A Ripe Harvest

My Dad left today from a spiritually fun-filled up lifting time in Honduras. I can't tell you how much we all enjoyed his company and extra helping hand with the three kiddo's. Ella was all ready to go on the plane with him today until she didn't know how she was going to get back.

Dad got to experience many things here in Honduras. Some highlights include watching ballroom dancing in the park at Valle de Angeles, giving lice treatments, singing and dancing with kids at brigade, pouring concrete floors in dirt floor homes, giving a family a roof over their heads instead of paper, providing food and clothing for families, holding lots of babies, helping to purchase property for the Cruz family in Nueve Capital, worshiping with us, working in the pharmacy at brigade, and the thing he seemed to love the most....sharing the Gospel with lost and searching souls here in Honduras.

I asked him to write up a little something for our blog which you'll see below. Our little one bedroom house already feels empty without him. We love you Dad. Thanks so much for sharing in this ministry with us.

Jamie, Ryan, Reed, Ella, and Addy,

Time sure goes by fast when you're doing something that is so fullfilling. It was a blessing to be able to come to Honduras and share in the WGO ministry with you. I felt exta special with not only being able to serve on two brigades, but also had the privledge of seeing my grandkids, along with you and your special friends you work with on a daily basis. Like I said with the Grace of God I will be back again next year to serve on a brigade if not before. The Honduran people are so forever grateful for whatever we do to impact their lives. The Harvest is Ripe. The worker could be You.

Love, Dad

Some pics of our visitors activities while here in Tegucigalpa

Dad with Daniel
(Daniel was the breech baby Ryan helped to turn in June. His parents took over a month to name him. They named him Wilson Daniel (but call him Daniel) after we suggested the name Daniel as it was my fathers name and we liked it a lot)

Dad holding Marjorie (Magda's 6th child) and Angie. The little boy is Darwin (who Reed gave his Zapatos to)

Dad, Denny, and Ryan tinning a roof in Nueve Capital

Washing hair at brigade

Big shot driving in Honduras. I'd like to say he beat me to it, but I did get the courage to drive 5 blocks in town the week before he came to visit.

Fun playing Candy Land with Reed and Ella

On Monday Dad stayed home with the me and the girls and we added some color to Addi's bedroom walls. See everyone...it's not quite as small a room as you thought. Addi just loves it and smiled a big smile when she first laid down in her bed.

We Have a Visitor!!!!

On Friday we took a long awaited trip down to the airport to pick up our First guest ever in Honduras....GRANDPA DANNY!!!! Many missionaries never have family visit them in the field so we feel very blessed to have him here. As most of you know we LOVED having company when we lived in Bloomington, so we were super excited when my dad said he was coming.

Reed and Ella have been in their glory playing with and showing off their Brampa to all their friends in Honduras. We've been giving him lots of new experiences. Saturday we brought Brampa to the market in El Centro and El Picacho (the park with the grande statue of Jesus overlooking the city). And yesterday we had lunch at the infamous El Patio with the afternoon spent in Valle de Angeles. In the evening we worshiped at CCI church. So far, I think he likes it!

Brampa will be joining the team and Ryan on Brigade all week so he spent a lot of the weekend in training for that. His first task today...Children's Ministry in Nueve Capital (one of our favorite areas to spread the Good News). Here Brampa will share the Gospel with children, sing with them, wash hair, and do lice treatments for the many affected children (this is where we have seen the highest rate of lice and scabies). If you know my dad this will be a humbling experience as the thought of lice gives him the heeby geebies. I guess it kind of does to most of us.

It's been fun to hear Dad's thoughts as we go along. It's refreshing for us and it's great to see the Spirit at work. Keep your calendars open for next year because he plans to come back and hopes to bring you with him!

Happy Kiddo's

Isn't she the cutest!!

Sisterly Love!

Reed brought cupcakes to school (you can do that here)

Enjoying outdoor exploring

The biggest smile ever

Back to Honduras!

The time has come for us to return to Honduras, and our flight leaves Minneapolis on Wednesday morning at 5:30 am. We have really enjoyed spending time with the family and friends that we love, especially during this wonderful Christmas season. We are so happy that Jamie had a healthy and safe delivery of Addi and she seems to be growing wonderfully. (Addi not Jamie; Jamie is shrinking)

We are also excited to be returning to Honduras as we miss our work there and the people we have also come to love. We know that the Lord has much in store for our next 4 months of service to Him, and we need to focus on serving as the Lord would have us serve.

I am thrilled to get back to work on our evangelism brigades, helping dozens of people daily with needs that they have had for months and years. I am eager to pray with them and for them as they struggle with life and its challenges. Challenges of abusive husbands, extreme poverty, and hungry children.

I cannot wait to see Aleyda and her family and see if we can purchase a property and build a house for this special family.

Brenda has now had her 7th child, from all different men, she had 6 girls with a 7th on the way. Can we help her to give a moral example that she needs to give to her daughters? Will she accept the Lord and be delivered from sexual immorality? The Lord does wonders in the hearts of His children; Brenda and her girls are very special.

Maria has her new house now and is this widow better able to meet the needs of her 4 children? Will Antonio begin construction on his home this year? Is Magda able to feed her family and able to deal with having an abusive drunken husband. How are Dilcia and Alexander doing in their new walk of faith? This young couple has struggled with anger, abuse, hunger, and poverty. Will the Lord's assurance of His constantly enduring love and promise of His kingdom satisfy some of this families needs?

Jamie would love to expand our ministry and begin constructing Maya Wraps to hand out to mothers at the brigades. These slings are used to hold infants and toddlers close to the parents body while freeing up the hands and arms. This would cause much less stress on the shoulders and upper backs of potentially hundreds of poor Honduran women. We need to be able to purchase 3 inch metal rings and fabric to construct them. The cost would be between 5-10 dollars; the benefit to these women would be amazing. During these difficult financial times, will we be able to get this ministry started as our own budget has be struggling?

How are the missionary teachers doing? I have not be available to treat their physical needs since October, I am looking forward to beginning this work again.

As we leave our home here in Minnesota the Lord has given us extreme comfort that we are going to the home he has created for us in a strange land. I get emotional thinking about all that He has done for us in our lives, and how often we fail follow His perfect will for us. I do not know what the Lord will call for us after this coming May, but I do know that we need to listen and go to Him.

Currently, we have return tickets purchased for May 6th, 2009. We have not yet made future plans after, but seek His will and guidance. We ask for your prayers in our discernment, prayers for the safety of our 3 children, prayers for our ongoing ministries in Honduras, and for the special people that we have had the privilege of sharing with you.