Isis Alejandra Escobar

Alejandra is a beautiful 13-year-old who is in the 8th grade. She faithfully attends the Church of Christ in barrio Eduardo Castillo. She helps her mom, Norma, teach the children’s Bible class. Alejandra completed the 7th grade with a 97.5 GPA, one of the highest in the program. She is a very disciplined, hard worker. She would like to attend college when she finishes with high school.

Alejandra is very grateful for the scholarship (BECA) program.

To my sponsors:

Hello! May God bless you. I hope that you and the people that surround you are well. I am very grateful that you are helping me with the scholarship which is very useful to me in my studies. I thank you and God for sending me this help. I promise you I will improve even more in my studies, like I’m doing now and always with the help of God.

May God bless you.

Isis Alejandra Escobar Osorio

Zuly Yajaira Rodriguez Hernandez

September student of the month

Zuly is one of my favorite students in the scholarship program, because she has such a bright future on the horizon. She faithfully attends Bible school classes and is a willing participant. Last November she graduated from 6th grade with a 96% GPA. This year, she also doing very well with her transition into high school. She is a very sweet and respectful 13-year-old. She lives with her father Carlos, who is only able to find temporary, seasonal construction work. He often struggles to put food on the table. Her mother, Evangelina, takes care of her 3-year-old daughter, Carla. Zuly’s 10-year-old brother, Carlos (Jr.), also attends school.

The following is a letter from Zuly:

Trujillo, Colon, Honduras

I take pen and paper to let you know that I am grateful to you for giving me the opportunity of this scholarship. I thank God that there is this ministry, the beca program. I am a faithful Christian. I like to study the Bible and I hope that the Lord blesses you so that the other young people could have resources provided to them as well. Thank you for sponsoring me. My parents have very scarce resources. I hope to meet you.

I am entering my first year of middle school and I want to get my high school degree. I am very grateful to God and to you for your help.

My GPA is 96%.

Sincerely,

Zuly Yajaira Rodriguez Hernandez

Nohemy Urbina Torres

Nohemy Urbina Torres is a non-traditional student. She is a 31-year-old mother of two who has been married for 13 years. Her family attends the church of Christ in barrio Limonal. She and her husband, Mario, are both in their second year of the business administration program in a private school. She maintained an 82% GPA last year.

The following is a thank you letter from Nohemy:

My brothers and sisters in Christ:

I hope that you and all that surround you are well. Brothers and sisters, I feel very happy and grateful to God and also with you all for the help that you give us. We are brothers and sisters of limited resources. Without your help, we would not be able to get by. Brothers, I ask God to bless you always so that this good will will always be in you so that other people, like me, can also have this blessing that you offer.

Thank you for being so good.

May God always be with you.

Nohemy Urbina Torres

Update July/August 2007

On June 29th, I left for Honduras to work with/translate for a group from Georgia. The group’s congregation sponsors the Christian school in Trujillo. During their time there, the men constructed a wall for a bathroom so that a watchman can live on the premises because thieves were stealing metal from the school to sell. At the same time, the women were calling students to the multi-purpose room to write letters and paint pictures for their sponsors. Toward the end of the week, the group held a VBS for both children and adults. The adults watched a video on the life of Jesus, while the children rotated to stations in which they sang songs, watched a puppet presentation, did crafts, played games and had a snack. On the last day, the group put together a Power Point presentation set to music that was shown in the auditorium. The crowd really enjoyed the presentation. I really appreciated the group’s organization and enthusiasm. They will do great things for the school.

In between the group’s departure and my mom’s arrival, I took Carmen Garcia and Osladis Romero to doctor’s appointments. After 3 1/2 days of running around we were finally definitively told that Carmen could not be operated on due to the condition of her heart. Though she was initially disappointed, she arrived back in Trujillo in good spirits. My mom and I had a Bible study with her. She believes in the Lord and is open to Him but sees commitment to Him as a big and important decision that she wants to be ready for.
*Please pray that she will continue to study the Word and find the answers she is looking for.

Osladis has sickle-cell anemia that she is going to have to learn to manage. The results of an extensive blood test came out quite positive, but she continues to have pain in her stomach, the cause of which is still undetermined. She wants to take classes at the local university next month but her inconsistent symptoms make it difficult to do so.

*Pray that she will be able to finish the trimester.

I picked up my mom, Mary, on July 11th and took her to the public hospital where Carmen and Osladis were waiting. She was shocked by the long lines and wait time. Their system is really quite unbelievable. We were both grateful for the health care that we have in the States, but at the same time lamenting the fact that such health care is not available to the Hondurans. Thankfully, Mom’s health was good during her stay.

Because of a donation by Ambria Johnson, we were able to buy beans, rice and a variety of other household items to deliver to the Little Hands families and other widows in the church. Mom also purchased “roofing” sheets for a widow’s home. Her house needs many repairs, so we have our next construction project planned for 2008.

While living in Honduras, Luke 6:30 challenged me to “give to all who ask.” (Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.) When I was living in Honduras, I practiced this, but during my last visit the requests exceeded what I was able to give. There are always people who need health care that can’t afford it, and people who are willing to work but can’t find jobs in the poor economy of Trujillo. As a result, I have a few special requests that I would like for you to prayerfully consider.

1) Leonidas

I met Leonidas and his family in 1999, when I stayed with a neighboring family. We spent a lot of time visiting and formed a dear friendship. Leonidas attends the congregation in barrio Limonal. He works as the watchman at a local school and earns little. He often has health problems that keep him from going to work and then, he is unable to purchase the medicines he needs to manage his health problems. For example, one of his prescriptions costs around $35 and he cannot afford to buy it every month.

In the last few months, his daughter, Denisse, was diagnosed with chronic neck pain. She was teaching in a small village that required two busses and a one hour hike up the mountain to arrive. The doctor recommended that she take a year off of work, but her work granted her 6 months of leave. After having rested, she is feeling better but her condition is being aggravated by the walking and constant bending she must do in the classroom. She also has several prescriptions to purchase each month. This month, she needs to go to Tegucigalpa for a check up. Transportation and lodging costs about $265.

*Please pray that her request for a transfer is granted so that she can work closer to home.

2) Jorge
Jorge is a native of Panama who is a missionary in Honduras. He was the first full-time Bible teacher to be hired at the Honduran Bible School (EBH). Recently, Jorge married a girl whose father threatened his life. Because the director of EBH was working in Trujillo when Doctor Tony was murdered, he took the threat very seriously and decided that Jorge needed to leave the state. Jorge never imagined that he would be newly married and jobless. To meet his cost of living, he needs about $150 per month. Jorge has a heart for the teens of Honduras and is currently working with a congregation in that capacity.

3) Mario
Mario is a multi-talented person. He has a Bible degree, he is studying business administration, he works construction by trade, has a good head on his shoulders and has a great heart. Mario is able to do a lot of things, but because of the poor economy in Trujillo, he consistently has trouble finding work. Many of the construction jobs require that he works on Sunday, which he will not do. He is a great asset to the church in Trujillo but they are in danger of losing him because of the financial difficulties he is having.
He and his wife, Nohemy, are on course to graduate in December 2008. He is concerned because the last year of school is the most expensive and he is barely making ends meet as it is. His options are: dropping out of school, coming to the States to work, or receiving help until he and his wife graduate (or until he obtains a reliable full-time job). That help could come in the form of a start-up fund for a small business or in the form of $160 per month to work with the church. He is willing to work in whatever capacity is needed.

If you have any questions, ideas or would like to give to any of these three special cases, please contact me at naytay78@hotmail.com.

Mario’s wife, Nohemy Urbina Torres, is this month’s student of the month.

June 2007 update

I hope you all are enjoying your summer.

I am making preparations in my final week before returning to Honduras for about a month. I leave on Friday, the 29th and will return on July 22nd. During the first half of my time there, I will be working with a group from Georgia that is overseeing the sponsorship program of the Christian school in Trujillo. They have organized a VBS, among other things, to be carried out. Then, on July 11th, my mother will fly in (for the second time!). We plan to purchase food and supplies to be distributed in Trujillo and to take Carmen Garcia and Osladis Romero on a doctor’s visit. Please pray that these appointments yield definitive results and a clear and viable treatment plan.

Carmen and her grandson, Luis.

On June 16th, the Cadillac Church of Christ had a garage sale to help the scholarship program. Over $500 were raised! $1,300 including individual donations. I was very encouraged and blessed that the congregation I grew up in chose to work together in such a giving and willing way to make this fundraiser happen. Many thank yous!

Please read about June’s student of the month: Vanessa Lizeth Ponce Roman.

Exciting news…In addition to the car and the reinstatement to my job position, I have another blessing to add to the list: my first home. It is located only a few blocks from Craig and Stephanie’s house. The transaction is currently pending. I hope to close when I return from Honduras. I’ll pass along my new address once all the paperwork is signed and official. I would love for you to come visit!

Life in Detroit has proved to be interesting. Curiously, there are some striking similarities to life in Honduras. For example, Hondurans and Detroiters have a similar level of regard for traffic laws and courtesies. Ice cream is a hot item to sell on the street in both places. One day, I saw a boy sitting in the back of a truck holding a megaphone, two adult men on a bike together, random dogs in the street, and heard firecrackers. If the temperature had been a little bit warmer, I might have been confused as to where I was. Ah, the cultural anomalies…

I’ll leave you with the story of Albert. I met Albert at a gas station. He appeared to be mentally and addictionally incapacitated. Nonetheless, he offered to pump my gas in an effort to get food for his girls. In his barely intelligible words, he told me his story, tears and saliva running down his face. I invited him into the store with me to buy him some food. He kept telling me how I was a good person and that God was going to bless me for this. At the cash register, he tried to light a cigarette and got a little mouthy with the teller, but when I told him to stop, he apologized and went outside to wait for me. While we were in the store, his backpack was stolen with his few belongings inside. I drove him to the intersection near the house were his girls were staying (only because Craig, Stephanie and my dad were with me). In the car, he continued to reiterate the things he had been saying, sometimes gratefully, sometimes with a laugh, sometimes angrily while waving his digitless right hand. I only pray that Albert’s daughters were able to eat that day and that he would find some way to overcome the situation his has found himself in. As Craig reminded me, “How do we know that we would not have turned out the same if we had grown up in the same environment?” God has chosen to bless us. Let us use those blessings as Stephanie says, “in the many ministry opportunities that surround us.”

Bless and be blessed,

Nadine

Vanessa Lizeth Ponce Roman

Vanessa Lizeth Ponce Roman is one of my favorite people to write about. In fact, she could be the poster-child for the program. Vanessa is a 15-year-old orphan. She lives with her 86-year-old grandmother, Maria, in a small cement room near the Limonal church building. The back wall of their small apartment was falling into the ravine behind their house until a group came in ‘06 and repaired it along with their bathroom.

Maria and Vanessa clean the church building every week. Vanessa is always willing to work, but as the sole caregiver of her grandmother, it is difficult for her to be outside the home for very long. The two live on literally pennies a day. She has attended the sewing class at Little Hands Big Hearts in hopes that sewing may provide a supplemental income someday.

Vanessa is currently in the US equivalent of 7th grade. She graduated elementary school with a 98% GPA. She hopes to go to college someday and I hope that together we are able to help her achieve that goal.

(This is the best picture I have of her right now. I will take and new one while I'm there and post it when I return.)

May 2007 update

On May 14th, I was approved to return early from leave and am currently teaching middle school music, the position I left two years ago. We have one week of school left! Though my position has been eliminated for next year, it sounds as though I will be teaching 4 sections of high school Spanish and one section of middle school Spanish. I trust that the Lord is leading this change.

I am still unsure whether to take some Spanish credits in the fall or to begin a Masters program. Still praying about that. Regardless I need to study something in order to keep my teaching certificate current.

Kevin Stewart is helping me look for a house. I have a couple great options right now, but am debating how to best serve the Lord with this new investment.

I have definitely been blessed but have had my struggles along the way. Please pray for wisdom as I need guidance on several issues and know that the Lord is the only One who can provide the answers.

It’s official! My plane ticket is bought for June 29th. I will be returning to Honduras for about a month to work with a group from Georgia and help with a VBS, sponsor/student correspondence in the Christian School in Trujillo, and work projects. Then, my mother will join me as we plan to distribute supplies, food etc. and take Carmen Garcia to a check-up in San Pedro Sula. Please pray that the Lord would oversee and bless these plans as details are often unpredictable and to a certain degree uncontrollable.

Because of the scholarship program, several students are now finishing the first half of their ’07 school year. Please read about May’s student of the month, Wendy Paola Rodriguez Romero.

I recently went to the And Still We Rise exhibit at the Museum of African-American History in downtown Detroit. I would highly recommend it to anyone. The exhibit takes the viewer through the sights and sounds that an African would have experienced before, during and after slavery. It is very well done and very touching, especially if you have been to Africa, but even if you have not. At one point, I said to myself, “It is amazing what men will do for money,” and prayed that we would never again allow such a travesty to occur.

This past week Susan Carter, Ron Carter's wife, passed away. They have been involved with the work in Honduras for years. Please pray for peace for the family. Ron has a very faithful outlook.

I pray that we would view whatever comes our way through the eyes of faith!

Nadine

Wendy Paola Rodriguez Romero

Valuable Sir or Mrs:

Receive on my behalf very sincere greetings and hugs to you and your dear family. The reason for which I am writing is in order to express my eternal gratitude for the generous help that is allowing me to do excellently in my studies.
Thank you for the willingness that the Lord has given you so that I may receive help. Now I will be able to attend my second year of high school.
I will always receive your help with a lot of benefit and dedication.

I hope to be in touch.

Sincerely,

Wendy Paola Rodriguez Romero

*Wendy is 15 years old and is studying in her first year at the high school (7th grade equivalent). She lives with 11 people, ie mother, siblings, nephews. She is always helping in the home and attends the Church of Christ in barrio Buenos Aires. She hopes to attend college someday.

Karla Nauni Contreras Galan

My parents and I wish you many blessings. We greet you in the name above all names, Christ Jesus our Lord. You don’t know how much I thank God for giving me a sponsor that helps me in my studies. I will come out ahead in the name of Jesus.
Trust in God that you will not feel bad about my grades. I will try to get good grades and keep on the right path in order to reach salvation with Christ Jesus.
I want to pass along to you that my life belongs to Christ. I ask that you pray for me and my family, that we not faint on the path and that we trust on the rock that is Christ Jesus. I hope that one day we will be able to communicate. I, also, will be praying for you.

Thanks be to God and may Jesus Christ bless you today and always.

Until later. Blessings.

Sincerely,

Karla Nauni Contreras Galán

Nauni is 16 years old. She received very good grades in elementary school. Due to financial hardship she was unable to attend school for the past few years. Because of the scholarship program, she was able to resume her studies at the local high school. She is an active member of the Church of Christ in Barrio Buenos Aires.

April Update '07

On April 21st, Stephanie and I were able to present about our experiences at a Ladies’ Day in Cadillac, MI, the area in which I grew up. It was great to be able to share about something that has had such a profound effect on my life to a group of women, many of which have known me since I was born. Also, the ladies have graciously agreed to hold a yard sale, the proceeds of which will go to the work in Honduras.

Please read about the “student of the month,” Karla Nauni Contreras Galán, a separate new posting.

I’ve been asked to translate some communications to be sent to Honduras. It makes me feel good to still be informed and involved with the work there.

Lord willing, I will return to Trujillo on June 30th. Please pray that the situation with Taca airlines is resolved and a refund or voucher given.

Though I have been very blessed by the way the Lord has taken care of me since my return, I still have many big decisions to make, i.e. housing, grad school, ministry plan. Your prayers would be appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

Nadine

As you are spring cleaning, I encourage you to help those in need by donating to your church or any other charity organization (and hey, it helps you clear out your clutter as well!).

A thank you from Yefrin

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 (and wife, Maybelline)

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. He also has special projects every quarter that require an extra $160.

Waleska's thank you

Good day to all the sponsors. I wish that all-powerful God would pour down many blessings upon you. I am very grateful to God and to you all for the kindness and goodwill that you have toward us. With the love of Christ I relay the following: I would like to tell you a little about my life. I live with my mother and my three sisters. Five years ago, my father separated from my mother. Then on December 28 he passed away. He never even remembered that we existed, not him or his family. My mother, in her poverty, has known how to press on. One year, she worked in a grocery store and other years she worked as a cleaning lady. She earns 1500 Lempiras per month (about $80). When she receives her pay, she buys us food. She also does little side jobs like washing clothes (by hand) and ironing. My little sisters are in school too. My younger sister is in 5th grade and the littlest is in 4th. My older brother is a preacher. He works and studies on the weekends too. I graduated from 6th grade last year and I hope that I will be able to take advantage of this help that you all are giving in order to come out ahead and to be the person that can help my family by obtaining a career in the university some day.
I hope to meet my sponsor very soon. I have conviction and the certainty that God is going to grant me this wish. Take notice that Trujillo is quite nice. It has a very beautiful bay (if you ever want to come visit, in other words!).
I would like to tell you that my whole family belongs to the Church of Christ. My brother preaches and my mom has been a member of the flock for 14 years. In the church, I am the children’s Bible class teacher. If you would like to help with the kids, call me.
My little sisters and I are following the same path that Christ has set forth. We hope and trust that God will never separate himself from us. Ok, I think I have told you some about my life. I hope to see you soon! Thank you!

Sincerely,

Elda Waleska Loza Contreras (12 years old)

Smile, Jesus loves you!

*Waleska is in her first year of high school, the US equivalent of 7th grade. She has maintained an 84% GPA. She has been teaching the children’s Bible class for a few years and is an exceptional young lady.

Update April 4, 2007

Culture shock is still a challenge, but the internet is helping to bridge the gap. I recently bought a (very inexpensive) webcam, so I can see the faces of my friends in Honduras. Technology never ceases to amaze me.

Also, two exciting things happened yesterday to help ease my unsettledness. I have been subbing in the morning for a kindergarten class and for a high school special ed math class in the afternoon. When I walked into the high school, a couple teachers asked me if I am going to apply for the middle school choir position. Surprised by the opening, I made some calls and they confirmed that the current teacher is moving to a different position. Today, I was asked to resume the position the Monday we return from spring break (April 16). Good news!

Near Craig and Stephanie, there has been an older home for sale for the past year. I have been wanting to see the inside for some time and, yesterday, I was finally able to. The owners are making a bunch of improvements, are willing to work with the new owners with regards to paint colors, and they are not asking any more for the house than they were last year. Stephanie and I were floored by their very reasonable asking price and I am very interested in the house. It will be finished in a couple of weeks and they will call me for a formal showing. If the Lords wills it, I would love to own that house. Oh the possiblities...my first thought is to rent to those interested in urban ministry...

I am heading up north tomorrow to spend 10 days with my family. The extended time will be nice as I am usually only able to go for short weekend trips.

I would like to encourage you to check out Waleska's thank you letter if you haven't already.

*Waleska is in her first year of high school, the US equivalent of 7th grade. She has maintained an 84% GPA. She has been teaching the children’s Bible class for a few years and is an exceptional young lady.

If you are interested in helping with the children’s Bible class (materials, etc.), please let me know. When I asked Waleska if she could have anything for her class what would it be, she humbly said, “Chalk, stickers, children’s books, pens, pencils,” and so on. She is very humble and very practical.

I also have recently been requested to send song books and Bibles, both for the existing church and for people they are evangelizing. You may be hearing more about this as the date of my return trip approaches.

God bless you all!

Nadine