Mohagen Update

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER UPDATE

Oh what a month it has been!

Fall is spent continuing those community relationships that were started during the summer – following up with the teachers, community leaders, and families. There are 2 families that we’ve agreed to help in building their homes. One family has built themselves an adobe house (including making the blocks in their backyard!) and we have agreed to help with the heavier cost of the roof. They are now at roof stage and yesterday we dropped off the first of the materials for their roof! The other family’s house was falling apart, and Tristan spent lots of time teaching them what they needed to do, and we are giving them the work to pay off the materials. It’s been exciting giving them the encouragement and the hand up. The family is so proud of what they are accomplishing!

A big focus this year has been to define better what El Ayudante’s vision, mission, and focus is, as well as a future plan. We’ve defined our ministry area (25square miles of area with around 15,000 people). We felt it very necessary to do a health survey of our area so that we know what we’re up against for the clinic.  It was a lot of work but we had a great team of youth assisting us with the actual survey hours, it made us feel like youth pastors again. We surveyed 400 individuals with a 5-page survey, including a basic health check.  We are awaiting the analysis and results.

The end of September we had a visit from Tristan’s parents, who spent 2 weeks with us, and 5 of those days were on the beautiful island of Roatan! It was a spectacular time of  R&R and family time! I loved getting away from email and phones and having nothing more to do than play with the kids in the water and sand and read a good book. Some highlights of our vacation were Sigel’s first plane ride, snorkeling, seeing dolphins, and playing in the sand. It was spectacular!

As many of you heard, we were hit hard with sickness a few weeks ago. Tristan, Maddy, and I all got dengue fever (high fever that lasts for days, body aches, and migraines, and attacks your blood count) and Ali had a fever, and Sigel a sore throat, all at the same time! All I can say is it was a terrible 10 days. We were a mess, and I’m so so glad that it’s over again and we’re all recovering. Dengue affects you for 1 to 2 months as your body recovers from the attack – so we’re moving a little slower than normal  & still have a cough, but in general we’re feeling better. God blessed us with sweet people who dropped off food and meds and neighbors who came to pray for us.

Prayer Requests:

-       We are doing a lot of research regarding how to best lead the communities that we’re working with – how to empower them to be the leaders and make changes. We need prayer and wisdom as put this into practice, starting with a community committee.

-       Sigel turns 16 this week! Yikes! Pray for him and us as we continue to navigate teenage-hood.

-       We have another couple committed to come and work alongside us – they will oversee all medical missions! They are finishing up some things and coming within the next year – pray for them & us as we prepare to work together.

-       Tristan and I are being stretched in leadership. Pray that we would lead well this huge ministry that God has entrusted us with.

As always, thank you so much for your prayers, friendship, and support. We appreciate you.

If you’d like to financially support us while we serve in Honduras, please send all tax-deductible donations to: Words In Action, 2900 Frontage Rd, Reedsport, OR, 97467