Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Spending Time with J


One of the best things about being back in Honduras is reconnecting with the girls in the discipleship group I've helped lead this year. One of the girls is my sweet friend, J, an MK ("missionary kid") in her senior year of high school. Some of the things I appreciate about J are her tender heart toward the Lord and her kindness toward others. Since we both live in the same neighborhood, I get to see her a few times a week.

When I got back to Honduras, J asked me to help her with some of her writing assignments for the distance homeschool program she is carrying out. I was homeschooled, as well, so I understand the challenges of a more independent learning situation. It's fun to go over her assignments, discuss how to make writing easier and more fun, pray together, and (of course) have some time to talk, too!

Please pray for J's studies, particularly a research project she's working on, and for the Lord to guide and prepare her as she seeks His will for her future. I am excited for what He has in store and I know that He will use her in beautiful ways. It is a blessing to get to know her better as we spend time together.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Subscribe to our Newsletters

We would like to invite you to subscribe to our quarterly newsletters, if you do not yet receive them, which are sent via email and include a summary of our ministry news, pictures, and prayer requests. We will be using a new format that displays the letter in the email body so it will no longer be necessary to open an attached PDF document (thank you to my friend Christina for helping me get started!). If you would like to subscribe, simply click here for English or here for Spanish. We will send an update by the end of this month!

Studying Together



Thank you for checking in! We are so thankful for your prayers and interest in our lives and ministry.

One of my favorite parts of the morning is when Fernando and I study the Bible together through the BILD program the Garifuna Bible school has been implementing. After the week of classes in September, we have submitted our homework and begun preparing for the next week of classes, which will be held in December. The goal is for students to maintain ongoing study habits and meet together to go through discussion questions related to what they're learning.

It has been encouraging to do this as a couple, digging into God's Word and talking about how to apply it to our lives and ministry. Here are several of the many benefits of doing this together:
  • Finding God's Word come alive as we talk about it
  • Learning from each other
  • Brainstorming about how to apply what we're learning
  • Praying for each other and others more specifically
  • Increasing accountability and motivation

The topic of this set of lessons is "Belonging to a Family of Families" and addresses God's plan for the church. On Saturday I shared a devotional with the discipleship group girls about how those who accept Christ are adopted into God's family (Eph. 2) and that someday people from every nation will worship Him together (Rev. 7). It is a particularly fitting topic since we represent three cultures, with Garifuna girls, one Miskito girl (another ethnic group in Honduras), and two of us from the U.S. It also is a great reminder that God has given us a place where we belong and can invite others to join.

On Sunday Fernando incorporated some of what we're studying into the sermon he gave. Here is a short clip of him preaching in Garifuna (left) with another pastor translating into Spanish (right):



Praise God for being able to study together and apply what we learn to our current ministry roles. Please pray that we would continue to grow together in the Lord, that God would show us how to put what we learn into practice, and that He would use this program to build up the Garifuna church.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Día de la Biblia (Day of the Bible)

On Sept. 30 our church participated with other churches in La Ceiba in an event celebrating the Bible. We walked through the city and then went to a service with music, dance, and a message from a pastor. Here are some pictures and a video:







Praise God for the opportunity to openly share His Word in Honduras!
Pray that its truth will change lives for God's glory in this country.

Garifuna Bible School Classes (Sept.)

This past week (Sept. 24-27) Garifuna pastors attended classes with the BILD theological training program. I (Alison) had the privilege of joining them as they began a module covering basic discipleship principles. Here is a video of Pastor David talking about his ministry, the classes, and how you can pray for him:

 


Pictures


Honduran Pastor Felix leading the discussion
 
 
Students working on a writing assignment
 
 
Fernando giving a presentation
 
 
Garifuna pastors
Top (left to right): David, Elvis, Nahum, Castrillo, Felix, Fernando
Bottom: Eduardo, Carlos, Gabino, Emilio
 
 
The two men in the lower right-hand corner are implementing BILD in El Salvador and came to help teach this past week.
 
 
Praises:
  • For this opportunity available to the pastors and for those who taught this week.
  • For not only the information learned but for how the Lord challenged and changed our hearts.
  • For the fellowship the pastors enjoyed together this week.
 
Prayer requests:
  • For the Holy Spirit to help each pastor apply what they have learned to their ministries.
  • For each pastor to in turn train other leaders in their churches so that strong discipleship programs to be well established in every Garifuna community in Honduras.
  • For discipline as the pastors complete their assignments and prepare for the next session in December.
  • For Fernando and those helping him translate this discipleship module into Garifuna, that they would be effective and that the materials would be a tool for God to raise up strong church leaders.



Alison's Trip Report

Here is a video about my (Alison) trip to the Northwest for the summer:

 



 
Sharing about our ministry
 
 

 
Spending time with my family
 
 
Reconnecting with friends
 
 
Enjoying summertime in the Northwest
 
Praises:
  • Safe travels, time with family and friends, and good, frequent communication with Fernando.
  • Opportunities to share about our ministry and for those who joined our prayer and financial partnership team.
  • Time of spiritual and physical renewal.
  • The many people who blessed me in uncountable ways. Thank you!
 Prayer requests:
  • That Fernando and I can travel together to the U.S. next year to share about our ministry, attend our organization's orientation, and see friends and family.
  • For God to lead more people to become monthly financial partners (we are currently receiving about 40% of our monthly budget needs).
  • For God to richly bless all who have encouraged, prayed for, and supported us! We love you!