Is God opening the doors?

Can you believe it has been almost six months since God moved my heart and allowed me to move to Honduras?!? God has opened many MANY doors for me to serve him here, in ways I NEVER would have excepted. If you have been keeping up with my blog, (takeyourcandlegolightyourworld.blogspot.com), you can see all the great ways God is blessing our ministry. Currently we have nine boys living with us, two sets of brothers. They are a hand full but I love them.

I am writing you to seek your advise. I know that you all are a very wise and knowledgeable people so I am hoping that you can help. We currently sold our Chevy Suburban that we owned due to many many weeks in the shop. Currently we are renting a vehicle and it costly. We have been looking everyday for a new(er) car and haven't found one. Yesterday, however, we got a phone call from a random person that said he had a 2004 Ford F-150 for sale. When we went to look at it, it is in PREFECT condition. The man is a certified ford technician from the states. He is Honduran but has lived in California and Detroit for some time of his life.

I feel like this is a gift from God. We have been praying for answers and I think this might be it. The cost of the truck is $7,409 (that is converted from 140,000 limperas, the Honduran currency). Please tell me what you think. We looked up the car from Carfax and it has a clean record, only one owner in the states. He showed us the history of the car here in Honduras and he has been the only owner. Also, it has just under 60,000 miles. If you think it is a good deal, let me know! I would LOVE to have a way to purchase this car and have it be my personal ministry vehical. If you have advise about how I can come up with the money let me know too!

Valentines Day

I know that this is late, however, its better late then never right? I have a great friend Lauren Branard in California who shipped some Christmas presents to the six brothers. Of course they got here late and then i could not locate the box in the warehouse. Finally I found it and on valentines days the boys got their presents! :-)

More pics

More pictures of Valentines day presents from Lauren!!

After visiting their dad

Well, after tears and prayer we stopped at a place that our friends own in Olancho. They have a restaurant and a small pool so the boys went in naked! It was great for them to have fun after a HARD day.

Coming Home... God said NO!

God works in crazy ways! Days before I decided to change my ticket, I felt sick about going home. I felt like God was telling me to stay. The day I was supposed to make the trip to San Pedro Sula, I decided to change my ticket. God allowed a great and close friend pay for my change fee and God allowed the airline to wave the extra cost of the difference in a ticket :).
God had me stay to help the six little boys that I now call my own. On Tuesday we went to visit their father in the rehab center and as of Feb 28th he will be free to go. He has fulfilled his 60 days in the treatment center, however, the rehab center wishes for him to stay and he seems to think he is ready ( I pray that God is working in HIM!) So I am asking you to pray for my boys and their parents. Pray for us as we make decisions about their future and our future as well. Pray for wisdom and discernment.

Seeing their dad for the first time in two months! ;-)

On the way home Antonio had to poop!

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Marvin and I waiting for their daddy

Jovanni and Jen walking out of the center... It was a hard time for all

Showing His Love

Tonight we were stopping at the store to pick up some popcorn for the boys, being valentines day and all we wanted to hang out with them and watch a movie and stuff! As we were walking in a lady stopped us and started asking us for money for some medicine. She had diabetes and had a oozing sore about the size of a half dollar. Her leg was black from the middle of her calf down and in tears for help. My heart melted. After going to four pharmacies we found three outof the four medicines she needed and told her to visit the pharmacy near the hospitals. 

After pulling away, I realized that God provides for the least of His (in many ways!). My support has been a little tight, so I haven't been able to help everyone all the time but I am able to help some! So without hesitation the older women and I walked into the pharmacy and I paid with my debit card and with anticipation i waited to see if my debit card would be accepted or declined. My card was accepted! Then the fear of over drawing my account set in. When I sat down, I looked at my online account and someone put $50.00 into my account today. Thank you! That paid for this ladies medicine and will help her 

for the next month! God is great and has put GREAT people into my life! Thank you!

Honduras Vs. Coasta Rica!

On Wednesday we went to watch Honduras Vs. Costa Rica! It was fun!!! We were with lots of Honduran people and it was great to see them all come together and watch a great game. In the end, we (Honduras) lost 2-0, however, they played a GREAT game!

Jen, Ashley and Gina!

Carlos and Ash

The Boys (Jared, Carlos and David! )

COLD!!!

It has been cold here at night! Dipping down into the 30's some nights! I could not imagine living on the mountains when its this cold. I thank my God daily for what we have here, thanks to you all! In our house we have a fireplace in the living room and jen has one in her room. I took these pictures the other night. I thought they turned out pretty good. The kids LOVE the fire. They sit and watch it burn for hours.

Jen Caved!

For months I have been saying that I wanted to get a dog. Jen has always told me not right now, we cannot afford it and she was right! Well, I guess that she had some money set aside from her Christmas money and she saw this dog last night at the pet shop while we were buying Yoni's presents and fell in love. I didn't say a word! I let her decide.

I much rather would of had a lab or some type of bigger more ferocious looking type of dog (more manly is what i keep telling her) but I am falling in love with Toby!
The boys LOVE HIM, they are already fighting over who he is going to sleep with!

Chicken Pox!!!

So, a couple of weeks ago Mario had chicken pox.. now Antonio, Yoni, Carlo and Edwardo all have them. I love KIDS!!!!

Yoni's Birthday!!!

Yesterday was Yoni's birthday! He turned 13 years old! We celebrated with a small cake and he got a new outfit!

My Family

For those of you who don't know, my parents have been going through a hard time. Of course I have been having a hard time dealing with not being there to help them. All I have been able to do is pray!
Back in the beginning of September my dad lost his job and about three weeks ago, he was working in the yard trimming some tree and feel off the ladder. He broke several verterbe in his back and cannot currently walk. My mom has been trying to find a second job but of course with the economy the way it is these days, no one is hiring.
Since September my dad has been trying to get on unemployment and his employer kept postponing the phone hearing. On Jan 6th was the last time that Kirk (the employer) could appeal and he didn't answer the phone. Yesterday my parents recieved a check in the mail for over $6,000. Back payments since Sept. God is SO FAITHFUL!
My dad plans on going into the hospital when I return and hopefully medicade will kick in.
Thank you SO much for your prayers and concerns! Thank you for being there for me while I was struggling what to do about staying here or going home to work. Thank you!
God is faithful and comes through right at when you need him most.

Sector 8

There is a family in sector 8 that we go and visit regularly. We met them while Gayle's group was here in Nov. and fell in love with the kids!

Pics!

Carlos's scar from having his appendix out three weeks ago

Marvin and I wrestling

Mario eating at the soccer game that Melissa Wood took us to!

Carlos and Saul (brothers!)

Montalowa Church of Christ (the old San Miguel)

Jennifer Arnold and her Husband Josue put on children's church at 2:00 every Sunday in the Old San Miguel. For the past six weeks we have been going to Los Pinos so we decided to do something a little different, and the kids LOVED it!
Saul as King

Antonio going down the river as Moses (w/ help from Papi Carlos)

Moses (Antonio)

Carlos helping Yoni get dressed

They have on average about 75 kids a week!

Valentines From Melbourne

Thank you to the Melbourne Church of Christ Childrens Worship for the Valentines! My children LOVED them and they have them hanging from their beds!

Marvin!

Fransico!

Mario!

Jovanni

All of them opening their cards!

Passing Out Shoes!

Margret Whaterah! (sorry I know I spelled your name wrong) Thank you so much for sending my those shoes. When we unloaded Gayle's container about three weeks ago, Carlos (the oldest boy living with us, age:18) asked me if he could take some of the shoes to families he knew in the Ka-Ko-EE (I have NO idea how to spell it) homes. These are homes that TORCH/IRC helped build right on the IRC property in Santa Ana. I was very pleased to see that he wanted to help. We gave away about 40 pairs of shoes there and plan to give the rest away at the dump in the near future!
My friend Janet organizing the shoes in my room

Us with the kids. (I am in my suit b/c we had a meeting earlier that morning)

Carlos with the family that is the poorest in the community

Carlos putting shoes on the little girl!

Report

God called me to Honduras years ago, I just didn't know what my purpose would be here. When I finally decided to move here in August of 2008, I knew that he had started to open doors for me here, I just didn't realize what they where. I thought that God had called me here to help the children that lived on the street, to help find resources for other organizations but really his a mediate goal was for me the serve these nine boys that I now call my own.
Currently Saul, Mario, Jovanni, Fransico and Marvin are all enrolled in Hamilton School where they attend kindergarten. They will be in kinder until they can speak enough English to proceed onto the correct grade level in the fall. About the third week of February Eduardo and Yoni will start in the public school system. They are too old and too far behind to catch up in bi-lingual school. We plan for Carlos to start back to school at that time as well but he will be taking night classes, hopefully so that he can work during the day :). Antonio is only three years old, however, I have been working with him on his English and math some! He is a very bright kid for being only three!
During my down time while the children are at school I am still able to serve the people of Honduras. Weekly I have been visiting the hospital with my friend Janet Garcia and Sam. We have been visiting families that we have grown close with in different villages and I have been able to use some of my nursing skills to treat some minor wounds and illnesses throughout the villages.
God is GREAT!