We finished 2008 and started 2009 in the states. While there we were blessed to be able to spend time in Fairview Heights with our home church. They are amazing! We could not have a more loving and supporting family. I was able to speak at both Sunday School and during worship.
While in Fairview Heights, I was able to meet with friends that had access to a mobile medical clinic. It is one that is built on the chassis of bus similar to those used for rent car shuttles. It is in excellent condition and we were offered the bus as a gift. Of course we accepted and we will be working to transport the vehicle to Honduras prior to the many groups working here during the summer months. In addition to summer usage, we will partner with Baxter's clinic. The Baxter institute has an ongoing clinic operation that utilizes the resources of doc's from a medical school in VA. They will be able to use the clinic in many of the remote clinics that they tie in with remote churches. It is a perfect partnership.
From IL we travelled back down to Arkansas where our son in law graduated from Harding. As soon as graduation ended we were on our way to Kansas to meet with the Overland Park Church. They had contacted me and asked me to speak to them about short term missions. This is a church of about 800 and their college plus group had been looking for a mission opportunity. This group will be joining the team from Topeka in the summer of 2009 and it looks like they will have about 30 travelling to Honduras for the first time. The total KS Torch team will be about 50 to 60 strong and this is only the second year. Pretty amazing & very exciting!
On the same Sunday we were blessed to be able to speak and meet with the Central Church in Topeka. They are very excited to be coming back to Honduras in 2009 and we are blessed once again with the family there. The Topeka team formed because one of the families there had been coming to Honduras with my large July team - they went back to Kansas and told them that they should ask me to come and speak. I was able to go and speak & preach in September of 2007 and the rest is history.
We left Kansas to spend Christmas with all of our family in Texas. While there, we were able to speak & preach in both Shamrock and Wheeler. Both of these are wonderful churches and we are again blessed because our amazing God has put them in our lives.
We ended our tour of churches in Gulfport, MS and headed back to Honduras on January 8th. We didn't arrive back in country until the 9th because our tickets required a "lay-over" at the Miami airport (landed 1:30 AM departed for Tegucigalpa 10:00 AM).
We had to hit the ground running as there was much to catch up on.
On the day we returned, our AIM'ers told us that they had decided to return to the states. There were some issues within the team that they needed to resolve and they are in Lubbock working to regroup. Please pray for them.
Terri and I are continuing the Tegucigalpa dump ministry. We make about 350 bologna sandwiches a week, we buy about 100 pounds of bananas, and 10 gallons of water to share with the hungry people - men, women, and precious children - every Wednesday. We are blessed when we are able to share this work with others and in January we were able to team up one Wednesday with Karen (director of Casa), her mom and a friend from Ohio. Yesterday we shared the work with a group of ladies from PA as well as a few other folks from here in Tegucigalpa.
In January we were able to build 3 houses for families. A container of medical supplies from Mississipi arrived and is already helping many many people that have needs. The crutches, wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, and many other goods were put to immediate use.
In January, we were able to spend time with a friend from California. Mandy works with a group of ladies from Danli. The ladies there assemble gift items for Mandy's business and it is exciting to see her work to get more women able to feed their families.
In January we were able to spend time with new friends from Texas. JB Roberts and Dan Carpenter were here to find out more about the work we do and to meet with a number of folks about the needs of Honduras. These gentlemen work with an organization called Hunger Plus as well as Rotary Clubs International. They have already shipped a container of medical supplies our way (should be in country today) and have plans to help us with many many projects. Once again, our Amazing God introduces us to amazing people.
In January we were diasppointed to lose the family that we had hired as house parents for Casa de Esperanza. The Montes' family made the decision to return to work as full time ministers and have moved south to work with a church there. Pray for God to deliver the families we need to help us care for the children here at Casa de Esperanza.
We are continuing our plans to plant churches in 2009. Santa Katerina - south of here has already given us land and we will be going there this weekend to survey and take some gifts to the kids there.
Once again, Terri and I want to thank you for your continued prayers, for your encouragement, and for your amazing support.
We love you,
Marc & Terri
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