January 2010 Photo Album

¡Feliz año nuevo! The Micah boys were very excited about the dawning of 2010 and all that God will do in their lives in this new year! At the stroke of midnight, we set afire the traditional Año Viejo (old year) dummy (above). It looks innocent, but the dummy is full of fireworks (the fire got so hot that the chair the dummy was seated on disappeared completely!) After it exploded, the guys had fun jumping over the leftovers. Below, Axel tries not to catch his shoes on fire!

Brian and Natasha Wiggs moved to Honduras in November to become full time missionaries with the Micah Project. Brian's vision is to set up a technical school, where our boys and other youth from the streets can get a technical education. This year, he is setting up a workshop on the terrace of the Micah House, so that he can begin instruction when the Honduran school year starts in February. Above, he teaches Erick how to cut a piece of metal with an oxy acetylene torch.

With Brian's new tools, the boys were able to undertake some service projects during our school vacation period. In early January, they helped put a roof on a house for Jarvin and Darwin's mom Yolanda. Above: Wilmer cuts the wood joists for the roof. Below, Pedro nails them into place.

Our street ministry is set to grow exponentially in 2010! With the arrival of the Wiggs, our Friday night street kid soccer event has been transformed. Now, the kids not only arrive for soccer, but they also get a homemade meal from Natasha, free haircuts and foot washings, and a Christian message from one of our volunteers. We are blessed to have many teachers from the International School (a Christian bilingual school) every Friday night to participate in the ministry.

Above: Marvin Morazan (white hat) poses with some street youth after the Friday night ministry. Below: Jenna Miller and Megan Scheumann (a teacher at the International School) smile with street boy Kevin at the Friday night ministry.

I (Michael) don't get to participate in the street ministry as much as I would like, since I am usually busy at the Micah House. Even so, it is one of my favorite parts of my job, and I do it whenever I get the chance! In January, I was able to take Elisa Roberts, who is a teacher in Tegucigalpa, and her mom Martie (pictured above) down to the market district to meet the street youth. Below: I get a chance to catch up with some of the street boys. I pray that God will give us the chance to do greater things in their lives in 2010!

One of the most exciting aspects of the Micah Project is watching God use our own boys as missionaries in their country. Above, Wilmer sings about how God has transformed his life during a performance at an institution in Tegucigalpa that works with street kids. God has done an amazing new work in Wilmer's life this year! Below: Cristofer sings his own songs as well at the same event!

While on vacation from his school in Costa Rica in December and early January, Marvin Morazán spent almost every day in ministry! Below, he sings a song with Marvincito at the same event for street kids.

Every January, we send a team to Copan, on the Guatemalan border, to help a team from Houston run a medical clinic in the mountains. Here, our team visits the Mayan ruins of Copan.

The Micah Moms' ministry continues to flourish in 2010! These women come to the Micah House every afternoon to practice their sewing skills. This year, we hope to establish a microenterprise so that these ladies, who are some of the poorest in Tegucigalpa, can begin to create a better life for their children.

One nice thing about living in Tegucigalpa is the ability to go to the beach in December and January! The Wiggs took the Micah boys to the southern coast island of Amapala for a relaxing Saturday. Here, the boys climb onto a banana boat for a ride around the island!

And...no month would be complete without soccer, which we play at least three times a week. Above: Jason stops a ball at a recent soccer game. Below: Maycol does a sideline throw-in!

Thanks to all of you that have been a part of the Micah Project for the last ten years! We love you!

Weekly Prayer Requests

  Dear Friends and Family,

This week, instead of our usual prayer requests (which are frequently being posted late due to our currently hectic vacation schedule), I wish to draw your attention and prayer to Marvin Coban, one of our young men. Marvin is a brilliant and funny young man with deep emotional scars and a much darker side to his normal cheerful personality.  Over the course of this past year, he has continued to struggle with his anger issues, drug addiction, and psychological trauma.  It is difficult for us to watch Marvin struggle and to feel him pushing us away, even as we try to aid him in his "dark nights of the soul."
  Many of Marvin's struggles stem from his time on the streets and his life before the streets. Marvin grew up in a poor home here in Tegucigalpa. At some point during his childhood (no one is sure exactly when), Marvin left for the streets in order to spend time with friends and to enjoy the "fun" of the streets (and, although he has never verbalized it, it is also likely that he left to escape the poverty of his crowded, small childhood home). Additionally, few years ago, around 2005, Marvin's mother left for Guatemala. She returned to visit a few times, but eventually vanished. Her current location and status remains a mystery. As a result, Marvin's "family" here in the city is his aunt and cousins, who also shelter his younger siblings. However,  Marvin's chronic addiction to glue and street life led his aunt to bar him from her home shortly after his mother's disappearance. When we met him in 2007, Marvin was a angry, wary street child.
However, once he was in Micah, another side of Marvin has emerged.  He has shown incredible intelligence, recently graduating from the sixth grade after two years of formal schooling. His happy laugh would be frequently heard in Micah house. However, even as he has grown, he continues to battle the demons of his past.  He has frequent outbursts of violent anger against staff members and other boys in the house and still struggles with the temptation of his addictions.
We can feel the warfare over Marvin. We know that he has incredible potential and we love this young man dearly and want him to succeed. However, as Michael once put it, "It just seems that we can't love this young man into wholeness." There just seems to be walls of anger, trauma, and darkness shielding Marvin's heart from us. Therefore, we are asking you, our supporters and prayer team, to set this week aside for prayer for Marvin. Pray that his heart is softened and that he can begin to understand God's love for him.  Pray that he gains the desire to fight against his own sinful impulses. Pray that Christ moves into and establishes sovereignty over Marvin's heart. Pray that he starts thinking about his future and begins looking to realize his potential. This will be an ongoing fight for this young man's future, but we want to take the offensive and hit back at the dark powers which are seeking to consume him. We beg you to please join us in this process of reclaiming Marvin from the darkness. Thank you all very much.

Lord Have Mercy,
David Hawthorne

Weekly Prayer Requests

 Dear Friends and Family,

My apologies for running late for this week's prayer requests! We here at Micah are doing well, pushing ahead with strategic planning, and buckling down for the "home stretch" of school vacation. As always, we are looking to the Lord to provide us with wisdom, strength, and compassion to meet the challenges of this coming week. As we bow ourselves before our almighty God, please join us in praying for:

* Micah's five-year strategic plan
Now that the holidays and their insanity are behind us, we are now looking forward to the future! Please be praying for wisdom for the Micah staff, and for Michael especially, as we start a period of intensive planning for and practical evaluation of the next few years.

* Hannah Rogers
Hannah, a young lady from the Wiggs' church, has safely arrived and is planning to spend a few months with the the Wiggs family, working and learning. Please pray that she is able to adjust quickly to life in Honduras and that the Lord uses this time in her life for personal growth.

* Safe travels and good school years for the older Micah guys
It has been our delight and blessing to have our older, college-aged guys back with us over Christmas and New Year's Eve. As they travel back to their respective colleges and universities, please pray for safety for them. Also, please keep them in your prayers as they start another semester of learning, stress, and personal growth. Please especially keep Oscar Amaya in your prayers as he will be taking the Testing of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam in the next few days and needs to get a score of 95 or higher in order to keep pursuing his dream of attending Wheaton College. We are excited to see where the Lord takes the lives of these older guys in this coming year!


* The last month of "summer" vacation
We follow the Honduran school calendar, which means that our guys have classes from Febuary through November and use the winter months as vacation time. This means that, right now, we are on vacation. While the guys enjoy being able to sleep in and not have class, it also means that they have a lot more free time that needs filling. Also, their normal routine disappears, throwing their lives into scheduling chaos. As a result, our hands tend to be a lot fuller, trying to find activities, settling squabbles, and working later hours while the guys stay up late. Please pray for sanity, wisdom, energy, and for a continuing spirit of love from us. Also, please pray that the guys use their free time productively and avoid the temptation to bother each other out of boredom.

* The coming year.
We are embarking on another year of ministry! It's exciting to be part of Micah's work ten years after it's founding and as we look to expanding our ministry in several exciting ways. Please pray that the Lord continues to bless our ministry and that the Holy Spirit continues to work in the hearts of our guys.

* And, to give praise to our awesome God!!
- For the opportunity for the older Micah to visit us. We are always excited to see how the Lord has been working in their hearts! We also always welcome the opportunity for them to share with our younger guys!
- For an enjoyable and problem-free time spent celebrating the holidays. When we have over fifty people celebrating both Christmas and New Year's with us, things can get a little hectic! Praise God that everything went well and that we all had fun!!
- That the Wiggs' first weekend covering the Micah house went smoothly. With a packed weekend, including a road trip to the Southern coast, there were a lot of opportunities for things to go wrong. However, everything went well and the Wiggs successfully handled all challenges! Praise God!!
- Jonathan Rogers' visit and Hannah's safe arrival. It is always a blessing to meet new friends and the Wiggs are very grateful for Hannah's help in their budding ministry.

We cannot express the debt that we owe to all of you for the prayer and other support that you have given us over the past ten years. Thank you, each and every one of you, and please continue to walk this sometimes difficult, sometimes exhilarating path with us!

  Peace,
  David Hawthorne

Weekly Prayer Requests

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry post-Christmas and a happy New Year to all of you! This past year has had amazing heights, such as Wilmer's baptism and the arrival of the Wiggs family, as well as some sad lows, such as Arle's departure and the coup with it's resulting political upheaval. Still, the Lord has been faithful, and we have been blessed to have been His instruments over the course of this past year. As we anticipate the next year of ministry, we ask to you to pray for:

 * The strength and grace to continue as the Lord's ambassadors here in Honduras.
 As I have previously mentioned several times on the blog, reflecting Christ at all times and in all circumstances can be tiring. In fact, without the Lord's grace, it would be impossible! Please pray that He continues to grant us the ability to show all those around us His glory!

* Grace and Compassion for the coming year.
Those who work in emotionally draining situations often talk about "compassion burnout" - the stage in which the worker simply does not care anymore about the suffering around them as it's simply too overwhelming for their emotionally exhausted state. However, the Lord has continually refreshed us and kept us able to minister for year after year. Please pray with us that He continues to supernaturally grant us the compassion, tenderness, and ability to extend grace.

* Continued Safety.
 Our neighborhood can be rough, as evidenced by the fact that Wilmer was attacked a little more than a week ago. Please pray that the Lord continues to guard us and that He grants us the ability to talk and witness to those who feel the need to commit these crimes in order to survive.

* Brian Wiggs' technical school.
Please pray for our newest outreach this coming year as Brian continues strategic planning for the technical school and looking for a location. We also ask you pray for the Wiggs family as they continue to adjust to Honduras and learn Spanish.


* Strategic planning for Micah.
We are currently still in the midst of planning for the next five years of Micah ministry. Please pray that the Lord grants us wisdom and that we are able to set good goals. Also, praise the Lord: this is an exciting time for us as we think about ways in which we can expand our ministry!

* For the guys to take their individual spiritual walks seriously this year.
This past Sunday, Michael challenged each of the guys to consider where they were going to at the end of next year. He asked them if they were going to be growing, would have fallen over the course of the year, or would they be trying to stay the same? He also reminded them that life is short, that it is unpredictable, and that we all should make the most of our time here on earth in serving the Lord. Please pray that the guys take Michael's challenge to heart, do not rely their identities as "Micah guys" to cover their spiritual growth, and instead earnestly seek the Lord's work in their lives.

* And, as always, praise and thanksgiving!!
- Another successful year of ministry!! I (David Hawthorne) have read several social studies journals on outreach to street youth. The normal "high" success rate for an outreach to street youth is around 50%. Micah, in comparison, has had over 80% of its participants graduate from its program and leave the streets far behind!! Praise God for mightily blessing our ministry!!
- Safety. Despite rising crime rates and even a coup, we have been kept safe this past year. Thank God for His protection!
- For all of you who support us! You all donate to us, write to us, visit us, invest your time in our young men, pray for us, and generally just let us know that we are loved. Thank you all so much!!
- For new staff members. We have been blessed by the additions of Jenna Miller, the Wiggs family and David Hawthorne.
- For all those outside of Micah who came alongside of us in ministry this year. We are especially grateful for Barry Horst, Brian and Victoria Silverio, and Eduardo Barahona for all that they have done for our guys this year.
- For being in the service in our God. He has saved us, He equips us, and He keeps us fighting for the growth of our guys. Praise Him for loving us so dearly!!

We are excited to see how the Lord blesses us in the coming year and we hope that you will keep walking this path with us.
In a quick year-end note:
- We are offering a 2010 12-month Micah calendar for $20. Please write to us at micah.project1@gmail.com if you wish to order one.  God bless and have a Happy New Year!!

  Rejoicing in the Lord,
  David Hawthorne

Weekly Prayer Requests.

Dear Friend and Family,

This week, instead of bringing you the usual lists of prayer requests, we here at Micah have chosen to dedicate this post to reminding you of the many ways in which we have been blessed this year. This week, we ask to you to join in praising for:

* Safety
Crime rates in Honduras have continued to climb over this past year. However, we here at Micah have been kept safe even as the drug gangs have grown in size and the violence in the streets worsens (for an insightful article on the growth of violent crime in Honduras, see: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1948258,00.html). Additionally, the global economic downturn has put increased strain on many who are simply fighting to survive. Sadly, some of these people will begin to feel that the only way to make money is through crime, further driving up the crime rate. We are very thankful for the Lord's protection this past year. However, we have still been touched by the growing levels of crime. Just this past Sunday, Wilmer was assaulted by three men with pistols while out riding his bicycle within two blocks of Micah. Because he refused to give them his bike, they threatened his life and the lives of the rest of our young men. We ask to you to pray for continued safety and protection for all of us connected with Micah.

* The return of our older guys from college.
This week, almost all of our graduates and college students are returning home to spend Christmas with us! We are always excited to see the continued growth in these young men and grateful for the words of wisdom that they share with our younger guys. Additionally, we praise the Lord for how far He has brought these young men. They are living testimonies to the power of our God transforming the hearts of street kids. We look forward to seeing how He will continue to work in the coming years.

*  For all those who chose to support Micah and it's missionaries this year. 
We know that this year has been difficult financially for many. However, despite the economic downturn, you have continued to faithfully support the Micah Project. Thanks to you, we have been able to raise our boys, run our educational program, expand our street outreach, and begin a new ministry to our boys' single moms! Also, many thanks to all of you who have supported us with your prayers and words of encouragement!!

* For the ways in which our guys have grown.

 This past year has seen many trials and struggles in the lives of our guys - but it also seen a lot of forward movement in their lives! Wilmer was baptized this year and has continually surprised us with his growth. Oscar served as a missionary for three months in Morocco. Hector Licona, Wilmer, and Cristofer formed a new singing group in order to carry Micah's music ministry. Even those who struggled have grown and are living testimonies to our God's ability to change lives. Let us pray that He continues to work this coming year.

*For the blessing of Emmanuel

God-with-us. This phrase is the text of many Christmas sermons. Christmas celebrates God breaking into time as Emmanuel and leading us toward salvation.  At Micah, we have seen God working continually in the lives of our young men.  We are grateful for everything that the Lord has done for us, how He has been with us, and for the blessings that He has showered down on us. Praise be to our awesome, present and loving God!!  To read our Christmas reflection, click this link:  Micah Project Christmas letter.

  Basking in the Love of the Lord,

  David Hawthorne

Weekly Prayer Requests

   Dear Friends and Family,

   Despite some of our recent challenges, the past week went by smoothly. John and Becca Bell took a brief trip to the Caribbean town of La Ceiba to celebrate their first wedding anniversary while Jenna, Roger, and myself kept Micah running. The Wiggs family, after many weeks of waiting, finally received the household items that they had shipped down from the U.S. Additionally, Hector Licona and Brian Wiggs began expanding our street outreach program. This is not to say that the week was without its own struggles. However, we have definitely seen our God answering prayers and moving in the hearts of the guys.  Please join us in this pray this week as we lift up:

* Juan Carlos
   "Our" Juan Carlos left Micah this past year after a long period of trials and struggle. However, we maintained contact with him while he lived outside the home and we have continued to encourage him to move forward with his life. This past Monday, he made the decision to join the Honduran army as part of an effort to get his life back on track. Please pray for him the following ways:
- That he is able to flourish in the army and go through a process of self-discovery and healing...a process that will give him a new thirst for the Lord.
* For the lessons of Christmas to be real in the hearts of our guys.
 For any young person, there is a danger that Christmas can only be more about gifts and holiday excitement than about Emmanuel.  Pray that they will remember their true Christmas gift:  salvation!
* Further healing for Marvin and Axel.
   After the drama of two weeks ago, we have had healing conversations with both Marvin and Axel as they continue to deal with the addiction and violence of their past lives.  Continue to pray for healing!
* The Wiggs
Please pray that the Wiggs family is able to continue to settle into Honduras, that language classes go well, and that they are able to continue to surmount culture shock. We also ask you all to pray for wisdom for them as they begin the intensive planning phase of the new mechanical school. 
* Continued safe travels for Michael
  Michael returns to Honduras on Friday, but we ask that you keep his safety (and possibly his sanity - travel is stressful) in your prayers as he travels within the U.S.
*Pray for our board of directors as they continue an exciting strategic planning process to improve Micah's governance structure.

*And it's time to give glory to our God:
- For the repentance in both Marvincito and Axel.
- For continued strength. Our God calls to work for Him and then gives us everything that we need in order to do all He has called us to do. Praise our God for helping us overcome all challenges!!
- For signs of political stability. Things still remain uncertain politically, but we are grateful that Honduras finally seems to be on a forward path.
- For signs of God's hand working in our guys. Whether in a smile, a hug, a "gracias," or in a obvious declaration of love of our God, we are always encouraged to evidence of His changing the hearts of our guys. Praise God that He can turn streets kids into His emissaries!
-For all of YOU that have sustained Micah in 2009 through your prayers, your support and your time as volunteers.  Indeed, it does take a village to raise a child!

To close, I want to paraphrase 2 Corinthians 4:18-20 (which I quoted a couple of weeks ago), which I feel still applies to us: "We are tired, but hopeful; frustrated, but calm; attacked, but not defeated; knocked down, but not out; all so that we can show the reality of God-with-us in our own lives to anyone who will look." We here at Micah are pressing forward in the faith, and we pray that you are also able to press on.

  Lord have mercy,
  David Hawthorne

Weekly Prayer Requests

Dear Friends and Family,

This has been an intense and busy time here at Micah!  Michael is in the States, reconnecting with friends and project supporters.  He has been able to spend time with Oscar Amaya and Olvin Funez, which has been a real blessing to him!   John and Rebecca Bell celebrated their first wedding anniversary on Monday; Becca flew back from the project's board meeting in Houston in order to celebrate! 

We have been rolling through our school vacation here and the guys are getting excited about Christmas!  A couple of our young men have been facing spiritual attack in the last couple of weeks.   Please join us this week in praying for:

*Marvin
Marvincito ("Little Marvin") has made tremendous progress since leaving the streets for the Micah House in 2007.  He has impressed us with his intelligence as he rapidly progressed from street child to successful sixth grade graduate. Additionally, we have enjoyed his smile and his desire to laugh and enjoy life. However, he is still in recovery from his glue addiction and still shows after-effects from life on the streets.  Recently, he had a meltdown and we had to remove him from the Micah house for a few days.  Pray:
- That Marvin's healing process continues when he returns to the house this week.  Pray that he can overcome the scars of street life and reach a place of wholeness.

*Axel
Axel entered Micah over a weekend in late September 2008, and simply settled right into our lives. He struck us all as a very relaxed, funny young man, but who had led a troubled life. Over the course of the past year, the stain of the evil that Axel witnessed and experienced on the streets has troubled him. He has also hit adolescence at full speed and has "normal" teenage issues of rebellion and anger in addition to the deeper pain that he carried from his past. However, he has been maturing and leaving these things behind him.

This week, Axel has been on a home visit, staying with his mom in the market district of Tegucigalpa.  We talked to his mom a couple of days ago, and she fears that he has reconnected with some of the kids from his street days and has been running with them the last few days.  We have not been able to talk to him about this yet to verify what is actually going on.

Please pray:
-That the Lord would protect Axel during his home visit, and if he is running with his old friends, that he would make good decisions and avoid temptation.
- For the Lord to heal him. Axel has walked some incredibly dark paths - few by his own choice. Please pray that the Lord would continue to transform his troubled heart.

*For us
Pray for our staff, that we can continue to model hope for our young men even when darkness threatens to overwhelm them.  God has been so faithful to them over the last ten years of ministry; pray that He strengthens us as we enter into the next ten years!

*For the stability of the guys
Many of our young men are doing home visits to extended family during the Christmas season.  That can be a blessing, but it can also expose them to some of the things that put them on the streets in the first place.   Please pray that they are able to stand strong and be a light to their families!

*For the Wiggs Family
They are still in a transitional period after arriving in Honduras less than a month ago.  Please keep the entire Wiggs family in your prayers as they fight through culture shock and work on their Spanish skills.

*And, the things that keep us from despairing: PRAISE!!!
- Roger's return to work. Micah staffer Roger Figueroa had taken a month away from work in order to deal with medical issues. Although he didn't receive a definite diagnoses, he is still back with us once again and is feeling fine! We are so grateful for him and his help!!
- Juan Carlos/Laje. We met this young man over a year ago after he robbed the Micah house (see:http://micahcentral.blogspot.com/2008/05/break-in-and-broken-heart.html for the original post). Now, he is regularly mentored by John Bell and Brain Wiggs and is pressing ahead into a different life. He has had his struggles, but he is growing and we are amazed to see the changes in his life - in fact, he just spent three days helping paint the Wiggs's house!
- Nelson. One of our newest young men and Wilmer's younger brother, Nelson is a quiet, witty, and loving young man. We are so grateful for the joy that he brings us and I'm looking forward to reading the best-selling memoir that I'm certain he will pen someday (he's just the type that would...)!
- Safe travels for the Bells and Jenna. These three took some of our guys to visit their families in the countryside. After an overnight stay away from the city, they safely returned home. We're more than just a little happy that they're fine!
- A God who will win the battle. In the end, He wins, Satan loses. Not much else to say.

We serve a powerful, loving God, and we press on in the fight. He is mighty to save, and has already redeemed many young men through Micah. Because He is faithful, we are confident that our Lord will bear us up and keep on working through us in the lives of our young men. Therefore, let us join together in prayer before this amazing God and take this battle for the futures of the Micah guys to our foe.

Sincerely,
David Hawthorne