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March Update

Meri, Elvin, Cristofer and Jisele picking culatro in the back garden.


Happy Mid-March, (Happy end of March Break; Happy March Madness; Happy almost Spring – or whatever your happy is……)

For us, it is one of those happy/sad times. We are in our last week before returning to home-sweet-home on the farm. The goodbyes are hard as we don’t know when we’re coming back. For sure by next January for school start-up, but before then? – we don’t know. This is an early return for us. But, it is the right time too. Right now we’re popping in to visit people, or they are coming here. There are the bills to prepay and check that we’ve covered everything and done whatever needs doing. So, there’s lots of things on the to-do list, and hopefully before Wednesday when we leave, there will be checks beside all those things. We need to give Hunter (our dog) lots of attention, although we know he is cared for very well by Marciel and family.

And on the other end? There’s lots to be happy for as we anticipate Easter with family and friends, birthday celebrations, starting the 2018 farming season, and just being. We’ve had a season of ups and downs here, so being will be a great thing for a while.

During the past month and a half, much of our attention has focused on the crew of kids we help with school. We share our responsibilities/joys for our seven ALFA kids with Don and Jeanette. These kids have an extremely heavy school program including 5 hours at school, and then for the older kids another 3 to 5 hours at home. The younger two girls come here to the classroom for English instruction and homework help. The older kids are for the most part independent. Success!
 
The classroom is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. During the afternoons we also support some public school students with English instruction, and practice speaking English with us. I know much about what the kids eat for breakfast and lunch, and their favourite everything! Everyone knows Larry’s favourite jokes. And they laugh! We also do much work in computer instruction as we do homework together.

Larry has worked on several fix-it jobs including work at our house, with the ongoing attack on termites and other critters, and other projects for upkeep of property in a tropical location. He is called on for repairs in various places. Last month, someone had decided to use the gate at the church for a swing.  The gate required a welding job for remounting. With a special gift, Larry was able to help Bayron measure and order materials for windows and a door for the house begun by a team last July. The windows are jalousie/louvered windows and are a huge, bright step-up from the regular swinging shutters most houses have that when shut to bugs and rain leave the house dark. Finally, the house is secure from people and animals passing in and out.  Bayron, Leti and family are very happy with these windows and also excited as they are a step closer to moving into their new house.
Making gate repairs

Bayron, Leti, and family including Diana, Meilin, and Bayron

New windows - so bright!


We continue to support the pastors and people at Son Rise Church.  The Ladies’ Bible Study hour on Tuesday morning is a sweet time of adoration and petition to our Lord.  What really strikes us is the passion of the people we worship with. Oh, they like to sing – loudly! And the lead pastor likes to teach – loudly! So, we are out of our regular comfort seats. For six weeks, I have been the Saturday night Kids’ Church teacher.  I was soooo thankful for the young girl who agreed to be my translator – Bayron’s daughter, Meilin.  She could make a fantastic teacher someday.

Larry continues to keep up with Chris. Chris and Laura will be celebrating their first anniversary in a week. They continue to serve at the Rehab center providing good support to the ministry.  Chris is now the nightly homework-father for his youngest son. It is incredible to watch the changes in someone when God gets hold of him and the masterpiece is revealed.

Conversely, we are watching from the sidelines as a father of some special kids self-destructs. Please join us in praying for this man, as well as for safety and wisdom for his family. A masterpiece being ravished…..

While here in Roatan, we have been able to visit with Sandra and Jimena frequently as Jimena is in the maintenance stage of her treatment. Last week, Sandra took Jimena to the doctor here in Roatan because Jimena had persistent fever. The doctor recommended they return to the hospital in Tegucigalpa immediately. Sandra was crushed as such progress had been made.  Sandra is awaiting a report from the hospital doctor. We are awaiting a report from Sandra.

We have enjoyed some encouraging/fun visits here recently.  Lynn and Nick zipped down for a week of fun-in-the-sun.  The week they arrived rainy season ended. Coincidental? Definitely not! Katee, our middle button, was unable to resist the call of the sun during March Break spending her days scuba diving. While out and about we have run into friends from home, Nancy and Winston, who are staying in a nearby tourist town and today we also briefly bumped into Joyce and Hilco, Into All the World friends.

As we wrap up here for another season, we have many we are praying for.  We ask for your prayers for the following:
1.       For the dad that is self-destructing - again or still. Please pray for him as well as his 5 children and wife;
2.       For Jimena, that God will touch her and bring healing on her body;
3.       For confidence and persistence for our students, as well as fair results for their work;
4.       For work for Oscar, Juan, and Junior that makes use of their skills and provides personal satisfaction.

        And ….  we are thanking God for His moment-by-moment guidance, protection, and all those special gifts on days that sometimes seem a bit too hard.  We are very thankful to those who have kept things going for us back home while we were away.  Can you keep it up one more week?

Shortly after we get home, we’ll share some of our recent pictures with you in our blog at roatancampbells.blogspot.ca.    We are looking forward to seeing many of you soon.  
God’s blessings on you all!  Thank you for your continued support.                                     ~ Larry and Susan     
Ordering lumber from the Spanish-only lumber yard -
assistance provided by Ivan and Saul.



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