December 4th, 2012 -- A Sad Day at MEDA

The are the precious Oates kids.  They're loading up to go to the airport in San Pedro Sula

Big sister, Kylie, is ready

Younger brothers, Braden and Tyler get ready to go.

Jessica and Kevin smile for the camera.

We miss you dear friends.  We can hardly wait for your return visit in February.  In the meantime, God bless you and your new ministry.

¹¹ For I know the plans that I ^[a]have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 

Jeremiah 29:11  New American Standard Bible (NASB)

October 9, 2012

The Autumn Season at MEDA

The fountain at the entry gate.  The grass is still green, even in October.

The beautiful ornamental ginger plants, in front of the conference center window, have gotten out of hand and will need to be clipped back

The Bougainvillea blooms all year 'round.

So this is our 'office'

... and here's another gazebo in our 'office'

Thank you LORD for providing such a beautiful place for us to work.  We love our ministry :)

September 20, 2012

Aprons!  We made aprons

Elga models her apron with lace trim on the pockets.

Lette change the way the lace was applied and added a new dimension.

Sandra models the apron that Mari made.

Each lady added her own personal creative touch to her apron.

September 19, 2012

The House Has a Roof !

The metal "tile look"  roof is on.

A view from the kitchen door

This is what the inside looks like before the ceiling and insulation.  Yes, we do want insulation to help soften the sound of rain and cool the house in the summer (which is almost year 'round)

Sept 12, 2012 Billboards

Jesus Christ.
It is the name which is above every name

Maya coffee is not my favorite, but it is quite popular.

These are typical billboards we find painted on the mountain sides traveling along the major highway, CA-5

One of several pottery vendors found along the roadside.  This vendor is on the south-side of  Siguatepeque on the road to the capital, Tegucigalpa.

August 31, 2012

August 31, 2012.  The house has a roof.

It's all in the details.

The framework for the roof was done on August 31, 2012.

August 30, 2012

August 30, 2012. It's a sewing day at the church.

The ladies are excited to learn how to use the sewing machines

Reina is working on the pocket of her apron

Elga (left) and Lette (right) put the trim around their aprons.

These ladies enjoy a sweet time of fellowship as they learn to sew and make something useful.

We have so much fun working together to make aprons.  The projects were pretty and functional.

Ground Breaking May 8, 2012

We've been a little busy this Summer with many joyful activities.  On May 8, 2012, the 'ground-breaking' for the new residence on MEDA began.  Rhich and I were privileged to plan the design for a modest 3 bedroom, 2 bath Casa de Rio (behind the security wall).   We will be the first residents to move in when it's completed.  The pictures tell the best story.

The surveyors set up in the shade.  It's very warm in May.

Rhich and Pedro over viewing the site.

They decide to hire a back hoe.  It will save many back aches and two weeks time. A very smart and inexpensive decision.

May 6, 2012 Nine (9) are Baptized at MEDA

Baptism and Salvation  Click here to go to a good website that has several excellent resources and the best explanation of why we need to be baptized.  Once you have come to faith, baptism is a public confession of belief, declaring to all that you belong to God.          ..."but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."  (1 John 1:7 )       The physical immersion is symbolic and points to being washed clean by God.

The crowd gathers in anticipation

The excitement builds...

Each person gives their testimony before their immersion

Each testimony tells how they personally came to Christ.

One by one, the symbolic washing of sins.

Pastor Melvin leads us in prayer and the recognition of the new Saints.

Thursday, May 10th, The digging continues...

Four (4) truck loads of big rocks were delivered for the footers.  We're talking BOULDERS here.  When the guys finish digging the footers to the depths of 40 inches deep and 32 inches wide, the big rocks go in, layered with cement.

Keep on digging

and more digging

Caleb Patterson (middle with blue shirt) and his brother, Noah, (far right, orange shirt) help with carrying the cement and big rocks

Augustine only has one hand and arm, but that doesn't stop him from picking up the heavy rocks.

The rocks are strategically placed for a solid foundation.  2 Timothy 2:19

¹⁹ Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “ The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “ Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.”

No matter how many hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or mud slides come by, this foundation ain't goin' nowhere.

May 9, 2012 -- Digging the Footers

There is just some work that the back hoe can't reach (or the operator doesn't know how).  Regardless, Rhich and Jorge dig and dig and dig.

And they dig.

And there is still more digging to be done.

The World's 2nd Largest Botanical Garden

Jardín Botánico Lancetilla  April 18, 2012

The Lancetilla Tropical Botanical Gardens is the 2^nd largest in THE WORLD.  







It is home to more than 2000 species of plants and a wide variety of wildlife (Rhichard not included).  

With our Spanish speaking tour guide, Eduardo (at the young age of 64), we were able to see so many of God’s beautiful creations on just a two hour tour. 

Dear Friends,

Rhich and I are just fine here in Honduras but we need your help.  Not for us, but for the Dayhome.  The Dayhome is out of money and has asked the women of our church to bring in food to feed the children.  We have a small congregation of about 150 people of whom 60% are children.  It normally costs around $850 - $1,000 a month to run the Dayhome.  Our church pays for the electricity and a Mission provides clean drinking water.  I don’t know when the one salaried teacher was last paid – normally $100 a month.  We don’t need school supplies or clothes or toothbrushes – these things are nice – we do need money to buy food.

Please consider giving up the cost of 1 latte a week or even 1 lunch a week to help support the Dayhome.  Please make your check payable to Grace Bible Church of Tampa.  In the memo section, write Emmanuel Dayhome in Honduras.  Your check is 100% tax deductable and 100% goes to the Dayhome.  Mail to:  

Grace Bible Church of Tampa.

12101 N. 56^th St

Tampa, FL  33617

The Emmanuel Dayhome is a place for single mothers to take their children during the day while they go to work.  Most of these women have menial jobs such as selling bread or tortillas on street corners for as much as 2 tortillas for 3 Limperas (15 cents).  The Dayhome is a safe place where the children get a free nutritious breakfast and lunch.  They have a fenced playground and classrooms for pre-school Bible study and games.  It is a safe place to keep the kids from becoming little “street urchins” or drug mules.

The Dayhome is out of money and food.  They need to feed approximately 25 kids twice a day.  Please send money as soon as possible.  Any amount will help.  Remember, your check is 100% tax deductable and 100% goes to the Dayhome.  Thank you.

Home Again!

It’s so frustrating; I’ve been mowing for six hours now and I haven’t lost a single pound!   We have been back for a few days now, and are so happy to be back at MEDA.  Pat has been working hard to get the front entrance weeded and ready for the next seminary and conference cycle.  

To the Balmy Sea of Tela!

As a crow flies, Tela Beach is probably about 80 miles from Siguatepeque.  Yet, as the highway winds through the beautiful mountains and villages, it’s only about a 3 hour drive.  Some of the scenery is majestic and some is just hard to describe.  It’s an interesting dusty little road to the peaceful little beach resort, Honduras Tela Beach Club.  

It doesn’t look exactly like the picture, but it’s still very enjoyable.  The beach in Tela is fabulous!  It’s so easy to see God’s beauty and Majesty in all His creation.  

Rejoice!

Psalm40:16
Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually,“The LORD be magnified!”

We are rejoicing and praising the Lord for the birth of a beautiful baby girl born to Karla and Victor: members of our church here in Siguatepeque.  The thing that makes this a miracle from God is that Julianne was born two MONTHS premature and is healthy and breathing without the assistance of a breathing apparatus or an incubator.  Karla and Julianne were released from the hospital just two days after giving birth.  We thank you Lord for this beautiful bundle of blessings and pray that you continue to watch over and protect little Julianne.  The doctors had no hope that Julianne had any chance of surviving her first night.  Karla and Victor had a little secret, their faith was not in the ability of the doctors; their faith is in their Savior Jesus Christ. 

  Matthew17:20
And He *said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.”  What the doctors believed to be impossible; God made possible, He made all 4 ½ pounds of Julianne a miracle to rejoice in!

From the Cool Mountains of Siguatepeque…

 OK.  This is Honduras and it is supposed to be “the dry” season.  Meaning that the weather is supposed to be hot and dry.  

But … Saturday night, we had one terrific rain storm that took out a couple big trees on the campus and the guys had to cut them up after church on Sunday morning. 

Monday morning, we had a nice ‘tipico’ breakfast with Pastor/Dr. Dan Hayden and then it was off for a mini-vacation to the beach!