Alive and Well
We’ve been without Internet capabilities for a few days now. Some cables are being repaired so the café is closed. Ed felt a little uneasy being so cut off from the outside world. Thankfully, our landlady’s phone is working again so we were able to let a few people know we are still alive and well, while getting an update on his Dad’s condition.
A lot has transpired in the last couple of weeks. Bethany turned 14 years old on the 20th. She is doing extremely well in all areas: physically (hallelujah), mentally, academically, musically, emotionally and spiritually. Glory to God!
We got a chance to see the photos on the website before our access was cut off about five days ago. I apologize that there aren’t more photos of the girls. The camera belongs to Bethany so she was behind the camera much of the time. There aren’t very many photos that adequately depict the scenes of our daily life and I hope to correct that in the next round of photos. Ed and I had to chuckle when we realized we were wearing the same clothing in almost all the photos. Fashion is obviously NOT a priority down here. We laughed out loud when we noticed Ed was wearing the same white t-shirt and tan shorts at that very moment.
I have a few corrections and additions to make to the notes on the photos. A dugout canoe is called a LANCHA. I misspelled it as “launcha.” The sand in the Miskito lancha I photographed is used for making cement blocks. They sell for about 50 cents a piece or 9.5 “limps” (short for Lempiras-the national currency). We just bought some blocks today to make bookshelves for the girls’ room using the wood planks we had been storing under our bed. In another picture, the mystery animal Chaela is holding is a malnourished puppy. We had been taking scraps to it daily so it wouldn’t die. We learned yesterday that his littermate named “Lucky” died from snakebite. Oops!
We received our absentee ballots for last year’s presidential election on Bethany’s birthday. Ironically, that was the same day as the inauguration. We only found that out because we spent the day with the Griggs and they get CNN via satellite. That same evening we went out to dinner with the Griggs and waited two hours to get our food. We hadn’t spent much time with Ray and Laurel since leaving for the holidays so we didn’t mind. After the table next to ours emptied, two little boys, no older than 5 or 6 sat down and finished the food that had been left on the plates. When we got up to leave we certainly disappointed the two little guys. Because we had waited so long to eat, we inhaled our meals.
Ed has resumed teaching at the prison everyday. Today was unique for two reasons. When he got there everyone was tense and some of the guards had their AK-47s drawn. One of the inmates had been told he was being moved to a prison in Tegucigalpa due to his bad behavior and was NOT happy. The prison was in a lockdown as they waited for him to calm down. Ed taught the prisoners as usual from the Gospel of John, today in Chapter 8. One of the prisoners that has been attending the study since the beginning but has remained somewhat aloof approached Ed after the meeting. This man is in charge of all the other prisoners. He carries a billy club and has a very threatening, no nonsense demeanor. Ed told him the Lord could use a man like him. The Lord has transformed many lives of tough characters like him, and used them for His glory. He responded that he wanted to stop fooling himself and that he wanted to really change. Ed asked if he wanted to pray right then, repent and commit his life to the Lord. He said yes. Eddie came home so blessed. How true it is that the Word of God doesn’t return to Him void (Is. 55:11). Later in the week this same man was telling the other inmates in the bible study group that he was willing to give Ed his ear because of his testimony. The fact that Eddie became saved in Paraguay while he lived amongst poor farmers living for Christ really got his attention.
The Lord has also blessed Ed’s time with the soldiers. He asked the base commander about coming every day instead of just twice a week. The commander strongly agreed. Not only will they hear the Word of God everyday but at a much better time of the day- 9:30 am. Ed had been teaching at 1:00 pm right after lunch. As you can imagine, some soldiers would unwittingly doze off. After seeing such rapid growth among the prisoners who have come to Christ as they look into the Word each day, we’re excited to see what the Lord will do on the military base. The soldiers normally stay here just 30 days before they are rotated out. Then a new bunch arrives here from another base. This is done so the soldiers don’t develop relationships with the locals that might lead to bribery and further corruption, especially in light of the drug trafficking.
Gabrielle made an amazing announcement tonight. Knowing that her sisters would probably kill her for saying it, she told us that if we felt the Lord wanted us to stay in the mission field next year (when she’ll be a senior in high school), she’s all for it. She added that she realizes if the Lord wants you to do something, even if you might not want to do it, it is what you will be most happy and blessed doing. Wow! Thank you Lord for her willing heart. She’s truly a blessing to us.
The Honduran children here have really gotten my attention. Our little neighbors play from sunrise to sunset, running around, yelling and giggling nonstop. The only “toy” I’ve seen them play with, besides an occasional bicycle tire or cardboard box, is an empty plastic coke bottle. This is a very popular toy for kicking around since soccer is all the rage amongst the young people. I watched a small group of very young children (the little boy was naked and the little girls wore only underpants) play on a set of stairs leading up to their house. The fun and interest they find in the most simple of surroundings is extraordinary.
Our Pastor asked Gabrielle if she would be interested in painting a mural on the wall of the church’s elementary school library. She’s excited about the project and we’ve already started sketching a Noah’s Ark scene. It’s convenient in that we can work on it while Bethany is at band practice in the church. Chaela and Bethany have been asked to come up with a design for the front area inside the church building. They are all excited about these assignments, as Trading Spaces and the like are their favorite type of shows whenever we are in a place with cable T.V.
Our Pastor’s home has been broken into 6 times. They live near the hospital where it is somewhat sparsely populated. They are praying for a home that has a more secure location. The last break-in was through their roof. As he told us about the last incident he was beaming with the joy of the Lord in light of all the other wonderful things the Lord had been doing. The next day I was reading in the book of Hebrews, chapter 10:34 when Paul states, “for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.” I wrote Pastor David’s name in the margin of my bible. He and his young family are a wonderful example to the flock.
Our first visit to the hospital after we returned from the States was a wonderful blessing. Four patients came to Christ. One was a woman who when Eddie went to hold her hand to pray, began to whimper in excruciating pain. Involuntarily, her eyes welled up with tears. After apologizing profusely for inadvertently hurting her, Ed asked what was wrong with her. She said she had Dengue fever. This is a concern I have for our family. Please pray the Lord would protect us from this mosquito-borne disease. We also had the privilege of praying with an emaciated young man dying of AIDS.
Drunkenness among the men in Puerto Lempira can be witnessed daily in the center of town. Yesterday, Ed and I were approached and followed by one drunk asking for money. A little ways down the same road a man laid in a drunken stupor on the side of the street. A companion was teetering over him, equally inebriated, trying to get him to get up off the street. It was early afternoon. What a pitiful sight. Two of these drunken types participated in the Monday night men’s meeting at church during the first 12-week session that ran from October through December. What a blessing to see transformed lives.
Last Wednesday night a poor couple appeared at church. According to the husband (the wife never spoke a word) she had just been released from a 3-month stay in the hospital. She was unable to swallow solid foods. Unfortunately because of the tendency to take advantage of unsuspecting gringos, immediately Ed was suspicious. Besides she didn’t appear sickly. The husband pulled out a legitimate looking letter from the attending physician at the local hospital that stated he was no longer able to help her. He recommended she seek help in one of the hospitals located in the capital. They were asking for money to pay for the flight-roughly $200 roundtrip. Ed told them to return that Sunday which would allow him time to verify their story. As I’ve already written, Katrina regularly sends infants and burn victims to the capital for treatment. She simply puts them on the plane and someone is there to meet them when they arrive at the airport. We needed to write Katrina to find out who her contact person was. When we finally heard back from Katrina, she told us her contact person is no longer there. Ed went with the couple to the hospital on Monday. He was so blessed by how helpful everyone was. The Director of the hospital dropped what she was doing to review the woman’s file confirming everything Ed had been told. She took time to phone a local friend who knows a Moskito nurse who works at the hospital in Tegulcigalpa. She then wrote a letter to the hospital there explaining the woman’s health history while asking that she be treated for free. When Ed went to seek an interpreter, a Mosquito nurse recognized the name of the nurse the director had recommended we contact in Tegulcigalpa as one of her nursing school classmates. When the interpreter explained that Ed was only willing to pay for one person to travel, the sick lady balked. Ed then explained she could travel with Kevin we heads to the capital in early February. Ed then took them to meet Kevin. The lady seemed relieved to learn Kevin is married to a Mosquito woman.
Another situation came to our door this week in the form of a man whose brother has a stick lodged in his eye. They traveled many hours to get to the Puerto Lempira hospital and were told he could not be helped. In desperation, the man went to Katrina’s house, and one of her workers sent him to us. Ed went with him to verify the story and to talk with his brother. That night Ed called the same nurse whose name he had already been given for the other patient. She said she would be more than willing to meet the man at the airport in the capital and drive him to the hospital. Hallelujah! We prayed that the Lord would make a way for this man because the flight out of here is overbooked. Sadly, his type of desperate situation is so common that the airline people where not moved at all to assure Ed that the man would be given a seat.
Please join us in prayer that the Lord would continue to open the people’s hearts to heed His Word (Acts 16:14). For we know that,
Praise the Lord for WHO and HOW He is!
Love,
Karen, Ed and girls
A lot has transpired in the last couple of weeks. Bethany turned 14 years old on the 20th. She is doing extremely well in all areas: physically (hallelujah), mentally, academically, musically, emotionally and spiritually. Glory to God!
We got a chance to see the photos on the website before our access was cut off about five days ago. I apologize that there aren’t more photos of the girls. The camera belongs to Bethany so she was behind the camera much of the time. There aren’t very many photos that adequately depict the scenes of our daily life and I hope to correct that in the next round of photos. Ed and I had to chuckle when we realized we were wearing the same clothing in almost all the photos. Fashion is obviously NOT a priority down here. We laughed out loud when we noticed Ed was wearing the same white t-shirt and tan shorts at that very moment.
I have a few corrections and additions to make to the notes on the photos. A dugout canoe is called a LANCHA. I misspelled it as “launcha.” The sand in the Miskito lancha I photographed is used for making cement blocks. They sell for about 50 cents a piece or 9.5 “limps” (short for Lempiras-the national currency). We just bought some blocks today to make bookshelves for the girls’ room using the wood planks we had been storing under our bed. In another picture, the mystery animal Chaela is holding is a malnourished puppy. We had been taking scraps to it daily so it wouldn’t die. We learned yesterday that his littermate named “Lucky” died from snakebite. Oops!
We received our absentee ballots for last year’s presidential election on Bethany’s birthday. Ironically, that was the same day as the inauguration. We only found that out because we spent the day with the Griggs and they get CNN via satellite. That same evening we went out to dinner with the Griggs and waited two hours to get our food. We hadn’t spent much time with Ray and Laurel since leaving for the holidays so we didn’t mind. After the table next to ours emptied, two little boys, no older than 5 or 6 sat down and finished the food that had been left on the plates. When we got up to leave we certainly disappointed the two little guys. Because we had waited so long to eat, we inhaled our meals.
Ed has resumed teaching at the prison everyday. Today was unique for two reasons. When he got there everyone was tense and some of the guards had their AK-47s drawn. One of the inmates had been told he was being moved to a prison in Tegucigalpa due to his bad behavior and was NOT happy. The prison was in a lockdown as they waited for him to calm down. Ed taught the prisoners as usual from the Gospel of John, today in Chapter 8. One of the prisoners that has been attending the study since the beginning but has remained somewhat aloof approached Ed after the meeting. This man is in charge of all the other prisoners. He carries a billy club and has a very threatening, no nonsense demeanor. Ed told him the Lord could use a man like him. The Lord has transformed many lives of tough characters like him, and used them for His glory. He responded that he wanted to stop fooling himself and that he wanted to really change. Ed asked if he wanted to pray right then, repent and commit his life to the Lord. He said yes. Eddie came home so blessed. How true it is that the Word of God doesn’t return to Him void (Is. 55:11). Later in the week this same man was telling the other inmates in the bible study group that he was willing to give Ed his ear because of his testimony. The fact that Eddie became saved in Paraguay while he lived amongst poor farmers living for Christ really got his attention.
The Lord has also blessed Ed’s time with the soldiers. He asked the base commander about coming every day instead of just twice a week. The commander strongly agreed. Not only will they hear the Word of God everyday but at a much better time of the day- 9:30 am. Ed had been teaching at 1:00 pm right after lunch. As you can imagine, some soldiers would unwittingly doze off. After seeing such rapid growth among the prisoners who have come to Christ as they look into the Word each day, we’re excited to see what the Lord will do on the military base. The soldiers normally stay here just 30 days before they are rotated out. Then a new bunch arrives here from another base. This is done so the soldiers don’t develop relationships with the locals that might lead to bribery and further corruption, especially in light of the drug trafficking.
Gabrielle made an amazing announcement tonight. Knowing that her sisters would probably kill her for saying it, she told us that if we felt the Lord wanted us to stay in the mission field next year (when she’ll be a senior in high school), she’s all for it. She added that she realizes if the Lord wants you to do something, even if you might not want to do it, it is what you will be most happy and blessed doing. Wow! Thank you Lord for her willing heart. She’s truly a blessing to us.
The Honduran children here have really gotten my attention. Our little neighbors play from sunrise to sunset, running around, yelling and giggling nonstop. The only “toy” I’ve seen them play with, besides an occasional bicycle tire or cardboard box, is an empty plastic coke bottle. This is a very popular toy for kicking around since soccer is all the rage amongst the young people. I watched a small group of very young children (the little boy was naked and the little girls wore only underpants) play on a set of stairs leading up to their house. The fun and interest they find in the most simple of surroundings is extraordinary.
Our Pastor asked Gabrielle if she would be interested in painting a mural on the wall of the church’s elementary school library. She’s excited about the project and we’ve already started sketching a Noah’s Ark scene. It’s convenient in that we can work on it while Bethany is at band practice in the church. Chaela and Bethany have been asked to come up with a design for the front area inside the church building. They are all excited about these assignments, as Trading Spaces and the like are their favorite type of shows whenever we are in a place with cable T.V.
Our Pastor’s home has been broken into 6 times. They live near the hospital where it is somewhat sparsely populated. They are praying for a home that has a more secure location. The last break-in was through their roof. As he told us about the last incident he was beaming with the joy of the Lord in light of all the other wonderful things the Lord had been doing. The next day I was reading in the book of Hebrews, chapter 10:34 when Paul states, “for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.” I wrote Pastor David’s name in the margin of my bible. He and his young family are a wonderful example to the flock.
Our first visit to the hospital after we returned from the States was a wonderful blessing. Four patients came to Christ. One was a woman who when Eddie went to hold her hand to pray, began to whimper in excruciating pain. Involuntarily, her eyes welled up with tears. After apologizing profusely for inadvertently hurting her, Ed asked what was wrong with her. She said she had Dengue fever. This is a concern I have for our family. Please pray the Lord would protect us from this mosquito-borne disease. We also had the privilege of praying with an emaciated young man dying of AIDS.
Drunkenness among the men in Puerto Lempira can be witnessed daily in the center of town. Yesterday, Ed and I were approached and followed by one drunk asking for money. A little ways down the same road a man laid in a drunken stupor on the side of the street. A companion was teetering over him, equally inebriated, trying to get him to get up off the street. It was early afternoon. What a pitiful sight. Two of these drunken types participated in the Monday night men’s meeting at church during the first 12-week session that ran from October through December. What a blessing to see transformed lives.
Last Wednesday night a poor couple appeared at church. According to the husband (the wife never spoke a word) she had just been released from a 3-month stay in the hospital. She was unable to swallow solid foods. Unfortunately because of the tendency to take advantage of unsuspecting gringos, immediately Ed was suspicious. Besides she didn’t appear sickly. The husband pulled out a legitimate looking letter from the attending physician at the local hospital that stated he was no longer able to help her. He recommended she seek help in one of the hospitals located in the capital. They were asking for money to pay for the flight-roughly $200 roundtrip. Ed told them to return that Sunday which would allow him time to verify their story. As I’ve already written, Katrina regularly sends infants and burn victims to the capital for treatment. She simply puts them on the plane and someone is there to meet them when they arrive at the airport. We needed to write Katrina to find out who her contact person was. When we finally heard back from Katrina, she told us her contact person is no longer there. Ed went with the couple to the hospital on Monday. He was so blessed by how helpful everyone was. The Director of the hospital dropped what she was doing to review the woman’s file confirming everything Ed had been told. She took time to phone a local friend who knows a Moskito nurse who works at the hospital in Tegulcigalpa. She then wrote a letter to the hospital there explaining the woman’s health history while asking that she be treated for free. When Ed went to seek an interpreter, a Mosquito nurse recognized the name of the nurse the director had recommended we contact in Tegulcigalpa as one of her nursing school classmates. When the interpreter explained that Ed was only willing to pay for one person to travel, the sick lady balked. Ed then explained she could travel with Kevin we heads to the capital in early February. Ed then took them to meet Kevin. The lady seemed relieved to learn Kevin is married to a Mosquito woman.
Another situation came to our door this week in the form of a man whose brother has a stick lodged in his eye. They traveled many hours to get to the Puerto Lempira hospital and were told he could not be helped. In desperation, the man went to Katrina’s house, and one of her workers sent him to us. Ed went with him to verify the story and to talk with his brother. That night Ed called the same nurse whose name he had already been given for the other patient. She said she would be more than willing to meet the man at the airport in the capital and drive him to the hospital. Hallelujah! We prayed that the Lord would make a way for this man because the flight out of here is overbooked. Sadly, his type of desperate situation is so common that the airline people where not moved at all to assure Ed that the man would be given a seat.
Please join us in prayer that the Lord would continue to open the people’s hearts to heed His Word (Acts 16:14). For we know that,
“Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord His God,
Who made the heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them;
Who keeps truth forever,
Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers;
He relieves the fatherless and widow;
But the way of the wicked He turns upside down.”
Psalm 146:5-9
Whose hope is in the Lord His God,
Who made the heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them;
Who keeps truth forever,
Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers;
He relieves the fatherless and widow;
But the way of the wicked He turns upside down.”
Psalm 146:5-9
Praise the Lord for WHO and HOW He is!
Love,
Karen, Ed and girls
posted by Eric Stephens at 20:46
