I pray this email finds you well. When asked to retract his decision to emancipate the slaves, Abraham Lincoln responded, “I walk slowly, but never backwards.” The first part of that sentence surely describes our ministry. It seems like things are moving a lot slower than we would like, but I also believe that the second part of that sentence is true in our ministry—never backwards. The ministry is going forward!
In the months of June and December, workers get an extra paycheck here in Honduras. Last week I asked our members to give a little extra since they are getting extra money this month. They committed $1,000 ($900 has already come in). We now have finished the other half of our pavilion and put a gate at the entrance to the property. Last month thieves broke into our bathrooms, which are also used for storage. They took some tables, chairs, and a toilet (yes, a used toilet); a gate was greatly needed.
Pray for my wife. She has had some health issues the last couple of months. She has had a lot of pain in her joints. The doctor told her to have some tests done, and it seems like she is in the beginning stages of arthritis. It seems like the only thing she can do is to slow down to minimize the pain. She needs to have some more tests done. Pray for wisdom for the doctors and for us in this matter.
Sometimes it seems like our labor is in vain. Last year I remember knocking on doors in an entire neighborhood, and nobody seemed to respond. However, last Saturday, while shopping for a mouse for my computer, a guy named Luis looked at me and exclaimed, “I know you.” I asked, “Where from? Where do you live?” He answered, “You came by my house last year and invited me to church.” I visited Luis in his home last Monday and spoke to him for about an hour. He told me he had trusted in Christ as his Saviour before. Luis, who is 30 years old, came to church last Sunday and seems very interested in serving the Lord. Pray for Luis and his family.
Thank you for your prayer and financial support.
Truly,
Osmin Gutierrez