Changes

 Greetings,

I got back home to Honduras on the 15th of August.  When I arrived with all my bags of new school shoes for the girls. With some creative packing I didn't have to pay for another bag, but I did have to explain to the suspicious customs agent why I needed 23 pairs of children's shoes. Rosa had sent me a ministry letter to receive the shoes, but it was in my phone, and I need to get it printed off next time. Rosa came to pick me up in a rented truck that had a driver,at the San Pedro Sula airport.  It was so great to see her.  It took the whole 3 1/2 hour ride just to catch up on all the news of the girls for the 21 days I was in the United States. I really enjoyed my time in the States, but it was great to be in Honduras once more.  

The theme for my trip was about change.  I left with one of our girls Mary.  She had been in St. Louis Missouri living with her host family, the Duralls for the last two years attending and then graduating from a Christian High School.  She had come home for the summer and worked like a trojan helping me with the teams and the girls, but she was going back as a Trojan to Hannibal La Grange University in Missouri. She received a soccer and an academic scholarship to attend this wonderful school. She is going to be in a season of change with living 3 hours away from her host family and on her own at the University.  Exciting!

Our first stop was with one of my daughters that lives in Tomball, Texas, close to Houston.  Since moving from Honduras to the United States, she has been going through a lot of changes in living and working in the United States.  I had never met her new extended family and I was thankful that she lives in a lovely area out in the country. She and her husband drove us down to New Braunsfels, Texas so that I could attend a training seminar to become a commissioned missionary. I met a lot of their wonderfully dedicated staff with the World Indigenous Missions Organization.  WIM is a missionary training and church planting agency that help keep missionaries on the field. They are a huge resource for missionaries, through their love, member care programs, and continual education to help keep missionaries on the field.  I thought I was there for training and support of a fellow missionary, Kelsey McHugh, but while I was there, I learned a lot and God showed me there was going to be a changes going on with our Such Is the Kingdom Ministry also.  

I have a wonderful board here in Honduras and one in the United States.  We truly love one another and they have loved this mission, our girls and our community. 

I am thankful that they will all continue to have their hearts and continue to serve in one capacity or another.  Basically, I will still be the Director and President of the Honduran mission, Ministerio Asi Es El Reino.  I will also continue to be a board member of the "parent" ministry of SIKM INC, but I am now a part of the World Indigenous Missionary family #293. I will be sending out newsletters from WIM organization, writing about the girls and the journey that God has had us on for more than 22 years now.  I am supposed to limit myself to 400 words, which as many of you know, I have never done that in newsletters or in verbal conversation, but again, change is coming.  If you want to donate to the SIKM, great.  Send your donation to SIKM 628 DOERUN, GA 31744. If you want to donate to SIKM through WIM, great there will be an envelope. It all goes to the mission of the girls and the community as usual, outside of 10%(which we would tithe anyway) will go to WIM (unless it is a designated project or purchase related to ministry) and you will still receive a receipt of donation, either way for now. 

My next stop was Atlanta, to be with my other daughter.  She was having her second child and this time is was a girl.  I got to be with my family and extended family for this joyous time. This is the first girl for them and their times are about to change.  During this reunion, my baby girl came and picked me up and drove me all the way home to Valdosta.  We talked like we hadn't talk in forever, because we were isolated in the car for a long time with no interruptions.  It was great.  I think I might start road trips just so that I can have that personal one on one time with each family member.  I went to my grandsons birthday party in Tallahassee and got to see and be with all my grandkids.  I am blessed.

My dad is 84 now. When I come home, I come to check in with him.  I think how can he be 84? Then I remember I am 62 in two days and it becomes clearer.  He was given a different room at his care facility and I wanted to see him and make sure he was doing okay with the change. He was fine with it.  He had made new friends and I really couldn't see any change much in his accommodations.  We had some adventures together, went out to eat and visited with family. I did notice little changes though, in some areas. He shuffles a little more, and when we were on our last outing with family, he seemed anxious to be back to his familiar environment.  I am thankful that he is still a healthy older gentleman without a lot of serious health issues.  Please pray for my Dad. 

 As all these changes are coming about in my life and the life of the ministry I am amazed how God is answering so many of my questions about my life and the life of SIKM.  While I was in my church, and I wasn't even thinking about the ministry at that moment. I was listening to the sermon and God gave me a sweet reminder that "The Kingdom" is His and not mine. I just want to thank you all for so much help this year.                          

Thank you for all your prayers and support. Through buying the girls coffee, and through sponsorships, we have been able to keep the girls in a school that everyone of them love.  Because of your prayers we are working with other ministries in our area. George and Kara are leading the church and their ministry is to train indigenous pastors and plant churches.  Jake and Rachael are the directors of the bi-lingual school and they are a huge help with our girls.  We have a whole new group of teachers from the United States who also live at our mission, who are loving on our girls. Jon and Alicia Looney are also ministering mightily in our area. Wesley and Suzanne have their first boy at our boys home, House of Nain, who also attends the bi-lingual school. 

   Again so many exciting things changing in the Kingdom.  I pray that getting more of God continues to be the only thing you really need.  Blessings from the ever-changing Honduran MOM