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A servant's heart....

Recently  I had the opportunity to go to the home of one of the local teachers, Profe Leslie, to learn how to make nacatamales. Nacatamales are similar to the tamales we are accustomed to in the Southern California. The main difference is the masa that varies slightly. We  had a lot of fun learning how to fill, wrap and tie the nacatamales.

 While we were making them and having fun, another family member was setting up a lunch to serve to us (unbeknownst to us). They insisted we sit down and eat so we sat at the only small table available while the family stood around us, watched us eat and talked with us. Leslie brought out the wedding album of her sister, who was one of the couples to have an El Ayudante wedding last year, and shared it with me. It was such a special time and I saw what true hospitality really looks like. They were so happy to have us in their home and treated us like such special guests giving of their limited resources to feed us. It was humbling....even as missionaries, we have such an abundance compared to them. The gesture that did me in......I couldn't share this with Amir later without tearing up.....while we were eating, my chair happened to be the only one that was in the direct sun. Seeing this, Saul, the sweet little old man who is the patriarch of the family, came over and held an umbrella over me while I ate! The entire time! Maybe that seems trivial to you, but would we ever think to treat our guests with such great esteem? It touched me more than I can even describe.

I encourage you to slow life down a little, have a servant heart, and really treat others as Jesus would. Care deeply, give generously, forgive freely, and above all LOVE!


Denise

Feliz Navidad!

Merry Christmas from Honduras!

December……the month when we celebrate the birth of a king, Jesus, the true reason for the Christmas Season. It is also the time when we reflect back over the past year. We are excited to be a part of what El Ayudante is doing in our community here in Honduras. Here are some fun facts about what took place this year at El Ayudante.....maybe you didn't know about some of them!

• 41 people without teeth received dentures
• 230 Ultrasounds were performed
• 59 Pastors attended our Pastors Conferences
• 9 couples completed our 8 week marriage class
• 3 couples were sponsored by a team so they could be legally married
• 4800 adobe blocks were laid
• More than 85 patients attended our monthly Hypertension club to learn how to manage their disease and improve their health
• 23 latrines were installed
• More than 275 families attended one of our Family Nights
• More than 850 children attended one of our VBS Programs

Thanks for being a part of our journey and impacting Honduras for Christ.

Merry Christmas!
Amir & Denise 

 Serving with family.......

                                 

We had the privilege last week of having our friends from Good Shepherd here serving with us. It was an incredible week. It was such a blessing to see God move in their hearts here at El Ayudante as together we change lives and transform communities. They saw first hand that the things we do are a concrete way of sharing the love of Christ in an impactful, practical manner. We don't provide a temporary fix.....we provide a permanent solution to problems in the community, engaging the people we help to be a part of the solution. It is such an awesome ministry to be a part of. Below is a photo collage of all we did last week. We installed water filters, the ladies exercised with our Wednesday Women's Fitness Club, we hosted a sports camp for the local high school, we worked on building an adobe house, worked on adding a 2nd level to the local high school and did a 3 day VBS up the mountain at a local school. I loved getting out of the office and my normal routine to be so involved with the work in the community! I now understand why teams are exhausted when they return to the states. They work HARD serving our community and making a difference!

  

                                              

                                              

                                             

                                             

We will be in Michigan October 2-18 and in California October 19-November 3.....we would love to get together with you if you would like to hear more about what we are doing here in Honduras. Thank you to all who pray for and support us on a regular basis. We so appreciate you!

Blessings!!
 

Are We Set Apart?

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We have been at El Ayudante for 3 months now. We are settled in and learning more everyday about all the things EA does in the community. There's a lot to learn. We do a LOT! Team season got underway last week. With only a week or two off between now and September, we will be extra busy as we host teams from North America. It was nice to have a few slower months when we first arrived to dive in and learn our jobs. The week before teams started, some of the staff got away for the weekend to beautiful Lake Yojoha a few hours away. We stayed at Finca de Glorias, which is a working farm that has cabins you can rent and beautiful grounds. While we were enjoying the pool there, a donkey wandered up and tried to make himself at home. Squeals and laughter could be heard as guests and staff tried to shoo him away. He was not impressed with our shooing abilities and stayed until he was ready to follow some other guests down to the lake. As funny as it was, later, as I was looking at the pics, it got me thinking.

 As Christians we are called to be set apart. Ephesians 5:8 says  For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. Matthew 5:14-16 says  You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.                                         

Like this donkey, do we as Christians stand out in the world? Are we "out of place"? Does our light shine for Him in all situations? We are to be set apart but not in an arrogant way. We are to to reflect Christ in all things to give glory to our Father in heaven and point others to  Him. I want others to notice that I'm "different". I want to reflect Christ in all situations. I want to point others to Him by my walk and my example. How do you want to be seen? What are you doing to make it happen? God, fill us with your light that we may shine for you!

Please pray for us during this busy team season. Pray for endurance for the staff but also for a moving in the short term team members as they come to serve, that they will be open to everything God has for them while they are here. Also pray for the families that they interact with as they serve, that God's light would indeed shine through the team members and point the families to Christ. 

Thank you for your prayers and support. They mean the world to us!

Blessings to You!

The Countdown Has Begun.....

Our time in Guatemala is winding down and in a little over two weeks we will be headed home to Honduras to begin our ministry at El Ayudante. The time has flown by. Language school  has been incredibly tough but rewarding. We are ready to dive in and fulfill the call God has placed on our lives to serve the people of Honduras.

Reflecting on our time here in Guatemala, my favorite experience has been witnessing the eruption of Volcan de Fuego. I can say, with confidence, that it is the most amazing, majestic display of God's incredible creation that I have ever experienced. It erupted again last night. We watched it off and on for over an hour and we could literally hear it erupting all night long. Volcanoes are unique creations of God. They are mountains with openings at the top where molten rock (magma) erupts out when enough pressure builds up inside. Once the magma erupts from the earth, it is called lava. What comes out of the volcano is what's inside. The volcano can't spew out anything else.

I see a parallel between volcanoes and Christians. What erupts from us when enough pressure builds up inside? Like a volcano, we cannot erupt something that is not inside of us. Are we filled with the love of Jesus? Is our heart bursting to overflowing with that love so that when the pressure builds, love erupts? Luke 6:45 reads: A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil things stored up in his heart. FOR THE MOUTH SPEAKS WHAT THE HEART IS FULL OF. What's in your heart today? What are you doing to fill your heart? Are you filling it with God's love or with earthly things? I want to be so full of God's love that it literally overflows like lava at all times. I don't want to be surprised at what comes out. I want to know for sure ahead of time. God, fill me to overflowing with your love and mercy!

Please pray with us that we will finish strong in language school. These last two weeks will go quickly. We want to be as prepared as possible when we arrive in Honduras. We appreciate each and every one of you and covet your prayers.

God Bless!

New Year and New Adventures...............

Happy New Year to everyone! Experiencing New Year's in Antigua was different but fun! They shut down the streets in the center of town and there were tons of people milling around waiting for the countdown. They had a fabulous light show on the famous arch and had an awesome fireworks display at midnight. 

                              

We are at the half way point of our language school. Two more months and we will be leaving for Honduras. When we start to get discouraged about how well we can speak Spanish, we just remind ourselves that if we can speak twice as well as we do now after two more months, then we will be good to go! The Spanish is coming along well and we get more fluent every week.

With the new year upon us we decided to try a new adventure! On Saturday, we rented a moped for a few hours and took off to explore the outskirts of Antigua without having to take a formal tour. Anyone who has driven in Central America knows that it was indeed an adventure. We laughed a lot as we navigated the streets of Antigua and went up and down large hills. Any of you who know us know, we are used to motorcycles with a bit more power and we couldn't stop laughing as we puttered along on the moped.

Just twenty minutes and 6000 feet into the mountains above Antigua, in a small village called Aldea El Hato, we discovered the Earth Lodge, a unique and wonderful natural retreat. With the road leading in (and out) being a one lane, dirt road, we were very happy to have the moped and not be navigating a regular sized car. The lodge was situated at the foot of a steep 300m hill which you had to walk down to get to (and then walk back up to leave) but it was well worth the effort. We enjoyed spectacular views and a delicious lunch. It was a time to relax and drink in the beauty of God's creation away from the hustle and bustle of normal life. It was indeed a hidden gem.

We truly appreciate every email, Whatsapp message, Skype call and Facebook message that we receive down here. We miss everyone back home but know we are where we are supposed to be. We appreciate your continued prayers!

Off to a Great Start.........

We just completed our third week of language school. It is definitely one of the most difficult things we have ever done. Our heads are literally swimming with new verbs and vocabulary. We are very brave about using our limited Spanish with the locals when we are out and about. I'm sure we sound atrocious to them, but they smile and are ever so patient with us! Practice is the key to improving so we practice as much as we can. It is amazing how much we have picked up in just 3 weeks. 

Last weekend, we took a bit of a study break to visit a local artisan market and tour a coffee plantation. The hand weaving here is absolutely beautiful. These woman are amazingly talented. The woman in the picture with me said that the girls in her village start learning how to weave and stitch when they are about 12 years old and within a few years are sewing their own clothes. The blouse in the picture took the woman SIX months to complete. 

The coffee plantation was a very interesting place to visit. We got to observe the process from bean on the tree to ground coffee ready to brew. The beans from one tree yield approximately 1 lb of coffee per year. There must be a LOT of coffee trees in the world! Guatemala is the 8th largest producer of coffee and is said to have the 3rd best tasting coffee. Next time you're shopping for coffee in the store, grab a bag grown in Guatemala and give it a try!

                               

We appreciate your continued prayers. Language school is TOUGH but we know it will be well worth all the hard work when we are fluent in Spanish and can effectively communicate with the people of Honduras. 

We love you all! Blessings to you and Happy Thanksgiving!