Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Newsito: 2014 Furlough Report

Paying the "exit" tax before our departure in Tegucigalpa with dollars or lempiras.
"Cute" isn't a valid currency, yet!

The family and I are half-way through our church fellowship visits. So far, we've shared at churches in Northern & Eastern Iowa, Wisconsin, West Virginia and suburban Chicago. We have two more scheduled stops:
Flower Mound, Texas and Des Moines, Iowa.





Rockin' some Jesus music with the Bachleitner family.
PRAISE: We have been blessed with much encouragement, great meals, and wonderful hospitality this furlough (a.k.a. "working holiday")


The RO4Y display table offering: Coffee, Lempira bill bookmarks...
Paper-bead Jewelry (bracelets, necklaces & earrings), Friendship bracelets, Wooden Signs... 

Jean Bags, Crocheted Hats & coffee mug coozies and T-shirt scarves.

​With the trade school tripling in size this year, the students have fared extremely well in sales. We've even had two churches buy a surplus to stock their bookstore! We are excited to start the planning stages to open a site for the Trade School products on Etsy. More details soon to come! PRAY for God's blessing & wisdom for the students to learn godly stewardship.


We are continuing to pray for God's provision for bringing electricity to the new property. Estimates for tapping into the grid run to ~$15,000. A combo of solar & wind run close to ~$25,000. PRAY for wisdom one which option to take and the Lord's provision. 

PRAISE: During our visits, God provided the funds to move forward with the electrical study to run our own private line of electricity. The study will be approved by the Honduran electric company and give us an estimate on building materials needed. PRAY that the study is approved by the electric company before our return to Honduras. (Again, we are still praying for direction between alternative & grid electric, but the study is a step in understanding which "path" to take.)


Miguel & Oscar extracting "zombie grass". (Unusable, prolific long grasses on the new property.)

PRAISE: News from the Ranch has also been good! Oscar and his brother, Miguel, continue to work daily with the animals and continue to prep the new property for our estimated arrival in early 2015. Oscar has shared that his younger, half-brother is softening to the gospel. PRAY for Miguel's salvation & wisdom for Oscar. As long as the fields aren't too muddy, Oscar continues to coach the soccer team on Saturdays. 


Ilsy shows off one of her Bible study crafts.
Ilsy and her daughter, Lysse, are watching the property and living life in the village. Ilsy has been spending time with the neighbor girls, Dunia and Keyla, who are both involved in the trade school and youth group Bible study. The three are also leading girl's Bible study on Fridays. Continue to PRAY for their protection and wisdom with the day to day.


Tabitha                     &                     Naomi

​PRAISE: We've also celebrated two family birthdays the first week of September! Naomi turned 8 and Tabitha 6.


We've had some time for R & R! PRAISE for God's faithfulness!
It's not often the Beard family can enjoy a movie, in the theater with Closed-Captioning for Mare with Jon's parents! Clearly "Made in the U.S.A."

PRAY for us & the remainders of our travels!
We return to Honduras the end of October.

Saying good-bye to Wayne & Brooke Goranson, Mare's parents,
while we prepare to hit the road!