Birthday Shoe List Round II

Hey guys.  So last year we got shoes together for all the girls at the farm.  Turns out Honduran shoes aren't made extremely well.  Our girls run through them pretty quickly.  So, we had folks from the States purchase shoes for a specific girl that we could give as a birthday present.  It was awesome.  They were all REALLY excited about it.  I figured we would try it again this year.  I think we can do sweet birthday presents two consecutive years without spoiling the girls.

We have a few more girls than last year.  I think we were around 24 last year and we're around 32 this year.  That means a few more folks have the opportunity to participate. 

Also, I have several of the girls that are specifically asking for converse shoes.  The basic, old school style.  Now, naturally I would say, "be happy with what you get."  But, as it is, Converse are cheaper.  I figured this might be easier on whoever is buying them, so I will indicate which girls would really like converse.  Its most of them actually.

I will update the list as quickly as possible so that as soon as a girl has a birthday-shoe-buyer, they will be off the list.  Just let me know if you want to play.  You can reach me on here, facebook, at Bheath09@gmail.com or for a few more weeks at 770-616-6673.

CONVERSE LIST
Norma            January 1        36       (DONE)
Brenda            February 8     6 1/2    (DONE)
Paola              March 12        30-31   (DONE)
Mileidy          April 8            9           (DONE)
Stefania          March 26        36       (DONE)
Ana                March 31        37       (DONE)
Katy               April 10          35       (DONE)
Kami              April 18          32       (DONE)
Darlin            April 18           34        (DONE)
Gabby            April 27          36       (DONE)
Angela           April 27          38       (DONE)
Kim               June 13            22-23 (DONE)
Carina            August 7         34      (DONE)
Jenny(Jirafa) August 17        7-8    (DONE)
Kenia             August 18       36     (DONE)
Marie Elena   September 25  32    (DONE)
Roxana          September 27  37    (DONE)
Belquis          October 4        36    (DONE)
Yensy            October 27      33    (DONE)
Carmen         November 4     30    (DONE)
Cinthia          November 12   39    (DONE)
Doris             November 19   36   (DONE)
Lucy              December 24   33   (DONE)
Alicia            December 31    33   (DONE)


Tennis Shoe List
Jenny Alexa    February 14          8     (DONE)
Lizzy               March 15             38

Sonia               February 27        38    (DONE)

Cruz                May 4                  ??

Yessenia          September 8        35   (DONE)

Mary                September 10     33    (DONE)

Rosy                 August 30           36    (DONE)

Carla                November 16     12 months  (DONE)

Esmeralda         December 14     36    (DONE)

By the way, alot of these sizes are in what I think is Internation Sizing.  I will find the American sized numbers soon.  I'm lazy.

Scorpion Hunting

Not long ago, I watched a scorpion crawl into a crack where the ceiling meets the wall in my bedroom.  I have a gun beside me.  Its really just a waiting game now.  I decided to write something while I wait. 

I’ve written a few of these recently but then I erase them.  I decide they’re either too serious, too self-promoting, or too critical of others.  I’m assuming the position of apathy tonight as I wait on my scorpion, so I hope to avoid some of those things.  I’ve decided not to use the word “blog” by the way.  Every time I do, a tiny part of my soul dies.

I fell on my motorcycle the other day going through some trails.  The bruise on my leg reminds me how adventurous I am.

I’ve listened to several David Platt sermons in the last few weeks.  One of the biggest challenges when coming to Honduras was that I was leaving my church services and bible study groups.  It was hard when I first left.  But so I was listening to a podcast.  This guy is a good preacher, but what is really special about him is where his focus appears to be.  Its not the audience at all.  Its Christ.  I wish I could be as focused on Christ as he is.  I don’t think that’s a bad thing to say.  I prayed for spiritual examples not long ago.  I even made a blog about the topic then deleted it.

School is going well.  I don’t get to teach much at all anymore.  An English class if I have the time.  I mostly stay busy with administrative things now.  Its interesting, but I do miss teaching.  We’re trying new schedules, moving around teachers, buying textbooks and streamlining discipline.  Its difficult sometimes to look at the bigger picture.  It makes me worry about if my girls are going to be ready for college.  I think we’re doing well, but I want to continue to get better. 

I had a neat conversation with one of the girls who has neat conversations.  I was talking to her about college.  So I say, “If you go to college, you can make a significantly larger pay check one day.”  And she replies, “So what?”  How beautiful.  We place so much emphasis on money.  Rich people kill themselves all the time.   But so a guy living off of $2,400 a year is talking about money with an orphaned little girl in the poorest country in Central America.  She reminded him that money doesn’t make a person happy. 

I convinced her that if she went to college, she could probably get a job doing something that she really enjoyed.  Then I told her if she didn’t like college, drop out after the first year and sell tortillas in El Salvador. 

Still no scorpion.  My eyelids are heavy.  If you pray for me, pray that I could be more dependent on Christ.  If you don’t pray for me…. (I thought of 3 humorous ways to end this sentence.)

HELP WITH TEXTBOOKS!!!

Hello all.  I haven´t made any blogs in a while.  Really, I got sick and couldn´t think of anything else to write about, so i didn´t write anything at all.  Thumper´s mother would have been so proud of me.  But I need some help.

Ok, we are doing some crazy awesome things at the school.  I have 5 staffmembers at the school including myself.  I have bilingual teachers that schools in the states only dream about.  We are teaching Spanish, English, Math, History, Geography, Computers, Reading, Reading Comprehension, Sciences, Bible......... among other things.  Things are really falling into place in ways that they never have before.  But i lack a few things.  Primarily books.

Now, I need 2 types of books.  First, textbooks.  I am desperate for a good would geography textbook.  Middle School grades preferably.  Can anybody help me with that?  Point me in a direction to buy one?  Talk to people at your local school?  Potentially annoy people at a private school until they want to send a textbook to my 501c3 non profit organization?  Maybe if you live close to Strong Rock in Locust Grove.  I need some help people.

Second, I´m looking for reading books in Spanish.  Really from preschool up to highschool ages.  I´m not quite so desperate about these, but I really want them.  Most of my girls are bilingual, but we don´t have many spanish resources.  If anybody knows where I can get my hands on some spanish books, it would probably bring me to tears.

Ok, if people help me find these things, I promise to be a better missionary and make more blogs.  Let me know.

Exciting for me, maybe not for you.

Whew.  Sometimes I don´t have very much internet.  It doesn´t really bother me anymore.  A guy can only shop for motorcycles on line for so long before he has to go live life.  But, I still like to use it at an excuse as to why I don´t have more blogs.  Apathy might be a more realistic reason, but I´m not going to tell you that.

So, lot of stuff that I think is interesting but you might not.  Friday was a big day.  We had a new student at the farm who is not one of the girls in the ministry.  This is the first time that has happened.  I´m pretty pumped about it.  It might not seem that crazy awesome, but its a big step in the right direction.  Eventually, we want to use the school to give a bilingual education to girl in our area and as a high school accredidation center for boys and adults.  So the branching out has officially started.  We are doing things down here.  Since the girl is not part of the ministry, I can tell you her name.  Belkis.  Please pray for her.  There are going to be bumps in the road, we hope she will be the first of many girls in the community to get a good education and investment in her future from our school.

Second, I walked around with the pastor about a week ago.  It was pretty cool.  Half way because my spanish is finally good enough to understand him and the people in the community.  Second, because it gave me alot of ideas.  We met some people who need to learn to read.  In the months to come, we´re going to be planning to start teaching accredidation classes and reading classes for adults in Yamaranguila.  Saying that makes me feel more like a missionary.  So I am looking for a few things.  I need some bibles in spanish that is a simple translation to use.  Think ¨the message¨ compared to ¨KJV¨.  Only in spanish.  Second, I need to find some tips on how to teach people how to read, (preferably adults).  If you teach first grade, I want to talk with you.  And thirdly, if anybody wanted to move to Honduras and teach people how to read, now is a great chance.  I said it before, but we are doing things down here. 

So thats about it I reckon.  Pray for us.  Times are good, but no doubt its because we have a good God and faithful people praying for us. 

And to Josh and Allison, I hope you have a great baby shower this weekend.  I wish I could be there.  Can´t wait to hold your daughter in a few weeks. 

Jeremiah 29:13

I´m going to try to be more consistent with writting on here.  In fact, I´ve decided to do one blog per day for the next......10 years.  Ok, no, not really.  But I have decided to to one blog a day for today.  Vaya pues.

So I had this idea.  Its a little idea.  I get busy down here at the farm.  Not like ¨busy¨, but like, out of time.  So I´m doing alot of things, teaching alot of girls, telling alot of jokes, right?  Good things.  Then, I decide to pray when I´m not busy.  Or I might read my bible when I´m not busy.  But I found myself one night thinking ¨where are you God?¨  And I thought of this verse.  ¨You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.¨ Jeremiah 29:13.  Whats common is to try to let God have your extra time.  Or, to try and squeeze God into your over crowded schedule.  But rather, God wants us to pursue him with our whole heart.  This is the same intensity with which he pursues us.  And I don´t know, it just made me think, so I decided to share it.

We´re doing good at the farm.  We´re getting organized.  We´re getting better at doing what God has called us to do.  But pray for us if you will.  That our staff will be unified.  That our girls will search for God with their whole hearts.  That we can remove ourselves from situations and make Christ the center.

By His grace,
Ben Heath

Spock with a beard

My blogs seem to be getting somewhat more emotional and serious.  I'm currently in the process of ridding most emotions and seriousness from my life.  Like Spock with a beard.   I don't know how they get into my blogs though.  But, as always, I figure if it bothers anybody they won't read it.

So this was a short trip home.  I made it for 2 weeks.  I was banking on working about 10 days, but fell pretty short there.  Turns out little muscles and busy schedules lead to many days off.  I want to say that like an indian real quick.  Hold on.  "Little muscle......busy schedule.....many days off".  Ok.  But one really cool thing from this trip is how many people have been giving to me.  Now, I live with so many people that have nothing, I haven't been able to ask people for money in my time in Honduras.  I've just decided that if I needed money for something, I would learn to go without something else.  I still plan to venture down that path, but its still nice to recieve gifts.  I had a large amount of money in my ministry account that I wasn't planning on and don't know where it came from. Also, my church decided to sponsor me for what turns out to be about half of my yearly expenses.   So I just want to thank those people and those groups.  I also want to thank Rod and Betty Shearouse as their consistent contributions have helped me beyond what I can describe.

There are definite difficulties about my job.  I love my girls and am thankful for my calling, but its always hard to say good-bye to friends and families.  Its hard leaving soft beds, warm showers, and rooms with no scorpions.  Its hard leaving friends and churches that are in English.  But it makes a really big difference when money isn't something that I have to worry about. When I can take the good and the bad without checking my wallet.  Through my ministry thus far, God has taken care of me.  He has given me provision beyond what I could imagine.  Thank you to those who have helped me financially.  Moreso, thank you for your prayers and for the prayers for my ministry and my girls.

By His grace,
Ben Heath

Wiggidy What You Say?

I decided not to stick with my last blog.  I meant it, but I think I portrayed my thoughts in a bit too much of a negative light.  What I really meant to say is that if you feel God is calling you to serve for any amount of time in a foreign country, personal safety should not be a real concern.  Choosing to follow Christ means being less of a servant and more of a slave.  If He calls you to serve, trust that He is in control and has the specifics figured out.  And if that means that harm might befall you, "to live is Christ".  There hasn't been a time in the last 2 years that I have been worried to return to Honduras.  In fact, whenever trouble turns up, it makes me desire more to be in Honduras with the girls that God has called me to serve.  And if I'm ever robbed or beaten up or mocked or poor....er, then that will be because I have chosen to serve Christ as whatever the cost.

Pero yo pienso que mis palabras estaban verdad.  Honduras es un pais demasiado hermosa a faltar por algunas reazones.  Tambien, el llamado a servir y amar mis chicas es demasiado fuerte a faltar.  No estoy serviendo gringos, pero para el ministerio, oculpamos mas amigos y menos enemigos.