It’s so hot here ….  How hot is it?

 

It’s so hot that the electric company actually shuts off the electricity so that no one has any.

 

It might be funny if it wasn’t true, but it is the truth, they say that they can’t handle the load and so they shut everything down every once in a while here.  You think it’s hot now, shut everything off, no fans – just dead still air.     That’s hot!!

 

No problem – praise Jesus – with Jesus we can endure all things!

 

 

Speaking of my precious Lord and Savior – the other day I went to the gas station where there’s almost always a line, (even at $4 a gallon) so I was waiting in the line and by the station there are a few stores to the right.  A big truck started to back up, even though he had three mirrors, like usual here, he didn’t use any of them, he just started to back up.

He was about to hit me and would have in another second or two when a car from behind me decided he didn’t want to wait in line (another usual thing here) anyway, he started to speed around me and push his way in line when while trying to pass me – guess what?

A big truck smashed into him.

 

They both got into an accident, because they were in such a hurry, then I moved forward and got my spot.  Got out of the vehicle and looked over at the two guys who were blaming each other, of course.  No one wants to wait!  It is always the other persons fault!

or

Trust in Jesus and He will take care of everything!!

 

I did not get hit, did not have to get involved in an accident and did not get blamed that it was my fault – praise you precious Lord Jesus!!

 

             Trust in the Lord and lean not on thine own understanding!

 

 

 

 

As I stated above - Trust in the Lord and lean not on thine own understanding!

 

It is so, so true!  We never know what Jesus has planned, when we think that we are doing one thing by obeying Him, it is probably leading to something else.

Just as I stated in a previous newsletter, the story about Noelia, I thought the Lord wanted me to assist her to go to school, which I did and she is in school, however there was obviously more to the story and Jesus knew that.  Consequently she got a lot more help, thanks to Lord Jesus!

 

Noelia now has a better-quality life, thanks to Lord Jesus and your prayers – bless you.

 

 

What’s more it has happened again.  Jesus wanted me to do one thing which has turned into something far better than I had ever thought would happen.   Precious Lord Jesus you are so wonderful!!    Jesus always turns a blessing into a fantastic blessing – Praise you Lord Jesus!

Many months ago (actually longer than that) Dori asked me to build her mom a small house.

A few months ago, I felt that the Lord was saying, “Do it!”  Three months ago we started to build her a small home.  It is very small; however she is very, very happy to say the least.

 

I’m not going to tell the whole story here; however Dori lost her dad (he was murdered) when she was a little girl.  After that, the family had to leave where they were living and they went to the mountains and lived in shacks.  Years past, and all of the time since then her mom has not had a place of her own.  She has lived in other people’s houses or with one of her three daughters.  Most of the time in mud huts or houses that were not livable, however after we got married years ago; we have been helping her with some money for food and clothing.

 

Three months ago we started to build her a house and this month on Mother’s day, Dori gave her mom the little house for Mother’s day.

The daughter’s made some beans, rice, bananas and a little chicken and had a wonderful lunch for their mom on Mother’s day.

 

I was not there, the workers and I had left to go back to work at the school in San Juan.

I still was hesitant that maybe I should not have built it.  I thought, maybe I didn’t really hear it from the Lord; possibly I was just listening to my wife – only.

It took a lot out of our little budget and I worried I was doing the wrong thing, so the Lord showed me – No you did not, you did just what I wanted you to do.

 

The very next day (the day after Mother’s day) Dori’s mom, who is a Christian (sad to say, but her sisters are not – yet) anyway, the very next day, her mom asked a few of the people she knows from church to come to her home for home church on Monday evening, she also asked some of her neighbors (Christians and non-Christians) to come.

 

She had asked a small amount (I don’t know exactly) however, fifty people showed up.  The little house was so full, they moved the bed outside and had standing room only.  There were also many, many people outside listening to what was being said, “The reading of the Bible.”

What a blessing!! What a wonderful blessing that Jesus had planned and five people gave their lives to Jesus.  Only Jesus knew and only Jesus knows what will happen if we will obey.

 

The house may be small (10x19 ft) however, Jesus has turned it into a huge blessing!

 

I look forward to hearing what will happen next, from the meetings and the blessing of Jesus.

 

 

 

 

Noelia has visited us again.

 

Today is May 21^st and after school today, I took Noelia back to La Ceiba with me after she finished her day at school in San Juan.

 

She seems to get along a lot better with Juli and Celeste than she does with the girls at the orphanage.  It is probably that she is shy and there are so many of them.

 

We all had dental appointment today (cleaning) so we decided to take her with us – another first.

She has or had never been to a dentist.  She was a bit scared; however all went well, probably because it was just a cleaning that she received.  The dentist told me that she does have four cavities and they will need to be repaired soon.

 

The dentist is a nice lady, she did both Celeste’s and Noelia’s teeth for free.  Noelia got a cleaning and she just checked Celeste’s teeth, because they are always so clean and white.

 

Saturday, we went to the small park that is in La Ceiba (very small) may the size of your back yard, maybe smaller.  They have a couple of swing-sets and a trampoline which you have to pay twenty-five cents to get on it.

 

She had a wonderful time!  This was also a first (to visit a park) for her.

Living the life that she previously had, wasn’t much different than that of a slave child in my opinion, except for the chains; it may have been basically the same.

 

                               

 

               Know God    know peace                                  No God         no peace

 

 

Are you really looking for peace/rest or is the problem that you’re running from God’s will?

 

 

The greater the call on your life, the more guilt you will feel when you choose to rebel.

Jonah felt so uncomfortable that he was willing to die in the storm.

 

Remember, Jesus can calm your storm – just give it all to Him and do His will.  He will give you rest in your storms and peace that passes all understanding.  Peace that the world doesn’t know.

 

 

          

 

 

I thought that the newsletter for the month of May would be what you have just read above.

However, I would like to add what I just read in the paper (the story below) and below that, will be something that was told to me today by David (the missionary who has the orphanage).

 

I believe that they both need to be added to the newsletter – especially the last story!

 

 

Tropical Storm Agatha deaths rise to 179 in Central America

June 1, 2010

 

GUATEMALA CITY — Rural villagers used hoes to hunt for victims of landslides that have killed at least 179 people in Central America while officials in Guatemala's capital tried to cope with a vast sinkhole that swallowed a clothing factory.

 

Thousands remained homeless and dozens more are still missing following the season's first tropical storm.  Officials in Guatemala reported 152 dead but said at least 100 people were still missing.  In the department of Chimaltenango (part of Guatemala City) landslides buried rural Indian communities and killed at least 60 people.

Curious onlookers also gathered at a massive sinkhole that swallowed an entire intersection in Guatemala City over the weekend, gulping down a clothing factory.

 

Authorities estimate the hole is 65 feet deep and say it was caused by water from Tropical Storm.

 

In neighboring Honduras, where the death toll rose to 17 after two youths disappeared in a turbulent river despite official warnings to stay away from swollen waterways.

 

In El Salvador, 11,000 people were evacuated.  The death toll rose to 10 and two others were missing, President Mauricio Funes said Monday night.

 

The rising death toll is reminding nervous residents of Hurricane Mitch, which hovered over Central America for days in 1998, causing flooding and mudslides that killed nearly 11,000 people and left more than 8,000 missing and unaccounted for.

 

Rescue efforts in Guatemala have been complicated by a volcanic eruption Thursday near the capital that blanketed parts of the area with ash.

Commercial flights were expected to resume Tuesday at Guatemala's international airport.

 

 

I was visiting with David and Dialis today, the people who started the orphanage and directors of the school that I am assisting.

We were discussing various things at and about the school when the subject of discipline came up.  He started to mention some of the things that they have tried with the children at the orphanage (like not watching TV or standing in the corner) when we also discussed spanking.

 

We were talking about some of the discipline that we received as children and what our dads had done to us, when David said, “I was talking with one of the little girl’s the other day at the orphanage about discipline.”

She had done something bad and he had thought of spanking her, instead they had a good conversation about abuse and as David said, “She taught me a lot that day.”

 

Some children need discipline, all need training and absolutely ALL need love.

 

David went on to tell me about their conversation – he was about to discipline her when she said, “You can’t hurt me!”

She went on to say, “There is nothing that you can do to me that my dad hasn’t already done.”

 

David said, “That really made me think, I only wanted to teach her, not hurt her.”

 

Then they went on to discuss her actions as well as her telling that her dad had basically tortured her.  She is just a little girl and has already gone through horrific conditions in her life.

She spoke of being burnt with a hot metal rod for discipline, being severely spanked, had cigarettes put on her and burning her over and over as well as many other things.

 

Many of the girls (if not all) have lived horrible, unspeakable lives before they were sent to the orphanage.  Therefore, they have a lot to learn about trusting an adult and learning about love.

 

All the time as David was telling me the story, as it was very sad to hear, I was thinking of Noelia (the little girl mentioned above in the newsletter and in the previous newsletter) she also has gone through a horrible – appalling life.

 

Being treated like a slave, the more I talk with her, the more I find out things that she knows nothing about – things that all little girls should know, if they were loved and taken care of correctly.  Not to mention the poverty that she lived in.

We went shopping the last time she was here; I don’t think she has ever been in a grocery store, just the pulperia.  Which is basically a 7-11 Honduras style, they don’t sell much more than soda’s, a few vegetables and of course – beans and rice.     No – no gas.

 

Anyway, I was picking up a few things and putting them in the cart, I only had three or four various vegetables in the cart, when she said to Dori, “Are you going to get more?”

After a couple of more things were put in, she asked to same again.

Apparently after a little discussion, she had never seen anyone buy more than three or four things at one time.     Poverty is despicable!

 

 

I guess I added this because I wanted to mention some of the horror these children have went through and why we are trying to help them – why they need love and especially why they

(we all) need JESUS!!

 

 

                                  Love one another – it’s a commandment!!

 

 

        Always care for one another – lend a helping hand!