The Newest Addition to Our Church Family

Thank you, God for Alva's new, beautiful, baby boy.  She named him Josue. ("Joshua" in Spanish).

And The Winner Is .......Sulmi!

Sulmi is fourth form the left.  There were about 300 people in the audience.

Hooray for Sulmi. She won the National Spelling Bee for the Deaf.  Every year the Ministry of Special Education and Crystal Water team up to host a spelling bee for the deaf children around the country.  There are two divisions: Juniors-ages 10 and under, and Seniors-ages 11-16.  Sulmi is 12 and she beat out 8 other contestants most of whom were older than she.
  I am so proud of her. We practiced a set of over 300 words for two months and she knew them all by the day of the event.  Many of the deaf adults from our church came to cheer her on. At first she was nervous to see Mario, Edgar, Manuel, Angelica, Elton and Kelsey in the bleachers...but by the third word she was confident and on a roll.

Sulmi with her medal and trophy.

Boyz Night

Manuel, Ry, Edgar, Alejandro, Mario, Sair, Sherwin

Boyz Night keeps growing. Most of these boys used to spend their Saturday nights drinking at the Akihito Hotel, and when they were kicked out at 11, they would mosey on down to one of the other bars in town.  Now they are coming here to Bible study.  Amazing, huh? God is doing a mighty work among them. There are still other Deaf young men in our community.  Pray that they find learning about Jesus more interesting than drinking their paycheck.

Samnang's 21st Birthday Party

Samnang wanted to have a birthday party to celebrate turning 21. She doesn't have any family (sorry I can't explain the background here), so she asked me to help her throw the party. She came early and helped cook all of the food and even bought some of it. It was fun to plan and anticipate the BIG day with her. She started out saying, "A small party...not many people."  The next day she would come to my house or we would meet for our weekly "tea and chat" and she would give me a new list of who she wanted to invite.  The list grew, but I didn't care.  It was a great day for her.

Sam and Neldo

Angelica and Juan

Yaniry.  It was great to see Yaniry come.  She doesn't hang around the "church crowd" but came for the party.  After the party she came to church the following two Sundays.

After we ate, we had nothing planned.  As people started to leave Elton said, "Quick, think up a game!" He said, "How about charades?"   So I divided the group of about 18 into two teams.  I quickly wrote movies or books or people I thought they would know on paper. A few dramatized while the others tried to guess...It seemed no one wanted to play as teams and everyone wanted to guess.  Quickly the game took on a personality of its own and people were popping up with their own ideas to dramatize and have people guess. It went on for 2 hours (!!)  It was so much fun.  People were talking about it the next day at church.  Manuel was really good at thinking up ideas and dramatizing them.

Alva and me.

The whole gang (except the photographer)...everyone a little tired... at the end of the party.

Important Conversations

Every day is filled with important conversations. Two conversations from this week keep re-playing in my mind... because I am humbled at the privilege to do this "work" and awed at the way God intervenes with the right words.

At my house after dinner Thursday night
Manuel: I've got a problem.  Some people are gossiping about me.  They say I am not fit to be a leader because they say..."We've seen you drink and get drunk" and "We've seen you with women." They are saying other bad things about me too that are not true.
Nancy: Are these things true?
Manuel: Yes, before, but not anymore. I've stopped.
Nancy: I believe you.
Manuel: I love God. I confessed these things. You know. It hurts that my "friends" are saying these things.
Nancy: Two things are going on.  1) Satan will encourage people to spread rumors about you to try and pull you down.  You are a wonderful leader and Satan does not want you to lead. So we need to pray that away because as Jesus disciples we have the authority over these evil things. (We read Matthew 10 with emphasis on verse 26.)  So when you are attacked, pray. Recognize it as evil and cast it out. (We prayed).
Nancy:  The second thing is an important lesson that I keep struggling to learn.
You're not perfect.
God hasn't chosen you to lead because you are perfect. The people will expect you to be perfect because you are a teacher.  Then when you are not perfect, you feel guilty and they feel angry, disappointed, and even betrayed. Don't try to maintain an image that you are somehow able to do everything God asks better than they and therefore are able to lead them.  God always chose imperfect people.  David ....with Bathsheba and killing her husband! Moses killed an Egyptian and got angry in the desert, Peter denied Jesus.  As leaders we have to walk in God's grace. I have done things that are wrong. I am not fit to be God's servant, but...God has given me grace, his merciful forgiveness, and takes my hand and pulls me up saying, "Come my child, I have more work for you to do."  Isn't that amazing?
When you show that you are weak and need God's grace, yes even you, the people will believe that maybe God's grace extends to them, too.
Manuel: And I can't keep sinning.
Nancy: We strive to be "holy" because God is holy. (1st Peter 1:16) Everyday I wake up and ask God please help me to do what is right, just and pure, to please guide my conversation to speak His words in love.
Manuel: Me too, I want to do this.

This is Alva's embroidery hoop.

Girl's Night Bible Study

We are continuing to read praise psalms and work on our small embroidery plaques.
Nancy: Let's read psalm 117 and say our own summaries of what it means.  So as we go around the table and read it verse by verse, be ready to say the psalm in your own words.
(We did this...then we came to Alva.)
Alva: I guess it means God loves me and he always tells the truth...so... (she wasn't believing the words.)
Nancy: God loves you Alva
Alva: But I have so many bad sins not like you ...you wouldn't understand.  I mean bad sins and I have confessed the sins to God in prayer in my home lying on my bed but I still sin and ...
Nancy: So God's a liar.
Alva: No...no God is truth. He never lies. The psalm says his truth is eternal....always truth.
Nancy: Alva, God LOVES you.  God doesn't say uhhhh Alva, if you get your act together and stop sinning then I will love you.
Read the psalm again.
Alva (reads the psalm): But God can see in my heart and God knows that I have bad sin there.
Nancy: Yep. God can see in your heart and God still loves you.
Alva: My brothers were just baptized in Mom's church. I'm proud of them. They don't smoke weed anymore. But ...me... I have too much bad sin to be baptized.
Nancy: God loves you Alva. You think nobody could love you.  But I love you and God loves you even more...a lot more.
Alva (cries a little): Yes, yes, but I can't believe that.

Please pray for these two.
Peace,
Nancy

Retreat in Paradise November 1 - 6

What a blessing to be able to get together with other Mennonite missionaries living in Central America.

Henry and Millie Buckwalter came from Lancaster to lead us in a study about "Drawing Near to God."  Sheila Yoder from Goshen Indiana came to be my interpreter. How God worked that out is nothing short of amazing. I was so glad to have her there with us and re-kindle our friendship.

 

The rest of the retreat participants included the Groffs who work with K'ekchi church leaders in Guatemala, the Horsts who created a half-way house for orphans trying to matriculate into jobs and independent living near Telgucigalpa, and Matt Keiser and his dog.  (They work in Las Laureles...some pics of this place are below). Others included the Gingrichs who will help to host short-term mission teams, the Eby family who works in Las Laureles and in La Ceiba at an orphanage, Steve Shenk (not pictured) and Amos Stoltzfus who is our new EMM administrator.  The 6 day retreat was bathed in prayer. The Lord gave us direction and encouraged us. We all walked away refreshed.

This was the view from our lodge. On Friday, many of us walked to the top of that waterfall.  Can you imagine?

 

 

I walked into the park, across the swinging bridge and found a nice bench to sit on to rest and pray while some of the gang did the arduous trek.  This lizard came out of hiding after a while and played staring games with me.  As I sat there I also finished reading the book: When Helping Hurts.  It has formed and tested my thinking about mission work more than any other book I have read in the last 5 years.

This is the view from the "rope bridge". Gorgeous.

 

I love laying down and looking up at the trees.

 This is Las Laureles.  It is the garbage dump for the city of La Ceiba.  The people who live here try to make a living off of recycling the junk that comes to the dump, plastics, zinc roofing, metals, whatever they can. 

 

The dump site keeps growing higher and then is somewhat leveled and seeded. This is the current active pile.

Matt has been working here for 5 years or so.  He relates to the children and families, started several football (soccer) squads that compete against the wealthier La Ceiba teams. He leads Bible studies from time to time and also does some tutoring.  We spent Saturday afternoon here.  You can read more about Matt's work at Matt's blog.

This is Luis. He is Deaf.  He is making an "R" for his last name (?). Luis is 27 and lives next door to Matt. I was so happy to get a chance to meet him and talk with him a little. He works as a spray painter and lives with his mother.  He said he is the only deaf person in Las Laureles but there are many deaf people in La Ceiba. He uses some formal Honduran signs mixed with gestures. I asked him if he went to church.  He said, "Oh yes, when the Jehovahs come to Las Laureles, they pick me up for meetings in La Ceiba.  But the Jehovahs are gone now. They won't be back until January."  He also said, "I didn't know any signs until the Jehovahs taught me." He asked me if I would stay.  "Will you come back tomorrow and talk to me?" "Can you come everyday?"
It's sad that the Jehovahs are making such inroads in the deaf community. Where are the Christian workers?
I wanted to tell him I will come back. I will be your friend. I can teach you about Jesus.  Maybe then you can teach other deaf people...but I just hugged him and prayed God would take care of him as I walked away down the hill to catch up with our group.  Belize is too far away to make a visit to him "every day".

 On Sunday we worshipped at Amor Viviente. They asked us to come to the front and share (in Spanish) a little about our work.  It was good to be there.  The pastor and his wife are standing next to Amos. After church we went to see La Casa Feliz, an orphanage for about 18 children ages 5 to 25 that was started by the pastora.

Thank you EMM for arranging this retreat, and also thank you to Phyllis and Galen for all the work you put into the organization. 

Beloved friends, there is so much work to do to prepare the harvest. Is God calling you? The rewards are much greater than the sacrifices.

Grace and Peace,
Nancy

Preachin' and Praisin'

 

God is working overtime in this young man's life. Manuel and I met several times this week to pray and plan worship for this morning.  He picked the story of Gideon.  God called Gideon to lead the Israelites against the Midianites who had been stealing their crops for 7 years. All the Hebrew people were so terrified of the Midianites that they fled to the hills.  Gideon was scared, too, but stuck around hiding some grain when he was confronted by an Angel of the Lord who said, "God is with you mighty warrior."  Gideon wasn't a warrior or even brave and strong, but through several tests and miracles including winning the battle with only 300 men, God proved to Gideon that he was brave and strong because God was with him. This theme is resonating with Manuel as he finds his way and let's God lead him.

 

 On Tuesday when Manuel came to pray and eat supper with me he said he had been thinking about our singing during worship. For 7 years we have been singing the same 50 songs.  For several years it was comforting because during that time we learned the songs which made copying them in worship easier.  I try to spice it up by adding some new ones from time to time..but it seems that the "Catch 22" is people like the songs they know, but they get bored singing the same songs.  Manuel said that in his devotions he had been trying to sing the psalms.  He wants to introduce some psalms as part of worship. Many of the songs we sing come from the psalms, but Manuel's idea was that he wanted to pick up the Bible and start singing it. We practiced the first few verses of Psalm 9.  He sang it this morning for everyone, and then they joined in.  It was a little stiff, but we'll catch on. 

Precious

 This is Morine. She is the other deaf preschool child that I work with.  She is 4 years old and loves to learn.  She is picking up sign language so quickly.