Pretty cool to see when we were visiting the church in San Juancito Sunday that they are building a new building above the church building.  They already have the block, are doing the work, and have a plan.  Maybe we can help a little down the line with the roofing materials.  They wanted a better place to cook and have meals when they have special events, and this was some space on the property still available.  

We had a staff change in Danli at the Milk Project, and with the road quality still so bad making the drive so much longer than normal, Maria actually just did the interview online (after a recommendation from the pastor.)  So far things are going pretty well there, and the staff change is just because the pastor had to step aside to help with the small business he has, and now there are two sisters from the church working full time in the Milk Project.  I heard from Cecilia this week that we are getting closer to half the kids there sponsored!

Jose Luis continues to find ways to meet people at the clinic, sharing, and visiting with some donated supplies, the Good Word, and his time.  

We talked recently about how that is going, with a couple cell groups meeting and more people asking about where this will go, and where they can worship together.  It was exciting, but also a little daunting the potential responsibility of course of undertaking something new here so close.  Ultimately we decided to pray and wait for a while longer, but not in a scared way, but in a comfortable way to just keep evangelizing, helping, praying, and sharing and then seeing where God will take it.

Seeing mangos come from the farm in Cantarranas to kids in the Milk Project in Cantarranas, is still a little surreal for me.  I like to think I have a pretty creative mind, but watching that physical connection of things planted and then given to kids that are also being planted in Christ,  still just takes me aback.  A failing to be sure.
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I am still trying to think creatively as we work through 13 straight groups this summer, trying to be detailed, but keeping my eyes open.  I will miss things for sure.  But of course, God sees it all.  And ultimately...He's got this whether I have a creative bone in my body or not.  

Been a while, and catching us up on what is going on is definitely more than one blog post can handle.  For example...pray for our rural farms, as there is government rumblings about making us and all our neighbors remove all our crops, for the good of the watersheds.  So pray...but if that previous sentence leaves you scratching your head, that is an appropriate reaction, but just no time to delve into that now, but suffice it to say, the impact to so many in the community could be devistating. (Seen below, the church in Sampedrana having a church service up on the farm property, a pretty cool thing!)

We have a medical team with us this week.  If I allowed myself to get cynical sometimes about teams like these, all you have to do is participate and talk to the people we are helping to realize how few options there are for care for so many people.  It is staggering really, and a great privilege to be able to serve in such a way.  So much need, and with more trips this year, all week we went to four different places we had never been.  

Seen below, if this posts correctly, is some good news.  The paving of the road in Cantarranas is now reaching the front door of the church/Milk Project.  A paved road there that connects to Talanga will be huge for mobility for people, for a lot less dust and illness, and less repair on vehicles.  (I'm keeping this positive and not thinking about the possibility of 12 speedbumps as well going in)

Also going on soon is trying to get all the Milk Project locations on their own electrical meters.  That's the kind of exciting behind the scenes stuff you don't get to normally hear.  Also that Maria and the staff have been looking for good, reliable, and cheap ways to have internet in the different projects (for homework, lessons, songs, etc.)  And how we fix the natural gas refrigerator in Las Botijas.  

The other good news is that in terms of the day to day working of the Milk Projects, we have been very much blessed with great teamwork and things going smoothly.  There have been some changes of some of the kids, usually related to moves, school issues, distance to get there, etc.  It is awesome though to see how much the kids want to be there, and the wide variety of things that they get to do every day, as things grow, expand and get more and more creative.  
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Before Valerie and I came back to Honduras, we were at a Christian Medical conference, and got to hear from a missionary doctor who was sharing some of his story, and the slide below.  I had not seen something spelling it out like that, but it was interesting to see the struggle of three sides of medical care, and that doing all three is seemingly not feasible:  caring for the poor, sustainable care, and excellent care.  You can do two, but not three.  

As we continue to look at how we can grow the clinic work into doing surgeries, especially in light of what I just mentioned, it is intimidating.  But as I said about groups earlier...there are so many out there than need help.  It is a fight, but one I am looking forward to seeing how God will provide.  Because seemingly like everything else, and more and more as we grow, try to improve, and do things better, I find myself saying "I don't know how to do that"  "I don't have the answer"  "I don't think I have the skills to do this"  and more.  

The more I know...the more I realize I don't know.  And I can see that this pattern will continue.  It is scary.  It is humiliating.  And it is God sized.  We are starting to bite off some of those God sizes pieces already in preparation and trying to move forward.  

A few years ago, thinking about how much bigger this is than what I can even attempt to do, would have kept me awake at night.  Actually, it used to some times.  And sometimes the temptation comes still.  But, He knows.