Noviembre, 2011

Viaje a Costa Rica

Al entregarle el montón de documentos a la mujer del consulado canadiense, nos exclamó sorprendida, “¿Pero, ustedes saben que hay una cuota que cobramos por cada documento?” Le contesté que sí. Ella continuó, “Bueno pero si les cobro por cada documento por separado sería mucho dinero. Voy a cobrarles por todo el paquete como si fuera un solo documento.” Así que en pocos minutos nos los selló todos, ¡ahorrándonos varios cientos de dólares! Oren para que podamos seguir hallando gracia y favor delante de las distintas dependencias, cuando consigamos los certificados médicos y policiales y los enviemos a la embajada canadiense en Guatemala.

No solo logramos finalmente concluir con la documentación que necesitábamos de Costa Rica, sino que también pudimos asistir a la boda de la sobrina de Roberto el 5 de noviembre. Gloriana y Andre parecen estar siguiendo las pisadas de su tío, ya que ellos también han sentido el llamado a las misiones. Oren por la dirección de Dios para el futuro de esta joven pareja.

El viaje en bus de dos días no se sintió tan largo, gracias a poder dormir y a las películas a bordo. Recibimos la bendición adicional de poder quedarnos con amigos en Managua, Nicaragua. Hasta nos tomamos un día con ellos para conocer el Volcán Masaya y la pequeña ciudad colonial de Granada, la más antigua en tierra firme del continente americano. ¡Qué país más bello! ¡Muchas gracias a todos los que oraron por el éxito y seguridad de nuestro viaje!

Nueva Vida Montañés

De regreso en Siguatepeque, seguimos dirigiendo un estudio bíblico los jueves en la noche para la nueva iglesia hogareña que inició hace pocos meses, aparte de compartir nuestra fe con la gente de la calle cada vez que tenemos la oportunidad. Roberto se ha reunido con Miguel, el joven cajero del banco que mencionamos el mes pasado, quien ha mostrado interés en el tema de los últimos tiempos y lo que él debe hacer para estar preparado. Continúen orando para que Dios lo lleve a una relación personal con él. También, una de las mujeres del estudio, Luris, expresó inquietud por su esposo, quien está desilusionado con la iglesia y no asiste a ninguna parte. Oren por Daniel mientras nos acercamos a él en amistad, para que podamos animarlo en su caminar con Dios.

Roberto asistió por primera vez a la reunión mensual de la asociación de pastores, para ofrecer nuestros servicos en capacitación de líderes. Nos invitaron a participar en un convivio de familias pastorales, donde comimos, jugamos y compartimos durante varias horas. Oren por dirección y favor conforme tratamos de animar y apoyar a estos pastores en su labor de edificar el Reino, muchos de los cuales carecen de formación pastoral.

Conforme celebrábamos el día de Acción de Gracias con nuestros amigos de las familias misioneras acá, recordamos lo bendecidos que somos de tenerlos a ustedes como parte de nuestro equipo de apoyo en oración. Damos gracias a Dios por su amistad y por el privilegio de servirle juntos. Conforme nos acercamos a la época navideña, ¡que Dios bendiga sus familias con paz y unidad! Al reflexionar sobre su venida a mundo como un bebé, que su gloriosa presencia sea una experiencia real de su gran amor cada día.

Agradecidos por su gracia y bondad,

Roberto, Roxana, David y Julianna

November Update

Trip to Costa Rica

As we handed our fat pile of documents to the lady from the Canadian consulate, her eyes bulged and she gasped, “Do you realize there is a fee per document?” I said yes. She continued, “I can’t charge you for these as separate documents. It would be too costly. I’ll charge you as if they were all one.” And with that, she took them away to be stamped and blessed us with a savings of a few hundred dollars! Pray that we will continue to find grace and favor in the eyes of all the people we still need to deal with, as we gather medical and police records and send everything to the Canadian embassy in Guatemala.

Not only did we finally finish with all the documentation we needed from Costa Rica, but we were also able to attend Robert’s niece’s wedding on November 5. Gloriana and Andre are following in her uncle’s footsteps: they, too, are called to be missionaries! Pray for God’s leading for their future.

The two-day bus ride there and back didn’t seem so long as we slept and watched movies. We had the added blessing of staying overnight with friends in Managua, Nicaragua. We actually took a day to sightsee with them, visiting a volcano and Granada, the oldest mainland city in the Americas. What a beautiful country! Thank you to all who were praying for our safety as we made this trip!

New Mountain Life

Back in the saddle in Siguatepeque, we continue to lead a Bible study Thursday nights for the new church plant and to share our faith whenever we have opportunity. Robert has met with Miguel, the young bank teller mentioned last month, who has shown great interest in end times events and what he must do to be prepared. Continue to pray for God to draw him to Himself. Also, one of the ladies at the study, Luris, expressed concern for her husband, who is disillusioned with church and is not attending anywhere. Pray for Daniel as we befriend him and encourage him in his walk with God.

Robert attended the monthly pastors’ association meeting, offering our services in leadership training. They invited us to participate in a pastoral family retreat where we ate and played table games together. Pray for guidance and favor as we seek to encourage these undertrained pastors and help build up their churches.

As we recently celebrated Thanksgiving with our missionary friends here, we remembered how blessed we are to have YOU as our partners in prayer. We thank God for your friendship and the privilege to serve Him together. As we close in on the Christmas season, may God bless you and your family with peace and unity! As you reflect on His coming as a babe, may you sense His presence and experience His love daily.

Thankful for His goodness and grace,

Robert, Roxanne, David, and Julianna

Septiembre - Octubre, 2011

Nuevo Hogar, Nuevo Enfoque

Siguatepeque nos está resultando bastante diferente de San Pedro Sula. Aquí la cosa es más evangelismo y discipulado. Nos han pedido que ayudemos con una nueva iglesia recién fundada, dirigiendo un estudio bíblico hogareño e integrándonos al equipo de liderazgo inicial. Además, en la iglesia donde nos hemos estado congregando, de apenas un año, pronto estaremos ayudando a atender una nueva cafetería que la iglesia está por inaugurar, con el fin de alcanzar a jóvenes estudiantes de la ciudad. Dios está abriendo nuevas puertas…

Nuevos Amigos, Nuevas Oportunidades

Estando Roberto frente a la ventanilla del banco una mañana, el cajero notó el título del libro cristiano que portaba y le comentó que le parecía interesante. Ambos acordaron sentarse a charlar sobre tema pronto, luego de las horas laborales del joven. Ora para que Dios le conceda sabiduría y perspicacia a Roberto, y que sea usado para impactar la vida de este joven con el evangelio de Cristo.

Otro día en un pequeño café, Roberto inició una conversación con Katarina, una joven alemana y maestra de escuela, y la invitó a la iglesia. Luego se la ha encontrado varias veces en la ciudad y ella le ha mencionado que le gustaría visitar la congregación, pero ha estado muy ocupada los fines de semana. La hemos invitado a que venga con nuestra familia algún día a comer pescado frito al lago y ella mostró interés en ello. Ora por esta nueva amiga, que Dios nos use para guiarla hacia él.

David llevó su bicicleta a arreglar al taller e invitó a los dos adolescentes norteamericanos que laboraban allí a la iglesia. Ambos jóvenes han estado asistiendo a todas las actividades de la iglesia. Chuke y Dialo son estudiantes en una escuela de los Bahai, pero han mostrado gran interés en lo que están aprendiendo de la Biblia. Ora para que ambos puedan llegar a conocer el Camino, la Verdad y la Vida.

Nuevo Alcance, Nuevas Oraciones

Cuando Roberto y otros líderes de la nueva iglesia hogareña fueron, puerta a puerta, a visitar a los vecinos y ofrecerles orar por cualquier necesidad, la gente estaba muy dispuesta a que eleváramos plegarias por ellos ante el Trono de la Gracia. Una joven pidió oración por su amiga que está contemplando el suicidio. Una señora pidió orar por su hijo que ha sufrido una parálisis facial. Otros solicitaron nuestras plegarias por salud o esposos inconversos. Ora por nosotros, conforme alcanzamos a los vecinos con el amor de Cristo, para que sean atraídos a él.

Nuevas Necesidades de Fondos

Hemos tenido muchos gastos extraordinarios en los últimos dos meses. Nuestros viejos carros han ocupado varios arreglos mayores. El trámite de residencia canadiense ha requerido costosas autenticaciones y viajes a Canadá y Costa Rica. Tuvimos que sacar un pequeño préstamo del banco, para lograr enfrentar nuestros gastos familiares normales. Si puedes ayudarnos con una ofrenda por vez única, necesitamos recaudar un total de US$4,000 en el transcurso del siguiente mes. Desde norteamérica, puedes enviarla a nombre de la misión, a una de las direcciones en la columna derecha de este blog, indicando que es para los misioneros de FEDEMEC: Roberto y Roxana Grego. En Costa Rica, puedes contactar a FEDEMEC directamente al correo: federicoservicios@racsa.co.cr para conocer las opciones de envío de la ofrenda. Ellos te enviarán un recibo. ¡De antemano te agradecemos por tu apoyo económico y en oración!

Sirviendo a Dios con alegría,

Roberto, Roxana, David y Julianna

The Grego Gazette, October 2011

New Home, New Focus

Siguatepeque looks quite different from San Pedro Sula. It’s all about evangelism and discipleship. We’ve been asked to help with one new church plant by leading a home Bible study and being part of the initial leadership. Then, in the church we have been attending, which is only a year old, we will be helping to operate the coffee shop which the church is starting as a means of reaching out to the youth in the community. God is opening new doors…

New Friends, New Opportunities

As Robert stood at the bank counter, the teller noticed his Christian book and said it looked interesting. They plan to sit down over coffee after work hours to talk about it. Pray for wisdom and insight for Robert, that God would use him to touch this young man’s life for Christ.

Another day, Robert struck up a conversation with Katarina, a young German school teacher in a coffee shop, and invited her to church. He has run into her several times in town and she has mentioned that she wants to attend church but has had several busy weekends. We invited her to come with our family to eat fried fish by the lake one day and she is eager to do so. Pray as we seek to befriend her, that God will use us to lead her to Himself.

David took his bike in to be fixed and invited the two American teenagers that he met there to church. They’ve been coming out to all the church activities since then. Chuke and Dialo go to a Bahai school but have shown great interest in what they are learning from the Bible. Pray that they may come to know the Truth, the Way, and the Life.

New Outreach, New Prayers

As Robert and other leaders from the new church plant went door to door asking the neighbors if there were any needs we could pray for, the people were eager to have us lift up their prayer requests before the Throne of Grace. One young lady asked for prayer for her friend who is considering suicide. An older lady asked for healing for her son who suffered partial paralysis in his face. Others requested prayer for health issues or unsaved spouses. Pray for us as we reach out to the neighbors with the love of Christ, that they will be drawn to Him.

New Funding Needs

We have had a number of extraordinary expenses in the last two months. Our two old cars have needed several major repairs. The Canadian residency paperwork has meant costly authentications and travel to Costa Rica and Canada. We’ve had to take out a small, short term bank loan just to cover our normal living expenses. If you could help us with a one time gift, we need to raise a total of about US$4,000 over the next month. You can send it to our mission, at one of the addresses found on the right hand column of this blog. They will mail you a tax receipt. We greatly appreciate it!

Serving Him with gladness,

Robert, Roxanne, David, and Julianna

August / September, 2011

In the middle of our move from San Pedro Sula to Siguatepeque, our car broke down. We sat on the side of the mountain road until a tow truck came for us. In Siguatepeque, the car sat for over a week until we found a mechanic who had time to fix it. As soon as it was fixed, our other car was put in the shop because of weird noises it was making. After five different major repairs between our two old cars, we are thankful for God’s protection and provision.

August was a transition month, settling into a smaller house and city. We are enjoying the cooler weather, the nice neighbours, and the country-like atmosphere. We wake up to the crowing of the roosters and the cows mooing as they walk down the dirt road in front of our house. The kids enjoy the new youth group and church where we are attending, complete with other missionary kids their age. Juli quickly made friends with the next door neighbour and they play almost every day.

Roxanne flew to Canada for two weeks to get her Canadian drivers license, in order to have a second Canadian photo ID. Before she left, we spent three whole days getting the necessary paperwork done to validate her Honduran license. Once in Canada, the process was quicker than expected, thank God. She was also able to find someone experienced who will be able to guide us through the immigration process. It was also a blessing to be able to see her family.

Now we are adapting to the new school year. David is with an on-line middle school, which is a new and exciting experience for us. He is also taking karate lessons. Juli continues homeschooling with mom and is enrolled in ballet classes.

One of our new friends up here is a forestry engineer and a professor and dean at a local college. He is eager to get Robert into the loop, teaching English to the professors. This would be a blessing for us financially, as well as an opportunity to befriend the professors and share Christ with them. This little forestry college has just signed a cooperation agreement with a very large university in Granada, Spain, of all places! Hmmm… A coincidence? We’ll see where this might take us! Our professor friend wants to introduce Robert to the Spaniard professors who will be visiting later this year. Please pray that God would open doors that would glorify Him.

Meanwhile, back in San Pedro Sula, things are going well at the library. Please pray, though, for Oscar Noé’s health and for him to find a part time job that will supply what they lack in their income.

Rivera Hernandez, the shanty town where our church plant is located, is getting all the more dangerous. In an attempt to reach out to the youth of the community through playing soccer, Kevin and Isaac (Pastor Manuel’s sons) and Victor now have death threats from some local gang members. Needless to say, having already been shot at before, they are terrified. The police are powerless against this heavily armed gang of about 200 kids. Juana, a little old lady from the congregation, lost her son to gang violence just four months ago. Melvin was shot in the back and now attends church in his wheelchair. Patricia was mugged & robbed as she left church last Sunday (right after Robert preached) at the street corner, and another member of our church had her door busted down Sat. night and, at gun point, had all their possessions removed from their home. As Christians, we are not exempt from dangers. Please keep Pastor Manuel, his family, and the congregation in your prayers. Pray that God would send His angels to watch over them and us, whenever we go there to minister.

This Thursday through Saturday we will be attending a conference for missionary families here in Siguatepeque. As part of the organizing committee, Roxanne arranged for her dear friend, David Howard, to be the guest speaker, while a missionary friend, Karen Shogren, will fly in from Costa Rica with her team to minister to the children and youth. Pray for a time of refreshing for the weary missionary families who will be participating and for God’s anointing on Dave, Karen, and the rest of the kid’s teachers. Pray, too, for us as we lead worship at the English church in San Pedro Sunday morning, where Dave will also be preaching the message.

Thank you for your prayers for us in this time of adjustment in Siguatepeque. Though there are many changes for us, the Lord is forever constant, our Mighty Fortress. May He be forever praised!

Standing on the Rock,

Robert, Roxanne, David, and Julianna

Noticias de Julio-Agosto, 2011

En Tierra De Crianza

Estamos encantados de lo bien que nos fue en el viaje por tierra de tres semanas a Costa Rica. Logramos nuestro propósito principal de traducir y autenticar unos documentos, además de haber podido ver a unos pocos amigos y primos. En una noche lluviosa, conforme manejábamos entre dos ciudades, íbamos escuchando música de alabanza cuando de pronto, el carro empezó a fallar. Las luces fueron disminuyendo su intensidad hasta que se apagó el motor. Dios estacionó nuestro auto justo al frente del único claro en la angosta y solitaria carretera rural. ¡Era la entrada a una casa de campo! Un hombre salió de allí a rescatarnos con su linterna y su teléfono celular. Llamamos a nuestro amigo, Franklin, en Liberia, una ciudad muy cercana. El llegó al poco rato y remolcó nuestro carro hasta su casa. Pasamos la noche allí y llevamos el auto donde su mecánico cristiano la mañana siguiente. Luego de que el carro estuvo un día entero en el taller, nos dimos cuenta de que fue una bendición preparada por el Altísimo: pudimos pasar un tiempo muy especial con nuestros amigos de muchos años y hasta dirigimos la alabanza en su congregación. El mecánico encontró la única pieza de respuesto disponible en la ciudad para poder arreglar nuestro alternator. Dimos gracias de que el carro se descompusiera a solo nueve kilómetros de Liberia y no en Nicaragua (al día siguiente), ¡donde no conocemos un alma que nos pueda venir a rescatar! ¡Bueno es Dios; siempre fiel!

En Tierras Montañosas

Al regresar a Honduras, Roberto tuvo que apresurarse a preparar una conferencia que dio en una iglesita de montaña, como a cinco horas de nuestra casa, tan solo dos días después de llegar. También predicó en la iglesia que fundamos en la zona urbanomarginal de Rivera Hernández al domingo siguiente.

Mientras tanto, Roxana ha tenido que trabajar tiempo extra para concluir el año escolar con los niños y luego empacar toda la casa para mudarnos de ciudad a principios de agosto. Ahora vivimos en Siguatepeque, donde el alquiler y los servicios cuestan menos de la mitad, la violencia es mucho menor, el clima es mucho más fresco y nuestro hijos tienen amigos hijos de misioneros acá. Otra familia misionera alquiló la casa donde estábamos y compró parte de nuestros muebles. En Siguatepeque seguiremos capacitando líderes (tenemos varios pastores amigos allí) y bajamos a San Pedro Sula una vez por semana para dar seguimiento a los ministerios allí. Siguatepeque está en las montañas, a mitad de camino entre San Pedro Sula y la ciudad capital de Tegucigalpa.

En Tierras Del Norte

Roxana se encuentra en Canadá por tres semanas para procesar unos documentos con el gobierno, como parte del trámite para las futuras visas de residencia para Roberto y los chicos. Parte de esta documentación había que hacerla personalmente. Nuestra visa religiosa en Honduras vence a principios del 2012 y Dios nos ha mostrado claramente que nuestro tiempo en este país está por concluir. Necesitamos trasladarnos a Canadá para “recargar baterías” y prepararnos para nuestro próximo campo misionero. Tendremos que realizar un viaje exploratorio a España en este próximo año, donde Dios nos ha indicado que será nuestro siguiente campo misionero. Mientras tanto, los hijos están entusiasmados de poder vivir cerca de los abuelitos y tíos canadienses. Además, Roxana ha vivido lejos de su familia como misionera durante los últimos 24 años sin descanso. Agréguele el hecho de que nuestros ingresos mensuales se han visto muy reducidos, ¡y ya tienes suficientes razones para nuestro traslado a Canadá! El gobierno puede tardarse desde seis meses hasata un año para aprobarnos las visas, pero el tiempo está en manos de Dios. Pedimos sus oraciones conforme reunimos toda la documentación para presentarla al gobierno de Canadá, para que hallemos gracia y favor ante ellos.

En Tierra Firme

Al salir de San Pedro Sula, Roxana está triste de dejar atrás a Alba, la vecina del frente que cuidó de nuestro gato cuando estuvimos en Costa Rica. Un día ella empezó a abrirle su corazón a Roxana, compartiendo que se había alejado de la iglesia hace once años y quería recomprometer su vida con Dios. Al día siguiente cumplía años su padre. ¡Este pastor dijo que era el mejor regalo de cumpleaños que alguien podría darle! Durante las últimas semanas Roxana y Alba se han estado reuniendo para leer la Biblia y orar. Por favor oren por Alba, que pueda continuar creciendo en el Señor y que su esposo, José, pueda entregar su corazón a Jesús.

¡Estamos muy agradecidos por su apoyo y oraciones! ¡Que el Dios de toda gracia abunde en sus vidas y los colme de bendiciones!

Roberto, Roxana, David y Julianna

June - July Update

We were all elated that we had had such a blessed three-week road trip to Costa Rica. We accomplished our main purpose of getting some documents authenticated, and we were able to see a few friends and cousins. One rainy night, as we drove between two cities, we were listening to our worship music when, suddenly, the car started to shut down. The lights dimmed down to nothing and the engine shut itself off. The Lord parked our car right at the only clearing on a long, narrow stretch of highway with no shoulders. It was the driveway up to a farm house! There was nothing else in sight. A man from the house came to our rescue with a flashlight and a cell phone. We called our friend, Franklin, in Liberia, a nearby city. He arrived quickly and towed our car back to his place. We spent the night there and took the car to his Christian mechanic the next morning. As our car spent the next whole day in the shop, we recognized that it was a blessing in disguise. We were able to spend extra time with our friends and even led worship at their church. The mechanic found the only spare part in town to fix our alternator. We were so thankful that the car broke down just 9 kilometers outside of Liberia and not in Nicaragua (the very next day), where we don’t know a soul to come and bail us out! The Lord is good!

Upon our return to Honduras, Robert shifted into high gear to prepare for a conference that he gave in a church way up a mountain five hours from home, just two days after our arrival. He also preached in our church plant in Rivera Hernandez the following Sunday.

Meanwhile, Roxanne has worked overtime finishing the homeschool year and packing our belongings in order to move the first week of August. We are moving to Siguatepeque where our rent will be less than half, the violence is considerably lower, the weather is much cooler, and our kids have MK friends there. Another missionary family wants to rent the house we are in now and buy most of our furniture. In Siguatepeque we will continue to train leaders (we have several pastor friends there), and will return to San Pedro Sula once a week to follow up on our ministries here. Siguatepeque is up in the mountains, half way between San Pedro Sula and the capital city (Tegucigalpa).

Roxanne will make a trip north to Canada for a few weeks in August to submit some documents to the government for residency for Robert and the kids. Some of this paperwork needs to be done personally. Our Honduran religious visas will expire at the beginning of 2012 and God has made it very clear to us that our time here is coming to a close. We need to return to Canada to “recharge our batteries” and prepare for our next mission field. We need to make a scouting trip to Spain over the next year or so, as that is where God has indicated that we are to go next. Our kids are looking forward to living near grandparents and other close relatives for the first time ever. Besides, Roxanne has been on the foreign mission field for 24 years without a break. Add to that the fact that our support is extremely low and you have plenty of reasons for a move to Canada! It could take six months to a year for the government approval but the timing is all in God’s hands. Please pray for us as we get everything together to submit to the Canadian government and that we would find favor in their eyes.

As we move from San Pedro, Roxanne is saddened to leave Alba behind. She is the neighbour across the street who looked after our cat when we were in Costa Rica. She started to open up to Roxanne one day, sharing that she left the church eleven years ago and wanted to rededicate her life to God. The next day was her father’s birthday. This pastor said that it was the best birthday gift anyone could have given him! These last two weeks Roxanne and Alba have gotten together several times to read the Bible and pray. Please pray for Alba, that she would continue to grow in the Lord and for her husband, Jose, that he would come to know Him.

We are so grateful for your prayers and support! May God bless you all!

Robert, Roxanne, David, and Julianna

Abril - Mayo, 2011

Que prediques la Palabra y…exhorta… (2 Tim. 4:2a)

Varias oportunidades de predicar la Palabra han mantenido a Roberto bien ocupado este mes, aparte de su programa semanal en televisión. El predicó en una iglesita de aldea en la montaña, que rebosaba de gente con ocasión de su aniversario. Otro domingo desafió a una congregación cercana a nuestra biblioteca infantil, para que hicieran del discipulado infantil una alta prioridad. Una noche impartió un seminario intensivo sobre los últimos tiempos en la iglesia de Cofradía, enfatizando la urgencia de evangelizar, ya que el Día del Señor está muy cerca. El último domingo del mes predicó en la iglesia que ayudamos a fundar, en el precario de Rivera Hernández. En esta ocasión tuvo la oportunidad de dedicar al Señor a un hermoso bebé, luego de conducir a los pies de Cristo a su padre, ¡lo cual presenció conmovida su esposa cristiana!

…Con toda paciencia y doctrina. (2 Tim. 4:2b)

Desde mayo Roberto ha estado dedicando una hora diaria a los maestros de la escuela bilingüe Pablo Menzel, ayudándoles a pulir su gramática y pronunciación en inglés. Esta es la escuela de la Iglesia Evengélica y Reformada de Honduras, nuestra entidad supervisora acá. En marzo dedicamos varios días a evaluar todo su programa educativo. Les manifestamos la urgencia de elevar el nivel de dominio del inglés en sus docentes y alumnos. Roberto también le da clases de inglés a un misionero coreano un par de horas por semana.

…Encarga a hombres fieles…idóneos para enseñar… (2 Tim. 2:2b)

Concluimos el mes impartiendo un seminario en una iglesia cercana a nuestra biblioteca infantil, capacitando a los líderes para discipular a los niños que asisten a dicha biblioteca y que recibieron a Cristo hace poco. Algunos maestras de nuestra pequeña congregación de Rivera Hernández también asistieron, al igual que Oscar y Mary, nuestros directores de biblioteca. Pedimos sus oraciones por todos ellos, para que sean idóneos al enseñar la Palabra a los niños. Oren también para que nuestros chicos de la biblioteca crezcan en el Señor y puedan pararse firmes ante los embates de maldad que los acechan a diario.

Que gobierne bien su casa… (1 Tim. 3:4a)

Al final del mes David disfrutó de un campamento de 5 días para hijos de misioneros. Julianna se lamentó de no poder asistir, debido a sus rigurosos ensayos de ballet. Sin embargo, ella pronto tendrá la oportunidad de brillar en su presentación de “El Lago de Los Cisnes”, que se exhibirá durante cuatro noches en el teatro principal de San Pedro Sula a mediados de junio. Por favor oren por nosotros conforme concluimos el año escolar de los niños.

¡El Señor Jesucristo esté con tu espíritu! (2 Tim. 4:22a)

Roberto, Roxana, David y Julianna

May 2011 Update

Preach the Word…and encourage… (2 Tim. 4:2a)

Several opportunities for preaching this month have kept Robert busy in the Word, preparing his talks, besides his weekly TV program. Robert preached at a little mountain church that was overflowing on its anniversary Sunday. Another Sunday, he challenged the church near our library to make discipling the children a high priority. He gave 200 leaders of a church in Cofradía a two-hour intensive seminar on the End Times, emphasizing the urgency for evangelism as the Day approaches. The last Sunday of the month, he preached at our church plant in Rivera Hernández and, before dedicating a baby boy that morning, he led his father to the Lord first, much to the delight of his Christian wife!

…With great patience and careful instruction. (2 Tim. 4:2b)

This month Robert has been dedicating an hour every weekday to the teachers at the Pablo Menzel Bilingual School, helping them improve their English pronunciation and grammar skills. This is the school run by the Christian Reformed Church, our supervising entity here in Honduras. In March we had spent several days evaluating their program and expressed the urgency to improve the level of English proficiency in their teachers and students. Robert also teaches English to a Korean missionary two hours a week.

…Entrust to reliable men who will…teach others. (2 Tim. 2:2)

We taught a five-hour seminar in the church near our library, preparing leaders to disciple the children from the library program whom we have recently led to Christ. A few of the Sunday School teachers from our church plant nearby in Rivera Hernández also attended, as well as Oscar and Mary, the library directors. Please pray for them all, that they would be effective in teaching the children from the Word. Pray, too, that our library kids will grow in the Lord and stand firm against the evil that is so prevalent around them.

He must manage his family well… (1 Tim. 3:4)

As the month ended, David enjoyed a 5-day camp for missionary kids. Julianna was sad that she couldn’t attend, due to her rigorous ballet rehearsals. However, she will soon have her chance to shine as she performs in “Swan Lake” during four consecutive evenings in mid June, at the main theater in San Pedro Sula. Please pray for us as we wrap up the home school year.

The Lord be with your spirit! (2 Tim. 4:22)

Robert, Roxanne, David, and Julianna

Noticias de Marzo - Abril

En la iglesita de Rivera Hernández

El pastor Manuel fue quien recibió la atención de una brigada médica en marzo. Roberto lo llevó hasta un pueblo como a dos horas de la ciudad, donde fue operado de una hernia. ¡Gracias a Dios por las brigadas médicas! Mientras el pastor Manuel se iba recuperando Roberto predicó tres sermones dominicales en nuestra iglesita, presentó a un bebé al Señor, ofició en un funeral y ayudó a Manuel a bautizar a diez adultos en un río cercano. Pedimos sus oraciones para su recuperación total.

En la biblioteca CHICO

Muchos de estos niños jamás habían armado un rompecabezas o jugado un juego de mesa. Nos encanta ver el entusiasmo de los pequeños cuando dicen: “¡Lo hice!”, al completar el rompecabezas. “¡Oh, qué bello!”, expresan, al ver las fotos en los hermosos libros que algunas personas nos han donado. Las maestras ya han notado una mejoría en la lectura y la aritmética de los niños, ¡y eso que recién empezamos! Los chicos están siendo bendecidos y una comunidad será transformada por su respaldo y oraciones. ¡En abril, unos 60 de ellos oraron con nosotros para recibir a Cristo en su corazón! Damos gracias a Dios por Oscar Noé y Mary, quienes están siendo capacitados para dirigir la biblioteca. Y estamos entusiasmados que encontramos una iglesia cercana con visión para el ministerio infantil. ¡Incluso han decidido abrir una nueva clase de Escuela Dominical bien tempranito los domingos, para atender a nuestros 60 niños recién convertidos!

En la escuela

Bastaron unos pocos días de observación en la escuela cristiana, bilingüe, Pablo Menzel para saber lo que más necesitaban para mejorar la calidad de su institución educativa… ¡clases de inglés para sus maestros! Roberto pronto empezará a darles clases de pronunciación. Esta es una entre varias recomendaciones que le hemos dado a la junta directiva de la Iglesia Reformada, luego de habernos pedido ellos una evaluación del desempeño de su escuela cristiana.

En casa

¡El 28 de marzo David cumplió 13 años! ¡Es difícil creer que ya tenemos un adolescente en la familia! Estamos muy orgullosos de sus dones musicales, los cuales él ha puesto al servicio del Señor. Los últimos dos domingos de marzo dirigimos la alabanza en la congregación en inglés de la ciudad; David nos acompañó una vez tocando la batería. También es un artista increíble, asombrándonos con los dibujos que hace para su tarea del colegio. Tanto él como Julianna nos ayudan con los niños en la biblioteca tres veces por semana, llevándolos al sanitario, jugando con ellos, apoyándolos con las tareas o ayudándoles a esoger libros de cuentos o juegos. Somos muy bendecidos de poder servir a Dios juntos como familia.

En el grupo de jóvenes

Roberto, David y Julianna asistieron al campamento de Semana Santa, para jóvenes y familias de la iglesia de Choloma. El impacto espiritual entre los adolescentes produjo la necesidad de iniciar una reunión especial de seguimiento para ellos los domingos durante el culto principal. En solo tres reuniones hemos tenido hasta 56 jóvenes participando con energía y divirtiéndose mientras aprenden de la Palabra. Pedimos sus oraciones por este nuevo ministerio, para que aseguremos a un liderazgo dinámico y comprometido, y para que alcancemos muchos jóvenes de Choloma.

En las calles

La violencia continúa… El mes pasado el hijo de otros pastor en Choloma fue secuestrado y luego asesinado. Un hermano de la muchacha que asea el edificio de nuestra biblioteca fue ultimado a tiros. Dos policías fueron asesinados por tratar de salvarle la vida a la sobrina de una amiga. Por favor oren por las familias dolientes. Clamemos por la paz en Honduras y por protección para las familias de quienes servimos a Dios. Nos alegra poder anunciar que al fin los pastores de la ciudad están respondiendo al llamado de reunirse a orar por el país y por la unidad de Cuerpo de Cristo. ¡La reunión de la asociación de pastores de San Pedro Sula ha crecido de solo un puñado hace un par de meses a unos 200 pastores y líderes cada semana!

Sus oraciones son clave para el desarrollo de nuestro ministerio aquí en Honduras. Muchas gracias por su respaldo y amistad. ¡Que nuestro Señor les retribuya al ciento por uno!

En el frente de batalla,

Roberto, Roxana, David y Julianna

Robert and Pastor Manuel

baptizing new believers

The crowd of kids enjoying

the program at our church plant

Loli and Roxanne as clowns at the

evangelistic kids' crusade

April 2011 Update

The Family is growing!

What a fantastic way to start off the month! Robert and Manuel baptized ten new believers from our church plant in Rivera Hernandez on April 3. These women were dipped into the baptismal waters at the beginning of a Sunday morning worship service by the riverside where Robert preached.

There is great rejoicing in heaven over the 60 plus kids that have given their lives to Jesus this month at our library. Every week we teach them Bible stories and principles, besides helping them with their schoolwork. Our concern is that they need more than one lesson a week to grow in Him and our church plant is not within walking distance. The Lord put us in contact with a lady pastor from a church right around the corner from the school where these kids attend. She gathered some of her children’s workers for us to speak to one night. As a result, we have volunteers coming to help us at the library and they will open a new special Sunday School just for our kids every Sunday morning! Praise God for His provision! We will be training these workers at the end of May.

Targeting Teens!

As in past years, this month the church in Choloma had a camp during Easter Week. Robert, David, and Julianna camped out for three nights and four days with young people from church. Out of this camp came the need for follow-up on the teens who were touched by the Lord, including our David. Robert proposed a special teen’s service during the regular service time Sunday mornings and started it the very next day. After only two meetings, the group has grown from 42 to 56, and these youth have expressed how “macizo” (“cool”) it is. Pray that the Lord will continue to bless and move in the lives of the youth through this service.

Terrific "Two's"

Sometimes we need to go in two directions. While Robert led the second youth service in Choloma on May 1, Roxanne worked with Loli and a group of women at our church plant in Rivera Hernandez. She and Loli and a few young ladies painted up as clowns and did an evangelistic program for 145 children, while the older ladies made and served sandwiches and drinks and gave out treats at the end of the campaign.

Praise God with us for growth in number and maturity in the church family this month! Thank you for your prayers for us and the ministry here in Honduras. They make all the difference in the world!

Grateful for His goodness and mercy,

Robert, Roxanne, David, and Julianna

Robert preaching at our church plant

Mary helps kids with homework at the library

Robert reads a "slide show book" at the library

Proud of their teamwork at the library

Roxanne & Julianna teach kids a song at our library

David teaches kids a game at the library

Library kids working together on a puzzle

Roxanne & Mary giving the rules at our library

March 2011 Update

At the church plant

Our own Pastor Manuel was the recipient of the care of a medical brigade this past month. Robert took him out to a town over an hour away from here where they operated on a hernia. Thank God for medical brigades! While Pastor Manuel recuperated Robert preached two Sunday sermons at our church plant, dedicated a baby, and officiated at a funeral. Pray with us for his complete recovery.

At the library

Many of these children have never put a puzzle together before. Most have never played a table game. The excitement on the children’s faces is a reward in itself. It’s so encouraging when we see them jump up and down and shout “I did it!” upon completing a puzzle. They say, “Oh, how beautiful!” when they see the pictures in the lovely books that people have donated. The teachers have commented how thankful they are for the library as they can see an improvement in the children’s abilities to read and do their numbers, and we’ve only just begun! The photos we’ve taken can never do this justice. How we wish you could be here to experience it! We are so grateful for your prayers to make this a reality. The children are being blessed. A community will be changed because of your support and prayers. We are thankful to the Lord for Oscar Noé and Mary, whom we are training to run the library. Pray that we will be able to find and train volunteers that can come along side them to help.

At the school

A few days of observing at the Pablo Menzel bilingual Christian school and we knew exactly what they needed to do to improve the quality of their educational institution. English classes for their teachers! Robert will be giving pronunciation classes to the teachers there over the next several weeks. This is one of several recommendations we have given to the school board after they requested that we evaluate their Christian Reformed school’s performance. The teachers are also asking for training on working with children with learning disabilities.

At home

On March 28 David turned 13! It’s hard to believe we now have a teenager in our family! We are very proud of his musical gifts, which he is putting to use to serve the Lord. The last two Sundays of March we led worship at the English speaking church and David joined us on the drums one of those days. He is also an incredible artist, amazing us with his drawings for his schoolwork. Both he and Julianna help us with the children in the library three times a week, taking them to the bathroom, playing with them, helping them with homework, or helping them to check out books. We are very blessed to be able to serve God together as a family.

On the streets

The violence continues...This month another pastor’s son in Choloma was kidnapped and murdered. The brother of the cleaning lady at our library was murdered. Two policemen were killed trying to save a friend’s niece from being captured and murdered. Please pray for the families who are grieving. Pray for peace for the Hondurans and safety for His people. We are encouraged to announce that at long last the pastors are responding to the invitation to get together for prayer against the violence and to be united as a body of believers. Roberto Marroquin (our pastor friend murdered last month), who had once been the chairman of the pastors association, saw only a handful of men of God at those meetings. Now that he has been taken from them, they are about 200 strong!

This month there has also been days of protesting in the streets by the teachers. Pray that the issues can be dealt with in a peaceful manner.

Your prayers are key to our ministry here in Honduras. Thank you for your support and friendship. May the Lord bless you a hundred-fold!

On the front lines,

Robert, Roxanne, David, and Julianna