Street Kid Spotlight: Rosa Yanet

In addition to the weekly prayer requests, another new feature we will be adding to our blog is the street kid spotlight.  Although a huge part of our ministry is focused on the guys we have living in the Micah Project, our heart and our prayers still go out to the ones who continue living on the streets.  A variety of factors have driven these children and teenagers from their homes to the rough life of the streets.  And more often than not, the addiction that they develop to inhaling industrial shoe glue keeps them there.  We hope that as you come to know their faces and their stories, you will lift them up faithfully in prayer before our Heavenly Father who loves them.

Our first spotlight falls blazingly on an incredible young lady named Rosa Yanet.  Rosa’s mom died when she was very young and Rosa never had the chance to know her.  She was raised by her father, though he did not take very good care of her.  Rosa is 15 years old, and has been living on the streets for many years now.  She dropped out of school after the second grade, and she doesn’t know how to read or write.

As one of very few girls living on the streets, one can only imagine the sort of life she has suffered.  She keeps her hair short and wears baggy clothes to fit in with the street boys that she hangs out with, and she has easily been mistaken for just another one of the boys.  Thankfully, many of the street boys have taken to protecting her and doing what they can to keep her safe.  Rosa comes on a weekly basis to street kid soccer, though she never plays because she worries that the boys play too rough and she would get hurt.  But she will happily sit on the bleachers and color pictures while the boys have their fun on the field.

Recently, Rosa joined the Micah Project on a couple of Saturday outings to local parks.  It was nice to see her not high on glue.  In fact, on Friday night when I invited her to come the next morning she motioned to her bottle of glue and said, “But I won’t bring this with me.  It’s rude to bring this if someone invites you somewhere.”  She was very pleasant and had fun riding bikes, playing in the swimming pool and kicking the soccer ball around.  It was wonderful to see her enjoying the simple fact of being a child… something she never really got to celebrate growing up.

At 15, Rosa is too old for many of the centers in Tegucigalpa, and since the Micah Project is a home for boys, there’s not much we can offer her either.  Our prayer for Rosa is that she would find a safe place to call home and that she would come to know the love of her Father in heaven, and live in the understanding that she is a beautiful princess in His eyes.  Please join with us in prayer for Rosa Yanet!

 

Thanks!

Jenna Miller

Weekly Prayer Requests

Buenos Días,

Once again, I (David Hawthorne) am privileged to bring you, our friends and family, Micah's weekly prayer requests. This has been quite the week! While I was raising my support back home during the summer, I missed the action and swirl of Micah. Now that I'm here, I'm wondering why I was so eager to give up the peace and quiet of home! Micah is once again proving to be an exciting and exhausting ride. As I'm back in the midst of the turmoil, drama, laughter and raw emotions that is life here at Micah, all I can do is bow my head and pray for wisdom, compassion and endurance in order to meet the torrent of needs that arise from Micah life. Please join me in these prayers.

This week, please pray for:

*Health
-Jenna Miller, one of our missionaries, has been sick for over an entire week. On Sunday, we learned that she likely has Dengue Fever. Please pray for her convalescence and that she is soon able to get back on her feet.
- Hauner Amaya. Oscar's younger brother has had a lingering sore throat for almost a week. Please pray that the medicine we bought will help him and that he soon feels able to resume his normal routine.
- Cristofer. Last week he had a 103 degree fever and a very sore throat. Thankfully, the medicine he's taking seems to be working and he's once again out and about. Still, please pray that he continues to recover quickly.

*Upcoming Events
- This weekend, several of us are attended a fundraiser being help in our honor at a local school. The school is looking to promote awareness of homelessness and the plight of street kids as well as raise support for Micah. Please pray for our guys as this is an awesome opportunity for them to share their stories. Also, please pray that some people here in Tegucigalpa are able to learn more about the suffering that happens right here in their own city.
- In almost two weeks, we are taking the guys on a spiritual retreat with the theme of repentance. Please pray that everyone who goes is able to learn and grow. Also, recently, many of our young men have begun to confront the pain left by the horrors of their homes and street life. Please pray that the Lord is able to use this time to bring further healing into their lives.

*Upcoming visits.
- Both Melody Dunne and Bob and Jo Bewley are scheduled to visit within the next few weeks. Please pray that their visits go smoothly and well.

*Wisdom
- Both Micah's Board of Directors and our staff are looking to create a five-year strategic plan for Micah. Please pray for us as we consider our vision for Micah's future.

*Finances
-Please pray for both our own finances as well as all for those suffering in this slow economy - both here in Honduras and in the U.S.
-Please pray that Marvin Soto and Tino Hernandez are able to find work in the U.S. and Honduras, respectively. Both of these young men, alumni of our group home, graduated this May from Missouri Baptist University and have been looking work ever since then.

*Honduras
-Despite a joyous celebration Wednesday night as Honduras earned a placed in the 2010 World Cup, it remains a divided country. Please pray that a peaceful situation will be found, and that the international community will recognize the results of the upcoming national elections.

*Our Neighbors
-John Bell has been working with several young men from our neighbor who have been involved with local gangs. Please pray for two of these young men: for Eduardo as he continues drug rehab and for Hector Alejandro as he examines his future options after successfully completing drug rehab.

*And now, the good stuff: PRAISES AND THANKSGIVING!!
-That we were able to have a relaxing and safe weekend as Roger Figueroa and Marlon Castellones took the guys on a road trip while the remainder of Micah's staff relaxed. Also, praise the Lord that Michael's sermon at a local church went well!
-For Wednesday night's soccer victory. With so many months of tension and fear, the chance for unity and celebration was desperately needed!!

-That the past week was more stable for Micah. The anger of last week seems to have been expended and certain emotional issues are starting to be more appropriately handled.

-Continued stability in Honduras. For the past two weeks, the protests and tensions of the past summer seem to be fading. There is still no end in sight, but violence and anger seem to be on the decline.
-For Pedro Martinez's grades. He is currently studying college-level calculus and is doing quite well!

Many thanks to all of you for your financial, emotional and spiritual support. Thank you, everyone, for your faithfulness in walking this thrilling, exhausting, discouraging and rewarding path with us here at Micah.


Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.


Peace,
David Hawthorne

Why I was happy to see people running and screaming in the streets.

Dear friends and family,

After a total of six and a half months here with Micah, I (David Hawthorne) thought that I had figured out a few grounds rules about living in Tegus:
1. Don't run, yell or do something else to draw too much attention to yourself while in the streets. Creating a commotion can result in unwanted attention.
2. Don't expect to be able to freely roam Tegus at night. It can be fairly safe to make short trips, but long evening walks can leave you very vulnerable to being mugged.
3. Don't ever expect people to appreciate you for being a gringo.
So, imagine my own surprise this past Wednesday night to find myself running, soaking with sweat, half-way across Tegus at 9:00 PM, leaping and screaming, pumping my fist, exchanging high-fives and whoops with strangers and receiving hugs and cheers while the entire city poured into the streets. No, I hadn't suddenly lost my mind or become a national hero. No, Wednesday night, Honduras qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the entire country was in a mood to celebrate!! To explain, please allow me to back up earlier into the evening.

Wednesday evening, while I ate dinner away from Micah, the U.S. soccer team was losing 2-1 to Costa Rica and time was rapidly waning. Honduras had defeated El Salvador earlier in the day and was temporarily in position to clinch a World Cup appearance. However, unless the U.S. was able to defeat or tie Costa Rica, Costa Rica would unseat Honduras and instead advance to the World Cup. As I climbed into a taxi for the ride home, both mine and the taxi driver's moods were gloomy. With less than two minutes left in the game, it appeared that Costa Rica, not Honduras, would be in the World Cup. However, as we drove through Tegus, people in bars and homes began yelling and screaming and a few cars began speeding while honking their horns. After a hurried conversation with some other taxi drivers and a phone call to Micah, we learned that with 15 seconds left, the U.S. had managed to score the tying goal, and that Honduras was going to South Africa and the World Cup!!

The taxi driver and I quickly lost focus of getting to Micah as we rocketed through the back roads of Tegus. He was hitting the horn over and over as I banged on the roof and yelled out the window. People poured out of buildings, yelling and cheering. A police car pulled up next to us and hit its lights - but rather than pulling us over, the police officers being honking their horn and turning their siren on and off, over and over again in celebration. Other police officers were in the streets hugging other people as children and teens ran by waving flags and soccer jerseys in the air. We eventually arrived at Micah, where I was almost knocked over by a wild combination of a high-five, hug, and chest-bump from Miguel. Some of our guys were running wildly in circles yelling. Others were simply standing there grinning. A few raided the kitchen, and with a cup, a spoon, an empty water jug, and a couple of pot lids, began to noisily lead some cheers and chants.

Soon, the guys were able to convince Michael to go let them go to the Boulevard Morazan, one of the largest streets in Tegus and located almost in the center of the city. That is how I found myself running through the streets of Tegus at night, yelling and screaming, desperately trying to keep up with our guys, stumbling over obstacles in the dark, pumping my fist in the air, leaping into the air and hearing hundreds of car horns as vehicles packed with celebrants sped up and down the streets, all while fireworks exploded overhead.

As we drew closer and closer to 'the Morazan,' the crowd became thicker and thicker and traffic almost stopped. On 'the Morazan,' thousands of people cheered, waved flags, whipped jerseys around and around over their heads, screamed, danced and chanted "Yes, they could!" or "Long Live Honduras!" Others even thanked Michael, John Bell, and I for being gringos and for how the U.S. had just helped Honduras!! Honestly, there are few words that can capture the scene there in the middle of Tegus. An entire city had poured out to wildly celebrate an event that had not happened in over 25 years! All I can do is ask you to imagine the most intense and heavily attended Superbowl party that you have ever attended and then expand that party over an entire mile. At 10:30, the party showed no signs of stopping. Even 24 hours later, an air of festivity still hung over the city as school was canceled and the president declared Thursday a holiday.

I know that the United States famous for its national disinterest in soccer. However, internationally, soccer is a matter of national pride and a chance to assert a nation's status, even when the nation lacks political power. In Honduras's case, it has just received the opportunity to hold its head up high in 2010 and remind the world that it is a sovereign nation that demands respect. For Hondurans, this is long overdue. Their last World Cup appearance was in 1982, and the chance to claim some respect is very welcome. Also, because soccer is such a weighty national matter, the joy and celebration of Wednesday night can easily be transferred into the political arena. As Honduras continues to swirl in the midst of an exhausting, terrifying, and polarizing political crisis, any glimmer of hope is welcome. Hopefully, the goodwill and joy of Wednesday night will carry over to the negotiating tables. Still, if not for anything else, Wednesday was an opportunity for the entire nation to forget about whether a neighbor was pro-Mel or pro-Micheletti and to just celebrate being Hondurans. We here are Micah are excited, not only because Honduras has something to celebrate, but also because the Lord was able to work to bring about hope, closer relations with our Honduran neighbors, and just a small measure of healing for the entire country. We are excited to see how our awesome God will use this event in the future of Honduras!
¡¡¡Viva Honduras and three cheers for our God!!!

Still dancing,
David Hawthorne

P.S. I apologize for the poor quality of our pictures, but all we had were camera phones with us on 'the Morazan!'

Weekly Prayer Requests

¡Hola!

This week we are introducing a new feature that will become a regular item on our blog: prayer requests. We here at the Micah Project have been incredibly blessed to have a faithful group of friends and supporters who loyally visit, fund, inquire about, and pray for us. So, on our part, we want to try to help you all enter our lives a little more easily, while seeing and sharing some of our pains, hopes, sorrows and joys. Many thanks to all of our friends and family!!

This past week in Micah has been a week of rapidly changing ups and downs in our home. Many of the guys show progress and maturity, while others struggle to gain a foothold on that path. In Honduras, the two political factions have starting talking again, but still remained deadlocked. I (David Hawthorne) am settling into Micah life once again, but am still the "new kid on the block." So, in light of such a hilly week, please pray for:

* Juan Carlos.
On Sunday, we were saddened to hear that Juan Carlos had once again run away from drug rehab. The past year has been a year of struggle for Juan Carlos, and he recently decided that it would be best if he returned to Proyecto Victoria for another round of rehab. Three weeks into the program, he announced that he longer wished to continue and left. Pray that the Lord works in his heart and causes him to change the course of his future. Although we have reached the limit of our own ability to help Juan Carlos, there is still hope that the Lord will work in him. We love this young man, and we hope and pray that this happens.

* Health
- Jenna Miller, one of our missionaries, has not been feeling well. Please pray that she is able to get back on her feet soon.

- Roger, one of our group home supervisors. Recently, he suffered some kind of seizure in his sleep. The doctors say that all the tests are negative and that he simply needs to watch his stress level. Please pray, if there is something more serious here, that the doctors are able to diagnose it.

*Peace
- In our home. Our guys that come off the streets or out of violent home situations often have a difficult time handling conflict. As we deal with the inevitable conflicts that arise in a group of teen boys, pray that conflict resolution will bring healing and maturity.

- In our neighborhood. Drug use and gang violence have drastically increased in our barrio over the past few years. Please pray that our Lord does something amazing and begins to change hearts and turn things around here. Pray that people are able to find jobs and that they will not turn to drugs and gang life for hope.

- In this country. Since June, Honduras has faced a rocky political situation which has disrupted normal life here. As of right now, the two factions are talking. Please pray that they continue talking and that they are able to find an amicable solution.

* End of the school year.
- Pray that we can finish the school year (the next three weeks!) well and with a lot of energy. Also, pray that we can establish a balanced and rich routine with the young men during the vacation period with an appropriate balance of rest and activity.

* An upcoming retreat. The last weekend in October, we are taking the guys on a spiritual retreat. This retreat, our theme is going to be repentance. Please pray that our guys are able to encounter God on the retreat even as they begin to work towards repentance and forgiveness.


*And, finally, PRAISES!!
- For Wilmer. Not only has he become one of the most stable and positive influences here in the house, but he is also doing well in school. He is currently receiving a 96% grade average. This is amazing for a young man who was just learning to read a year ago!

- Pedro Luis. This year, he is taking civics classes, which are considered some of the hardest in the Honduran curriculum. However, he is doing and passing his classes with ease. Thank God that he is succeeding!


Once again, many thanks to all of you for all of your support and concern!! We continue to pray that the Lord will use us as His servants here in Teguz, and that we will see His will done and His kingdom grow.


Lord have mercy,
David Hawthorne

Las "Micah Moms"

Near the beginning of 2008, Micah missionary Kamia Paul started a new program for the moms of several of the boys at Micah.  They have met together weekly and we have even hired some teachers to teach them new skills including sewing and jewelry-making.  Kamia would meet with them and talk about the Bible with them.  Now, although Kamia is no longer full-time at Micah, the work she began has continued to flourish as the mothers still come on a weekly basis to the Micah house to continue practicing the new things they have learned.  This week, I had the privilege to sit down with some of the members of our "Micah Moms" group and find out what it is that they enjoy about this group and get ideas for its future.  Here are some of their responses:

Maria is the single mother of Erick and Cristofer.  She has been a part of our "Micah Moms" group since it started about a year and a half ago.  She says, "It's good for us because we don't have professions.  It's nice to learn a skill so we can make things and sell them."  So far she has learned how to make purses, pillows, cushions, jewelry and clothing for her kids.
Yolanda is the mother of Jarvin, Darwin and Arle who have all been a part of the Micah family for many years.  When she first started learning to sew it was very difficult because she never learned how to read or write so she had a hard time making measurements to be able to make the things she wanted to make.  But she has overcome that fear and really enjoys making purses and earrings.  She hopes in the future to learn how to make shirts, skirts and new curtains for her house.  Her favorite part of the "Micah Moms" group is spending time with the new friends she has made, and together learning these new skills.
Telma is the mother of Josue David and Pedro Luis.  Since the group was formed a year and a half ago, she has learned how to make bags, pillows, aprons and dresses.  Usually her 10 year old daughter, Cindy Yahaira comes with her and helps out.  Telma is really happy to be learning this new skill so she can have something to offer.  She hopes to learn even more new things in the future!
Maycol's mom, Aleida, has really enjoyed learning to sew and make jewelry with the other Micah moms.  She even comes sometimes when the moms are not meeting to practice and improve her skills.  She has become a very good seamstress and makes clothes for her younger children.  She has good ideas for the future of the group too!

p.s. Edwin wants me to tell you that he also learned how to sew.  He is the newest member of the "Micah Moms"

Dias de Luz---Days of Light

Against a backdrop of political upheaval in Honduras this summer, the Micah Project has continued to minister to the people to whom we have been called. Despite curfews, protests and street closures, we have continued to educate and disciple the Micah boys, to reach out to their families, to minister to the children and youth on the streets and to bless many others in our Dias de Luz, or days of light.

We hope that this photo album will help you to pray for the Micah Project even as we continue to pray for God's peace and justice to reign over Honduras.

What's new at the Micah Project?

Above: Jenna Miller joined the Micah Project in August as our newest missionary! She is a graduate of Biola University in Los Angeles and has taught for the last two years at the International School here in Tegucigalpa. She brings skills in graphic design, teaching and one-on-one mentoring to the Micah House! Click here to learn more about our staff.

Below: We had a big despedida (going-away party) in August for Dan and Kamia Paul and Oscar Amaya. Dan and Kamia left the Micah Project in August and are currently teaching at a Christian bilingual school here in Tegucigalpa...and are still a part of our guys' lives! Oscar moved to Houston in August to take English classes at Houston Community College.

Below: John and Rebecca Bell hold a dinner every Monday night at the Leadership House (Micah's home for our older participants). The Leadership House continues to be a place where our participants can live while they begin their college careers. Here, the guys enjoy their meal together!



Below: Missionary Barry Horst has been coming to the Micah House on Mondays and Thursdays to teach carpentry skills to the Micah boys. Here, he teaches Hector how to use the table saw as Nelson looks on.

Building relationships with street youth through sports

We continue to run our sport's program for street youth every Friday afternoon at a soccer court by the river that runs through Tegucigalpa. The goal is to build relationships with these youth that have been largely rejected by society and to reflect God's love through friendship.
Above, left: Alejandro and Sergio tussle in the goal. Below: Jose Daniel watches the soccer game in progress with glue bottle in hand.

Below: Jason and Selvin take a break from soccer to inhale their yellow glue.

Days of Light...and Years of Building Relationships

Dia de Luz, or Day of Light is a new initiative that the Micah Project has started to help our young men take initiative in serving others with God's love. Each week, three of our young men are in charge of planning a service project to be carried out by the whole project on Tuesday afternoon. It has been very exciting to watch them enthusiastically choose people to help, then show compassion and empathy as they undertake the projects.

Above: Our first Dia de Luz project was to help an elderly widow named doña Agueda who lives in a broken down shack just up the street from the Micah Project. We went to help her build stairs up to her shack, to paint, and to try to make her door more secure. Becca and Wilmer paint one side of her house (above) while Axel, Hector and Jason paint the other side (below).

Below: John, Becca and guys gather around doña Agueda to pray for her after finishing the project. To see a video of this project produced by our friends Andy and Heidi Dryden, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em0rQomi84I&feature=related .

On one of our September Dia de Luz outings, we went to help Jarvin, Darwin and Arle's mom Yolanda. Jarvin is studying psychology at a university in Costa Rica, but was back in Tegucigalpa for a two-week vacation. Darwin and Arle were both part of the Micah Project before leaving last year due to personal problems. We are trying to help 15 year old Arle get into a boarding school next year three hours outside of Tegucigalpa, and Darwin hopes to be one of the first students in Micah's new technical school which Brian Wiggs will launch in 2010. Below: Marvincito and Arle mix paint for Yolanda's shack.

Above: Cristofer paints the interior of Yolanda's shack. Below: Yolanda stands with her three sons: Darwin, Jarvin and Arle.

Below: In yet another September Dia de Luz, the young men visited the CEDER shelter for abandoned seniors to take some treats and spend some time with the seniors there. Here, Wilmer (left) and Pedro Luis (right) take some time to chat with the ladies.

Randy Mayfield: a friend and mentor to the Micah Project for the last ten years

Randy Mayfield has been an instrumental part of the Micah Project for the last ten years. As the missions' pastor of the Central Presbyterian Church of St. Louis (for the last 30 years!), Randy gave Michael much direction and support when he was first visioning the Micah Project in 1999. Since then, Randy has served on our board, visited Honduras at least twice a year for the last ten years and been a constant source of encouragement and prayer. In September, Randy came to spend a few days with us to do just that!

Above: Randy helps Roger and our cook Aida pick dirt out of our daily ration of beans. Below: Randy and Charly have an opera contest during dinner at the Micah House. To see a short clip the hilarious contest, click here:

Randy also accompanied us to the southern Honduras island of Amapala for a day trip to the beach, which is in the Pacific Ocean inlet of the Gulf of Fonseca. Above: we get ready to load up and cross over to the island. Below: one of the guys' favorite activities on the island seems to be finding dead, ugly sea creatures that have washed up onshore. Marvicito and Axel hold what appears to be a blowfish and Hector holds shows off some sort of bug-eyed aquatic beast!

Random Micah Project fun!

Please continue to pray for the Micah Project and for Honduras!

Tens years...and just beginning!

In January 2010, the Micah Project will celebrate our tenth anniversary of ministry here in Honduras. Our board of directors and staff are participating in a process of evaluation and strategic planning to prepare for our next decade of ministry! As part of this process, we have developed a survey that will help us use the resources that God has given us even better in the future. We would be honored if you would take a few minutes to complete the survey!

To access the online survey, click here: Micah Project Survey.

Muchas gracias,

Michael Miller