PRAY FOR:

- Tirza as she has a week off from school and is headed home to get some rest
- A director of the sponsorship program; looking for a married couple who can speak English and Spanish
- For my wedding plans and all the details that need to be worked out
- For the work group and all the details that need to be worked out; there are new doctors I get to work with in the free clinic

SCHEDULE:

- The next two weeks we will continue getting ready for the medical team that is coming
- There is a lot of digging and moving of dirt that needs done around the mission, so we will be hiring 4 other guys to help move those projects along
- We still have all the normal routine programs as well!

PRAISES:

The rain has let up a little bit, and it has been nice to have the ground dry out a little bit and some evenings where it stays light till almost 7:00!

OTHER NOTES:

David and Axel continue to lay block and develop the bathroom area around the activity center. I was able to make the doors and drawers for the activity center cabinets. It is crazy how these last two weeks have gone by so quickly, yet September 18 still seems so far off.

We had so much rain in June. It rained 22 days and 19-1/4 inches. This broke both records in any month. (In my 2 1/2 years of keeping track.)

PRAY FOR:

- The work group who is coming the next two weeks
- A director of the sponsorship program; looking for a married couple who can speak English and Spanish
- Vivien as she has been dealing with allergies
- Tirza as she gets back into her routine

SCHEDULE:

Tuesday: Group arrives
Wednesday: Paint and electrical work around the mission
Thursday: Medical day (we work with the local doctor, visit villages, and help with minor issues)
Friday: Visiting a one-room schoolhouse to do crafts, games, Bible story, and food
Saturday: Helping with our children's program
Sunday: Medical day
Monday: Day out
Tuesday: First aid training for some local soccer teams
Wednesday: Departure

PRAISES:

We received the money needed for a 10-year-old girl to get cataract surgery in both eyes, a $4,000 operation!

OTHER NOTES:

The guys continue to work on the whole activity center area and level the ground. Axel is continuing to learn how to lay blocks.

Two months until our wedding day! We enjoy seeing the excitement of the Honduran kids for that day! One day when Vivien was in the playground with the kids, all of them were asking questions about when the wedding is going to be, who is carrying the ring, the clothes they should wear, or if they were going to receive an invitation with their names on it. The girls get excited when they see the engagement ring on Vivien and want to hold it. Later on the same day, they saw me and came to me smiling and talking about the wedding as well. It’s amazing to see their excitement and anticipation of our season!

PRAY FOR:

- A director of the sponsorship program; looking for a married couple who can speak English and Spanish.
- Vivien as she heads back to Brazil for 4 weeks to be at her sister's wedding. She's also preparing for our marriage and our Brazil reception for November, 2 months after our wedding on September 18.
- Tirza, as she continues to teach English in school, lead Bible studies on Wednesday and the children's program on Saturday, and work at the activity center in the afternoons
- Me, as I will be without Vivien for 4 weeks.

SCHEDULE:

- The month of August I am finishing up some renovations in my house as I prepare for a girl to move in.
- The guys will continue with all the work and maintenance around the property.

PRAISES:

- A wonderful week with the work group. It was a blessing to have them here!

OTHER NOTES:

It was a good, busy 2 weeks with the medical team. They did a few projects around the mission, painted the pillars at the activity center, and installed 4 streetlights on the road next to our property.

We had 2 medical days working with the local doctors. We visited the outskirts of areas that don't have medical clinics and people would have to walk 2+ hours to the nearest clinic.

The medical team did a first aid training for some of the local soccer teams and visited a 1-room schoolhouse to do a Bible story, craft, games, and food.

Before coming, the medical team was also able to raise funds ($4,000) for a 10-year-old girl in our sponsorship program who had cataracts and needed surgery in both eyes. They were able to meet her during the trip, and she had surgery the last day they were here. It was a 2-day surgery, 1 day for each eye, and a day of recovery. When I picked her up, they said she was able to read the smallest letter on the chart and see colors better!

PRAY FOR:

- A director of the sponsorship program; looking for a married couple who can speak English and Spanish.
- Tirza, as the initial excitement has worn off and she now faces the daily challenges of disciplining the children both at school and at the activity center.
- Vivien and I as we do all the planning for a wedding in Honduras and reception in Brazil. For all the traveling, preparation and work we get to do in the next 4 ½ weeks!

SCHEDULE:

Monday: Board meeting
Tuesday: Beginning a conversation with a lawyer for my future because my wife is Brazilian and there are legal matters that come with that

- Continue working on my house
- The last week of August we have the 3 days of Triunfo for the sponsorship children here in Providencia

PRAISES:

- For the enjoyment of working hard and seeing a project come to completion, soon!
- For electricity. We had a few good weeks, but it has been going off for 1 or 2 days the past few weeks. I am still part American and like my electricity, especially when trying to work on a house.

OTHER NOTES:

Not every story we share ends with a smile or an easy resolution. Some are hard to hear, but they reflect the reality of the village we are in and invite us to pray. This story is one of them:

There was one afternoon here in the village when an 11-year-old girl wanted our company while she was waiting for the police. She said they were at her house, arresting her uncle, who had apparently abused a mom who lives next door. She mentioned that he was going to spend the night in jail and that it was not the first time something like this had happened. She also said she was a little scared, but even more frightened by the police officers who seemed aggressive to her. After seeing the police car leave with her uncle, she invited Vivien to go to her family’s house. Vivien went there and saw the kids we know along with their mom. Everyone looked normal, even the children, and no one mentioned what had just happened. Later on, the girl came to our mission to work with us and didn’t say anything else about the situation. This week, there were rumors that the girl’s mother had been arrested and that the children might have to move to another house. We don’t know for sure if this is true, but we ask for prayers for this family, especially for the girl, Wendy, who has been very involved with us and with the ministry, and has not been around for a few days this past week. On a more positive note, one day Wendy was at the activity center reading one of the children's books about a Bible story, and she remembered where it was in the Bible. Opening up the Bible to find it, she was excited to show Vivien!

With Vivien in Brazil, I have been focusing on finishing the projects in my house. I started about 7 months ago working every Saturday. I knew there was a lot to do, but this August we had no major plans, so I figured I would be able to finish up then. We are now making a nicer bathroom and kitchen, and I finally got the sink put in and working. It is nice to have a sink in the house!