Our New Church!

One of the first two readers to read yesterday's entry stepped up and offered to send Ana's family to the movies, plus a little extra for popcorn! I promise this blog will not turn into a site begging for money, just thought you might want the opportunity to help out with something fun. If anyone wants to help with the costs of Erika, Lorenzo, Junior and Carlos, they would love to see the Peanuts Movie too. It will be $20 for the tickets. None of them have ever been to a movie theater before.

I believe I wrote about the fact that when I got back from the US, Pastora Ruth announced that we have to move out of the building which currently houses our church. At first I was in shock, then a little sad because we just got the place looking really nice, with the altar and all. But as I looked around me that Sunday afternoon, I realized my church is made up of the most amazing people. It really doesn't matter if we meet under a tree. Our church will always be strong.

God eased my mind and told me that this is a good thing. Not anything to be sad about. He assured me that he has plans for an even better place for us. All we needed to do is seek Him. So we prayed. Last week during our weekly intercession I shared with everyone the peace and even excitement that God has given me about our new location. I wasn't sure if it would come now, or later, but I promised that God has great plans for us.

Apparently God's plan was for sooner than anyone imagined!

On Tuesday Martha was walking to the church. Along the way, she spotted a tiny sign that said a space was for rent. She shared the information and Pastora Ruth went to talk to the owner. He is Christian and was happy to have a church in his space. He lowered the price from $1000 to $750 and handed her the keys with no deposit at all.

It is a beautiful space! So pretty. Even better than where we were before. Bigger, nicer, significantly cheaper! and in a residential area. That was something I prayed for. I want the people of the neighborhood to be able to attend our church.

Yesterday Pastora Ruth sent us a message which said "SURPRISE!" and asked anyone who was free to come help us move into our new space. About 20 of us were able to go. I was happy it was my free day! I wanted to be a part of the move in some way, since I am not able to attend church this week or next. Afterward we held our weekly intercession in our new space.

As you walk up the stairs, looking left

Walking up the stairs, looking straight ahead
The alter will be on the wall at the front

Standing by the offices and bathrooms,
looking back toward the entry on the right
I love that there are so many windows!

Our first time of intercession

Verses 18 & 19 of  Nehemiah chapter 2

Ricardo giving thanks in our new location

This weekend I am traveling with a team visiting from Indiana. We will serve outside of Tegucigalpa. I translated for them in their past visits, so they invited me to translate with them once again. I'm really excited to see them and serve God together with them!

Next weekend Erika is having Marjory dedicated to God in her church. Of course I want to be present for that. So although I wish I didn't have to miss the first two weeks of my church in its new location, I have some really exciting things going on!

Yesterday Ana called me. I was a little worried that something was wrong. She never calls me, I always call her. Plus, we had just talked the night before.

She was calling because she was excited that the team from Indiana came to visit her home and brought her a basket of food! She could hardly contain herself. Yesterday, before they came, she had absolutely NO food at all in her house. This was a huge blessing! As much as she needed the food, she was also on top of the world to think that the basket of food was for her family. Sometimes I think she feels invisible, although she is always out and serving. She said the basket was full of great stuff.

Recently a friend told me that she believes God is showing me favor right now. I have to agree with her. All of the opportunities that are opening up for me at work are blowing my mind! My relationship with my boss and my co-workers couldn't be better. God even gave my boss and me time alone last week to get to know each other more personally. That was a huge blessing.

Then He came along and gave us a new church, only blocks from our old church and so much better. He blessed Ana, not only with sustenance for her family, but with the knowledge that she is seen and appreciated. He has Erika on a great path - attending church, getting Marjory dedicated, and in a relationship that seems to be going well.

My Mom is surrounded by friends who are struggling with really tough things, but my Mom just turned 73 on Monday and is healthy and strong. Watching others her age are face these horrible challenges makes me thank God even more for the life He chose for my Mom.

My nephew and my Mom celebrating 73 years with chocolate cake and crab legs
I love seeing my Mom this happy

I am so blessed and it seems like everyone around me is doing well too. I want to soak in these moments of joy, stretch them out so they last even longer, and bask in the gratitude I feel for all of God's blessings. He sees every little detail, and He has control of it all with plans to prosper and not to harm.

An afternoon at the movies?

Hi! I've never done this before, but I've decided to ask for your help here in this format.

I want to take Ana's family and Erika and her siblings to a see the movie Peanuts. It will be two separate trips because they can't all fit in my car at once.

The cost of the tickets is 90 Lempiras for adults and 80 Lempiras for kids.

For Erika's family it will cost $20 for tickets. Ana and her family will cost fifty cents more $20.50.

Neither family has ever been to a movie theater before and would really like to go.

I understand that going to the movies is not a necessity, but it is a cool life experience.

If you would like to sponsor Ana's family or Erika and her siblings to see The Peanuts Movie, please contact me on FB, by email, or leave a message on this page below. It will be a big help to me and they will be so excited!

Another day at the park

Today was a funny day. Everything turned out much differently than I planned.

This morning I did a bible study, then Santos came over to fix a shelf that fell down a year ago, but I never told anyone. I had this whole scheme in mind of how to fix it. I thought he was going to have to buy stuff to hold it up. Actually he just propped a piece of metal back into place. Why didn't I ask a year ago?

I told Fany that I was spending the day with Erika, but I couldn't think of anything for us to do. After groaning about my own indecisiveness a few times, I decided that we could walk over to the next neighborhood and buy an avocado, then come home and make baleadas. Then we could stop in at my favorite used clothing store because I only have 3 blouses to wear to the office. Now that I am spending more time at the office, I need more than 3 blouses in my rotation.

Fany said she has clothes her Aunt sent from the US. Her Aunt sends big boxes of clothes that she buys by the pound and Fany sells them here. I didn't expect there to be much, but Fany pulled out shirt after shirt. There were 5 shirts I like. One has a hole so she gave it to me for free. The other four were supposed to cost $5 each, but she only charged me $4. I was totally happy to have new shirts to wear to the office (it is VERY formal attire), but that kind of ruined my plan with Erika.

When I called Erika to say that I would pass by a half hour later than planned she mentioned that the boys weren't home yet. I just assumed that she knows I love to see them. She said it would be perfect for me to come a half hour late, because then the boys would be back. Normally I ask her what she wants to do. She always tells me that she doesn't care. Today I didn't bother to ask. I figured we could brainstorm together.

As I pulled up to the house, or rather the road across the valley from the house, it was strange because nobody was around. Normally there are lots of kids around and Erika is waiting, looking for my truck. I turned the car around and parked. Marjory peeked out the door, but nobody came. Since there were no people nearby, I decided to take some photos.

Erika's house is in the top middle of the photo. You can see the ravine that I hope her house never falls into each time the heavy rains come.

The kids snuck up from behind while I wasn't looking. Lorenzo, Carlos and Junior, as well as their buddy Jose, were all outside the car, yanking on the door handles trying to get in. I was monkeying with my phone and it took me a minute to unlock the doors so they started banging on the windows. I thought they just wanted say hello, which they always do. But as soon as the doors were unlocked everyone crawled in, latched up their seat belts and sat still and straight as soldiers. (Which is a miracle, because NOBODY here uses seat belts.)

It was then I realized they all were freshly bathed, with wet hair, dressed in their best clothes. And everyone had a flour for me! Lorenzo brought a rose. Clearly they were expecting to go somewhere.

Erika climbed in and I asked if they would prefer to go to a playland or the new park. I didn't want to spend the money on eating at a playland, but I also thought the sun was awfully strong to go to a park. The boys chose the park, which turned out to be great!

Lorenzo asked permission to remain in the front seat. Since he is now 11 years old, and the back seat was full, I told him sure. He is still too little for a seat belt. It was choking him. I showed him how to put it behind his back. All of the kids were so, so wonderfully behaved. I told them over and over how great they were.

Erika said she is presenting Marjory to the church in two weeks. Before she had a chance to invite me I asked if I could go. She laughed and said she told her mother she hoped I would come.

Since I was not prepared to go to the park, I told the boys I needed to get the flowers into a cup of water so they wouldn't die. We went to my house where we picked up Fany and Laura, as well as my camera and some umbrellas for shade.

The boys had never been to my house before. They were amazed by how I snapped ice cubes out of the ice cube tray. When I filled the tray with water they watched carefully until Lorenzo told them that I was making more ice cubes.

They were shocked at the bag of cat food. They said, "That's a lot of food!" As I was thinking about it later, I realized that my cat probably has more food in the house than they have for all of the people in their house. Realizations like that make living in Honduras strange.

Junior got car sick from the five minute ride to the park. Poor baby held it in until we arrived, then puked as I was spraying everyone down with sunblock.

It was so nice watching the boys be free and have fun. Going to a park where they can play safely is a big deal for them.

At first they were eager to race from one thing to the next, but when I told them we have hours to play they settled in.

Lorenzo is still not growing. I would like to know why. Erika said they told her mother that he is unable to absorb nutrients, but Erika doesn't know why. I wonder if anything can be done. All the rest of his family is a healthy weight and height. Poor Lorenzo is so small. Only his face is maturing.

When it came time to leave I told them they had five more minutes to play. I sat down with Erika and we packed everything up. As soon as I stood, all three of them came running over and hopped in the car with no complaints. Such sweet, well-behaved boys. I love them!

Not sure what kind of gun this is
But yes, there are armed military keeping the park safe

Laura

Fany and I found some shade

Lorenzo

Junior

Carlos

Junior

Erika with Carlos and me

Carlos is the KING OF THE WORLD!

So many great smiles!

I taught Laura hopscotch on the tiles of her kitchen floor

Marjory

Lorenzo

Teaching women to write

Today is my Mom's birthday! Happy Birthday Mom. I love you sooooo much!

Yesterday I got to bring a woman to church with me who is in hiding with a missionary friend of mine. She and her kids were being abused by her husband, so my friend and her ministry helped her escape while I was in the US. My missionary friend was looking for someone to take them to a Spanish speaking church this week and thought of me.

We had a great time! It was so nice to see her get lost in worship. Her kids really enjoyed the kids' classes. I hope they choose to go back next week. They seemed like super nice people.

Pastora Ruth

This morning I was happy to see most of my co-workers again! Some are still on vacation. The room was still only 2/3rds full at our time of devotion. After the devotional my team had a meeting to discuss the year to come.

We will be serving in Los Pinos!

The cool thing about the way we are entering Los Pinos is that ALL of the different sections of my organization are going in together. We'll serve another 50 kids in Los Pinos, as well as their families. But we are going to do even more than work with the teens and families! People from our Transform Honduras team, as well as The Peace and Justice Alliance team, will go into Los Pinos schools, health centers, and the police force.

I believe they are going to find that the police presence in Los Pinos is nowhere near as prevalent as the other areas we serve. We are getting more police headquarters in other neighborhoods. I think Los Pinos needs about four new police posts.

In the middle of the meeting one of my coworkers told my boss that the mothers she works with would like to learn to write. Another coworker chimed in saying there are mothers on her caseload who can't write and are struggling to help their kids with homework.

You may have read about my boss being a woman of action. As my coworkers spoke, she kept looking at me. When they finished she asked if I would be interested in teaching the mothers we serve to write. I said sure!

In my mind I thought - Thank God Spanish is phonetic!! I was imagining myself Googling "How to write in Spanish" when my boss said, "We will sign you up for classes this week so you can learn how to teach writing."

Yes! Classes sound great! Professional development will help me be a good, confident writing teacher for the women in our project.

So, I now have my first new assignment of the year. (Besides cleaning out the closets and filing cabinets last week.) I am going to be a teacher to women who don't know how to write!

A few days ago a friend told me she thinks God is showing me favor. I must agree.

A day at the park

I am realizing that my knuckles hurt much more when I type. Looking back over 2015, I have 188 blog entries! That comes out to one entry every 2 days. I love that I am being consistent but, for the sake of my knuckles, I am going to have to cut back.

Yesterday evening I went to our weekly intercession. Suddenly we heard crazy noises outside. The streets were full of police and people marching with torches. They were chanting that they want the president taken out of office. It shut down the street for a while so we couldn't leave. It was a peaceful protest, but I felt better watching from up on the third floor.

My boss gave me the day off yesterday since everyone else was on vacation. I picked up Ana and her family and we went to a new park by my house. It's so nice! There are military men at the gate who check what you are bringing in. Then there are a bunch of people in special vests who are stationed around the park to be sure the kids are safe.

Normally the park is so packed that it's not safe. But yesterday we had a few hours when there was only one other family around. It was a fun day for everyone. Even Samuel, who is recovering from chicken pox.

Love their faces

Future gymnast

Brothers

Samuel is tired after a day in the park