Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Please pray....

 I am extremely sick and both Joyce & I think it is a flare-up of malaria. Many years ago in Haiti I had a severe case of malaria and from time to time it resurfaces.
 The symptoms are extreme pain in every cell of my body accompanied by fever and chills. I've been in bed for a day and a half and can see no improvement at this time.

Please lift me up....Bob

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Sunday's in El Doradito....

Every Sunday afternoon we head out to El Doradito to have abbreviated services with the village.

 For the adults: we gather under some trees trying to catch a little shade and I share a short message from God's word with Mauricio translating.


Our church for now...

For the children: Will & girlfriend Alba gather the young one to teach a Bible story and then to enjoy some games as Rosa helps to translate.


This crew is a lot wilder than they look right now!


Saturday, October 20, 2012

Cleaning Day...

We look like a hive of bees today...since we no longer have a part time cleaning lady we all have our Saturday cleaning duties; and it's a sight to behold. Everyone sweeps and mops their own rooms, and then they each have an area of the living space for which they are responsible, i.e. Cesar the back porch, Angel the parking area, Pedro the front entrance, Mauricio the dining area, Rosa the upstairs study area, and Fabiola the living room and hallway!

They do a pretty good job, considering! Albeit not all have a smile on their faces while working. Actually they don't put up much of a fuss, so it's all good. I think the oldest likes it the least...maybe has something to do with those dreaded teenage years!

We are all fairly healthy, Rosa has a lingering cough and congestion cold, and Joyce and I still have some mucus hanging around; but other than that we're all well!

Lots of typical 'mission' problems: with the drill rig a hose burst, a fitting is shot, still working on our new air hammer, Joyce had a small fender bender (almost impossible to avoid those in San Pedro), had the gear shift repaired on the truck, paper legalities for the land for our church building in El Dorardito,...etc, etc, etc. Just the normal stuff!!!

We bless you for blessing us...Fabiola, Mauricio, Rosa, Cesar, Angel, Pedro, Will, Joyce, & Bob

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

A Grand Day of Celebration...l

Sunday the seventh of October was a great day of celebration in El Doradito! That was the day every house in the village got running water into their homes! It may be difficult for North Americans to understand just how life-changing an event that is...to be able to walk to a tap inside your home, turn it, and see water flowing out of it must be a most exhilarating experience. Remember that last October they were living in shacks made of mud, tin, wood, and any other scraps they could find. They had dirt floors, no electricity, no water...and most times they couldn't even keep the rain out! Now they have new homes, electricity, roofs that repel even the hardest of rains; and now...running water INSIDE the house! No more walking to the pump, pumping the bucket full, and then carrying it back to the house (5 gallons weighs over 44 pounds). 

God is showing Himself to this village in different ways almost everyday. The well turned out to be another of God's proofs that He cares for them and is there for them. The village hired a 'professional' to clean the well with an air compressor, but after 4 hours of working he declared the well to have not enough water to bother with and he left. I arrived as he was leaving and after meeting with the water committee we decided we needed to walk by faith, and not by sight. We decided there were some things we could try with the pump we had purchased. After explaining the process I left the work to them and returned home last Saturday. Spending the day in silent prayer (they didn't call me) I tried to keep my belief high as they continued 'developing' the well. Finally at 10:00 p.m. Saturday night I received a call and they asked, "how full to you want the tank?" THEY HAD WATER!  What the 'professional' had declared dead; God brought back to life! The well that was empty; was now filled with LIVING WATER! 

Arriving Sunday afternoon for our church service I saw the well for myself and learned the details of what took place. The committee purchased the valves, pipe, gauges, electrical boxes needed and went to work. First they pumped the well until the water was clear and then they began filling the tank...by the time I arrived the tank was FULL! Not only that, but Sunday morning they opened all the valves and EVERY home in the village received fresh, potable, running water...and we believe Living Water! Our church service was one of shouting and praising God for all He's doing for us in El Doradito. 

It is so exciting to be allowed to be a part of what God's doing...all of you who have come and labored, all of you who have given so sacrificially, all of you who have prayed so faithfully...all of us! God, for whatever reason, has chosen to allow us to be a part of the rebirth of an entire village! And not only that, but one by one we're seeing the rebirth of souls!!!

Now it's your time to celebrate, to praise God, to jump up and down and cry out, "Hallelujah, He lives!"  Now is the time to take advantage of the "open door set before us"!

Join us in prayer, in giving, or in coming to labor...the choice is yours!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

There's a new chef in the house....


Angel is keeping a close eye on the pot as he stirs the tapioca! He's the new "big cheese" in the kitchen!