September 20th, 2021

I have just had a great devotion meeting with our leadership team.  Every week's isn't great, some are just good or ok, but this one was over the top.  We laughed, we cried, we shared, we talked about getting angry and sinning, and avoiding that fine line.  We talked about death...of loved ones, a missionary, a father, a mother.  It was deep, rough, and raw at times. 

We need more of that.

This year has seen all the emotions for all of us in Honduras.  Highs, and lows, and some in-betweens.

The clinic has been going gangbusters helping people, especially as we are still seeing so many that can't get even regularly scheduled visits at the government hospitals/clinic.  Our staff has seen more illnesses, some COVID, and some family members also suffering quite a bit.  

We have a pediatrician now, another dental chair (now seating three patients at once) and moved the optical to make more space for dentistry.  

This hasn't been easy, but so encouraging to see this progression, and to see the architect working on plans for a future surgical/birthing center building.  Trusting God to work all that out...all in God time.  

We have had vehicle issues...like four of the mission's vehicles down lately, varying from brakes, overhauls (yes, more than one) and wiring harnesses needing replaced.  That part always sucks, for what it does to capabilities, abilities of pastors to get around, and to start to doubt on the vehicles.  

Prep work continues to get the new houses for migrant workers in Sampedrana before harvest time.  The rain has been relentless this year, making progress slow, and harder than we would like.  Rome wasn't built in a day...but they had better roads.  Another thing that will need investment, this winter.  It can be frustrating some times to see what you want done, but be held back.  At those times, again, we have to lean back on God's timing, and not our expectations.  
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Harvesting and giving away avocados I love to see personally, because in the midst of road work, trying to find people to drink Hill Climber coffee (which isn't easy, and can be quite demoralizing), this is a tangible way we can remind ourselves why we do what we do with the farms...to show people Christ loves them, in many different ways.  

The Churches are continually working, week after week, although it has been difficult with COVID, to get pastor's meetings going well, and just to get the interaction we are all used to, and need. 

One thing happened recently, we put the need out to our monthly email recipients for a family in Las Botijas that needed a roof for their house.  It isn't something we do normally, but felt like we needed to stop overthinking and put it out there.  Several people donated, to the point we had enough for their roof, plus to help with the houses mentioned above for the migrant workers.  

2021 has been full of expected, unexpected, gains and loss, and frustrations and expectations surpassed.  I don't see that changing. 

​After today, I am a little more at ease about that.  Not 100%, but one day at a time.   

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