Baby Smoak—soon but not yet
We had hoped to inform you before now about the arrival of our little boy to our family. But alas, he has not yet made his appearance. Also, we had hoped to deliver at our missionary friends Dr. Martin and Wendy Williams’ Jungle Hospital up the road from us, but several doctors agreed it would be better to deliver at the hospital in La Ceiba. So to round out the birthing experience we plan to deliver in an actual hospital. Pray for a safe and natural delivery and we will update you after he is born.
Work in La Muralla
There is again a corn crop flourishing in La Muralla within the inga barriers. This is the eighth year to plant and harvest a crop on the same plot, which is unheard of in the shallow/eroded topsoils of the mountainous tropical slopes. Our now established erosion control and soil building inga tree barriers provide mulch to buffer the soil in case of too much rain and to maintain humidity in case of drought has shown itself to be life giving for the soil and therefore for the corn and therefore for the farmer.
Larry will have an opportunity to present at an ECHO Central American Regional Agriculture conference in Nicaragua this September about this system and how it truly is good news for the poor who have no other option but to farm on these ridiculous slopes. Pray for another great harvest as a witness to God’s faithfulness, and for those here and in Central America to take hold of God’s provision for them.
Re-roofing a pastor’s house
When Larry first came to Honduras twenty-two years ago, he met a pastor named Alfonso Galeas, a close friend of Jack Dyer, who was regional overseer of the northern coast Church of God churches. In the years since, Galeas retired from his position and has not had another stable source of income to provide for his and his wife’s needs. We see him weekly selling banana chips out of the back of his truck by the grocery store in the center of town. This elderly couple receives some financial help from their daughter, but they have extraordinary medical bills due to his wife’s diabetes and high blood pressure and the small stroke he suffered a few years ago. Galeas prays with and for us and says he is “better today than yesterday because we are one day closer to Jesus’ coming.”
A few months ago Galeas told Larry the roof on his house was all rusted and leaking in many places. We were able to purchase the tin and screws for a new roof and Larry got together a crew of sixteen people from Campus and our community to take off the old roof, put on the new roof and clean the inside of the house. It was a blessing for those who were involved, as much as having the new roof is for Galeas and his wife.
Lots of people in and out
-In July our friends Amy and Amanda returned to the US after many weeks spent with us. We are thankful for our time together and for the work God did in and through us.
-Our friend Derek Smith from Healing Place Church (HPC) in Louisiana asked us to host a couple who was visiting him. We were blessed as Jordan and Brittany jumped in to life with us when they weren’t involved in the HPC activities and found ourselves together in Christ.
-Larry’s sister Lori and niece Abigail arrived for three weeks of cousin playing, baby holding and mama helping. We are glad they will have a full week with the little guy before they have to leave August 10th.
-And Joel and Deidre Oliver continue to settle in to life and the non-routine of Campus/life in Honduras.
-Arriving this Friday is a friend of the Olivers who will spend a week with us.
Pray for us all with many people coming and going to remain centered in Christ. Especially pray for our girls as they extend their little hearts to all who come and with the many who leave, also with the anticipation and family life change that the baby brother will bring.
Praise to the Lord for:
-wonderful visitors and volunteers who have blessed us and have spurred us on to life in Christ, including Larry’s sister Lori and niece Abigail.
-continued good health for Allison and the baby.
-the opportunity to provide the roofing material and the labor to re-roof and clean a house for a retired Honduran pastor and his sick wife without other recourse.
-Anna’s fourth birthday, July 12th.
-the good corn crop in La Muralla for the eighth year in a row.
-continued work on the extension on our home, hopefully being finished this month.
Pray to the Lord for:
-a healthy baby and delivery, probably by induction in a hospital in the city at 41 weeks on August 3.
-us to remain rooted in Christ in and among many (good) changes.
-our relationships at Campus, to be based on and blessed by God, and directed by him.
We had hoped to inform you before now about the arrival of our little boy to our family. But alas, he has not yet made his appearance. Also, we had hoped to deliver at our missionary friends Dr. Martin and Wendy Williams’ Jungle Hospital up the road from us, but several doctors agreed it would be better to deliver at the hospital in La Ceiba. So to round out the birthing experience we plan to deliver in an actual hospital. Pray for a safe and natural delivery and we will update you after he is born.
Work in La Muralla
There is again a corn crop flourishing in La Muralla within the inga barriers. This is the eighth year to plant and harvest a crop on the same plot, which is unheard of in the shallow/eroded topsoils of the mountainous tropical slopes. Our now established erosion control and soil building inga tree barriers provide mulch to buffer the soil in case of too much rain and to maintain humidity in case of drought has shown itself to be life giving for the soil and therefore for the corn and therefore for the farmer.
Larry will have an opportunity to present at an ECHO Central American Regional Agriculture conference in Nicaragua this September about this system and how it truly is good news for the poor who have no other option but to farm on these ridiculous slopes. Pray for another great harvest as a witness to God’s faithfulness, and for those here and in Central America to take hold of God’s provision for them.
Re-roofing a pastor’s house
When Larry first came to Honduras twenty-two years ago, he met a pastor named Alfonso Galeas, a close friend of Jack Dyer, who was regional overseer of the northern coast Church of God churches. In the years since, Galeas retired from his position and has not had another stable source of income to provide for his and his wife’s needs. We see him weekly selling banana chips out of the back of his truck by the grocery store in the center of town. This elderly couple receives some financial help from their daughter, but they have extraordinary medical bills due to his wife’s diabetes and high blood pressure and the small stroke he suffered a few years ago. Galeas prays with and for us and says he is “better today than yesterday because we are one day closer to Jesus’ coming.”
A few months ago Galeas told Larry the roof on his house was all rusted and leaking in many places. We were able to purchase the tin and screws for a new roof and Larry got together a crew of sixteen people from Campus and our community to take off the old roof, put on the new roof and clean the inside of the house. It was a blessing for those who were involved, as much as having the new roof is for Galeas and his wife.
Lots of people in and out
-In July our friends Amy and Amanda returned to the US after many weeks spent with us. We are thankful for our time together and for the work God did in and through us.
-Our friend Derek Smith from Healing Place Church (HPC) in Louisiana asked us to host a couple who was visiting him. We were blessed as Jordan and Brittany jumped in to life with us when they weren’t involved in the HPC activities and found ourselves together in Christ.
-Larry’s sister Lori and niece Abigail arrived for three weeks of cousin playing, baby holding and mama helping. We are glad they will have a full week with the little guy before they have to leave August 10th.
-And Joel and Deidre Oliver continue to settle in to life and the non-routine of Campus/life in Honduras.
-Arriving this Friday is a friend of the Olivers who will spend a week with us.
Pray for us all with many people coming and going to remain centered in Christ. Especially pray for our girls as they extend their little hearts to all who come and with the many who leave, also with the anticipation and family life change that the baby brother will bring.
Praise to the Lord for:
-wonderful visitors and volunteers who have blessed us and have spurred us on to life in Christ, including Larry’s sister Lori and niece Abigail.
-continued good health for Allison and the baby.
-the opportunity to provide the roofing material and the labor to re-roof and clean a house for a retired Honduran pastor and his sick wife without other recourse.
-Anna’s fourth birthday, July 12th.
-the good corn crop in La Muralla for the eighth year in a row.
-continued work on the extension on our home, hopefully being finished this month.
Pray to the Lord for:
-a healthy baby and delivery, probably by induction in a hospital in the city at 41 weeks on August 3.
-us to remain rooted in Christ in and among many (good) changes.
-our relationships at Campus, to be based on and blessed by God, and directed by him.