learning

When I haven't posted in awhile its so hard to know where to begin...

We're studying Romans right now with the girls at PDE.  Last week was all about how Abraham BELIEVED God when He promised him a son.  It didn't make any sense at all.  He was foolish in the world's eyes to believe such a crazy thing.  And yet... he believed.  And it says that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.

Where does our salvation come from?  It is a constant conversation that I have over and over again with these girls.  Good works are great, we were made to become more and more like our Heavenly Father, but they do NOT save us.  Our salvation is from grace, through faith.  And if we know God and we know that He is our Father, a good father who cannot tell a lie, then we know that we can trust Him.

I never give the girls Bible study homework, but this week I did.  Find five verses in the Bible where God gives us promises and then write down those promises and pray that God will give you the faith to believe them!!!

Friday was a hard day.  We had Bible study and then after that I had a conversation with K where she informed me that she was leaving.  She was disobedient and hadn't gotten all her signatures and it didn't matter to her, she would live on the streets if she had to, but she was done.  A very long conversation followed and it all came down to not being willing to submit to the rules of the house in regards to disciplining her son.  It is so ingrained in her to treat him badly when she is angry.  But she also wants to rebel against any discipline since she was treated so abusively in the name of discipline.  She is having a really hard time understanding the balance of what it means to love her son enough to correct and teach him without screaming at him and mistreating him when she is frustrated.  Its hard.  I'm a mom.  I get that.  I don't want to admit how many times I have lost my patience with my kids and how it has caused me to react to them.  Being a good mom is a fight, a hard one, and even harder when you don't have any Godly example from your own childhood.

In the end I asked her to reconsider, to take a day and to think it over.  I asked her to search out God's promises for parents in the Scripture and what He has to say about discipline and love.  In the end I don't know how much searching of Scripture she actually did... but when I went back to talk to her on Saturday she was a much more humble soul.  She is willing to recognize and admit that she has a lot to learn.  She is willing to commit to learning what it looks like to raise her child and not just feed and clothe him.  I say that is a victory!  And as she does that we will keep pointing her back to the promises of God and the example that we have in Him.  We can TRUST His promises to equip us and give us the wisdom that we need.  We can trust that ultimately our children are His.  We can see that His love for us is too great than to leave us in our sin and that he disciplines us as His children so that we can learn to be more like Jesus.

These girls have long roads to walk... thank you for loving them enough to pray for them.  We are so thankful.

Support update

Great news!  Look at how the Lord is providing for our financial needs.  Over the last few weeks we have received pledges of $600/month bringing our financial need to $3200/month.  

Thanks so much for your prayers and following up with our ministry.  If you would like to be part of our ministry by giving financially, please let me know.  Or you can go to the giving website at http://www.mtw.org/Pages/GIVE_FAQ.aspx.  You can give to account number #92413.

Introducing M

Monday and Tuesday we took a trip to Tegucigalpa to bring back the newest member of Puerta de Esperanza, M!  She comes with two little ones... Y, a little girl who is 2, and E, a little boy who is only 6 weeks old :)  It is safe to say that I could snuggle with him all day long!

Wednesday was a really full day as we did doctors appointments, tours, meeting the house moms, and talking with the lawyer and psychologist.  And in the end she wanted to stay and we want her too!  Today we went shopping and got clothes and shoes and we are just excited to see what God is going to do in her life.  For now she is with us for one month because there are documents that her mom has to get together for her to be able to stay long term.  Please pray that these will all come together...  

M has told us that she is not a believer and does not attend church.  The church she attended at times in her life sounds rather strict and she only has a concept that Christians "act" a certain way, she doesn't know anything about God's grace.  But she will :)  Isn't it amazing the way that the Lord changes lives?  He brought this young girl who knows nothing of His love and grace into a place where she will be saturated with teaching from His word.  Pray for God to soften her heart to His message that she will come to know Him!

Changes

It happened awhile ago, but I just haven't had the time to sit and write about it.  Remember V who was planning to move in with us in July when her baby comes?  She was living outside of the city escaping the danger of her situation so that she could safely have and raise her child.  We went to see her about once a week and were slowly getting to know her.

And yet... she left.

She decided to go back home.  To her family that she missed.  But to danger... danger now for all of those whom she loves.

It just makes me sad.  Girls so young being forced into making decisions that require more compassion and wisdom than they have.  At 16 they don't have a lot of motivation to look far into the future and make a well-informed decision.  They see today, tomorrow, and how they feel... oh so much of how they feel.  They don't see that a hard few months gets them a totally different future.  They don't see that its worth it.

And they need Jesus.  V has told me outright that she is not a believer.  She has been reading some books about the Lord and we have prayed together and had various conversations about Jesus.  I am going to try to keep up with her as best I can.  Please pray.  Pray for the Lord to protect she and the baby and her whole family.  And pray that she will know Jesus and through Him mature in wisdom.

Next week we interview another 16 year old girl from the capitol city.  She has two children - a two year old and a newborn baby.  We will drive down and pick them up on Monday.  There could be more changes in the air.........

Support Raising

This has been a full week for sure!  Ten days in the US traveling around NC and SC looking for people who want to partner with Puerta de Esperanza in monthly financial support.  I'm meeting with three churches, some small groups, some individuals and families and praying that God will move in hearts to provide monthly supporters for this ministry.

We are currently $3800/month under budget.  That would be terrifying... except that this ministry belongs to the Lord and He has always provided for us.  I am confident that He will continue to do so!  I am just waiting for Him to let me meet the churches and families that He is going to use.

If you are interested in being a monthly supporter, it can be anywhere from $10/month paying for two weeks of diapers for baby O to $350/month paying our house mom's salary.  Or  more or less... shoot me an email and let me know at ssinnes@gmail.com  I would love to be able to start crossing off these elephants and keep you updated with how the Lord is providing!  If you are a current supporter... we are THANKFUL for you!  You are an instrumental part of what the Lord is doing in La Ceiba.  If you'd like to consider upping your monthly support, I'm happy to be in touch about that as well.

To give online go to https://donations.mtw.org

To mail a check... make it out to Mission to the World with #92413 in the memo line

Send it to PO Box 116284 Atlanta, GA 30368

Don't want to forget

I just have to record a conversation this week with my kids because I don't want to forget it when they are older and well traveled and speak perfect English :)

A: Mom, how many pulperias are there in the world? (pulperias are little neighborhood stores that sell all your basic cooking needs.  Its genius and they should be in every American neighborhood...)
Me: I don't know.  Just think about how many are in Mami Berta's neighborhood
A: (counting....) like 20
Me: Yep, and that's one neighborhood, so I don't know how many there are in the world.
A: Well how many are there in the United States?
Me: The US doesn't have pulperias
All kids: (agast)  Where do you buy your food??????????????
Me: At the grocery store
A: What if its raining?
Me: You still go to the grocery store
A: You walk there?
Me: No you drive
A: Mom... people do not all have cars
Me: Right and sometimes people use public transportation, but most drive
A: Okay well what if its Christmas (translation, that's how they say when its snowing), then where do you buy your food?
Me: The grocery store
A: Well then you can't drive because its Christmas.
Me: They clear the roads, or if you live up north you have special tires or put chains on your tires
A: Mom, those don't exist
Me: okay
A: Okay but mom if its Christmas how do you wash you clothes?
Me: You have a dryer... most people have a washer and a dryer
A: Right but its Christmas so you still can't go outside to wash them
Me: No, your washing machine and dryer are inside your house
All kids: Mom... no one has their washing machine in their house.
Me: okay

Enter google images... search for grocery stores, snow tires, snow plows, chains on tires, laundry rooms... thanks internet!

Seriously its time for these kids to come to the states for a visit...

Happiness

Happiness is a mama surrounded by her little boys!  She was so happy :)

I just marvel at the relationship that God has allowed me to have with this young mom.  I continue to just get chances to spend time with her and encourage her.  I pray that she is hearing words of truth from the Gospel through me and that you would cling to Jesus.  She lives amidst people who believe all manner of different things... many superstitions that are biblically unfounded.  So her daily life is full of lies.  Pray that she will seek hard after the Lord and find truth and peace in Him alone.

Although all these little boys don't live in the same house, they are well-loved by their mom.  And she is so thankful for the love and support that her middle son is getting.  And she was over the moon excited when he spoke to her in Spanish and counted and shared his chips.  His face still lights up when he sees her and that makes a mama's heart happy!

I know many of you have prayed for Glenis for over a year now and I encourage you to keep lifting her up to the Lord!  We so value your faithfulness to know our ministry and our girls from afar and your faithfulness to pray for their hearts to belong to Jesus.