Hi everyone,
Here's a text-only version of our September update that we're sending out this week. If you're already on our email list, skip this and go straight to the emailed version as it includes lots of terrific pictures! If you're not on our email list and would like to be added, please send us a message. We send out an update every 3 months!
Thanks for your continued support! We appreciate it!
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Dear friends,
We want to thank you for your continued support as we serve in Honduras. It has been an exciting few months since returning to Siguatepeque in June, and we hope you are blessed and encouraged to hear about God at work in our lives and in our ministry. We would love to hear how God is working in your life as well!
Our life has been very full since our last update in June. We enjoyed a wonderful, but short visit to Canada in July. Upon returning to Siguatepeque, we moved into a 2-bedroom apartment located 3 blocks from our school. We are grateful that it is situated in a property with 2 other families, which provides added security. One big change with living in town is that we are able to walk most places, which we are really enjoying. Dave hopes to purchase a bicycle soon though, as it would allow him to do his work errands a lot quicker!
Besides setting up a home, August was also very busy at school! 8 English teachers arrived on August 15th and from the moment we picked them up at the airport, we have been busy helping them get settled and prepared for their ministry at the school. We had a great week of Teacher Orientation, covering everything from Health and Safety to Classroom Management. Classes began at our school on August 26th with approximately 239 students enrolled in our school this year, from JK to Gr. 11.
We are enjoying being part of an English Bible Study, attended by 15 people this year. Besides teachers from our school, it also includes various other foreign Christians and some bilingual Hondurans. We are studying “community and spiritual transformation” and we ask for your prayers that we would truly learn to live in community and we would help each other to be more like Christ.
Exciting Developments at Siguatepeque Bilingual Christian School
THANK YOU!!!
A big thank you to those that gave to the Library Project –we have received about $4000 so far! This has allowed us to purchase the materials to build a new wall, install a ceiling and repaint walls and shelves (see Before and After photos below). The work was done by a number of local tradesmen, with Dave designing and overseeing the project.
The next step is to furnish the space. We hope to buy comfortable reading chairs, tables for studying, rugs for reading and more. We would also like to purchase a computerized-inventory program, as this would allow us to keep track of our resources a lot better. The final step will be purchasing new resources for our students and teachers.
Thank you for your generosity!
It is hard to believe how much has been accomplished in the last few months at the school. Many of you saw the “before” pictures, when my English Office was a boys’ bathroom! I am now happy to share the “after” pictures – what an improvement! Dave and Rafa (a school employee) put in many hours, including removing sinks, installing a ceiling, grinding down the cement floor and much more. With only one burst water pipe in the process, it was a successful renovation! Extreme Makeover – Honduras Style! It is still a work in progress, as the floor and ceiling aren’t quite complete, but I am so grateful for a quiet space to work, meet with teachers and students, organize resources, etc. Since the office is located in the back of the library, I have been able to help Richie with organizing and categorizing all of the books – quite a challenge!! We mentioned Richie in our last newsletter and asked for you to continue to pray for him as he seeks God. We are so excited that a few weeks ago he committed his life to Christ. Please continue to pray that he will grow rooted in his faith and that we can be an encouragement to him each day.
I am really enjoying my new role as the English Program Coordinator. It has been very hectic, but rewarding so far. While I am still teaching (Gr. 11 English), the majority of my time is now spent providing leadership to the 8 English teachers (and 2 English assistants). It has been overwhelming at times, as I often feel that I am trying to juggle too many balls at once, but God continues to teach me to live by His strength, and not my own. Please pray for continued wisdom and discernment as I make decisions that affect both teachers and students. I also appreciate your prayers for continued opportunities to encourage my students to seek God with all their hearts and make their faith their own, not just something passed down from their parents.
It has also been a change for us to serve together, but we are enjoying it – at least most days Dave is sharing the English office as well, though he doesn’t spend much time at his desk. Read “Dave Speaks…” to hear all about the exciting projects he has been working on!
Dave Speaks…
Hey There Everyone!!!
Well, I have had a very interesting few months since our last newsletter. On August 1st, I began my new role as the Coordinator of Logistics and Infrastructure at the Siguatepeque Bilingual Christian School. This job covers a lot of different areas at the school, and allows me to use many of my skills, as well as develop some new ones. My biggest project at the moment is the renovation and expansion of the school’s library. Things are coming together and we will have students studying, reading and using the library in no time. So far, we’ve doubled the space by moving 1 wall, installed a ceiling, painted and reorganized bookshelves, redesigned the layout, etc.
Here’s a list of some of the other projects I’ve been involved with: renovation of English office, photography (pictures of staff for school website, school events, etc.), measuring and drawing up a site plan showing all of the buildings and areas to be used in future plans and lots more. God has been very good to me, keeping me busy and is challenging us to have faith and a bigger vision for the school.
As you may know, I am working 4 days/week at the school and leaving one day free to help other organizations and pursue more photography opportunities. I have been helping out a friend with a construction project at his new factory in Tegucigalpa (capital city of Honduras – about 2 hours away). He is starting a new business (www.tegu.com) making toys out of Honduran hardwoods, with the purpose of creating jobs for Hondurans and helping them improve their lives and escape poverty. I was also blessed and touched to visit and take photographs of a ministry named “Love and Faith” (AFE in Spanish) (http://www.micahcentral.org/dumpintro.htm). This organization provides a better life for kids who live in the dump through education and introducing them to Jesus. I am praying for more opportunities in Siguatepeque and Honduras to serve others through carpentry and photography.
Even though I have a few tools here, I am still pretty limited in what I can do. Some of the tools that would really help with my ministry include: portable table saw, mitre saw, Sawzall, hand sander, cordless impact drill and hammer drill. Battery-operated tools would be very useful for working in remote areas. Larger tools can be purchased here or smaller tools we could bring down from Canada on a future trip. We do still hope to purchase a vehicle, as it would give me a lot more freedom in picking up materials for projects at the school, so please pray with us for the funds. If you are interested in donating funds toward to either of these needs, please see the donation information at the bottom of the page.
I continue to thank you for your prayers and support.
Dave
Political Situation
Honduras has been in the international news lately, as ex-President Mel Zelaya was removed on June 28th from his position by an act of the Honduran Congress. The regularly scheduled national elections are November 29th, yet many countries and international organizations have said that they will not recognize these elections or the legitimacy of the current government, under President Roberto Micheletti. Foreign aid has also been cut off by many countries, further exacerbating the poor’s struggle to survive here. We continue to ask for you prayers for the country, as we live in a very uncertain time. Siguatepeque continues to remain calm, but there are daily protests in other parts of the country.
Spiritual and Physical Support
We would also like to develop a team that will commit to praying every Monday morning for us and our ministry here in Siguatepeque. If you would like to join our prayer team, please email us and we will send you a list of specific prayer requests each month.
If you know of anyone who might be interested in hearing about our ministry, please pass on our prayer letter. We have recently revamped our contact list, so we apologize if you have received more than one copy of this newsletter. Please let us know so we can make the change.
We are encouraged at those who have joined our financial support team since our last newsletter in June. We still hope to raise about $350 more per month, as we currently live on $350/week. If you are interested in supporting us, please contact us or the LAM office at info@lamcanada.ca (see further contact info below).
We also want to share a current need in our school’s sponsorship program. Over 55% of our students receive some type of financial aid. The current world economic crisis, as well as the political situation in Honduras, has left many in a very difficult financial situation. As a school, we do not want to turn any families away because of financial need, but our current ability to provide financial aid is stretched beyond capacity. If you would like to support the school’s sponsorship program, please contact us or the LAM office at info@lamcanada.ca
We appreciate your continued prayers as we serve in Honduras. September continues to be a busy month, as we are off to Copan for 4 days next week, speaking at a conference which networks organizations from around Honduras (www.projecthonduras.com). We are also looking forward to Warren Temple, Esther’s cousin, arriving at the end of September for a week. He will be teaching a hands-on science program in our elementary classrooms. We welcome any volunteers that would be interested in helping in our various ministries.
It is a privilege for us to serve the leaders of tomorrow here in Honduras and we are so grateful for your encouragement and support.
Blessings,
Dave and Esther
Dave and Esther Bettney
Escuela Bilingüe Siguatepeque
Apartado. Postal No.52
Siguatepeque, Comayagua
Honduras
email: daveandesther@hotmail.com
blog: www.daveandesther.blogspot.com
Please direct any donations for us to:
For Canadian donors -
Latin America Mission Canada
Unit 14, 3075 Ridgeway Drive
Mississauga, ON L5L 5M6
info@lamcanada.ca
www.lamcanada.ca CANADA
For American donors -
Latin America Mission
PO Box 52 – 7900
Miami, Florida 33152 – 7900
www.lam.org
U.S.A.
