A Godsent Referee

First place winners in our soccer tournament. Raúl did well playing goalie.

Hello All,

This month has gone by fast and been very busy so far. My typical week right now is a bit like this: Administrative work. English and Spanish class lesson plans. Lesson preparation for our Saturday small group. WorshipU class videos. Studying with Raúl for the US citizenship test (it's a long way away for us, but we're trying to get a head start). Ladies' Bible Study with other English-speaking missionaries. Errands and bill paying. Banking. Grocery shopping. English classes. Meal preparation. Cleaning house (washing dishes and laundry in the pila, sweeping and mopping that never ends especially in the rainy season, dusting that doesn't ever seem to last even a day, etc., etc.). Spanish refresher lessons with a friend. Flexible time for any leftover errands or unexpected need. Blog writing. Time with our young people. English lessons with Raúl. Newsletter writing. Cooking for 15 once a week, and small group on Saturdays. More time with more people. And, all of those extras of immigration paperwork and getting our marriage certificate fixed (again), working on a logo for our ministry here, and trying to figure out what to do with our vehicle situation (still).



Third place winners


Second place winners

Fútbolito Relámpago (Lightning Soccer)

This month we were especially busy because we added a project--we held a fundraising event in-country yesterday in the form of a soccer tournament. Hondurans, like many Central American citizens, love soccer. Many of our young people play a couple nights a week, and often, they have their own uniforms and continued teams. Soccer is a way of life for a lot of teenage guys. So, we decided to hold a soccer tournament to raise some funds for the non-profit here but also as a way of reaching some new young people within our community and to test our unity as a team in working together. We've never done any fundraising in-country before, and I have to say that it was a positive learning experience. I was blessed greatly by how eager so many of our people were to contribute. I had previously shied away from doing any fundraising events because I felt like all of the work would fall to me, and I didn't feel like I would be able to handle all of that by myself. With this batch of people, it was not like that at all, and it was so great to see our people thriving in their own talents--talents I don't have. Raúl's brother and a couple of people from our small group hit the pavement asking for donations. This was something I didn't ask them to do but rather they insisted they wanted to do. And, it payed off! I was so blessed by the generosity of Hondurans toward their own people. Raúl asked the owner of the soccer field if he'd give a discount to rent it for the day, and he graciously obliged. I am not good at fundraising, but there are people within our group who really shine in that area. Our kids helped in pricing, picking out, and purchasing our first, second, and third prices. One of our former board members donated T-shirts for a prize. Our board members made food and drinks to sell at the event. Josuan made a beautiful sign showing off his artistic abilities. And so many of our kids formed their own teams and played in the tournament.



We had eight teams in total and spent from 9 AM to 4 PM at the soccer field yesterday. It reminded me of my own soccer days throughout my childhood into high school. While this was just a one-day event, these games were serious business! Soccer, in general, is serious business here. These were passionate teams--some of whom are seasoned in participating in tournaments--and many of them had their own cheering sections. I was blessed and surprised by how many of our neighborhood folks showed up to cheer on their boys.



Throughout this year in our small group, we have talked a lot about discovering your own gifts and stewarding them well. We've done a lot of lessons on using the talents God gives us and have also done a lot of inventory to help our kids discover what they like and what they're good at. With that in mind, one of my favorite moments from yesterday was when we were preparing for one of the semi-final games. Both of the teams were very intense and eager to play hard. They both wanted to win. In soccer, tempers can heat up quickly, so a referee is an absolute must in maintaining peace and order. Our original experienced referee had to back out at the last minute because he got called to work. This was a legitimate worry for me. But, I was blessed to see unexpected people step up to fill the need. One of those people was a skinny young man we've known for the past few years from another ministry. When the teams were warming up for the semi-final game, he came to Raúl and me and said, "If you don't have anyone to ref the next game, you need to pick me to do it. I can do it." And, he was absolutely the best person to take that on. As someone who played soccer for many years, it was evident that this kid, though young and small in comparison to a lot of the guys on the field, knew exactly what he was doing and knew how to carry himself as a referee. Being a referee is a crazy hard job. You have to be okay with people getting angry with you, and you have to stick to your decision without being swayed. You also have to have a demeanor that doesn't spark physical altercations when there are disagreements. In a game where people in the stands were intensely yelling at him, where players were throwing elbows instead of playing the ball, and where it can be hard to discern when a goal is made (because it's a smaller field with slightly different rules to accommodate that), this kid did an excellent job. At one point, I looked at him and said, "You clearly have done this a lot before." And he just grinned at me and said, "I used to live in a rough neighborhood, and at the local soccer field, gang members would play, and I reffed their games." To me, this moment, though small for other people there, was huge in showing me so many things. It encouraged me to see a young person who was aware of his gifts and assertive in serving within them. But, it was also such a blessing to see how God provided this young man for our need. Before we left the house to set up for the event, Raúl took a moment to pray over the event that God would be present and take control over the atmosphere and the details. And, how amazing was it that God not only provided referees when our planned one backed out at the last minute but that he also provided this perfectly qualified young man right when the competitive situation was getting volatile. If you've ever been to a heated sporting event, you know what a godsend that was! Overall, the event went well even if everything was carried out in a way that was decidedly Honduran and not at all North American! I'm seven years in but still always learning.



Small Group Update

Our small group has continued to study prophecy though we will be wrapping up that study soon. I was so blessed by the enthusiasm a couple weeks ago to want to pray and minister to one another within the group. I have long felt like our group needs to be a safe place where our kids can develop their giftings and practice them in an environment where they can get feedback and grow. And, I was amazed by the willingness of each person in our group to pray over or give a word to our eager volunteer. We have a very special group of kids that have come into our lives. Please join us in praying that God would lead us in knowing how to best support and impact the lives of those God has placed around us. As the school year is wrapping up, I am especially pondering in my heart who we should help next year in their studies, and we want to choose well with God's leading.


Vehicle Update

Raúl and I have had our car posted for sale for about a month now without much luck. Hondas and Toyotas are about a dime a dozen here and are typically the most desired cars--our Mitsubishi not so much. At this point, we have been blessed enough by others and have saved enough money to make buying a different vehicle possible; we just need to find somewhere where we can trade in our existing vehicle. Please be praying that God would open the appropriate doors in this area. Transportation is something so simple and easy to take for granted, but it's such a huge tool within ministry. We look forward to being better equipped in this area in the future and the opportunities we'll be able to take hold of as a result of a vehicle to better suit our needs. Thanks for your continued prayers.


Immigration Update

There is no news to report on this front, but we still appreciate your prayers. Raúl feels nervous about the interview just because of the previous experiences he had in having two tourist visas rejected. It is daunting especially when we've heard lots of disheartening experiences of others in terms of our local embassy and because I can't be with him during the interview (even though it is an immigrant visa through marriage). Everything we have done in our application and preparations has been legally sound, but it's scary to feel like one human being can hold so much power over our future, our hopes and dreams, and our coming year. We know that, in reality, God is in control, but we'd love your prayers for peace and God's supernatural favor.


Thank you for your continued interest in our lives, our ministry, and our needs! We love our community both Honduran and abroad.

Love,
Sarah