Rubber Boots... for Church???

Most of the women I know would never even consider wearing black rubber boots to church. In fact, I really don't know of even one!  But you know, I've never been a slave to "fashion".  It's not unusual at all for me to wear rubber boots (or what ranchers call "muckers") with my "Sunday-go-to-meetin'" dress during the rainy season!  It's just all part of our life here in Honduras! 


This last Sunday was one of those days. It started raining Saturday afternoon and rained all night. In fact, it was still raining at 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning when we got up to get ready to leave at 7:00 for the services in the mountains. Even though I left the house in a pair of old sandals, I had my "muckers" in a sack and loaded them in the truck along with my Bible and my lessons for the children's classes.                             

We arrived in San Lorenzo a little after 9:00 a.m., and before getting out of the truck, I switched the sandals for the boots.  We have about a 5 minute walk to get to the little adobe house where we hold services, and when it's wet, the slick, sticky red clay collects on your shoes till it's sometime 3 inches thick.  Many of the children in my class just forget shoes altogether during this time of year... and I can't say as I blame them!  For I've been tempted to just forget the shoes, too.  It's so much easier to clean bare feet!

After the service in San Lorenzo, we were off to hold services at Calvary Baptist Church in Ojo de Agua.  After such a long struggle in this area, God has abundantly blessed.  There were about 75 there for services and 37 of those in attendance were in my Sunday School class!  Beginning this week, they will also begin holding a mid-week service.  Clemente, who just got his driver's license, will use Mike's motorcycle to go on Thursdays and handle that service.  How we thank the Lord for those who are willing to help with the different ministries!

We got home around 3:00 p.m. and two hours later, Hotir left again to pick up the people in Quebrada de Lajas so they could join us for the services at New Hope Baptist in La Esperanza.  Our people were blessed by a group of "gringo Christians" from a Baptist church in Arkansas that was here visiting a missionary friend of ours.  They sang for our people and then Mike interpreted a wonderful message about the little boy with five loaves and two fishes,  how God can take something (or someone) that, to the world, seems insignificant and use it (or them) to make a significant difference to the world around them. 

I am so glad that we don't have to be someone "special", or someone rich or super smart or talented before God will use us!  I love what God says to us in I Corinthians 1:28, " And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:"  We just have to be willing to let God use us!

I have mentioned to many people about the problems we have sending and receiving mail here in Honduras.  I just want to give you a quick example of the Honduran postal system.  Mike went to the post office last week to get our mail and he was given four large manila envelopes, indicative of the mail forwarded to us twice a month by our mission office.  The first envelope contained our financial report and cards and letters that were sent to us in the month of May.  The next envelope contained several letters and some birthday cards that had been sent to me for my birthday... last year...in November!  The next manila envelope contained correspondence dated September 2009!  And when we opened the last envelope, we were shocked to find letters and cards (including a "lost" check from my uncle!) that had been mailed to us in August... 2008!!!   And so, we want to send a very late, but heartfelt, "thank you" for all the cards and letters of encouragement and well wishes!!!  And pastors, NOW maybe you understand why you don't always get those "survey questions" back on time!

This Sunday will be our last Sunday here in Honduras for a while.  Tuesday we will fly to the U.S. for Mike to have his 6 months checkup for his cancer.  It's very hard to leave again so soon.  God is working mightily in so many areas right now. We've seen 93 people accept Christ in the last 5 and 1/2 months, the majority of those among the Lenca people!  The church in Ojo de Agua has taken tremendous strides forward and is truly becoming a lighthouse of hope and salvation, not only in that community but, also in the surrounding Lenca communities. 

But when God is moving and blessing abundantly, that is when Satan attacks on every side!  And he is fighting to regain his hold in these Lenca communities that are lost and have so been enslaved to the rituals and traditions of the Catholic church.  He hates for them to hear the truth of God's Word and of the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ... alone.  Mike and I cannot fight Satan and win.  The Honduran believers cannot fight him and win.  Only the power of God and His Word, and the story of the precious blood of Christ that was shed for a lost and dying world, can tear down these strongholds of Satan that have enslaved these dear people for centuries. 

Please, we need prayer warriors right now!  The prayers of God's people are powerful and they are the key to victory over Satan.  Romans 15:30 says, "Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in [your] prayers to God...". 

1.   Please pray that Mike's cancer is still in remission and that he gets a good report from the doctors.  When we were in the States last year, he also dealt with a severe eye infection and was seeing an eye doctor nearly every week the whole time.  He is still having problems with his eye, even though he continues to take the steroids and antibiotics that were given to him. 

2.   The new community leader in Ojo de Agua is accusing us of building the church there without the proper authorization and papers.  We had the approval and permission of the man that was the community leader at the time we began construction, and we had all the papers signed and verified that we were told we needed.  But this new leader in Ojo de Agua is strongly Catholic and is controlled by the Catholic church.  He wants to rescind that permission and take our building from us.  We need your prayers!  Please pray that this will be resolved and that this man would be saved!!

3.   I still need teachers for my children's classes.  Alex, who has been so faithful and such a tremendous blessing, is no longer able to teach.  I have asked different ones to pray about teaching the children but, at the time of this writing, no one has come forward.  I believe these little ones hold the key to reaching Honduras for Christ.  They are the future.  Please pray that God would send just the right person or persons.  (Note:  Arlen Stevens, the wife of the young missionary couple who works with us, has said that she would teach the class at New Hope Baptist when they return to Honduras later this month.  She is a wonderful teacher and always willing to do anything that needs doing.  But, I know that this will be a bit of a hardship for her because they are returning with a new baby.  Please pray for her health and strength if she is able to take on this job.  But, even if she is teaching that class, that still leaves three others in the mountain works without a teacher.) 

4.   Pray for Jason and Arlen Stevens as they return to Honduras with their two small children and once again begin to work among the people here.  Pray for Jason as he continues to learn the Spanish language and for Arlen as she juggles her time between home and her children and the ministry.

5.   Pray that the believers in each of the works would not become discouraged or weary, but rather grow in grace, knowledge and boldness and seek to reach their families, friends and neighbors for Christ.  Pray that they would see their world through the eyes of Jesus, develop a burden for souls and that God would give us pastors, teachers and leaders.

6.   Pray that the students in the Bible Institute would be faithful and grow in knowledge of God's Word and develop Godly wisdom.

7.   That the teens in the Student's Home will develop into Godly witnesses and that they, when they return to their homes and communities, would be soul winners and spiritual leaders.

8.   Mike and I have a difficult decision to make upon our return to the States and we covet your prayers as we try to discern God's perfect will.

9.   And please pray that we might be able to return home quickly!  There is so much that needs to be done... and so little time!

We thank each of you for your support and your prayers, and for the tremendous part that you play in the ministry here!  May God richly bless you!

Maranatha!