when the going gets rough...

Dear friends and family,

i do pray this finds all of you well and strong in the work of the Lord!  we pray for all of you as a family, and never forget how good the Lord has been to us through your help, prayers, assistance, and support! 

this week has been extremely interesting.  i am sitting at a computer without a functioning shift button, so forgive me for my occasional grammatical inaccuracy as i recount the weeks happenings.

First off, i celebrated my first ´mothers day´ here in Honduras on Sunday.  Many of the girls on Friday and Saturday very discretely asked me for construction paper and proceeded to make cards for 2 days... and of course, once one makes a card, pretty much all of the other girls copy the first example.  However, they were all very sweet.  Some of my girls wrote very sweet notes to me, and its always wonderful to see their personalities shine through their words and cards.  one of my girls wrote about the proverbs 31 woman, which i certainly am not, but none the less sweet to see how she incorporated the word of God in such a beautiful way.  others thanked me for caring for them, for leading them to the Lord, and even as far as disciplining them!  i have their cards very elegantly displayed on my wall in my room with duct tape.. haha, oxymoron, no?  on Sunday morning, we sang a song together as a family in church from psalms 139 about how we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and the Lord knew us before He created us!  we devoted it to the mothers and after church we enjoyed a time of fellowship in the large building up the hill with tortillas, rice, and chicken!  Some of my girls mothers came on mothers day.  Marilu´s mother, who once lived on the property and threated to take Marilu away.... then while i was in the states, the mother ran off with the ´keeper of the cows´with her one son.  She returned on Sunday with her one son, thinner than he already was, dropped him off, and told Marilu that she wanted to commit suicide.  Marilu told this to me all too nonchalanty... as i thought to myself, wow, happy mothers day indeed.  i am so grateful that marilu and her brother are with us again, as the mother is very unstable and very much in need of the Saviors love.  please pray for Floridalma, and her salvation, as well as for her youngest toddler that still lives with her, and the unborn child she is carrying from running off with the cow keeper worker.  Also, the mother of Daniela and wendy yakeline came, which is very rare.  She told the girls that she will be removing them from the property once they complete sixth grade, and  i can Not tell you how amazingly full of grace  i felt once  i heard that wendy (at once my most rebellious, and teeth-grinding wrathful child) told her mother she did not want to leave.   i said a silent amen in my heart and soul as i thanked the Lord for working in her heart, but also wept as Daniela, the younger sister still would like to leave.  i tried to tenderly talk with the both of them over the future and what could happen.  wendy didnt tell me why she wants to stay but i told her how proud i am of her and that i love her and want her to stay. to daniela, i used the mother of Marilus as an example and explained many hard hard things to her, about a woman who has 5 different children to 5 different men, none of which she lives with.  How making tortillas isnt a job that can support a family.  How God put her here for a reason and wants her to hear His love story and accept His free gift and live for Him.  please continue to pray for Daniela... its so hard, when its so natural to want to be with your mother, but also know that this mothers word has very little to no worth.

this week has been rough prmarily for the lack of water in the clinic.  we hadnt really had any problems for some time, but all of the sudden we started having less and less water with less and less pressure.  until yesterday, it completely left.  we were already stuggling with one bathroom to get things accomplished when we had obligations, but now its insane.  we called in the workers on the property to take a look at the tubes, but it appears that no one knows very much... however, this never stops them from tearing things apart and making a mess of things.  please pray for us, that the Lord would send someone skilled and able to help us with our water and pipe system, as i fear what i may return to later.  yesterday, we tuly had a hilarious day as we cooked and ate in the clinic but carried all of our dishes up the hill in a huge plastic bin to the house where the groups stay.  As i was in the middle of carrying, washing, and bringing back these dishes at about 2:30,  i heard that pastor chungo told everyone to be ready to leave at 3:30 to go to a funeral service for a brother in Christ that was murdered in the neighboring town for preaching the word of God.  i crazily, and i mean crazily began gathering all of the girls church clothes, their shower totes, and commanding them to the house up the hill to use the 3 bathrooms.  and, wouldnt you know the water stopped there too.  So, we put on out church clothes without showering, combed our hair as best as possible, ran to catch the bus and went to my very first funeral service.  Here, we walk behind the herst.  it was a lengthy walk to the cemetery and especiall when trying to keep your eye on 19 girls by yourself in the midst of a large crowd.  it was an educational opportunity as well, as my girls certainly do not know how to compose themselves at a funeral service for someone that they barely knew.  i scolded some of my girls who managed to walk away from my watchcare and gradually make their way up front with the mourning family members.    i couldnt make my way up to the front of the crowd without disturbing the procession, but was absolutely appauled to see 3 of my girls in the front of the casket.  Lets just say i explained the verse from the Bible about not sitting in high places with the king without an invitation to the them very sternly.   i played a spanish hymn and we left shortly after the message and scripture readings so we could attend our own wednesday church service.  when we returned to the house, there was still no water in the clinic or the house.  we bagan to carry water from the river to use in the toilet, and i refuse to use that water to bathe the girls... as we recently found out just how horrid the water really is.  the neighboring town just emptied human remains in the river, a cow recently died on the property and the carcass was thrown in the river, and our septic hole is full right now and leaking into our back yard... the solution to the works here is to create a drainage tube into the river!  And my girls fight with me when i refuse them permission to swim in the river!  its a fight that they dont win and i have no sympathy for not allowing them to splash around in toxic waste. end of story.

Any way, we press on.  its fun to work together as a family to bring water in from the river, to carry and wash dishes, to bathe until 11 at night, and do things a little backwards.  Hard times always cause you to thank the Lord for you blessings.  while we still pray for one more bathroom, at least, we thank Him for the one we have and for when we have water!  He truly does teach and work for our good even through the hard times... so when the going gets rough, we cling ever closer to Him and pray harder!

press on, and may you taste of the Living water in your life that never runs dry!
As the deer pateth for the water, so my soul longeth after thee!

Sarah

Just a few snapshots

Dearest followers,

After 3 attempts to use the internet today, I am finally able to make a successful post, praise the LORD.  I am not going to write much but just share a few photos with you all.  We are doing well.  After nearly 2 weeks of being a cook for my girls, I am proud to say I havent gained any weight... haha.  I taste test a LOT to make sure it has flavor... which is hard to produce when cooking in large quantites.  My girls help tremendously in preparing meals.  We are basically cooking from scratch most of the time, using fresh ingredients, and its very time consuming.  But when you are blessed to have 19 girls who love to help, its a wonderful thing.  We are enjoying cultural dishes with Sarah twists to incorporate whole grains like brown rice, whole oats (for oatmeal and granola), we are using whole wheat for pancakes and bread, and we just started making cornbread as well.  We are enjoying chicken 2 times a week, eggs at least twice, and ground beef once a week.  This week, I saw salmon in the supermarket for the first time and JUMPED on the opportunity to make 2 fillets for my girls.  No one really fights me over eating healthy, another praise the Lord... but occasionally we have some trouble with visible veggies.  So the food processor is my BEST FRIEND for creating liquid veggies that get digested undetected!  WOOHOO!

Nothing crazy to report, just the normal.  We have a new garden, since the cows entered, ate, and destroyed our old garden.  It requires 3 waterings every day with how the sun is right now.  And it is in DESPERATE need of weeding... thats on my to do list that always gets put off.  I go in with my girls and have their help, but they always like to pull out little growths that arent weeds.  We´re still educating.

Anyway.  We are late to head in to the center today to grocery shop.  So i need to go, but press on and blessings to you for your prayers, interest, support, and love!

We pray for you all every day and give thanks to the Lord for the hearts that give!  Because of you, and Gods goodness, we press on!  I don´t know if I reported this, but one more girl made a decision to accept Christ as her savior... Gladys.  I am excited to see her growing already!  This work is not in vain!

Truly Blessed,

Sarah Jones (+19)

Meet ´´Mi Arbol de Ganchos´´  Here is Arelcy.  When all my girls were in school and I had a lot of laundry to hang on the line, I put Arelcy (one of Christa´s little toddlers) to work assisting me with clothespins.  She was super content as a clothespin tree of sorts, and helped tremendously.  No matter how chaotic we are, we always find time to rejoice in the Lord.  

Here is Edwin back to ´normal´... whatever that means for him :)  

After cooking for the girls for almost 2 weeks now, we are getting the hang of things.  Here is our lunch yesterday... brown rice, cabbage and red beet salad, and eggs.  THANKS SO MUCH ECOLUNCHBOX for your donations of stainless steel trays!  THEY ARE AWESOME!

Here is 2 of our  3 picnic tables to host my family of 21 including our helper Maria.  My kitchen is now finished with cabinets below!  AMEN!

And here are some of my hungry crazies.  Maria, with the ridiculous face is with me in town today... she never ceases to make me laugh with her antics.

Somos una familia de 21

Dear Friends and Family,

I apologize for not having much time to devote to updating you all as of recently.  Its been a whirlwind since my return, but a blessed one.  Most of the time, I run around like a chicken with its head cut off, but I still lay down every night and praise my God for putting me here.

My family has now grown to 19 girls.  The 2 sisters that arrived while I was in the states, and 3 of Christa´s girls are now in my care... their names are Danely, Lilian, and Kenia.  We are all doing well.  We have added another room to our side and transformed it into another living space for the girls with a bunk bed, dresser, etc.  As of yesterday, we now have our kitchen cabinets finished which is a HUGE blessing since I started cooking for my girls LAST WEEK.  Its been hilarious cooking for 20+ people, but the Lord has been so good in enabling me to purchase enough supplies and make enough food at each meal time.  Porcions can be hard to judge especially when cooking in a Honduran manner.  The girls really enjoy my healthier food... AMEN.  The only complaint is that I use too much garlic... haha, but I tell them they dont smell to me like garlic (which is a joke because we are ALL eating it).

The Lord is truly at work.  I still feel a lot of times like all I do is correct, point out errors, and reteach some much.  But God is changing hearts and attitudes.  Nury approached me about wanting assurance of her salvation just about a week ago.  Claiming Romans 10:9, she now is confident of her eternal destination and salvation.  Daniela, one of my hardest girls, has become a massage-giving, hand-holding little girl that always trys to help in whatever way she can... its an AMAZING diference from telling me that she hated me just months ago.  We still struggle with lots of attitudes, lots of lies, and eating dirty foods... but its a constant process of re-educating.

Id like to thank you all for your prayers for Edwin.  We had no idea how serious it was that he had basically licked or sucked the ¨milk¨of a toad.  It was nothing short of a miracle, and I am so grateful for my family who helped spread the word and lift up prayers to our hearing Lord.  Thank you Mrs. Sue, and thank you Grace Bible.

Please also pray for Christa.  She left Monday for the States for 2 months.  While I am certain the Lord will use the time to rejuvenate her soul in more ways than one, I know it will be extremely difficult for her.  Please pray that the Lord will supply all her needs, and give Nohemi the wisdom she needs to follow raising the children in the ways of the Lord.

This week, we had an EXTREMELY HARD rain that hit us.  We thought it would flood out our garden since it literally flooded the clinic in some rooms.  We couldnt hear anything with our tin roof and it was pure chaos with the children.  I had to run quickly to children that were overly excited and screaming and actually took a nice fall... actually, it was a WIPE OUT.  It was a nice reminder to laugh, because at the time I was extremely angry with the way mygirls were conducting themselves outside.  Yes, I do admit it, I was very angry... but I am thankful the Lord humbled me quickly to the point I just BUSTED with how ridiculously I wiped out.  It allowed me to calm down before reaching girls and having to teach them about not keeping our back door open during terrential down pours that create a river in our hallway, and about playing outside in rain with some older muchachos without permission.  Its not always enjoyable, but after the rain, the sunshine does come and that certainly has Biblical roots.

Im grateful that my loving Lord still chastises this mirey vessel of clay, and humbles me to purify me.  As I seek to purify my girls in their mannerisms and conduct, trusting Him solely to purify their hearts with His precious atoning blood, I too pray for a constant does of purification in my own life!  Here´s to falling, only to rise again!

We press on!
Thank you for your prayers and I hope to pre-type a post for next week with more details.  Please pray over my starting to take each girl to the doctor and dentist, our need for another bathroom and shower, potentially  purchasing a dryer during this rainy season, and for Maria and I´s wisdom in every moment of the day to be aligned with Christ.

We are so grateful.
All my love in Christ,

A humbled, slightly bruised heart for Honduras,
Sarah Jones

UPDATE on EDWIN

Edwin is alive!  Praise God!  He appears to be ok.  From what I understand, Christa reacted well and washed his mouth out immediately to try to get the poison out of his mouth.  They are back home at the clinic with some antacids to help ease the burning, I presume.  This is nothing short of a miracle, and praise be to our Lord!  So thankful for God's mercy this evening. 

~Kate

Urgent Prayer Request

Hello brothers and sisters:

Sarah called to ask me to post.  Please pray for Edwin (pronounced Ed-ween).  He is one of Christa's little ones, and he ate a poisonous frog today.  He wasn't swallowing anything, so I guess Christa and Nohemi are taking him to the hospital.  If I get an update from Sarah, I will post again as soon as I can.

Thank you!
in His hands,
Kate

Estoy Aqui

Beloved Friends and Family,

This is just a simple post to let you all know I have arrived safely and the Lord is already hard at work in these precious lives.  The girls have transitioned well to having both Maria and I present, working together to raise the girls in the fear of the Lord.  We have 16 now, but should be transitioning in 3 more girls within a weeks time.  Christa will be flying out to the States in about a week, for a 2 month stay.  Please pray for her as well as those of us that remain, that we can do justice to the Lord and to her in helpingto raise her children while she´s gone.  Tonight, we have a special night planned of visiting the new church in Santa Rosa and singing together as a family.  Oh how sweet it will be!  The Lord already enabled me to purchase 2 more bunk beds and 2 more plastic dresser sets.  The kitchen cabinets should be installed by next week and we press on trying to finish and furnish our once medical clinic.

The Lord is good, through the mountains and the valleys--- and I´m grateful that new joy comes with each morning!

Press on for Him!

A very content heart for Honduras,

Sarah Jones

P.s. I just sent out my first quarterly prayer letter update.  If you were not included in the email and would like to be, please email me at heart4honduras@gmail.com and provide me with your physical address if you would so prefer!

"For I know the plans I have for you..."

"For I know the plans I have for you, " declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

Dear Friends and Family,

Once again, I praise the Lord for the Rock on which I stand... and His Word that I have hidden in my heart to help me stand firm.  If I didn't know better, it would have been easy for me to lose heart today - April 8th, the day I was due to fly out on my "one-way" indefinite ticket.

It seemed like a rather normal preparation to fly out.  I started packing the night before hand and got approximately 2-3 hours of sleep before I woke up at 3:30 AM in hopes of washing out the tiredness with a hot shower.  The Lord gave me a peace while packing and just provided me with a better mentality than I've had before (aka... less STRESSED OUT).  I enjoyed final moments with my family, and while my sister wasn't able to go to the airport with us, we left shortly after 4:30 to drive to BWI airport.  Upon arrival, I went to the kiosk and nervously placed my largest piece of luggage on the scale and excitedly said AMEN as I watched that bag hit the PERFECT 50 lb mark.. "WOOH, off to a good start, Lord, thank you."  After completing my check-in info, I began interacting with one of the airline representatives.  She was confused as to why I would have to pay extra for my 2nd bag if I was flying internationally, which transpired into discussing my flight and my RETURN DATE.  "What, " I thought, "I have no return date... this is MY big step, the one I've been dreaming of and bathing in prayer... the one where I'll have my papers and won't be coming back until the Lord clearly directs me!"  (End internal thought process and enter response in reality).  I calmly explained to her that I have no return flight since my paperwork is in process.  And well, from there, things began to get a little more emotional as I was told that I would be unable to fly out of the country without a return flight purchased or evidence of my COMPLETED residency.  At one point, tears flowed out of my eyes as I thought of "my" 16 girls knowing I had promised to return and knowing my return date, and then being told I wasn't coming.

BUT GOD... goes before me and knew my needs.  No, I didn't catch a flight today.  Yes, I cried quite a little bit.  Yes, I had some brief questions for my Heavenly Father.  But ultimately, I stepped back and said "thank you" to my sweet Savior.  He knew my debit card would be denied at the airport and that I would need that blessed love offering taken just the night before to pay for a pricey fee of missing my flight/changing my flight status, booking a return flight, and investing in a refundable ticket so that if and when HE DOES provide my papers I can get my money back.  He knew I had some last minute things that would really behove me to complete stateside.  He knew that I would benefit from another day with my family and another day of rest.  And He knew/knows something I don't know... the plans He alone has for me.  Sure, sometimes it doesn't go as I planned... but lesson one in serving a Living God... is His ways are BETTER than mine and I want to follow Him ALL the days of my life!

From here, my rebooked flight is for tomorrow morning, again at 6:30 AM from BWI.  My return flight is for July 8th, which prayerfully I will be able to cancel... however, if the Lord so chooses to delay "my" plans more, I will continue to trust in the plans He has for ME.  Because, I believe He loves me more than life itself... and  I believe that He has plans for my life and for the lives of 16 beautiful Honduran girls that pass my own understanding.  I believe His Word, and I am grateful I have the ability to read, memorize, and recall His faithfulness!

Thank you for your prayers, text messages, financial support, and for even providing me with needed items while my luggage (with practically ALL of my possessions) sat in Atlanta.

I am so grateful, and look forward to reporting more Good News to you soon of the Lord teaching me more about Him!

Until then,
Sarah Jones