Saturday, November 23, 2013

2013 - Weeks 46 - 47 Photo 'n Prayer Review

Week 46

Lucinda, missionary friend, Melissa Goodwin with Poema, and Marillyn
at the annual Women of Purpose Missionary Conference
PRAISE God for the opportunity for Mare and Lucinda to reconnect with many missionary friends at this free conference. God is good.


Rare Honduran White Howler Monkeys are often seen at the Ranch.
PRAISE God that Jon & the kids survived three nights without mommy!


Esther and Mordecai (background) sniff their way around the property.
PRAISE God for these new pups. 
PRAY that they continue to adjust to their new home & role at the Ranch.


Mare takes some time with a local mother, Lupe (Gerson and Genderson's mom)
to address some health concerns with her daughter, Sofia.
PRAY for more opportunities for Mare
to use her health knowledge to bless the community.
On a side note, Lupe shared with us that Gerson (14), a long time Ranch kid, considers us family and even defends us when others complain.
PRAISE God!


Can you find Poema?


Taller CDP trade school student, Ana Melissa, opens a savings account at the local co-op.
PRAISE God for the great success the students had selling their jewelry & scarves during the furlough. PRAY that God would continue to open doors for the students to sell locally and that He would give Jon & Mare wisdom on teaching financial stewardship.


Crisna, Yovanis, Yahaira and Ana Melissa show off their savings account booklets
(Much like a check book with deposit and withdrawal columns, but no checks.)
They agreed to use 25% of their earnings to open the account!
PRAY for the Taller CDP school
to have a blessed year of learning and spiritual maturing in Christ.


Pick-up (pun intended) for Friday afternoon girl's Bible study!
PRAISE God for this loaner vehicle! What a blessing!
Continue to PRAY for a new passenger van!
Also continue to PRAY for the Durango SUV,
it has been in the shop for 3 weeks.


Week 47

Marillyn and GAP Missionary Student, Madison, teach Kayla and Ana Melissa crochet.
PRAISE for the arrival of the GAP program missionary students.
They are with us for three weeks, living first hand the missionary life!


GAP student Andrea works with Yahaira to learn crochet.
PRAY for Andrea,
she is praying about her long-term placement with us at the Ranch!!!


Something missing? Naomi's first!
PRAY for our kids, Naomi, Tabitha, Tobias and Poema, as they grow up as third culture kids: not fully Honduran, not fully North-American.
In between cultures!


Oscar prepares to lead Bible study with the soccer season's first practice!
PRAISE God that we can use futbol to draw these young men and boys closer to Jesus! PRAY for their salvation & understanding of God's Word!


Warm-up was both comical and, well... stretching!

PRAISE God for the first practice turn out!
PRAY for RO4Y youth group member, Jose Miguel (far right),
as he assists Oscar and Jon with the team.


Kayla, Lesly and her younger sister Karen crochet with ease!
PRAY that this art/skill/hobby can be profitable financially and spiritually!


Even the boys get into the act and make stocking caps with the yarn!
(L to R: Yahaira, Yovanis, Carlos and Crisna's little cousin, Mildres)
PRAISE God for the bond felt between these students.
PRAY that the continue to draw closer to Jesus.


Jon and Yalbana: August of 2012
PRAY for this young woman.
Many of you remember me sharing about Yalbana's miserable home life during our furlough of 2012. (Her mother has died and her father is an alcoholic). We had high hopes for Yalbana this last ministry season to join the trade school and grow in her relationship with the Lord in the youth group. However, she choose a different path, met a boy and now is expecting her first child. PRAY that God would direct us to be able to minister to this sixteen-year old mother to be and that her heart would be softened to the Gospel.



The GAP students introduce a new game; much like hot potato, but with a cup.
PRAISE God for these faithful girls.
PRAY that the Holy Spirit
will draw them into a deeper relationship with Him!


Marillyn and her father, Wayne Goranson, explore the new property
and let their taste buds in on the adventure. We think they are elderberries.
PRAISE God for His provision with the new property.
PRAY for us as we prepare it for our arrival & ministry!


Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.”

“Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”

Ruth 2:10-12 (NLT)

Saturday, November 9, 2013

2013 - Weeks 43 - 45 Photo 'n Prayer Review

Weeks 43 - 45

12 check-in bags, 4 carry-on bags, 4 back-packs and a diaper bag take some time to unpack!

PRAY for the Beard family and Rancho Oasis staff

 as we continue to re-adjust to life in Honduras.


Getting back into the swing of things:
Squeezing some oranges given from our neighbor as a "thank you" for taking some of our filtered water.


Lucinda's back at home reading to Poema.
PRAY for Lu as she has once again begun home-schooling
Naomi and Tabitha.

Picking up some groceries. Special offer - Discounted Gringas!
Our first few weeks at the Ranch included multiple trips to Tegucigalpa, Honduras' capital to run errands.

Believer it or not, this picture was taken in October in a mall in Tegus!
A testimony that materialism is alive and well in one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere.
PRAY for the nation of Honduras.
General elections are being held on Sunday, November 24th


Lu takes an eye exam as part of the requirement to receive her Honduran driver's license.
Jon and Lucinda spent three days running errands to make her an "official" resident:
picking up her Honduran ID Card, driver's license and opening a bank account.


The boys have competed in an inner-team futbolito championship throughout our furlough.
Soccer is one of the strongest draws for these young men.


Oscar opens the afternoon soccer games with a study in the book of Proverbs.
As a staff we have committed to include the Word of God into every activity at the Ranch.
PRAY for the soccer boys & their coaches: Jon and Oscar.
Honduran public schools will be wrapping up classes in November
& our annual tournament will be in full swing.

Cesar, one of the team's strongest defensive players, softens a bit to hold Poema.

Mordecai & Esther, the newest members of the Ranch's security staff!
PRAISE for God's provision with these new puppies.
After receiving news of Duke's death during our furlough,
we began searching for a new dog to accompany Daisy on security patrol.
Every door we tried closed, so we returned to Honduras empty handed.
A week ago Jon visited a Facebook Honduran missionary page
and saw a post advertising Great Pyrenees / Great Dane mixed puppies!
 The Pyrenees breed is ideal to protect animals, as well as family!
We purchased them both for half of what one dog would cost in the States!


  
Naomi and Oscar hold 3 of the 4 new baby goats born this week at the Ranch.
We were hoping for more girls, but only got one.

PRAY for our Goat share program to began this ministry season.

The girls wait to wash their hands, one of our hygiene practices before Bible study.

Ilsy leads the older girls (ages 8-12) in a study about being committed to Christ.
Friday's bible study have traditionally been well attended by girls from Ojojona & the village.
PRAY for Ilsy as she finishes her final year of teaching in the local kinder and transitions into full-time service with the Ranch.


T-N-T Security!!!
Tabitha and Tobias have some fun "protecting" the house.
Thank you for your prayers, words of encouragement and support.
We had a wonderful furlough
& are excited to begin this new season of ministry!
(Click here to view Facebook photos of our 2013 Furlough)