Update

It is amazing how quick the weeks go by. I have been intending to provide an update for the last couple of weeks, but time has slipped by. There is much to report since my last writing.

Danielle and I have completed the home study portion of the adoption process. Our third meeting in Wheaton discussed our marriage relationship as well as a few other topics. Our fourth meeting was the one in our home. We had this meeting Tuesday, December 15th (I think that was the date). In addition reviewing various paperwork, our case worker had to inspect the house. After Danielle and I spent a couple weeks preparing, the inspection went quite well. We have more that we want to do in the house in preparation, but have been able to sort through a lot of stuff and get rid of a lot of things. As I said, we have much more to do. We learned during our last meeting that the home study was approved and that we have been officially accepted into the adoption program. The next step for us is to put our profile/portfolio together that the birth mothers will be reviewing when they are selecting adoptive parents. We have started working on it using the Shutterfly online photo service. We should have it done in a couple of weeks. This purpose of this profile is to show who we are- our lives and interests. Once we are done with the profile, it is the waiting period. The waiting period could be two months, or it could be two years- we don't know. The agency places an average of five babies into homes each year and there are now 11 adoptive couples (including us) waiting. It is all in the Lord's hands.

The Lord is continuing to provide the funds that we need for the adoption. It has been awesome to see Him provide in a couple of very unexpected ways. One of the ways was so clearly a "God thing" that there was NO reasonable human way to explain it away. He is also continuing to teach us about stewardship and managing our income better. This has meant eliminating eating out for the most part, only purchasing what is essential, and foregoing Christmas presents this year. Thankfully our family understands the reason why we have chosen to opt out of the Christmas exchanges. I trust that Lord will continue to provide the funds needed for the adoption, sometimes in unexpected ways.

That's about it for the update right now. Have a Merry Christmas!

Adoption Journey Update

I just realized that it has been two weeks since I last provided an update to our adoption journey. I fully intend to write updates at least weekly, but time has slipped away from me.

Since the last writing, Danielle and I have completed our second home study session with our adoption agency. This last session explored our family of origins and childhood experiences. Tomorrow we have our third session. This should be our final session at the agency in Wheaton. Within a couple of weeks we will have our fourth and final meeting, in our home. The purpose of the house inspection is to ensure that our home is safe and appropriate for a child. In preparation, Danielle and I have many items that we want to work on over the next couple of weeks. Most of the work involves cleaning and organizing. However, there are a couple repairs that really needs to be done too. One is a minor roof leak which has resulted in damage to the kitchen ceiling. Both the roof and ceiling need to be repaired. The other is a rotting window frame around our front picture window. Hopefully these can be repaired simply and quickly. Unfortunately, I am no "handy man" and won't be able to tackle the repairs myself.

We continue to trust the Lord for the money needed for the adoption. As stated in a previous post, we both believe that He will provide the money needed in ways that we never imagined. Over the past two weeks He confirmed that for us in a way that can not be explained in any other way but God. More about that some other time- but it is a great story! Of course, we are also being good stewards of our money and have cut/are cutting unnecessary expenses and purchases in order to save and in preparation to move to a single income once we have the baby.

We are so thankful for the prayers and support of our family and friends. We could not go through this without them. Please continue to pray for us.

Jeff

The Home Study Has Started

This past Monday we started the home study portion of the adoption process. We met our case worker for the first time (who is also named Danielle). The initial meeting went very well as we discussed motivation for adoption. Future meetings will cover our families, marriage relationship, and an evaluation of our home. I estimate that we will done with the home study by the middle of December. Next Wednesday we have our second meeting in Wheaton.

Part of our home study process is to complete ten hours of training pertaining to adoption. We are required to read the book Dear Birthmother, a "classic" book about open adoption, or the relationship between birth mothers, adoptive parents, and the child(ren). It has been a thought provoking book so far. We will start discussing it with our case worker during our next meeting. In addition, we also completed eight hours of online training through Adoptive Learning Partners. These informative (yet too basic at times also) pertained to relevant adoption topics such as attachment, discipline, multiracial families, talking about adoption, and creating the profile. Creating a profile for birthmothers to review in order to pick us is the next step after the completion of the home study. More details to follow about that. I would love to have the profile assembled by the end of the year.

Well, that's about it for right now. We'll continue to provide updates along the way, hopefully at least weekly.

God's Chisel

I love this video.

A New Journey

Danielle and I have officially embarked on the journey towards adoption by submitting our initial application just over a week ago. This paperwork had been in process for a number of months, but it never seemed to be the right time to complete it. However, several weeks ago the Lord laid on our hearts to finish it up and the paperwork that we dragged our feet on for so long was completed in about 10 days! We trust that the Lord has this timing in His perfect plans.

This will probably be at least a two year journey that we will take step by step with the Lord leading us. It will be a time of joy and excitement, but at times probably seasons of impatience and discouragement also. We will covet the prayers of our family and friends during all of these times. Much will happen in the coming months and years. I hope that this blog will provide details along the way. This blog has had different levels of activity over the past several years. I have chosen to leave the blog postings from our Honduras experience posted. This was a hard time for us. However, looking back, the Lord taught us much about Himself and us during that process- just as He will be teaching us through this new journey which will hopefully lead us to adopting a baby.

I do not know what form this blog will ultimately take. Hopefully it will chronicle the details of this entire process; providing updates and also posting prayer requests along the way. I do not know if I (Jeff) will be writing all of the entries, whether Danielle will write some on this blog (or start her own). Much remains to be determined.

Here is where we are at right now in the process:

• We have chosen an agency to work with: The Evangelical Child and Family Agency located in Wheaton, Illinois. After researching and meeting with several agencies over the past two years (we had to take a little hiatus from moving forward while addressing Danielle's chronic hives) and this is the best fit for us.
• We have submitted our initial paperwork (and money) to the agency. This morning we met with their pastoral consultant- the first step. After his report to the ECFA, we will be assigned a caseworker and begin the home study process which will probably take up to 4-6 months.

How we would ask for you to be praying for us:

• The Lord would be glorified through every step of this process and that we would be seeking Him first.
• The home study process would go smoothly. We are not sure what all to expect with this study.
• Finances. Adoption is costly. We have some of the money, but not most of it. We are trusting the Lord to provide the many thousands of dollars needed for this journey that He has set us on. Danielle and I have strong convictions that we do not want to go into debt for the adoption are trusting the Lord. He provided for me to finish graduate school debt free and I believe that He will do it again with this adoption. It will be awesome to see how He will provide!

This is an exciting time. Stay tuned for more details.

Right now I will keep this blog at the current website address- however I'll probably change it sometime. Let me know if you want to be informed if it moves.

Run to Win!

It is hard to believe that another school year has passed. As a youth ministry leader, it is bittersweet to see the eighth graders move onto high school and the seniors move out of youth ministry and into college, the military, or the work force. It is a time of many transitions with new schools, friends, relationships, freedoms, and financial freedoms/decisions. For the high school graduates, it often means moving out from under mom and dad’s roof into a new world. As I reflect on these transitions, much can be learned from Demas, one of the Apostle Paul’s ministry partners mentioned in Scripture.

It was customary for the Apostle Paul to mention certain individuals by name at the end of his letters. Demas was mentioned three times:

· Colossians 4:14 “Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings.”

· Philemon 24 “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. And so do Mark, Asistarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.”

· II Timothy 4:9-10 “Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.”

We do not know what specifically drew Demas away; Scripture does not say any more. However, it can serve as a stern warning for us all; but especially for those transitioning from junior high into high school, and the graduating seniors transitioning into college and/or the next phase of life.

It has been my joy to watch so many students growing in the Lord. I have been seen so many grow in their prayer lives, study/obedience to the Word, being used by God in service, etc… However, I know from personal experience and from watching individuals that the new schools, friends, relationships, and freedoms will be enticements used by Satan to tear these same students away from their walk with the Lord. One must remember that this is war, for our enemy the devil wanders about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (I Peter 3:8). For those not serious about their relationship with the Lord right now, Satan will continue to pull them farther from God through the same enticements (aka love for the world).

So, what must be done? Much can be learned from what it takes to win a race, a game, a competition, or excel in dance, cheerleading, acting, or other activities. Focus and self-disciple is essential to win or excel in any of these areas. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthians used a similar analogy:

• I Corinthians 9:24-27 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

This Corinthians would have identified with Paul’s analogy. Corinth was the site of the Isthmian games, which at the time was second in fame only to the Olympic games. The challenge is clear: Run to win! Eternal rewards await those who serve faithfully. For those who stay the course (or get on the course), awesome things will be done for Jesus in the years to come resulting in an awesome kingdom impact. Schools and neighborhoods will be transformed. Orphans, widows, and the homeless will be cared for. The Islamic world will be reached with the gospel. The possibilities are limitless.

However, just as there is a price to winning an earthly race or winning a competition, the same is true for those who run to win the heavenly prize. Relationships will change, popularity will suffer, amounts of “stuff” won’t increase as much, extracurricular activities such as sports or parties may need to be given up, and persecution in the classroom and/or by the government will be experienced.

“Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” We do not know anything about Demas beyond that. Demas wasn’t willing to pay the price in one or more of the areas listed above. Maybe he saw Paul in prison and said “this is too much for me”. Maybe he wanted to settle down, get comfortable, and start accumulating lots of “stuff”. Maybe he started dating a non-Christian girl and got pulled away by that relationship. We do not know.

In order to stay the course and run to win several things must be done. First, rely on His strength and the power of His Spirit in us instead of our “strength” (Ephesians 6:10). Second, schedule God into your days instead of planning to give him the leftovers which are never left over. Third, develop and strengthen Christian friendships for support and accountability. Finally, pray without ceasing!

Run to win- and we will all celebrate together when we are together in 1,000 years!

Romans 12

The first verses of Romans chapter 12 have long been a couple of my favorite verses to meditate on and teach over the years. Most of the students who have passed through the junior high ministry at Maywood have heard me teach on these verses at least once. However, recently I have been spending time studying verses further down in the chapter; namely verses nine through 21.

Here are the verses from the English Standard Version (ESV):

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." 20To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

The heading in the ESV to this section of Scripture is “Marks of the True Christian”. How true! After the Apostle Paul’s first 11 chapters of Romans, detailing our sinfulness and God’s offer of salvation through Jesus Christ, he transitions to the practical Christian life in the remaining chapters of the book. I find myself wondering how different our lives, ministries, churches, schools, workplaces, homes, neighborhoods……our world would look if we, as Christians would truly walk obediently according to His Word and by the power of His Spirit in us.

What if we really hated evil (and the appearance of it)? Would we tolerate many of the ‘entertainment’ choices that we don’t give a second thought to?

What if we strived to outdo one another in showing honor? Would petty office arguments cease as we put other’s needs ahead of our own?

What if we constantly prayed? How would the world be changed around us?

What if we gave to the needs of others? What if we loved those who persecute us? What if we didn’t think that we were better than others? The list can go on and on….

When one moves beyond Romans 12:1-2 (I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.) and study the rest of the chapter, we can see what our lives should look like as Christians. How I long that my life, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, would reflect the ‘marks of the true Christian’ as I give it to Him as a living sacrifice for all of my remaining days.

My Top Books of 2008

Throughout the year, I have had the opportunity to read many books. Despite the required reading and assignments for graduate school, I always try to be reading at least one book. These books have varied in length and genre. After reflecting on the different books that I have read, I thought that I would list my “top five”. These five books ended at the top of the list because they significantly stimulated my thinking, self-reflection, and call to action in my life. All of the books are quite short, the longest at 385 pages. I highly recommend all of these books.

5. Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World (C.J. Maheney ed.; 2008). This 171 page book delves into the topic of how Christians are to be in the world but not of the world as it comes to media, music, stuff, and clothing choices. It avoids the typical legalistic avoidance approaches to many of these topics but rather formulates a very well-grounded biblical response.

4. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs (John Foxe, 2001 updated edition). This classic book, originally written in 1563 chronicles the martyrs for Christ throughout the century, beginning with Stephen. This edition, updated in today’s language continues into the twenty-first century. The heart-wrenching book is an encouragement to live for Christ, no matter the cost. The blessed individuals in the book understood what Jesus meant when He said “take up your crosses daily and follow Me.”

3. Teaching to Change Lives (Howard Hendricks, 1987). Even though I did not first read this book in 2008, I reread it at least three times this year. As I strive to grow as a teacher, this book presents strategies to make “teaching come alive”. Each time I read it I learn something from it. This is probably the best “ministry book” I have on my shelf. I was especially blessed to have been able to work through the book with Matt Nyberg in an online discussion format earlier this year. We both learned much and grew together.

2. Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins we Tolerate (Jerry Bridges, 2007). Jerry Bridges is one of my favorite authors; I have read his classic The Pursuit of Holiness many times. This book cut to the heart of addressing the “little sins” that I/we tend to accept and tolerate rather than hate as God hates them. These sins include jealousy, anger, pride, unthankfulness, and judgmentalism. This is a book that I need to reread and do another “heart check” in my own life.

1. Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God (Francis Chan, 2008). Francis Chan is my favorite “online pastor” and conference speaker that I have seen. His sermons cut to the heart. This book is no exception as it addresses the status quo of American Christianity. Instead of serving God “leftovers”, we must be giving God our first and whole heart with all that we are and have. Through our “crazy love” for Him and out of obedience, Chan challenges us to move beyond the status quo into radical obedience. I just finished reading this book again and have so much going on in my head on how to live differently- but haven’t quite figured it out yet.

Well, those are my top five books. Many more good books could have been included, but as stated previously, these were the five that have really impacted my life over the past year. Please feel free to comment if you have read these books about how they have impacted you

Blowing the Dust off of the Old Blog Site

It has been approximately two and half years since we posted anything on this blog. This blog was most active when Danielle and I were making plans to leave everything in Rockford behind and follow the Lord into the Honduran mission field. As previous posts from 2006 show (seems like another lifetime), the door closed, and so did that blogging season. The Lord was with us and has used us greatly for His glory. I have grown so much in these past years. To look back, we were not ready for Honduras. Yet, the Lord put us through the experience to show us that. I glorify and praise Him for it. I do not know what this new season of blogging holds, but we shall see in time.

A new direction

I did not realize how long it has been since we posted anything on our website or blog. I'm not even sure if anyone is still reading this blog or not. Well, anyway, it is time for an update.
Ever since the door to Honduras closed for us, Danielle and I have been seeking the Lord's direction and next steps for us. It was after spending time in prayer about His direction that a most unexpected door "cracked open" that we have been pursuing.
I may be returning to school this fall to enter into a graduate program for nursing. The program is located in Rockford and would take about three years to finish. However, there is a possibility that I would be able to get my degree for nearly free; due to tuition reimbursements and a grant that I have applied for.
I had thought periodically about returning to school for my Master's degree for the past five years, but never felt led to pursue it. Not until recently. This would put us in Rockford for at least the next five years because I would have a two year committment at the hospital after completing the program.
This is not the direction that we would have ever anticipated three months ago, but it seems to be the direction that the Lord is leading us down right now. We have received tremendous support from our family and friends, as well as wise counsel from Pastor Scott at church.
I will be submitting my application in the next week. I am still waiting for two letters of reference that I have sent out.
Please be praying for us in this process. Please pray that the Lord makes His will clear in the matter and that He would close the door on this if it is not His plans for us. Please pray about me being accepted into the program, since there are a limited number of spots; and please pray about the grant money allocation. I can't help but feel that the grant money is my "fleece laid before the Lord" since I will really need the grant money to be able to go through this program.
Thank you so much for your continued prayer and support, it has meant so much to us.
I have been looking at our website and blog site tonight and really think that it needs an "extreme makeover", especially in light of where the Lord seems to be leading us now. Keep watching for changes in the coming days and weeks.

jdb

Our Current Calling

It is hard to believe that it has been over two weeks since we learned that the Lord was not calling us to Honduras full time as we had thought. Even though the news was tough at first, Danielle and I have peace about the whole situation and continue to see the Lord at work in our lives, as we continue to seek Him.

We do not know where the Lord will lead us one year, five years, or twenty years from now, and whether He is still preparing us to serve as missionaries internationally. Right now, our mission field is right here in Rockford, Illinois; and this is where we intend to serve Him with our whole heart, just as we would in a foreign country.

We do not know how the Lord will use us here and how long we will be here. We pray that we will serve Him obediently for as long as He has us here. It's kind of funny, we used to think that our "big sacrifice" in our life was to leave everything behind and move to Honduras, but now realize that it may be a bigger sacrifice to remain in Rockford, Illinois indefinately. Where ever He leads us, we will strive to follow Him obediently. "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9

Thank you so much for all of your prayers. Please do not stop praying for us!

JDB

24 de abril, 2006


<canten al Señor, habitantes de toda la tierra.
Canten al Señor, alaben su nombre;
anuncien día tras día su victoria.
Proclamen su gloria entre las naciones,
sus maravillas entre todos los pueblos.
¡Grande es el Señor y digno de alabanza,
más temible que todos los dioses!
Todos los dioses de las naciones no son nada,
pero el Señor ha creado los cielos.
El splendor y la majestad son sus heraldos;
hay poder y belleza en su santuario.>>

Salmo 96: 1-6

Este día fue maravilloso. Empezió con alabanza y orar. El Señor Dios pareció tan cerca de mí hoy. Asi como si Dios me llevó en sus brazos. Escuchaba cuando las personas dijo <> o <> Hasta ahora, hasta esta experiencia, no los entendí. Ahora, yo entienda. Es verdad, él me lleva en los brazos. Estoy una oveja y él es mi pastor. Estoy contenta.

Enough Spanish for one entry. You can look up Psalm 96:1-6 to see what I was writing about, I’m not gonna type it all out again in English. The little paragraph, I will translate, and I’m sure it’ll sound better in English J

This day was wonderful. It began with praise and prayer. The Lord seemed so close to me today. As if he carried me in his arms. I’ve heard when people said “God is carrying me,” or “I didn’t have the power, but the Lord gave me the power.” Until now, until this experience, I didn’t understand those statements. Now, I do understand. It’s true, he is carrying me in his arms. I am a sheep and he is my shepherd. I am content.

There really isn’t a whole lot more to say. The Lord very clearly closed a door, and it would be foolish to keep beating my head against a closed door. That’s not for me.

Surrender is so much easier, even though it’s so often much more difficult. That doesn’t sound like it made sense, but pause, and read it again:
Surrender is so much easier, even though it’s so often much more difficult.

For those of you reading this who have experienced this paradox, you know exactly what I mean.
For those of you who haven’t yet, wait a little while. If you’re serious about following Jesus and walking with him, you will come to this place.

I just wanted to thank all of you who pray for us so faithfully, and to let you know that we haven’t fallen down a black hole. God is still with us, he still has plans for us. Where, when, how—those are all his secrets right now. And I am learning a lot about trusting God, and resting in him. He is faithful, and I praise him for that.

Love,

Danielle
a fellow traveller and a travelling follower :)

Rocketships and a Feather

When I was in third grade my friends and I set out to build a rocket-ship in order to become the “first kids in space” We drew out all of the plans, assembled the materials (2x4’s, aluminum foil, and a lawn mower engine). It was our plan to be the “first kids in space”. We told all of our classmates our plans and met after school to build the rocket. However, eventually we realized that we would never take off in whatever we built. The thoughts of us incinerating in the “rocket” never crossed our minds.
Here it is, over 20 years later and I am still building “rocket ships”. They are no longer built out of 2x4’s and aluminum foil, but have taken different forms over the years. They have included becoming a fire-fighter, going to medical school, buying a “fixer up house”, remodeling the basement myself, getting my degree from Moody, becoming a youth pastor, getting my Master’s Degree in Nursing, and most recently it seems that becoming a missionary to Honduras has joined that list. It is just another one of the great plans in life that I tell family and friends about, yet will probably never materialize. This time I was so sure that we were being led by the Lord to Honduras; that is, until yesterday and the phone call I received informing us that we will not be receiving the "letter of invitation" from the Cornerstone Foundation to join in the work going on there. The reason we were given is a change in ministry focus at Hospital Loma De Luz and the increased usage of Honduran nurses over American missionary nurses.
I can’t help but think of Forrest Gump and his feather. Unlike the movie, I do not believe that we are blown around by the “winds of fate”, nobody knowing where we will land. However, I do feel like a feather, being blown around and seemingly finally almost coming to rest on the ground when another wind comes up and sends us in a different direction entirely. The “wind” of course is the Lord. Just as I thought we would “land” in Honduras, I find myself blown in a different direction and it does not seem so clear any more. While I was so sure after our last trip to Honduras that we were heading there full time, today I am wondering what the Lord’s plans are. Was this just a test for us, to see how far we would be willing to go, or is it something far more? I do not know what to think right now. Did Joseph ever think along the same lines; a vision of his brothers bowing down to him, but landing in a hole and eventually prison for a season prior to the vision becoming reality (probably in a far different fulfillment than he ever envisioned)? I don’t know. However, what I do know is that the Lord is the “wind” beneath me, a mere feather, and wherever I land, I pray and trust that it will be in the middle of His will.

Please keep praying for us!

JDB

Back from Honduras

We returned from our trip to Honduras last Wednesday. It was an awesome trip full of blessings from the Lord. Here is a quick summary of our trip and an update where we are at now in our preparations for full time missions.

What we did on our trip:

• Jeff was able to work in the hospital for several days. This included working in the inpatient unit, surgical recovery, triage, and observing during surgery.
• Danielle primarily helped home-school one of the missionary kids and was able to help at the bilingual school.
• We had a lot of time to interact with the Honduran people. This included participating in a back-porch Bible study (Danielle), attending a Honduran youth group, attending a Honduran church, going with another missionary couple to a waterfall with a Honduran family from their church, and spending some time in a Honduran town a few miles from the hospital.
• We were able to get to know many of the missionaries better. We had opportunities to ask them many questions, participate in Bible studies and worship with them, and minister along side of them. It was such a blessing to see how well we "mixed" with them.
• We were able to "scope out the area" by taking a tour of the language school in La Ceiba, getting a closer look at some of the shopping areas, and paying attention to what items/food are available down there.

You can find more details about the things listed above in previous blog postings.

Where we are at now:

• The Lord made it very clear to us that Honduras, and specifically Hospital Loma De Luz is where He wants us. It was such a blessing to see how we will fit perfectly into the work that is being done there and working/living along side those that are there.
• We are starting the process of applying with a sending agency. A sending agency manages our financial support, insurance, prayer letters, etc. This may be a somewhat long process since it involves filling out applications, traveling for interviews with the board, attending training through the agency (once approved), and completing whatever additional paperwork they require.
• After we have been approved by a sending agency, we will start raising our financial support. This will include raising start-up costs and a monthly support base.
• Danielle is hoping to continue taking Spanish this fall at Rock Valley College (3rd semester). Jeff will be taking his first semester of Spanish. Even though we will be attending language school for nearly a year when we get to Honduras, any head start that we can get now will only be to our advantage later on.

Please check our website for our current prayer requests.

That is about it for now, please check back often for further updates.

Jeff and Danielle.

Heading Home

It's 3:30 AM on Wednesday and we are getting ready to head for the airport. Our flight out of San Pedro Sula leaves at 8:00 AM and we will be arriving at O'Hare around 4:00. Thank you everybody for your prayers and please keep praying for our travels today. We'll write more later.

Jeff

Wrapping Up

Well, it is Monday afternoon and we leave Hospital Loma De Luz in just over 18 hours. This week has gone so fast. It has been a terrific week here in the missionary community. I just wrapped up my last shift in the hospital about an hour ago. It was a really strange feeling walking out of the hospital after saying my "good-byes". I had the same feeling that I had after I had quit my other jobs in previous years; and this was only after being there for less than a week. I had so many opportunities in the hospital these last few days. I spent time in surgical recovery with patients after they came out of surgery (alot of orthopedic cases and a gall bladder removal this morning), observing surgery, working on the nursing unit, and "down the hill" at triage. Equally important (and exciting) was the opportunity that we had to spend with a missionary couple ministering "outside the fences" of the hospital yesterday afternoon. They/we took a lady and her kids from their Honduran church to a waterfall/swimming hole about 12 miles away from the hospital as a diversion for her. About a year ago she lost a child and has been having a difficult time. This trip provided her a much needed distraction, but also time to talk as the one year anniversary approaches. On our return trip from the waterfall, we walked through one of the small villages along the way to pick up another missionary that we had dropped off on our way through. She was visiting a family there that she has gotten to know. The village was packed because there was a funeral going on for someone who had died the night before. It was a very interesting experience. After we had returned from that trip we were off to a Honduran church for the evening service. It was the same church that we had visited during our last trip. Once again, it was a very interesting experience.
It has been a great trip and the Lord has taught us/shown us many things as we prepare for full time service down here. We have so much that we are looking forward to sharing with you!
We leave for La Ceiba and then San Pedro Sula tomorrow morning and then back to Chicago on Wednesday. Please be in prayer for us that we have a safe travel back and that we would get through the airports and customs without any problems.
We are so thankful for everyone's prayers. Thank you!

Jeff

Just Curious

I started wondering this afternoon whether anybody is even looking at our website or blog that we have been maintaining and updating. So...If you are reading this, please "sign-in" by leaving a comment.

Thanks

Jeff

Thursday at the bilingual school

Thursday was another busy day. I helped homeschool Cate in the morning and in the afternoon I went over to help at the bilingual school. They had just recently started this class a few weeks ago, and I was excited to hear how well the children could already speak English. They are going through the alphabet, and the day I was there, the letters they focused on were I, J, & K. It was very interesting to sit in the champa listening to the lesson while dogs and geese and other kids were playing in the yard around us. I have to say, the teachers do a wonderful job of keeping the children's attention in that environment. When we come down here, I am looking forward to working in the bilingual school. Parece que Profe es un buen profesor, porque yo puedo entender casi todas las palabras de los escluincles. It seems that Profe is a good teacher, because i can understand almost all of the words of the little kids :->
I took some pictures of the school, hopefully we can put some more up later...

Hasta luego,
Danielle

Wednesday Night Short Term Study

It's been a full and exciting week here in Honduras. Thank you one and all for your love and prayers. We praise the Lord for the opportunity to come here and see the great work He is doing at Loma de Luz. Every day here has been packed with service and fellowship and we have bee.n so blessed by everyone here.
On Wedensday evening we were invited to join the short term staff in their weekly Bible study. What a tremendous blessing! There were about 10 people there including us, and we felt very much at home and welcomed among them. The study started a little after 7:00 with some praise and worship, followed by time in prayer. They were just starting a new study through the book of Colossians, and so we all took turns and read through the entire book. It was so cool to read through an entire book of the Bible in one setting in a big group like that. We had little handouts to write the outline of the chapters and some discussion questions. By the time we wrapped up with some more prayer and then more praise and worship, itwas almost 10:00! The team staying at staff housing had gone to bed long since, and so we all decided to head off to bed, too. Not until we had all eaten some cookies and cake and enjoyed more time talking and laughing, of course. I think we got to bed around 11:00, but that's just a guess on my part!

Saturday

Well, it is Saturday, and a day to spend some time relaxing. We have stayed busy all week and having some "down time" has been very nice. This morning Danielle and I went to the beach about 1/2 mile from the hospital. It is so beautiful down here. Today is the warmest day so far, about 87 degrees. The breeze off of the ocean that we have enjoyed for the past few days has died off for the most part.
Yesterday I took a drive with Ted and a few others into the mountains. Along the five mile "road" houses were scattered about and we went through a "village" of about two hundred. The people of the village frequently walk for three hours down the mountain (a very steep walk) to seek treatment at the hospital or do shopping at the small village at the base of the mountain. It was an eye-opening experience to see the environment in which many of the people served by Hospital Loma De Luz live in.
Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for us these next few days as we wrap up our trip.

Jeff