Wednesday, May 9, 2012

2012 - Week 18 Photo Review

Melissa, Oscar's cousin and newest guitar student, warming up.

Week 18 at the Ranch was slightly back to normal. English class at the elementary school was canceled on Tuesday for holiday: Dia del trabajador (Labor Day). And weekend activities were post-poned as I watched the Beard-Trio while Mare attended a free "Woman of Purpose" missionary seminar.

Mare and missionary friend Carol departing Friday afternoon for women's retreat.
It is challenging for Marillyn to make friends as a deaf woman in a Spanish speaking country. Therefore, English speaking conferences are a breath of fresh air. (Plus, it was perfect timing to make the final step to disconnect Tobi from the fount of blessing: la leche!)

PRAY for Mare: She is a child of God, wife, mother, cook, gardener, animal trainer, house cleaner, missionary and more. She needs spiritual and physical stamina. Also, continue to PRAY for an intern to help Mare with the kids, homeschooling and cooking. Her pregnancy is only getting larger!

Sunday afternoon Adult Bible Study:
Jeny, Idalia, Blanca, Mirna, Karla, Rosa, Jose Miguel,
Tatiana, Ayli, Naomi, Helen, Yafet.

While dropping off the adults after Bible study, I asked Karla what she thought of the study. She said that she really enjoyed it. She has been involved for several years with another church in Ojojona, but comes to the Ranch's activities when time allows. When I probed a little further, Karla said that though she is regularly involved in multiple services in Ojojona, the Bible studies that are offered at the Ranch are different: engaging, discussion based and edifying through the study of God's Word. Karla is a wonderful sister whose eldest son, Jose Miguel is consistently involved in the youth study.

PRAY that God would continue to bless the adults and show us at Rancho Oasis how to effectively include the parents (with a desire to hand-over responsibility) in the discipleship of their children!

The Fantastic Four de Guitar eating green mangoes: Cesar, Gerson, Nexser and Genderson.
The boys are working on earning enough points to win a 3/4 guitar purchased with RO4Y support money!


Vine's Bible Dictionary in hand, Oscar Gonzalez, ranch help, ministry assistant
& student of the Word of God

I can't tell you what a joy it is to study the word of God with Oscar. I have never met another man so hungry and passionate for God's Word. It is such a blessing, humbling actually, to work with such an open heart and mind. We continue to study the book of 1 Timothy. We spent over an hour-and-a-half discussing half of verse 5 from chapter 1: 

Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart. (NKJV)

PRAY that God would expand Oscar's understanding of the Word and that he would have opportunity to minister to others what he is learning.




 

Two weeks ago, I asked if one of the new electrical poles could be moved a little further up the road (the retention cable was going to land right in the way of where a second drive is going to be added to the Ranch property). Well, this ruffled a few feathers in the process and I was perceived to be some what of a hard-posterior!

Well, the men from the village were working on installing the electrical posts on the road behind the Ranch and the Lord gave me some inspiration: a gallon of Gatorade, some kind words and a desire to serve go a long way in reshaping opinions.

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food;
I was thirsty and you gave Me drink. 
And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' 
Matthew 25:34-35, 40 (NKJV)

PRAY that we would be sensitive to the needs around us and how to minister effectively and timely to them. Like a Spirit-lead Carpe Diem mentality! Also PRAY for favor in the community.


Arana (spider), our cat, in a box



One of Tobi's favortie games: "Chase the chickens!"


Don Francisco, Daughter-in-law Francisca, Dona Narcissa, son and grand-daughter

The physical needs, let alone the spiritual needs of the immediate village of El Circulo are endless. Over the last year, via a friend's ministry, two wooden houses were built for two needy families. Since then I've accumulated at least a dozen photocopied ID's and land titles of people requesting homes. Don Francisco and his family are requesting two homes for his sons and daughter-in-laws, both of who are living with them (14 people in one home). 

PRAY for wisdom to know the needs of the people and how to not only help them, but to not create a sense of dependency on us. Yeah, it is complicated!


Daisy loves taking me on rides through the mountain horse trails;
it is a great opportunity to distress and listen to Bible teaching via my iPod.

Ecstatic Mare showing off a carrot and some lettuce pulled from our raised bed, 100% compost garden
The Community Garden has begun! In our village there is a group of children that have graduated elementary school, but aren't old enough to start high school (they are 12 years old). We are singling out this group of kids to invest some agricultural skills that will help bless their families with fresh veggies and better health! The kids do most of the labor, we fellowship/teach/work and they harvest all the veggies. Not a bad deal.

First order of business: build a fence (chickens like to scratch through the garden, the dogs and cat like to make a bed out of the compost and the horses would pick their way through the goodies!)

You must understand that building a fence doesn't mean running down to your local lumber yard or even hardware store. Building a fence means driving 20 minutes down the road to Oscar's family property, walking a quarter mile down hill with ax and chainsaw in hand to cut posts that then must be hand carried back uphill to the vehicle. Yeah, nothing is easy in Honduras!

Photoed students are Crisna, Gerson, Ismael and Yalbana. PRAY that they would be blessed by the project, fellowship and their interest would not wain.








Found this little guy on the porch one evening; I promptly introduced him to the bottom of my sandal.


On the main road out of Santa Ana, we waited for a funeral procession to pass.


Ice cream Popsicle goodness

So, all-in-all the weekend without mom was good. The kids and I had a blast, but I was sure glad when Mare came home on Sunday!

One of the highlights of our trip was an afternoon at Chiminike, the children's musuem in Tegus. The girls "won" the visit after earning enough stars during their homeschooling sessions.


Tobi standing between suspended balls;
Tabi playing doctor 
& Nomi encapsulated by a bubble.


PRAY for our family, not only our health and safety,
but the discipline to grow and encourage each other in the Lord.



As always, your prayers, words of encouragement and financial gifts
are a huge blessing! Thank you support team!


















4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Miss u guys sooo much!! Can't wait to see u next! I'm praying for u all everyday :)
-Julia Hardy

Anonymous said...

An other amazing post! God is doing sooo much there. May He be your strength and all that you need. Can't wait to see you all....4 days!! Mommo Brooke

Frank said...

It's always so nice to see your ministry pictures and hear about what is going on. You have alot of great ones. Tobi's getting so big. It's very encouraging and really blesses us who support you. What a great way to share what's going on.

love and miss you guys!!!

Josy Tarantini said...

These are so great!! I miss you guys!!