Mike's Blessing Doubled

When all this started coming together for Mike and how he had his sewer man coming down to help him, Mr. Rodd.  Well this not only made Mike happy but Pastor Carlos was escastic when he found out Mr. Rodd was coming to work with him for a week.  Pastor Carlos knew he was in good hands with these two by his side.  But these two also can get in mischief together too.  So we all had to be aware of their every move working or not working.  Also I shared with Brooks learn a lot from these two but be selective what you learn.  All joking aside Mike was so joyful this week with a very special friend God placed in his life four years ago.  Who would of thought God made two Mikes on this earth but he did.  These two work so well together and know what the other is thinking before they speak.  They do not get together a lot but when they do they pick right up where they left off the last go around, as Mr. Rodd would say, "Shut your mouth," when he gets excited about something  amazing which is about to take place, like a grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich which he ate two of on Sunday night for dinner.  Thank you God for putting Mr. Rodd and Pastor Carlos in our lives.  we are forever blessed.

Some Spoiled Men

Each afternoon around two or so Pastor Carlos will start looking towards the kitchen asking where the hot coffee was for the afternoon.  Each day Meida would go and bring back a tray of very good coffee.  These ladies put very little sugar in their coffee which makes it quiet delicious.  Mike shared some rosquillas one day while having their coffee.  This little treat was just enough to give them a jump start back up for the rest of their day's work.  They sit under this huge shade tree laughing and talking about what else needed to be done for this day they were working around.  We all could learn from the Hondurans how to  relax and reflect on the moment, to be still and be in HIS Presence.  Just be still.  Can we as North Americans be still and listen to God's sweet voice and enjoy being in HIS Presence as our friends here inn Honduras do.

One of Rodd's Many Jobs

Mr. Rodd had many jobs but one of most important was cutting the blocks just the right way for Pastor Carlos and Mike.  He had to jefes to answer to.  Mike over there giving Rodd orders on how he wanted the special blocks cut.  As I was sitting there one day I watched Rodd come look at a block not once but three times going back and forth talking it over or checking out exactly what Pastor Carlos was wanting from him.  Rodd did not want to mess up the special orders for Pastor Carlos.  Praise God Pastor Carlos can speak English some now," Rodd, channel four, Rodd channel eight" said Pastor Carlos.  I was laughing as I was also helping fill joints this week on how grateful for Pastor Carlos' English for Rodd's sake anyways.  Also Rodd was helping Mike with the plumbing and helped Betty Lynn and Brooks lay blocks.  He was all over the place.  So I put Meida in charge of his hydration needs because he would not slow down long enough to go get water.  WE needed him all week steady working with all his many skills.  This mini team all worked the same way.  Rodd shared one evening not to boast about Betty Lynn but she worked hard as any one out on that project and there was not anything she would not do to help move this structure to completion.  Well you already know how he feels about his roomie, Brooks.  They were a team from the minute they met.  God ordained this mini team to completion.  Thank you God for each one of these sweet servants.

Betty Lynn and Meida Got Promoted

As the second day progressed into the afternoon there was a project which needed to be done for Monday.  So Meida volunteered to learn a new trade so the men could keep laying block.  Betty Lynn came over for a water break and decided to stay and learn a new trade along side of Meida.  They were forming the metal squares for the rebar columns for Monday to go horizontally in the frame of the structure.  Alexis was very kind to teach Meida how to do this as Meida worked diligently on this for project for quiet some time.  Then Betty Lynn came along wanting to learn how and she helped for a while.  All in all the metal squares got completed for the time being.

Our Four Legged Friends

Our new member just turned two weeks old and is becoming such a joy to have around each and everyday.  Carolina is the best mother to our little man, Titone which is what our staff has finally named him and he actually answers to his name very well.  We had a vicious thunderstorm on Sunday afternoon and once the rain ceased Titone took off running through the field kicking up his back legs enjoying the coolness of his day.  It was like he was thanking God for the rain showers and the coolness afterwards, it felt so good as he showed us all by his actions.  And of course there is our guard dogs who are simply amazing who everyone still loves and our little Lassie is trying so hard to be Titone's friend because there truly is not much difference in their sizes right now anyways.  Carolina seems to have received Lassie into their fold.  Thank you God for providing us your creation for love and entertainment.

Many Uses

The Multi Purpose building serves many purposes.  One of course is breaking bread or in this case a rosquilla, which is a hard shell cheese base cookie which our Hondurans friends love and Brooks too.  Pastor Carlos was having an appetizer before he was interrupted by Mike wanting Rudy's help on something needed for this project.  Meanwhile Rodd was in the kitchen hard at work cooking bacon, eggs and grits which Rodd did each morning for his team and Honduran friends.  Pastor Carlos was polite and ate a spoon full of grits each morning with his friend Rodd who always makes Pastor Carlos smile no matter what the situation.  They are a special pair together.

Betty Lynn was  making sandwich until we found out they were feeding all workers on the bathroom daily along with the police who live there.  So Betty Lynn got blessed this time around.  So she helped Brooks make up the coolers daily for the job site.  This week was an unique all the way around, just simply and easy for all involved.  We were all doubly blessed in many ways.

Thanks be to God.

Manual Came to Serve

Manual had come out to help on Saturday morning.  He had pulled an all night shift of security guard because our other security guard, Rudy had a death in his family.  Manual with his sweet spirit and jolly personality got up there with Mike and worked hard filling the columns.  He stayed a couple of hours to get this project completed and off he went to get some sleep before pulling another all nighter keeping us safe on Mt. Horeb.  We are forever blessed.

Along Came Mike and Rodd

Mike came by where they had set up blocks to set the rebar on to make the cages for the horizontal columns.  He added two more blocks on each stack to help support Cristobal and the policeman who was helping him.  Pastor Carlos was sitting making the ties to go around each square Meida was making over to their right.  Then Betty Lynn came back around to help  with the cages.  She observed Cristobal and started making the squares into the rebar with the wires Pastor Carlos was cutting up in his little corner.  All this was going on around and under the shade tree.  While some blocks and joints were being put up and filled in on the project. 

Along comes Rodd wanting to learn to do what Meida was doing, making the squares to go over the rebar.  Meida now teaches Rodd how this is done.  So Meida came and sit down to chat with me while Rodd worked hard on making a perfect square.  Well he was doing a really great job until Meida and I started talking about him and he was being too nosey and was not paying attention to his squares and he actually messed up two of them.  One to the point of no return.j  But the very last one he messed up I said "Rodd we may need this one and if they do not have enough it will be mine and your fault so please get this metal into a perfect square."  He laughed and said well then "Quit talking about me and to me so I can focus."  We laughed so hard that Yobina looked down at us and smiled as if knew exactly what was happening.  So I got quiet and Rodd completed is new job duty.  He did not get promoted to square maker like Meida did though.  You have to be able to multi task Rodd :)

Mean while the perfect squares were going up on the rebar by everyone who could help.  Mike helped a lot by lifting up the blocks to spare some folks back.  Betty Lynn found a new trade tying off the squares around the rebar.  Betty Lynn hung right in there beside Pastor Carlos, Cristobal and the police officer who was volunteering his time for his bathroom facility. There was so much activity going on to get these horizontal columns to completion for Monday so then they can be poured and help the structure of this building stand more secure.  Many jobs well done friends.  Thank you so much.  Every job is so important when we are serving the Lord.

Turkey for Supper

Before the mini team arrived Mike and Rodd had discussed killing the biggest turkey for dinner one evening.  We have chickens, lots of chickens, ducks and five turkeys.  One of the turkeys looked larger than he was and he was the one chosen for dinner one evening.  Rudy, Alexia and Martha killed the turkey and cleaned it before Rodd and Mike got back to Mount Horeb. Rodd created a special rub to go on the turkey.  Mike and Rodd started a fire on the outside stove and put a huge pot of grease on the open fire. They stood there together and held Mr. Turkey in place as they deep fired him.  We all sat around watching as we were so excited to have turkey for dinner.  Maritza prepared rice and vegetables to go along with our special dinner.  Well let me simply say Mr. Turkey was not as tender as he looked. We have never laughed so hard in our entire lives as we did at dinner this evening.  I have never seen Pastor Carlos laugh so hard as Pastor Benjamin and Pastor Carlos were both struggling chewing their turkey legs.  It was the toughest meat Pastor Carlos said he had ever ate.  But Rodd shared with me as I was the last one to go through the line just take the rack of turkey left and get the meat off of it.  That part of the turkey was actually very tasty and a little bit more tender than what every one else was eating.  So Mr. Turkey had some tender spots on him after all.  The fellowship was better by far than our meal this evening.  Grateful for a very flexible mini team.  God is good all the time and all the time God is good.

We Added A New Team Member

God blessed Mike and I as we were blessed with our daughter arriving on the third day of the project for the mini team.  Allyson led the devotion for us the first evening she was with her friends.  She already knew Rodd and Betty Lynn.  But she met a new friend, Daniel Brooks, "DB".  Allyson helped her friends with their job duties and helped them on the job site the fifth morning of project.  She was able to see the progression the mini team had made in four days and enjoyed her short time with her friends.

Off To Work

Several times during the project the policemen around fifty would head out to a "mission" which is what they call going to a protests down here.  The men in this picture do not stay here normally so there was around ninety men there this week with no bathroom facility.  The police who normally stay there continue their work load while these guys who are trained especially for protests, etc were there to serve their people.  Each time they geared up to go out to break up the protests the team always prayed over them.  The protests are coming from increased light bills, high fuel bills and bus rides going up.  There is really no danger in these protests.  The police go for crowd control and to make sure the protests do not get out of line.

Betty Lynn and Brooks

When Betty Lynn's team got cancelled she still wanted to come.  She contacted me asking if she could still come and bring a friend.  I said of course.  I told her we turned this week into a special project, building bathrooms for the police check point.  I told her we were hiring our staff to do the work along beside Mike and Pastor Carlos.  Then Mike needed a sewer man which he called his friend Rodd.  Betty Lynn said there is a young man who has always wanted to go on an international mission trip and who is studying criminal justice in school.  I said perfect bring him along.  God blessed us with this humble, quiet, gentle giant named Brooks.  He was so awesome on the project and off of the project.  Actually he was a huge blessing to all the older men on this team. Rodd told him everyday "I thank God for you."  Brooks continue in the direction you're going and God will truly bless you one day.  You were a breath of fresh air this week.  We have actually had some amazing young people come down here this year.  The young people are our future, you know.  We are grateful for godly young people who come here and serve beside us.  Betty Lynn you worked so hard and never walked away from a challenge.  Rodd shared one night not to boast about Betty Lynn but to share how she gave it her all for the Lord and there was not a task too big for you to try.  Betty Lynn was having some small health issues and did not let this stop her.  She told Satan to get behind her because she was going to Honduras.  God truly put this mini team together and God always does an amazing job if we only allow HIM to do HIS WORK.  All God's people said, "AMEN".

Thank You

We did not finish building the bathrooms but built some amazing relationship which will last us all a lifetime.  The mini team, Honduran staff and the policemen worked very hard as a team this week.  Each day two policemen worked on their bathrooms along side the mini team and our Honduran staff.  It was beautiful how God orchestrated this project long before we did.  These men dressed so nicely above bathe, go to the bathroom, brush their teeth and wash their clothes outside.  Rodd made an amazing observation one day, people driving by and being stopped up on the main road can see all that goes on around the pilla.  These gentlemen have not any privacy for their bathroom time.  Today was a beginning of a huge and exciting time for all forty plus of them.  Pastor Pedro who has been going almost one year to share God's Word each Thursday in the small fly infested cafeteria spoke first to each of them standing there and thanked the mini team for coming down to help with the bathroom project.  The assistant chief spoke a few words of gratitude.  Rodd and Betty Lynn shared as well thanking them for the privilege to work with them this past week. One lady in the kitchen came over for the dedication and we all thanked her for delicious meals each day for lunch and that very special up of coffee in the afternoon. Pastor Carlos closed in prayer.  Mike shared how we will continue coming and working to finish the bathrooms for them and everyone hugged and said their good byes.  This was a very bittersweet day for all of us.