The Ryan Report
May 2011 Honduras
Community Evangelism
We recently spent time with WGM missionaries Larry and Angie Overholt in Choluteca, Honduras. Each day we visited different villages where the Shalom Church, the church which they pastor, has established relationships with people and as a result, small groups of believers have sprung up.
One of the groups started out this way: Larry was visiting the families of the children who attend their Sunday school class. During one of the visits they invited the aunt of one of the students to visit their church sometime. The woman began to cry. She said she would love to come, but she could not leave her house unattended because thieves would steal everything she had (a very real problem in much of Honduras.) Larry then said, "What would you say if we brought the church to you?" The woman was amazed. Two weeks later in a meeting at her house, she and 15 other people from her neighborhood gave their hearts to the Lord! The group meets each week outside her home in the open air, singing, praying and getting grounded in the Word of God. The Gospel is changing this community because the church met the need of someone in the community.
This is our plan for La Moskitia. We will get acquainted with people and get involved with their lives. We want to learn what needs weigh on their hearts. As people understand that we are as interested in their lives as we are their souls, they will be open to what we have to say. We believe the Gospel has the power to change not only individual lives, but whole communities.
"We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." 1 Thessalonians 2:8 NIV
La Moskitia Honduras
In March Bill made a trip into La Moskitia. He spent two weeks with Paman and Lilian, former coworkers at El Sembrador, and with Pastor Benavides and his family.
The group of believers who were meeting in Pastor Benavides's home has grown in number and now meet in a school in downtown Puerto Lempira. Pastor Benavides volunteers at a school in town and is developing relationships with teachers and young people there. He and his wife and three daughters have adapted well to their new life in La Moskitia.
Paman and Lilian and their three kids have also adjusted well. Amli, their oldest, wash day is thrilled to be reunited with her Dad after a year apart. She is a big help around the house.
Lilian is feeling better after a scare with cervical cancer. She has had several tests done since December and the doctors have determined that the cancer is not as aggressive, and is more treatable than first thought. Please continue to pray for Lilian. Pray that God would give the doctors real insight and wisdom as they work with Lilian.
Paman is teaching in a local school on the other side of the lagoon in Puerto Lempira. It is far enough away from his house that he needs to spend the week there, returning home only on the weekends.
Good-Bye Brownouts!
The last significant rain Honduras had was back in September (We are in the "dry season"). Fields are brown, farmers can not plant new crops and cows are dying in the pastures. The reservoirs in the cities are very low, and water is being rationed. The river which supplies the pond for the El Sembrador's hydro-electric plant is also very low, which means there isn't enough water to run the hydro all day. Therefore the school must connect to the Honduran power grid which is very expensive and at times supplies voltage as low as 75 volts, well below the normal 120 volts. Voltage that low destroys everything from electronics reg job 2011 to refrigerator compressors.
Last year a couple from North Carolina donated 3 voltage regulators to El Sembrador. In March Gerard Row and Tommy Duckworth, two linemen who work with ITEC, came down and helped Bill and Eddy, the electrician Bill works with, install the regulators. The regulators are now keeping the voltage at proper levels! This is a huge help to the school. Thank you to each one who pitched in to make this project a reality.
Click on the following link to see photos of this project.
REGULATOR PHOTOS
Ni ñ a Noticias
Megan will be graduating from Asbury University May 7th. This will be an exciting day for our whole family! She'll be keeping her job at the public library until she finds a teaching job in the Lexington area. We are so proud of her and of her accomplishments.
Sarah will be finishing her sophomore year at Asbury University this month. She will be taking online classes while living in Honduras this summer with us. This will help her move along in finishing her degree in biochemistry. We are looking forward to the time we will have with Sarah this summer!
This past year we were amazed at God's grace and provision in our lives. Through you, He faithfully provided housing, meals, as well as a great car. He also blessed us with excellent health. We met the cream of the crop during our time home. You are an outstanding group of supporters, and we value each of you as friends. God truly supplied "exceeding abundantly above all we could ask or think."
2011 will be a year of transition ministry from the farm school to La Moskitia. Please pray that God would give us wisdom for the decisions we will need to make in the coming months. We look forward with great expectation to see what God has in store and what He will do through you and us together in Honduras this year.
Blessings on you,
Bill, Beth, Megan and Sarah Ryan
Bill & Beth's e-mail: bill.ryan@wgm.org
Bill & Beth's address: P.O. Box 948 Marion, IN 46952
Megan's and Sarah's address: 1 Macklem Drive, Wilmore, KY 40390 WGM Address: 3783 East State Road 18, P.O. Box 948 Marion, IN 46952-9973
WGM web site: www.wgm.org
Find us on Facebook
World Gospel Mission Forward email
This email was sent to bnbk@gmavt.net by bill.ryan@wgm.org|
Update Profile/Email Address| Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy.
World Gospel Mission | P.O. Box 948 | Marion | IN | 46952