Yesterday was a different day then we had planned but that is how God works. It started out at 6:30 am with a phone call from my neighbor who had not been feeling well for several days. She was having a problem with her heart and needed us to take her to the emergency room. I immediately got dressed and went over. She said she felt faint. Upon her instructions, I gathered all kinds of supplies for her husband who had cancer and was on a feeding tube and chemo.Karl arrived shortly after and we took the half hour trip to the hospital in the city, not the one we serve at. They quickly checked her out and determined her heart was in  Arythemia. They put an IV in and told me they would keep her until 2:00 then give her an injection and send her home. She will need to come back in the morning for another injection and then hopefully they can regulate it with oral medication. At her request we took her husband back home as she was concerned about his feeding schedule. She had another friend that offered to bring her home. Once home I got her husband situated and went back to our house. Karl continued to paint and spackle. At 1:00 I went over to prepare medication and tube feed her husband. Then back home to wait for my neighbors call that she arrived home. At 4:00 the call came. I returned to their house at 5:30 with dinner for her and offered to tube feed her husband as she needed to rest. At first she said that would be nice but before I left said she said she could do it. I told her to call if she changed her mind. She was grateful for our help and the meal. Today at 8:30 am we will bring her back to the hospital for her injection. Karl hopes to finish the painting today. 

Good Morning from Honduras! We have arrived safe and sound. Already we have gotten groceries, picked up our car which was in the shop, fixed our bathroom sink, contacted a repairman to do some work we couldn’t do ourselves, got our internet up and running, got our phone chips, purchased a few necessities that had gotten destroyed in the heat or other ways as well as purchased paint to begin the much needed painting of the house. 

  After we finish painting the inside of the house which will take sometime, we need to look into getting our 22 year old car air conditioner fixed. It can be dangerous to drive with your windows down here not to mention with the windows up and the 45 minute trip to town, any groceries we have in the car are cooked when we get home! This is our only option right now. We would appreciate your prayers on this as we have paid and had it to several mechanics in the past few years but they can not seem to fix it to last longer than a month. Every year we need to get it repaired again. We are forever grateful to have this car here as cars in Honduras are extremely expensive and although we know eventually we will need a newer one, we are happy to keep this one as long as God allows us to continue to fix the issues that arise with it. 

  Our furniture is in route to Honduras. It should arrive within the next two weeks. We will be donating our old furniture to the boys home in Belfate.  

We give thanks to God and to you, our prayers partners and doners for being able to be obedient to what He has called us to do. You are a part of this ministry in every thing we do and we are extremely grateful for you. We continue to to pray for you and ask you keep us in your prayers also.

  Pokropmissions.com 

    We want to give Glory to God! Thank you for all who have donated for us to continue God’s work in Honduras.  

    This trip will be of a different nature for us. It is a start up trip to prepare for future longer trips. Many years ago God revealed to me that He wanted us to be in Honduras 6 months a year. Finally the time has come for us to do this. We will be shipping furniture down and setting up for being in Honduras longer, according to God’s plan. Our main purpose for this trip is to make contact with the ministries we will be working with in the future. This includes working part time at the hospital, Karl talking with a few pastors to see about evangelizing with them and Cindy talking with Lisa to see how she can help with her ministry. We have work that needs to be done on our house as well as our 22 year old car.  Please keep us in your prayers that we can disearn Gods plan for our future in Honduras as well as for our health and safety.

It has been somewhat of an exagusting few days. Praise God Marco is feeling better but the terrible twos has come out in him. He wants his own way, probably misses his mom, and has began to have temper tantrums like any normal almost two year old. On the other side of things, he has been calling me ma all the time, gives long hugs, and oh that contagious smile will melt your heart every time. 

   Lisa comes back today and I will leave here tomorrow spending the night in Roma with our friends Hoss and Lori. It is closer to the airport. Tomorrow I will need to go to the Tigo store and have my phone turned off and hopefully get to Marcos community one more time if we can.  

Reflecting on this trip is that I know for sure, it was God planed and not of my own doing. Everything fell into place and went well. Lisa needed a well deserved break as this ministry can be draining to oneself if you are not careful to take time out. Now I need to disearn and pray for God’s leading and direction from here. All I desire is to be obedient to Him. I pray He make HIS will very loud and clear to me and I will know my next step from here.I will for sure miss little Marco and being in this beautiful peaceful place. 

Leavimg is not something I look forward to although seeing my family is. It is grewling trip home being up almost 24 hours. My heart is broken in two..half here and half back with my family and friends. So hard to leave.

 I want to thank all of my supporters who prayed for me and made it financially possible for me to come.  

Thursday     

Lisa extended her stay in the states for 5 additional days. She will not return until the day before I come home. Today she asked if I could take another sick child. I asked how old? She said the same age as Marco. I inquired what is wrong with her? She replied, the same thing..malnourished, worms, diarrhea. I told her that Marco has been a bit difficult lately and with no gate at the cement steps, if the wooden back door is open he heads for his little pool, and he does not have many toys so wants to play with the cups, brooms , etc. if this other little one has anything contagious which worms are, Marco is sure to get it. By myself in a non child proof home, I simply did not feel I was able to do it. Once again confirms the need for this entire malnutrition community with no clean water. Child by child we can care for them but if they have no food when returning it solves nothing but a temporary fix. Please keep this community and these babies in your prayers.

Sometimes, I speak too soon. Marco started wheezing again tonight but I believe it is just asthma not pneumonia or anything else. We did a breathing treatment and he seemed fine all night into the morning. He is full of energy. 

This morning he woke up not wheezing but his constant on the go brought it on again so we did another breathing treatment. Those of you that have asthma know this is common, those of you that have little ones know how active they can be and the combination can be a challenge.  

Back to this again

keeping him still can be a challenge 

Tuesday    

Praise God, Marco continues to get better and is back to normal as far as being sick. Of course the malnutrition takes much longer before effects can be seen. The doctor said at least 6 month of good nutrition and care before the damage from the malnutrition can be repaired. He appears to be a normal active toddler at this point. His mom is asking for him to come home. The difficult part is once he goes home back with poor nutrition he will not continue to thrive. We need a long term plan for these kids. We do what we can to help the situation when they are in crisis but a long term plan of good nutrition and proper care is essential. 

Sunday

  Up at 4:30. Did not sleep well. Made my coffee and on the second cup when I went to pick up Marco, somehow my mug full to the top with coffee and the glass coaster, fell off the night stand and both broke! After cleaning that up, I started with diarrhea. I remembered I forgot to soak my mango and cantaloupe in white vinegar before cutting. The boys were showing me how a Honduran cuts a mango. Not sure if that’s what did it or if I caught something from Marco as he had it yesterday. 

Since there is no way for me to get to church, I put on praise music in Spanish and teach Marco to raise his hands and give praise to God.  

 I don’t think I’ll ever get use to these cold showers and that will be a welcome treat when I get home...if I come home! It has been an enjoyable trip and the Lord is teaching me so much. I miss my family and friends but my days are full and don’t often leave much time to think about it. So very grateful for all who are praying for me and all who have supported me through this journey that God has sent me on. What a joy it is to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Saturday    

Marco took a long nap and I spent all most all day doing bible study. It was so refreshing. I was grateful to be able to spend this time with the Lord. He is teaching me so much. Did some laundry and made dinner.  

Friday

Yesterday other than feeding and taking care of Marco,along with a little laundry, I spent most of my day in God’s word, listening and praying, and dissearning.  

Today and most days, are laundry day. I am doing sheets today since it is nice out, they should dry quickly.  

I made banana scrambled eggs today..well they were suppose to be pancakes but between the gas stove I’m not use to and the frying pan here, they turned out to be eggs! Marco didn’t like them..but when I mixed some beans and tortillas with them he ate a little.  

Time  to study God’s word while Marco naps and the laundry dries. 

On our walks,he likes to pick up rocks!