Update - March 10

The readjustment back to life in the States is more difficult than the adjustment to Honduran life. I am doing well, but definitely have days and moments of overwhelming emotion. I feel like I am part of two worlds, and I don’t fully belong in either one of them. I think the most difficult thing is that there is no way for me to reconcile the two. Though I am glad to be in either place, my heart continuously longs for the other.

I am currently living with Craig and Stephanie (Britten) Kline. They were gracious enough to take in a vagabond. It’s a nice set up because I am able to serve them too, which gives me purpose and joy. My current address is 377 Lakewood St, Detroit, MI 48215. My cell number is (313)434-8000.

I find myself without many people’s contact information, so if you like would me to have your number etc, please send me an email.

Because any funds that are now collected are being sent to Honduras for scholarships, I thought I would include a thank you letter from one of the students.

Trujillo, Colon Feb 10th, 2007

Hello dear brothers and sisters,

It is very nice to be able to write you and wish you rich and abundant blessings. I would like to thank God for putting good people in this world and you are those good people.

Thank you so much for helping me realize my dreams and goals. I am very grateful and I hope that one day, when I graduate, I will be able to invite you to my graduation because you are special people. May God bless you a lot. I request prayers for my marriage, my spiritual life and my studies.

One more time, thank you. My family also sends their greetings and is very grateful. Your help is very important and a blessing.

Your brother in Christ and friend,

Yefrin Rodriguez

God bless you!


Yefrin is currently in his second year of law school. He hopes to help the church with his legal knowledge when he graduates. Though he was recently married, he studies during the week in La Ceiba and travels to Trujillo on the weekends to be with his wife and family. He faithfully attends church whether he is in Trujillo or La Ceiba. He is actively involved with the youth group in both cities. Yefrin is a very respectful, respectable, studious, hardworking, young man. For just $265 per month, he is receiving a college education. However, he has special projects every quarter that require an extra $160.

If you are giving regularly, I and the students sincerely thank you for your commitment. If not, would you consider a one-time gift toward the education of these students?

A check may be made out to the Rochester Church of Christ, earmarked “Scholarship fund” and sent to the church at 250 West Avon Road, Rochester Hills, MI 48307.

If you would like more information, please feel free to contact me.

May God bless you wherever you dedicate your efforts.

In Him,

Nadine Taylor

Honduras Update – January/February 2007

Surprise visit!
On January 19, I was planning to return to Honduras with my father. When we arrived at the airport, my mom, Mary, pulled out her suitcase and said, “I’m going, too!” Unbeknownst to me, she had been planning her trip behind the scenes since September (I guess in response to my surprise trip home last Christmas). Surprisingly, the closeness to her surgery date made her feel more comfortable coming. She had no problems whatsoever and is ready to go back.
*At her most recent appointment, my mother’s doctor felt that her surgery is not as urgent as he previously insisted. She will still require surgery, but a little further down the road than was previously thought.
My parents helped with the pizza party at the hogar for the choir kids. After cleaning all day, we watched the concert video with the kids, played games, ate pizza and homemade chocolate chip cookies, sang, stayed the night and brought them back to their families the next day. We were also able to hike to the waterfall, do the zipline and gather many ideas for future trips.
My dad, Randy, did some electrical and mechanical work and general handyman fixups at the hogar. He was also able to replace Carmen Garcia’s roof with the help of Mario Rodriguez. Carmen had been mopping her floor constantly during the rainy season. She had looked into a government program that provides tin roofing sheets, but she was not eligible to receive them. Her new roof will allow her to live in a cleaner, dryer environment.

Update on Carmen’s health
Instead of purchasing her groceries every week, healthy food will be purchased for her bi-weekly and the rest saved for a doctor’s appointment in June or July. Please pray that the doctors are able to diagnose and determine an appropriate treatment plan for her.

Teachers' meeting
I was able to have one last meeting with the Bible class teachers, Roxana, Maybelline, Nelia and Karen, before leaving. We planned the lessons through June, when I hope to return to bring more supplies. Bags of materials and curriculum were left for Glenis, Norma, Waleska and other teachers of the area congregations.

BECAs
The high school and college scholarship program is up and running! There are currently 14 students in the high school program and 3 in the college program. It looks as though around 80% of the funds needed to carry the program through the end of the year have been pledged. If you are interested in sponsoring a high school or college student, please contact me at naytay78@hotmail.com.

A new mission field
While I was in Honduras, I received an email from the school district that approved the leave that allowed me to work in Honduras informing me of a long-term substitute position that began the day after I returned and will last until the end of the school year. I will be teaching high school special education in the afternoons. I know many of the students as I had them in middle music classes. I pray that I will always be able to view this job as as much of a mission field as Trujillo, Honduras.

Speaking engagements
Stephanie and I have two speaking engagements this spring: the first at Rochester College on March 17 and the second in Cadillac, MI on April 21. Please pray that we will be able to speak about our experiences in a meaningful and inspirational way. If you are interested in more information, please feel free to contact me.

Continuing the work…
Though the couple who was planning to move to Honduras is unable to do so at this time, they will be leading a short-term mission to Trujillo in June or July. I hope to return at that time to help translate and carry out the VBS they are planning for. Also, it is possible that my parents and others may be able to return as well. Please pray that all details will come together as the Lord wills and that United will offer me a flight voucher to rectify the situation that occurred in December.

May the Lord bless you this day!

Nadine Taylor

Experiences of Grace

I have tried to summarize the significance of my experiences in Honduras and what to take to the States with me as I strive to maintain the “mission” mindset. It came to me one day after watching a movie. I had been wanting to see Freedom Writers for some time as I had heard of Erin Gruwell’s story in undergrad. I wondered if they would glorify her as some amazing person with a super personality or maybe some great teaching techniques. I was impressed by the two things that I noticed about Erin Gruwell: she was willing to struggle with her students, to engage with them and she strove to provide them with experiences that they had never had before. She was willing to take a chance on them, several chances really.
You see, the beautiful thing about grace is that it is free and undeserved. Erin Gruwell did not look at her students as a group of ruffians who did not deserve trust or respect. She saw the opportunity to expose a group of hurting people to some things that would expand their world view and change them.
Christ did the same thing. The woman at the well. The woman caught in adultery. The many people he healed. He saw them. He reached out to them and showed them grace. He didn’t blow them off. He didn’t rush to his next appointment, meeting or speaking engagement. He fully engaged in those people’s pain and freed them.
That is what we are called to do. We are called to engage in people’s experiences, not because they deserve it, but because they don’t. But neither do we. None of us do. That’s the point. Grace is undeserved. That’s why it is so beautiful when it is freely given. That is why it is so effective. Grace is the heart of the Good News.
Whether I am in Honduras or at my teaching job or in the grocery store, I pray that I would extend some form of grace to those I meet. That I would engage with them, if even for a moment. That I would extend a smile, a caring voice, a prayer, or even, Lord willing, a life-changing experience. Because He first loved me.

I am flooded with options when all I want is simple.

It’s been a little challenging coming home during the holiday season. While in Trujillo, I’ve gotten used to simple entertainment: talking, eating, singing, playing sports or cards; the kind of relationship building stuff you do when you don’t have a lot of money (you know, kind of like college). I brought a chicken to a family shortly before coming to the States. The mom asked me to cut it into 11 pieces, one for each person. I didn’t know how, because, you see, I’ve never had to cut a chicken into 11 pieces before. I bring a gift bag to a neighbor and she tells me that she has never gotten anything in a “fancy” bag before and she’s almost 50. In their culture, Christmas means time together as a family and maybe a special meal, but not necessarily presents and definitely not mountains of presents. I come home and enter the holiday shopping season. I see people drop more money in one store than my Honduran friends make in a month. I think in Lempiras and am shocked as a Honduran would be when I figure out the exchange. I have a hard time knowing that the people that surround me in this shopping environment are not thinking about my Honduran friends when I think about them all the time. The great discrepancy in lifestyle makes me emotional. The fact that I can stand in front of a wall of kitchen utensils to choose “just the right one” makes me emotional. Even though I want to bring the whole store to Honduras to share with my friends, I tell myself that they are just “things” and they don’t need them to be happy. Though I know this, it breaks my heart that I/we have all these choices available to us and they don’t. And the hardest question for me to come to terms with is “Why?!”

It is not their fault that they are born into poverty any more than it is our doing that we are born into affluence. The question then becomes, “What are we going to do about it?”

Spring Plans

Dear supporters, family and friends:

Thank you for your ongoing support of me and the ministry. I pray that you are doing well and that you have seen the fruits of the work in Honduras. I have certainly been blessed to have been able to work and live and Honduras for the last year and a half.

As some of my plans have changed, I thought it fitting to explain in detail the nature of the changes for 2007. Originally, I was planning to stay in Honduras from January to April 2007. Recently, I have been confronted with a variety of situations, all of which I have tried to take into consideration in making plans. This spring, my mother needs to have an intestinal resection because of her Crohn’s disease. Because my father frequently works out of town, he would likely be unable to care for her. I am the only member of my family with the “flexibility” to be able to stay with her. Furthermore, it has been more challenging than expected to live in a foreign country without the support of other North Americans. Throughout this year, I have been in contact with a couple that will be moving to Honduras in June to work with the Christian school in Trujillo. They have invited me to stay another year to work with them. Though I would love to be able to stay; if I do, I will lose my teaching certificate. All things considered, I am planning to go back to Honduras the end of January, tie up loose ends and make sure my responsibilities are taken care of there, and then return to the States the end of February to care for my mother. Lord willing, I will stay in Honduras from June to August in order to teach Spanish and orient my friends who are moving there before returning to live and teach in the States in September. In this way, I will be spending the months of February, June, July in Honduras instead of February, March, and April.

Though I will not physically be in Honduras all of 2007, some of my financial responsibilities will continue. I am in charge of a scholarship program for high school and college students. Because I am involved in both education and with the work in Honduras, I feel that the education of the Honduran people is very important. It is crucial for the betterment of their society. An education in Honduras, especially at the college level, is very difficult to obtain. Scholarships are given based on position and political party, leaving little hope for the poor church members of Trujillo and its surrounding areas. When the cost of college may be two, three or four times the amount of a family’s income, the financial burden is overwhelming. I would like to continue to raise funds and awareness in order to provide hope for these students. My goal is to raise $1,131 per month. Any surplus will be used for more scholarships, church projects, i.e. directly toward the work in Honduras.



Budget in $ and Lempira

High school scholarship program
- $280 (4,800 + 500)
- $ 16 DellDelKer (300)
University scholarships
- $265 Yefrin (5,000)
- $160 Tesla (3,000)
- $160 Osladis (3,000)
- $160 Edis (3,000)
- $ 90 Carmen (1,732)

Total - $1,131 per month (45 people giving $25/ month)

Many of you have committed to give through April and that is wonderful. I thank you for your ongoing support and heart for the Honduran people. I am asking you to consider if you are able to continue your financial gift through the end of 2007. The difference will be instead of supporting a missionary, the funds will be sent directly to the Honduran people. No overhead expenses. Pure help.

I will be managing the program Stateside. Will you consider joining me as we move in this new direction?

May God Bless Your New Year,

Nadine Taylor

November/December update 2006

Nov/Dec Update

On November 26th, I invited the children’s class teachers (Maybelline, Karen, Roxana and Nelia) to the apartment to celebrate their dedication and a successful year. We made plans for the coming year, I made dinner and gave them manicures, we watched a movie and those for whom their parents gave permission, stayed the night.

On November 30, the 2nd annual holiday concert was held in the historic Fort of Santa Barbara in downtown Trujillo overlooking the bay. The children’s choir opened singing world-famous Christmas melodies, then the youth choir made their first presentation of two-part worship songs, and finally the young adult quartet performed several selections in four-part harmony. To close, all groups came together to sing Te amo en el amor del Senor (I love you with the love of the Lord) and Unidos (United). Several commented that it was the first time the Church of Christ had an event like that in a public setting.
*Please pray that the churches will continue to schedule events that include all of the congregations in Trujillo and promote unity among them.

The quartet also sang for the kindergarten graduation at the Christian school in Trujillo as their school year ends in November. We were also able to record a few selections that I am currently working on editing.

The following week, Carmen Garcia and I went to a store downtown in order to get an accurate reading of her weight. After a month of dieting, she weighed 410 lbs. We all believe that she has lost weight and she says that her clothes fit her more loosely; however, we all wish we knew exactly how much she weighed before starting the diet. Later this month, she has a doctor’s appointment in San Pedro Sula. Hopefully, they will be able to schedule her surgery date or at least give her specific steps to follow in order to be closer to scheduling a date.
*Please pray that Carmen’s spirits would remain up especially as she at times feels discouraged because of the slow progress. She has expressed to me that she feels that she is going to die from her condition.

The weekend of December 2nd and 3rd, I went to Oliver Mazier’s graduation at the International Bible Institute in Progreso. After some serious discussion, we mutually decided that it would be better for him to explore his options apart from coming to Trujillo. As a Miskito (a group of people that live in the eastern part of Honduras who has a unique language and culture), Oliver could better serve the people there and grow the kingdom in La Moskitia.
*I pray the best for him and his family as they transition after graduation.

On December 3, Roxana Ponce was baptized. After a youth retreat in October, she had said that she was going to make the decision but she felt like she needed to get some things straight in her life first. We had had some conversations in which she entrusted me with information about her past and her family and other things that stood in the way of her committing fully to the church. I was glad to hear when I returned from Progreso that she was able to overcome those things and give her life to Christ.
*Please pray that her faith would continue to grow and that she would always remember that her relationship with Christ is not dependent on other people.


After a rough time in their marriage, Johnny and Rosa are back together. They now have four children as of November 27th. They hadn’t given him a name, but were leaning toward Tommy. Though his birthweight was low, he is healthy and strong. Edy and Marcos are doing well. I was glad to be able to hold 13 month old Samuel, but was concerned that he lacks muscle control. Though he was not sick, his breathing was also labored.
*Please pray that the new baby continues to grow healthy and strong and that Samuel’s health would be strengthened.

The five students, Vanessa, Ermelinda, Jessica, Carolina, and Yanori, successfully finished their second month of sewing class. They received certificates for their accomplishment. They will take a break during the Christmas season, but plan to resume the class in 2007.

On December 10th, Yefrin and Maybelline had their “church wedding” in Tegucigalpa at the Baxter Institute as her family lives there and many were unable to make the 10 hour bus ride to attend the ceremony in Trujillo. Because they were not accepted to study at Baxter, their current plans are to remain in Trujillo.

On December 11th, I was supposed to return to the States to spend Christmas with my family. After looking forward to this day for the previous 6 months, I was quite disappointed when the bus from Tegus arrived in San Pedro Sula about ten minutes before my flight left. After missing my flight, I was told that I would need to bring my flight number (from my email) but that they had all of my flight information and there should be no problem changing the ticket to the next day. The next morning, I arrive with the information but am told that they are unable to honor it for a reason I need to take up with CheapTickets.com. After buying a one-way ticket that was nearly as much as the return-trip ticket that I had already purchased, I was on my way from SPS to El Salvador, to Miami, to Chicago and finally to Detroit. Thankfully, my bag arrived the next day. It decided to stay overnight in Miami. I don’t blame it. It’s cold up here. I did arrive up north in time for my mom’s birthday and the family ski trip. It’s been nice to be home. I don’t typically get homesick, but Stephanie sent me some pictures in the fall that made me want to jump into the computer screen. Six months is a long time to fly solo.

I pray that you all have a wonderful holiday season. I’ll keep you posted as to my personal plans and plans for the ministry.

Check out the latest article: The work is in the pain… www.nadineinhonduras.blogspot.com

Blessings,

Nadine

The work is in the pain...

When we think of the word missionary, we typically generate positive ideas of the person and the work he or she is doing. People who “give up everything” (material that is) because of a calling. How glorious. I never understood that a missionary could be hurt, attacked spiritually, even by the same members of the church with which she is working: that we experience pain. Deep pain. What I’ve come to understand is that the work is in the pain. Let’s say a brother or sister has done something injurious for which it would be easy to avoid that person, refuse to work or commune with that person, or simply be indifferent toward the person, but the Lord calls us to something higher, something infinitely more purposeful. He calls us to struggle with people. He calls us to not give up on people. They may even hurt us again. Is there an end to forgiveness? In a place where the concept of grace is not grasped by the average church going person, even at its most basic level, it is all the more important to consistently show it. Because of the dynamic, the grace-giver has the highest potential of being hurt but also the greatest likelihood of making an impact. Though the wounds take time to heal, they do heal. Anything that is healing, though it is time-consuming, never leads to despair.
In Spanish there is a saying that has encouraged me on various occasions: Las cosas pasan porque tienen que pasar. Hay que aprender de ellas. It translates: Things happen because they have to happen. One must learn from them. Lord, teach me the full extent of the lessons that you have allowed me to encounter, always reminding me that my ability to experience the heights of joy are directly related to the depth of the pain that I have previously walked through.

November 14 Update

Update November 14, 2006

On October 12-24 a group consisting of couples and individuals from all over the US came to work at Little Hands. Among them were the Stateside directors, Mark and Brenda Young. If you didn’t know that they were from different places, you would have thought that the group members were all old friends. They had a great chemistry and spirit. They joked that they were the all-star group, but I would agree with that description. During their time in Trujillo, the group taught the children’s Bible class in the area churches and at the FDC. They incorporated dialogues, visuals, and hands-on activities that the kids enjoyed. In addition, they were able to complete a play area for Erika, one of our Little Hands kids. Erika has difficulty seeing, hearing and following directions. She is very active and easily gets away from her mother who also has another small child to watch. Erika now has a safe area in which to play. In addition, Caroline, one of the group members from California, brought a hair cutting kit with her not only to cut hair but also to teach Vanessa (15) a new skill that will help her support not only herself but her widowed grandmother with whom she lives. Caroline was impressed that as she was cutting hair, Vanessa was giving her special tips on how to cut exceptionally curly hair. Caroline left the kit with Vanessa and since then, we have seen her cutting the hair of neighbors, friends and teachers at the Christian school.

Carmen Garcia is the woman that was seen by Craig while he was here. She had a serious burn on her stomach (from spilling a pot of boiling water on herself) that is now nicely healed. She is also in need of surgery, but the doctors have not been able to operate because of her weight. In response to this, we created a diet and menu for her to follow. I have been buying groceries for her (because she can’t afford healthy food) and visiting her once a week. After her first week of being on the diet, she seemed like a new person. She was energetic, smiling, more active. After almost one month, she says that she feels that her clothes are looser but we haven’t been able to confirm her weight loss because even the scale at the hospital doesn’t read her weight. At her request, we are planning to walk to the butcher’s this week or next to see if we can get a reading on their scale.
*Pray that the diet would continue to be successful and that she would reach her goal weight in order to be able to have surgery on the cyst and hernia that she has.

The youth choir is making good progress. During the second rehearsal, I planned to introduce the harmony parts of the songs to which we learned the melodies the week previous. Much to my surprise, they grasped the concept quite rapidly and sounded quite good. I left the rehearsal with a smile on my face. It was some of the best singing I’ve heard in quite a while.

The kids’ choir is also on its feet. For weeks now, the little ones I would see in the street would ask with anticipation “if we were going to sing again like we did last year.” I have a committed group with beautiful little voices that will be singing Christmas choruses for the concert (along with the youth and young adult groups) on the 30th of November. The Fort of Santa Barbara (the historic fort in Trujillo) has granted us permission to use their facilities for the presentation.

I recently received some unexpected blessings with regards to the young adult quartet with which I work and sing. We have been wanting to record before Christmas but enough obstacles have been in our way that I didn’t think it was likely to happen. Then, I receive an email from one of the teachers of the Honduran Bible School informing me that he has recording and composing software and the rights to share the programs. As he comes to Trujillo to teach seminars once a month, he brought his computer and downloaded the programs. I hope to be able to show you the finished product when I come to the States in December.

The sewing class will continue through the month of November. Last month, the ladies finished their first skirt. Step one of achieving the goal of sewing school uniforms.

On November 3rd little Samuel turned one. He has had many struggles in his first year of life, but he is surviving. So far the rainy season this year has been mild which has been easier on his underdeveloped lungs.

Also, on November 3rd, Maybelline and Yefrin were married in the municipalidad. On the 4th, they had a reception at the FDC. I have never seen it decorated so nicely. On December 10th, they will have their church wedding in Tegucigalpa where her family lives. They have applied to the Baxter Institute to study the Bible next year and are awaiting a reply that they will hopefully receive by the end of this week.

On November 5th I turned 28 years old. Maybelline gave me a French manicure and pedicure which was wonderful. After choir rehearsal all the youth came over to watch and movie and have cake and coke.

On the 11th and 12th our first youth retreat was held. Jorge Vargas presented the theme: Discover the treasure God has for you. We took a faith hike to the waterfall, had a treasure hunt, played games, and had a worship service together in the morning. I heard positive feedback from all.

On the 12th a meeting was scheduled with the men to discuss Oliver Mazier’s interest in coming to work with the church in Trujillo. One of the men came to the meeting with such a negative attitude that we had to reschedule for the following day. Feeling discouraged, I didn’t really want to have the meeting the second day because I felt the purpose had already been defeated. We met; there were more men there than the previous day; the tone was completely positive and they all were in favor of Oliver coming to work with the church in Trujillo. The men will present the idea to their respective congregations during the week and we will have a follow-up meeting next Monday to confirm the details of his work and support.
*Please pray that the tone of the follow-up meeting would be just as positive and that the men will be able to work together to form the best work plan for Oliver during his time here.

Blessings to you all!

October update

Connections being made
Through the evangelistic campaign in September, I met a man named Oliver Mazier who is interested in coming to work with the church in Trujillo after he graduates from the Bible institute in December. While he was here, he impressed many people (including me) who would like to see him and his family move here. As a fount of resources, I am looked to for guidance in such situations. I never imagined that I would be making decisions that could affect the church on a town level. It’s an honor to be respected but a huge responsibility to invite someone into the already twisted church situation in Trujillo. I am trying to gather as much information as possible before deciding whether or not to coordinate support for him.
*Please pray for wisdom for me in this situation.

Connection #2
If you have not yet read the blog concerning unity, I recommend you do so as it speaks about Jorge Vargas’ role in the work in Trujillo. He has committed to come once per month to teach a youth seminar. Through these seminars, he addresses existing church issues like unity, holiness, forgiveness etc. Last Saturday, he taught his second lesson entitled, Communion and Restoration. In the afternoon, all the youth went to the beach together. We played games, swam and had a devotional in which several described the day’s events as “perfect.” Many reiterated that they hoped that there would be more youth events like this in the future. Jorge’s work has helped to define my own role in Trujillo. His work and presence has encouraged me and provided me with a more direct way to support a cause I believe in very strongly: the youth of Trujillo.
*Please pray for the upcoming seminar and retreat in November.
*Jorge is also very seriously considering coming to live and work in Trujillo. Please pray for his future plans.

Connection #3
Last year at the youth encounter at The Baxter Institute, I met two sisters named Sara and Raquel Vasquez. They were both in Baxter’s choir and they both write music. Because of this we began corresponding. During this year’s retreat, I was able to visit with them again and share my desire to have a compilation CD of children’s songs to which they responded, “We just made one a few months ago.” They gave me a copy and gave me permission to distribute it to other children’s Bible class teachers. In return I gave them both copies of children’s Bible class curriculum. It’s a blessing to make connections with people with whom you can mutually share resources.

Connection #4
A North American couple, who will remain anonymous for now, is considering moving to Honduras this coming year to live and work at least during the summer.
*Please pray for them as they have many big decisions and preparations to make.

Visitors
On September 27th, I met two of my best friends, Brian and Beth Bowers, in Tegucigalpa. From there, we traveled to Catacamas, Olancho and visited the church-sponsored works there, such as Predisan (a mission medical clinic), Serepa (an addiction rehab center), the Honduran Bible School (EBH), and The Good Samaritan School (El Buen Samaritano). The visit to The Good Samaritan School was especially meaningful for the three of us. During the summer of ’99, I lived in Catacamas (with Beth Brooks) and worked at the school as a music (and Bible) teacher. The congregation with which Beth and Brian work recently turned over the student sponsorship program to a congregation in Florida, but because of their history and support of the school, the elders wanted Brian and Beth to familiarize themselves with the work. We were able to see and do many things in Catacamas thanks to Jorge, who currently lives there and graciously chauffeured us around.

Visitors continued…
On September 30th, more of my best friends, Craig and Stephanie (Britten) Kline, Cindy Britten, and Brad Wilson flew into San Pedro Sula and began the 6 hour bus ride to Trujillo. Meanwhile, Beth, Brian and I took a bus from Catacamas to Trujillo that was supposed to arrive several hours before our friends coming from SPS. Fortunately both buses arrived. Unfortunately, our bus arrived several hours later than expected. Thankfully, all in the group were able to graciously deal with the inconsistency of Honduran life and travel. Before coming, my friends had been communicating about how they could best encourage me and make their trip purposeful to that end. Each day we had a time of worship and a devotional for which the themes and texts had been carefully selected in advance. They showered me with encouragement through the words, books, Cd’s, letters and friendship that they shared with me. I am blessed to have friends such as these.

We were able to distribute a lot of cough syrup, anti-biotic and hydrocortisone cream (the top three most highly demanded items in Honduras). In addition, Craig was able to stitch a head wound, repair the skin that had healed improperly from a foot wound, treat burns and help create a diet for a woman who is overdue for surgery because of her weight.

As a first time visitor to Honduras, Cindy (Stephanie’s mom) had shared some thoughts with me that I would like to include.

My first time in Honduras! I have had so many wonderful experiences. First, I was amazed by the beautiful land; and then I was shocked by the way people live. It is so different than the States where people have so much they never want or need anything. Here they have so little that even a bunch of bananas can make a whole family happy because they are hungry.
The best thing that has happened to me is feeling accepted and loved just for being here and for the little things we did to help people!
I was very encouraged by Nadine and I hope she was encouraged by us!

Love, Cindy

In this month’s ladies class Maybelline is teaching a seminar using the book, “Mujeres Sujeto al Espiritu,” which is the women’s counterpart of “The Spirit-Filled Temperament,” by Tim LaHaye.
*Please pray that the women would see the ways that their particular temperaments could be best utilized in the kingdom.

Another section of the sewing class began this month, this time with a new teacher. Santiaga has been teaching for another area ministry for several years and comes to us with a lot of experience. The women are working on making skirts with the goal of eventually being able to contract school uniforms.
*Please pray for the development and continuation of this ministry.

The week of October 22nd rehearsal will begin both for the C of C Youth Choir and Children’s Choir of Trujillo.
*Please pray for consistent interest and attendance and for the upcoming concert in December.

Blog address: nadineinhonduras.blogspot.com

New articles: Unity is coming and Sometimes it´s good not to have anyone to vent to

August/September Update

Ambria had a successful visit. She wrote stories on each of the children served by Little Hands and created a powerpoint presentation to be sent to the Stateside director of the organization. She was also able to submit an article on tourism to the publication Honduras This Week which appeared online.
During her time here, we ran fairly frequently. Vanessa, a fifteen year old orphan in the church, would often come with us. Vanessa lives with her 84 year old grandmother who is quite possessive of her to the point that she rarely is allowed to leave the house. As the result of some convincing, she was permitted to enjoy a few hours outside of the home, running and learning to swim.

During the month of August, I taught a ladies’ seminar on holiness. Ladies’ church attendance is very inconsistent. After having prepared all week, I was discouraged at the beginning of the month when just a few of the women arrived 20-30 minutes late. By the third week, 25 people were in attendance (15 women and 10 kids!). During and after the lesson the fourth and final week, tears fell. It’s not very often that you see a Honduran woman crying. I was encouraged to see the Lord working in the hearts of these women and to hear the sincerity of their prayers pleading for God to continue to change them.
*Pray that these women would continue to seek and see God in a new way.
*Pray that I would discern if it is God’s will for me to teach consistently.
*Praise God that a women’s group from a church in Georgia has decided to partner with me and send books and materials for the ladies’ class in the months to come!

The following Monday, the young adult singing group rehearsed. The power went out during the rehearsal which helped to create an atmosphere that we don’t normally experience during worship. We began to rehearse a difficult 4-part song that I honestly never expected to come together and it locked in and sounded beautiful. When I heard a mission group from the States sing the song for the first time, it made me cry. For our little musically uneducated group to recreate that, was pretty amazing.
We sang for the evangelistic campaign in the Buenos Aires church Sept 7-9. Altogether there were 12 baptisms and reconciliations.

During kids’ class last week, Johnny (the maintenance worker) and I presented a short drama depicting the story of Samson and Dalila. To my surprise, the kids went wild. Ahead of time, they were asking if they could be a part of the drama and were upset that they were unable to be in it. When they saw Johnny, they began chanting, “Samson, Samson!” Then, I entered and they shouted, “Dalila, Dalila!” I felt like I was on a talk show or that I was some famous actor. Through this, I discovered that they are huge fans of dramas, which is great for me as a performance arts teacher. I now have a better idea of activities to do with the kids.
*Pray that the kids would continue to be inspired to learn about God’s word.


The youth group from the Limonal church of Christ (and I) will be attending the Central American Youth Conference at the Baxter Institute in Tegucigalpa, Sept 14-18. They are currently preparing a drama to present at the conference. Last year, the group from Trujillo won several awards, including Best Costume and Runner Up in the male soccer competition.

Please pray for the ministry Little Hands Big Hearts. We are facing several challenges at present due to the change in leadership. At times it’s difficult to know what my role is as a young, single, female, foreigner. This tension causes me to question my purpose and effectiveness here and my future plans.
*Please pray that I would feel peace and purpose and that I would listen for where the Lord would lead me.

There have been many moments in which I have felt a rise in my spirit that can only be explained by the prayers of others. I appreciate all of you who take the time to pray for me and the ministry and are sensitive to promptings. They make a difference.

In Him,

Nadine

Unity is coming...

Some steps were made toward unity this past week in the church in Trujillo. For those of you who don’t know the history, I will try to give a brief recap. The Church of Christ has been in Trujillo around 20 years. As far as I understand, when the church was founded, the members met together in one central location downtown. Because this property was rented, they decided to meet in the Christian school. Since the church was growing, another building was constructed a few barrios away; hence, there were two locations where the C of C met. Then, as a result of conflict between two prominent church leaders, a second building was built, establishing the third C of C building in Trujillo. Since then, the church has been sick. People have been turned off by the conflict and those who still faithfully attend are quick to point fingers and place blame. The church culture here is such a thick web of stories that only after living here for a year did I begin to understand what was lying under the surface. The story still continues to unfold. Unsettled murmurings are always present and no one has been willing to address them directly…until this week.
I have been communicating with a missionary from Catacamas, Olancho (originally from Panama) named Jorge Vargas. He came to give a talk to the youth of Trujillo, but ended up exhorting the church to move beyond the past. As an outsider, he wasn’t afraid to speak clearly about the attitudes and fallacies that he saw during his time in Trujillo. He challenged the youth to take the initiative needed to change things in the church. They have already approached me about directing a choir involving all of the C of C youth groups in Trujillo and about planning retreats and day events in which we can fellowship together. Praise God! During the united church service on Sunday that culminated the evangelistic campaign, he presented several steps toward unity and exhorted the church members to not stop talking about this. He will be returning in October to teach another youth seminar, but made it clear that he will be asking about the steps that have been taken toward realizing the vision of a united church in Trujillo. It feels like the beginning of something big…