Did you know we have a Gator for the farm in Las Botijas?  I was skeptical at first that it would be useful enough to justify the cost.  Wow, was I impressed. It is expensive, but so easy to use on the farm, to get things around, in tight spaces, and at less cost hour to hour in rural settings like that.  

We have the opportunity to get another one, at a greatly reduced cost. We have already been blessed with $1,000 towards the $15,000 total we need to raise (the actual value of the Gator would be $22,000)

​This one would go to Sampedrana. going back and forth between the church and up to the farm.  It is a very cool opportunity to get this one, especially now that we know how well they can serve the farms.  If you want to donate...you can do that here:

  

The work has begun on creating the pond to house the tilapia in the farm in Cantarranas.  We are a long way from having fish, but this is a good start at least.  

The fish is a way we are praying we can produce enough financially, to cover all the rest of the fruit trees on the farm giving them away in the community, church, and Milk Projects.  

Pray for these unique little concrete contraptions.  They weigh 40 pounds, and we are going to try a test implementation of these on the road to the farm in Sampedrana to help with the road construction.  If these work, they could greatly improve our ability to do more road work, throughout the year.    

We have to wait for enough of them to be made, to try a small test area with $500 worth.  It would be so much easier and cheaper than pouring concrete, it just remains to be seen if they will be a good fit.  

The FAME container came a little while back.  The interesting thing has been this year giving out some of the supplies has been more structured, with Jose Luis (clinic spiritual director) doing more of it as he does house visits and Bible studies.  We always request wheelchairs, canes, crutches, etc. as well as adult diapers, as they are very expensive in Honduras.  It is great to see those go to so many who need the physical help, and also get to hear the Good News, the reason we are able to do all this in the first place. 

The Milk Project locations are continuing the tradition of making piñatas, for use for holidays but also to share with the churches where they are.  (These here are in Cantarranas)

Please pray with us...there are many different projects, like the ones above, some funded and just to do, some we need funding, all though which need to be covered in prayer for successfully being carried out.  

The pastor's meeting this month was a national pastor's meeting, held a couple hours North of Tegucigalpa.  Development and care of the pastors is something we need to focus more on, especially once the office building is finished.  We are even hoping some specialized groups or parts of groups in the future will be able to pour more into pastors, leaders, Milk Project staff and/or all three.  

A lot of times, meetings and encouragement/training times don't photograph well, but for the future of the churches, of the mission, we need to do more, better, and consistently.  

Two year anniversary this week of the Milk Project in Las Botijas.  We had some dental gift bags a group had left to distribute (seen in the picture some of them getting those)  

It hasn't been easy, but the expansion of the Milk Project into the churches, as fast or as slowly as that seems to be unfolding, was not something we saw at the beginning, but definitely now can see how it fits into not just pouring into the communities where we work, but also by extension the church going forward.  

I have a picture from the clinic spiritual development progress, but don't want to share that publically.  Instead, enjoy this picture from Sampedrana one of the kids learning to treat the wounds of a classmate in the Milk Project. 

The clinic spiritual work has been doing so well since starting in January.  The picture I am not sharing, is of a patient that came to the clinic suffering from depression after the death of a love one.  She lives about a twenty minute walk from the clinic.  For three months, Jose Luis has been visiting her, talking, studying the Bible, and praying.  One of several such pictures and stories not being shared here.

Some that were just here might be seeing the picture above and saying...What?  We just poured concrete there!  Yes we did.  

We are opening those holes to put up columns to support a new pad up above, to tie into the new building and mission house patio.  

What's up?  Well, to keep a long story a little shorter, we are using some group funds and building funds, to put up the second story on the office building.  Not the concrete and third floor concrete roof...but metal walls and a metal roof.  That will be good enough for the next 5-15 years if not more.  And if we need to go higher soon/sooner, we can take this down, and essentially move it up to the next floor.  Easy peasy...ish.  

This will keep the building cooler, eliminate our water issues with the way the roof was poured (still not happy about that) and essentially give us some breathing room/storage.  We will be working out how to keep a porch with a view long term, especially to avoid a revolt from groups. 

Likely, eventually we could build out that space for groups to use, bedrooms, bathrooms, instead of or addition to, the duplex, but that remains to be seen.

How are all these above items connected?  I don't think I'll write a great essay to probe that, but in my mind, they definitely are.     

As you can see below (hopefully...depends on your device) mangos are growing in Las Botijas.  It is always nice to see pictures like this, of trees that a group planted last year already bearing fruit.  They are small trees still, and not a lot of fruit...but it is a healthy start.  

I don't have to reach very hard here to see a metaphor brewing, do you?

The clinic container unloaded from FAME, distributing some of the items has begun in earnest...Jose Luis in his job as spiritual development director of the clinic is doing more home visits one day a week, and taking some supplies to those that need them. 

He has a lot of people asking him where "our" church is in Tegucigalpa since he is doing the work of a pastor.  So far, we just point them to different churches in their area, but we are praying if God is taking us down a road of starting something in Tegucigalpa, we shall see.  With something like that, we want to pray, take our time, and see how God leads for sure...rather than running into something that seems so exciting.   

The office building is getting the pieces coming together...it feels so slow, but there are so many hands helping...a lot of group hands over the past seven weeks, and a lot of local hands as well.  A group this week started the painting process on the exterior, and several helpers we hired are pushing through this week to finish it all up.  Still lots to do...but so close now, you can almost see it all coming together.  The garage below also has a lot left to do, but also...a lot less than just a couple months ago!

We have been busy of late!  It's like a marathon, so I haven't really been counting, but I believe we are in the middle of group 5 of 7 in a row.  I happened to see another missionary while running some errands and shared of our good fortune, and she lovingly shook her head, frowned and said "Felipe, Felipe, that is not healthy!"

I accepted her comment in the love it was meant, and understood that for many missionaries, groups are not as fun or advantageous for what they do, but thought I would share just a little here with you why it is hard for us to turn away teams.  

(I'm trying a new way to include text with a picture.  If this doesn't work out...I'll remember for next time.)

Home visits are a way to be an encouragement for those we are privileged enough to visit, as well as an eye opener for group members to how many of the people we meet throughout the week live.  

I took this picture because I liked this house, the view they had, but as we were leaving and talking to the boy that lived there I asked how much rain comes in from the neighbor above and how muddy that can get...quite a bit he said.  

I can't exactly explain it, but it is good sometimes to stop and chat about real life, and stuff going on, not necessarily to fix anything, just to empathize.  It was a quick moment, but just one of many that so many have in group settings like this, the visits and things we wouldn't be as able to do without groups here.  

Construction projects, hello?!?!!

Raising money is hard.  For construction projects, sometimes harder.  I am not sure when we would ever get to finish this garage or the new storage area it will also contain, if not for groups.  

Plus, seeing for a day or two how so many work for their entire adult lives, is also an eye opener.  Those that have been here, have physically seen how much of the mission groups have touched with construction. The Hondurans are in charge of it getting done the right way, and often do a lot of the follow up or clean up work after we are done, but all of that is afforded from the funds the groups bring.  Lumped into "construction"...how about the thousands of coffee plants, the many fruit trees, murals, etc.?

Staff encouragement.  I was tickled last week when Sintia asked for a copy of the group picture she lead doing house visits.  

Not all the staff speaks English like she does, but the encouragement groups bring to the staff and kids in the Milk Project, might be hard to measure, but you can feel it.  

Like pastors as well.  When we can visit with a team, that is a big deal.  
Edwin stayed until midnight the night before we arrived, to be able to have the first church service upstairs in the new building with a group there.  Even though with construction we were an hour late...they waited on us because everyone wanted us to be there.  Humbling for sure.  

How about the way group members can pour into each other's lives...both here, and when they get back?  

We don't even get to see most of that when it happens.  

I did hear recently of a relationship being solidified on a trip ten years ago, that then led to marriage.  

(I can't promise that level for everyone though)

Remember above, I said "share just a little."  This doesn't really do teams justice what they mean to us, to the mission, and to what God is doing here and around the world.  Literally, we wouldn't be here, the mission would not be here, if not for the impact

We certainly could not host teams alone, far from it.  There is a team, which we need to grow (especially as 2025 looks to be DOUBLE what a "normal" year would have been just a few years ago.) and praying how to do so, but we are looking forward not only to the challenge...but what that will further mean that we can do for Christ.   

We are seeing fruit from some planning this week.  

Below you can see a His Eyes truck towing another His Eyes truck.  Unlike in the past, until the end of the year, we have the ability to bring older vehicles to Honduras.  (For many, many years...you couldn't import anything older than 7 years)

Since there is a current exception, with lower taxes as well, we gave it some thought and realized we could save a lot of money in the next 5-10, so we bought two older Fords, double cab, long beds, manual transmissions and the coveted 7.3L turbo diesel, for groups and other work here.  

Especially making this possible is the help of Dave and Cecilia in going to do the actual purchasing, and coordinating getting them in tip top shape before we ship them down later this year.  Their donated time, knowledge and efforts are very much appreciated.  ​

David is the son of the clinic's phlebotomist.  He came to help translate in February for a visiting chiropractor.  It was here that Jose Luis, who started in January working in the clinic as evangelist, got to talking to David and set up weekly Bible studies with him. 

This Sunday David got baptised, and Jose Luis was there with pastor Miguel to do it.

We have a group here this week (and for the next six weeks as well) and I have already heard several other stories of going down the road and God bringing disparate events together for something bigger. 

Sometimes you can't see the end of the tunnel, but you have enough signs to push forward.  Praying that our eyes would be open, and our minds/souls sensitive to God's leading down the road He would have us go. Especially when for the next couple months, there are going to be even more moving pieces and people involved in God's work here. 
​

The corn that IDES shipped us, which was grown in Illinois, has arrived, and is now being distributed through the churches, Milk Projects, and clinic.  It is hard to really take it in, how much work was done by so many people, and how much of a help this is to many, many people here. I try to think about it, and just can't take it all in.  ​

We are planting some of that corn (seen in the picture above in Cantarranas) in all three of the farms, with the idea that if successful...it can provide even more.   

In that picture you can see:
how much we need rain
the piping to get water to the trees already planted
how much room we still have to plant more trees
​how much work there is to be done.   

The idea is that with someone living on the farm, taking care of it, we can provide a lot of food for the Milk Projects and to give away, while providing a little bit of income, and who knows what else?  I can't see that far yet. 

Pastor Edwin's daughter was blessed with a gift from the last FAME team, equipment for her to use in her studies (she is in nursing school.)  That wasn't a planned gift...just something the group was able to do when someone, who wasn't even there mind you!, knew the need and saw the possibilities.  

Valerie was taken aback last week when pastor Manuel was in the clinic.  She was super busy, he was hoping to get an eye exam.  She stopped long enough to ask him what was wrong, and he said he was having difficulty reading.  She relaxed and told him just to go into the optical to get some readers.  He was taken aback, incredulous even...how could he just put on some glasses to fix his problem without an exam to know what he needed?  

She got a picture of him later, laughing, still trying to figure out how she knew without checking him out.    

I kid you not...almost all of these blogs seem to have a theme.  And I plan almost none of them.  I saved a few pictures this past week which I thought would be better explained in blog form rather than on social media.  I didn't have a title or idea where that was going when I started writing.  It wasn't until I was almost done I could see...I could see just a miniscule amount of what God sees, and yet again a little glimpse into how He works sometimes. Another time to look up and smile.   

As frustrating as the unknown of the now, the unknown of the future, and there is plenty of that going on here (and surely there wherever you are) right now... the clues are always around us that God is there, He knows, He understands, He sees.  

Honesty time...so far this year, I am being continually slapped upside the proverbial head with situations and decisions to which I am expected to have an answer or course of action, and inside said head, I am thinking "I don't know."  And big questions to, like with long term life implications, and mission related planning. It is both potentially extremely frustrating, and at the same time bringing me low enough to try to remember to trust in God.   

This week, Marvin and Maria took two days to visit Milk Project families with the pastors in Las Botijas and Talanga.  It has been great to see the churches and projects work more closely together...where there is a plan we do know!  To reach children, and their families, for Christ.  

What I don't know...how to get the remaining 20 sponsors we need for the children already in the Milk Project.  Expanding is great because more can be done, but it is hard financially when getting new sponsors is so slow.  

Jose Luis working in the clinic this year has been a great answer to a question we have had for years of how to better care for people spiritually at the clinic.  If you asked me in December 2023 how we were going to do that better this year, that definitely would have been a "I don't know" answer.  

The question going forward will be how to better disciple the people he is reaching, obviously more so for those living close by.  What is our responsibility/what should we do? 

There are ideas and thoughts, but right now...I don't know.  

And what about doing surgeries?  Yeah...we are working on that, but there are many "I don't know" aspects to that.  It is particularly overwhelming...both on logistics, but also the needed finances to do that, where, when, who...you get the idea.  

We have been praying about drilling a well in Las Botijas.  All this in the back of the Ford means preparations are underway.  Will the company come through, and in time before the rains make getting there not possible?  Will they find water?  Enough water?  Will it all work out?  

You know the answer.  

We had opportunity to visit the caves in Guasucaran last week with the medical team that was with us.  Looking into a cave can be a scary proposition, the darkness, the unknown, (the bats).

We are looking down the coming months, and years trying to plan, trying to prepare...both as a mission and personally, and right now, I am praying for no bats, and a peaceful light at the end of the tunnel, and not multiple trains.  

God knows...let's ask Him to move in these situations, and help us.  How will it work out?  I don't know.  But I know the One who does.  If it sometimes doesn't feel like that is enough, that's fine...but it is enough.

I'm told that when trying to read these blogs on a phone...it is hard to see the pictures in the right order with the text.  So, let's try a picture, text, a picture text...and see how that helps or hurts. 

We got back to Honduras late Sunday, and no time for culture shock...plenty of stuff coming at us fast and furious.  I knew the solar installation was completed after we left a few weeks ago, but apparently the power hadn't gone out until something like 8 times yesterday, something no doubt related to the heat wave and massive smoke pollution going around.  The outages were short...but enough that while I was frustratedly trying to work on an internet router issue also for the clinic, that I had time to go down to see how the solar battery kicks on for the clinic just a few seconds after every outage.  It was somewhat confusing...but I was there long enough to see the chain of energy change when the power was coming in versus not.  

Today when I was back...trying to chase more internet router gremlins (they need internet in the clinic to answer patient questions on WhatsApp, Facebook, etc.)...I unexpectedly ran into Doctor Carlos, who was quietly very happy going past me with a wheelchair.  He was happy because we had this particular wheelchair, quiet because he was sad that his patient, Wilson age 13, has cerebral palsy and needs the chair.  I was distracted...but even so, it was quite a moment.  

Soren came down on Sunday, and jumped in to helping with the dry wall prep work for the office building.  It looks closer every week...but still a lot of details and work left to do, and a lot of money to pay for supplies, equipment, etc.  

You can also see progress here in Danli on the second floor.  This will eventually be where the church meets, with the bottom floor for the parsonage, and the Milk Project.  Lots of work to go here as well, but getting up the walls is a pretty big step.  You can also see a bit of how smoky it is here right now (according to reports...so bad you shouldn't be working outside or have your windows open.  Hmmm)

I love this picture of pastor Manuel interacting with the kids in the Milk Project in Talanga.  
#1 for how excited he looks.
#2 for how not so excited some of the kids look

Working with kids is hard period, let alone when it is very hot.  I'm sure the picture makes it look worse than the reality, but I thought it was a good reminder we need to pray, not just for the physical projects going, for healing and encouragement to those visiting the clinic, for growth and expansion of the coffee arm of the ministry (seriously...get some coffee, help us help more people here, it is good stuff with a good aim!), but also for the entire staff pouring themselves out to reach their neighbors for Christ...no matter the weather or other circumstances.