June started off with a bang for us and I (Allison) lost track of sending out a May update. Here is the crash course on our May and June:
In May, Larry took a team of a few runners to compete in the Firefighters’ 10k race in La Ceiba. Larry, Gerson, Bayron, Adolfo, Ruben and Darwin all ran and did very well. Larry won third place (behind two twenty-year-olds in the navy), and the rest had a good race. Unfortunately, race officials directed three of them to a shorter course and didn’t allow them to compete to the extent they had trained for, but for the most part they have all remained excited about running and are already thinking about our annual community race in September.
Also starting in May, friends of ours here helped jump start the building of the extension on our house. This extension will provide a home school room as well as an office. These extra rooms will free up a lot of space from under several beds and give us focused places to work. Jason and Sarah Furrow have shared the labor from two of their summer groups to help with the basic structure of the house. We are excited to see the walls up, the floor ready for concrete and a roof that is days away from being in place. We are thankful for our friendships here and the ability to receive, give and share the blessings of the Kingdom of God.
Larry and Anna traveled to Minnesota June 1-15 primarily so Larry could officiate the wedding of Bethany Substad, Jay and Susie’s daughter. We have been meeting with Bethany and Andrew O’Reilly regularly over Skype and it was a great privilege for Larry to be involved in the wedding. Anna also had a fantastic trip being the only sister to receive all of the affections of Daddy, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins and friends. Larry was also able to share about our life and ministry at Faith Covenant Church.
Lots of new faces have come to Campus Adullam, beginning in May. Josue is a sixteen-year-old cousin to Gerson and Jimmy, and he has come with an interest in learning about life in Christ. His home life shows its opposite and we are thankful for the opportunity to show him the hope of another way. Pray for him to choose Life and to see the potential for a life of peace and joy as he participates in our times of focused discipleship.
We have two summer visitors, Amy and Amanda. Amy was with us two years ago and came this summer to help out when she heard about my pregnancy. She is a great blessing to all of us and we are growing together in our understanding of the Kingdom of God as we live and serve together. Amanda will be a sophomore at South Dakota State University and is also learning what life in Christ can look like in community, as well as some agriculture study in a third world and tropical setting.
And by land and by plane, Joel and Deidre Oliver have finally arrived! This couple met in Honduras five years ago, married four years ago, and have been structuring their life together toward coming to serve with us in Las Mangas. We are so excited about their arrival and for what God is going to do in and through us as a team. Pray for us to continue to have open communication and to grow in our love of and pursuit of Christ together as we seek to share Jesus’ life and love with one another and those around us.
Last week, our Honduran Joel turned his ankle. The last few days he has been able to walk on it a bit, but is still in pain. Pray for healing for him, as well as for motivation to work through some of the pain in his rehabilitation.
And life in the Smoak Family has been a bit crazy these last months with anticipation and arrival of the US trip, the arrival of all visitors and volunteers, as well as the anticipation and yet-to-arrive baby boy. Larry and I are often overwhelmed with details and things to accomplish. But we are aware of God’s grace over us in those decisions through good communication and a similar mindset and heart for how God is directing us. We were also able to get away for a night and a day for our eighth anniversary, thanks to babysitters. Eva and Anna are doing well in their school time and are enjoying all the different people at Campus to read to them and to watch them do tricks on the guava tree. We hope that by the next month we have news of the baby boy’s birth. Pray for a smooth delivery at our missionary friends’ “Jungle Hospital” along our road.
Praise the Lord for:
-the arrival of Joel and Deidre Oliver to Campus Adullam. They have committed to two years with us. Pray for good communication and relationship, especially in these first months together.
-a fun 10k race in La Ceiba where several from Campus participated and Larry won 3rd place.
-the start of construction on the extension of our house to provide a home school room and an office.
-a great trip to Minnesota for Larry and Anna, June 1-15.
Pray to the Lord for:
-the baby’s safe delivery, due date July 27th.
-the completion of the house extension.
-Joel’s (Velasquez) turned ankle to be healed completely.
-his continued guidance for Larry in his Discipleship Group teaching.
In May, Larry took a team of a few runners to compete in the Firefighters’ 10k race in La Ceiba. Larry, Gerson, Bayron, Adolfo, Ruben and Darwin all ran and did very well. Larry won third place (behind two twenty-year-olds in the navy), and the rest had a good race. Unfortunately, race officials directed three of them to a shorter course and didn’t allow them to compete to the extent they had trained for, but for the most part they have all remained excited about running and are already thinking about our annual community race in September.
Also starting in May, friends of ours here helped jump start the building of the extension on our house. This extension will provide a home school room as well as an office. These extra rooms will free up a lot of space from under several beds and give us focused places to work. Jason and Sarah Furrow have shared the labor from two of their summer groups to help with the basic structure of the house. We are excited to see the walls up, the floor ready for concrete and a roof that is days away from being in place. We are thankful for our friendships here and the ability to receive, give and share the blessings of the Kingdom of God.
Larry and Anna traveled to Minnesota June 1-15 primarily so Larry could officiate the wedding of Bethany Substad, Jay and Susie’s daughter. We have been meeting with Bethany and Andrew O’Reilly regularly over Skype and it was a great privilege for Larry to be involved in the wedding. Anna also had a fantastic trip being the only sister to receive all of the affections of Daddy, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins and friends. Larry was also able to share about our life and ministry at Faith Covenant Church.
Lots of new faces have come to Campus Adullam, beginning in May. Josue is a sixteen-year-old cousin to Gerson and Jimmy, and he has come with an interest in learning about life in Christ. His home life shows its opposite and we are thankful for the opportunity to show him the hope of another way. Pray for him to choose Life and to see the potential for a life of peace and joy as he participates in our times of focused discipleship.
We have two summer visitors, Amy and Amanda. Amy was with us two years ago and came this summer to help out when she heard about my pregnancy. She is a great blessing to all of us and we are growing together in our understanding of the Kingdom of God as we live and serve together. Amanda will be a sophomore at South Dakota State University and is also learning what life in Christ can look like in community, as well as some agriculture study in a third world and tropical setting.
And by land and by plane, Joel and Deidre Oliver have finally arrived! This couple met in Honduras five years ago, married four years ago, and have been structuring their life together toward coming to serve with us in Las Mangas. We are so excited about their arrival and for what God is going to do in and through us as a team. Pray for us to continue to have open communication and to grow in our love of and pursuit of Christ together as we seek to share Jesus’ life and love with one another and those around us.
Last week, our Honduran Joel turned his ankle. The last few days he has been able to walk on it a bit, but is still in pain. Pray for healing for him, as well as for motivation to work through some of the pain in his rehabilitation.
And life in the Smoak Family has been a bit crazy these last months with anticipation and arrival of the US trip, the arrival of all visitors and volunteers, as well as the anticipation and yet-to-arrive baby boy. Larry and I are often overwhelmed with details and things to accomplish. But we are aware of God’s grace over us in those decisions through good communication and a similar mindset and heart for how God is directing us. We were also able to get away for a night and a day for our eighth anniversary, thanks to babysitters. Eva and Anna are doing well in their school time and are enjoying all the different people at Campus to read to them and to watch them do tricks on the guava tree. We hope that by the next month we have news of the baby boy’s birth. Pray for a smooth delivery at our missionary friends’ “Jungle Hospital” along our road.
Praise the Lord for:
-the arrival of Joel and Deidre Oliver to Campus Adullam. They have committed to two years with us. Pray for good communication and relationship, especially in these first months together.
-a fun 10k race in La Ceiba where several from Campus participated and Larry won 3rd place.
-the start of construction on the extension of our house to provide a home school room and an office.
-a great trip to Minnesota for Larry and Anna, June 1-15.
Pray to the Lord for:
-the baby’s safe delivery, due date July 27th.
-the completion of the house extension.
-Joel’s (Velasquez) turned ankle to be healed completely.
-his continued guidance for Larry in his Discipleship Group teaching.