Newsletters

 		March 23, 2001

What a week it has been! We have had five payer requests answered. Two
couples had their civil wedding on the 16th (Henry/Silvia Perez and
Orlando/Gloria). It was great to see them serving up front in the church
immediately. The custom in the mountain is to just live together. Both of the
men want to prepare to be ministers.


Martin, Yami’s husband, was baptized on the 18th. He was not planning on
being baptized that day but he felt God convicting him strongly that he
needed to be baptized that day. Two other young men were also baptized.
People in La Union had never seen a baptism by immersion so one of the
reasons no one wanted to be baptized was because they were afraid that they
would be drowned in the process. We estimate 20 to 30 people watched the
baptisms.

It has been such a wonderful blessing to see people really interested in
learning what the Bible says about how to handle everything in life. The more
they read the Bible the more they feel convicted about having a personal
relationship with Christ.

Toby has started up his work over the last couple of weeks moving past all
the frustration of time involved in getting the truck repaired.

Reviewing our weekly schedule: Sunday in the morning we have church. After
church Toby goes to La Union to teach the men. Monday he prepares his sermon
for Tuesday. Monday afternoon he disciples Max Vigil. Max has a lot of
potential for the future of the churches here. Tuesday morning we do
adoption, remote clinic, church work, errands, etc.. Tuesday afternoon, Toby
works on his sermon for that night and then preaches his sermon. Wednesday he
prepares discipleship material and disciples the minister in Penitas Arriba,
Emilio Aldana. Wednesday night he occasionally helps Santos Paz with a new
congregation he is starting in the village where we live, San Antonio del
Peru. Thursdays are general errand days in the city with shopping for
groceries, needed goods and other. Thursday evening we have a church service.
Friday he disciples Emilio again. Saturday he takes some of the young men
down for guitar lessons in the city. Saturday afternoon he disciples Santos
Paz. This is keeping him busy. It seems he is preaching, teaching, discipling
or preparing to preach/teach/disciple.

Monday during our lunch break I went to the little store to buy a coke for
lunch. I saw a young woman who I knew has a very difficult life. I smiled and
said hi to her. It was amazing to see how much her face lit up from such a
small thing. Lastenia has epilepsy. A person here is considered crazy and
stupid when they have this infirmity. Lastenia lives with her brothers,
sister, and brother-in-law who abuses her physically, sexually, and
emotionally. She has had one miscarriage due to a guy beating her so bad. Her
two other children were immediately taken away from her since she is "crazy."
She came to church last night because I smiled at her and said hi to her the
previous day. She asked me to please pray for her. After I prayed with her,
she wondered if the church could pray for her and we did.  It was so awesome
to hear Emilio say can we talk for a minute on how the church can help her.

Now this is a church which has not been loving or helping to anyone. I
discussed with Emilio how I thought she needed to live with someone who would
love, encourage, and support her. I was hoping someone in the church could do
that. We discussed several other ideas that were also agreed upon. The main
question is who and how.

Coffee is literally worthless this year so everyone in the mountain is
suffering from lack of income. People are having a difficult time feeding
their own families, let alone adding another mouth to feed. We would ask you
to pray with us for Lastenia that she would see how much God loves her and
what value she has in His sight. We would also ask you to pray that someone
in the church could take her in and show her what Christianity really is.

There has been so many wonderful and exciting changes since we returned
from our time in the States. People are starting to go to the Bible for
answers to their questions in life. Two couples have been legally married.
There are rumors of other people wanting to get married. There have been four
baptisms since we have returned with others either thinking about it or
wanting to be baptized. This has been very encouraging for us. We are so
thankful to God for His abundant blessings in life.

Serving Him in the Merendon Mountains of Honduras,
Toby and Amy Hill