Light in Chamelecon

Kids on there way to free lunch provided by the church, Cristo Es La Roca.

We made a recent visit to Chamelecon, a place overrun with gangs, murder, and poverty.  A church, Cristo Es La Roca, is bringing light to this dark place.

This church is committed to changing lives. 

• They have started an outreach center where they have video games, exercise equipment, computer classes, English classes, and beautician classes (cutting, styling, curling, and drying hair, pedicures,and manicures.) 
• They provide 50 meals a day to impoverished children. 
• They have a soccer tournament each year, in which 16 teams participated this year - two of them rival gangs that set aside their differences to participate. 
• They have a school, providing scholarships to some of the promising students that can't afford to continue their education.  (Read our April newsletter to learn about one of them.)
• They have just purchased a lot across form the church to begin a technical school to teach refrigeration/air conditioning repair and electrician training. 
• Church volunteers have been making canned vegetables for sale in order to cover the cost of utilities at the center.  They have supermarket clients but need to get a food license that costs nearly $1000.
• The pastor convinced government officials to open a second school in the community since there was only one school and the gangs wouldn't allow students from the rival gang to cross into their territory.  Now both regions have successful schools and both gangs have a great respect for the pastor.

 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”   Amazing things can happen as a result! 

The new lot for a technical school.

The soccer field that has brought the community closer.

'Encurtidos' for sale to amke money for the outreach center utilities.

The church 'compound' - church, school, offices.
'International Ministry Christ is the Rock - Restoring the Family'

Tea Time

We recently met with some friends in the town where they live.  The town, Santa Lucia, is about 20 kilometers from our house in Tegucigalpa.  They wanted to meet at the Teteria Surcagua, a local tea shop. 

I had seen the spot before and thought it was pretty cool, but once inside I realized it was even 'cooler' than I had thought.  It is a quaint little place with a beautiful deck that overlooks the mountainside.  Also, after a second visit the following week I found out there is a really cool lower level patio that has tons of flowers all around. 

On weekdays, the place is practically empty.  It has become my new Retreat Day hot spot.  My car in the pine forest is great for singing along to music or praying out loud, but my little deck overlooking the mountains is the place for writing and planning.  It makes me relax just thinking about it! 

I pray that they make enough money on the weekends to keep it open throughout the week!  The only thing that might make it better is coffee or natural fruit drinks!

View from Santa Lucia toward Tegucigalpa...see all the little buildings in the distance?

Disney

What a great experience to go to Disney for an afternoon!  For me it had been more than 20 years since my last visit.  For Roberto and the girls it was a first. 

The Princess Castle

Swiss Family Robinson treehouse

It is a place to dream.  What fun it would be to live in the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House!  How exciting to live in the jungle and cruise down the river!  What mysteries and luxury might await in a beautiful castle?

Would any of those things listed above really be so fun if we lived them all the time?  What about mosquitos, snakes, or even a sense of purpose in life?

As I attended a Bible study yesterday, I was reminded that we are not to fix our eyes on this world, but need to fix our eyes on heaven.  Now that is a place to dream about!