking care of us.
Praise God for:
The protection He provides us in the communities and with the groups we are working with.
The opportunities that God provides us to serve him and to serve others in order to show His love through our actions.
Our supporters (spiritual, moral, and financial) that keep updated on the ministry and pray with and for us.
Pray to God for:
For Carlos, whom Job is discipling, as he is facing a family crisis. That his faith in Christ would allow him to come through victorious.
For Job’s health. During his time in one of the communities, he ate something that gave him a bacterial infection. He has gone to a couple of different doctors now. Please pray that this would soon be cured.
More financial support to cover our personal and ministry expenses.
Thank you for praying with and for us. Your part is GREATLY appreciated!
