Finally hired a new medical doctor to help in optometry!  Starting in 2026 we were down to one (when Valerie is out of the country) and finding a doctor that wants to learn optometry and has the right mindset for the mission clinic isn't always easy. It will take some time for her to train/learn before she can fly solo, but the waiting list for appointments was stretching many weeks (and we normally don't take appointments...but had no choice with so much demand.)  ​

We are slowly, ever so slowly, making progress on getting competing plans for the ambulatory surgical wing of the clinic. Better to go slowly and be sure we like the plans and that they will work, then have to switch things up later on, but with all the moving parts, and much of that not something we can do ourselves (looking at a minimum of three floors, with the top floor open space for expansion and temperature control.) It is a fine line of wanting to speed things up, and also just wanting to take the time to make sure it is done right, well, as right as can be of course.  Prayerfully before the end of the year the containers are moved and construction might begin?

Crossover work is something we see with some frequency, and in this case, we had some baptisms this month, with Jose Luis doing spiritual outreach in the clinic in different ways, that lead to baptizing the second clinic medical doctor, Dr. Valladares, one of the patients (Pamela) that has joined a cell group that Jose Luis has organized, and Ingris, the group coordinator that participates in the weekly clinic devotions (among other such activities around the mission.) 

There is so much going on throughout the mission...happy things, sad things, things with a future known and unknown, loss and growth, and so much more.  Please join us in prayer for all of that, and all of us (you included) God is using in so many different ways, for the Holy Spirit to guide us, encourage, and strengthen every day!

The Milk Project continues to implement new and different workshops, creative projects, etc. There has been some chatter about buying more supplies for the kids to be able to make bracelets that we sell to groups that are interested.  If you see these, and think something like this is a good idea, let us know as we think about this as an idea.   

Three groups were in Honduras before during and after Holy Week, not a time of year we have typically had a lot of groups, but it was great they were there, and able to help so much in some of the things we typically do, as well as in the above, having extra funds to bless 10 families with new beds...and also bless them by doing home delivery, which if you have been up to Sampedrana, you will know is a workout!

We were blessed on the container in 2024 to get quite a few donated new refrigerators, enough for a long time to come...or as it happens, about 1.5 years, as one of the Milk Project's units has been repaired twice and still not balanced out well. The good thing with refrigerators is that even when they fail in their designed function, they still make for good, secure, dry storage of supplies or food, so we definitely hold on to them. Out of 6, there is now only one left.  We won't be bringing down any more unfortunately though, since the separate customs forms and taxes on refrigerant/refrigerators, make it too hard, but we are very grateful for the ones we were able to get!

One of the leadership in Honduras took the time to send me the verses above yesterday.  It is Philippians 4:6-7, which in English says " 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  I do like the flow of the Spanish translation there which I will paraphrase: "Don't worry about anything, but rather pray about everything.  Tell everything to God that you need, and thank him for everything that He has done...that way you will experience the peace of God, which goes past everything we can understand.  The peace of God will take care of your heart, and your mind, while you are living in Christ Jesus."  

The funny part of them sending that was that the timing was prescient. Not that they knew, but I just felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit in the timing, which was very cool.  And just the way that version hit me.  Not everything going on, or stresses or needs fits into a blog or email sharing sort of way, but in the midst of the roller coaster of life, on a high, in the middle or at the lowest part, those verses are there for us, to help prepare us in all those parts of the cycle to be ready to run the race before us.  I didn't think I was at a low part of the cycle yesterday...but that was what was so cool about it...I needed it, I needed the reminder wherever I was, or maybe in all three part of the cycle at once, that I need to share it all, let God's peace take care of it, and live it all in Christ Jesus.

I wasn't planning on following the last post on coffee and Sampedrana with more on Sampedrana, but here we are.  

Last summer, someone blessed us with quite a few Samsung tablets, which we put on the container that FAME shipped.  Then the Milk Project staff charged and tested them all, worked out a list of where they could go to be use taking into account the other areas of the mission, and then finally earlier this year they went into service.  Here is one being use in Sunday School in Sampedrana.  They are already proving to be very handy/useful.

We have been waiting quite a while for groups to be back and be able to help up in Sampedrana on the road, and the prep work that it takes to be ready for that takes many days of labor by many people to prepare for a few days of fast advancement.  Getting wood here in Sampedrana for the borders on the pavers to be put down and then the concrete border poured takes a bit, among other things of all Fords available to move pavers to be into position, and then other trips to move sand, gravel and cement.  

Ah, this is in Las Botijas...burying the water lines from the new well.  The well was up, then had a major wind issue, going to have to build some walls around it, the way the wind whips through there some times of the year could damage panels again.  But with harvest and other tasks, and some equipment issues, there just hasn't been time to get the lines buried until now.  We also have donations to do some work on the road there, the worst area when it is raining, but we are waiting on the contractor who is going to do the work to have an opening in his schedule.

A nice little treat of splitting a watermelon in Sampedrana.  I love the conversation in this picture, but the knife's resting place here does look a little menacing.  Planting seeds to see a harvest in this community tomorrow...and/or 5, 10 or many more years down the road, one day at a time. 

Again, I didn't set out to share all this, but this last picture as much as any of the others, just shows that sometimes there are things in life that you are ready for and don't come or aren't finished as fast as you would like (even when the day to day impact isn't something I am personally going to see, feel, or be impacted by) but also remind me of our limitations, and the valuable commodity of time.  

Praying for the projects soon to be underway, those underway for months or years, and those to come that seemingly seem ready to move forward but...just don't as we would want (thinking specifically of the clinic ambulatory surgery expansion plans, finding different quotes on construction, coffee, finding Milk Project sponsors and mission support, and so much more.)  

It used to frustrate me, but now I find it a lot easier (not easy...just a lot easier than it used to be!) to focus on doing what God sets before us, what we can do, and not focus on what I can't control or make happen, since even a tiny glimpse in the rear view mirror shows only God got the mission here in the first place, not by anything we tried to force through.

I had an unusual email exchange recently, someone asking me for some words of wisdom for another person in their church who handles the Hill Climber coffee they get for Sundays and other needs at the church.  

​Words of wisdom are bandied about, but such a request, whether in jest or not, I took seriously.  So I shared a Bible verse:  So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (I Corinthians 10:31)

Harvest is at its highest point right now, with lower altitudes done, and we might be done at the two farms by the end of the month.  We have invested time, effort, money, and more staff, to make the farms better, more productive, and higher quality.  Every year a little bit more, steps as they were, and as we can afford them.  The third "cut" of coffee this year in Las Botijas even getting an 88 when we had it tested.  We have started employing women as well to more carefully select out the "defects" that affect cup quality.  
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Providing employment, harvesting more fruit to give away, and doing things better has improved for sure, and continues to do so.  We might be close enough to being financial self sustainable with coffee that good, with some legwork to find places to sell it of course.  

So, the pictures and the statistics look good.  

But I was struck by another set of words I stumbled upon: 
"Coffee is good for talent, but genius wants prayer."

Those come from the journal of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who is also rather commonly misquoted as having said "Coffee is God's gift to mankind."  

The second quote is pithy, but the first just hit me different.  

We are using coffee to accomplish goals:  
-help provide employment
-be a bigger part of our community
-help others
-share Christ through all the above
-and finally figure out how to use all that to create something that can be sold and have more funds to do more of all that. 

The quote just reminds me that while part of all this you can write down, work out, and plan.  But ultimately, for it to be a success, requires prayer, and dependence on God. 

So join us in prayer that our primary goals stay primary, all the while also praying God works out connections to make good, God honoring ways to get this coffee out into many hands, and thus help this do all of the above, and so much more through His Eyes.  

I liked this picture.  The church in Talanga, doing discipleship classes. ​

I liked this picture as well.  Jose Luis from the clinic visiting families, and giving away diapers. 

And this picture, pastor Juan teaching the kids in the Milk Project.  

What I liked most about these pictures doesn't fit in social media posts or just quick looks.  
-Talanga, pastor Manuel working on spiritual maturity, while I know praying for a body that would also grow in number.  And the topic that Sunday was about seeking unity as a church body and how to work as a team
​-The diapers they were giving out, I thought...wait, we don't get donations of children's diapers normally.  And...those packages are in Spanish?  Turns out, someone who I won't name so as to rob them of their otherwise nameless donation, has a store and donated the diapers specifically for the clinic to be ablet o give them away.  
-And Juan was teaching the kids based on how to share their faith with their peers. 

Just crazy to me, to see God working through so many people, in different countries, different roles, different thoughts...but a united vision to see people grow in Christ, and know He loves them.  I like that too.  And I like that I can't really fully wrap my mind around how He brings it all about as well.  

It is worth keeping in mind some of ol' Pablo's thoughts he wrote to the people of Ephesus, that any good being done is a gift of God, not of ourselves.  So, when we see it being done, we rejoice for that, but never forgetting it is God working that out.  

It is usually hard to share pictures involving the churches, unless they are doing construction work.  I happened to get two new pictures though this week, not one but two!  On the left, a group from different of the His Eyes churches that joined together for a youth conference several hours from here, and on the right, the church in Talanga having a special birthday celebration for sister Maria's 54th birthday.  

Milk Project had a little time off for vacations, and preparation for the new year, but back in full swing.  Year to year there is interesting, what with changes due to not wanting to study, or parents pulling kids out to work, or...lots of reasons.  

You might notice things look cramped in Sampedrana on the left.  Yep, we need more space.  So, this year, when we can schedule it, construction will happen on the second floor of the clinic building there, to allow all the classroom space to move there, and expand the kitchen and other needs.  In Tegucigalpa (on the right), is one of the meetings with parents/grandparents/primary caregivers to go over rules, and talk about expectations and such, an important step every year when we begin. 

You also, if looking closely, might be able to spy Consuelo and Mauricio wearing the new Milk Project shirts that are new this year.   

The clinic is seeking some new staff, as we had some changes at the end of the year, and looking at how to also handle all the vehicles some days wanting to park.  A new issue is also causing a loss of a couple parking spots for a bit...moving the cafeteria out (where you can see the tractor on the left) so we can look at moving the containers and get ready for construction on the expansion.  Wait?  That wasn't the plan right?  Well...after a lot of talking/praying/thinking, this is the smarter long term move to better use our space.  A little more expense right now, but cheaper long term, and be able to build more as well.  Should be interesting!

Catholic displays in businesses like the one on the left is not new here, but I have found that it is new for many people not from here to see.  

What was new was while I was picking up roasted coffee from our roaster, that I was brought the cup (and saucer!) on the right while they lowered everything in the freight elevator.  It was a geisha coffee they currently have.  While I was enjoying that, the security guard was quizzing me about the Land Cruiser, and if we brought it from the USA, and then why do we go into the mountains and have coffee.  I took that little opportunity he presented and ran with it, and I don't think he was ready for my answers.  

I'm not sure I am either some days, ironically enough.  New things crop up all the time, and there is plenty of old around as well.  How we adjust, grow, struggle and keep going is...only God really.  And the prayers of many of you are involved to a great extent as well.  Amazing stuff, that is both constantly new, and while repeatedly happening, never seems to get old.  

No pictures today, other than the clinic staff, most of the rest of the staff are off until January 2nd.  That allows for catching up on a lot of office things, and planning.  

One thing I didn't anticipate was the report coming from Jose Luis in the clinic, "EVANGELISTIC REPORT" from his work as the spiritual emphasis coordinator in the clinic.  

I'll spare you the cool details, but the church next door (ICCC TGU) is now actively helping Jose Luis, and just from patients coming into the clinic, we are up to six different cell groups, and 11 of those attending those in-home meetings are now attending the church.  Pretty cool.

I've also been working on a sheet of tasks to be done here on the campus, mostly for Jeffry and Jorge to coordinate.  There are at least 17 items...not counting some that will have to wait for groups to be here to help.  And not counting another eight that Eduardo from the clinic will coordinate.  

Plenty to do!  Plus...on the 25th walking the campus, trying to pray and take some hard looks at different things, to think outside the box...we might have some possibilities for building the clinic ambulatory surgical wing...with moving the containers elsewhere on campus (but for good, not temporarily) where they can still be used.  (this could be much cheaper for construction...and still allow us to build at least two floors.  

Plus before leaving to visit her family in Amapala, Maria left me the list for food needs for the Milk Project for January, and the list of anticipated clothing and toy needs for Children's Day and Christmas 2026, so I have some work there as well.  

Daunting was probably the word I would have used yesterday.  But...in the highs and lows, knowing...really knowing...God is in control helps lows from getting too low, and ego from going to high.  Did I mention 17 groups also?  Three road work projects?  Projections/talks for the next Milk Project location?  A new clinic medical student scholarship?  

It is daunting in one sense, but today I am just pumped to see what God is going to do, and how He is going to keep it all going, and all of us going.  Because I am here to tell you...I can feel, people are praying, because there are times when it should be crushingly overwhelming, and it can be...but it never is fully, and for that reason. 

So, send a prayer or two up for His Eyes...for decisions, for planning, for faith, for strength, and in gratitude for all He has done, does, and will do!  Amén y amén! 

I have some pictures, and stories to share, and the title jumped out at me, and that also seemed fitting for my spiritual/emotional mood of late.  Such highs, and such lows, and sometimes fighting to try for just horizontal.  Whew.  

It has been encouraging to see first the pictures from Cantarranas, but also Danli, to see how fast the churches have been moving as a body to do the work related to putting in the tile in the buildings.  Looks like Danli is already half done.  Interesting tile as well, we usually are price conscious, this has a pattern which isn't always the case when focused on price.  

Cantarranas...how about that fill result in what used to be a big hole/drop?  Looks good right?  And apparently good thing we put the wall extension up of that metal addition to the brick wall to accommodate the new floor level...what with our Guanacaste tree falling over otherwise completely into the neighbor's property.  Yikes.  No damage or injuries on the other side there, and the fence is wounded, but fixable.  And, someone has been contacted to try to see how much lumber we can get out of the tree for cabinets or something, that should be interesting.  Still, a bummer to lose a tree in an area that could use all the shade it can get.  Note...see if you can spy Hector from the farm up there trying to help cut off the portion entering the neighbor's airspace.  

Friday brought another conference, for pastors, as well as wives, and The Milk Project staff.  We are committed as a mission to doing more of these going into 2026...spiritual growth needs spiritually mature leaders, and we are prayerfully looking at how to do more of these (minimum 6 per year) whether in Tegucigalpa, as well as other opportunities elsewhere.  Good to see them well attended, and more people getting involved every time.  

I buy every year paint for groups to do murals.  Sometimes we have some, sometimes no.  This year, we had almost all of the paint left. 

The Milk Project staff, and volunteers, this isn't exactly part of their job description, but in Tegucigalpa (as well as Cantarranas this year) they have been using that paint to freshen up existing murals, and paint new ones where the old ones were too faded.  I even bought them more paint to keep going as they have time they were doing so well.  

We were blessed by a family with donations to fix this most problematic part of the road in Las Botijas.  A consult with an engineer/road builder was done, budgets proccurred...and we still wait for the dry season to get...drier for them to coordinate the timing to get up there to get it done.  Thankfully this is really the only farm road area that is really problematic in Las Botijas, and getting up there for us and our neighbors will "soon" be fixed.  I wish I could say the same in Sampedrana...but, baby steps.  Big expensive baby steps, but steps nonetheless.  Sometimes I have to slap myself (mentally of course) to remember that at least there is a road up there, before we were blessed to get involved at the top of the mountain there...there was no road.  

Further testing will be needed, but some enthusiasm, albeit restrained enthusiasm, is in order, as the well is done in Tegucigalpa, and we have started as of yesterday to use it to fill the campus cisterns.  

Still some questions to answer, and a building to house the works and such...but plans are in place already to get that done, while continuing testing and filling, and avoiding buying water trucks, so that is already better.  

We are trying to finish 2025, with many things that had you told me would happen back in January, I am sure I would not have anticipated coming about.  How interesting, that almost all of the items of this post would fit into that category in one way or another?  Ah, yet another opportunity to look up and smile at God.  

I smile to God for you as well, for reading, for praying, for being an invaluable part of this Kingdom work.  Thank you...really, truly, sincerely...thank you! 

As you can see from the lapse of time between posts, life is still very busy for myself and for the mission overall.  

Growth is happening.  Giving away lemons, oranges, plums, avocados...I can't keep up with this part either.  

Coffee is already coming on slowly, a little early, but we were mostly ready. We are buying a new pulper for Sampedrana, higher capacity, better sort quality (not as many defects) and better overall care of the coffee after harvest.  Every little step matters for continuing to improve the cup quality.  And if we want to get to self sufficiency, we will need to be competitive with other non Christian coffee, because there just aren't enough connections or relationships we can make it seems to sell enough as Hill Climber Coffee.  We life, we learn, slowly but surely, and so things grow.   
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Thanks to donations from the US, after many years, I won't even try to think how many years, we were able to buy tile for the church building in Cantarranas.  And the brothers and sisters there are working on putting it all in.  The difference it will make goes beyond how it will look.  

Victoria (some of you might have met her also using her other name Daniela) got baptized today.  She is from the Milk Project in Tegucigalpa.  She graduated high school this year, and has been working part time for the Milk Project helping with the younger kids as well.  She hasn't been congregating in a church, but as part of her studies and wanting to go into medicine, has been volunteering in the clinic.  Jose Luis, who works there as the spiritual director, had been talking to her, like he does to everyone in the clinic, and attending a cell group he has been leading nearby.  After talking, thought, prayer, she took this step, and several of the staff were very happy to celebrate with her. 

Growth happens in lots of ways.  This is the way that really matters...that will produce fruit that will last long beyond our lives.  In other ways though as well, and we are looking at how to help her continue to study next year, and as well continue to serve in the Milk Project.  

I was shocked, and had to double check when I saw it has been since July I have posted a blog.  Shocked mostly because I knew I was busy, but not that busy.  I can remember when saying "I'm keeping busy!" was an acceptable prideful thing to say.  This year especially, I am ready to repent.  I am not actually repenting apparently, but actively seeking to repent.  That is...trying to find my way out of the paper bag of busy.  Trying to hand more off, trying to not take on more, etc.  Some of that is successful, some less so.  Lately though I feel a little behind the eight ball of faith.

Chains on a truck here is not a good sign of course.  Let alone on a mountain tackler like the Land Cruisers.  Walther is using this one for a bit to get posts for fence work and get the new drying racks ready before harvest approaches.  We ordered more pavers for the road there, and after the long wait last time, place that order in August.  What a "pleasant" surprise that they are now ready.  Getting them delivered now with the roads as present with the entire country being in the middle of major downpours, causing problems all over the country, will be...tricky.  We have a couple weeks for that to be figured out.  

We had some extra funds from digging the well in Las Botijas, and God orchestrated timing and donations to help to such an extent (pretty cool story actually) that we decided to proceed here in Tegucigalpa.  Yes, we have water access here, but if this works, it would be cost effective, make things so much easier for everyone, and possibly even be clean enough to not need filtering to drink.

It all came together so clear...except instead of 150-200 feet down, we are at 500 feet now, and still working.  I mentioned to a group last week something I have heard several times, that God doesn't call us to be successful, but being faithful.  

This might end up being a great story of the latter and not the former.  I'm ok with that, but I'm also ok with that faithfulness just being for a period here before we hit a gusher as well.  Right?

Having some faith that the newly (almost) completed wall in Cantarranas will be effective to keep would-be breakers-in from attempting anything.  

Hopefully in the next few weeks the final touches should be purchased and put in place...the serpentine wire (which is already up in places on the other sides) and a metal wall extension on the low section near one of our neighbors.  

Praying as well for the clinic going forward...seen above is a picture of an OCT exam being done in the optometry area.  We were praying for Darwin's trip to Cuba to study ophthalmology, but the Honduran government took that spot away.  I could explain what happened, but it would be such a tale of governments being governments, better no.  But, we pivot, and Darwin is now praying for an interview coming up to be able to go to Guatemala instead.  Also, we might have some staff changes coming up in the new year, some new opportunities for some, personal challenges requiring a change/move, etc.  Praying how all that will come together, and for the interim director to also handle that depending on when Darwin can get a clear path forward.  

Seen above is Rony sharing with the kids in Las Botijas in the Milk Project.  With 250+ kids now, and Christmas and soon after a new school year coming up, that presents the challenge of getting all the gifts and supplies paid for, and the potential of expanding in 2026 to a seven location?  A little scary, but if God has this, then it will come to pass.  

Generally speaking, I refrain from posting pictures of Valerie and myself, or making mention of us unless required.  The mission is not us, and in fact so much bigger.  

But in thinking about faith, being behind, and if we are trusting in God, right here when I was going to finish, I was reminded of this picture, and this trip.  

We were changing things up with a group late last month which turned out to be here during a long holiday weekend when the holidays got moved (it happens in October, just weren't sure when that would be when we scheduled the group.)  So...Maria was up for a special day out for 10 kids in the Milk Project, and we decided to take them to the first US embassy building, which is above San Juancito near the old mines.  I should have thought to ask around about how to get up there.  I should have thought more about it than just saying we would do it.  But I was busy, and it seemed a great idea.  And it was.  But...getting the Blue Ford up that road, part of which wasn't what the map said was the road, was quite the experience.  I had faith we would get there, I was too busy to think about what would happen if we didn't (even when we had to pass a small SUV that had broken down due to overheating), and I was definitely behind keeping up with the switchbacks and changes to 4x4 and such.  It was fun.  Fun that I don't exactly planning on repeating anytime soon.  But memorable.  For me though in different ways than maybe the kids or the group though.  We look rested and peaceful though in the picture right?  Beautiful place when you finally get there.

So I guess my takeaway today maybe should be...you can be too busy, but boy, you really shouldn't be so busy that you don't have time for practicing faith and prayer.  Because while one I have been feeling guilty for, the other has definitely been keeping us going.  Interesting eh?