Bibles and bananas?

As most of you know we have been attending the church in Mololoa. The church building itself is very nice, you do have to cross a small creek to climb up the vertical sidewalk to get to the church, but there is always a small helping hand outstretched to give you that little bit of balance you need when you are wobbling on a rock in the middle of the creek. My preferred footwear is usually a pair of boots or tennies with good traction. There is a small congregation of adults (about 7 not including us) and a large congregation of children(about 40 not including Randy). There are two Baxter students who teach the classes and lead the worship. We really enjoy attending church here and even though they only speak Spanish and our Spanish is still at a beginning beginner stage they make a great effort to write down all of the verses and much of their lessons on a dry erase board. It is easier to read Spanish than it is to speak or listen to. We have made copies of the songs they sing and can follow along pretty well. The people are kind and gracious and we feel that this is where God wants our family to be at this time.

The last three Saturdays Randy has decided that we need to be out in the community inviting people to church, praying with them, finding out about their physical needs and just trying to be an encouragement to them. So we decided to go door knocking. Well you might be asking yourself what in the world is Randy thinking. He doesn't speak Spanish and after, Hola! what is he going to do? Well he did what he needed to do to talk with the people, he found a translator. First he invited Jennifer Arnold to go with him and what a smart move on Randy's part. Jen has a true love of God and of People, put that together and you have the perfect person to go with you to talk to people about God. The second person that Randy ask to go with him came from a very unlikely source.

Fabiola, she is a young woman(19) who worked for the lawyer that is handling our residency and other legal matters for us. She speaks perfect English and has a very sweet disposition. Randy ask her if she went to church. She said no. Would she like to go with us and then have lunch? Sure. Well as we drove up to Mololoa she was very quite. She told us that she had never been to a place like this before. Yes she is Honduran and was raised here, but she was kept very sheltered from the poverty of her country. After Sunday school Randy ask her if she would go with him to check on a young boy who is having a very hard time with some anger issues and feeling deserted by his older brother who left to join a gang. So they went together to talk to Marvin. She had a wonderful way with him and the three of them had a long discussion before coming to the church. She had never been in houses like these before, she didn't realize how people had to live. She came back to church and then had lunch with us.

She called during the week and ask if she could go with Randy and Jen next week she also wanted to bring her sister and a friend. Randy was thrilled. Yes of course she could come we would pick her up Saturday morning. Oh, and could she come to church too?

What an amazing day. The Lord led them to the doors and they knocked. Fabiola is a wonderful translator and her little sister was a big help too. Because there were more people to help Randy and Jen split up. Jen went with some Baxter boys and Randy went with Fabiola. The people really seem to respond to Fabolia. Her Spanish is perfect and she is Honduran so I think that that helps make an instant connection.


Randy spoke to a man that had a daughter that we had found naked on the road about 3 years ago. We have often wondered about this child that was only a baby then. Paul had walked down the road a ways from the group building the house when the next thing we know he is calling Randy. We run to see what is the matter and find a baby crying, crawling down the road, naked. There was no one else anywhere around. Finally we found the father, he was working on the mountain and the baby had gotten away from him. We had never forgotten her and often wondered what had become of her after we left that year. We found her again. She is still with her father. She is painfully shy and I'm afraid still not that well cared for. Randy was able to talk to the Father and invited him to church. He was there on Sunday with his daughter.

There was a family of children that we have been very concerned about the last two weeks. We first met Franklin when he showed up at church and climbed on Katrina's lap. He was very dirty as were his clothes, two shirts that were too small and pants that are too big. We found out he has three sisters, all as uncared for as Franklin. Randy went to his home to check on things and found that his mother had left and the father was now trying to care for four young children and was not able to work. The poor man, Carlos, didn't have a clue as to how to take care of the children and to keep a job. We were able to set up an arrangement where a member of the church is watching his children while he works. We agreed to pay for his sitter for two months while he gets back on his feet. It was a huge help to both him and the lady watching his children. We have been checking on them and I am happy to say they look wonderful. The family has been attending church ever since we first talked to them and last Wednesday Carlos had Randy and the ministers from Baxter take him to be baptized. It is such a joy to see Franklin coming into church with his Father and sisters, clean and smiling now.

A large part of the day is dedicated to the children of course. There is always time to play ball, Randy is forever thinking up new games which involve a lot of running on the children's part.
And we have been buying bananas. Hundreds of bananas. The are very inexpensive and so Randy has been giving out bananas to all the children. You would not believe how fast these guys can peel and eat a banana. They always get a big grin on their faces when we pass them out.

We had five families come and visit the church this week past. That more than doubled the number of adults. We were so pleased to see the people that we have been talking to.

So I guess that we will continue to pass out bibles and bananas on Saturdays.