Greetings to everyone in Jesus name!

It has been quite a while since we wrote a newsletter. I could try to come up with some excuses, but I know it won’t work, so I will not try. Please forgive us for not writing it earlier.

We are happy to give you at least an idea about how things are going over on this side. We have been quite busy in one thing or another.

Now, looking at the dates, I realize that our last newsletter was sent one year ago. I will try to cover most of the important events that have taken place in our ministry this time.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to you that support this mission here in Honduras, and more specifically, THANKS to you that support our family as we proclaim God’s kingdom in Honduras and abroad.

Note from Noelia

Ruth’s seventh birthday was June the first and she wanted to go swimming on her birthday, so we went to celebrate with her. She is now in second grade. She enjoys reading a lot. It is her favorite thing to do except for playing with her siblings. She is a joyful and grateful helper. She loves teaching her sister new things and words. She and her siblings love to ride in the back of the pick-up truck whenever they can.

Isaac is counting the days until his fourth birthday and he wants to go to swimming in a pool on his birthday. He has grown a lot and he enjoys helping me, especially mopping our porch with lots of water! He is doing some pre-k work almost every day and he likes it a lot. Life and ministry have kept us very busy and I am always amazed to see how our children can adapt so easily and enjoy things as they come. They like to travel and meet people and visit places, but together, always together. Isaac is the homesick one who will think about our dog and the cow and the chicken and everything else while he is away, just like mama. Overall we are thankful that He has brought us here and for His faithfulness.

Hadassah is 18 months old. She walked at 10 months and she now says many words, her favorite, Daddy. She is a Daddy’s girl. She is very full of energy. She likes to run and to climb. She also likes to eat, eat, and eat. She is now learning to pray… Her prayers go something like this: mommy, daddy, mommy, daddy…

Together with the children we are looking for ways to learn how to work and produce things. Jose (Cheppino) with the children have started to learn to work with wood. They have started a few small projects and they were able to finish them all. Among the things they are learning to make are swing lawn chairs. With George Rutler’s help they were able to finish the very first one. Thank you, hermano! We are planning, Lord willing, to make more to sell in the future.

I am three now!

I am 7 now!

It is my first birthday cake!

Look what I’ve got!

Hadassah, what do you have? Icken…!!

Happy Gavarretes

Gavarrete’s School Room

Gavarrete’s on their way to Tambla Lempira

Gavarretes

Hadassah and Blanco

Gavarrete’s, Grobler’s and Summy’s!

Gavarrete’s and Grobler’s.

Gavarrete’s doing wood projects.

We enjoy doing school!

Bed Time!

Gavarretes

Gavarrete’s

Yuca Harvest at our backyard!

I am also in school!

Cute!

Yep!

Ruth’s neighbor friends came to celebrate her 7th birthday!

Pre-K

I am in 2nd Grade!

Gavarrete’s enjoy riding in the back.

I am now on 2nd grade!

Enjoying the evening mate with mother!

John and Anna Weaver

Brother John and Sister Anna were here the whole month of July. They lived in the basement of the guesthouse at the mission. While they were here, we had a one day missionary retreat for us all at a nearby hotel. Our children were very happy to enjoy the hotel swimming pool. That was the highlight for them! We were very blessed to be together for a whole day!  We are indeed grateful to them for investing their lives like that to bless ours. Their input around here is highly appreciated. Thank you dear brother and sister for the kindness shown unto us. Please, come back soon!

John and Anna Weaver ready to leave for the States

Missionary’s Retreat 2017

Missionary’s Retreat 2017

Brother James Peight, Aaron Martin, Ivan Godoy, Micah Yoder, David Yoder, Leroy Yoder, Enos Schrock… Thank you for your visits and support to our ministry. Thank you for investing in God’s kingdom the way you do.

We appreciate the churches who are involved and the mission board who sent such a generous gift to us missionaries and the clinic staff, and for the special appreciation dinner that you prepared and served us early this year. Muchas Gracias!

The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel…Ruth 2.12

Ivan, John and James, Carrizal Lempira

Yure, Honduras.

Mission board meeting with Grobler’s.

Enos with children from the mountain.

David Yoder, Lago de Yojoa

David Yoder in Tambla Lempira, singing at a birthday party!

Praying for Milo, the drunk man!

Carrizal Lempira

Misionary’s appreciation dinner 2017!

Praying for Esdra’s

Clinic staff appreciation dinner 2017!

Missionary Retreat 2016

Ministry

You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you. 2 Chronicles 20.17

Oh amen, we have the promise if we are with HIM then HE is with and for us. Halleluyah!

We have had many events in the past 11 months: retreats, weddings, funerals, preaching to women, preaching to parents, teaching about child abuse, preaching to youth, preaching to big groups, and preaching to small groups.

One way or another, the gospel is preached and in that we are delighted.

Preaching to youth near Las Vegas, Santa Barbara

Teaching about Child Abuse to parents in Canaveral, Cortes.

Preaching at Las Glorias Hotel for Home of Blessing parents and children.

Preaching at Salt and Light Ministries cooks.

In the pursuit to raise children for God there are challenges, but God is faithful and with abundant, available grace that we continually need to feed on. Our eyes are fixed on Jesus, and we continue the pursuit of a Godly seed with His help. That is our primary ministry and that we delight to do.

This past spring I had the privilege to fill in for the Principal of our school (Allen Summy). The Summys took a furlough in the USA and I was able to spend almost every day at school for nearly two months. We definitely delight in serving Christ one way or another. Our lives are fulfilled serving HIM.

Happy Birthday mama!

Gavarrete’s 2017 (Pulapanzak)

Gavarrete’s 2017

Carrizal Lempira

The best mother ever!

Gavarretes 2017

Gavarretes

Gavarretes

Gavarretes

La Tigra

We still continue to support brother David up in La Tigra, Siguatepeque. We are scheduled to go and preach there at least once a month. We have not always succeeded but that is the goal.

The Lord is indeed at work in the lives of the people up there. The Lord God is honoring the labors of his servant, brother David. A few people there have made the decision to follow and to obey Jesus Christ. And just like in Nehemiah’s times, the enemy also rises up against the work of the Lord here and there, but we just have to remind him that he is a defeated foe. Our Lord Jesus conquered for us at Calvary. Hallelujah!

Last September we held 10 days of tent meetings there, and two nights before the end of the meetings, while I was preaching, Grandma Amelia, the very old lady that the Yoders took care of, passed into eternity. So after that evening service we went to the funeral, and we had the burial the next day. I was invited to preach the sermon at the funeral at the Siguatepeque Mennonite church.

We went back there just two weeks ago and the message was; “Look up unto Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth”. That is indeed the most precious invitation someone can hear and receive from God.

Tent meetings in La Tigra, Siguatepeque.

Training the next generation of preachers.

La Tigra, at brother David Yoder. Alicia’s baptism.

La Tigra, Siguatepeque. Enrique’s baptism

La Tigra, Siguatepeque

Grandma Amelia’s burial.

Tent meetings in La Tigra, Siguatepeque.

Preaching in La Tigra, Siguatepeque

Yure

We still travel to Yure every Tuesday afternoon, even though we do not see much fruit there yet, we still go and have bible study with those there that seem to be interested in the teachings of Jesus. This morning we had a special prayer meeting concerning our labors in that village. Since today is Tuesday, I will be going to that village in about one hour, and we expect to see God’s answer to this morning’s prayer after the service there. We entirely depend on God’s answer to our prayer to make decisions concerning the future of the ministry among those people. We definitely want to be about our Father’s business. If we get the OK from our Heavenly Father, we will stop going up there for about three months, which is during the time that we will be in South America, Lord willing.

Yes, you must know that we have been invited to hold meetings in Bolivia, and possibly in Peru. So, Lord willing, we are planning to leave, possibly on September 12 to go to Bolivia. We do not have tickets yet…

Yure, Honduras!

Yure, Honduras

Yure, Honduras

Yure, Honduras.

Yure, Honduras.

Yure, Honduras

Carrizal, Lempira Tent meetings May 2017

Carrizal is the village where our clinic is located. Rainy season had just began in that area of Honduras, when we held the meetings. The roads went from being very dusty to very muddy. In spite of the weather, many people showed up at the meetings almost every night. Every night, people would walk long distances from all over the area to where the tent was located to hear God’s word. Roads and trails were very slippery, but that did not stop the people from coming. It was amazing to watch the people walking back to their houses at night, some of them carrying their children in their arms or on their backs and shining on the roads with their flashlights. I felt very privileged to be among those people. To God be the Glory Forever!

And to God be the glory forever for what took place in Carrizal, Lempira in those 5 days. The everlasting, marvelous Gospel was preached to lots of people. We roughly estimated that from 80 to over 100 people came to the meetings every night. “God called us to preach the gospel to the people and that is exactly what we are doing”. May He receive honor and glory from Christian Light Missions and from our lives!

Thank you Lord for your mercy! Thank you for giving us Jesus! And thank you for the privilege that you have given us to proclaim to the world this WONDERFUL SAVIOR, The Lord Jesus Christ!

Carrizal’s Tent Meetings 2017

Carrizal’s Tent Meetings 2017

Carrizal’s Tent Meetings 2017

Carrizal’s Tent Meetings 2017

Carrizal’s Tent Meetings 2017

Carrizal’s Tent Meetings 2017

Carrizal’s Tent Meetings 2017

Tent meetings in the Carrizal village were hold in this man’s property!

Carrizal’s Tent Meetings 2017

Clinic News

The work at the clinic is going forward. Things are going well back there. Esdras, the administrator, has agreed to stay another year. He and his family are doing an excellent work.

The church is slowly growing. Around 20 people meet for church every Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

We would like to express our gratitude to CAM (Christian Aid Ministries) on behalf of many people who are the recipients of your good deeds. God, through you, is making a difference in people’s lives in this part of Honduras. And to you, brother David Miller, thank you for coming and visiting our clinic. I definitely enjoyed spending time with you and driving you around. May the Lord bless all of you and all your donors.

There was a two day dental brigade at the clinic a while ago. We see the great need in our area for dental services. Therefore, in the future, we are planning to open dental services at least once a week. There are two dentists and possibly a third one from a nearby town who volunteered to come and see people possibly every Friday. So, some time ago, we started looking for dental equipment. A dental chair was recently donated to the clinic by a dentist who brother John knows in North Carolina. (Thank you doctor in NC for your generosity. Many will benefit from your gift) The chair was shipped and delivered to the clinic by brother John sometime in July. We are still looking for other dental tools before we are able to open.

First Dental Brigade at the clinic with volunteer dentist from the area.

First Dental Brigade at the clinic with volunteer dentists from the area.

Clinic Vida Abundante

Taking meds to the clinic. Picture taken after driving for a while on the very dusty road.

Clinica Vida Abundante May 2017

Clinica Vida Abundante May 2017. Delmer giving numbers to patients in the morning.

Unloading the dental chair

Brother John talking to doctor Luis after delivering the dental chair seen in the background in the picture.

Dental Brigade

Church in Carrizal

Unloading meds in Carrizal!

David Miller and Vida Abundante Clinic personnel.

Church at El Eden

And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever”. Exodus 14.13

The devil does not like when we rise up to do God’s work. That is true in El Eden but one thing the devil forgot is that he is a defeated foe. Just like in Nehemiah’s time as he rose up to build the Jerusalem wall, the devil also rose up, but to lose his battle, because at the end we see that God gave great victory to Nehemiah and his people enabling them to finish the wall in 52 days.

And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. Nehemiah 4.14-15

So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God. Nehemiah 6.15-16

Let us take courage, our commander in chief, The LORD of Host, Jehovah God has conquered and gives us the victory.

Praying for revival

We continue praying for revival, we realize of the need of an spiritual awakening in our midst. God, please send revival to El Eden, Honduras!

Iglesia Luz Cristiana.  Bro Jeremiah welcoming hna Lesvia as a new member

Iglesia Evangelica Luz Cristiana

Byron and Jessica

A young couple with one child from the community started coming to church some time ago and soon afterwards they made the decision to follow Jesus and soon after that they decided to get married since they were living in fornication. Byron and Jessica are their names and their little one’s name is Alejandro. Their wedding ceremony took place at the church house on May 20, 2017.

Byron and Jessica Wedding

Byron and Jessica Wedding

Special Dinner for Drunkards of the Community

On July 22, we, the church, invited all the drunkards of our village to a special supper at the church house. That was a way for us to bring them in to share our concerns about their lives. Most of them did not come to our invitation, but for the ones that showed up, we took the time to share our concerns with them about their present, their future, and their eternity. Jesus is and always will be their only hope and they know it. May the Lord God save them all from the devil’s bondage.

Special Dinner for community drunkards.

On the streets of the community inviting the drunkards for Special Dinner.

Special Dinner for community drunkards.

Felix’s Baptism

At noon on July 23, brother Felix was baptized in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit at a nearby water stream. Felix has attended church for a while now. When we came 3 years ago he was already attending, but it is lately that I have noticed a big change in his life. To God be the glory for the work that is taking place in Felix’s heart. Felix has chosen the Way of the Master, the Lord Jesus. He has chosen obedience instead of sacrifices. With what took place that day, he publicly acknowledged that Jesus is the Lord of his life. He has decided to follow Jesus. Hallelujah!

Felix Baptism

Felix Baptism

Welcome to Honduras, Groblers

On June 16, The Groblers arrived in Honduras after a long journey from Pretoria, South Africa.  The Groblers are originally from South Africa and the Lord has brought them all the way to Honduras to serve HIM with us. Thank you Lord for sending laborers to the field. They will soon be the next administrators of the mission compound (mission house / guesthouse / bookstore).

Dear Groblers: The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

To you all who take time to read these newsletters let us know that you are thinking of us and Please Do not forget to Pray for Us. Thank you for your love and support towards us, may the Lord richly bless you and your household.

Groblers

Gavarrete’s and Grobler’s!

O I love to walk with Jesus
Like the publicans of old,
When He gathered them about Him
And the blessed tidings told;
How He came to bring deliverance
To the captives in distress,
Take away our ev’ry burden,
Giving perfect peace and rest.

I will follow where He leadeth;
I will pasture where He feedeth.
I will follow all the way, Lord.
I will follow Jesus ev’ry day.

O I love to walk with Jesus
Like the man of long ago
Who had tarried by the wayside
Near the gates of Jericho,
Jesus heard his cry for mercy,
Gave him back his sight that day,
And immediately he followed
Jesus all along the way.

O I love to walk with Jesus
All the way to Calv’ry’s brow,
Gaze upon that scene of suffering
While my tears of sorrow flow.
There He tells me how He loves me—
Takes my ev’ry sin away;
So I follow Him so gladly,
Lead me anywhere He may.

O sometime I’ll walk with Jesus
In that land of endless day,
When our journey here is over
And we’ve reached our home to stay.
Then I’ll walk with him forever,
Sing His praises o’er and o’er,
And with all the saints in glory
Love, and worship, and adore.