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June 2010 Prayer Update from Honduras |
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Dear Loved Ones,
As always, we cannot thank you
enough for you faithful prayers and support for our family and ministry
in Central America. We have had a great month and are thankful for the
Lord´s faithfulness to complete the work in each one of us and his
awesome power at work in us. Isn’t it great to be living in the hands
of our God? To Him is the glory!
Praise the Lord that the
International Student Convention in Bowling Green, Kentucky was a
wonderful time for close to 2400 students from 20 countries. Nathan and
I enjoyed participating in this event along with 24 other people from
Honduras that also attended. It was also a great time for us to have a
special week together. Many young lived were dedicated to the Lord that
week and many others offered their futures to Him in service to wherever
he calls! Praise the Lord. On one of our free days, we visited the
Corvette assembly plant and the Corvette Museum…..really cool!!
Thank you for your prayers for
all of our extended family members that have had health issues. Mandi´s
Aunt Francis is doing much better but still needs your prayers. I got a
chance to see her while through Atlanta a few weeks ago and she seems
well. We thank the Lord for his hand on her life. We also got a chance
to see my Aunt and Uncle (Bob and Jan Weber) and my parents and Mandi´s
parents while there and the Lord has faithfully answered our prayers
over each of their physical needs. Again, we especially thank you for
joining us in prayer for those at home who we love dearly and long to be
with even more, in their times of need.
We continue to thank the Lord
for the opportunity to have Keila Flores with our family since late
April. Thank you for praying for her. This will be here last week with
us. We will miss her.
Keila and our children will be heading to summer camp on Monday (June
7-12) near La Ceiba, Honduras and her parents will be picking her up
from there. Please pray for their travel to the camp with a group of
campers and their time there. May the Lord bless each one with a
special encounter with Him! Just as the rest of us, they each need to
know that the God of their parents and grandparents is also their God in
a personal way. Thank you for lifting them up.
We are thankful that June is pretty much a stay home month. We will be
working towards two trips in July, but there will be no traveling for a
bit. Please pray for the Willing Vessels Service Expedition, July 3-9.
We are planning to take a team of young people to Palacios to serve
Nathan and Rebecca Lloyd-Jones at the ministry compound there. Please
pray for those that the Lord would send. It is rare that we have not
had any response this year for participation. It could be economy or a
number of issues, but so far we do not have any participants signed up
and there is one more week until the cutoff date for registration. We
are also planning a trip to El Salvador July 18 -24 to lead a training
Seminar there. Please pray for these times. They are both special
opportunities to minister and expand the Kingdom.
Lastly, please pray for Samuel
and Mandi this month as they are both having birthdays! Samuel is
turning 12 and Mandi is getting more wonderful than ever before! We love
and appreciate you all and cannot tell you how much your faithful
prayers mean to us as we follow Jesus.
Drew, Mandi, and family.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
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May 2010 |
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Dear Loved Ones,
Thank you so much for your precious prayers and support over the last
month. The Lord has been faithful to supply all our needs according to
his riches in glory (Philippians 4:19) Isn’t it great to be living in
the hands of our God. To Him be the glory!
We
are glad to report on Mitry Bishara, the 16 year old boy that we asked
you to pray for last month. The leadership at Enlaces Christian School
are working closely with him and have reported that his heart seems to
be softening. Please keep up the prayer for him until we have testimony
of him giving his life to Jesus.
Praise the Lord that the training Seminar in Guatemala, April 11-17, was
a great blessing. We praise the Lord for the opportunity to invest in
these teachers who are committed to leading their students to Christ and
teach them to walk with him on a daily basis. The week also provided an
opportunity to help meet with new ministers interested in reaching their
communities for Christ through Christian education. God is good. I also
praise God that he answered prayer in keeping my recently injured back
in good shape the whole week with no pain, as well as keeping Mandi and
the children safe at home while away. Thank you, Jesus.
We
praise the Lord for Keila Flores who is with our family for a month.
Thank you for praying for her. She is a special young lady (11 years
old) who we have known since she was a small girl in Palacios. She and
Gabriela have been having fun together and enjoy going swimming in the
afternoons. Please continue to pray for Keila as she misses her
family. May the Lord give us special discernment as to minister to her
and may she experience the Lord’s love in a special way while here.
Please pray for the Wiles family as well, as they are traveling in the
US until they are reunited with Keila in June.
We
were also excited to have a visit from Pastor Kirk, Laura, Bradley, and
Lauren Walters this past weekend. It was like fresh air for all of us
to be able to spend some special family time together, be involved in
some great ministry, and eat pizza! We are so thankful to the Lord for
the fun fellowship with their great family. May the Lord bless them
greatly for being a blessing to us!
Please continue to pray for Nathan and I as we travel to Bowling Green,
Kentucky on the 22-27 of May, along with 25 other students and leaders
to participate in the International Student Convention at Western
Kentucky University. Please pray that the attending students from all
over the globe will be challenged in their walk with the Lord. Praise
the Lord that he provided for our travel expenses. Please continue to
pray for the last details of our travel arrangements and that our hearts
will be prepared for all that the Lord will do.
Thank you for your prayers for Mandi’s Aunt Francis. Please continue to
pray for her as health is still suffering. May the Lord minister to her
deepest needs. We praise the Lord that Drew´s mother came through eye
surgery well this month and is scheduled to have surgery in the other
eye later this month. Drew´s Dad is also scheduled to have eye surgery
soon. Thank you for your prayers over both of our families. It can be
difficult to be far away from them when they are going through trials,
but we know that the Lord is better able to care for them than we are.
We
love and appreciate you all and cannot tell you how much your faithful
prayers mean to us as we follow Jesus.
Drew, Mandi, and family.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
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April 2010 |
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And we
know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew
he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he
predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those
he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response
to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
No, in
all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor
demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:28-31;37-39)
Dear Loved Ones,
WOW! It has been two months since we last wrote you and we apologize
for not keeping up with our communication to you last month. We have
seen the Lord do many things in these past two months in the midst of
several trials and we are very thankful for your prayers and support
of our lives and ministry.
Thank you for your prayer over the teacher training seminar that we
hosted in the first part of February. We had 29 teachers with us and
the Lord was faithful to bless our time together. We believe that the
teachers left the experience with new vision and practical tools to
minister to their students on a daily basis. We are thankful for the
opportunity to serve them.
It was a joy to be home at Mount Paran North for the annual mission’s
festival for the last two weeks of February and to get to see many of
you while there. It was a great time of reconnecting with our home
church and a good opportunity to meet with the team from MPN and
finalize preparation for their visit to Honduras in March. Being that
I (Drew) traveled alone this year, I was especially thankful for some
special gifts that the Lord provided to bring back for my wife and
children. The Lord knows how to give good to his children and how to
provide good gifts for us fathers to give to ours. We say “thank you”
to the Lord, and to all those who took part in those special
blessings. For those that I did not get to see, please receive love
and hugs from all of us, “long distance”. Lord willing, next mission’s
festival the whole Williams family will be present!
March was a whirlwind of activity to prepare and host the Central
American Student Convention. In the weeks leading up to the event,
Mandi and I felt a bit like we were living in a pressure pot. First,
on the day I returned to Honduras from Atlanta, our main co laborer,
due to health reasons, had to leave the country for the following 3
weeks leading up to the convention. In those following weeks, we
experienced last minute inconveniences in about every area of our
life! Honduras is in a serious drought where we receive water once
every 4 days. The key contact people from the two locations that we
were going to use for the convention, both became unavailable for long
periods of time, our residency lawyer went “awol” on us and we had to
hire a new lawyer to remain legal in the country. This required
spending some of our precious time dealing with immigration. The final
week before the convention, Gabriela´s cat (best friend) died. Two
days later, two tires on the van blew within a few yards of each other
and as part of the result some of the steering had to be replaced.
The same day, a tire went bad on the truck, revealing the need to
replace steering, brakes and some of the front suspension. As I went
to pay for it, the local credit card company denied the charge due to
a communication error with the U.S. credit card company. All this was
while trying to organize a youth convention for 190 people at a
location about an hour outside of Tegucigalpa. UGH! I believe our
stress level was about maxed out. We were worn thin. Thankfully, we
serve a mighty God who strengthens us, gives us the extra amount of
patience, and provides just what we need, when we need it. To Him we
lift our eyes!
Mandi and I give PRAISE THE LORD, for He has been faithful. We praise
him for getting us through each trial leading up to the convention. I
praise Him for the perfect “help meet” that has worked by my side,
tirelessly, to help get ready for the event, take care of the family
and encourage me each day. Without her help before and during the
convention, it would not have happened. Praise God that, in addition
to Mandi, we had 4 more “angels” arrive from MPN and another 2 from
Costa Rica, who served wholeheartedly to help make the convention a
success, blessing all involved and our family in a great way. We
praise the Lord that there were young people who came to Christ and
others who expressed having accepted the Lords call to full time
Christian service. We praise the Lord that we have received feedback
from the campground and military base, that hosted us, and we left a
good testimony of the Lord with them. We praise the Lord, believing
that the Central American Student Convention gave glory to God and
that He impacted the lives of those present. We give glory to God that
the cars got fixed; our residency got straightened out and completed.
We praise the Lord that we were able to take a few days off this past
week and spend time together as a family. The Lord is faithful!!
Lastly, we praise the Lord for each of you who prayerfully support us
on an ongoing basis. Your prayers have made a difference. Truly, the
Lord’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
On a more personal note regarding the family, we are very proud of
Nathan´s participation in the Convention this year. He won first
place in woodworking and also received awards in choral ensemble,
sketching, science exhibit, chess, 400 meter relay and his school´s
soccer team won a trophy. All that and he loves Jesus!!! Way to go,
Nathan!
As the Calendar moves forward in the month of April, we ask that you
join us in pray for the following:
·
Please
pray for Darwin. While picking up our residency cards yesterday at
the immigration office, a young boy (8 years old) came over and sat
down next to us. He kept looking up and so we introduced ourselves
and began to ask him about himself. He proceeded to tell us that his
father had been killed in a car accident 15 day earlier and that his
mother getting her passport. The Lord gave us the opportunity to
share with him of the Lord´s love and how the heavenly Father would be
with him always. He sheepishly told us that he was a Christian and
that he and his mother went to church “all the time”. Before leaving,
he hugged us both and kissed Mandi on the cheek, saying goodbye. We
believe the Lord is going to do great things in his life.
·
Please
pray for Mitry Bishara. He is a 16 year old student that attended the
Convention. Mid last week, Mandi received a call from a mother of a
student who had met Mitry at the convention and continued to
communicate with him after going home. She called concerned that he
was suicidal and that Mitry had expressed his disbelief that God
exists or if he did, that He loved him. Though not able to contact
Mitry directly due to his distance from Tegucigalpa, we were able to
contact his school principal so that he can reach out to Mitry.
Please pray that the Lord will deliver Mitry from the oppression of
the enemy and that He will reveal Himself to Mitry in a special way.
·
I leave
for Guatemala on Sunday, April 11, for a week to host a training
Seminar in Guatemala City. Please pray for the Lord’s anointing and
strength. I also hurt my back this past weekend and have been at the
chiropractor for the past three days, trying to correct the problem
prior to my departure. The Lord is doing a work and I am doing much
better, but I need the Lord to complete what he has started.
·
Please
pray for Mandi as she continues to be a great wife, mom, and friend.
Pray that the Lord will continue to give her the physical strength,
the needed rest, and the wisdom that only He can provide.
·
Also
for Mandi’s family. While her mother was down here in March to help
with the convention she was going to stay a few days more but the time
was cut short due to the fact that Mandi’s aunt had to have an
emergency 4 hour surgery. Unfortunately, we just found out that her
aunt is back in the hospital again. We appreciate your prayers for
Aunt Francis.
·
Starting April 20, we will be blessed to have a young girl named Keila
staying with us until sometime in June. Some missionary friends of
ours that are raising a Honduran girl, are traveling home to the US
and their daughter Keila, who does not have legal permission to travel
to the US, will be staying with us. We are so glad to have the
opportunity to have her in our home and pray that it is blessing to
her and her family.
·
Lastly,
Nathan and I plan to travel to Bowling Green, Kentucky on the 22-27 of
May, along with students from a few of the schools in our region to
participate in the International Student Convention at Western
Kentucky University. Please pray for that time. Between 2,500 and
3,000 students from all over the globe will come together to compete
and be challenged in their walk with the Lord. Please pray that the
Lord will help us make the necessary travel arrangements to attend and
that hearts will be prepared for the work the Lord desires to do in
each one, including Nathan and myself.
Much love to you all,
Drew, Mandi, and family.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
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February 2010 Prayer
Update from Honduras |
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Dear Loved Ones,
We are thrilled to write you again and give praise to the Lord for his
faithfulness. We have had a very full month since our return
from Atlanta after the first of the year. Praise the Lord for his
faithfulness in Honduras and for continuing to work in peoples lives,
especially in the midst of the political turmoil over the past 6 months.
The new president was sworn in this
past week and the new government is starting move forward in its
new functions. There has already been a change in direction from
the government on President Micheletti. The new president gave
amnesty ex-president Zelaya and he is currently in the Dominican
Republic and will return to Honduras soon. The new president has
even roposed giving him a position in the Central American Parliament.
Please pray that the Lord will continue to work in the hearts of those
who lead this country turning their hearts toward Him. We pray
that this new President and his Government will not be similar or worse
that Zelaya, being that freedom to worship the Lord was one of
the freedoms threatened by the former power.
Praise the Lord that the work of the ministry continues to grow. Since
we have been back several new schools and Home schools are preparing to
start in February. Mandi and I are currently in Comayagua,
Honduras, training 30 teachers and home schooling parents. We
appreciate your prayers over us. We started this morning and will
be here until Friday evening when we will head back to Tegucigalpa.
These are always exciting weeks for us as the Lord gives us the
opportunity to sow into the lives of the teachers we are training, in
preparation for the work that the Lord has commissioned them in.
We also ask that you pray for our children who are staying with dear
friends in Tegucigalpa this week while in school. We also ask that
you pray for Antonio "Piti" Everett Blanco, a former student of ours
from Palacios who is working with us in the training Seminar this week
as an assistant. We are thrilled that he is growing in the Lord
and is able to join us this week. Though many of Antonio's family
members have stopped following the Lord to join the ranks of the drug
traffickers of the region, he remains with his heart turned toward the
Lord. What a blessing to have the opportunity to work with him
this week and encourage him in the Lord!
Please continue to pray for the upcoming Student convention in March.
We are looking forward to the event and all that the Lord is going to
do. We currently have a pre-enrollment of 175 people and are
expectant that the Lord will impact their lives in a special way.
There is a lot of work going on this month and next in preparation and
we need the Lord's strength and provision along each step of the way.
Praise the Lord that He is faithful.
We also appreciate your prayers as Drew travels to the Mount Paran North
Missions Conference from February 15-March 1. We know that
the Lord is always faithful to bless as we have the opportunity
to fellowship and share the vision of what the Lord is doing in
our lives and ministry. Please pray for Mandi and the children as
they will be two weeks without Dad in the house. We know that the
Lord will watch over them within His loving arms.
We thank you for your prayers for the schools over the past few months
as the many economic and political changes have increased the pressure
upon them. Many have also had to deal with many changes
in regulations and that effect their ability to function in
their regions and countries. We praise the Lord that he has been
faithful to sustain them and provide for their needs to continue serving
in their communities. Many through these struggles have stood
more firmly on the Lord instead of themselves, which is motive for
great joy and praise unto our God. Truly, your prayers have made a
difference.
Praise the Lord that the children are doing well in school.
Nathan is quite the teenager now and is growing in the Lord, and
becoming more sensitive to His voice. Samuel and Gabriela
celebrated their school's junior student convention last week and sang a
duet, ran in many races, did science projects and art. They had a
great time and came home with many medals and awards. Among our
highlights was seeing Samuel win many races (50m, 70m, and 400m) while
running barefoot, still proving that you can take the boy out of
the jungle, but you cannot take the jungle out of the boy. We also
enjoyed hearing Samuel and Gabriela sing a song about Jesus that
they themselves wrote. It was a simple, but beautiful love song
to Jesus! God is good. Gabriela also won first place in
spelling, science fair and Bible memorization. Praise the Lord
that she is smart like her mom! :) Many of you remember the
struggles that each of them went through in transition into the city
life. We thank you for your consistent prayers! God has been
faithful in our lives and theirs. He is so good!
As always, we love you all and pray the Lord continues to bless
and prosper you, even as your souls prosper. Each of you are
precious to all of us.
Much love,
Drew, Mandi, and family.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
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January 2010 Prayer
Update from Honduras |
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Dear Friends and Family,
We are so blessed to be part of the Kingdom of God and we
celebrate the goodness of our God, His immeasurable grace and love, and
the eternal hope that we have in Christ. Happy New Year to you all
and may 2010 be a year full of fruit for the glory of our heavenly
Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, our King!
We arrived back to Tegucigalpa yesterday afternoon after
spending most of December in Atlanta and Alabama. It was a needed
time for us all and we are so thankful to the Lord for each moment spend
with family and friends. We are only sorry that there was not
enough time for us to visit all of you. We love and appreciate you
all.
As we got off the airplane yesterday, picked up our
luggage and made it through customs, we were thankful for a special
blessing, especially to Samuel and I. When checking the luggage in
Atlanta, I asked the agent what would need to be done to insure the
guitar that we were bringing back with us. (It is the guitar that I
learned on and then had given to my nephew. He gave it back to us
on our visit home and we were bringing it back for Samuel to use.) After
the agent told me that I would have to go inside to another counter and
wait in another line to get it insured, I simply said, "Well, we will
just leave it in the hands of the Lord, go ahead and check it." After
receiving an odd look from the agent and thanking him, we boarded plane
and headed for Honduras. Upon arrival, when collecting our
luggage, Samuel picked up the guitar case and we noticed that the case
had been crushed on one end with the wood splintering out of a hole on
the bottom. "Oh, no!" I thought, "The guitar is ruined."
However, upon opening the broken case, we discovered that the guitar was
not damaged at all. How quickly I had forgotten that it was in the
hand of the Lord. Praise the Lord for small blessings. May that
instrument be a blessing to God in the hands of our son Samuel as he
learns to sing and worship Him.
In the light of this simple testimony, we praise the Lord
and commit ourselves into his hands this new year, 2010. May His
hand be upon us and may we be sensitive to the leading of his Holy
Spirit, slow to speak and quick to listen, standing only on the Hope
that we have in Him. May our lips be filled with praise and our hearts
be filled with thankfulness each new day that he gives us life. May we
be an encouragement and a blessing to all who we encounter and may the
love of the father overflow from our hearts to theirs. May
Honduras and the surrounding countries rise up and call upon the Lord
our God and bless His name in 2010. And finally, may the Lord
fulfill this in each of you in the place that he has you planted.
Much love from all of us,
The Williams Family (Drew, Mandi, Nathan, Samuel, and
Gabriela) |
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