Visiting the USA

Well, the time has come for us to decide whether or not we will be returning to the USA for a visit this year. We have several concerns that we must address in making this decision;

First, do we have the finances to visit the USA this year? Normally we wouldn't worry about this because our main activity while in the states is fund raising. However, everyone knows that the economy has been in a bit of a bad way for our country this year and that could affect giving. What's more, we are looking at higher than normal airfare due to higher fuel prices.

Second, where will we go and whom shall we visit? You have all been so kind to us in the past, but we feel, at times, like the house guest who has overstayed his or her welcome. We know that none of you, our friends, would say to us, "No, we just can't afford a visit from your family this year.", or, "You just came here last year! Don't you get tired of bothering us?" Even so, Proverbs 25:17 says: "Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor's house, lest he be weary of thee and so, hate thee."

So, we have decided to leave it up to you. If you and/or your church would like to have us visit, let us know. We will plan on visiting between the middle of December and the end of January, if we visit.

God bless you!

Aaron

This an excerpt from a letter Katrina wrote today to her brother. I have posted it here with her permission:

'After dinner the other day a little boy walked into the H.O.H and said to me I came to stay here. I was a little taken aback by his statement a very handsome child i asked why do you want to stay here? "My dad died Saturday of cancer and my mom said she does not want to take care of children anymore and left us.", he told me. It turns out he has been dead two years.'
'He is eight years old. So, I have come to realize that we are probably not going anywhere soon. Too many children here who are in desperate situations. Daily now I am getting caught up in rescuing a child in one way or another. I sometimes marvel how God has prepared me for this, and how he has opened the doors and given me favor to be able to do it.'

What Katrina says is true. She is daily caught up, sometimes for up to twelve hours a day, in rescuing children. While I don't know how she does it I DO know where she get's the strength. Her life revolves around and is filled with the word and spirit of God. Without that wellspring flowing into, through and out of her heart, she would NEVER be able to keep up with the demand that this town and culture heaps upon her particular ministry. Nobody could. That's why so many people who have come here with similar work in mind have cut htheir time short and moved on.

We praise God for His marvelous work in and through us.

(Picture of Aaron will be posted later today.)

Bubu Visits Mocoron With Master Stephen

Well, our firstborn is almost 13 years old and is beginning to have a desire to wander further from the nest. He spent a week in Mocoron, a village near an army base closer to the jungle, with our Teakwondo instructor. I decided to post some of the pictures he brought back. He returned to us that friday telling excited stories of jumping off tree branches into the river below, floating with the current and climbing out again when he reached another tree branch extended into the river further downstream.

Master Stephen is a 7th degree black belt in Taekwondo. He is an Olympic Medalist and trainer AND a pastor with the Korean Methodist Church. He loves the Lord intensely, as is evidenced by his strong prayer habits.

The following is a quote form our newsletter that has been sent to be printed and mailed out:

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In April, Katrina heard about a Korean man who was teaching “Karate” in a small, remote village, here in La Moskitia. She expressed a desire to contact him and offer to pay his way and give him room and board in our house if he would come on weekends and teach martial arts to the children at House of Hope. Knowing that some martial arts teachings involve spiritual aspects, I told her to pray about it first.
She went ahead with her idea, after consulting with the Lord, and he came to visit so we could talk about the idea. Lo and behold! It turns out thet Grand Master Steven Kwunsoo is not only a 7th degree blackbelt, an Olympic medalist in Taekwondo, and an Olympic trainer. He is also a Christian missionary!
Pastor Steven began visiting our house on weekends late on in the month of May and after a month of his visits, we have learned to make Kim-Shi, eat Sushi and he has come to be a loving father figure to our family.
He is a prayer warrior! Waking up at about 1:00 AM every morning he goes out onto our dock and prays until about 6:00 AM. Since we told him we usually wake up at about that time he waits until then before he begins to sing his loud, reverberating Korean praise songs, waking us with a serenade. We forgot to mention to him that on the weekends we might want to sleep a little later.
He has made contact with the local police, the local military base and just today with the Naval base across the lagoon, offering to instruct them in his martial arts, as well. In addition, Katrina and I have helped him to organize some paying students by which he can raise some support for his ministry in Mocoron, the little village we originally found him in.
Even Katrina and I are involved in the classes, though it would be an insult to Steven’s teaching abilities to say that we are his showcase students.

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