We have so much on the schedule ahead of us but we are so excited about all that God is accomplishing at Destino del Reino. Again, it is because of your faithful prayers for us and support and encouragement — so thank you again for all you do for God’s children here in Honduras.
The money came in to put on the roof for the high school building and the material has been ordered and we will be starting on that next week. We are almost finished as well with the junior high and high school bathrooms. It will be nice to separate them from the elementary school in the near future. The plan after the roof is on is to finish up the bathrooms, build the stairs to the second floor, put in the railing and then start working on the four classrooms — electricity, flooring, painting, windows and doors. If the money keeps coming in steadily, we should have no problem having it all ready for classes in September. We need 3 of the 4 classrooms finished before school starts and then we can finish the fourth during the school year. We also need to prepare a rustic outside kitchen and shelter for the upper class students to eat but that should not be too time consuming and shouldn’t cost too much.
God is blessing us with great students and a wonderful future for each one of them. I went through all their report cards after the 3rd quarter and the majority of them are doing great. We have about 7 or 8 that are struggling but we keep bringing them in to the Monday afternoon re-enforcement time with the teachers and they are passing. I am so thankful for all our teachers, both Honduran and American, who are so patient and diligent in teaching these children.
We have some new things coming up this year, besides the beginning of high school. One program that we are going to start is an education program on computers for 30 of our parents — we will arrange our school schedules so that one of our two computer classrooms will be available on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and we can facilitate the education classes for mothers (and fathers, if they want) who have not been able to further their education. Please be praying for us to get the required permission and everything in order in time to start in September. I also need wisdom in choosing the 30 individuals that we are to enter into the program. It is such a wonderful idea (came, of course, from the Holy Spirit) because it won’t cost us anything except the original computer program and the parents can use the Destino buses coming and going and we already have one of our Honduran teachers who has had precious experience in this kind of teaching and she will be available those mornings to be the facilitator for the parents. I am SO excited about this and would appreciate your prayers for each detail that must be worked out. Thanks.
We also are planning to start planting our coffee farm in June. The timing will be perfect because we need to provide some jobs for our incoming high schoolers to work at in order to earn their education and uniforms, etc. We will be able to schedule them on several days during the summer so they can help us and learn to appreciate more what has been given to them at Destino del Reino. Oscar, our manager of the grounds and maintenance and construction (and basically everything, ha) has a lot of experience in coffee farming so he is very excited to help us get this going.
PRAISE GOD too that in just 10 days we will FINALLY have our first dental clinic started for the students of Destino. The dentists who visited us a few months back to review the situation (and to pull over 100 teeth), returned to Augusta and met and decided that the best plan for our dental clinic is to get rid of the x-ray machines, suction machines, etc. etc. that had been donated years ago and just buy a mobile unit for Destino that has everything in one portable unit. Dr. Keith and Dr. Stanley are coming with Pastor Wade to start the clinic and we are SO excited for this huge opportunity for the kids. Most kids have never been to a dentist and they need LOTS of fillings. Pray for the dentists — for energy and enough time to accomplish so much in just a week. I am amazed at such a huge blessing!!!
Be praying about our teachers for next year. We need to hire an assistant, a secretary, an elementary teacher and a high school teacher. We only want teachers who have been walking faithfully in the truth so that they can raise up our students to be true disciples of Jesus Christ. Sometimes, in past years, I have been panicked at the last minute when we could not find a teacher and have compromised in hiring. I need the peace and wisdom to WAIT until we find the teachers and staff members GOD wants for us. Thanks for your prayers.
Also pray for the American teachers we need. I am thankful that Sheena Rader, Jenna Murphy, Kathy Buurma and Bethany Dunn are all returning next year. We have a new teacher coming (Alexa) from LaGrange, Georgia as well. We also have Colton Brooks and another young man praying about teaching here as well. Please pray, too, for Andy and Randi Sewell. They are great friends of all of us at Destino and they are seeking the Lord about coming permanently to serve at Destino del Reino. They would have to raise their support as well as enough other support to pay off school bills — but our God is able and if this is His will, He will do it. I personally am praying and hoping so much that it IS God’s will because if they come, we can start our medical clinic!!! Andy is a doctor (PA) and all we need to get our birthing center going is to have a medical person who will be on hand for the moms when they go into labor. We would work with an area hospital for any type of emergency that needed to be taken care of in a hospital. I really know the birthing center is part of God’s design for Destino in ministering to the students’ mothers and we are waiting on His timing and personnel. Also Randi is a teacher and we would put her in English as well as PE classes. Andy grew up on the mission field in Mexico and is fluent in Spanish and we need another Bible teacher — so you can see why I am hoping that God is calling this precious couple to us. We will wait on God’s confirmation to them — thanks for praying for them in this big decision.
Also, please be praying for two of our students. Milagro (“Miracle”) is in the 5th grade and she has perforated lungs as a result of years of asthsma. The doctor has not given her much hope of surviving this but we know that God is able, so we ask you to pray with us for a miracle for “Miracle”. Also, Joselin in 9th grade was in a motorcycle accident two weeks ago and is dizzy and unable to walk well. I didn’t know about this until this weekend and I took money to the mom to go get some x-rays made at the Evangelical Hospital. We are waiting to hear what the reports show but she has missed 6 days of class and we need a miracle for her as well. Thank you for loving these children and praying for them with us.
Please keep praying for the funds to come in regularly — we have so much to cover in salaries, food, etc. as well as trying to finish off this school building. God is so faithful and thank you for letting him use YOU to accomplish so much in the past — I know He will continue His faithfulness in the future.
Thanks for praying for my parents too. They are doing okay — getting weaker every day but loving the visitors that have been coming to see them. My mom still needs prayer to accept her circumstances — Daddy is completely surrendered and has joy in the midst of it all. Mama needs that same peace. Thanks for your prayers for them.
Pray for us on Wednesday (day after tomorrow) — I knew of a children’s home close by and assumed it was similar to Destino, but we found out recently that they do not have many clothes and do not receive containers like we do at Destino. Also it is not a Christian home, although they do allow people to do devotions when they visit the children, etc. My kids and I are excited to find ways to minister to these children and on Wednesday we are going to bus 30 of them to Destino and have a big day with them, playing soccer, playing on a big slip-n-slide that Erick and the men have made and having lunch together. Also Pastor Pablo will have singing and a devotional in the church after lunch. We are so excited to meet these other orphan children and I want to see my children minister to them in love and sharing. We now have lots of kids to get clothes to, so if you are packing clothes for the container, remember we have every size that needs clothes and shoes.
Speaking of the container — remember it leaves on May 15th so we need to collect all the things you are finding for us BEFORE that the 10th of May. I forgot that we really could use some tricycles, bikes, as well and band instruments if you know of any available. The list was in my last update in case anyone did not see it.
Thanks again for all your prayers. I am so busy but so blessed to be a part of all that God is doing and going to do here in Honduras. He is a Big God with Big plans and He just asks us to be available and He will use all our resources for His Kingdom. Thanks for being part of all of this with us.
Love in His mercy,
Rhonda
