Greetings to you all dear Supporters, Family and Friends,

It is with great joy that I sit down this morning to greet you from the land of Honduras. I give thanks to the Lord for His faithfulness, for His love, and for His presence in our lives. One year has already passed since we arrived in Honduras. We are pressing on!

Let us share with you little bit of the happenings in the months of March and April:

Exploratory trip to Piraera, Lempira and surroundings

In the beginning of the month of March, we traveled to Piraera and the surroundings. Piraera is a small town located in one of the mountains of the department of Lempira, with a population of approximately 11,000, and is located about 3 hours from our clinic in Carrizal, heading towards the border with El Salvador. The majority of the population are Lenca Indians. The records of their first inhabitants goes back to 1702. The reason of our trip was to explore the area. We felt led of the Lord to see what is there and the possibilities of bringing the gospel to those people.

Welcome to Piraera, Lempira

Scenery near Piraera

View of Piraera in the distance.

View of Piraera town from a short distance

Father and Son near Piraera

The morning of Thursday, March the 5th, bro. Jeremiah, his son Davin,  bro. Lucas and I departed from El Eden. We started our trip in the name of the Lord Jesus with great expectations from the Lord and depending on His lead. About 6 or 7 hours later with half of that time on rough steep roads we arrived in the area of Piraera. We first arrived at the small plaza(park) of the town, and there we gathered some basic information of the town and surroundings. After that, we went looking for a place to eat and to spend the night. That evening there was just the typical town life in the one of the most remotes places of Honduras and this world, children playing soccer on the dirt road street, people just sitting down talking, people gathering around the small park in the center of the town just to chat, etc…  After eating some fried beans, eggs, cheese, and the typical cup of coffee, we sat at the park asking God for direction. We were directed to walk the town and we spent the evening talking to a least one man, who needed to hear God’s marvelous message of salvation.

Piraera, Lempira

Piraera Comedor (lodging)

Piraera Catholic building

We walked back to the center of the town and went to our motel. It was hot that night.

Jacinta Orellana the only chistian in her village San Felipe

Early the next morning we went for breakfast and felt led to travel to the villages below Piraera closer to the Salvadorian border. The roads are just broad trails full of dust. As the truck passes by, a thick cloud of dust is left behind, with lots of poverty. The malnutrition rate is high in the area, and the terrain is very dry because it does not rain for approximately 6 months. People raise corn and beans for food. We arrived at a small village called San Felipe. The Lord stopped the truck in front of a house where a man needed salvation and deliverance. We first talked to a man who was coming towards us. The man was the delegate of the Catholic church of that village, and he was the spiritual leader in that community. While we were talking to him, a woman came by carrying a jug of water to her house, and as I started talking to her, she told me she was the only Christian in her village, and she said that there is no church house in her village. She shared with me how far she has to walk to go to a church service. All this time we have not got out of the truck yet. After a while they left and one more woman came by and she asked us if we would go and pray for her husband, who lives right there in front of the house where we had stopped, her husband was laying on a bed for many years. We knew then that the Lord had us stopped there exclusively for that reason, so we walked to the house with great expectations. We went into the small bedroom with 4 simple adobe walls, and met the man resting on his bed. We started talking to him and praying to God. We were there a great deal of time. The man had welcomed witchcraft into his life, and he was bound by the devil. We spoke of the Lord Jesus and shared with him about how Jesus loves him, and how Jesus died on a cross and bled to death, and how Jesus was put into a tomb and how HE rose from the dead on the third day. That man believed the simplicity of that message and renounced the devil. He renounced and closed the door that he had opened to witchcraft, repented and confessed his sins, and invited the Lord Jesus to come into his life. How marvelous! After a time there in the little room praying and praising the Lord Jesus, we helped the man to get up, which he did, and came out to the porch and sat there with us and shared a glass of juice that was served to us. Demons flee like dogs in the name of Jesus. Sins are washed away with the blood of the Lamb. Chains are broken, and slavery is no more when Liberty comes in. Darkness is pushed back when Light appears. Death flees when Life enters. All of this is possible only in THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. Glory to His Name!

Teodoro in San Felipe. Believed the Gospel and repented of his sinful condition.

Teodoro in San Felipe. Believed the Gospel and repented of his sinful condition.

On that trip we learned of how our clinic in Carrizal had opened doors for us to preach the Gospel in the whole area. They greatly appreciated the medical service provided to them. Whereever we went in those days, they knew of the clinic in Carrizal. Many of them personally have gone once or twice, or their relatives, or their neighbors, or someone they knew in their village or neighboring villages. What a great ministry of love in the name of Jesus. What a privilege to serve Christ by serving others even in this abandoned side of the Americas.

That same day after we left that village we traveled to another village where we were invited to pray for another man bound by demonic influence. We came to the house to find a young man confined to a wheel chair. He can’t talk, and can’t walk. Some years ago, this young fellow went out one night to drink, and the next day when he came back home he was already possessed. One thing you have to understand about the culture here is that the devil uses Catholicism to introduce witch craft to their lives, once the devil is given that right in their lives, he takes over. It is a mix of Catholicism and cultural polytheism.

It was with great compassion in our hearts that we started crying out to God on behalf of this young man, seeing that the present condition of this man did not give any glory to God. We commanded the devil in the Name of Jesus to come out of the man. We were there for quite some time, and we got the man out of the wheel chair and commanded him to talk and walk in Jesus name.

We dared to believe the impossible. We dared to believed  Jesus’ own words in Mark 16: “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In my Name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover”. When it comes to these things, we are just like little children who don’t know anything and are depending entirely in their heavenly Father. That is at least how I felt, so helpless, but so hopeful, knowing that My God WAS AND IS ABLE. By the end of our time there we did see lots of progress in this man’s life. He was now talking a little bit, but did not walk on his own. We left, but with great expectations, believing God for a miracle.

Praying for Vicente in Arenales near Piraera

Vicente all happy now on his wheel chair

We passed by so many more villages, and the whole trip was a great experience and gave us a sense of urgency in the preaching of the Gospel there. We are praying, asking God for direction for future ministry there. May the Lord give us clear direction concerning the matter! Would you also pray concerning Piraera and surroundings? “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest”.  Matthew 9.37-38.

Preaching on the Local TV Station

Doors have been opening for us to go and work in a town about 40 minutes South West from Pena Blanca called Las Vegas, with a population of approximately 42,000 people. InLas Vegas, there is a family of Christ followers who are bro. Jeremiah and his wife Sandra’s friends and relatives, and they are paying for one hour on the local TV station (Nova TV Channel 9). Every Friday from 5:30PM to 6:30PM, they have a one hour program titled: Restaurando Familias (Restoring Families). They invited us to help in the preaching of the Gospel, an invitation that we gladly accepted. Brother Jeremiah and I travel almost every Friday afternoon to that TV station and proclaim God’s marvelous message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Oh dear brothers and sisters, when the Gospel comes to one’s life, he or she experiences total transformation. I am grateful to my Master because He is prospering His work here in this area of Honduras. We go in faith into that little, hot room and sit down in front of that camera and that microphone, believing by faith that someone somewhere is watching and listening to what the Lord has to say to them. We often say to our audience, “we don’t personally own a TV at our house but if you have one in yours, and are watching this program now, please stay tuned and open your heart to God and allow Him to speak to your life”.

At Nova TV, Channel 9 in Las Vegas, Santa Barbara

At Nova TV, Channel 9 in Las Vegas, Santa Barbara

These messages are causing a great impact in some people’s lives who are touched by the Holy Spirit. As result of this program, we now have a new group of converts in that town. We meet at bro. Jeremiah’s friend’s house with the new group and have a discipleship service every Thursday evening. The Lord is adding more people to that group weekly. We are very excited about the results of the preaching of the Gospel. How I am in one accord with the apostle Paul in his statement about the Gospel: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes… Romans 1.16

View of an area above Las Vegas

Gathering in Jesus Name at the friends house above Las Vegas

Building the Classrooms at our School

In our last newsletter we shared with you that we started building two more new classrooms at our school. Well, the job is done! We hired a brother from the local church here in EL EDEN to do all the concrete work and when the building was ready for roof we invited some help from the USA. Three young men came to help us with the roof: Titus Hostetler and Karl Zimmerman from Harmony, North Carolina,  and Konrad Steiner from Ohio. We appreciate very much all the work they came and did for us. THANK YOU HERMANOS! The students from 7th, 8th and 9th grades moved into the new classrooms about two weeks ago.

Starting construction of the two new classrooms

Two new Classrooms work in progress

Two new classrooms pouring the cement floor

Titus Hostetler working on the metal roof for the two new classrooms

Two new classrooms now finished

New Converts in Yure

Yure is a village in the mountains just above the main highway that connects San Pedro(to the North) and Tegucigalpa (to the South), the two biggest cities in Honduras. Yure is a very small village located in the mountain just above The Yojoa Lake as well. Yure is about 1 hour from our village. The road to Yure is a rough, hilly dirt road. 4×4 is necessary in order to make it to the houses where we started a new group just about two months ago. It all started with an invitation to have a worship service at a house where there was someone having a birthday. We drove the truck up to a certain point and then we walked a bit farther up the hill to make it to Don Ilario’s house where we started having services on his patio. After going there twice, a few people made decisions to follow Jesus Christ.

Near Jorge and Yeni’s house above Yure. Up in the mountain top.

Jorge and Yeni’s place at a short distance

I would like to talk to you about one of the couples that made a decision in one of those services and have made some radical changes in their lives. The man’s name is Jorge, and the lady’s name is Jenny and they have a little boy about 3 years old. That afternoon, they clearly understood the Love of the Savior and by the end of the service, they were very ripe. We talked to them asked them if they were ready to renounce the influence of the devil in their lives and to repent and confess their sins and believe that Christ died, bled, was buried, and rose again from the death on the third day.

They knew that their sins were not forgiven then. They knew they were lost on their way to hell. They knew they needed more than powerless religion. They were sure that Jesus was and is the ONLY way to heaven, to true FREEDOM, to new life, to eternal life. It was a very rewarding experience to lead them to the cross of the savior, to lead them to Yeshua the Messiah, to tell them THIS IS THE WAY, WALK IN IT. That precious afternoon we felt the work of the Holy Spirit in action. Jorge and Jenny had a very sincere and unique conversion.

About two months have gone by and they are growing in their new faith in Jesus. Jorge does not know how to read and write, but Jenny does little bit and with that little bit that she knows they are now studying the Bible in their house. They were not married and still not married yet, but with some help from the local church here, they have started the legal process to have a wedding ceremony soon. To God be the glory FOREVER AND EVER.

Jorge, Yeni and their child

Praising the Savior, Hallelujah!

We are going to their house every Monday evening for discipleship and to continue the work of preaching the Gospel to those very hungry people in that village. I would like to express my excitement about the unlimited power of the Gospel, God is still in the business of saving people from their wretched condition, still changing, still transforming people even in the mountains of Honduras. What a privilege to be the carriers of such a powerful message of life. Gloria a Dios! He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1.13-14

Preaching the Marvelous Gospel of Christ at Yure

We are meeting on the mountain top in Jesus marvelous name, at the house of Jorge’s neighbor don Hilario.

At Jorge and Yeni’s place

At Jorge and Yeni’s place

The new group in Yure

 Please pray for The Gavarretes:

1. Family relationships. (It is our goal and desire to have a balanced life with ministry andfamily).
2. Good health for all of us. (We have had too many stomach problems lately).
3. Divine Protection. (as we travel and at home)

From Noelia/Family Life

I hope this newsletter finds you all well and steady in the Lord. We have had wonderful two months by God’s grace with many interesting things happening. As you probably remember the mission has a school and I was asked to assist 7, 8 and 9 grade for a few days. It was nice to go back to the classroom but I must admit I enjoy being a mom and a housewife more than anything else. Praised be the Lord!

Our children have grown a lot in the last couple of months. Ruth is an excellent student, she just loves her school time, and she wants to do it all the time. We are using different curriculums, one for reading, another for math, and another one for sounds. She likes when she has to take a test!!!!

About a month we visited a dentist who took a look at her teeth and we discovered that she has 3 teeth on the same spot!!!! So she pulled out the one that was loose and the second is coming out but we will pull that one out too and then we will see her good teeth at last. She is getting ready to celebrate her 5^th birthday on June 1^st!! She can’t wait for the big day to come!!! In our family this is what we usually do; the birthday person gets to choose where to go out to eat and we bake a cake. Would you please pray for her as she enters the 5^th year of life, pray she will become a cheerful and happy big sister and a sweet friend to others.

Isaac is 18 months and is happily walking!!! Yes the day came where he just took off walking!!!!! His personality has not change much but he is an active boy, he is always happy and smiling!! He is saying more words now and identifies people and names. His favorite animals are bro. Tim’s cows and wild horses. He likes to ride with his daddy in the truck and play outside the house. He is a charmer boy.

I am still leading the ladies bible class and it is amazing to see how we coming from different places and cultures can become one in Christ. Please help me pray for our group that God will continue working in our hearts and that we can be obedient to His call. Also pray as God opens the door for us as a family can travel to Argentina soon. As you know I haven’t seen my mother and brother for 8 years, as a matter of fact they haven’t met Jose and the children. Our children are my mom’s only grandchildren, so yes, please pray that we will be able to go to spend time with them to testify that we have a powerful Christ in us. None of my family is saved. Thank you for your prayers and your emails and your love and most of all for believing in God’s call for us.

Isaac and Jen Steiner
Isaac now walking, praised be the Lord!

Ruth showing her drawings and writings. She is Great!