This month marks 9 years since we have first come to Honduras to bring the messsage of the Body of Christ. This is our 19th trip. The people that we have had the privilege to work with here have become an important part of our lives, and we have come to dearly love them.
      We spent our first week in our home in Los Charcos, having night services with Bro. Misael and his church. These people have grown so much. The services have been rich and the worship has been amazing. You would think you were in a meeting in the U.S.! Bro. Gustavo has learned most of the songs that we have translated and he has a wonderful gift to be spirit led with the worship as the people press in.
     We drove to the city of Guiamaca, about 20 minutes from our house here, to check out the possibility of renting a building to start a church there. We drove around different areas, inquiring about vacant buildings. One man told us about a house for rent that he had just completed.  We went to see it, and we were amazed how perfect it is for us. It is very near the center of the city, close to the small main grocery store. The front of the house has a huge room that we will use for the church. There is a large kitchen and 2 bedrooms with private bathrooms. There is another large room that we are making into 2 more small bedrooms so we can house more people.  The water runs every day,  rather than the twice weekly we have had. After much prayer and discussion with the ministry here, we have decided to move to this house. Bro. Rigo and Bro. Edwin will live there and begin to reach out to the the city. The ministry and church in Talanga will work together with them, and they will all share weekly services in both churches. We plan to move on Feb.  1st.
      We are now in Danli working for 5 days with rhe people here. We will have 3 days of Bible studies, with services at night.  This church has gone through a shaking, so we hope to be a strength and encouragement to them. 
      We appreciate all your prayers.  We miss you all.

 Today is our last day in Choluteca. It has been a very spiritually profitable 3 days. Bro. Victor has worked very hard the past few months, gathering and teaching the people here. 
     Each day we have had 4 hours of Bible studies in a beautiful setting. It is an outdoor meeting room in the home of a Christian businessman who is a friend of Bro. Geinrre. This part of the country is extremely hot, over 100 degrees during our day meetings. Thankfully, our hotel and the room where we are having night service are air conditioned.  
     The people have been very receptive of the  teachings.  Our night services are full of beautiful worship and teaching. As in Danli, the people have come to love our songs. Bro. Rigo and Sis. Claudia (Bro. Victor's wife) have been with us leading music. Many of the people in both places have downloaded our simple DVD of the songs to their phones and are learning them as they are being written on their hearts. These songs are helping them grow, just as they helped all of us.
     We have one last service here tonight, then we head back tomorrow to Los Charcos where we will spend the last week.  Bro. Victor and Bro. Alberto are riding back with us. Our plan is to have 3 days of ministers' training classes later this week.  You may remember our story of Bro. Alberto from our earlier trips. He was the father who brought his 2 sons with him to Talanga after they saved money for  months. He lives near Choluteca, so now we will be able to have more contact with him. 
      The work in Honduras is truly growing. We are excited for this new group of people here, and we look forward to being with them again in January.   
      Thank you for your prayers.Truly the Lord is building His church in Honduras!

Things are going well here on our 17th mission trip to Honduras. We arrived safely in Tegucigalpa on Wednesday, will all our luggage. It is always so exciting to get through the hectic experience of customs and baggage claim, to be met by the welcoming faces of those we have come to love so dearly. After picking up a few necessities, we drove to our little casa in Los Charcos.  Sis. Karla had worked hard to prepare it for our arrival.
After a night of rest, we left for Danli to be with Bro. Victor.  Here we have 4 hour Bible studies by day, and services in the evening.  Bro. Victor loves what he is hearing, and he is eager to share with anyone who will listen. Tomorrow we leave early for Choluteca, where he has established 2 new groups of people since we were here in February.  They are waiting for us, ready to hear more of this gospel. We will be in Choluteca until Wednesday. 
We are all healthy, safe, and excited to be a part of what the Lord is doing in Honduras!

Once again I am in Danli with the opportunity to update the blog. Some have already read on Facebook the things the Lord has done in the past week. But for others, let me say that it has been a profitable week. Bro. Daves, Bro. Emmons, and Bro. Beck were with us until Monday. On Saturday, we had a seminar at the mission house in Los Charcos. We had 19 people there, including one visiting pastor. We visited a church that night for the second time, and the people seemed to be very open. On Sunday, we were with Bro Misael all day, with a seminar in the morning, and a service at night. The brothers preached up a storm and were such an encouragement to everyone. We took them to Tegucigalpa to the airport on Monday, stopping first at El Patio, where they enjoyed a typical Honduran pincho meal. All too soon, we dropped them at the airport, where they and Bro. Geinrre flew to Guatemala to be with Bro. Fidel. 
     We are beginning to learn our way around here and feeling a little less dependent on everyone. Bro. Finnicum has driven both ways to Tegucigalpa, and yesterday he drove to Danli. I do my best to take a nap during those trips. Those of you who have been here, especially to Danli, understand why!
     Tuesday was a "catch up" day. I spent most of the day doing laundry, and Bro. Finnicum tried to sleep off a cold. Sarah has spent the week having music lessons anytime she could gather some of her students. She has worked with Nancy, Arling, Dulce, David, and Bro. Edwin, and they are all progressing well.
     We have had two more services this week with Bro. Misael, and a service in the mission house in Los Charcos. We are so thankful for the growth that we see in peoples' lives, and for the beautiful spirit of worship that we have felt in the services.
     We have put Bro. Misael's daughter, Nancy, on a fast track English study with Bro. Rigo, using ACE PACEs. As soon as she can get her Visa, and can speak English enough to come, we plan to bring her to Roanoke for 6 months. Then she will go to the university here to become a teacher. If she continues to work with us and walk this path, she will be a huge help in our goal to open an ACE school here.
     Today we are with Bro. Victor and some of his people at a Bible study. We had another visiting pastor with us, as well as the 2 sisters that came last week from Choluteca. On the way back to Talanga tomorrow, we will have service with a pastor who is a friend of Bro. Victor. Bro. Victor's people have been saving money so that they can buy gas and come to the service in his truck. We are humbled as we see the price that many are willing to pay for this gospel. 
     On Feb. 22nd, we hope to be able to come for the day to Danli as several couples from Bro. Victor's church get married. This is a wonderful event, and we want to be able to honor them as they put into practice the important Biblical principles that we have been teaching. 
     Next weekend, we plan to go to the San Pedro Sula area where Bro. Vital from the Houston assembly has been working with a group of people. We will be there for a wedding on Saturday and a service on Sunday. We are hoping that Bro. Fidel will be able to join us there for the weekend, as it is closer to Guatemala. 
     I may not have another opportunity to post again on this blog. I need to have better internet service than my phone to do it. If there are no other opportunities, I will update when I get home. We fly home on Feb. 25th, and as you can see, we still have two very full weeks left to continue to work. We feel your prayers every day, and we are very appreciative of those of you who have taken time to pray for us and the work that God is doing here. It is a lot of hard work to build the Kingdom, but our God is a Master Builder. We want to be vessels that He can use  to continue His great project in Honduras. 
     We love and miss you all.

Arrived safely back in Los Charcos after a long bumpy ride. Looking forward to seeing what God does here and in Talanga the next few days while we are still so privileged to have our brothers here with us. Everyone is healthy and doing well!

We had a beautiful service and Bible study here at the mission house today. We had 2 visiting pastors that the brothers were really able to minister to. Wish they could stay longer! God is really using them.

I woke up this morning feeling so very, very thankful for what God is doing here. It is such a great honor to be a part of it. I want to express my thankfulness also for our interpreter, Bro. Geinrre Valladares. When God gave him to us, he gave us a great gift. He does an awesome job as our interpreter, and works hard to keep us safe on the roads. And most importantly, he has a vision of what God is doing and is running the race with us!

What an amazing time this is for the Body of Christ in Honduras! It has been over a week since I have had internet service in order to post on the blog. But God has been doing a great work. We were able to finish the painting of the house in preparation for the men coming. On Tuesday, the 22nd, we had service in our home. Wednesday night was service with Bro. Misael. The services are going well. People are growing and learning. On Thusday we picked up Sarah. She has been busy, helping me much in the natural at the house and working with some of the young people as they learn band instruments. We are so thankful to have her with us. Bro.  Finnicum had Bible studies in Talanga while we were at the house with music students and meal preparation.  Our Sunday services were outstanding in both places. Bro. Cristian brought his family and sisters to service. Our night service at Bro. Misael's was amazing. The worship was so powerful. A lady in a wheelchair was prayed for. After the preaching began, she continued to cry. She stood up and began to walk around the church with help. She had a stroke 8 years ago and her leg had been numb since then. She had feeling in her leg and was able to walk in shoes that she could not walk in before. What a mighty God we serve!!!!!!
     After some flight cancelations and delays, we were so very excited and honored as Bro. Daves, Bro. Emmons, and Bro. Dale Beck flew in yesterday to be with us for 5 days. We had a beautiful service last night with Bro. Victor.  Right now we are in an all day Bible study at the hotel. Bro. Misael, Rigo, Edwin, and Gustave traveled to be here for this historic time. We pray that other brethren will join us here in the months and years to come as we build the Body of Christ in Honduras.  Please continue to pray!

We have been here in Honduras for 6 days, and things are going well. We have had to spend a lot of time doing some natural things to get our house set up for our visits, and the visits of others who will come in the future. In the past 6 days, we have installed a hot water heater and  a water pump in the bathroom, and painted the interior walls of the house. We have also spent a lot of time in the process of getting the van. Four months after we purchased the van, we are awaiting Bro. Geinrre's arrival later this afternoon as he brings the van back from the port in San Pedro Sula. This is a big answer to prayer, as there were many things that could have gone wrong in this process. This was an expensive investment, but a necessary one, as we were renting a van each trip that we made. This will also enable our ministry to travel from church to church and do the job that God has called them to do. 
     We have not been able to have many services yet, but after today, our natural work schedule should be easing, and we will be able to concentrate on the spiritual things of the kingdom of God. We have had one service with Bro. Misael in Talanga, and 2 services at our house church with Bro. Rigo and Bro. Edwin. We plan to have many hours of personal ministerial training with Bro. Geinrre and these young men. 
      Having a house here is a great blessing. While we really enjoyed the hotel where we stayed, and felt very comfortable and safe there, the drive twice a day was expensive, tiring, and at times, risky. Now we have cut down our travel time and our gas expense. We are able to make our own meals in our home, which allows us to plan our own menus and "Americanize" our food as we wish. Living with our 2 young sons in the Lord is a beautiful experience. They are hungry to learn, and willing to change as they are taught. There is such potential in both of their lives. 
     Tomorrow we will have a service in the house, and we are excited that Bro. Cristian and his family will be joining us. Sarah Hummel will be flying in next Thursday, and her gifts are always an asset to our services.
      We are grateful for your prayers. We hope to have many exciting things to tell you as the weeks progress!

     We are preparing to embark on what may very well be the most exciting and productive trip that we have taken to Honduras since our vision began in 2006. We have been traveling to Honduras for 7 years, having completed our 15th trip in August of 2013. At times we have been frustrated by our progress. At other times we have seen the hand of God work in a mighty way. Several different people have told us that many ministries see the most fruit and positive results in the 7th year. We have found this to be true as well. The past year has been one of growth, both in numbers of churches who we are working with, and personal growth in those who have been hearing and applying this Gospel. Bro. Finnicum has felt that at some point, we need to spend more time there in order to be more effective. So we have chosen this month to begin a 6 week long trip to Honduras, working with the already established churches, as well as meeting new pastors who are eager for their people to hear life changing truths that have the potential to change not only their life, but the lives of generations to come. If you are not familiar with our mission work, please check out our website at fathersforthefatherless.org.
    This trip has some new and exciting aspects for us as well. In July, we rented a home in the village of Los Charcos, near the home of our interpreter, brother, and friend, Geinrre Valladares. This trip will be the first time that we have been able to stay in the home, rather than a hotel. Bro. Rigo and Bro. Edwin, 2 very special young pastors, live in the home. Not only do they watch over the house for us, but they also pastor a small congregation that meets in the living room of the house. Another added benefit will be the van which we recently purchased here in the U.S. and had shipped for our use and the use of the pastors as they work with the people there. The van is due to be in port shortly before our arrival, so we ask for your prayers as all the details are worked out for the taxes and  paperwork upon delivery. 
    We will also have others joining us for parts of this trip. Our faithful missionary companion, Sarah Hummel, will join us from January 23rd to February 9th. Sarah is an amazing help and blessing to us in the services. We are also anticipating the possibility of some other pastors joining us for a portion of the time. This is a huge encouragement to us and we are excited about their help and support as they use their gifts to reach out to the people of Honduras.
    We would greatly appreciate your support as we make this trip. As always, financial donations are needed and greatly appreciated. Donations can be made online at fathersforthefatherless.org.  Each trip is very expensive and we often need to feed and house the Honduran brethren who are traveling around the country with us. Most importantly, please pray with us for safety, health, and a special covering of God's wisdom and power. We will be in Honduras from January 12th to February 25th. Pray for the Body of Christ in Honduras! 

Our time here for this trip is very quickly coming to a close. God has helped us in so many ways during these 2 weeks. We are thankful for the obvious of health and safety, as both are a concern while here. But the spiritual growth that we have seen this trip is simply amazing. The church in Danli is open to all that God has for them. Some very exciting things happened while we were there that I can now report with great joy. On service on Monday night, Sis. Nancy (Bro. Misael's daughter), received the baptism of the Holy Ghost!!! It was such a beautiful thing to see! This experience, added to the time that she has spent with our girls, has made a great change in her! I know that she will never be the same. Please pray for her to learn English, as we would love to bring her to the U.S. to gain more experience in the things of God.
Thursday night, while making the hour trip back to the hotel, we had the unfortunate experience to hit a dog with the van. (a black dog, on a black road, on a black night, and he was laying in the road) We found that we had done damage to the front of the van. Here in Honduras, there is no such thing as rental insurance on your vehicles. We knew that the rental agency would overcharge for a repair, so Bro. Geinrre made 2 trips to Tegucigalpa to order a part, and then repair the van. Our dear friend, Bro. Omar, was our source of knowledge for this, and he was able to get us a part and the repair for a very reasonable sum. It was an unexpected expense, but a very common issue here with the bad roads and unique driving.We were thankful to get it taken care of so easily. While Bro. Geinrre was doing this today, we had a youth service at Bro. Misael's church. Some of their young people and some of the girls were able to share their hearts. Bro. Rigo did an excellent job of interpreting in Bro. Geinrre's absence. 
Tomorrow will be our last full day here. We plan to spend some time packing in the morning. It was a pleasant surprise to us tonight as Bro. Misael announced that some of his people were being baptized tomorrow afternoon! We are excited to be a part of this special time with his people. We will have our final service with them tomorrow evening. We hope that Bro. Omar and Bro. Cristian's family will be able to join us for the service.We met Bro. Cristian and Sis. Carolina at a mall for just a few minutes, and we would love to have more time with them tomorrow.
We are so confident that the work here is the will of God. We know that this message is not for everyone. We know that not all who hear will follow. But for those who have an ear to hear, the future is bright with the promises of God.
Thank you once again for all who have helped in monetary support, prayer support, and caring for the needs of the Roanoke assembly in our absence. We are a many membered Body, and we are thankful for what each part has done to further the Kingdom of God in Honduras.