Honduras Update..July 15, 2012

July 15, 2012 To the Saints that support our WIN-GS and SAMS ministry with prayers and financial offerings: Well, I got sidelined the other day so I pray that this will be more informative in what is going on here in Honduras and Tina will be adding her part from Australia where she is being Mom, Nana, and teacher. I had a skype date with Tina the other day (5 PM here is 9 AM there on the next day). I speak into the future and she speaks into the past and we are speaking to each other in the present. Don’t you just love modern communications???? I know I do and I love skype even when it’s not working too good as in the other day. Anyway, Tina asked me what I was going to be doing tomorrow (whenever that was) and I told her I didn’t know yet because it hadn’t gotten here yet!!! Well, folks, that seems to be life for me these days. I really don’t know from one day to the next what the Lord is going to have me doing or going. I’m helping with the English speaking congregation now on Sundays in the morning, but the afternoons are free for me to go to different congregations with the lay pastors. I enjoy doing that and it really does encourage the lay pastors as well as the congregations that I attend. I’m sure I’ve told you before the importance of just “showing up.” And that’s what I feel is so important here, just to show up. You see, each of us is a gift to the world. We are all uniquely packaged for the world. And you know, everybody loves to receive gifts!!!! But don’t get a big head or all puffed up! You my friend are a gift given by God for the glory of God!! And so, we just show up and let God do the work through us and in us for His glory. I still back in amazement at what the Lord is doing. He is giving me eyes to see. Eyes to see how some of you can help with the work that needs to be done down here. Some of you responded to my call for books for the science teacher and boy did that make her day! You see, I believe the Lord sent Tina and I here to be an encouragement to the teachers and staff to be all that God has called them to be. And I also believe that you are to help in this process, which you have already with your prayers and financial gifts. But your prayers are what is needed the most. St. Mary’s has lost many students over the past several years for one reason or another and she really does need at least 200 students to make things work out financially. I would like to help the clergy to have their children or grandchildren to receive grants to be able to attend St. Mary’s, but that will only be accomplished through the generosity of people like you asking your prayer group or study group to sponsor a child. I’m asking you to be advocates of children in Honduras to have a bilingual education for the betterment of the child, the Church, and the community. Just think, a group of 10 people giving $20.00 a month, can support a child for the year. Pray about it. See if you can get 9 other people to join you in supporting a child at St. Mary’s. You can do the math anyway you want to do it, but the more people involved the better because I know that when you give the money the prayers will be coming with it. Let me know what the Lord tells you on this. Ok, so that’s one. Here’s another opportunity to pray about. The school needs a massive paint job with some repairs and additions. You can bring a team down to paint the school which I would prefer, but if you want to just pay for it or chip in just let me know. I don’t have a price tag on that yet, but I will be bringing that to you shortly. At the moment, we are having the outlines being painted from monies given by a church in Maryland. The addition would be a roof over an area that is open now for the children to eat their lunches. We would need to add tables with benches as well. I’m hoping that we can get the boys from St. Mary’s Institute (part of the El Hogar Projects) to do that job since it is in their area of expertise and it would help to fund the Institute at the same time. We’ll see how that works out and I’ll let you know the price tag for it. The area as is now Architect’s rendition of Painting the outline at the school the area with a roof Another addition that needs to be done is to extend the roof line on our gym. It needs to be extended out about 3 feet on one side so that when it rains it won’t come into the gym and into the supply room that’s for the equipment. The Reverend Canon D. Joseph and Tina Rhodes 2280 Clematis Trail Sumter, SC 29150 joetina71@aol.com www.sams-usa.org www.win-gs.org www.smestegus.com 803-469-0720 011-504-977-15-431 SAMS-USA PO Box 399 Ambridge, PA 15003 You can also give to SAMS-USA using the following link: