Saturday, May 24, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
Your prayers
WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!
We have been working for 5 years now in an attempt to adopt our children. The government here is so corrupt that at every turn we run into someone who simply outright steals from us or requires another bribe.
Our latest lawyer has made more progress than any of the others and we now have passports for Fabiola, Mauricio, and Angel. The next step is to get permission from IHNFA (Child welfare) and a Judge for the children to leave the country, then we can apply for a U.S. Visa. Our plan is to get these three out and after demonstrating our obedience to return the children to Honduras it will be easier to take the same steps for the other three children. If we can prove that we can leave the country and return without causing any harm to the children then we have a much better chance at getting a Judge to grant us full custody and adoption!
The latest problem is this: tonight I received an e-mail from our lawyer telling me we had to pay the Judge 18,000 limperas per child for her to consider our case! That's 54,000 limperas or approximately $3000.00! We simply don't have it! We are asking you to pray and ask God to kick in these last two doors and if necessary, to provide the funds for these latest bribes. Whether you can give or not, please, please pray!
If you feel led to help defray these costs please send a check to: Wellspring of Life, P.O Box 3027, Plant City, FL 33563 with a note indicating "children's adoption"
Thank you for praying and opening your hearts to the needs of these children
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Remorse, but Greater Celebration...
Today I'm feeling remorse because I can't watch the Penn State/Michigan football game! I know...a lot of you are saying, "so what?" But you need to know that I live and breath PSU!
However, the reason I can't watch the game gives me great cause for celebration: Today I will be officiating in the first wedding ceremony for our village church, Los Discipulos de Jesus! Carlos & Maritza, one of the strongest couples in the village, are getting married today! That's right; they are getting married...all this time I just assumed they were married, but it was not so. They have been living together for approximately 20 years and have produced 3 children, but were never married. Since we began our church in the village the two of them have seen their spiritual lives come alive and God has given them a hunger and thirst for Himself! As a result the Holy Spirit has convicted them to get their lives completely right before God.
Two weeks ago Carlos came to me and told me he wanted to be baptized! Again, I had assumed he had been baptized since he knew the Word pretty well and obviously had accepted Jesus as his savior. However, like the marriage thing, he had never gotten baptized. So, our family and his family took him to a river just above our new home and baptized Carlos! Now this afternoon, 5:00 p.m., they will unite in holy matrimony! Their prayer is their example will inspire others to allow the Holy Spirit to lead them to a righteous walk as well.
However, the reason I can't watch the game gives me great cause for celebration: Today I will be officiating in the first wedding ceremony for our village church, Los Discipulos de Jesus! Carlos & Maritza, one of the strongest couples in the village, are getting married today! That's right; they are getting married...all this time I just assumed they were married, but it was not so. They have been living together for approximately 20 years and have produced 3 children, but were never married. Since we began our church in the village the two of them have seen their spiritual lives come alive and God has given them a hunger and thirst for Himself! As a result the Holy Spirit has convicted them to get their lives completely right before God.
Two weeks ago Carlos came to me and told me he wanted to be baptized! Again, I had assumed he had been baptized since he knew the Word pretty well and obviously had accepted Jesus as his savior. However, like the marriage thing, he had never gotten baptized. So, our family and his family took him to a river just above our new home and baptized Carlos! Now this afternoon, 5:00 p.m., they will unite in holy matrimony! Their prayer is their example will inspire others to allow the Holy Spirit to lead them to a righteous walk as well.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Beginning to see the Fruit...
Last week when I had another near trip to the emergency room (it was aborted when the pain began to subside on the way there) Fabi called the village and asked them to pray for me. Later Carlos, from the village, called and told me they had all been praying for me and how excited they were to hear that I was not in the hospital. I told him their prayers were powerful, and then he told me:
"You don't have to worry as much about us anymore. The seeds you planted in us are beginning to take root and not all of us, but some of us, are 'getting it' and we now KNOW how to move forward on our own! Now we know we can do things for ourselves and solve problems by working together, and we know for sure that God cares about us."
What a great blessing this is for all of us who have worked in El Doradito, who have supported the work in El Doradito, and who have prayed for El Doradito!
Our village has now progressed to the point that others are beginning to take notice of this 'new family'! Last week the alcalde (mayor) of San Manuel, their district, sent 17 dump truck loads of 'select' (material for roads) and a grader to level the material! We now have REAL STREETS! Hopefully I won't be pulling any more dump trucks out of the mud!
Then this week, Cepudo, our Honduran NGO partner in El Doradtio, used their contacts to secure 150 trees to be planted in the village. Yesterday I picked up fruit trees and ornamental trees which will be planted throughout the village this weekend!
A year and a half ago this was a field with a dozen or so stick/tin/mud shacks with dirt floors scattered about the field. Today we are a village of 37 homes with running water and electricity, streets, greenhouses, a herd of sheep, soon to have 150 newly planted trees, and a church/community center! I wish I could show you aerial photos of before and after, because the transformation through God is truly remarkable. I pray this blesses all of you who have been a part of this work and that it encourages you to stay with us and to bring some of your friends alongside as well!
"You don't have to worry as much about us anymore. The seeds you planted in us are beginning to take root and not all of us, but some of us, are 'getting it' and we now KNOW how to move forward on our own! Now we know we can do things for ourselves and solve problems by working together, and we know for sure that God cares about us."
What a great blessing this is for all of us who have worked in El Doradito, who have supported the work in El Doradito, and who have prayed for El Doradito!
Our village has now progressed to the point that others are beginning to take notice of this 'new family'! Last week the alcalde (mayor) of San Manuel, their district, sent 17 dump truck loads of 'select' (material for roads) and a grader to level the material! We now have REAL STREETS! Hopefully I won't be pulling any more dump trucks out of the mud!
Then this week, Cepudo, our Honduran NGO partner in El Doradtio, used their contacts to secure 150 trees to be planted in the village. Yesterday I picked up fruit trees and ornamental trees which will be planted throughout the village this weekend!
A year and a half ago this was a field with a dozen or so stick/tin/mud shacks with dirt floors scattered about the field. Today we are a village of 37 homes with running water and electricity, streets, greenhouses, a herd of sheep, soon to have 150 newly planted trees, and a church/community center! I wish I could show you aerial photos of before and after, because the transformation through God is truly remarkable. I pray this blesses all of you who have been a part of this work and that it encourages you to stay with us and to bring some of your friends alongside as well!
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
More Beautiful on the inside...
Last week we were swamped with "likes" and comments on the picture of our beautiful 16 year old daughter, Fabiola. Allow me to now tell you how much more beautiful she is on the inside:
Before Sunday's church service in our village she was walking around the village inviting everyone to get up and get to church, as she always does. As she was doing this she remembered that last year on her birthday she discovered an old woman in the village had the same birthday as her. So, she made a special attempt to pass by her house this day. Sure enough she found the old woman sitting out front and Fabi stopped to talk with her. During the course of the conversation Fabi discovered that she was very ill and had been for some time. What happened next is what makes our chests swell up with pride:
Fabi said she felt like God was speaking to her to help this old woman, but she wasn't sure how that would happen. Then she remembered that she had received 1000 limperas for her birthday and she took out 500 limperas and gave it to the old woman! The daughter and the old woman immediately began to cry as the daughter explained that they desperately needed to purchase medicine for her mother this would exactly cover their costs!!!
Before Sunday's church service in our village she was walking around the village inviting everyone to get up and get to church, as she always does. As she was doing this she remembered that last year on her birthday she discovered an old woman in the village had the same birthday as her. So, she made a special attempt to pass by her house this day. Sure enough she found the old woman sitting out front and Fabi stopped to talk with her. During the course of the conversation Fabi discovered that she was very ill and had been for some time. What happened next is what makes our chests swell up with pride:
Fabi said she felt like God was speaking to her to help this old woman, but she wasn't sure how that would happen. Then she remembered that she had received 1000 limperas for her birthday and she took out 500 limperas and gave it to the old woman! The daughter and the old woman immediately began to cry as the daughter explained that they desperately needed to purchase medicine for her mother this would exactly cover their costs!!!
Definitely more Beautiful on the Inside!!!
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Overwhelmed by your generosity...
Please allow me to tell each of you how overwhelming it is to be showered with so many prayers and to receive the financial support that came from your sacrifices! In fact the donations were so great that I now have to do the one thing any missionary never thought they would do: I must ask you to STOP sending donations for "Bob's Heart". Our expenses have been met in full!!!
Again, please receive our thanks and please don't send any more donations to "Bob's heart". If you still feel led to join us in God's work in Honduras you may contribute to our general account which is:
Again, please receive our thanks and please don't send any more donations to "Bob's heart". If you still feel led to join us in God's work in Honduras you may contribute to our general account which is:
Wellspring of Life
P.O. Box 3027
Plant City, FL. 33563
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Urgent prayer request...
I just returned from having a stress test and although the news is not life-threatening, it is not good either. The doctor told me I have a blockage and he needs to find out how severe the blockage is to determine if I need a stint installed or not. The hospital explained that I need to be prepared to pay for the diagnostic testing (inserting a catheter into my arteries through my groin area and then injecting a die to measure the degree of blockage, as well as the amount of blockages) and the ensuing procedure for the stint if deemed necessary. They seemed to be telling me that it's almost a certainty that at least one will be needed.
The cost of the testing procedure is $2,000.00 and the cost of the stint procedure is $7,000.00 for one blockage and $2,000.00 for each additional blockage. I'm sure most of you know Joyce and I do not have insurance (we are not eligible here because of our ages) and therefore we will need your help.
The first thing we're asking for is your prayers, prayers that the procedure shows the stress test results to be inaccurate and therefore no stint would be necessary. I absolutely believe God can heal me and know that your prayers can help to open that possibility. So, please pray! Unfortunately, the second thing I need to ask for is your financial support. It pains me to ask for myself since I know how you have sacrificed for the ministry over these many years. However, as unpaid volunteers, we just don't have the funds available to schedule these procedures. If God encourages you to help us financially please send your donations to our Plant City office with a memo that simply states "Bob's heart". Thanking you in advance for my healing...
The cost of the testing procedure is $2,000.00 and the cost of the stint procedure is $7,000.00 for one blockage and $2,000.00 for each additional blockage. I'm sure most of you know Joyce and I do not have insurance (we are not eligible here because of our ages) and therefore we will need your help.
The first thing we're asking for is your prayers, prayers that the procedure shows the stress test results to be inaccurate and therefore no stint would be necessary. I absolutely believe God can heal me and know that your prayers can help to open that possibility. So, please pray! Unfortunately, the second thing I need to ask for is your financial support. It pains me to ask for myself since I know how you have sacrificed for the ministry over these many years. However, as unpaid volunteers, we just don't have the funds available to schedule these procedures. If God encourages you to help us financially please send your donations to our Plant City office with a memo that simply states "Bob's heart". Thanking you in advance for my healing...
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