Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Weekly Prayer Requests

 Dear family and friends,

 Summertime is officially upon us! Here in Honduras, the summer months bring a lot of rain and guests. However, we are happy to be getting some needed rain and are even happier about hosting our friends from the U.S.! Still, this week will be a week of preparation and finalizing details for an upcoming month packed with visiting groups. While we are gearing up for the busy month ahead of us (and trying to stay dry at the same time), please be praying for us in the following ways:

* Marvin
Last week, we were very saddened to hear that this young man had run away from the drug rehabilitation center where he was about to complete the first month of a six-month program. We have just heard from Marvin, who is living with a family next to the market district of Tegucigalpa. Please be praying that the Lord breaks down the barriers that this young man has placed in his heart and that he comes to a place of true brokenness. Only the Lord can break through the layers of anger and addiction that Marvin uses to protect himself and only the Lord can save him from the dark road that he is choosing.

 *Miguel Angel
This young man continues to mourn the harsh loss of his mother to cancer. Please hold him and his family in your prayers and please continue to pray that we are able to comfort him in his time of grieving.

* The upcoming missions teams visits
Micah will be hosting three groups in the month of July. Please be praying that these trips will be a time of blessing for our guests and for us as well! Please pray that the Lord empowers the teams in their work and they have wonderful visits. Please also pray for us as we seek to teach the teams and be good hosts.


 * The new Micah house
We are starting the initial phase of our five-year strategic plan! The decision has been made to start looking for a piece of property in a community next to the Villa Linda Miller, about six miles from our current house. We have spoken with the community leaders and are starting to visit various properties in the Rio Abajo community. Please pray that Lord has His hand on this whole process and that we would have His wisdom as we seek to expand into the Micah Project's future!

* And, in the midst of many activities and concerns, we must always PRAISE! 
- For the return of Marvin Morazan. Marvin is out of school for the next two weeks, and we are very, very glad to have him here with us!! He is a wonderful role model for the younger guys and always brings a happy energy into the home!!
- For David, Axelito, and Miguelito. These three young men have come off of the streets within the past three months and have yet to look back! Praise God for the progress in the lives of each of these young men!!
- For the continued growth of Brian Wiggs' technical school!  Brian is training almost 20 young men in a technical education.
- For safe travels for the guys this past weekend. Roger and two of our college graduates (Darwin and Oscar) took the guys to the Honduran countryside for a weekend outside the city. Praise God that the guys had a good trip and safety on the road.

Many thanks to the many of you who support and pray for us! Also, thank you for your continued interest in our lives and ministry. Our God has greatly blessed us, and we are grateful!!

Peace,
David Hawthorne
 

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Weekly Prayer Requests

Dear Friends and Family,

After a busy and fun week hosting the First Presbyterian Church missions team from Houston, we are once again heading into a week of classes and "normal" life. As we transition from the activity of a group into our class schedule, please be praying for us in the following ways:

* Miguel Angel
Please continue to hold this young man in your prayers this week as he mourns the loss of his mother last week. This has been an incredibly trying time for 12-year-old Miguel Angel and will most likely continue to be so for a while. Please pray for him and for us as we journey with him through his grieving process.

* Hector and Marvin
Both of these young men are continuing to do well and are pushing ahead in their fights to leave drugs and the streets behind them. Still, they are vulnerable to falling into temptation. Please pray that Hector continues to grow and fight temptation and that Marvin continues to thrive during his six-month-long treatment in drug rehabilitation.

* For our college graduates
Pray for Oscar and Tino as they look for jobs here in Tegucigalpa.  Tino has been looking for work since he moved back to Tegucigalpa in 2009 and Oscar since moving back this month after graduating from Missouri Baptist University.  We are very thankful for some businessmen in Tegucigalpa who have expressed interest in mentoring these young men!

* For strength, energy, and wisdom for the Micah staff
Yes, we are human! Please hold us in your prayers as we pour ourselves out for these young men. It is not always easy and we are often tired, but we all know that this is the ministry that God has placed before each one of us. Please especially pray for energy and patience. Thank you!!

* And, of course, no blog would be complete without PRAISE! Praise God:
- For Marvincito. This young man is flourishing in drug rehab. Praise God for changing his heart and making this step possible and for continuing to work in Marvin's heart. Also, praise God that Marvin has already complete three weeks at Proyecto Victoria!!
- For a wonderful visit from First Presbyterian. The FPC missions trip was a fun blessing for all of us here at Micah. Praise God that they had a good trip and praise Him for giving us such wonderful friends!
- For a wonderful group of supporters. Every time that we here in Micah feel dry, someone comes alongside of us and encourages us. Praise God for providing us with people who will support us in the tough times!

Muchas gracias,

 David Hawthorne

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Prayer Request

   Dear Friends and Family,

 Rather than posting a long blog this week, I  would simply like to ask you to please be praying for little Miguel Angel, whose mother (far right) passed away today. This is a horrible blow for any 12-year-old, and especially so for one already wounded by life on the streets. Please lift him and his family up in prayer this week. Thank you.

   Lord Have Mercy,
   David Hawthorne

 

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Weekly Prayer Requests

Dear Family and Friends,

This week's prayer requests:

* John Bell's Sunday night devotional series.
Micah missionary and chaplain John Bell has just started a new teaching series on grace and salvation for our Sunday night devotional meetings. Please be praying that the powerful message of God's grace will touch the hearts of the Micah guys and bring about spiritual revival here in Micah house.

* Marvin and Hector
Marvin has already made it through his first week of drug rehab while Hector has successfully re-integrated into Micah life after spending weeks on the streets. Please continue to pray for both of these boys; especially that they would both continue to leave their old lives far behind as they press forward.

* Miguel Angel's mother
Kenia Gonzalez continues to be very ill and Miguel Angel is continuing to visit her on a regular basis. Please be praying for healing, and for wisdom on our part as we prepare to walk the paths of grief with Miguel. Please also be praying that Kenia will come to faith as she battles her cancer and that she and Miguel will both come to share an eternal bond of faith in Jesus Christ through this trying experience.

* Upcoming visits
As we enter summer, please be praying for the several upcoming visits from various supporting churches. Please be praying for blessed visits; especially that the Lord would use the missions teams, teach them through their experiences here in Honduras, and empower them to minister here at the Micah Project.

*Transitions
- For Oscar Izaguirre's transition back to Honduras after having successfully completed four years of college in the U.S. Please pray that he will able to to quickly and relatively painlessly transition back into life in his home country and to find a good job!
- For the Wiggs family as they come back to Honduras after some well-earned rest. Please simply pray for a smooth transition back into Micah life for their entire family.

* And, of course, PRAISES!!!
- Marvin and Hector. We are incredibly grateful for the positive decisions made by these two young men! Praise God that Marvin has stuck with drug rehab for the rough first week and that Hector is once again his normal goofy self as he plays soccer in the patio of Micah House.

- For the steady growth in the lives of the Micah guys. Although raising these young men can be difficult at times, we are always willing to rejoice in the progress that we see in their lives. Praise God for bringing each one to us and for growing them into men who have the potential to impact Honduras!



Peace be with you,
David Hawthorne

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Weekly Prayer Requests

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from a soggy Tegucigalpa! Tropical Storm Agatha has just passed by, leaving behind mudslides, some flooding, and a lot of clean-up to do. Thankfully, it appears that relatively few lives were lost to the storm here in Honduras. Today, in the Micah House, we are grateful for the opportunity to get outside without getting soaked by the rain and for the slowly clearing streets. As we dry out, we would like to take this time to ask you to join us in praying for the following:

* Kenia Gonzalez
Miguel Angel's mother has shown some slight improvement over the course of the past week, but still remains gravely ill. The doctors have decided to treat the secondary issues related to the cancer (such as kidney failure), but to not pursue any course of anti-cancer treatment. Please be praying for Miguel Angel, for Kenia, and for Micah staffers Rebecca Bell and Ana Herman as they walk this difficult road with Kenia, Miguel Angel, and the rest of their family. We would also like to give thanks to Jan Parks for her advice in how to help Miguel Angel through this trying time and ask for prayers for wisdom.

* Marvin and Hector
Tuesday morning, Marvin is starting a six-month drug rehab program in order to confront his drug issues while Hector is moving back into Micah House. Hector will be facing several conditions upon his return while Marvin will be confronted with the tough course of rehabilitation from drug addiction. Please be praying for both of this young men as they start, once again, their long journeys away from drugs and the streets and into life.

* For all those affected by the rains
The recent heavy rainfall has caused flooded and road closures. While we are grateful that the damage was not worse, we ask you to be praying for those who are being affected by the storm and its aftermath. We also ask you to be praying for Guatemala and for the families who lost loved ones in the storm (the official death toll stands at 115 for Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras).


* And, time to PRAISE!!
 - For Marvin and Hector. The Lord is working in the hearts of these two boys! Let us praise Him for working even as we pray that they continue in their forward journeys.
- For Mary Floye's visit. Mary Floye, a dear friend of the Micah Project, has spent the last few days visiting us and encouraging us! We give thanks and praise for Mary Floye and for our other many friends!
- For signs of God's hand moving in the hearts of the Micah guys. From one young man's prayer to another's question about future college studies, we are seeing signs of the Lord moving these boys from the street and into the next generation of leaders!

Despite the hustle and bustle and the constant challenges, it is truly our pleasure to be serving here in Honduras and with Micah Project. We praise God for the many of you who support us financially and with prayers. Thank you!!


Peace be with you,
David Hawthorne