Hitting the Mark

Prayer Requests:

1. This week begin the mid-week Bible study for children ages 8 – 11. Jon was motivated to start the study during the week because he no longer has been teaching this group on Sunday mornings. The time was spent playing a Bible related bean bag toss focused on sin and “missing the mark”. Jon is going through Christian basics; pray for the salvation and discipleship of these children.

2. Despite Jon nearly losing his voice during the stay of our modern day, West Virginian Joshua and Caleb, we had a wonderful time with Pastor Shawn and Doctor Rodney. The men got a “feel” for life at the Ranch, saw huge potential for ministry and desire to bring a short term missions team down next spring! Praise God. Pray for details to solidify as Jon is working to collaborate with a local private Catholic hospital. The head priest gave us a big thumb’s up, completely opening the hospital for use for a medical brigade and also gave us permission to evangelize! Wow! Far beyond our expectations.

3. Jon’s parents, David and Marsha, finished their time in Honduras with several laughs and a few tears. They were a wonderful help with several small projects around the Ranch as well as putting in a lot of granddaughter time!

4. We are still planning on hosting the engineer team the first week of October. We are in need of financial help to sponsor the team. Pray that God will bless the ministry time as we collaborate with this group of US volunteer engineers. They are planning to help us look at use of the land for buildings, farming, animals, wells, as well as help with the design of a few buildings! (We still are in need of $1,200 for the project).


5. Rancho Oasis road crew is still working hard each week! Keep praying for safety as we travel back and forth from the Ranch to Ojojona (or Tegus) and back.

6. Sunday morning’s adult and youth study are going very well. This last week we studied the parable of the sower in Luke 8:4-15. It was wonderful to see light bulbs start to go in people’s minds as they studied the word. Group dynamics are interesting as Jon works with some illiterate adults and teens amidst a wide range of educational backgrounds and ages. God’s Word does not return void! (Isaiah 55:11). Attendance is also growing and we are in need of at least 20 more metal chairs. (This weekend is also the last weekend of support from the church in Tegucigalpa, read the blurb from Calvary Chapel Tegus' website here).

7. We’ve got a handful of unfinished construction projects. Pray for the finances to arrive and the man power (missions teams) to come and finish them. The multipurpose building where we do all of our activities needs gable ends, windows, finish electricity and a stage. Our personal home is one third complete. The little house for staff is three fourths complete.

Guitar Class photos

8. Our application for a one-year extension is still under review. Pray for favor with the Honduran government and that they would say, “Yes!” While under review, we are required to renew all four of our tourist visas for about $80.

9. Please continue to pray for the importation of the bus, our Honduran contact is still working on the details.

We've been adopted!
Our neighbor's pups have made
the Ranch their home.

10. It seems like our internet installation is one step closer. I was told that because we are one of only two customers in the Ojojona area, the company doesn’t want to come out for just us. However, the company is sending representatives to canvas the Ojojona area this weekend and hopefully produce more sales. As a friend recently told me, life in Honduras is on Latin Standard Time. (We signed the contract over two months ago).

11. Mare and I recently were introduced to the other midwife highly recommended by many friends and mothers in Ojojona. Doña Tilde lives in Guazucaran about an hour from us (when the road is good). She came to our door while riding via bus from Guazucaran to Ojojona. The bus got stuck in the mud and she had a half-hour to kill! Praise God. When I mentioned how highly she was recommended she gave all credit to the Lord! That was pretty encouraging! Mare is good, but sore. Pregnant with two little ones is a tough job. Pray for her bod to have the strength to make it until December and the wisdom to know when and how to rest between now and then!

Independence Day photos

12. Continue to pray for Brooke as she works on RO4Y administrative details State side. She filled out a few applications for mission team support/help and is currently working on getting the Ranch non-profit status in the States. This is about a $1,300 process.

13. Our new worker Oscar has been a huge blessing. He comes ready to work every day with praises on his lips. His two month old daughter has been struggling with a skin rash. Marilyn, his wife, brought Genesis, their daughter, to my Marillyn and she gave her a natural remedy of oatmeal bath with lavender and chamomile, as well as coconut oil. He said that the baby had its first good night’s sleep in over a week! Praise God!!! Pray for Mare that she would have more opportunities to help locals with simple health issues like this!!!

14. Looks like Honduras is going to get hit by another hurricane this weekend. Ojojona won't be directly hit, but we'll probably get a lot of rain. Keep us in prayer!