Multi-Month Update

August 14, 2022

Dear Family and Friends,

We hope this update finds you well. I, Chris, wish I felt a bit better myself. I’ve been sick for the last two weeks along with many others living on the property here in Urraco. Because our community is so close-knit, any illness that shows up usually spreads quickly. We are sorry it has been so long since our last update; life has been very full (and at times overwhelming) the past few months.

I promised in our last letter to explain the fractured cheek and nerve damage prayer request. I’ll do my best… It happened in the middle of the night when I woke up to use the restroom. I was half-asleep and fell on our concrete floor (all our floors are uncovered concrete:). Unfortunately, due to my groggy state, I failed to catch myself with my hands and landed directly on my left cheekbone, breaking it. The swelling and pain were impressive, and the left side of my face had gone completely numb. Thankfully, we have a dentist friend, David Yates, who specializes in facial trauma, and he was able to consult us on what we needed to do. He was able to confirm the break would heal naturally from photos we sent him! The six-week soft foods only diet wasn’t much fun. The only thing left at this point is the numbness. Some slight sensation has returned to the left side of my face, but whether more return or not in the coming months and years…only time will tell. I am sincerely thankful I didn’t hurt myself more seriously and for David Yates assessment of the injury for me. The first few weeks after it happened the struggle was more mental and emotional than it was physical.

We were very fortunate to go on a trip to the city of Comayagua for the celebration of Easter week. This city is famous for their weeklong commemoration of Holy Week (as it is known in Spanish). The most visible aspect of the celebration are the dozens of enormous ‘sawdust carpets’ lovingly assembled all around the town square. Most of the local population participates in one way or another. Some families have been making a carpet each year for the past 65 years! It was wonderful to see three and four generations of a family all working on a carpet together. An integral part of the tradition is that the carpets are destroyed within 24 hours of their construction as large processions walk across them. The short ‘life’ of the carpets is one of the things that makes this celebration so special! For us, it was a pleasure and a privilege to be part of such a long-standing tradition commemorating the most important aspect of Christianity (Christ’s death and resurrection).

Sharon and I just finished up a home group study on Psalm 23 led by Jared Smith. Though we know Psalm 23 very well, the verse that really stood out to both of us was verse 3, “He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” It is humbling to acknowledge that where I am being led isn’t for me but it’s for God.

Speaking of studies…next week we will finish the 3^rd quarter of the Honduran school year! As always, the time seems to fly by so quickly. Overall, our students have applied themselves well this year and I am very proud of them. Some of the highlights of this quarter were: a puppet show done by the 2^nd graders for the 1^st graders, art class projects and me chasing chickens out of my classroom:). The biggest challenge our school is currently facing is retaining teachers, especially for kindergarten.

I wanted to give a quick weather report. Normally, we only have heavy rains from November – January (Rainy Season). This year has not been normal. We have been receiving copious amounts of rain the last several months. The main result of this has been constant and prolonged power outages due to downed power lines. Also, the section of the dirt road we live on has degraded to the point of being impassable by busses. The entire road is in dire need of repair and maintenance.

I (Sharon) am going to write this section. My heart continues to heal. Though completely devastated by being asked to leave the Jungle Hospital, hope has begun to sprout once again! It took me about 6 weeks to just be “okay”. Of course, my faith in God and His plans and His purposes has been the rock to which I have clung during this very difficult time. I am so incredibly grateful to you; my family and friends, who have been so supportive, patient and encouraging as I continue to seek God and his plans for me. Chris has also been just simply INCREDIBLE! His just being with me and walking patiently with me through this valley has been a blessing without compare. I have been very intentional about spending time seeking the Lord and looking to Him for the future. During this time, the Lord has made alive to me two stories from scripture, that I know so well, but have come to understand in a new way. The first is the story of Joseph and his vision from God. Joseph endured years of hardship and downright suffering from the time he had his vision until the reality of it came to pass. The other story is that of King David. He was anointed king as a teenager and then spent at least two decades fighting battles for a different king, then being hunted down and persecuted (unjustly) by that other king, before he was anointed king. Please don’t think that I am trying to equate myself with these Biblical heroes, but I have found significant comfort in the difficulties faced by these men who truly desired to serve God in the way they believed He had led them to. Please continue to pray with me as I seek God for what is next.

In June, I found out that my dad had fallen and broken his hip. My sisters and I decided that I should fly back to help take care of our dad. I had about a weeks’ notice before I left, and my sister Kim was there doing all she could for dad. My time with my dad was very good, but also very stressful. To start with, 3 days after arriving I got Covid (a first for me)! But God is good and fortunately, I had already met in-person, most of the staff at the rehab where dad was, and I was able to monitor his care (to a very large degree) over the phone. My sister Kim stepped up once again to help where I could not. I also spent this time seeking out a temporary residence where dad could transition before being ready to go home alone. I did not get very sick, and my major concern of worsening headaches never occurred! I was back at my dad’s side after my 5-day quarantine was over. Thankfully, dad has made an incredible recovery! He is back at home, continuing physical therapy, and has already ditched his walker! A big thank you to our MCC church family for all they did to reach out to dad during his road to recovery.

We are thankful for: