I forgot a few of our prayer needs and would appreciate your praying for these additional things.

Praise God, today the mayor sent out a road construction team to start repairing our horrible road for FREE — please pray that their machines will hold up and also that God will provide the additional $10,000 we need to buy the rock material to preserve the road so that this will not all be in vain once the rains come.   We are so grateful for the mayor’s help and interest in Destino del Reino.  He came out a few weeks ago and was so impressed with all that God is doing here and he wants to help in every way.

The mayor also told Carlos that he will go with him next week to Tegucigalpa and talk to the government people about giving us electricity FREE — this is a huge prayer request — several people with ministries in the community told Carlos that we should NEVER have been paying electricity since we make no money whatsoever and are serving almost 300 children with education and many with housing.  Please pray that they will be able to accomplish this.  In the meantime, we are not paying the bills and it makes me nervous but Carlos doesn’t want us to pay until we know if we have to pay, because we are certain they would never give us a refund.  It makes me nervous to wait but I know with prayers of faith, God will do this for Destino.  Thanks for joining us in prayer.

The third big need is a van.  I can’t take my children anywhere anymore and we found a good used van for $14,000 this past week.   It only has 70,000 miles on it (unusual here) and we REALLY need one immediately.  We also would use the van for small groups that come and it saves a lot of money for the airport trips as well as around the city for our groups.  So this is VERY necessary and we need it now!  Our first group comes in 5 weeks and we are asking you to pray that God will provide this money in time for that group.  God can do it — NOTHING is impossible for Him so please help us pray for this need.  Thanks so much.

Most importantly to me right now is Blanca.  She is my 13-year old and she has been going through a lot of emotional conflict lately.  I prayed with her this week and she has such fear in her life.  I explained to her that Satan is the author of our fears and his purpose is not to just make her afraid to speak up in class, or participate with other groups, or afraid to ask questions,etc.  but Satan’s ultimate goal is to keep her quiet and timid so that she will never proclaim the gospel.  Blanca has felt for several years that God is calling her to be a missionary in Brazil one day and I can just see Satan’s strategy to keep her quiet and timid and never to be able to accomplish God’s purposes for her life.  I prayed over her that God will kick out the lies and activity of Satan in her mind and that she will be set free — please pray with me for Blanca to be set free from this spirit of fear.  As we know, God’s promise says that “God did not give us a spirit of fear (so you know who does) but he gave us a spirit of power and love and a sound mind.”  Please pray this promise over Blanca with me. 

Thank you for being there and being involved in this ministry with your prayers and encouragement — I KNOW God will answer with such a team of prayer partners with me.  Thanks so much.

Love in His grace,

Rhonda

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Thank you for your patience with me — I haven’t written in 6 weeks and apologize for not keeping you better informed about what all is going on at Destino del Reino.  It has been a VERY encouraging week and I couldn’t wait another day to share with you about what God is doing here.  Pastor Wade and Anne Trimmer came to Destino this week to minister to our people and to teach a seminar on disciple-making.   I was so personally convicted that, although I have been doing a lot of “good things”, I have not been actively building disciples and that is the command that God has given to each of us as believers.   Everyone in the conference was so grateful for such clear and profound teaching and have asked when we can have Pastor Wade back for  more teaching.  They were all so hungry for real teaching and they are applying what they learned!!!  Pastor Wade only left yesterday and this morning, one of the pastors who attended with 9 of his church members, called and told Carlos that all of those that attended with him have already found the people that God wants them to disciple and they are OBEYING the truth that was given to them.   I have prayed about who I am to disciple and I will begin next week disciple Carlos’ wife, Wendy (our school director) on Thursday evenings for an hour, and on Monday evenings for one hour I will meet with Sammy and Emily’s mom, Kelin.  Please be praying for me to be faithful and disciplined to not fail to meet with them.  They, in turn, will meet with one of our teenage girls here in this area and teach them the things they learn from me.   Pastor Wade had a wonderful message for us on Friday night at the church at Destino.  On Saturday night, he taught about 60 of our school fathers on temptation and there was much fruit.  Carlos received a call from one of our fathers that very night who was under great conviction about his problems with sin in his life.  I know we have not yet seen near the fruit that has come from these teachings.  On Sunday night, he was able to preach at a church in Siguatepeque and then on Monday night, another church sent about 40 of their mento Destino  to be taught about spiritual warfare.   Thank you for all your prayers for this week and please continue to pray that we will all follow through and be obedient to the things that we have learned and there will be continuing fruit here at Destino.   Pastor Wade told me he is willing to come when we want him and I am so thankful for that because there is such a need for teaching here and the people are ready for MORE!!!  

We had a great Christmas break and I had lots of quality time with the kids.  They are all so precious and growing up spiritually as well as physically.   Please continue to pray for our health as there is  a virus going around in the school and in my house as well, and we also have bad colds right now.  

Our elderly couplewho were living here at Destino have  moved to an assisted living place down the road.   I heard today that Amelia is not so content there, but it is the best place for her husband, Efrain, as he needs continual medical care.  We are praying that Amelia will adjust and be happy there with lots of other people to talk to, food prepared for her, and lots of attention. 

It is time to be praying about our next school year as far as American teachers.  I believe we have 6 for sure coming next year and a couple of others still praying.  We would love to have at least 8 and especially we would like you to pray that we will get another man to come.  Hayden is coming and we would love to be able to get a house for the two young men together.   Thanks for your prayers for God to send who HE wants and we wil wait on HIS choices.

Next Friday we are interviewing 11 kids to take or 6 empty places in our upcoming junior high class.  Please pray for us to have wisdom as to who God would want us to include in our 7th grade class next year.  We do not have room for more than 30 and we have 24 of ourown  children here graduating from 6th grade and entering 7th, so we need God’s choices for these six vacant spots.   We are interviewing now because in mid February, the public school system starts school and the 6 that we pick will not enter classes in another place if we accept them at Destino.

Pray for us to find a new night watchman.  We need a good man that STAYS AWAKE at night.  Last night there was evidence that some people were inside our gates in the night (lots of cigarette butts on the ground, etc.) and our watchman never knew about it.  Carlos scolded him and he got mad and quit so now we need someone soon!!!  Thanks for your prayers.

Be praying for our March group — Lost Orphans International is sending their first group to us and they will work on preparing and repairing our playgrounds.   We need a lot more playground equipment for our 250 kids and also to prepare a playground for the kindergarten classes next year who will be moving to our church building for their school.   We have a group possibly coming in April too who will teach our women and then a group in mid-May as well.   we praise God that so many people are willing to come and help us accomplish so much for His Kingdom work here.   Pray for us to be able to discern what God has for each group.

Carlos and I will be traveling to the US in about 3 weeks to speak at the missions conference at Day Spring in Augusta.  Pray for us to be used of the Lord to encourage many people.  I am so thankful too to be able to visit my parents.  Please pray for my mom as she has a lot of weakness and is adjusting to using oxygen regularly.  She has a drain to keep down the liquids in her body without having to go to the hospital so often.  Pray for my daddy too as he is cooking and helping my mom with all that needs to be done in the house.  I praise God for my parents and their courage and attitude of faith and assurance in the Father.  It is hard to be away and not be able to help them but it is clear that GOD  is their helper and is sustaining them.   They both really enjoy phone calls and seeing people so please, if you are in the Augusta area, don’t hesitate to go by and encourage them.

We started working on the junior high building again this week.  It has sat dormant for months now but we got  a $3,000 donation and are starting out with that and praying that more will come in each week as we need it so we can continue on until completion.  God is faithful and will do this HIS way.  Our fathers in the school are donating their time so there are no labor costs and that is a huge blessing.  Thanks for praying for this great need.

God is teaching me so much and I praise Him for His faithfulness to me and keeping me through so much difficulty and trials continually here — He is doing a marvelous work and I am grateful to go along for the “ride” — it is amazing to see what His plans are for the children here and I see so much growth in all of them and praise Him for the future He is planning for each one of them.  

I thank all of you (many who I have never met face to face) who are praying faithfully for us and giving and sponsoring children at Destino, etc. etc.  Only heaven will reveal how many thousands and thousands of people are a part of the Destino team.  I am so grateful andI  thank you for your faithfulness to God and His children in Honduras.

In His grace,

Rhonda

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We have some very important prayer requests and would appreciate your lifting these up to the Father with us.

(1)   Carlos went to pay the light bill today and found out they want a little over $5,000 for a “deposit” for this year.  They already rob us every month with a ridiculous bill (about $1,600) and no one pays that kind of money to the electric company here — and this is a new way to steal money from the ministry.   Carlos is on his way to the capital right now and we need him to find the right person to talk to in the government.   The government could pay for our electricity if we find the right favor because we provide free education for the poor here.   We do not know whether to just start living without electricity again or not.  The biggest problems would be the alarm system in the school wouldn’t work, there would be no computer classes and it would be no hot water for baths, etc. but we could do it.  Even if God provided the $5,000 today, it is just not right to let them steal this money from God’s work — please pray for wisdom for us in this matter. 

(2)   I brought to our house for Jesus’ birthday celebration three more of the siblings of Franklin.  One little sister (age 2) lived with us for a few months last year (Estella) and she really needs to come to live with us permanently.  I believe she has the “failure to thrive syndrome” and I am very concerned about her.  There is no emotion in her face and she is bloated and you can hardly pick her up because she weighs so much.  Please pray that when I go to get the other siblings to return home on Sunday that the parents will be ready to let Estella live with me permanently.   This is going to take a miracle but God can do it and I ask you to pray for this with us.

(3)  Pastor Wade Trimmer and his wife, Anne, are coming to do a two-day conference on discipleship for pastors and leaders and also our school teachers on January 20-25 — the conference will be that Monday and Tuesday and he will also be preaching at Destino on Friday night, speaking to our school fathers at a dinner on Saturday night, and preaching at a church in town on Sunday night — please pray for the people that God chooses to come to the conference and that many lives will be changed for eternity through Pastor Wade’s teaching.

(4)  Kim Crabill (founder of Roses and Rainbows ministry for women) is going to do a women’s conference for our school moms and women teachers during the first week of April.   I am so excited for what God will do through her.  We have so many families that we are ministering to in our school but Carlos and I cannot do the teaching that is needed here with our busy adminsitrative duties.  Kim is also trying to locate someone to teach a seminar to our junior highers on purity and abstinence and that can be held the same week — we want to get some purity promise rings and have a ceremony and really have commitments from these young people to stay pure in the midst of this perverted society they live in here in Honduras.   We ask you to pray for God to lead the right people to come and teach during that first week of April, that many of  the 200 moms in our school will make the commitment to attend, and that God will work mightily in the lives of these teens and women during the week.

(5)  As always, continue to pray that God will provide for the junior high building, gym, etc. that we need to keep growing the school and junior high at Destino del Reino.  

Thanks so much for supporting us in prayer.   God is doing mighty things and I am seeing plans for even bigger spiritual growth here and I am so excited.  We once dreamed of having a conference center at Destino and it just may be from the Lord because he is putting i on hearts of pastors and teachers to come and build up true leadership here in Honduras — thanks for your prayers for us in all of these matters.   He is faithful and will work all things out for HIS glory.

Love to all of you and Happy New Year — may God demonstrate even more of His faithfulness to each of you this year as we seek to fall in love with Him and serve him diligently.

Rhonda

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I praise God for all the fathers who have come to Christ in the past month (at least 23) and I believe this is fruit from having their children in our school and hearing of salvation in Christ and the Hope that is from Him.   The seeds started with the children and the mothers through the past years have been coming to know Christ personally and just recently we are seeing many of the fathers follow in the faith as well.  I look forward to 2012 and all that God will do in their lives.  

I praise God for a wonderful staff of teachers this year — I see the love of Christ in them more than ever before and they are true examples of the Christian walk in front of these children daily.  I praise God for the sacrifices the American teachers make to be here and to raise up strong spiritual leaders in this corrupt country.   It is amazing how God has faithfully called each one of them to this work.  Please pray for the new teachers we need next year to come to teach.   Several are sure of God’s calling on their lives to Destino and so please pray for their funds to come in to confirm to them that this is God’s plan for them.

Thanks to each of you who gave this year so generously.   I am amazed at how much was given to keep us going this year.  Every year, in spite of barely making it the year before, God has confirmed that we are to continue on and add a new class and further extend the education to a higher grade level.  It is increasing and stretching me more than I am comfortable being stretched in my faith at times, but we are continuing on in obedience and He is faithful who called us, who also will DO IT!!!  Thanks for praying for me to REST in His plan and HIS ability to finish the work to which He has called me.

I praise God for the health of our 250 students and the children in the orphanage.  It is amazing that we have had no major illnesses or accidents — the angels certainly do hover over the playground here — that is obvious!!  

I praise God for the work of grace and redemption that he has shown in the life of our pastor, Carlos.  For the way God is using Carlos in ways he never was used before and how He continues to call Him to Himself to communicate with him, speak truth and guard him and encourage him in his calling.   Thanks to all of you who have prayed faithfully for him.  Satan seems to have a target on his back but it is no wonder since so many many people are following him.   God is the victor and we are more than conquerors IN HIM.

I praise God for the wonderful container that was sent to us this year and the news that they plan to do it again next August.  All we needed was provided and we feel like kings and queens here with such beautiful furniture and even curtains, etc.  God seems to not mind my picky-ness about matching colors either, because he miraculously sent all the right colors for our rooms and furnishings.  It is fun to see the  little extras that he does for us, just because he loves us.  

Most of all, I praise God for His incredible selfless gift of His own precious Son to come to this horrible, shockingly rebellious world and to love us and redeem us and buy us back from our own chosen destiny of death — We are chosen and loved and forgiven and accepted and crowned with rightecousness and glory because HE CAME and rescued us.  There is nothing better in the world than that.  What more can he do that he has not done for us.  “He who did not spare His own son, but delivered him up for us all, how will he not,  also with Him, freely give us ALL THINGS!.”  Rom. 8:32   –

I praise God for all of you and thank you for hanging in there with us through hard and blessed times and letting me know that you are out there somewhere praying for us even when we feel alone in this place at times.  

I pray you have a wonderful year ahead — not necessarily easy or happy or fun-filled all the time but a year that increases your faith and focus on the only One who gives you life.  Life is a vapor and this may be our last year so let’s live it abundantly in His face and on our knees and not waste our time with offenses from others, discouragement from Satan (who will soon see his end) and let’s keep on walking in truth and with courage — it is almost over.

Love in His grace,

Rhonda

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We have Christmas cards available for your purchase now.  They are drawings made by some of the Destino del Reino students.  Please consider buying them on line and they will be shipped to you immediately.  You can buy them at www.destinodelreino.org/postcards/    You can help Destino by purchasing these cards as well as letting your friends know about Destino through sending these cards out.  Thanks to all of you for your love for us and for praying faithfully. 

Love to you all,

Rhonda

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