A great big thank you to some really sweet little ones who did a really sweet thing.

Here while back the South Carolina group, Palmetto church of Christ had a spaghetti dinner fund raiser for the Manna Project. See the blog "When was the last time you slurped a noodle?". It was such a huge blessing as we were wondering where our funds were going to come from for the next month when as always God provided.

While the group had the spaghetti dinner the little ones in the church, Palmetto Kidz, had a bake sale. Yep my favorite part of any fund raiser is the bake sale. The children were able to raise $70.00 to send down here to help with the supplies and needs of our Sunday school class. This is not the first time they have come to our aid, after our printer was attacked by giant printer eating ants (they got two of them) they were kind enough to send the money to replace it.

What a great way to involve the children in reaching out and spreading the gospel to other children. They are truly getting a head start on being mission minded and hearted. After a bit of thought Jen and I decided to spend the money on getting electricity to the classroom. At this time we have no lights and when it is cloudy it is very hard to see and if it is cold or rainy we have to shut the windows and then it is down right dark.


So we just want to send out our thanks to the Palmetto Kidz for helping bring the light to Honduras in more than one way.



This same group of children heard the call of Kool-aid. In the kitchen we go through about 20 packs a day. It is only about $.10 a pack in the states and it is $.25 over here. So by sending it over in the container or bringing it in your luggage it is like getting more than double our moneys worth. So we ask for Kool-aid.

They decided to collect packs of Kool-aid in the month of March. These guys were able to bring in 430 packs. I figure that saved us over $60.00!


They really came to our AID in a COOL way.

We think you guys are a great example of how anyone of any age can help reach out to others to meet physical and spiritual needs. We are very proud of you and send out a great big THANK YOU for all of your hard work (a special thanks to the parents too, as a Mom I know that those cookies don’t magically appear and a special trip was made down the Kool-aid isle at the grocery, you are setting a terrific example for your children and helping them to see the needs of others and to help meet those needs).



Our children will be saying a special pray for all of you this Sunday morning.

Have you ever thanked God for locking your Keys in the car?

I can pretty much guarantee that we have all done it, but I bet that very few people will ever be as grateful as I am for leaving the keys lying on the seat.

Now when it happened I can honestly say that I was not happy, if fact the word frustrated comes to mind.

We had just finished our weekly food shopping for the kitchen. We had gotten up at 5:15 to leave the house at 6:00. All of the above mentioned times are followed by the letters A.M. As anyone who knows me at all would testify mornings are just not my thing. We have to get to the market so early to get the freshest produce. Yes, it is a giant pain but I love knowing our little ones are eating the best food that we can provide for them. This morning we also had a guest shopper. Jen Wright from Casa was checking out the market to compare quality and prices on a number of things.

We had arrived and we had shopped. We were loading the truck and preparing to head to the deli for the meat when Evilyn told us she had locked the keys in the truck.

Well Jen’s truck was not to be broken into by armatures and I can assure everyone by our feeble attempts that we are all armatures. So I get the task of calling Randy to go and get the spare keys. As any wife will tell you you never want to call your husband and say the keys are in the car and it is locked. It never goes real well (voice of experience, I miss AAA) I love the question, “Why did you do that? or What were you thinking?” “I don’t know, maybe because I enjoy these little phone conversations? ” Randy was all the way in Mololoa and had to drive up to the house and then back down to the market. It took about an hour and a half. Jen W. had her truck and we made a trip to the Deli so it wasn’t a total waste of time. We got everything we needed (including the keys) loaded up and headed to the kitchen.

When we get there we carry it all to the kitchen. I was putting up some food when Claudia (a very young mother of two) came up to me. She looked stressed and tired; she was holding her youngest in her arms, two month old Jeremiah. He is a very tiny little boy with the sweetest little face. I ask her how she was and she said she was bad. I ask her why?

She said, “I need you to help me, my baby is dieing.” Tears started to roll down her face.

I ask what was wrong and I looked at the little guy. He looked horrible, his skin was a sickly yellow color, black circles under his eyes and his head was just lolling to the side. She told me he was ill and had not eaten in three days. This baby was only four pounds at birth and he hasn’t gained much since. He is so tiny and he was so listless I knew we had to go to the hospital right away. He tried to cry and was so weak that he sounded like a little kitty meowing.

We race to the emergency room and I took her inside. At the hospitals here you spend more time waiting in line for papers to see the doctor than you do seeing the doctor. It takes forever to see anyone. We went up to a man and he asks where she was from and what was wrong so he could direct us to the proper line. He looked up and saw the baby; he grabbed us and rushed us to the back room. A doctor came running took the baby from the nurse who said,
“This baby is almost dead.”

Claudia fell apart, she began to cry and shake all over. They started to work on the baby who was hysterical. Claudia could not comfort the little guy at all. I was standing next to her trying to hold her up and we were standing at the baby’s head. I was talking to him and lifting him up in prayer. I was so frightened I could not even think of the words to pray and just kept thinking Jesus knows what my heart wants to say, what my mind could not put into words.

The doctor had someone come to draw blood and start an I.V. He could not find any veins because he was so little and so dehydrated. He poked his little hand and the baby tried to cry and jerked his whole little body. It was so pitiful. After the blood he tried to start an I.V. it was horrible. First of all those are big needles. I know that have special needles for little bitty babies but I don’t think they have them here. He cleaned his foot, wrapped a rubber glove around his tiny leg and tried his foot. I had to hold is other foot down while he was poking around. I was speaking to the little guy and rubbing his little head; he was watching me with pain filled eyes and making those little meowing sounds. My heart broke a million times. No luck on the first foot or the second, he tried a hand and then back to the foot. Finally the left hand had a vein he could use. I thanked God. I know it had to be done, but holding that fragile little body to be poked again and again made me feel horrible. I was sick at my stomach and sick in my heart.

He began to get fluids and started looking better right away. Claudia began to calm down and stayed with the baby while I had to go pay for the blood test (5 limps $.25, yes the . is supposed to be there), deliver the blood to the lab and then go and look through all for the papers to find his results. Next I delivered them to the doctor. (I will tell you about the hospital later) I sent Katrina with a friend to buy diapers and wipes for Jeremiah because you have to supply all of your babies needs or they will not be taken care of and Claudia did not have the money for the doctor much less diapers.

After about three hours of being watched in the ER he was sent to another “baby ER” room with about 4 others. He was to be admitted and test run. He was already much better looking. I bought some food to leave with the mother, and gave her about five dollars to have for a taxi to and from the hospital and for food for her other child (a one year old) that was with a neighbor, but needed food for the next day or so.

So I was picking up Randy when everything finally caught up to me and I began to cry. I was glad to have been there and glad to have helped, but it was really hard. I know that sometimes we are to be sacrificial in our giving and sometimes that hurts. This was a very pain filled day. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I started thinking how close we came to losing little Jeremiah. So very close. If the keys had not been locked in the car I would have left the church and hour or so earlier. That hour made the difference between life and death. So I feel very blessed to have been locked out of the car Saturday morning.

The container is getting ready to be shipped from Fl. at the end of this month. So if you haven't had a chance yet please look back at the "wish list" blog. The list is long but we figure you never know what someone has that they do not want or need anymore. So take a minute and read it, copy it and pass it on to neighbors, friends, co-worker and family. Don't forget to search you attics, stop by garage sales (you would be surprised at how often people will lower their price or just give you things when you tell them what they are for) goodwill and salvation army are great bargains. Tell people at businesses and they will often just give you promotional items. Please pack the items in cardboard boxes and label them with our name so we know what is what. We really need toddler and baby items. We have three babies under a year old at the kitchen and one small playpen. If you do not feel like shopping we have experienced shoppers willing and able to spend any donations.

Thank you all.

Building houses.

I tried to think of how many houses I have personally helped build. I do not have a clue, but as I was trying to think about it I started thinking of the families that were blessed with the houses. There are a few that really stick out in my mind.

On Tuesday we built a house thanks to the generosity of some very loving people in TN. They came here in December and were so touched by the people in Mololoa that they went home and began raising money to build houses. So they sent the funds and the building has begun.

Tuesday. The family that needed this home was in desperate need. I know that everyone here is in need and when I use to come for short periods of time I just saw that everyone was in need, but as I have discovered over time that there are some people over here that are in more dire circumstances than others.

When I finally think that I have seen the most desperate needs or the worst living conditions I can walk around the bend and be confronted with yet another family that is physically more in need than the last.

If I didn’t know that God was with me and that he is the one providing for the needs and I am only doing my Fathers work then I would truly feel hopeless in the overwhelming, never ending needs of the people here. But I do know that he is in control and I am glad.

Well back to the Tuesday house. Scraps of tin and cardboard cover two walls and pieces of material the other two, what little they had for a roof would not keep the sun or rain off of the family.

The man that lives there is a very kind person, he has been working to help build the wall at the church to keep us from washing away. He is so polite and thoughtful. If he sees me caring stuff he always comes to help. The other day I saw him help two little girls caring 5 gallon buckets of water to their house. He had just worked a full day caring rocks and concrete up the mountain, but when he saw these children with their heavy burden he put down his things and carried the water for them before going home.

He has been collecting bits and pieces of wood for his house, he has ask Randy to come and check that he is building it right several times, it was very touching for Randy. He wanted his opinion on the best way to use what little he had to shelter his family. Randy said that there was not much to use, but he had a positive attitude and just wanted Randy’s advice.

We decided that the best thing to do would be to surprise him. So he went off to work on Tuesday morning and the crew showed up to build him a new home. As you can imagine his wife and two little ones were so excited that they could not keep the face splitting grins to themselves and we found ourselves grinning back and picking up on their excitement. The house took minutes to tear down and the building began.

Jody, a great guy, and contractor from the Belrpi church of Christ in Ohio was here preparing for his group to come in and was eager to help with the construction. The house went very smooth. It is beautiful. Jody was able to make a set of stairs and a nice porch from the left over wood. The view from the window is awesome (I never cease to be amazed at the beauty of Gods creation that surrounds us). It was time to go and get the father.

I drove down to the church and told him that Randy need to talk to him about getting a house and about his land. Well as I drove him up the mountain he could not see anything from the back seat and where his property is located it was the perfect place for a surprise. I let him out a little before a curve that went up to his new house. He jumped out of the car and hurried up to talk to Randy. I know the minute he saw the house.

His feet stumbled and his arms hung limp at his sides. He began shaking his head back and forth in disbelieve. His hands came up to cover his face and then he leaned against the side of the truck and the most heart wrenching sobs began to shake his shoulders. The tears poured freely down his sun weathered cheeks and he continued to shake his head in disbelieve.

Can you imagine, leaving for work, saying good-bye to your wife and kids in a home made of other people’s trash and scrapes, pushing aside the sheet that serves as a wall and heading out. Maybe he looked back as he walked down the road, seeing the little building with the walls blowing in the wind praying he could provide a better home for his wife and children. And then coming home looking up and finding that his hopes and prayers were answered. He has a secure home for his family.

After several minutes of leaning against the truck Randy came down to him, He grabbed hold of Randy and the tears continued to roll as they hugged one other, celebrating the joy of his blessing.

His children ran down the path throwing themselves at him, talking a mile a minute about the gringos and their new house. He walked slowly up to his new home, his wife met him and they walked together to their house. He reached out and ran a calloused hand along the wood siding, covering his eyes with his shaking hand he tried to get himself together and almost succeeded and then he entered his new home, He spun around taking it all in, the children were running from wall to wall and his wife was crying and saying to the little ones, look at the roof, we will not be in the sun anymore, look at the floor, no more bugs and mud. Look, look, look

The husband looked and then went over to a corner bowed his head and cried and cried. These were tears of joy, tears of relief, tears of disbelief and tears of thankfulness and they ran freely down his face. He held his family close and they huddled together at the window admiring the view that God had provided, safe and secure in the home that he had provided.

It was a very emotional time for all of us and while I am use to the joy and excitement the emotions of relief and amazement were overwhelming. I pray that I never become so use to helping people that I can’t be amazed at the way the God reaches out to his children and gives and gives. That I fail to see the blessings that are provided for us everyday in so many ways. I know this man felt blessed by his new home and I know that each person that worked on that house was blessed by the tears that flowed down his face and the look of awe in his eyes. I bet when we see Jesus that we have a similar look in our eyes. A look of awe.

Thank you to all of the people who helped with this home. Many people were blessed because you freely gave.

When was the last time you slurped a noodle?

I know that adults are not suppose to suck up your spaghetti noodles and send sauce flying, but when it is for a good cause I say go for it. Slurp (is that a word? I know it is the sound a noodle makes when you suck it in) and then slurp a few more. We want to send a big thank you out to Palmetto church of Christ for slurping for the children of Mololoa. They held a spaghetti dinner fund raiser and raised enough money to cover over half of our monthly budget and since we are working on the faith that God will provide and meet all of our needs and not on a large bank account this was a huge blessing to us and to the children here.

Did you ever think that by eating a plate of spaghetti that you could bless a hungry child in Honduras? Well it is true. The group that we lovingly refer to as the South Carolina Crew put together a spaghetti fund raiser, had a great time I’m sure, and enabled us to continue the work here in Mololoa. Well in honor of their generosity and hard work I dedicate the following pictures of the children (and Jen) slurping some noodles.

Your thoughtfulness and generosity made this spaghetti dinner possible. What do you think about coming and fixing spaghetti with us on your trip in July? We would love to slurp with you. We can’t wait to see you all again and until we do know that we thank God for you and that you are in our prayers.

There was a family in Mololoa whose home caught fire. The family, father pregnant mother, six year old daughter and twin 2 year olds are all physically fine. Thank God.

But the fire literally destroyed everything that this family owned. A wooden house and an unattended candle led to the loss of all of their earthly possessions.

There is no fire department rushing to the rescue. No insurance claims to fill out. It is just gone. Everything. Gone.

The mother of the family came to us and ask if we had any clothes, anything at all that we could give her. She was bringing the children to the kitchen to eat. She was sleeping with her family on the bare lot where there house once stood. She doesn’t have clothes to wear, pots to cook in, and a blanket to cover up with.

We were able to gather her some basic necessities and Randy made a few phone calls. It was no time at all before he received word from Port Charlotte church of Christ that they had raised the money and had a check in the mail to replace her house.

I was so thankful to hear this. The church learned of a need and took action to see the need met. I don’t know why I continue to be surprised. I have seen time and again how my brothers and sisters in Christ will “step up to the plate”. I am continuously amazed at their generosity and love for people they have only heard about. I have found that people want to help. All we have to do is ask. Sometimes by not asking I believe that we are denying them the opportunity to put their faith into action.

Well let me tell you the action began here at once. The home site was not hard to clear; it had already been cleared thanks to the fire. I was amazed to see hinges and lock from the door just lying in the ashes. The crew was pretty slim this day. But we all worked with a good attitude and that makes such a difference. I know why the bible says not to grumble. A person’s attitude, even when faced with a hard task, can make the difference between doing a job and serving the Lord. When you keep your eyes focus on God and the people that you are helping in his name your load is lighter, you seem to have extra energy and you strive to do your best work.

I know that the woman was pleased. She wanted to help and even carried some wood up the mountain, but I was too fearful for her and the baby and ask her to help with something else or better yet rest. The jobsite was difficult to get the wood to, a narrow path on loose rocks up a steep incline with a sharp turn. I tell you flat Florida never seemed so beautiful as when I am facing an up hill climb on loose rocks with a piece of wood on my shoulder. Yes as usual I was “lapped” several times by the young guys, and yes they would carry three times the load. But perseverance is rewarded.

The house went up very fast and with no real problems. I guess everything gets smoother with practice, I will not say easier with practice because my practice is coming with age and it is not getting any easier to build a house with age. I am proud of the fact that more often than not I hit the nail on the head now, and I have learned to hold the hammer down on the handle and not up by the head. I will never be able to drive the nail home in one good whack like a few people I know, but once again perseverance. The homeowner swung the hammer a few times; it was wonderful to see the sparkle in her eyes and the giggles as she missed again and again taking forever to do two nails.

Her 6 year old daughter was all smiles and laughter. She was skipping and jumping up and down the mountain, begging to have her picture taken. When we had the floor done she stood spinning in circles with her arms spread wide. Dancing across the beautiful new wooden floor of her new house. She peeked out of the window and door. It was like she was so full of joy that it either had to come out or she would just explode with it. After we were finished with the house and had all gathered inside the house for a prayer she was still wiggling all over.

I bet she giggled and wiggled most of the night, safe, warm and dry in her new house. Thank you to our Brothers and Sisters in Christ for seeing a need and meeting that need without delay. You not only provided a safe secure shelter for a needy family, you provided us an opportunity to serve others, you provided a way for us to show the love of Christ to others in a physical way, you provided joy to a little girls heart, you provided smiles and tears of joy for a mother who had known only tears of sorrow as of late. I thank you. The new Homeowners thank you.