MINISTRY

Prayer Requests:

- Wisdom as I lead and look to expand and acquire more property
- For more laborers: a director of the sponsorship program, a farmer to help expand and experiment with what we have, a director of the English teaching program, and teachers

Praises:

- For the encouragement the work group from Encounter Church was to us and our staff in the week they spent with us in Honduras!!!
- For all our support who pray for us and are financially generous

Other Notes:

Thanks to a donation, we were able to purchase a portable battery sound system for Naun to use when he visits the 2 locations where we are preaching!

We had a wonderful time with the work group from Encounter. Their focus was more on church services, being very intentional about praying for the individuals and area. They were able to share at 3 different church services, devotions and Bible Study with the Hondurans, and help out with our ministries in the activity center and visiting families. They also did some odd jobs around the mission and helped David as he has started to build his house.

Our 18 days in the US went really well. We were able to connect with 9 different churches and held a sponsorship banquet. We were able to find sponsors for 11 more of the children and received many generous donations.

PERSONAL

Prayer Requests:

- As we continue to learn how to balance family and ministry life
- As Vivien continues to adjust to the Honduras lifestyle that can be challenging with the lack of a Christian community
- To be intentional about studying Spanish

Praises:

- For the time we were able to spend with my family!
- For the time in Virginia, getting to recount with Vivien's friends and "family," be more connected to churches, and for all the hospitality and encouragement they gave to us!
- Thank you for your prayers; knowing that we have prayer partners is very encouraging!
- For all the generous gifts that were given during our stay.

Other Notes;

Our time in PA was very special! Vivien was able to see what my life used to be like before moving to Honduras—my family and the people from my life, the places I used to go, and the many memories during the years I lived in the US.

While in the US, we were able to have meals with our family and friends, filling up our time with food and fellowship!

We also held a casual reception for friends and family who were not able to attend our wedding in Honduras!

We were also able to play some pickle ball for the first time. We both really enjoyed it and are looking forward to playing it here in Honduras.

Back in Honduras! Our first meal out was the one we had both been missing — the honduran typical meal, eggs, beans and cheese!

MINISTRY

Prayer Requests:

- More laborers
- June is a busy month with 3 groups (1 being VBS), but we are very excited!
- We have often been challenged to listen to complaining from people who don't see the blessing and opportunity around them

Praises:

- We heard some of the teens are studying the Bible together to answer questions they have. It excites us so much seeing this love for the Word growing!

Other Notes:

We were finally able to find time to take the other group of sponsored children to the river as a reward for memorizing 10 verses this year.

We want to highlight the sponsorship program this month, as we are still looking for about 20 kids to be sponsored. Stephany has been writing stories with the children about the program: Good day! Hoping you are doing well and with your loved ones! My full name is Ana Elizabeth Dominguez Hernandez, and I am 18 years old. I live with my family in El Higuerito, S.A.C. My mother Glenda Dominguez is a housewife, and sometimes she works as a moto taxi driver. My stepfather is Jose Vasquez, and he is a moto taxi driver as well. I have 5 siblings: 3 of them are studying and one of them has a disability. About my biological father, I did not grow up with him, and I did not receive support from him. Being 6 kids was more difficult for us to get the resources for all of us to go to study. I thank God because I became a part of the Ministry 3 years ago. I received help with the things needed to study during my 3 years of career in college. Today, I can thank God, the Ministry, my sponsors, and my family for supporting me to achieve my dream. I am officially graduated in Business Administration! I have a little sister who is studying and being part of the program. I hope to see her graduating as well! Now, I am looking for the opportunity of a job. I want to work and be able to help my family. I also think about continue studying in the University. Thank you so much for the help you gave me. Your support does not represent just material help but a great emotional boost and an opportunity to build a better future. Thank you for being part of my journey. I will always take your support with gratitude.

PERSONAL

Prayer Requests:

- To stay driven to keep studying Spanish
- Waiting for a strong Christian community to help meet spiritual needs
- Wisdom for how to disciple the Hondurans

Praises:

- Warm weather again after being in the US.
- We feel progress towards the balance of time between ministry and family. Even with interruptions of people in the community, we have been able to mostly honor our time together.
- After living 2 years out of a suitcase, Vivien finally has the beginning of a wardrobe in our bedroom.

Other Notes:

Janele turned 15, which is a special occasion here. We had fun as we continue to become part of the community and learn about the culture.

Graciela and David wanted to celebrate their first year of marriage with us. We went out to eat at one of David's favorite restaurants. We had a good time enjoying the evening and talking about married life.

We have been enjoying Pickleball. We played for the first time in Pennsylvania with my dad. We brought the paddles down with us and made a makeshift net until he brings a real net down next week when they visit us.

MINISTRY

Prayer Requests:

- More laborers
- July we will have a medical team here again
- Wisdom to lead and what to teach the Bible study group

Praises:

- Thanks to Zack and Katie, we now can lock off the activity center area at night
- VBS was a lot of fun, learning about who Jesus is and what He did for us!

Other Notes:

The VBS group from New Providence COG went really well. It was a good time of games, songs, food, and Bible with the children of La Providencia.

Jeff Swope came along with Providence Church and helped start to build a new house for a family in the sponsorship program. Our team here is working to complete it. Thank you Jeff for raising the money needed to build the house!

Zack and Katie were here for four days to help weld a few gates for us as we continue to develop the activity center area.

PERSONAL

Prayer Requests:

- To stay driven to keep studying Spanish
- To lean on and find our fulfillment in Jesus as we wait for a Christian community here in La Providencia

Praises:

- My parents, aunt, and uncle were here to visit for a week. It was a great week since any time with my family is wonderful! We were able to play pickle ball, eat a lot of good food, and visit children in some of the smaller surrounding areas.
- It was good to get back into the shop and start some wood projects

MINISTRY

Prayer Requests:

- More laborers
- Wisdom to know how to show and teach the teenagers stronger values after dropping out of school due to cell phone usage and lack of parental guidance
- Wisdom to know how to work with our staff/volunteers, teaching them to teach and love the children
- Corrine and her group who will be visiting in August

Praises:

- Thanks for everything the medical team did while they were here! It was a great time!
- For the rain, the generator, and now the hot sun with no rain.

Other Notes:

Zack and Katie gave a donation to improve the soccer field. We were able to build larger goals and buy goalie gloves. The guys have been enjoying the upgrade!

This year, our large grasshoppers have come back. Vivien had the kids on the mission property a few days and creatively had them collecting and disposing of as many as they could.

Vivien continues to improve the activity center area. There are 8 leaders that are playing with the kids in the afternoons, and some of them are starting to be trained. It is fun to see more Hondurans being interested in volunteering.

The medical team was here this month, and this year we did 3 medical days. It was a great week even with the electricity going out a lot and a lot of rain! We visited Tapiquilares and had songs, games, a Bible story, and, of course, food.

A quote I found somewhere and enjoyed: "The world loves by reaction—insult for insult, kindness only once earned. The kingdom loves by revelation. It does not ask, 'What did they do to me?' It asks, 'Who is my Father, and how do I reveal Him here?'"

Working with the families in Honduras can be trying and sad at times. Vivien has been able to have great conversations with many of the teen girls. The one girl shared that her parents kicked her out of the house because they didn't love her. She has two younger siblings, around 3 and 5 years old. We decided to ask the parents if we could have a fun weekend with them in our house. They came for two days and one night, and it went well. Not sure where it will all lead, but having kids in the house was definitely a change; a little more mess and noise, but fun! The younger sister didn't want to go back.

PERSONAL

Prayer Requests:

- To stay driven to keep studying Spanish
- As we think about a family (e.g., adoptions, caring for the unwanted, or natural)
- As we learn to have healthy biblical conversations from two different upbringings

Praises:

- Enjoying the natural pace between workgroups and enjoying the community of workgroups who speak English
- We have started to work on our backyard screened in living room again. Looking to finish here in a few months!

Other Notes:

We didn't have time to watch all the World Cup but found time for a few of the games. We did have a small party for the final game!