Political Unrest

Please pray for Honduras! Rumors are flying and people are stocking up on essentials, worried about the future. The next few days could show a major difference in the way this country is governed and it is likely that there will be violence. Please pray for our safety and the people of this country.

Baby Rosa

Rosa, born about one month ago to Vanessa. She is a tiny, beautiful baby. We are concerned that Rosa may not be growing or gaining weight so we are forming a plan to help Vanessa to give her daughter the best possible care. Vanessa is still living with her grandmother, Maria, who is extremely dependent on her. Please pray for this little family and for wisdom for us as we asses the situation and find the best way for giving baby Rosa a good start on life.

Farewell to Ken, Beth, and Ty

This past week we said good bye to Ken, Beth, and Ty. Our dear friends are heading back to the north country for now. Ken and Beth own a place up the side of the mountain with a pool, beautiful landscaping, and several apartments. It is their plan for this place to be a retreat for missionaries. A place to relax, recharge, and be rejuvenated. They have been a true blessing to our family. Almost every weekend we spent some time there. The kids enjoyed the pool and the adults talked, laughed, and prayed together.
Ken and Beth hope to be back in Honduras in the not too distant future. We will miss their encouragement and we pray that God will bring them back here soon.

"Chance" Meeting

When we had to renew our visas last month, something happened that I wanted to share. We left Trujiillo a couple of days early for some much needed R&R in San Pedro Sula before out flight back to the US. The first hotel we stayed in is a special treat for the kids. They have the coolest pool with two water slides and other fun things for their entertainment. After a long six hour drive, we were all ready to get out of the car. As soon as we were settled in the room, we made a bee line for the pool. The kids had only been playing a few minutes, when a man with a thick Australian accent came up to Brian and asked very hopefully," Do you speak English?" He went on to tell Brian that he and the family had been on vacation in the states and had taken a side trip in the middle of their sightseeing to come to Honduras for a very special reason. You see, this family sponsors a little girl in a mountain village through a relief organization. In planning their vacation, they decided to spend some of that time coming here and visiting their sponsor child. How cool is that? Anyway, coming through customs and getting to the hotel had given them enough culture shock to make them want to rethink their travel plans. There are armed guards at the entrance to stores and restaurants, very few people speak English, and the heat in the big city is almost unbearable. On top of that, they felt like prisoners in the hotel which is somewhat out of the way and after all the sights of extreme poverty in a third world country, they weren't sure they felt safe enough to go anywhere. So running into us was a big relief to them! Having some experience under our belts, we were able to reassure them and give them a few ideas of how to get the most out of their stay in Honduras. We actually ended up spending quite a bit of time together, sharing meals and shopping at a huge market deep in the city. By the time we had to go our separate ways, we felt like we were saying good bye to dear friends. It was so neat how God brought us together at just right time to meet Tim, Laurel, Annabel, and Charlotte. After we left for the states, they went on to meet their sponsor child in a remote village. Now, they are back home in Australia, but we continue to keep in contact through e-mail and look forward to the day when we can meet again.

Tim, Laurel, Annabel, and Charlotte with their sponser child.

Medical Team from Mississippi

Last week we spent most of our time working with a group that came to work at the Christian School. Their team consisted of one doctor, several pharmacists, and a dentists with his helpers. The did two clinics out at the Mission Del Caribe church and the rest of the week was spent here in Trujillo. They saw hundreds of people and pulled a huge amount of teeth. Brian and I did some translating for them and helped with organizing and crowd control. The days that we weren't working at the clinic, we were carting the families that Little Hands works with on a regular basis, back and forth from their homes to the clinic. It was a very busy week. The stress of being off our regular schedule was hard on the kids, but at the same time they enjoyed a change of pace. Jonathan used his new found skills making small animals and baskets out of palm branches to entertain the children while they waited to see the doctor. The other kids pitched in when they could and loved spending time with the team. It was exciting to see our family be able to take part in all that was going on.
During his time, Brian developed a bad infection on his elbow. Eventually it had progressed to the point of needing to be surgically drained. We were so thankful that God brought this team here at just the right time to be available to take care of this medical need. Brian is still taking antibiotics and the wound continues to heal.

Jack Turns ONE!

Ok, so I'm a week late! We just got the pictures on the computer tonight and I'm playing catch-up. Last Saturday Maybelline and Jeffery celebrated one Jack's first birthday. It was a big party with tons of people. Maybelline's family came all the way from Teguc and most of the church was there as well. All the excitement must have stirred up the kids from the neighborhood Bible class and they showed up to share in the cake, games, and the car pinata big enough for Andrew and Jack to both sit in it, side by side. I think a good time was had by all!

Lobster Dinner

Last week Nina brought is some of the biggest lobster tails I have ever seen. About a month ago, we helped her take care of a terrible burn on her leg. To show her appreciation and to hold out her hand in friendship, she gave us this gift. Tonight she came over to help me fix this delicacy. She showed me how to use fresh lime juice to make the meat whiter and take away the fishy taste. We diced up onions, peppers, and garlic to saute with the meat in a lot of butter. Two whole sticks! Definately a heart attack waiting to happen in there! But I decided that if this was my last meal, I couldn't have picked a better one! It was the best sea food I have ever tasted! Even Brian who doesn't even like the stuff, said it was delicious! I tried to impress on the kids that this was a special treat weather we were here or in the states. They are convinced that we should have lobster for every meal. So much for living the life of the deprived missionary family! Pass me some more of that butter slathered "langusta". YUMMY!

Update on Dad

Dad is continuing to regain his mobility a baby step at a time. Please keep up your prayer support for him and mom. Pray that the insurance company will be satisfied with the progress he is making and allow him to stay longer. One of the goals they are working on now is for him to be able to feed himself. With a special brace on his forearm, he is able to get the food to his mouth. Pray for him to not be discouraged and that the great attitude that he usually has will shine out brightly. If you have a special message that you want to convey to him, please leave it as a comment and we'll pass your thoughts along to him and mom.
Thanks!