Hi
All! Here
is our May of 2012 update, blessed to be doing the Lord’s work in
Honduras. You are receiving this email since you have supported us over
this last year, thanks!
Highlights here, details below:
- Our furlough (fund raising trip) has been scheduled for July 12 to August 14th.
- Bikes, if anyone has some gently used bikes that will fit Nick and Lily, please let us know.
- Please join us in praising God for his provisions, still hear and funded completely where God wants us.
- Pete’s HR role has been extremely busy. The Lord has blessed WGO with fifteen new missionaries in fund raising plus four more couples being interviewed for house parents and another for the social worker position.
- Medical brigades: We are enjoying a year of blessing, so far 48 medical brigades close to 1000 team members.
- Our patients in medical brigades are growing as well. We will see close to 100,000 patients and evangelize to them.
- Mission house staff devotions are done each Wednesday morning at 8am. If you happen to be in prayer during this time please lift us up.
Details:
Bible
reading: Since September Pete has been reading through the Bible.
He did skip the first few books and started in Exodus. He is now in 2
Chronicles. Many of the bible stories have been used as staff devotions
at the mission house. Here one recent old testament reading: 2
Kings 6:15-17, When the servant of the man of God got up and went out
early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the
city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be
afraid,” the prophet (Elisha) answered. “Those who are with us are more than
those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he
may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the
hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Elisha
had seen Elijah carried up into heaven on chariots of fire, so Elisha knew the
power of his protection and wanted his servant to see what Elisha knew and God
allowed his “sight” to become able to see what surrounded them and the army of
10,000 around them. We and the other missionaries here live in a
relatively dangerous city, but have been protected each day. We are
blessed to live and work in a country that does not persecute Christians, yet
danger still abounds. But fear not! As Isaiah has said in chapter
41 verses 9 and 10 -- I took you from the ends of the earth, from its
farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you
and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be
dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold
you with my righteous right hand. No, Pete has not prayed for God to
open his eyes so that he can see the angels that protect his family, the
ministry, and fellow missionaries. However, God truly has protected us
and guided us. We believe that His protection is daily. Through
answered prayer and His protection and provision we are still here.
Our
market basket for the month: Just some sample prices that we pay for
well-known items. Bulk pack of napkins, the 100 pack of napkins is 56
cents and to buy the exact same in a five pack is $1.55 more. Gas price
has now reached $5.19 per gallon. When Nick fractured his wrist last
month, the X-Ray was $19, the Dr. who put the cast on was $50, and the
materials and room fee to put the cast on was $48. We realize that the
medical bills are nothing compared to the states; however when you think about
a typical Honduran who only makes $342 a month and if one of his children
breaks their arm, how do they pay for it?
We
will be heading south and west to visit supporters before heading into the
Chicago land area. Pete, wearing his Human Resource hat, also needs to
stop and meet several new fundraising missionaries in other areas of the
country. Please let us know if you live west of the Chicago area and are
willing to see us for a day or two.
We
will be driving through Little Rock at the end of our furlough and can take
bikes with us to be loaded on a container. Due to the conditions here
these bikes must be very sturdy.
If
you add our time in fundraising to our four years in Honduras you have been
with us for close to five years. In the four years that we have relied on
support we have come up short only one month -- praise God! In our latest
report over the first four months of 2012 we have been blessed with 64% of our
minimum monthly budget. We pray that the summer will bring in some extra
support and hope to have several meetings in the Chicago land area. If
your bible study, small group or home group would like to meet with us to help
us raise funds, please let us know.
Regarding
the new missionaries, WGO currently has 39 missionaries. Now some are
leaving at the end of school but 15 new missionaries is a blessing. At
this point, not including the interview time, Pete needs to get out ten
documents to each person; some need to be signed and some need to be filled
out. God is blessing the ministry and I pray that I do not drop the ball
and forget something. Each morning Pete prays that God helps him remember
what needs to be remembered.
We
will host 48 medical brigades this year, most summer weeks have double teams
and our current count of brigade members coming from the states is up to
975. This is up from 787 last year and 729 in 2010. As you can see
the growth is occurring as God has promised through prayers of the mission
house staff and others.
Medical
brigade patients: Over the last three years we have seen 76,000, 66,000 and
60,000 patients, but this year, due to many blessings and prayer inspired
management decisions, we will cross the 100,000 patient plateau in 2012,
barring any unforeseen political stuff.
Nick
and Lily still continue to do well in school. Their 8th grade
retreat is coming up this weekend, so we ask that you lift them and all
involved in prayer. Nick and Lily will be 14 this August, and are now
being invited to Quinceañeras
regularly. A Quinceanera is a girl’s 15th birthday and is a
very big deal in Latin American cultures.
Recently,
Pete had the blessing to be contacted by a friend on facebook on a Wednesday
afternoon. The friend stated that God had laid Pete’s name on his heart
earlier in that day to pray for him. It was that Wednesday that Pete was
leading the staff devotion. The devotion was on throwing rocks and
insults and the power of gossip to destroy ministries. The devotion was
based on David’s fight with Goliath.
Angie
recently attended a Ladies Retreat Weekend hosted by Women of Purpose.
She has become a primary team member for this twice a year retreat by running
all of the multi-media necessary. At church, she continues to help in the
multi-media area as well as volunteering in the nursery. She attends her
Ladies Bible Study every Tuesday morning, and as a couple we continue to host a
Bible Study in our home every Thursday evening. Angie’s gift of
organization has continued to save money for the ministry of WGO. She
enjoys time spent in the Pharmacy helping to manage the large inventory of
medicines and supplies that come in with the weekly brigade teams. She is
seeking the Lord to see if she should further her studies in a Medical-based
profession.
Thank
you again for your prayers and your support we are blessed to be here with you.