November/December 2020

January 2, 2021

Psalms 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Greetings Friends & Supporters,

You may wonder why I put Psalm 23 at the beginning of this letter. This year I have made it a habit to read Psalm 23 each morning, and it has become very precious to me. The Lord has used David as an example to me of one who trusted God in all situations—difficult ones, and joyous ones. As you know, Honduras was hit by two hurricanes this year—November 3, Eta, a category 4 hurricane, and November 17, Iota, a category 5 hurricane. I have been with people who have lost everything; others took what they could salvage from their mud-filled homes and moved on to try to start somewhere else. The local pastors and I helped many Honduran believers who cast their burdens on the Shepherd and trusted Him as their provider and comforter.

During November, we made several trips to San Pedro Sula to help people affected by the hurricanes. On one of the trips, I was able to renew my residency. The Lord also made it possible for us to visit an orphanage which is run by a former student of MEDA.  We found out about the orphanage through another MEDA graduate who attends my church.  We were able to take the children a hot, nutritious meal of vegetables, rice, and lots of chicken.  We even took the children some pizza which some of them had never eaten before. These were really a treat as the children normally have only beans, eggs, and cheese. They usually have meat only twice a week.  The man who runs the orphanage supports it through part of the income from his coffee farm. In addition to the hot meals we brought, we also brought each child a shoe box filled with gifts and supplies. The children had fun playing games, opening presents, and listening to a Bible lesson.  They had a Merry Christmas and so did we as we saw the joy on the faces of children who have lost so much.

This has been an extremely hard year for the people of Honduras and other Central American Countries.  As you look into the faces of the people, you see the fear and desperation in their eyes. Please pray with me that these precious men, women, and children will come to know the Shepherd who is a refuge in the time of trouble. It will take years to restore Honduras from the ravages of these storms. Pray for the pastors who are shepherding these people through difficult times.

During these many trips up to the villages to help the people, I drove my 2001 Ford Excursion.  It has always been a reliable car, but it has worn out.  I did look into having it repaired, and I even had my cousin who is a diesel mechanic walk me through the steps to diagnose the truck’s problem. To add to the problems with the truck, the day we were at the orphanage, I was getting presents out of the truck, and when I went to close the back liftgate, the entire back glass shattered into pieces! At this time, I remembered the Twenty-third Psalm—my Shepherd is with me.  As the situation now stands, the truck is not worth repairing.  I have been made aware of a car that is for sale and would meet my needs.  The price of the vehicle is $6,000 dollars.  After much prayer and considering the fact that the Ford Excursion is not worth repairing, I decided to purchase the car.  This is a major expense for me, and if the Lord puts it on your heart to give towards buying the car, I would appreciate it.

This year has been full of ups and downs for most people, in fact, it has been a year to humble the hardest people and remind them that God is our only refuge.  My trials are nothing compared to those of the people here in Honduras who have lost everything or like those problems of the children in the orphanage.  As the year comes to a close, my prayer is that I draw closer to the Lord and that He will use me to accomplish His will.  I have learned through the twenty-third Psalm that when my pathway is not clear, to trust the Lord and He will be my guide.

I wish you a Happy New year!

Kenny