Axel should not be on the streets right now

Axel should not be on the streets right now. He should not be sleeping in a stall in the outdoor market that sells shoes by the putrid river that runs through Tegucigalpa. He shouldn't be crossing the bridge every day at lunch to beg food from the lunchtime crowd downtown. He should not be running with dangerous people, who make their living by the gun that they hide in their clothes. He should not be back on the streets.

He shouldn't, but he is.

Many of you have met Axel and have fallen in love with him since he joined the Micah Project in September of 2008. The Axel that you know is a lanky, goofy kid who is always quick with a joke or a prank. His chosen method of showing affection toward someone is through an insult... "Hey Michael, why are you so ugly today?" ...always delivered with a lopsided grin and an awkward hug from someone whose 14-year-old body is growing too quickly for him to get a handle on it. The Axel that you meet on a trip to Tegucigalpa is a funny, charming, easy-going young boy.

But that's not all there is to Axel. The reasons why he is back on the streets after two good years speak to a traumatized, angry soul. Earlier this summer, a psychologist from the juvenile prison came to visit the Micah Project. He recognized Axel and they spent some time chatting on the patio of the Micah House. Afterwards, the psychologist expressed shock as he spoke to me about Axel. This well-spoken young man was one of the most violent kids they had in juvenile detention. He couldn't believe it was the same boy. We got the same response when we talked to another street kid organization that he had lived in: they would no longer accept him into their program because of his violent tendencies.

That is not the Axel that we know! We know a loving, caring Axel who has a great thirst for justice and is always looking for ways to help the downtrodden. But wait...the reality is that both of these boys are the same Axel. The Apostle Paul says in Romans: "When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members." (Romans 7: 21-23). Axel's childhood was full of incredible, degraded evil, more evil than a young child should ever have to bear. His dad is in prison for gang-related violence, and Axel himself was a part of that violence while living on the streets.

Why is Axel back on the streets? That is a question that many people have asked me in the last month. The answer is complex. It could be the drugs that dig their pleasure-inducing claws into these young boys' addicted brains and just won't let go. It could be the hormones raging through his 14-year-old body, calling him back to the danger and excitement of street life, so much more interesting than his second grade classes at Micah. It could be the incredibly complex relationship he has with his mom and dad: hating them for what he had to live through as a child but loving them with a desperate love because...well, because they are his parents, after all. It could be spiritual warfare, with Satan redoubling his efforts to drag this child of God back into the slimy pit.

Every day that our boys are at Micah is a miracle. Choosing life is so much harder than accepting the alternative. It is so easy to slip back into the things of our past. Choosing the Micah Project is hard work for a street boy...they have to go to class, obey rules and continually delay the gratification that came so easily to them on the streets every time they inhaled a puff of yellow glue. Indeed, how crazy it is to ask a street boy to shut down those pleasure centers and to keep delaying gratification for ten years or so until they can graduate from high school! Moving forward in life is hard, hard work: it is so much easier on the streets to just get through the day.

But over and over again, boys come off the streets into the Micah House and make the choice to begin a new life. Their reasons why are diverse. Micah has an incredible staff that has made a commitment to be family for these boys, showing them what it means to be loved unconditionally. We disciple them daily, teaching them about a God who loves them and wants to save them from sin and death. We have an incredibly dedicated group of supporters that helps us provide for their needs on a daily basis, so that they lack nothing. We even make the effort to help their families, which is so important to them, even the ones that have a complicated relationship with their parents. We help them prepare for the future, providing all of the education and training necessary for them to become successful adults.

 

Even so, every day comes down to a choice between life and death. And not one of our incredibly dedicated staff members can make that choice for our boys. Each and every one of them has a daily choice to make. And, as we all know, sometimes it is easier, more fun and more exciting to choose old habits that lead to death.

So...Axel should not be on the streets today, but he is. He has left the Micah House twice in the last month. The longer he stays on the streets, the more he becomes like the old Axel: unable to control the anger that is just below the surface. Last week, when he came back to the house for a few days after three weeks on the streets, was very, very difficult. The happy, joking, goofy kid had been replaced by a rebellious, on-edge youth that always seemed ready to blow. And, since Monday, he is back on the streets.

All of our dedication, love and hope cannot save Axel. Why? Because no human being is capable of saving another human being. We'd love to have a magic formula to be able to automatically remove the street from our boys. Because we don't, we cry (to paraphrase Paul), "Who will rescue them from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24). Thankfully, Paul answers his own wrenching cry: "Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

 

And that is what it all boils down to. We can provide the best environment, with the best structure and the best people at the Micah Project, but none of that will save our boys. Only God saves. We strive for best practice day-to-day, but only God saves. We are getting ready to buy new land to provide a better environment for our boys in the years to come, but that will not save them either.

 

Only God saves.

 

That is a terrifying, but incredibly joyous truth. And it is a truth that we claim for Axel. Over the past few weeks, I spent many hours in the market district looking for Axel, and as I walked through that dangerous, impoverished section of this city I continually prayed, "Lord show your mighty hand in this young boy's life."

 

Will you join us in praying this prayer for Axel in the days to come? Not only for Axel, but for Hector, David, Miguel Angel, and Axelito...all of whom have to make a daily choice to leave the addiction of street life behind them. Your prayers are powerful and effective in their lives.

Over the last ten years, God has shown His mighty hand through the Micah Project in some miraculous ways. We are convinced that those miracles have as much to do with your prayers as with our daily actions in their lives. So... please continue to pray and to enlist other prayer warriors on behalf of these boys!

 

Su hermano en Cristo,

Michael Miller

Weekly Prayer Requests

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from another busy week here in Tegus!  On Monday we said goodbye to the group from Randolph Street Church in West Virginia and are now back on a more normal schedule.  We always love the time spent with our summer visitors, but now we'll be pushing toward the end of the Honduran school year in October, and it's good to be back in classes full-time.  This week, we ask you to join us in praying for:
 

* Michael

We were able to convince Michael to take some time away to decompress after a long summer, and we are now attempting to fill his shoes for this week.  Pray that he will have time to reflect and recharge, and that the rest of us will survive his absence!

  

* Miguelito

This young man has grown so much since coming into Micah in March. Even the loss of his mother to cancer two months ago didn't send him back to the streets. Still, he has his moments of struggle and he is walking through the natural grieving process. Please be praying particularly that he will be motivated and cooperative in his classes every morning as he is quickly learning to read and write, and that he will sleep better at night, as these seem to be two battles for him right now.
 

* Wisdom and Compassion

Life at Micah is a whirlwind of young men laughing, living, struggling, and growing up together. In the midst of so much craziness (although most of it is pretty funny and enjoyable), it can be easy to slip into a routine instead of striving to be Christ to all people. Please pray for the Micah staff so that we can continue to love well in the midst of all that happens here. Please also pray for our guys that they can continue to grow and show Christ's love to each other.
 

* And, of course, let us PRAISE!!

- For the lives of each of these young men. The Lord has lovingly brought each one of them to the Micah Project for a reason. Let us praise Him for moving and working so wondrously!!

- For the continuing impact of each of Micah's ministries. Ten years after a single house opened its doors to a handful of young men, Micah has two homes, a street ministry, a Micah moms group, a thriving group of college students and graduates, and a technical school!  Praise the Lord for working so mightily!!!

- For the continued financial support of our donors -- none of this could happen without their partnership with us in this ministry.  Praise God for raising up so many faithful people to support us!

The road forward for each of these guys is long and has many hills and valleys.  Still, the Lord has continually shown Himself faithful.  His mercy has sustained us, and He has taken street children and grown them into inspiring God-loving young men.  As we move through the coming week, let us not cease to praise Him for all of these things!!

Peace,

David Hawthorne (on behalf of the entire Micah Project

Weekly Prayer Requests

 Buenos Dias!

Greetings from Tegucigalpa!  It has been a busy summer for the Micah Project, as we have hosted several teams.  Despite the busy-ness, though, we remember that our most important daily job is covering our boys and staff in prayer.  This week, please pray for:

* Axel Lopez
Despite several conversations with Axel on the streets, this young man continues to live outside of Micah. Please pray that the Lord changes his heart and that we are able to reach out to him once again.

* The three youngest Micah guys

David, Axelito, and Miguelito are all continuing to show signs of drug urges. Miguelito actually ran away last Wednesday for the morning in order to use drugs. Although he returned to Micah after just a few hours, we are continuing to watch and pray over our three newest guys. Please pray that they are able to fight against the powerful urges to return to using yellow glue and continue pressing on ahead.

*Health for Micah staff
Becca and Jenna are sick this week; please pray that the Lord would protect them and restore them to health!

* A New Micah House
With violence and drug abuse rising in the neighborhood, we are looking for some property outside of the city for a new group home. We've decided on a community into which we can move, and are looking at various pieces of property. Please be praying for this exciting process, for the planning of a capital campaign, and for God's hand to be on the entire process.  

*And, we want to take time to Praise!!
- For the continued growth in the three newest Micah guys. Although they are struggling, David, Miguelito, and Axelito are continuing to grow! Praise God for each of these young lives!!
- For the growth in all our guys. From Wilmer telling his testimony to the rapping of Brian Chavez, we are grateful to see God working in the hearts of our guys.
- For God's strength. This has been an intense and tiring summer, but we have been able to survive and thrive by the grace of our God. Thank you, Lord!!

Our God is merciful and gives us everything that we need to do everything that He has called us to do. We are grateful to Him for providing so bountifully and to you for walking this trying and exciting path with us. Until next week!

Peace,
David Hawthorne

New logo for a new decade

In January, the Micah Project celebrated our tenth anniversary. This has given us the opportunity to reflect on the amazing ways that God has worked through this ministry over the years…and to be THANKFUL to Him! But this milestone has also caused us to look forward and to seek His will for the next decade of ministry. 2010 has seen the inauguration of the Micah Project technical school, which is led by Brian Wiggs. We have also begun plans for Micah 2.0…a new-and-improved Micah House that will provide the space to take boys off the streets and raise them in a more intentional way.

Above:  First group of Micah boys in 2000.  Top row:  Miguel (currently working in Tegucigalpa), Danilo (currently studying in a Honduran seminary), Marvin (2009 graduate from Missouri Baptist University), Jarvin (studying psychology in Costa Rica); Bottom row:  David (studying psychology in Costa Rica), Olvin (will graduate from the University of Houston in December) and Tino (graduated from MBU in 2009).

With these exciting new directions in ministry, we felt that we needed a new logo to express in a fresh way the vision of the Micah Project. While we have lovingly retired our first logo which was created by Aminah (Al-Attas) Bradford, we are very excited by the new logo created by Jenna Miller. This is what Jenna has to say about the new logo:

When thinking about the design for the new Micah Project logo, a hundred different ideas ran through my head. The final design, however, I feel best captures the ideals and goals of the Micah Project and thus symbolizes what we represent.

Most importantly, the cross is in the center as the base of the tree, reminding everyone that looks at it that Christ is the center and the reason the Micah Project exists. The cross symbolizes Christ’s ultimate sacrifice of love for us, and inspires us to love others in the same sacrificial way. But this cross, as you can see, has new branches growing out of it, reminding us that Jesus did not stay dead on that cross. His death on the cross gave way to the most excellent miracle of all time – the Resurrection! At the Micah Project, our purpose is to see the truth of “life-out-of-death” in each and every person we minister to. We see Christ’s resurrecting power each time He calls a young man to come off of the streets and out of addiction into a new life of hope and purpose. We see it every time a child who was doomed to be a “nothing” graduates from college. The Micah Project is a place of new beginnings, of second chances, of “resurrections” if you will. And each leaf on the tree represents one of the many miracles we have had the privilege to be a part of. And, just like a tree, the Micah Project is always growing and changing. The project has several branches of ministry all working together as one whole as we seek to live out our mission of forming Christian leaders in Honduras.

We thank you all for helping to nurture and grow this tree as it continues to flourish in this new decade of ministry! Please pray for discernment as we seek God’s will for the new Micah House. And, please keep praying for our young men by name as they begin to produce great fruit in God’s kingdom!

Muchas gracias,

Michael Miller
Executive Director

Weekly Prayer Requests

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from yet another rainy week in Tegucigalpa! I (David Hawthorne) have just returned from a trip alongside of several older Micah guys and participants in the Micah technical school into the Honduran mountains.  There, we were blessed enough to accompany the Gracepoint Church from Portland, Oregon and to minister to our brothers and sisters in Christ by helping construct a small church in a remote mountain village. However, life in Teguz wasn't any less stressful, even with over half the guys gone. Little Hector contracted a bad case of hemorrhagic dengue fever, which put him in serious condition and left him in the hospital for several days. Thankfully, though, Hector has been released from the hospital and has returned to his normal goofy self! Additionally, we are grateful for our safe return to Tegucigalpa and are looking forward to having a good week here at home! Please join us this week in praising God for a safe trip and Hector's return home and in praying the following requests:

* Safety and tranquility in the neighborhood
In the aftermath of the fatal shooting in front of John and Rebecca Bell's apartment last week, rumors and threats have been swirling in our barrio. Several of the most prominent gangs members have temporarily left the area for their own safety and there is a great deal of uncertainty hovering in the air. Please be praying that there are no further killings and that peace will come to our barrio. Also, please be praying that we, as Christians, are able to be lights and peacemakers in this troubled barrio.

* Planning for the new Micah House
Even as we seek to be lights in the darkness of a crime-filled neighborhood, we are continuing to seek a safer area were we can raise the Micah guys while retaining our current house as an outreach center. Please be praying for this exciting process as we look for land and begin envisioning a capital campaign!

* The visiting missions team from Gracepoint Church
After spending last week in Gracias, Honduras (about nine hours outside of Tegus) with several Micah guys and Micah Technical School students, the Gracepoint missions team is now here in Tegus! They'll be continuing the repainting of the Micah House interior as well as putting a new roof on the Timothy House. Please be praying that the Gracepoint group has a blessed week of ministry, that we are able to teach them about life here in Tegus, and that they have safe travels here in Honduras!

* Future Plans for older Micah graduates 
Daniel, who is currently attending Central America's leading agricultural engineering school, is looking to start a six-month internship, possibly as far away as England! Please be praying for wisdom as he starts the planning process. Also, please be praying for Olvin Funez, Marvin Morazan and Danilo Guevara as they start looking into their futures beyond school and graduation!

* And, let us not forget to PRAISE!!

-  For Marvin Morazan's and Olvin Funez's visits to home. As Marvin heads to Costa Rica and Olvin to Houston, Texas, we want to express our gratitude to both of these young men for being marvelous examples of God's love for our younger guys. Praise God for bringing them this far and praise Him for using them to minister to the newest generations of Micah guys!
- For God's faithfulness in providing for us here at Micah. Even though sometimes finances can be tight, our God has always provided for us and we have never gone hungry! Praise and thank for Him for being so generous with His blessings!!

As always, it is my privilege to bring to you the prayer request of the Micah Project and to share just a small glimpse into our weekly lives. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers, support and love. They are greatly appreciated!!

Peace,
David Hawthorne (on behalf of the Micah Project)

Weekly prayer requests

Dear friends,

Greetings from rainy Tegucigalpa.  We had a wonderful week last week with the youth group from the Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church of Houston!   We were able to continue to build the retaining wall around the Villa Linda Miller school, repaint the Micah House and participate in street ministry with the group.

This week, we have a few prayer requests that we'd like to share with you:

1.  14 year-old Hector (right) has contracted dengue fever and has been in bed with a high fever for four days.  Dengue has reached epidemic proportions in Honduras this rainy season.  It is a mosquito-borne disease similar to Malaria, and can be dangerous if not treated.  We're keeping a close eye on him!

2.  Most of our older boys are in western Honduras with Brian Wiggs and a group from his church in Portland, Oregon.  They are helping a Honduran pastor named Victor Almendares build a church that he planted in an indigenous village.  Pray for safety, health and unity as the group and our boys work to advance God's kingdom!

3.  A young man in our neighborhood was shot and killed on the steps of our missionary apartment building last Thursday, just three minutes after Becca and John entered the building.  Please pray for the continued safety of our staff and boys in a situation of increasing violence and instability in our area.

4.  We have begun a process of searching for a property to build a new Micah House, in part because of the situation above.  After ten years in our current home, we have initiated a plan to build a new facility that would promote our boys' success in a more intentional way.  For our new generation of boys, which has come from harder backgrounds and more time on the streets, we firstly need some outdoor space, where they can kick a soccer ball around and burn off their boundless energy.   Our new house also needs a better kitchen, appropriate living space for group home parents, more storage, and a larger communal space for meetings and worship times.   We have been looking at a property out by the Villa Linda Miller neighborhood...a twenty minute drive from our current location.  Please pray for wisdom and discernment as we begin this huge transition in our ministry!

(Above:  this burro stands guard on a piece of property that we are looking at for the new Micah House!)

We have posted our summer letter and a new photo album on our website, which you can access at www.micahcentral.org.  We are so thankful for your continued prayers and support in our eleventh year of ministry!

Su hermano en Cristo,


Michael Miller

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