A LOOK BACK AT MAY (through Lorenda's eyes)...
Can't believe it is already May 2021....we have now lived full time in Honduras for almost 2 years now. It has been a blessing, honor and privilege to be able to serve the Lord full time here. There is so much to share, but I want to highlight 5 different events from this past month that are super special.
The first thing I am so excited to share about is that Messiah graduated from High School this month!!! We have been homeschooling the past 7 years and have finished his studies. It has been a roller coaster ride, but one well worth it. It has been a blessing to be able to literally live out Proverbs 22:6....
I am super excited for his next journey in life...going to Dallas Baptist University to Major in Music Business (Worship Leadership) and Spanish. I am starting to get the mom blues as we prepare to take him back to the states in about a month, but I know he is ready for the next adventure with the Lord and apply all that he has been taught. We are super proud of the man he has become and are excited for his future with the Lord.
Pictures of Messiah's graduation....
The second thing I am so excited to share about is something I briefly mentioned in my last blog...our weekly beach Bible study and prayer meeting with our Landlord/neighbor/good friend/sister in Christ and her family. She mentioned one day that she wanted me to lead a Bible study on Sunday nights on the beach for her and her family. I LOVE studying the Bible and teaching the Word of God, so of course I was all in. We have been doing it every Sunday around 4:30pm and there is usually about 15 of us. Messiah leads us in some worship songs, then we dig into the Bible lesson and finish with prayer request and more music. It usually goes until 7ish and we have a blast! I can't stop thanking God enough for the Ebanks family who we rent from and live around. Their family is so kind and has become our family. When we come to the states soon for a quick visit, I will miss them. God is so faithful to provide deep friendships that become family when living far from biological family. We are blessed beyond measure!
Here is a picture of us at the Bible study/prayer meeting....
The third thing I am so excited to share about is the opportunities we have had to encourage the rehab people once they leave the rehab. Transition care is a new area of ministry that God placed on our hearts since being here in Roatan, Honduras and serving at the rehab.
*One of the rehab students named Chasse became like family to us. From the first day we met him at the rehab he was super helpful and always focused during Bible teaching. Since he left the rehab we have been in contact and have gotten to be an encouragement and accountability for him. He is doing amazing and is going back to high school as an adult to finish high school so that he can later possibly become a vet. He has 2 years of high school left to complete, but is determined to finish....it shows because he works 6 days a week and then takes classes on his 7th day when he's off work. Please pray for him to keep his eyes on Jesus and that he would stay strong in completing his education.
*Two rehab students, Natasha and Hank, that graduated went back to Utila, another island of Honduras, to be with their family. Another rehab student, Freddi, that was a leader in the rehab decided to go to that island with them. We had the opportunity to go visit them on Utila and encourage them in their walk with the Lord. But most amazing was being able to see the ways they were serving the Lord on that island and hear about their future dreams of serving the Lord more there in the future.
Natasha is running a children's ministry 2 days a week where the kids get to learn the Bible and have some food. They are getting fed both spiritually and physically. With the help of a sweet couple we know and money that y'all give faithfully for us to use for the Lord's work here in Honduras, we were able to help get them a refrigerator so that they can store food for this ministry and feed the kiddos a great meal. Surprisingly a lot of people live without refrigerators as they cost a lot to run with electricity and cost a lot to purchase. This was a blessing from the Lord and will be super useful for her ministry.
Hank has a heart for the elderly in Utila. Nursing homes, assisted living housing, social secrity, disability, etc....just isn't a reality here. The family takes care of them typically, but there are some that are on their own trying to survivie. Hank takes about 8 elderly on the island of Utila a hot meal each week (our life group provided funds for 32 hot meals...enough to cover a month worths of food for the ministry), sits with them to talk about Jesus and just listens. It is amazing how much the elderly he visits loves Jesus, but are lonely. They LOVE the company and the yummy food. It was a blessing to see his heart for the elderly. So grateful we got to be a part of it.
They are looking to possibly start a rehab on the island of Utila. Prayers please that the Lord would guide and provide every step of the way as there are lots of decisions to be made.
Pictures of Natasha's Kids ministry and the refrigerator the Lord provided for the ministry...
Pictures of Hank's Elderly ministry....
The fourth thing I wanted to talk to y'all about was a quick update on us serving at the rehab and Celebrate Recovery. We usually serve at the rehab 3 days a week teaching the Bible, but this month we didn't go that much because they were doing a lot of construction and changed the whole rehab around. We are looking forward to going back in June and helping people find freedom from their addictions through Jesus Christ. As for Celebrate Recovery, it has been going great! We have been going 16 weeks strong and are blessed to have the opportunity to bring this tool to Honduras to help people work through any hurt, hang-up and habit. Please continue to pray for these two ministries that they may help many find freedom through Jesus Christ!
Finally I want to tell you about an amazing activity I was able to participate in while in Utila, the other island of Honduras, visiting recent rehab graduates...wilking! I know, I never heard of it either. When I was talking to Hank's mom, she mentioned that she loves wilking because she did it when she was a little girl. I was super excited for this and she was just as excited to tell me about it and even more excited to take me out to do it. What it involves is walking along a rocky shore line picking shells that later you boil and dig out the meat to eat in a meal. It was so much fun!!!!!
Here are pictures of the wilking experience...
The pot on the right is wilks ground and cooked…yum!!!
Thank y'all for being a part of the reason all of this is able to happen. Your faithful prayers and sacrificial giving are changing lives here in Honduras. For those of you that are reading this from the states...can't wait to see you in July/August when we come to the states for a quick visit. Love y'all bunches!!!