Smokin'....

It's 104 with humidity out the gazoo! The haze in the city is so thick you can barely see the mountains right behind our house. Boiling water, frying an egg on the sidewalk, etc....they're all too tame for this heat!

Breathing brings the sweat rolling down your face and I can't hold my breath very long anymore!

McGyver's in town...

Our garage door opener stopped working, but luckily for us McGyver was in town! Saturday Will & I came back from somewhere, hit the door opener and it opened, parked the car, hit the door closer, but it didn't close. The motor started but the door never moved.

This morning Will & I took it apart and I discovered that one of the plastic gears was not engaging. A friend had suggested perhaps one of them had broken off, but that wasn't the case. Upon closer examination I discovered two pins had fallen out which allowed the gear to spin freely around a shaft instead of engaging to turn it, which in turn, turned the chain to open and close the door. Will found one of the pins on the ground and I put it back in, but it wasn't enough; we needed the other pin. We couldn't find it or anything that would work.....then a McGyver idea came to us!

We used four toothpicks to fill the hole of the pin and now the gear is locked onto the shaft and when it engages with the other gears it turns the shaft, the chain, and opens and closes the door! McGyver is alive and well in Honduras!!!

A Wildly Unexpected Blessing...

When Rosa broke her leg on Friday Fabi & I loaded her into the car and headed off to the emergency room leaving Will & Joyce with the other kids. They were in a bit of a shock at seeing their sister carried away bleeding and in obvious pain. It was then that the blessing occurred...

Antonio, perhaps our most difficult child because of handicaps, came up to Will and said, "We need to go pray for Rosa"! Will said, "okay", but Antonio said, "No, we need to walk away and pray now." So he, Will, & Pedro walked to the front of the house to be alone and prayed for Rosa. You need to understand that Antonio is the one diagnosed as "not having a conscience" by the child psychiatrist. She said, "He will never get any better, he will only get worse." We didn't accept that because we chose to believe that his Maker would piece him back together. Certainly that unsolicited prayer is evidence of the Holy Spirit bringing healing to Antonio in ways that we can't see!

On this Easter day we believe that God is continuing to offer up proof that our faith will bring forth sure rewards! Thank you, God; thank you, Jesus; thank you, Holy Spirit!!!

Narrow escape...

We took the kids out for an ice cream cone tonight to a shoppe with a playground. Joyce, Will, Rosa, & were sitting inside when Mauricio came in carrying a screaming Pedro. He told us he fell off the top of the sliding board to the concrete below and couldn't walk or stand.

You know I immediately thought, "Oh no, not another cast." But after checking him out it turns out nothing other than his pride was seriously hurt....thank you, Jesus!

Rosa's new appendage...

Another Emergency Room Visit...

Today all the kids were playing when Rosa fell against the edge of a ceramic step severely gashing her leg requiring six stitches. After sewing her back together the Dr. said he was taking to x-ray as a precaution....she also has a broken leg! She broke it just below the knee. The break is not clear through but looks like someone took a large knife a cut a big pie-shaped piece out of her leg.

She is in a cast from ankle to hip for the next three weeks, but we expect that everything will heal as it should. Youth has some distinct advantages. Please lift Rosa in your prayers.

We had to use our charge card to cover the costs of the hospital, doctors, x-ray, etc. and although it is ridiculously low compared to the U.S. it still sets us back quite a bit. If anyone desires to help defray the costs please send a check to Wellspring of Life, P.O. Box 3027, Plant City, FL. 33563

Recovery & empty nest...

Will is pretty much over his bug and back to normal. Hopefully he'll stay that way now. Maybe that was just his initiation!

Andrea, the older sister who was visiting, is back in her orphanage now. We took her back today at noon and it was a somewhat somber ride. Will and I felt badly about taking her back to the institution-style facility, but we're trying to be very careful we don't upset the chemistry in our own family. It's a tough thing watch and to do nothing when you know you could change her life dramatically. However, we feel the request to bring her into our family has to come from within the family and not from Joyce, Will, or myself. In the meantime we pray that we have been able to give her some encouragement and some idea of what she can have if she stays close to God.

We did send her home with a new Bible and we checked carefully to be sure she had invited Christ into her heart and we feel confident that she has. As the Lord reminds you; lift Andrea in your prayers!

The Latino bug bites Will...

Will has been zapped by a Latino bug...you know the one, the one that causes your stomach to tie in knots and does things to your bowels that you don't want to discuss. I don't know how he got it and we didn't ...and I do feel sorry for him, but........better him than me! In some cases there's just no compassion...sorry Will!

House Guest...

It's semana santa (Holy week) here and everything in the city shuts down...from Wednesday on I mean EVERYTHING! With the kids off school all week Fabi asked if we could try to get permission for her older sister to stay with us for a few days.

So, beginning this morning we have Andrea, the sister of Angel, Mauricio, & Fabiola, staying with us. She will be with us through Thursday. It's something to watch and observe siblings getting to know each other again after years of separation. It looks and feels like a good thing, but there are a lot of parameters to consider before going any further with this. The obvious thing is to simply say why don't we put them all together again. But there are finances, family dynamics, and pecking orders to consider as well. We don't yet know what God has in mind, but we will spend the next few days seeking his guidance on where, if anywhere, we should take this new development.

Pray with us that we hear clearly.......

Surprise, surprise....

We picked up the report cards for the three at Rodolfo Rojas school and got a bit of a shock. For 3 months we've never seen anything but good marks and good reports...now we get report cards with bad grades and reports of gross disobedience from one of the boys and the other one has been copying off a girl who sits beside him. Things just never seem to be what they appear to be...However, Rosa was even better than we realized...this girl is really blossoming and coming into her own. If you had any inkling of how despicable her past was you would be rejoicing with us!

We've hooked up with the sister of Fabi, Mauricio, & Angel again and we will be picking her up on Monday and keeping her until Wed. The kids are excited about the reunion and we're eager to see how it goes. We'll also get her medical records at that time and see if we feel we need to do anything further.

Final Score: 800-1

At least...that is how it felt to me!!! I just finished a soccer match with the kids and I was OBLITERATED!!! It amazes me how I am 24 but can't beat any of these kids in a pickup game of basketball or soccer! So what was the real final score? 8-2.

Bring it David Beckham....I'm ready for you.............

Will's Visit To The Homeless Ministry

Will here.

Yesterday I accompanied Bob to Terry and Shari's ministry to listen to Bob preach. For me it was pretty cool! For one, I have been wanting to see their ministry at work for a while now and two, I really enjoy listening to God's WORD being preached. I never get tired of hearing His WORD. I pray that eventually God will bless me with the privilege and honor of preaching His WORD because that is a burning desire that I have had for a long time now.

As I was there listening to Bob and observing the poor in the building, my heart was heavy and I was continually reminded of how God has blessed me so much....even when I did not know Him. I was blessed to be raised in the States. I never had to worry about when my next meal would be, what I would have to wear, when my next shower would be, never having to fear about being shot or stabbed on the street, etc.

I was also amazed to see the poorest of the poor wanting to sow into a ministry of God. They willingly reached into their pockets and gave unto the Lord. Such a powerful statement! For me it was like watching the widow placing the two coins (which was all she had in her name) she had in the basket (Mark 12:38-44). These people had nothing and yet they gave! For those of us who are so blessed by God we find it extremely difficult to even give a tenth of what we have or even what God lays on our hearts! We as mankind are so stubborn sometimes. We desire more when we have all that we need. Instead of giving we desire to store up for no reason at all. This is not aimed at anyone...just my heart. For me it was hard. I wanted to converse with them so much....but I couldn't due to my own inability to speak fluently. Talk about frustration!

Eventually, I got to help serve the individual's their meals. For me that was awesome. I could not converse with them, but I could serve them. For me it was such a rewarding and humbling experience. It is definitely an awesome ministry that Terry and Shari have. Please pray for them as they will eventually need a new facility in which they can continue to serve our Lord that they so love and those on the streets!

Thanks for listening......well, reading! :)

P.S.: I had pictures but they turned out to be pretty blurry for some odd reason! :(

New Opportunity...

A couple from our church, Terry & Shari, invited me to preach at their dinner for the homeless this afternoon. It's a tough inner city ministry that gives a shower and a hot meal to the homeless twice a week here in San Pedro Sula. It's really an impressive ministry...they begin with a time of praise and worship, take an offering, and they actually come up and put their limpera in the basket, move to the message and then the dinner. Of course, there's prep work before hand and clean-up afterwards.

I enjoyed sharing the word with them and quite a few made statements to invite Jesus into their hearts. Obviously only they and God know if the actions were real or not; but we did what we're supposed to do and presented them the opportunity to make a change in their life styles.

A Huge Blessing!

Will here!

I've had a pair of glasses for the last 3 years. My eyes are pretty bad so I had to use my glasses while drilling. Over the last 3 months, they got scratched up pretty bad and towards the end of March it become pretty difficult for me to read or drive. I planned to use the $1500 I was receiving from my tax return (which still hasn't come in) to purchase some new glasses when I returned to Honduras. God had another plan! I returned to the states on the 30th of March. That Friday (the 1st of April), I visited Zad Tomberlin (One of the three men that God used to really shape my walk) and his wife Tory just to see how they were doing. I told them about my glasses and Tory wanted to help me. She tried to clear out some of the scratches but they were so bad that she accidentally made it worse. They immediately contacted the head deacon of their church, Larry, and asked him if there was any way that he could set me up with an emergency replacement with Zad and Tory covering the cost (which I did not like).

The next Monday (the 4th) Larry set me up with Jack Raby Opticals. They couldn't copy my prescription in the right lens because it was so scratched up. I had to go to the Wal-mart vision center in Madisonville and have the optometrist fax in my prescription to Jack Raby Optical. They received the fax and said they would try to have my new pair of glasses in by that Thursday (the 7th) which was really pushing the envelope.

Wednesday night I received a phone call from Tory. She had some news for me. Turns out, that Larry paid for my frames (yes I said "frames") and that Jack Raby (the owner of the optical store) paid for my lenses. I had new glasses for free! Plus, I had TWO NEW PAIRS!!!! They gave me a pair to drill with and a pair to wear when not working!!! Is God not GREAT!!!???

It blows my mind! Because of His love for us, He promises to meet our needs. Not just today or tomorrow....but ALL OF OUR LIVES!!! Like a friend of mine says...."God will always blow your mind". Boy is that true!?

Thank you Larry and Jack!

By the way.....here is a photo from yesterday that Bob did not show you guys!

Birthday pics...

Rosa, 11, and Mauricio, 12, show off some of their 'haul' from today's birthday party.

Rosa, 11, and Mauricio, 12, show off some of their 'haul' from today's birthday party.

Family Reunion...

Andrea is the 15 year old sister of Fabi, Mauricio, & Angel and she is currently living in an orphanage outside of San Pedro Sula, El Refugio. Until a month ago 'our 3' had not seen their sister in over 3 years and today was a great reunion for them. We celebrated Mauricio's twelfth birthday (and Rosa's eleventh) and we gained permission from Andrea's orphanage to take her with us. It was awesome to watch them bond again, particularly the two girls. Throughout the day as we talked with Andrea we learned that she had a abdominal surgery a year ago at the 'free' hospital here and has been having a great deal of trouble and pain since then. She is on medication, but doesn't appear to be getting any better and we suspect a botched operation in a hospital that routinely doesn't have needles for injections or IV's.

The Lord impressed it upon us that we need to try to help Andrea get relief from her constant pain and after that who knows........ When we took her back to her orphanage after the party we asked the caretaker to ask the director for permission to obtain her medical files and a record of the meds she is currently taking. We also ask for permission to take her to the doctor who operated on Joyce and get his opinion on what this on-going problem is. If permission is granted we will try to contact the doctor tomorrow and move forward from there.

We feel strongly that God brought this girl and her medical problem to us so we could help her; and obviously, the family reunion is a very good thing. Please pray for God to continue to speak clearly through this as we take the next steps.

Thank you for your prayers........Joyce, Will, the Kids, & Bob

The picture below is of: First row: Angel, 2nd Row: Fabiola & Mauricio, 3rd Row: Andrea

Back In Honduras!!!

Today I arrived back in Honduras. It was fun getting to see everyone back in the states again but I would be lying if I said I wanted to stay. In my last update, I stated that I felt like an alien in my own country...and boy did I! I've driven through highways 360, 411, and 68 numerous times and this past week I just knew in my heart that I did not belong where I temporarily was. I yearned to be back in the place that God had turned into my home and to be with the children that God had placed in my life. I missed hearing their laughs and seeing their faces. I now know how it must feel for those of you who have children and have to spend time away from your families. There is quite a bit to talk about, including a HUGE, HUGE BLESSING! So, I'll throw some updates your way the next couple of days!

Thank you all for your prayers!!!

Effects of the broiler...

The heat is taking it's toll on all of us...two of the kids, Fabi & Mauricio, came home with horrendous test scores this week...not because they didn't know the material, they simply weren't focusing! Antonio has decided he isn't going to eat breakfast...he just sits there with his mouth full, staring at you, claiming he can't swallow, and Cesar came home with a test score of 4 out of 18!

Then yesterday the air conditioner on the truck went out! It's 100 plus everyday and it's tough riding in traffic with no air.

The good news is: everyone is healthy! Sunday we celebrate two birthdays, so maybe that will give the family a new outlook...a cheerier one!

In the broiler...

The heat wave continues here in San Pedro with temperatures for the week forecast in the 104-106% range. Literally, at 6:00 a.m. you begin to sweat just sitting still.

We checked up on a waitress to whom we had recently given a Bible and she excitedly told us how much she was reading and how much she enjoyed it. She told us one of her co-workers saw her reading and asked her if she could get a Bible for himself.

Tomorrow is a sad day for us; our friends the Meltons will going back to the states for 15 months. We're happy for them, but we'll miss them. Then in June another couple who are good friends heads back to the states for a year, as well. Who among you will be coming down to replace them?

2 birthdays coming up this week...Mauricio & Rosa both have their birthdays on the 11th of April. We'll celebrate on the 10th as Mauricio turns 12 and Rosa turns 10! It's a good thing they have 'young' parents!

The Power of the Word...

This morning I preached on Christian behavior from Romans 12:9-21 and one of the points is that we are to distribute to the needs of the poor and be hospitable. I mentioned that we have a shack/pulperia at end of our street w/a very poor family w/ young children that we have given lots of food, clothes, toys, etc. to; but we have never invited them to swim in our pool or eat at our table. NOT HOSPITABLE!

Fabiola was listening and after the service she said, "when you mentioned that we never invited them I felt like I needed to go home and ask them to swim with us." She did just that and this afternoon we had 3, 5, & 8 year old girls enjoying the refreshing of the pool all because Fabiola was listening and the word penetrated her!!! Now, we expect that the love Fabiola showed them will bring a ray of hope into their lives and crack open the door for Jesus to walk in.

Cool stuff!