Dear Mr. _________(I do not know if you want your name mentioned and so as not to offend you, but still let everyone see the generosity of our brothers and sisters in Christ I wanted to put this letter on our blog)The spirit of the world says we should take credit or be acknowledged for every good thing we do to serve God and other people. But God says the motivation for our service shouldn't be honor; it should be love---love for God and love for others. (Shine)

We wanted to send you a special thank you for you generosity in providing the funds to provide a home for a truly needy family here in Honduras. Many people can not even imagine the plight of the people here and many people chose to ignore it. You however not only realized the need but took your time and resources to bless a family here with a beautiful new home.

Now when you think of a mansion I am sure that it does not resemble a wooden box. Over here we built a mansion. Yes it was made of wood on a small plot of rocky ground. Yes it is only one room. It has one door and one window. The roof is made of tin. And the wooden floor keeps them out of the bacteria filled dirt. I know that it kind of sounds like a shed. But one man's shed is truly another man's castle. This house it built not only with wood and nails, but with love, generosity, prayers and faith. It is secure and well built, it will not leak or flood in the rainy season. The cold winds are kept at bay by tightly fitted wood siding. It is a fine house, which is made into a fine home by the family that will be living there….

praised God. She is a very hard worker and has graduated from food preparation, cleaning and taking care of the kids to cooking. She was so proud to serve the rice that she cooked for the first time last week. Xiomara, she is 21, looking at her I would guess 30. Life has been pretty hard on her. I admire her and the way she keeps her faith as strong as she does. She has a young son, Alexander, and he is the cutest little guy. I love talking with him. He is so serious and yet has that little sparkle in his eye. He loves little cars and big tractors. Xiomara is the lady that had been kicked out of her house the day that we told them about being hired as full time workers. She is the one whoShe works in with us at The Manna Project. She feels that it is a great work and a great way to reach out to people. Her salary is $75.00 aXiomara.
month. She had borrowed ten dollars from someone a while back and out of her first paycheck of about $18.00 she immediately repaid the loan in full even though it left her with only with $8.00 for the next two weeks. (We pay every two weeks; she had only been hired one week of the two week pay period). I know many people who would have paid a little and promised more later because it would be easier on them, but not
We told her a couple of days before we were going to build the house that someone had donated the money for us to help her. She was shocked. She began to clear the land and make it ready. We showed up on Saturday and built her what she considers a mansion. Several people showed up to volunteer to do the labor. Randy, Katrina, our friend and fellow worker with the Manna Project, Jennifer, several teenage boys,Marc and Lori, a couple of friends from the states, made up the work crew. It was a hard site to get to and we had to carry the wood a long ways. I am always amazed at the strength the young boys have. I enjoy working on the walls and floor. I refuse to get on the roof. And digging the holes is the worst job. There is so much rock. And it never fails that there will be a giant rock right where you want to put a corner pole! The work is hard, but the rewards are great.

She loves her home. And that is what she has made it, a home for her and Alexander. Last week she invited all the women in the kitchen into her home to dedicate her house to be a godly home. Everyone arrived to pray with her. Afterward she had small plastic wineglasses that she filled with banana soda and had some store bought cookies, what a party. Everyone loves Xiomara and she is a wonderful example in thankfulness.

The other day someone said that they didn't believe in God. Xiomara ask how could they not, she told them how God has always been there for her and answered her prayers, maybe not today or tomorrow, it may even be a year from now but he always answers her needs. Would I have that same faith if I had been in in her shoes? Looking through trash for food, having no place to live, a young child to care for, and no real possibilities to change my life? I would like to think so but I just don't know.

Mr. ________ you allowed God to use you to answer Xiomara prayers. We thank you and Xiomara and her family thank you. It has been a wet, cold couple of days and thanks to you Xiomara and Alexander are safe, warm and dry in their new home.

God bless and keep you.

While this is a letter to thank a specific person could you not fill your name in the blank? Not just for a house, for buying food that the Manna Project desperately needs, school supplies, and coming soon a free daycare/preschool/afterschool program. Could you not come and help with the physical side of the work when someone who could not come donates the funds? Could you not come and help with the spiritual side of this ministry? Praying with people, home bible studies, devotionals for women, VBS, Sunday school, Prayer meetings the field is ripe the harvesters are few.

Open your heart to the call.