February 2011 Update

Service

We had the blessing of participating with a team of doctors as their interpreters and assistants in a little town south of the capital city this month. Robert spent a couple of days at the beginning and, at the end, Roxanne joined him, but David remained with the medical brigade the entire nine days. He had a terrific experience interviewing patients, pulling and cleaning teeth, holding newborn babies, taking blood pressure, and all the while using his God-given ability to flip back and forth between Spanish and English! The team commented how much they enjoyed his company as he kept them entertained constantly with his wit and humor. We are very grateful to God for such an incredible opportunity for service and experiential learning for our son. He commented that this opened up for him the desire to possibly pursue the career of dentistry.

Part way through the week of the medical brigade, Robert returned to the north of Honduras (7 hour drive) to translate in a three-day missions conference where he was greatly blessed besides being a blessing!

We are gearing up for the opening of our new children’s library / after-school activity center. The official dedication will be on March 12, although the doors will open to the children for enrollment and orientation beforehand. Be watching out for pictures in our next update!

Sacrifice

Please remember to pray for protection for all of us who serve the Lord in this crime ridden city. Oscar Noé and Mari, the couple who will become the directors of the library, were held up at gun point recently. Thankfully, they only hit him on the back of his head with the gun and spared his life. We know God has great plans for this couple to be a light among the children and their families in their community.

They may kill the body, but no one can take His children from His hands! Yet another pastor was taken home unexpectedly last week in the usual violent form of this city. The country is reeling from the constant murders and is crying out that something be done about it. There is an average of 16 murders a day which, the newspaper says, is equivalent to a country at war. Finally, yesterday the government sent the army out to the streets to help curb the violence. We are at war with the enemy of our souls! Please pray for the family of Pastor Roberto Marroquin, that they will find their comfort and strength in Him. May the churches be more diligent in praying in unity and in sharing the Word of God, that this country might be turned upside down for God and that His peace would reign.

The 28-year-old daughter of one of the couples that faithfully attend our church plant was also killed this month, but out of vengeance against her brother. Pray for Irma’s family as they mourn her loss.

Celebration

The day of Roxanne’s birthday, Robert attended the funeral of Pastor Marroquin. It put a damper on things but we are grateful for another year of life for Roxanne. Our 20th anniversary is upon us, too, on March 9, and David will become a teenager on March 28!

Thank you for your prayers. They sustain us as we seek to do His will here in Honduras. May the Lord sustain you, too, with His unending love and peace.

Shalom,

Robert, Roxanne, David, and Julianna