We had a wonderful trip back to Honduras with a team from Hickory Grove Baptist! The team worked diligently throughout the week as they ministered to the boys of FCM, to the precious people in the impoverished communities, and performed various tasks at Noah's Ark Shelter. It was a privilege to be back in a place that feels much like home and to serve alongside such a great group of people.
The money that God enabled the team to raise from fundraisers, our church's allotment for the team, and with the donations of others; we were able to purchase (& give out) 2000 lbs of beans & rice, 12 bunks beds where built by the men on the team, 50 street people were fed, a Waterpark day for the boys, and money was left for other various needs that the ministry had. Most importantly, there were about 35 professions of faith that week!! To God be the glory! God truly blessed each one of us and we praise Him for His faithfulness once again!
The pictures included here show Gordon sharing the Gospel to a group of people that had gathered along the side of the road near a house the team was ministering to, another picture shows a small part of our team with one of the families we ministered to, Richie (one of the missionaries already in Honduras) ministering to a crowd, as well as, pictures of the boys in the ministry. As you look at these pictures we ask that you please PRAY for the boys of FCM and for these families. Please also pray for the new believers, for their growth in Christ. As you know, accepting Christ into their hearts is just the beginning...we pray that each new/old believers will continue to grow in their faith & in turn will be a witness to others. The devil would love nothing more then to snatch these believers back and turn them away from God, so please also pray for their protection from the defeated one.
* Pray for our missionary friends, Richie & Lori, the staff here in the States and in Honduras as God continues to use them to minister to the people of this country & to the boys of FCM.
* Please also continue to PRAY for our family as God prepares each of our hearts to go to the mission field and for the sell of our home!! We long to be where they are but know it's all in HIS timing, until then we wait (impatiently at times!), trusting He will get us there soon. THANK YOU for your continued prayers and to all our faithful partners!!
In His Grip,
Gordon, Christy, Jared, Zac, & Wil
*(More photos from our trip can be viewed on this website)
10-12-09 ~ We arrived in Honduras yesterday safe and sound. (Praise the Lord!!) And what started out as a rough beginning with delayed flights caused by storms resulted in us RUNNING! through the airport to make our connecting flight. Once approaching the ticket counter the airline worker reluctantly helped us make our flight after much persistance (ok, pleading!) and prayer. Once on board and on our way to Honduras, we were able to spread out on the plane, and had a very relaxing flight. God showed up in many ways for us that day! We praise Him for that...
10-13-09 ~ Had a great day in the feeding ministry today. Lots of beans & rice were given out, many opportunities to share the Gospel, three accepted Christ, and the day ended with a youth service in church. It was a great time of worship, prayer, testimony, and sharing of the Gospel. God blessed and we are amazed how He faithfully shows Himself throughtout our week.
10-14-09 ~ Another awesome day in the Lord! Got the privilege today to talk about the Lord with two families in the feeding ministry. Both families were already saved, so we just encouraged and prayed for them. We also left food and clothing to bless their families. Sharing the Gospel is a great privilege but reminding them that God is by their side and that He loves them is also a blessing.
After ministering to several families, the team went to Grace Farm and had a great time playing games with the boys and just getting reaquainted. We finished the day with a wonderful church service by candlelight (and flashlights!) because the power went out right in the middle of the service! What the devil meant for evil, God used for good. The church didnt even miss a beat. Missionary, Richie Womack delivered a powerful message and we had a great night praising the Lord. God is good! God blessed once again as we stepped outside of the church that night, looking up we all noticed how brillant the sky looked. There seemed like a million stars in the sky, it was amazing. We believe it was just another way of God showing up that day!
Today was also a day to remember & celebrate for the people of Honduras as their soccer team advanced to the World Cup after winning their game tonight. A feat they havent experienced in the last 27 years! There was much celebrating as we drove through the streets of Tegucigalpa tonight!
10-15-09 ~ Today was the team's shopping day in Valley of the Angels. A day that is always set aside for the team to relax and unwind from the week. Valley of the Angels is one of Honduras' prettiest places to visit. Getting back to the shelter we just hung out with the boys and had a good time spending time together. Later that evening we all gathered together as we do every night to sing praise songs with the younger boys in the ministry and to talk about ways we witnessed Jesus at work that week. This is one of my favorite times of the day, especially to get to hear the boys sing praises to their God. What a blessing for all who have frequented this ministry!
Tonight after praise time I got the chance to help one of the young men in the ministry with their homework from English class. He is doing a great job and is excited to learn the language. God is really doing a work with these boys! What a privilege it is to be a part of it.
Tomorrow we have a big day planned for the boys. The team will treat all the boys of the ministry to a day at the Water Park. It will be a great day of fun and laughter...a day the boys look most forward to!
10-16-09 ~ Today was waterpark day for all the boys of the ministry and our team. As the day approached there was a heightened level of excitement amongst the boys. The day was full of swimming, waterslides, soccer, pool, as well as much conversation and laughter. Afterwards we headed back to the shelter to rest and prepare for dinner. Later that evening we gathered around in a circle with the boys as we do every night to sing praise songs, testimony, and a time to share about our week. The night winded down with everyone packing their bags in preparation to travel back to Charlotte in the morning. Gordon & I will spend the rest of our week at the Womacks home, which is always a great time for fellowship and to catch up. Please keep the team in your prayers as they travel home tomorrow.
During praise time tonight we had the privilege of listening to Juan Carlos, a young man in the ministry sing praise songs and play the guitar. I must admit, as he played, tears just started streaming down my face as I listened. This young man is a miracle. He was one of the first group of boys to come in the ministry and when he came it was evident that this his body was still feeling the effects of the glue he had huffed for so long while living on the streets. But in time, God worked a miracle and now he is in college pursuing an Agiculture degree. He has also voiced the desire to be a street pastor with the ministry. He is serving with FCM by sharing his testimony and the Gospel with the people of Honduras while in the ministry. What an amazing work the Lord has done in His life!
10-17-09 ~ This morning we took the team to the airport to travel home. It was a real pleasure for us to spend the week with this group of people. Everyone worked well together and we truly enjoyed serving alongside each one of them this week! We also enjoyed watching the first timers, we knew they would fall in love with the people and the boys of the ministry as we had. We were surprised as we hung out at the airport to wait with the team when several former translators showed up to greet us, it was fun to see them and to finally catch up. The Lord has truly blessed us with many friendships as we have continued to frequent this country. We praise the Lord for that!
We also were greeted by a former resident of the ministry, a young man that we have grown quite close to. He has refered to us in the past as his mama and dad. What a special young man he has become as he continues to work hard in his work, is still attending church, and is now taking care of his mom and sisters. We had a wonderful time getting reaquainted with him as we all struggled to speak each other's language. We know God has a special plan for this young man.
The rest of the evening was filled with cooking, lots of conversation, and time to relax. What a joy it was to once again be guests in the home of good friends. God is good!
10-18-09 ~ Today we all went out to Grace Farm where the older boys live. We enjoyed hanging out with them and taking time out to say our good-byes...something we never look forward to! For we know it will be several months before we will be able to see them again. We are thankful though that God allows us to be a part of their lives, what a privilege!
10-19-09 ~ Traveling back home today. Although we thoroughly enjoy being in what feels like "our other home" here in Honduras, we are looking forward to seeing our own boys in the States. In speaking with them many times this week, they were having a good time being with family & friends while we were away. God is always so good in providing the care needed so we can be free to travel. With each trip, it can be difficult to say good-bye to our own boys, yet God always blesses us as we obediently follow Him. We praise Him for His faithfulness!! And it is humbling that He allows us to be a part of such a great ministry.
Please continue to keep our family in your prayers as we travel, in raising the funds to get on the field, and for the sale of our home. We are anxious to head to language school in the near future!
Thank you for your faithful prayers and for the way each of you are standing behind our family!
Dios le bendiga!
Gordon & Christy
Next trip to Honduras coming up quickly!! Just on the eve of much political unrest in Honduras, a team of about 13 people, including ourselves, will once again darken the walls of a shelter where much laughter and numerous hugs abound! The Hickory Grove team will arrive on Saturday, October 10th and we will follow to arrive on Monday, October 12th. We look forward to visiting with our missionary friends, Richie and Lori Womack, and getting reaquainted with the boys of FCM. It has been almost 8 months now since we were last there, partly due to the political unrest that started with the apprehension of the former President of Honduras, Mel Zelaya. Immediately following his escort out of the country by the military, he traveled & lived for a time in Costa Rica. However, just in the past few weeks he has since snuck back into the country of Honduras and he is reported to be staying at the Brazilian Embassy. It has also been noted that the military are standing guard at the embassy awaiting to arrest Mr. Zelaya. Along with the political unrest, came curfews and many protests which has made life difficult for those just trying to go about daily life in Honduras. This unrest has caused many church trips to cancel or postpone, which in turn has put a strain on FCM.
We anxiously await returning back to the country and ask that you PRAY along with us that peace will continue in Honduras and that the team will be able to do the work God has prepared before us to do! We know our God is much bigger than this unrest and being in the center of His Will is the safest place to be. Therefore, we just ask that you pray for God's annointing on this team, for seeds to be planted and many to accept Christ, our safety, health, and traveling mercies. Please also remember our families while we are away.
THANK YOU for your earnest prayers! Please continue to pray for God's intervention in this country and that peace will continue to abound. We ask that you also remember our missionary friends, the staff in U.S. and Honduras, and the boys of the ministry.
* Mission team heading there this Saturday, October 3-10th...pray for their safey, God's annointing on the team, & numerous opportunities to share the love of Christ as they do God's work this week with the feeding ministry and the boys of FCM.
God Bless You,
Gordon & Christy
Proverbs 3:5-6 ~ "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, but in all thy ways acknowledge HIM so He can direct your path."
This verse has spoken to us on many occasions in the past three years as we have frequented Honduras, and especially as we walk on this journey to follow His lead. Even as a young Christian this verse has been a prayer of mine as I have sought to follow God's Will for my life. But over the past few years this verse has become our heart's cry. As we walk forward, we continue to hold our head high as we look to God seeking His wisdom while at times wrestling with our own fears or lack of faith. We recognize that we are allowing ourselves to be placed in a position of potential tremendous spiritual attack, yet at the same time a place of even greater spiritual blessing!
Therefore, we wait to move forward "leaning not on our own understanding, but in all thy ways acknowledging Him as He directs our path." We admit the "waiting" is not always easy, but we trust that He has our family in the palm of His hand...He will move us on when He is ready and not a day too soon. Until then raising our boys has given us more than enough to do...between schooling them, sports, work, and fundraising, our plate stays quite full! We ask that you pray for us as we wait. We praise Him as He remains faithful to speak to us and as He continues to reaffirm that which He has called us to do. We are resting in His truth, looking forward to serving alongside FCM with the precious boys of the ministry and people of Honduras.
Please PRAY for us as we fundraise. Although we have a year of support raised for language school, we are still in need of monthly partners to get/keep our family in Honduras. We need about $1500-$2000 more a month to get us there...we cannot do it without you, so we ask that you prayerfully consider partnering with us on a monthly basis. "The harvest is great, but the workers (remain) are few." Your decision to partner with us can make a difference for ETERNITY!!!
We thank you for your faithfulness!
Prayer Requests: Sell of our home
Preparation of our hearts & our families
Missionaries, Richie & Lori Womack
U.S. & Hondurean staff
Boys in the ministry - health/spiritual growth
Because He First Loved Us,
Gordon, Christy, Jared, Zac, & Wil
Just last weekend our home church, Hickory Grove Baptist, hosted a three day ESL training course. I had to put in a lot of hours in this three day period but the time spent being trained was well worth it. Our church is to start an ESL English class as a way to reach out to the community and spread God's Word. We look forward to being a part of this ministry by assisting in the classes in hopes of becoming better prepared to teach English in the future.
We have an idea about what our roles will be once we finish language school and head to Honduras, yet we recognize that we need to take hold of every opportunity we can to get prepared. Teaching English is just one of the many avenues God can use us with Forgotten Children Ministries in Honduras. With ~60 boys in the ministry, one full-time missionary couple, and a handful of Hondurean staff, life in Honduras will be very busy. We are open to be used however God leads. We are just excited to go forward as soon as our home sells. Please continue to keep the sell of our home in your prayers, for we know that God will bring it to pass...it's just a matter of HIS timing.
Thank you for your faithful support and prayers!!
In His Grip,
Gordon & Christy
Just this week we informed the Language Institute in San Jose, Costa Rica our need to postpone our family's arrival until January 2010. (This of coarse is pending on the sell of our home!) Although we were disappointed, we recognize that it will happen in accordance with God's perfect timing & will. A friend recently reminded us that God's timing (in his experience) is often not the same as ours, and another that God's timing is just as important as the call. Which is so true! It's not easy "waiting" but it's in the waiting that God is preparing each one of us to heed this call. It takes patience on our part and faith knowing He always knows best. On this journey, God has been so faithful to speak to us, sometimes almost immediately! and we praise Him for that.
Just this morning in my devotional, I was reminded of a time when one of His own got tired of waiting so she took matters into her own hands. Who can forget the story of Sarah & Hagar in Genesis 16:1-15? While Sarah may have thought she had a good plan, her decision to force God's hand only brought despair for her family and her maidservant. I think most of us can sympathize with Sarah, yet in reading this text I was reminded of the importance of having faith in God and in His plan for us. Like my devotional said, " It does'nt mean we sit around as we wait. There is plenty to do. It just means we dont force the outcome." We wait for God's perfect timing and fulfillment in our lives. Oh, how we, even as His children, can complicate things when left to our own vices as we jump ahead of God! If only we could just have faith and rest in knowing He is at work, even when we don't recognize it.
It is our prayer, that in the waiting, He will continue to cleanse, mold, and shape us for this new chapter in our lives. We long to be with the people He's called us to, yet we know He does'nt waste a single day...He is preparing us as we wait. We ask that each of you continue to PRAY!!! for each one of us, for this call is much bigger than ourselves. Please pray God will continue to bless us with monthly partners, for faith in the waiting, for God to continue preparing our hearts, and for the sell of our home.
We thank you for your continued faithful support and prayers!
In His Grip,
The Diegelmans
Edwin was twelve year old when we first met him on the streets of Tegucigalpa. Luis Granados first encountered him and gave him food. Luis shared with Edwin about our ministry and Edwin was with the first group of boys who came into the ministry. Shortly after coming to Grace Farm I had the opportunity to hear Edwin's testimony. It was one of the most tragice stories I had ever heard. It was my privilege to share with Edwin the hope and salvation he could have through Christ and he received Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior that day.
Edwin was born in 1989 in the city of Comayagua, Honduras. He was born to a prostitute in a sleazy hotel where she worked. A lady who sold things to the prostitutes encountered Edwin in a cardboard box and she asked the his mother about him. She told her to take if she wanted him because she was planning on throwing him against a concrete wall to kill him. She told her to never bring him back or she would kill him. He was taken by this lady and she and her husband gave him there name. They named him Edwin and so he became Edwin Romero. Buy the age of six he began running the streets with his older step-brother. One day when he was eight years old his step-brother pointed to a prostitute on the street and said to Edwin, "There's your mother." Edwin tried to approach her to ask her and when he did she became infuriated. Standing on the edge of the street, she shoved him and he fell into the street in from a dump truck hauling dirt. He was run over by the truck. His mother the prostitute ran away and Edwin has never seen her or heard from her again. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Tegucigalpa where he was in critical condition. His adopted grandmother happened to be friends of the President of Honduras and with his influence and help Edwin was flown in a medivac jet to Atlanta, GA where he had emergency surgery. They remove his left kidney and did surgery on his mangled right leg. It is truly a miracle that he survived as he was run over by the dual back tires of the dump truck. After he survived the surgeries he was flown back to Honduras. His adopted grandmother at been with him through this ordeal. He had to have a catheter because his bladder was severly damaged and he couln't urinate. The doctors in Tegucigalpa performed another surgery that made it possible for him to urinate, but he couldn't control his bladder very well. One day while he was with his grandmother he stole some gold jewelry from her and returned to the streets. He came to Tegucigalpa and Comayaguela where we found him at the age of twelve. His adopted mother and father both died and his grandmother moved to the U.S. He never again had any contact or knowledge of his real mother who was the prostitute. Edwin entered the ministry and we instantly fell in love with him. We worked hard to help him but for many reasons including his bladder control issues he left the ministry. We went and brought him back and this began a process that repeated itself numerous times over a period of three years. Finally, we had to let Edwin go back to the streets where he still lives today. We love him and help him all we can and he helps us with our ministry to the street kids. He turned twenty last May and we have helped him get some medicine for his bladder control problem. We are always in contact and we are hoping to be able to let him come to our school this next year. He has a second grade education at this point. Please pray for Edwin daily!
Today millions of children can be found living on the streets in third world countries. Some we see on t.v. or if you have ever traveled in a third world country, you have seen it first hand as our family has. Once you see, smell, & touch it you're never the same...
Often times these children go hungry day after day and are left to steal to help stave off their hunger pains, or these children are forced to beg to provide for their family's needs. A need fortunately for most of us who live in America will never have to face! In Honduras alone, there are about 20,000 children living on the streets. This does not include the many impoverished children who sleep at home but spend their days in the streets begging for their family's needs. Of that 20,000, it is estimated that 2,000-4,000 street children live in the capital city, Tegucigalpa (the city we will live in) and it's sister city, Comayaguela.
Recently, my youngest son & I had laid down to take a nap. Within minutes he moved next to me and was nestled under my arm. I imagine he did this because he felt more secure. It was at that moment, I could not help but think of the boys in the ministry who have yearned for the same thing. A sense of security a parent brings. As the thought passed through my mind, it broke my heart to think about all these children who are going without the tender loving care a parent should be providing. Yet that will be one of our roles in working with FCM, to be a father & mother figure to these boys, a blessing worth giving. It would be easier for most of us to ignore these children, denying their existence, or the fact that there is even a problem. Yet in God's Word, He beckons us to take care of the poor, (Psalm 82:4). How about you? Are you doing your part in caring for the needy as God has called all of His children to do? If not, we want to encourage you to get involved. There are three ways you can get involved with FCM:
*Sponsor a child in the ministry for $25 a month, which will feed, clothe, and send your child to school.
*Go on a short-term mission trip to Honduras with an FCM team
*Support a missionary family (like us!) on a monthly basis to send/keep us on the field.
Some God calls to go to the mission field and others He just asks that you send. We have been called and we are willing...but we cannot go without faithful partners like yourselves! We have been approved by the FCM board to head to Costa Rica for language school. Once we sell our home, we will be on our way! However, to keep us there we still need MONTHLY partners. Therefore, we ask that you prayerfully consider becoming a faithful partner to send/keep us on the field. God can bless even a small monthly gift to make a powerful impact in a child's life or for a missionary family! Remember too, by sending us, every person's life we touch by the GRACE of God you will touch as well!
Prayer Requests:
* Sale of our home (once it sells we are off to language school!) August, January, and May are the three times during the year we can start language school.
* Preparation of our hearts & our families
* Monthly partners
* Missionaries Richie & Lori Womack
* Boys of FCM-spiritual growth
* Staff of FCM here in the States & Honduras
Thank you for your continued faithfulness to our family!!
In His Grip,
Gordon, Christy, Jared, Zac, & Wil
Not long ago, our pastor spoke on (1 Kings 18:21). The scripture reads..."Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions?" If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him." Here, Elijah is asking the people with whom is their loyalty. The god of Baal (their man-made god) or the God of Heaven. He is challenging them to stop wavering and to decide whom they will serve. In (Matthews 6:24), it states, "you cannot serve two masters, you will love the one & hate the other." Yet how many of us (including myself!) are guilty of doing just that! Although in this passage God is using Elijah to speak to the people of that time, it is a message for all people today. Too many people, even Christians, are guilty of "riding the fence." Often times people claim to love & follow God, and even frequent the doors to a church, but they still "flirt" with the ways of the world. They try to blend in with society. As a result these people are serving two masters, God and themselves. We cannot claim to be true followers of God if we still follow or seek after the things of this world. God doesn't want us to "blend in". If we are truly living for Christ then others should see a difference in us. God longs to have our full devotion and love. He alone wants to be first in our lives. In (Matthew 5:13-14), it says, as believers we are to be "salt & light" in this dark world. To do so, we can no longer waver, we must choose today whom we will serve...if we don't, the choice will be made for us. These people were challenged by Elijah to take a stand.
Just recently a choice was brought before our family when we had some of our son's friends over. Our son was playing a game he had received for his birthday for the Wii. A few days later, a mom brought to our attention some of the songs on the game and how her son had felt convicted for playing it. It wasn't that the game was evil, yet some of the lyrics on the game were questionable. Since it affected her son in that way, we discussed with our son (& prayed over) returning the game to the store. In the end, we did return the game and our son later agreed it was the right thing to do. It gave us a wonderful opportunity to teach our boys a Biblical principle about not causing others to stumble in their walk with God. God's Word is straightforward, black and white on most issues. But in those areas which we refer to as "gray areas", ones the Bible doesn't specifically address, such as; what movies or t.v. programs are acceptable, the games we play on the gaming systems, or the places we frequent. These areas, we believe are decided based on one's own convictions, a decison between oneself and the Lord. In this case for our family, a game had to be removed in order to take a stand. We shared with our boys that even though it will not seem fair, since we are seeking to get on the mission field, people will hold us to a higher standard. They are going to keep a closer watch on us, just as they would anyone in a leadership type role. Therefore, we must weigh heavily the decisions we make to ensure that others see Jesus and not our shortcomings.
Like we have stated in previous blogs, this road to the mission field has been quite painful and at times even lonely. The Lord has weeded friends from our lives, but He has also been gracious to bring our family new ones. Through this process, God has forced us to better depend on Him. He has been doing a work on our hearts, even our boys, in preparation for full-time ministry. A process that all of us as believers will experience throughout our lives until Jesus takes us home. Again, we are like any other believer, saved by GRACE and it's by His grace that we are even able to serve Him! Therefore, we ask that you continue to PRAY for each one of us individually as God continues to prepare our family for the mission field. The devil would like nothing more than for us to fail, therefore, we urge you to continue lifting us up. (James 5:16), "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."
THANKS for your faithful prayers & support for our family!!!
Gordon, Christy, Jared, Zac, and Wil
RARE FIND!!!
NICEST in the neighborhood!
Over 2600 sq ft, 4BDR/3BA ~updated!
After much needed remodeling of our home, our house is finally on the market! Our home is located in a pool/tennis community in Matthews, NC. If you know of anyone relocating or would like a great neighborhood in a good school district, then send them our way. Our home is in move in condition with lots of upgrades! Though it was a lot of work, we knew it was the next step to take on this missionary journey. God continues to prove faithful and He has enabled us to do the neccessary work to make it more desirable for the next homeowners. We praise Him for that!!
We are excited about what God has in store for us in the coming months, and we trust He will sell our home in His timing. Please continue to pray along with us for the sale of our home and the next family who will occupy it.
* For more pics & details of our home, http://bferguson.wilkinsonandassociates.com/details.php?mlsid=9-859408
Thanks for your earnest prayers and continued support!
God bless you and we pray God will bless you for your faithfulness to our family...
The Diegelmans
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