As usual, our internet access will be hit or miss. Hopefully I’ll get to post at least once from Cholu.

What you can pray for while we are there:

• Health & safety of team members (especially in regards to the heat)
• Humility and flexibility for our team members
• We will make the most of every opportunity we are presented with
• Our team will demonstrate brotherly love toward each other and our hosts
• We will build a foundation for future work
• Seeds of faith will be planted, some will be watered, and others harvested
• We will be an encouragement to our brothers at the Choluteca church, and that we will receive encouragement from them as well

Specific prayer requests:

• Health is a particular concern since temperatures in Cholu have been breaking 100F regularly the last couple weeks.
• Team unity & fellowship, including our Honduran team members that we’ll meet when we get there
• This year, we decided to hire 10 local workers to assist us with construction work. We’re hoping to learn some skills from them, and hoping to share a little Christian love with them as well.
• Pray that we will be as light a burden as possible to the church. We’re challenging ourselves to out-serve & out-encourage them!
• We have some big dreams and ideas for the future, please pray that God will guide us and give us discernment about if/how to proceed.
• Pray for the cultivation of our relationships with our brothers & sisters in Choluteca. Many of our returning team members have begun to build strong relationships, and 10 days never feels long enough.
• Pray that we will be the eyes and ears of The Rock in Honduras, and that when we return, we can be the voice of Choluteca to our church and to the campus.
• May our hearts be broken by the things that break the heart of God…

Ian sent this along today:

"She was admitted in to hospital today having trouble breathing. She is currently on a drip and looks weak, she also has a fever and cough.

Please pray for a swift recovery. She has a really good, supportive family, praise the Lord."

Keydi is 15 and was born with HIV. She has been recovering from a recent bout with pneumonia, and had lost a lot of weight.  She was excited to return to school after her illness, so pray for encouragement for her during this difficult time.

You can read Keydi’s profile on the Casa Hogar Vida site.

What you can pray for while we are there:

• Health & safety of team members (especially in regards to the heat)
• Humility and flexibility for our team members
• We will make the most of every opportunity we are presented with
• Our team will demonstrate brotherly love toward each other and our hosts
• We will build a foundation for future work
• Seeds of faith will be planted, some will be watered, and others harvested
• We will be an encouragement to our brothers at the Choluteca church, and that we will receive encouragement from them as well

John
Stevi
Austin
Brian
Caley
Joey
Max
Ben
Adam
Amanda
Elizabeth
Nathan
Matt
Drew
Brooke
Kelly
Robbie
Megan
Liz

Dear God,

Strengthen our faith
Remove our inhibitions
Help us make the most of every opportunity
Give us a sweet life-altering week
Make our hearts sensitive
Give us a mindset of service
Help us to make a difference
Teach us to rely on You
Make us strong and courageous
Help us to soak up the experience
May we come home with no regrets

Read more about Carla and her family:  http://casahogarvida.blogspot.com/2008/09/life-of-carla-cruz.html

Friends here is a brief story of a family we are currently helping through the Casa Hogar Vida (CHV) program. For $33.00 per month you can help save children like these.

We met the family on the 22nd January 2009 through a Doctor at a clinic which helps those infected with the HIV virus. The doctor was/is extremely concerned about the health of the children who live in this family especially a 10 year old called Yasaira who is infected with HIV. 

We have seen extreme poverty here in Choluteca and some bad cases of neglect but non can compare with what we saw on our arrival. Every child has scabies, and ten have another type of parasite which eats in to the skin leaving sores which ooze pus. The hair of the children was stuck together with the pus even a baby of three months old was covered.

The house is home for twelve people, the first day we were there the only thing they had to eat was a small iguana. The baby’s bed/hammock is an old sack. Everywhere there is dirt and many of the children sleep on a mud floor.

23rd January, some of the CHV team returned with some food for the family and creams for the scabies, our concern was that because of the extent of the parasites the root of the problem would need to be addressed, but first we had to take emergency measures.

On our return we spoke with Pastor Giovanny who is also a doctor and on the 26th he and I (Ian) returned.  He like us said that it was one of the worst cases he had seen. Giovanny then carried out a full medical check and told me what I needed to purchase from the pharmacy.

The following day some other people from the team returned to bring the medicines Giovanny prescribed and also fresh water, bleach and soap to bath regularly. The bathing of the children begun, also a change of clothing has been provided and the family are to receive water on a regular basis. The aim is to now monitor progress if any, and evaluate the next steps that need to be taken. 

The importance of the Support Groups and the Child sponsorship program are so evident when we find families such as the Ortez family. We would really appreciate your prayers and other way you feel God is prompting you to help.

El Palomar is a community in Choluteca, where the church started to work with different mission teams that came during this past January.

The teams went to visit different houses, wherever the Lord was prompting our hearts to share with the families His message, and with some of them the assurance of a heavenly home awaiting for us and for them as well once they received Christ as their Lord and Saviour.After talking to them we gave a small gift, to symbolize that salvation is a free gift we wanted to share something totally free to bless their lives.

The second group of missionaries that went with us to this community is from Missouri (The Rock), so as we were talking with the people some of them made the most important decision of their lives, They accepted the free gift of Salvation as they let Jesus dwell in their hearts forever.

We had shoes to give away but we did not have bibles, and this had burdened the members of the team, and I know for sure that they keep thinking about it, praying about it.  But because God’s plan is so perfect we received a donation of New Testaments and with members of the college group of the church, yesterday we went back to El Palomar.

It took us like one hour and 45 minutes to visit just three families: Nelson and Teresa a married couple that received Christ as we were visiting them with the Mizzou team (Ed, Mat, Shelby and I), Mayra and her children: Francis, Gregorio and Cindy.

And in the third house we were looking for Maria a single mother of three children: Angel (1), Gustavo(4) and Armando(10).  She wasn’t at home but her ex-partner was taking care of the little boy Angel.

The name of the guy is Orlin and we talked to Him, but despite our efforts he did not want to pray to receive Christ. He allowed us to pray for his family and his life, we gave another new testament to him, and our prayer request is that he can find out, how much God loves him.

We are planning to be back there again to reaffirm the truth that has been sown in their lives, definitely it is amazing to see how the veil fades away from their faces, when the Holy Spirit dwells in their souls, minds and hearts. Thanks for your prayer

Found another family in the community: the Ortez’s family.  We went to visit them today and it was heartbreaking.  The lack of water, education and help, skin diseases in the children, even worse than the city dump. 

God is taking us to these families, to share with them the love of Jesus and let them know that God cares and loves them so much.  So we ask for your prayers to reach the hearts of this family with the good news of Christ.

As a church we are so thankful with your support and prayers, God Bless You.