Greetings from Honduras!
We wanted to post an update on how things are going here in Honduras. We officially moved into our side of the duplex at the end of May. We aren’t completely finished with everything, but have made excellent progress thanks to the construction team and Hannah’s parents. We will continue to complete projects and unpack.
David is working hard to get checked out on the different grass air strips out here. Please keep them in your prayers as Wes flies with David in the airplane. David also gets lots of experience with maintenance and not just on the airplane! When something breaks or leaks out here, he is the mechanic or plumber! There is no number to call. David is also learning how to maintain and work on other things here on the mission base such as maintaining the generator, water pump/tower, airplane, tractor, and truck. Wes has been so helpful in teaching David how to maintain these things here on the mission base. These are things we take for granted in the states.
I (Hannah) am learning a lot about basic housekeeping. Those of you who know me well know how OCD I am when it comes to cleaning. Well out here you sweep and five minutes later the dust/dirt comes drifting back into your home from the dusty landscape. It’s not unusual to have all kinds of dead bugs on your floor in the morning that are flying around at night. I am not one for bugs and critters, but out here we have no choice. Also, I’m adapting to different ways of keeping our home tidy such as hang drying our clothes outside, pulling the clothes off the line really fast before the rain hits (sometimes minutes after you initially hung them out to dry), cooking over a propane stovetop (no oven at the moment), washing dishes by hand, washing out cloth diapers, pumping water from the well, etc. God is stretching me in ways I didn’t think possible. It’s all about being fluid. I’m learning that maintaining our home and taking care of our family is my first and most important ministry. I’m so thankful I am able to do all of these things. I finally get to enjoy being a stay at home wife and mommy, and I love it!
Nicholas is 3 months old today (July 5th) and is growing so fast. He weighs 14.6 pounds and is 25 inches long. He loves to lay/sleep on his belly, has started sucking his thumb, and loves laying on your shoulder. He is such a cuddle bug! He coos and smiles frequently. He can also roll over, although we have yet to see it. He does this at night while he is sleeping. We hope to witness him rolling over soon. He is also sleeping through the night (8-9 hours at a time) most nights. We are so in love with our little boy and thank God daily for Him. He brings so much joy into our lives.
Chester (our sable German Shepherd) also continues to grow (70lbs +). He is 9 months old. He is an excellent guard dog for our house and the mission base. He is learning how to clear the cattle off the run way. He also loves to chase pigs all around the mission base. He loves to go swimming in the Rus Rus river with us. We sure do love our fur baby!
Chester loves laying on the front porch close to his family, but he is always on guard ready to protect!
During the week of June 5th-12th, we enjoyed the company of the Medico medical team from the United States. There were several doctors, nurses, dentists, and pharmacists on this team who came to minister in the hospital. David and Wes had the opportunity to drive the MAG Kia truck to different villages to transport patients here for the brigade. What a privilege it was to finally have a truck out here. We praise the Lord for providing this truck for Rus Rus. Denise was busy cooking her amazing meals for the team. David helped translate to Spanish in the hospital and helped with transportation.
Dental Room during the medical brigade
Patients in the back of the MAG truck on their way to see a doctor at the hospital.
We were able to offer a work day for the Nicaragua refugees that are currently living in our village. They worked very hard and in return we were able to give them rice and beans. We are trying to continue to teach the people responsibility as we minister to them. Another ministry is simply just walking through the village a few times a week and speaking to the people. We have an avocado tree in our yard that a missionary planted many years ago. We had over 300 avocados that came from this tree so we decided to pass them out to the village. It was a great way to minister to the people and share a little bit. Everyone was so excited to have avocado, as this is a special treat for them considering they usually only eat rice and beans.
David ready to pass out avocados with me in the village.
Some of the villagers hard at work cutting grass with machetes for rice and beans. (They make it look easy, but it’s very hard work.)
All of the roads here are in poor conditions, hence the need for aviation. David and Wes have been working with several Hondurans over the past few weeks to improve some of those conditions.
I started a Ladies’ Bible study two weeks ago. The ladies had a desire to study women of the Bible so we have started with the book of Esther. The women are hungry for the Word of God. David is hoping to start a Bible study very soon for the men on “Inductive Bible Study- How to Study the Bible.” David continues to preach from time to time in the local church here. We enjoy worshipping with the believers each week.
Ladies’ Bible Study
Ways to Pray:
~ Pray for us as this has been the biggest transition of our lives. It has been hard in some aspects as we learn to adapt out here and we do get homesick from time to time. What has kept us going is your prayers so please continue to pray for us! We can’t do any of this in and of ourselves, only through the power of God. Pray we will equip ourselves with the armor of God!
~ Continue to pray for our health. Please pray for me (Hannah) as my fibromyalgia has been flaring up. Other than that, we rejoice in the good health he has given us. Nicholas is strong and healthy. We praise the Lord for that!
~ Pray for the Wiles as they are in the Philippines for a month to be with their family for their daughter’s wedding. We are excited for them to share this time with their family. Pray for us as we are here on our own for the first time, but we know the Lord is with us as we adjust.
~ Pray for a pastor for our village church here. There is a pastor that might be coming to take over the church here. David has preached some, but is not able to fully take over the church/pastoral duties due to our primary roles here on the mission base as pilot/mechanic.
~ Pray for us during the first few weeks of August as we plan to meet with immigration about our Honduran residency and proceed with Nicholas’ dual citizenship and U.S. passport.
As always, thank you for your continued prayers and support. We are so blessed to have such an amazing group of people who pray and support us financially.
Love and Blessings from Rus Rus,
David, Hannah, and Nicholas Mora