Hello All,
It's been a while since I've posted on here. Most of my absence was due to my time spent with my family in the States. I enjoyed that time greatly, and while I missed my husband, it was really hard to come back. When I did come back, I had a pretty hard time settling back in. Part of that was due to grief and leaving my family, and part of that was due to the stress I came back to. Some of that stress was due to trying to play catch up on all of the things I needed to do, and some of it was due to little frustrations like a broken sink, a mouse infestation, and other inconveniences. The greatest challenge I've had since I've been back has been with our vehicle.
When I was in the States, our vehicle broke down. It's really hard to find a trustworthy mechanic here, and unfortunately, in an effort to have the vehicle fixed before I got back, Raúl got cheated by two mechanics who claimed they would quickly fix it but ended up charging a lot of money without solving the problem. Now, the car has been in the shop for nearly a month with a slower mechanic who has done work for us before. At this point, with the things that needed fixed, Raúl and I want to fix the car and then sell it. We ended up with this vehicle not because either of us chose it but because it was made as a payment for a loan that Raúl had made to someone who was unable to pay in any other way. Truthfully, it has been a great blessing to us for the last nearly three years. But, it isn't really a good fit for the kind of things that we need a vehicle for. It's a a pretty large sedan, but it doesn't fit a lot of people or get very good gas mileage. And, with the dirt road we live on and rocky terrain we drive on often in Tegucigalpa, having a vehicle that isn't up off the ground very much isn't practical. Given the car's worth, though, our budget will probably still be limited to buying another sedan. Raúl and I are the kind of people who will always do the best we can with what we have, and we will be content regardless of whether we're able to do what we'd like to do or not. Our dream vehicle for hauling people in ministry and for transportation over rocky terrain would be an SUV. Currently, we couldn't afford to buy one though. Our dear friend, Cheryl, has set up a Go Fund Me page to help possibly raise some funding separate from regular support for the purpose of buying another vehicle. This is the link to that page: https://www.gofundme.com/sarahraulswheelraisingfund
Raúl and I are grateful for the donations. But, regardless, we are dedicated to doing the best we can with what we have, and if that means buying another sedan while we continue saving, we'll do whatever is within reach while still being good stewards.
Right now, though, we have a lot on our plate that we need to be saving for. Within this year or next year, Raúl should be receiving his US residency, and we'll need to make a trip to the US to finalize that process. We don't plan to live in the US, and there is a provision where Raúl can receive US residency but continue to live in Honduras due to our missions work here. The idea of having his US residency is to make it possible for Raúl to travel to and from the US with ease, and through that provision, Raúl would be eligible to apply for expedited US citizenship. Given the current immigration situation and proposed changes, we feel like the more permanent his legal immigration status, the better. While Raúl does have his own business, we can't live only off of his salary. There have been some misconceptions that we live off of Raúl's salary, and that the money that I receive in donations can all go strictly towards ministerial projects. While I'd love for that to be the case, it's just not financially possible for Raúl's business right now. And, his business is a ministry in many ways as it employs both Josuan and Antonio--two of the young men we have sponsored in education and discipleship over the years. Providing employment as a small business owner means that Raúl has to keep his own salary low enough to continue to support those he employs. Most of Raúl's savings have gone toward paying for the US residency process, and we're still looking at another $2,300 or so for the citizenship process. In my down time with limited mobility, I have been looking into some online freelancing jobs, and there are some opportunities, especially through Fiverr, that I may pursue just as my free time allows to have a little extra income.
In terms of ministry, I have been blessed by how well our small group has been going since I've been back. Unexpectedly, it has kind of turned into a neighborhood youth group. Most of the people who come are teenagers or young adults, and they're inviting their friends. While I don't know that we expected to start a youth group, we do seem to attract young people every where we go. So, we want to make the most of the opportunity that is presenting itself. Most of the young people are already Christians, they're just in need of some positive community and some discipleship, a sense of family. So, Raúl and I are doing our best to keep an open heart and an open house for these young people. Just yesterday, we had a crowd of teenage boys sitting on our couch eating Chinese food and yelling at our television as they watched the World Cup final game. My hope is to also organize some ways of fostering community beyond our small group--game nights, worship nights, movie nights, and possibly seeing if we can serve some other ministries that work with street kids. (That, of course, will require some transportation.)
In addition to our small group, we do still have our students who are progressing through their school year. Estefanny is doing very well in school. Her private school program allows her to finish two school years in 12 months, and she recently finished her first year's worth of work. She is also a leader in her church along with Brayan, the young man we have studying in a music conservatory. He has already passed two levels since he started, and he is putting his new knowledge to good use in this church's worship team. Kristian, our third student, is also doing well. He has had some rough situations recently with a broken leg and with his mother struggling with some illness. He has continued strong in his studies however. We would appreciate prayers for him and his family at this time.
To give you an update on some of "our kids," Josuan is doing well. He is always a work in progress, but he continues to work for Raúl at the tire shop. He is currently living with his mom, and due to her house rules, he seems to be making strides in maintaining himself drug-free. He regularly comes to our small group and goes to church. He is continuing his studies through the support of the ministry of a friend of mine, and his teachers still rave about how smart he is. He is an excellent student despite all of his personal struggles. Antonio is also doing well. He continues to work at Raúl's business and live in our neighborhood in the room we rent. Recently, we spent some time talking to him, and I felt so encouraged by some of the things we talked about--how helpful the small group has been for him and how he feels like God is using this time with us to do good things in his life. He is still hoping to start college as soon as that would be possible. Marvin who was previously in Mexico and then supposedly working with his brother-in-law while back in Honduras, just got arrested this week. He was accused of participating in an operation of thieves who robbed people on buses and resold what they stole. It's not really clear right now how long he'll be sentenced, but it could be for a long time, especially if he had other pending charges previously. While we're disappointed by the news, we also know that God is still able to work in Marvin's life and heart. And, if we're honest, it's better that Marvin be in prison than for him to die. That may sound drastic, but sadly, that's the reality for a lot of the young people in this country. There aren't always a lot of second chances. One bad decision can lead to death very quickly here. So, we'll continue to pray for Marvin and God's intervention in his life.
If you've not checked it out before, I also blog on a weekly basis on the site Bench Chats. Last week, I posted an interview with Raúl. If you'd like to get to know a little bit more about my husband, check it out.
Thank you all for reading and for your prayers and support. In seasons of slowness or discouragement, I can't express how much it means to me that so many of you continue to believe in Christ in me.
Much love!
Sarah
