Wow, that was fast!

December 23, 2011 (Day 1305) 9:21am

Sometimes you have to stop what you are doing and just praise the Lord!   Every so often, I find myself wondering.  How are we going to be able to do this?  Then the question becomes, after looking over all the resources that I have, how is God going to provide this time?  Yesterday was one of those moments for me.  We have a local woman who makes the uniforms for our older children that leave campus for schooling.  The school year in Honduras runs from February to November, so it is that time of year to start planning for school to start.  This coming February, we will have 37 children of our 79 that are attending off campus schooling.  This is a huge expense for us right now.  Uniforms alone will cost $2000 to $2500 this year!   Add to that the bus fares for those 37 plus school shoes plus books plus paper plus activities plus (oh, you got the point already…sorry, sometimes I get carried away).  Back to the story, yesterday the uniform lady came to FH and spent a couple hours measuring all the kids.  Then, she told Teresa that she needed to start right away, but would need about 10,000LPS.  I asked Teresa if that included the purchasing of the shirts and the monograms, and she said, “No, that will be extra.”  I know that we have to do this, but where am I going to come up with $2500. 

God has blessed this year, but with rising costs here in Honduras.  The last few months have been very tight (no extras).  Now, I needed to come up with a substantial amount of money right now.  I had just enough to cover the initial payment in the last of my discretionary money available.  Well not quite enough, I was 45LPS short (about $2.60 short).  I gave Teresa the money and said a little prayer.  That was it.  Where is the rest going to come from?  I sure hope that we do not have any unexpected expenses.  I just kept thinking, “and my God shall supply your every need according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus.”  Okay, God, the ball is in your court.

This morning in my email inbox there is an email from a good friend of FH.  He said and I quote, “Christmas is here and I just had someone to stop by and Give you $5000.00 to be used for the kids.  If you could let me know where it will be used I can let them know.”  Wow, I just had to smile and shake my head and praise God because God did it again!  Maybe the bigger question is why was I so surprised?  It is not like God hasn’t done things like this before.  It is not like God doesn’t have the resources. 

I am so grateful for all the people that let God use them to meet our needs here at FH as we take care of the children that God has sent us.   Merry Christmas, no worries, our God can (you can fill in the blank)!  Rodney

Louder Than Normal

That noise you heard last night from 6:30pm to 7:15pm was us.  The chapel roof was rockin.  Mind you, it is always loud, but last night it was louder than normal.  It was not just that Yoni was making those drums beat, or Selvin pounding away at the key board, or Henry playing the guitar, or even Pastor Miguel getting down on the bass guitar.  They were all doing those things, and I love to watch Pastor Miguel play the bass!  Last night was louder than normal because the children, tios and missionaries were LOUDLY singing our praises.  

The service got off to a great start for me because Jose Ricardo was the worship leader.  This young man that wanted nothing to do with God 18 months ago was leading the campus in worship!  He did a great job.  Then, Odalin led us in several songs.  You could just tell that she was worshiping as she sang.  Her sincerity stirred among us and we all sang.  Just a few months ago, she recommitted herself to Christ and my how easy it is to see the difference.  Then, Odalin, Karen and Ingrid sang a special.  Ingrid has not always been thrilled about having to attend worship.  Ingrid has often been one of those challenges, but she too has made a complete turnaround.  Many times the house parents do all the leading in worship (they do a great job), but not last night.  Last night, our kids...our young adults led worship.  

It is so exciting to see God working in their lives.  We still have CHALLENGES (underline that, bold that, italicize that, highlight that), and sometimes we lose sight because of the issues/problems that God is blessing and that God is at work.  Last night was a refreshing breeze.  Last night, it was crystal clear that God has been at work doing what God does.  Changing lives!  Good stuff!  I thoroughly loved seeing Jose Ricardo, Odalin and Ingrid up front.  Each of them will in the next year finish their time here.  Each will head out into a world that is fallen, but each of them will be a light shining in the darkness.  From my time at FH, I realize more than ever all the prayers, sweat, tears, blood and money that it has taken to follow God and see God raise up this place called FH.  I believe that we are just now beginning to see the true fruit.  The next few years will be exciting times (sad too) as many of the children, excuse me, young adults leave here to find God's path for their lives.  We will never know how many people will be touched by lives of our children, but based on what happened last night, I can confidently say, IT WILL BE A LOT.  

Thanks for being a part!  Thanks for your prayers!  Thanks for your donations!  Thanks for your faithfulness!

Merry Christmas,

Rodney and Teresa

No Resolutions For Me

January 1, 2011 (day 947) 11:18am
No resolutions for me…Some possibilities might have included (blog more regularly, lose about 10 pounds, pray more and worry less, make sure to tell those most important to me how much that I love them).  I have never been a resolutions sort of person.  I am not sure why.  I do want to do those things that I mentioned above, but how much?  Enough to really do them?  Enough to make them a top priority in my life?  I think that we do those things that we commit to doing!  God, give me the grace and strength to be more open to you this year. 

We can get trapped into doing the same ole things (Last night, we did what we have done for the last 3 New Year’s Eves.  The older teen girls hosted a dinner party for all the missionaries.  They go all out for us.  They decorate.  They prepare a wonderful mean.  In last night’s case, baked chicken spiced just right, rice with vegetables and potato salad, which is always a real treat on campus.  Ingrid even made a chocolate cake and decorated it!  After the meal and celebration, we headed home.  We watched a movie and brought in 2011 the same way we have brought in many New Year’s…sleeping).  Life can get routine even in Honduras, or we can let God open our eyes and oh my what a sight!  Who can say what 2011 will bring (outside of God)?  We cannot give specifics, but we can say that God has more for us to do.  We can say that if we follow God life will be good.  We can say that what God wants to do in us and through us is bigger than we can conceive!  As I posted on Facebook, it is “time to strap in because God has some GREAT plan for all of us this year.”  Rodney

Did You Here That?

December 15, 2010 (day 931) 5:22pm
Did you hear that?  No, not that!  Did you hear it about 1:20pm this afternoon?  Yep, it was me.  I am not a big shopper, in fact, I will just admit it.  I do not really like shopping.  Think of it…here we have to buy for nearly 100 people.  That is a lot.  In the states, I did most of my Christmas shopping by clicking on the “purchase now” link and having whatever sent to the house.  No crowds, no traffic and no walking aimlessly through a store trying to find what I wanted, but I cannot do all my shopping online here because there is no door side delivery.  However, we did buy presents for over 40 of the children while we were in the States in November, but that still left a lot of presents to buy.  Well, today we are finished!  Today, I went to a local bicycle shop and bought 14 bikes.  We are done.  Oh, we still have plenty of things to get done before Christmas (cleaning and decorating the team house, finishing the baking of goodies for each house, decorating the chapel for the Christmas eve service, wrapping the remaining presents), but we can marking shopping off that list.  Okay, before you say it.  Yes, it is Teresa and Amy doing the baking and wrapping and now that I think of it the cleaning and decorating of the team house.  They still have plenty of things to get done!  Oh, yeah, what you heard about 1:30pm this afternoon while driving back to FH was me shouting, “Hallelujah, no more shopping for this year!  Gracias a Dios!”  Merry Christmas all! Rodney  


Just one more thing, it was sunny and in the low 80’s today.  I am not sure how that compares to where you are from?


Unloading the bicycles.

Pomp & Circumstance

December 11, 2010 (day 927) 4:04pm
Last week, Jorge, this week it was Brayan.  Brayan is the first from FH to graduate from traditional Colegio.  He has worked tremendously hard to get here.  All week long he was back and forth to school getting everything done.  Today finally arrived and he was out the gate early.  He left about 6:30am because graduation was scheduled to begin at 8:30am.  Did you notice that I said it was scheduled to begin at 8:30am?  It of course did not start at 8:30am.  It was just a little before 9:30.  Two and half hours later, Brayan was a colegio graduate!  He was mostly all smiles, except at one point, he told me that he was a little sad.  I am a long time removed from my high school years (stop that…stop agreeing with me so quickly.  I have feelings), but I do remember the mixture of emotions and thoughts that graduation brings.  After graduation, we headed to … go ahead guess…right…Pizza Hut.  Brayan, Mina, Wilfredo, Andy, Amy, Teresa and I had a great time with a lot of laughter.
Brayan will of course be alright.  He is a sensitive young man; he works hard; he cares and he has a bright future.  Pray for him.  He graduated today, and he moves outside the fence next Friday into the house with Joel and Jose Ricardo.  Pray that he will follow God’s plan for his life!  Rodney 

An Old Faithful Comforts Again

July 23, 2010 (day 786) 11:18am
Twenty three days into our thirty one day furlough…our much needed furlough.  I have not had a headache for nearly three weeks now and the tightness in my shoulders has disappeared.  I was beginning to think my blood pressure was going back up, but the doc said that it was in good shape.  Stress can do a lot to a body. 
Though this is a bit of a confession, it will lack great details.  The last 4 months took it’s toll on us.  I know I did not blog much the last several months, but honestly, I did not know how too.  It wasn’t just one thing or incident.  It was a series of things.  I cannot tell you how many sleepless nights we spent.  Yes, God delivered, and yes, God gave us grace, and yes, I should have leaned more on God, and yes, there were so good and great moments in those months as well.
We soon return to FH, and yes, we are ready to see the children.  I know that challenges await us, difficult decisions will have to quickly be made about several issues and as I thought and prayed about things last night, this verse of scripture came to me again.  It is an old faithful scripture that I have leaned upon many times over the years.  It’s truth always relevant and powerful.  In 2 Chronicles 20, the story unfolds and things look bleak and difficult, so the king prayed and part of his prayer were these words, “O our God, will you not judge them?  For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us.  We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you” (2 Chronicles 20:12).   They kept their eyes on God; they prayed; they worshiped; and they found that the problem that was too great for them, was no problem for God.  I like that!  I believe that is still true!  Our eyes are on you God!  Rodney

When the thunder comes

May 11, 2009 4p (day 348)
I was going to blog yesterday. I was going to have some popcorn for supper. I was even going to watch an hour or so of TV yesterday evening, but I did not get to do any of those things. It has been DRY here, but the second rainy season is getting close, and the last two nights we have had thunderstorms and rain. I normally like thunderstorms. Awesome amount of power in a storm my enthusiasm for a thunderstorm here is not so high because when the thunder comes the electric usually leaves. Last night before I could blog, pop or watch, the thunder came and it was DARK in the house for about 3 hours. Isn’t it amazing how many times you flip on the light switch even when you know the electric is off?
Yesterday was a nice all in all. We went to church and out to Teresa’s favorite SPS restaurant (it was mother’s day). When we got back instead of settling in to a relaxed state (okay, I will go ahead and say it…nap), we loaded up Ariel. Teresa has been treating him for pink eye, but it progressed to another state yesterday. It was awful looking, so it was off to the doctor’s office in La Lima. The doctor gave him a shot and two other antibiotics, but that was not the bad part. The doctor said that he had to drain the infection from the (how do you say this politely?) puss pocket. Yep, I said drain. Doctor lingo for this is going to REALLY hurt. It did. I thought Ariel was going to come off that bed. He didn’t and I will spare you the details. It looks much better today.
I know it is early to blog, but my lesson from yesterday was do what you want to do when you can and before the thunder comes! Rodney
PS. You are not going to believe this, but when I went to post my blog. Guess what? The internet was down. I will try again after while! RW