Robert and Jennifer Butts

End of the year review 2011

2011-12-16T15:53:00.004-07:00

Robert and I hope that Christmas finds you well and enjoying time with family and friends. We love that this time of year is set aside to focus on Christ and His coming to this earth to live among us and provide a way of forgiveness for our sins. It’s amazing to think of how He loves us and freely gives forgiveness, redemption, provision, protection, tender love, and so much more! We are in awe of Him!

This time also allows us to reflect on the past year and what God has done for us. He blessed us with a great bunch of girls at the Bridge House and a great time with them. He has given us a great group of friends in WGO and in our church. He has provided generously for all of our needs, as He always does. He also gave us some really neat vacation/furlough time this year. He opened the door for Robert to begin a new job in WGO, overseeing all operations of the ministry. He provided a new family to take our place for the Bridge House. He’s provided continued opportunities to have input into the lives of the Bridge youth by being able to get together and strengthen those relationships. And He continues doing His work and amazing us. We’ve included photos to help you get a better picture of our lives this year in Honduras. Enjoy!

Robert spoke with a group of Honduran pastors at WGO's
Mission House during a day of training for local pastors

Jennifer painted a mural at a
local school for the deaf

Maria, Johana, and Fanny at a baby shower

We enjoyed an ice cream social with the new Bridge House managers
and youth as we transitioned out of the Bridge House and
into Robert's new job at WGO's Mission House

Maryury and Nancy at their baby shower,
both are former Bridge youth

Rodolfo enjoyed time with former Bridge guys and friends

Our church had weekly gatherings at a local
coffee shop to get to know each other better

Rodolfo enjoyed time with church friends at a picnic

Our new home near WGO's Mission House
where we enjoy being closer to missionary friends,
much cooler weather, a really nice garden,
and finally a yard for a puppy

Fall 2011

2011-11-20T20:25:00.004-07:00

Since Robert was asked to become WGO’s Chief Operating Officer, the process began to find a couple to replace us at the Bridge House. That new job offer began a several-month search for a new couple that could move into the Bridge and begin mentoring the youth as well as manage the responsibilities there.

Amy, Gerson, and baby Gerson Abraham

God pointed us to a couple living on the northern coast of Honduras with a huge heart to serve Hondurans. Gerson is from Honduras and has studied several years of Medical school both in Honduras and in Cuba. He enjoys using his medical skills wherever needed. He also enjoys evangelism and discipleship. Amy is from California, has a Masters in Missions, has travelled to several countries doing missions work, and has a heart for ministry too. They have 1-year-old baby boy and are due to have their second baby any day now.

As we got to know Gerson and Amy Ruiz and heard about the ministries they've been involved in, we quickly saw how their lives and testimonies could greatly benefit the Bridge youth. They have a ministry to street children, are involved in their local church, and have a desire to serve God internationally. We originally had them stay with us at the Bridge House for several days to get to know us, to meet the Bridge House youth, and to get a feel for how the Bridge House operates. They have since accepted the offer to become the new Bridge House managers and have recently moved into the Bridge as the new Bridge House managers. Gerson will also be regularly travelling out to Rancho Ebenezer to serve as the “Ministry Homes Manager” working with the organizational details to help make the homes operate more smoothly. Both Gerson and Amy are excited about being a part of the ministry of WGO, and more specifically about being able to live with the youth, to mentor and disciple them, and to challenge them to strive to honor God with their lives. Please pray with us as Gerson and Amy Ruiz begin living with and spending time with the Bridge House youth. Pray that God uses their unique life experiences to motivate and teach the youth. May God use them all in each other's lives: to encourage, challenge, and point one another to Him.

Gerson, Jhoselyn, Eleni, Amy, Rodolfo, and Jefry enjoying our last night at the Bridge as we "passed on the torch"
to Gerson and Amy to continue God's work mentoring the youth at the Bridge House.

Summer 2011, finishing 6 years at the Bridge House

2011-08-22T09:26:00.023-06:00

We have now arrived back from our summer furlough and are making plans to step into a new role with World Gospel Outreach. We got a chance to share the news with many of you this summer but for those who do not know, Robert has recently been asked to become the Chief Operating Officer of WGO and he has agreed.

His new role in the ministry will entail overseeing all 3 areas of the ministry:

Ebenezer Ranch where WGO cares for displaced and at-risk children in a Christian environment providing a bilingual education, mentorship and discipleship, as well as a family-setting to provide a loving home for the children

Bridge House where WGO provides a safe place for the young adults of the ministry to receive mentorship and college scholarships as they learn to be independent

Mission House where WGO receives weekly medical teams that provide short-term care to poor people in local communities, with the ultimate goal of showing them the love of Jesus Christ and connecting them to the local church. This experience also provides an international Christian service opportunity to the teams.

We are excited about the new role in WGO. It will fit Robert’s personality and skills/talents well. Jennifer will be helping wherever she is needed in the ministry by providing support to Robert and working on various ministry projects.

As we change roles, however, we have several new needs. First, we are now looking for a family to continue our work in the Bridge House. Until that happens, Robert is commuting an hour each way to the Mission House as we manage both responsibilities. We know that is possible in the short term, but for our own sanity, pray that God provide our replacements soon. We will need to relocate to a home closer to the Mission House where rents are higher than where we currently live. We also just purchased a more heavy-duty vehicle that can drive out to Ebenezer Ranch on a regular basis. We are confident that God will make a way for us to meet the challenges of a new ministry role, as well as, the financial challenges we now face with this new position. Please pray with us to see if God may use you to help us meet these new ministry challenges. Feel free to contact us if you would be interested in financially supporting our work in Honduras.

We have felt so honored to be managers of WGO’s Bridge House for the past six years and we look forward to seeing how God will use us and grow us in our new role in the ministry. Please keep us in your prayers through this transition. Also remember to pray for the Bridge House youth as this represents a change for them also. We plan to continue to stay connected with them, encouraging them as they mature and prepare for the life God has for them. May God provide just the right people for this job with the youth.

Please keep us all in your prayers,

Robert and Jennifer Butts

Spring 2011

2011-04-25T16:38:00.149-06:00

Maria and Diasira

We hope this letter finds you well and enjoying springtime. We’re doing fine and enjoying life in Honduras. Springtime here is actually the dry season with lots of hot days, very dry, dusty land and lots of mosquitos. Forest fires easily spread in the surrounding mountains and create white smoke that settles in over our city, blocking the view of the beautiful mountains and sometimes keeping airplanes from landing due to poor visibility. Rain is coming soon, though, to Tegucigalpa and will bring cooler weather. It’s a great time to be here. The rain comes in the middle of mango season, and cleans up the air, brings cooler temperatures and highlights beautiful green flowering trees everywhere.

Jhoselyn

The three of us are doing well. Robert is involved in a men’s Bible study and enjoys getting time with some solid men from our Christian community. Jennifer is involved in a ladies Bible study where she gets to spend time growing in Christ and having deep friendships with other English-speaking missionary ladies. Both groups encourage and challenge us. Robert also continues to work with WGO in finances and Jennifer keeps creating new crafts for fun. Rodolfo is finishing 6th grade and has a huge Honduran Civics exam in June that must be passed by all students in order to graduate from 6th grade and continue in their education. As he moves into teenage life, we work to teach him how to manage more and more responsibilities as he becomes a young man. Please pray with us that we teach him well and that he grows to be a young man who seeks to honor the Lord.

The Bridge girls are all busy with work and school. We have 4 young ladies living with us now. Maria is teaching at a local daycare and going to college, studying Social Work. Jhoselyn is teaching at a local elementary school. Eleni is working with a missionary couple trying to start their own school in town. Diasira, still 17 years old and unable to work full-time, is taking advantage of the opportunity to study nursing fulltime.

Eleni

We all still meet together weekly and study various issues. Lately we’ve gone through “Does God Exist”, a Focus on the Family college-level course on knowing what you believe and learning how to defend it. We are now studying the “Peacemaking Church” which teaches us how to improve our interpersonal skills. These four young ladies are a joy to have around and we consider it a blessing for us to be a part of their lives as they grow and learn to spread their wings in life. Pray with us that they desire to honor God in all they do.

As we move toward summer, we are starting to make plans for our furlough in the States. We will be in Arkansas from June 21- July 11. We will then be in California from July 12- August 1. Our time in each area is always short but we’d love to see as many of you as we can. Please feel free to contact us at our email robjenbutts@gmail.com or by phone (559)-639-5933 while we are still in Honduras. Once we get to the States, our cell phone is (559) 410-2576. Again, we’d love to visit with as many of you as we can.

December 2010

2010-12-29T22:27:00.007-07:00

Hi everyone,

Robert and I have had a great year full of blessings and growing. There are always lots of challenges in our lives being in a 3rd world country with the challenges of a poverty-mindset, a different language, and being away from family. But God is good to give us encouragement just at the right time, more and more understanding of the language, and a spiritual family that brings us great comfort and deep friendships. Jennifer's been involved with the local ladies Bible study and has enjoyed that role and the friendships it brings. Robert has been able to use his strengths in working with finances in the ministry as well as at church.

We've had a great year with the new bunch of Bridge House youth. They have brought joy to our lives and we've all enjoyed a fresh start together with new ideas and a new plan for the Bridge House. It's been a lot of fun to watch the young ladies in the house eagerly step into new challenges and responsibilities and watch them enjoy those results as well. The positive, fresh attitudes of these girls have been a huge blessing to us and we've loved having them around.

Rodolfo is also doing well as he grows and matures. He's in the middle of 6th grade, which is a big grade here in Honduras. The Honduran government only requires a 6th grade education, so at the end of this school year, Rodolfo will have a really big social studies exam over all of Honduran history. He and his classmates are ready to hit the books in January with a lot of attention on that exam.

Please continue to pray for us all. Pray that the Bridge House youth continue to embrace the natural responsibilities of young adult life. Also pray for wisdom and understanding for us as we strive to honor Christ in how we interact with the youth. We continue to have opportunities to influence other ministries who have similar transition homes. Due to the changes we've been able to make in the Bridge House this past year, and the positive results that we've seen so far, doors have been opened to share with others in ministry what has and hasn't worked in the Bridge House and has given other ministries hope for positive growth in their programs. Pray for God's wisdom as we promote principles that help young people transition to toward a healthy, productive adulthood that honors Christ. God is doing some really neat things in all of our lives. May He be praised!

Many blessings to you, Robert and Jennifer Butts

Fall 2010

2010-11-24T06:47:00.013-07:00

We hope this newsletter finds you all well and in festive moods as you gear up for the holiday season and all the fun activities that are sure to occur. We thank God for you and your faithfulness to us through prayers and financial support for our work in Honduras.

Jhoselyn working at local daycare

We recently completed the first year operating under the new Bridge House program. As you know, we have worked hard these last few years trying to develop changes to the program that will better prepare youth to make a smooth transition to independent adult life. We’ve had the chance to speak to many of you personally about our desires and plans to promote principles and activities that will lead to a smooth transition, and we are pleased to announce that after the first year, we have seen many very positive results.

The youth of the Bridge House are really getting a crash course in independent living as they work to support themselves, paying their own living expenses, monthly rent, and part of their medical costs. They had always been required to budget, keep track of expenses, and save; but now that they are working, they have a sincere motivation to manage well what they have worked so hard to get. As a result, we now see more mature, responsible decision making by the youth. Some less obvious, yet very real, effects are a feeling of empowerment, confidence, and improved attitudes toward accepting responsibility. Interpersonally, we have enjoyed our best year in the Bridge House so far, being able to better relate to the youth as they accept their roles as responsible adults.

A real test of the new Bridge House program came when two residents recently transitioned from the Bridge House and moved into their own apartment. They both had good jobs, enough money to begin life on their own, and a clear plan to continue their educational goals without outside assistance. They had both lived in the Bridge House for about 10 months, and already had gained enough confidence while positioning themselves to make a smooth transition.

Please rejoice with us in what God is doing to direct our paths as we try to encourage and promote principles that we are confident will help the WGO youth to advance successfully through their young adult lives. God is good!

Robert and Jennifer Butts

Summer 2010

2010-09-27T08:35:00.009-06:00

Blessings to you all,

We have had an eventful summer at home with family and friends and enjoyed every minute of it, visiting people in Arkansas, Mississippi, and California. There were several people we didn’t get the chance to see and we are sad for that. Our time always goes so much faster that we can imagine. It was a good time, however, with those we were able to see. We always love getting to catch up with people and relax a little before getting into another year at the Bridge House.

photo is of Rodolfo with our family in California

Our youth at the Bridge are doing great. This group of 4 young ladies has been a lot of fun for us. Their constant smiles and fun personalities have been awesome to have around. As all of the older Bridge House youth moved out and we started fresh with this bunch of girls, it gave us a chance to breath, evaluate each of our roles, and how to best work going forward with a whole new group of dynamic. These girls are truly a blessing for us. Jennifer has especially enjoyed some good girl time with them.

The Bridge House has gone through a couple of studies so far this year. We started with Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace videos, then moved into Tommy Nelson’s study of Ecclesiastes “A Life Well Lived”. We are finishing that study now and are preparing to move into the Truth Project’s “Does God Exist”, then onto Peacemaker Ministry’s “The Peacemaking Church”. Please pray with us that God moves in the hearts of our girls as well as in our own. May this next semester be rich with God’s truths and how He longs for us to grow and honor Him in all we do. Pray for God-honoring, encouraging conversations with our youth. May He find us faithful in depending on Him and doing our best to help mold these young ladies into women who seek Him. These years are so crucial for the youth; pray that they willingly become women who seek Him.

Blessings to you all,

Robert and Jennifer Butts

Ending our furlough and ready to head back to Honduras

2010-08-02T10:42:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone,

It appears we've had an official issue of identity theft. Joy, joy! We woke up this morning (Monday, Aug. 2) with several phone calls asking where we are and if we're ok. It appears that we got our email hacked and many of you have gotten an email about us being in financial trouble and in need of help. Praise God we are safe and in California.

No worries, that email is a fake and we are safe in California finishing up our furlough with family. Sorry if you were bothered by it all. We have actually had a great time in both Arkansas and California and are looking forward to getting back to Honduras this Wednesday (Aug. 4) to see the Bridge girls and hang out again. We have missed them and are excited to see how they've been over the summer. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel on Wednesday. God has been really good, as always, to us.

Blessings to you all! Jennifer and Robert

March-May 2010

2010-05-21T21:26:00.020-06:00

We hope this newsletter finds you well. We’re doing really well in Honduras. The weather is finally getting cooler and soon lots of rain will be heading our way with the upcoming rainy season. It’s been so hot that we can hardly wait for a change. We’re all pretty busy with life but enjoying it. Rodolfo’s about to finish 5th grade, then we’ll head to the States for our summer furlough.

(This photo shows our candles in the living room, giving you an idea of the heat we've been experiencing.)

Bridge youth are doing well
Our youth are all busy working and are doing really well in the various aspects of independent life. They are also doing well accepting more and more responsibility and enjoying the privileges that go with that. It’s exciting to hear what they’re learning and to watch them grow up. We just finished a 13-week Dave Ramsey Financial Peace video series and are just now starting a 12-week Tommy Nelson series on the book of Ecclesiastes called A Life Well Lived. These videos have been great and very helpful to all of us.

(This photo is of Nancy and a co-worker at a cool coffee shop in town.)

God has brought us through some big challenges
Last year was a challenging year for Robert and Jennifer at the Bridge House, but was also a year of growth for us personally, as well as, the Bridge House program. We were pleased to be able to make the necessary changes to the program in order to better prepare the youth for normal adult responsibilities and independence. God has brought people to provided good counsel to us over the years, providing wisdom to make changes that are already yielding very positive fruit. As more responsibility was required of our residents, it was not always met with enthusiasm, and many of the residents decided to leave for this reason. But God has been faithful still, as in most of those situations, the residents who moved are now successfully taking on those very same responsibilities that we required of them. We now have a fresh batch of residents who have all gladly accepted their new responsibilities. At every turn, we receive confirmation that the changes we made have been the right ones.

Our dates for travel
We will be traveling to Arkansas on June 16th then onto California for a few weeks starting July 7th. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible while we are in the States.

While in both Arkansas and California we will need to borrow/rent a car from someone. If you have a car you would be willing to loan/rent, please contact us at (559) 639-5933 or by our email at robjenbutts@yahoo.com. Thanks in advance. We so look forward to seeing everyone!

Starting their own families now

2010-03-12T21:33:00.017-07:00

We wanted to share some fun news with you about one of our Bridge House youth. Nilsy got married! She met Caleb about 2 years ago when he and his family lived out at Rancho Ebenezer. The two were classmates and fell in love there. They were engaged for over a year and patiently awaited Nilsy's Fiance Visa to marry him in the States. Once she got her visa, she traveled to North Carolina where they got married. They plan to live near Caleb's family and continue their university studies together at a local university.

It was a blessing for us to watch Nilsy and Caleb strengthen their relationship over the past year from a distance as she was a nanny in Tegucigalpa and he was studying and working in the States. They are a sweet couple and seek to honor the Lord in every part of their lives. They married on March 6th and Robert and I had the pleasure of going to their wedding. We also got to spend some time with former missionaries we knew in Honduras. It was a blessing for us to be able to travel and be there for Nilsy during her wedding. Thanks to those of you who gave a special donation to us, allowing us to take this trip. We really appreciate it!

We also want to take this time to share with you about Jesus and his family as well as Jessica and hers. Both Jesus and Jessica lived at the Bridge House several years ago and are doing well with thier families. Jesus met his wife back in high school and they have two young girls. Jessica grew up with Juan at Centro de Vida and began their family a couple of years ago. May God bless each of these young couples. Please keep them in your prayers as they grow together.

February 2010

2010-03-12T19:42:00.025-07:00

Hello from Honduras. We are all doing fine although a little warm and envious of the news of colder weather in the U.S. Robert has been working some with finances at church and within the ministry. Jennifer has been busy making and teaching crafts in her spare time. The Bridge House is doing well, too.

Over the past year, we have been working through some areas that have been in need of change. We have added full-time work as a requirement for every young adult along with our college scholarship that we have always offered. And as the young men and women in our house have shown their preparedness, we have added more financial responsibility along with training, getting them more ready for adult life on their own. It has been a transition, definitely for them all, but they have done well with it. We have even had some friends donate the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University videos and we have been viewing them weekly with the Bridge House and have enjoyed some good discussions. That’s been a great video series for us all.

At the end of 2009 we anticipated several new youth moving into the Bridge House as they graduated from high school. This new group of youth that have just moved here from Rancho Ebenezer have come to us more prepared than ever before for the added responsibilities and challenges they face while transitioning to independence. They have embraced the requirements of our new Bridge House policy and have been enthusiastic about working and earning their own income. They have all been successful at finding jobs and have great attitudes toward work. This change in policy has given our youth more freedom to step into what they truly want to do at this stage in their lives. Our focus used to be almost entirely on university education but we found that that did not meet the ends of most youth in the house. As our youth accept more adult responsibilities, they are being much better prepared at a faster pace to begin pursuing the path they desire.

Please keep our youth in your prayers. The transition they are making is challenging for any young person thier age, but even more so in the third-world culture and economic environment we live in.

In looking for new ways to save money, we are shifting our internet U.S. phone line to a cheaper company, hoping that it will still work well for us. Our new MagicJack phone number is (559) 639-5933. It is a U.S. phone number so that if you call us, you don't get charged for an international call. So...please feel free to call us.

1st photo: NADETIE-teaching at a bilingual school and plans to start studying architecture soon

2nd photo: OBED- working with local cable company, loves sports and plans to start studying soon to be a PE teacher

3rd photo: NILSY- marrying “missionary kid” from North Carolina, where she will continue studying psychology/social work

4th photo: MARIA- working at a daycare, waiting for final acceptance of Sam Walton scholarship for college

5th photo: NANCY- working at a local coffee shop and plans to study engineering

Left photo: Conrado (our Honduran "uncle") spent an evening with our youth challenging and motivating them on how to set big goals in life and accomplish them. He has been a great mentor to Robert and Jennifer on how to best prepare the youth at the Bridge House.

Center photo: Enjoying each other at Nilsy's bridal shower before she left for her wedding.

Right photo: Nilsy and Maria helping sale products with Jennifer at a local craft fair. It was a good day together. Nilsy has helped in several shows and was a joy to have around

Left photo: Nadetie, Nancy, and Rachel (a Rancho Ebenezer teacher) enjoying a day of glamour together with lots of snacks, make-up, music, fellowship, and a dinner together out on the town.
Right photo: Several of us went to the airport to see Nilsy off as she flew to North Carolina to get married.

November 2009

2009-11-21T18:37:00.020-07:00

During our four years of living at the Bridge House, we have had 15 young adults live in our home and have had many opportunities to work with them on life skills that will help prepare them for living independently. Since the ages of the youth have ranged from 17 to 25, you can probably imagine the challenges that we have faced. We have had lots of time to evaluate what things work best and have made improvements to the Bridge program along the way. We have also sought North American and Honduran counsel regularly on how to better prepare our youth for adulthood and specifically for adulthood in Honduras.

Currently, 12 of the 15 Bridge House youth have left the house to live life on their own. As we evaluate the preparedness of those who have left, we’ve found there is a common struggle for them to provide for themselves. That same struggle can also be seen throughout a third world culture. The longer basic needs are provided for, the longer independence is postponed. In some cases, a deeply rooted dependence can take hold and challenge a person for many years. To address this concern, we are now emphasizing work to a greater degree to better prepare for the transition to independence. In the past, education has been the main focus of the Bridge House. However, we’ve discovered that even with a high level of education, little work experience and a lack of confidence in this area doesn’t guarantee a job to pay the bills. Hondurans often remark about how many engineers are driving taxis for a living.

The Bridge House program now requires that each resident work a job that is sufficient to pay their living expenses. The program still offers a college scholarship for any resident who desires to pursue higher education, but this greater emphasis on work will benefit them now and as they transition to life on their own. They will have an opportunity to earn much more than what we had been providing as a living expense stipend and they will gain the work experience that will help them be more competitive later in life. For those who choose to go to college as they work, a greater level of focus and determination will be required of them. Like many of us who worked our way through college, we are confident that their perseverance will produce qualities that will give them a head start on a successful future. With this new policy change, we are more excited than we’ve ever been in the positive impact this program will have on the future of WGO’s young adults.

Photos in above paragraph are of 4 of the newest youth moving to the Bridge. On the left, our 3 newest young men are awaiting their mock job interview in preparation for seeking real jobs once in the Bridge House. Nancy, on the right, worked last Christmas at a local men's clothing store. She will move into our house at the end of November and will continue working at that store.

Please pray for young adults in the Bridge program as they make this new transition and look for jobs. Also pray for us as we prepare for the arrival of 6 new residents in the house. We are excited to have them come and look forward to all they will learn.

August, September 2009

2009-10-28T20:13:00.011-06:00

Family visits Just before we left for furlough, we were encouraged by a visit from Jennifer’s brother and his 2 sons to Honduras as well as a visit by Jennifer’s aunt and cousin. We really loved their visit with us since it extended our annual time together (which is always short but great) and gave them a chance to see where and how we live. We also got to serve together in ministry and that was a really neat opportunity too. Thanks for coming, you guys!! We loved it!

Photos are of the following:

1) Rodolfo and Aunt Johna nervously enjoying parrots at a bird sanctuary near the Copan Indian Ruins in northern Honduras.

2) Isaac and his boys having lunch with us in a typical village outside of Tegucigalpa after site seeing.

3) Isaac sharing part of his testimony with extremely poor who live and/or work at the city dump gathering recyclable junk

4) Jennifer, cousin Laina, and Aunt Johna working with medical team for a day, mainly spending time in children's ministry

5) Another city dump photo serving lunch to about 100 adults and children who live/work at the dump collecting junk to resell

Our furlough Then we headed back to the States for furlough and really enjoyed the long-awaited time with family and friends. Ministry has been a challenge for us for a while and our last furlough had been 1½ years ago, so we really felt worn out and in need of family time and a cultural change. We got to go to Arkansas, Indiana, and California and loved every minute of it. We enjoyed time with supporters, got treated to Wild River Country in Little Rock, got spoiled at the William’s lake house, and much, much more. We even got some time with family members we haven’t seen since our wedding 8 years ago. The bummer about our furlough is that we only see most family and friends for a day or two each due to the time limitations with traveling to see them, so every moment was very valuable and enjoyable to us. We also got 2 weeks to work on our rental house in California that Robert bought years ago (Jennifer calls that our “missionary retirement plan”). It was an opportunity for us to teach Rodolfo some basic home repair skills as well as giving him an opportunity to earn some spending money for the summer. Then toward the end of our trip, family invited us to Disneyland to celebrate Robert’s 40th birthday. It was a ton of fun, too, and another “first” for Rodolfo. The time in the States was a real treat for us and revived us in the ways we needed in order to be geared up and ready to return to Honduras.

Photos are the following: 1) Us building a fence at rental in California 2) Rodolfo with cousins in Indiana

3) Rodolfo with cousins in California 4) Jennifer and mom at friend's baby shower 5, 6) with family in California

Political struggles Our return to Honduras has fortunately been uneventful as far as politics is concerned. Our airplane was only to 20% occupancy, which the airline stewardess said has been typical since the political instability over the past 2 months. Our Bridge House youth are all safe although at one point 2 of them accidentally found themselves way too close for comfort to the riots and violence. But God protected them both and gave them a way of escape into safety once again. We did see the Popeye’s Restaurant that got burned down in the next neighborhood, and all of the graffiti that litters the walls of each main road in the city announcing anti- and pro-political slurs. It is sad to see but a reminder just the same for the great need for prayer as political issues are still unstable. Even with its instability, the need for ministry is still great and, just as the graffiti, can also be seen everywhere. Please pray for our safety while we continue to serve in Honduras.

Blessings, Robert and Jennifer Butts

July, August 2009

2009-07-16T21:47:00.014-06:00

The country of Honduras has been going through some struggles for the past couple of years and things have gotten more intense politically as we have moved into the summer months and the new presidential elections. Because of the instability, we have had extra food and water stored for emergencies and talked with the youth in preparation for more dangers in the city as the political leadership has made more serious moves. Please keep the entire country in your prayers. Despite political unrest, there will always be so much ministry to do. Please pray with us that we can keep focused on the ministering that God has called us to in Honduras.

The Bridge House still has 6 youth and all are doing well, praise God. But as we move into the second half of the year, we are looking at the next 6 youth that will move in around Christmas time, totaling 12 Bridge House youth plus Rodolfo. With the focus of preparing the youth for Christ-honoring independence, we stay open to ways we can improve our transition home, always seeking to prepare them more and more for the day each of them move out on their own. With that in mind, please pray with us for wisdom in how to best work with our youth.

Robert, Rodolfo, and I are all in the States now for our furlough. It has been a year and a half since we have had a furlough and it seems long overdue. We have been emotionally exhausted and could hardly wait for some time off. We have already been to Arkansas and Indiana to enjoy family and friends in that part of the U.S. We were blessed to see many of you guys and really had a great time visiting with you all. The weather was great for us wherever we went (or maybe we are just getting used to the heat of Honduras). Now we are in California and are excited to get together with as many people as possible here. Keep us in your prayers over the next few weeks. Pray for our time with everyone, that it is a blessing for us as well as for those we see.

Thanks for all your support both financially and prayerfully. We really appreciate it all. God continues to bless us in amazing ways. Thank you all for being a part of that.

Blessings, Robert and Jennifer Butts

Spring 2009

2009-05-03T16:11:00.007-06:00

"Christ has risen!" and "He has risen indeed!" were the sounds coming from Easter Sunday at our sunrise service as we focused our minds and hearts on Christ's perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins.

College Life
We now have five of our six youth in college and one in his senior year in high school. For all new college students (and we have three new ones right now), we always remind them to study like never before since college requirements and exams are much harder than those of high school. Even with our warnings of the difficulty to come, we always get a, “Yep, I’m studying several hours a day.” and a “Yes, I’m ready for the tests”, even though we have our doubts. Then when they come back from those first killer exams, get really quiet, and don’t want to look us in the eye, we cringe and keep reminding them to REALLY study like never before. They always manage to do fine in the end, but every new student serves as a reminder for us to keep pushing and praying for each of them as they move into new phases of life.

Our own lives

Rodolfo has been involved in a citywide school soccer tournament. It was his school’s first time to participate. Rodolfo and his team had a lot of fun, even though they didn’t win. Jennifer has been busy making candles, lotions, and chocolates to sell at a couple of local craft fairs. It has been a great way for Jennifer to get her creativity going and to earn a little extra cash to cover costs and to provide extra items for gifts. Robert has been helping some with ministry finances and has enjoyed spending the time with Steve Razor on various projects.

Easter Break
For Easter week, Robert, Rodolfo, and I were blessed to be able to participate in our 4th retreat with Christian Reformed World Missions. Each time has been a blessing in several ways. We have been encouraged spiritually, challenged in our ministries, and had a chance to rest. It’s also been great getting to know other missionaries in Central America and to hear what they are doing in ministry.

WE ARE TRAVELING BACK TO THE STATES FOR THE SUMMER!!

We will be in Arkansas from June 23-July 15
and in California until August 18th.

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.

February 2009

2009-03-04T06:08:00.017-07:00

"When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things."

1 Corinthians 13:11

Our Reality at the Bridge House

The month of February has been a mixture of emotions, not too different from other months, I suppose. Living and working directly with youth is very rewarding but also can be tiresome as we think and work through various situations and questions about life. The circular conversations and misunderstandings certainly do get wearisome, though. The above verse is a blessing to us as it comes to mind regularly, reminding us that we all went through those years the same and, praise God, came out stronger and wiser in the end. We have a friend with kids the same age as the Bridge youth and she shared that there is a disconnect in the reasoning part of the brain that only completely connects at about age 23 or so. With that knowledge in mind, we laughed together as we shared our struggles and were all encouraged that life would be looking much brighter if we could just hold on and be patient. I love that God gives us good relationships with older, wiser friends for times like these.

WGO Scholarships

WGO offers a full scholarship to our youth at the Bridge House (school and books, room and board, and extra cash to cover to all toiletries, clothes, etc) and like all scholarships, requires the youth to meet and complete the requirements of that scholarship: receiving good grades, getting along well with others at home and following house rules, and working or volunteering part time. Those requirements, although not always popular, have pushed our youth to excel in most if not all areas on a regular basis. As the youth relax in an area and slow down or stop meeting that requirement, their living expenses also shrink in a small way to get their attention. This has proven to be the motivation that has truly worked well for the youth. It has stretched them and grown them socially, emotionally, and spiritually. It has made them question how their friends and others do things and has helped them understand the value of harder work and natural pressures that so many around them experience. The ministry has blessed them with such a good opportunity to learn and better their own future. It has helped them seriously prepare for whatever comes thier way.

Please Pray for Us Please keep the youth, as well as us, in your prayers. Pray that we all have patience with each other as we work our way through the blessed life God has given each of us. Pray that we learn well and honor God in all we do. May we show mercy, grace, and forgiveness to each other as God does to us. Remembering that we work with young adults and the challenges that go along with that age group, we often have to remind ourselves that these youth are a "work in progress" just as we all are in God's eyes. May God give us His patience and understanding. We have a neat group in our house and we are thankful for them and how they are maturing and preparing for life on their own. Praise God! We have to keep reminding ourselves that He knows exactly what each of us needs in our own personal training under His care in preparation to some day be with Him in eternity.

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been known fully. But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:12, 13

Thanks!

2009-02-15T15:43:00.006-07:00

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have

in the presence of our God because of you? 1 Thes. 3:9

We want to send a special thanks to all of you who regularly pray for us and for those who sacrifice to give financially to us in Honduras. We really appreciate all that you do to help us serve in Honduras. Please know that we are working hard daily to honor the Lord in our service and that we strive always to be responsible with every dollar we are intrusted with. So again we say...

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

January 2009

2009-01-23T10:58:00.026-07:00

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Every January brings new hope to each of us as we are blessed to move into another year. It is a time of reflection for how we did last year and what we hope to change for the future. It's a perfect picture of God's grace to us as He continues to forgive us, have mercy on us as undeserving as we are, and mold us into the people He has designed us to be. It makes me humble and proud to be called His child.

The month of January has been a calm month at the Bridge House. Praise God! We have a great group of youth in the house right now who encourage each other and work well together. We are thankful for that. Let us take this opportunity to update you on each of the youth and what they are doing.

Franklin Hernandez is our last high school student in the house. He is starting his senior year in high school, earning a double degree in general education and computer. He is involved in his church, keeps busy tutoring children in the neighborhood, and is planning to start taking some seminary classes while finishing high school. He is also translating with WGO brigades.

Franklin Canales is in his second year of university studying Industrial Engineering. His grades are great and he works really hard at each class. He spends most of his time studying and offers tutoring to classmates as a way to serve others and learn more at the same time. He is a great example of setting a difficult goal such as engineering and then consistantly working hard at each step in order to reach that goal.

Oscar is our newest arrival in the house. He is working full-time with WGO bridgades as a translater while studing psychology at a local university at nights. He will be super busy doing both but will really enjoy the experience. So many of us worked and went to school at the same time and can look back on the experience with pride, knowing it was hard work but a great learning process. The others in our house will really be watching him to see how things go, gaining courage to push themselves at greater levels too.

Miriam is also starting college and is beginning to study law. She spent her Christmas break working at a local shoe store and volunteered a little bit at a local center for cancer patients. She has been fun to watch grow and mature as she finds new ways to improve her life and to seek to honor God.

Cintia is finishing her last year of college studying tourism. She is learning aspects of many areas of tourism from restaurant operations and cooking to hotel management. She has plans to perhaps work in tourism throughout Central America when she graduates. Aside from her own personal studies, she has also tutored and taught English to children and adults in our neighborhood.

Nilsy is starting college and studying psychology. Her desire is to use her degree someday to work with children in need. She spent her Christmas break creating an ESL eight-week program for a local church. She also helped that church with various service projects such as painting a home, serving breakfast, and mentoring childen in a poor neighborhood.

Thank you all so much for your faithful giving to and prayer for our work in Honduras!! We all really appreciate it. May this new year be a time for all of us to grow closer to the Lord, find ways to serve others, and make us better in all we put our hands to do. Blessings and thanks for everything you do to help our work in Honduras.

November/December 2008

2008-12-02T06:33:00.069-07:00

We hope you all had a great Christmas with friends and family and are enjoying the new year already. May 2009 be full of blessings and a great year of getting closer to God. We are all doing well and are excited about whatever is in store for us in the new year.

November and December brought many blessings to us. We had 2 of our Bridge girls graduate from high school. Several of the Bridge youth are working during the 2-3 month Christmas break. Jennifer was able to travel to Arkansas for a few days. And Rodolfo enjoyed participating in his first school Christmas choir.

Nilsy, Oscar (who is moving into the Bridge House in January), and Miriam all celebrated their high school graduations. It is always neat to see our ministry youth accomplish this goal. So few Hondurans continue their education through high school. And then only about 3% of Hondurans ever get a college degree. So to see our guys strive for educational success in high school and then in college is really huge. We are proud as these three youth now prepare for college and mentally gear up for all the work ahead of them. They have enrolled together in a well known university in the city with plans to start classes at the beginning of January.

Work and volunteerism are emphasized in the Bridge House as the youth prepare for life on their own. As they begin their adult lives, they must learn some key skills for work such as dependability, promptness, hard work, leadership, ethics, etc. So during school breaks it is time to put into practice what they know by getting a full time job. All of them work or volunteer part time throughout the year but during their longer vacations they must find full-time jobs. This year 2 of our university students were in school without much of a break but our other 4 youth all found jobs quickly and are enjoying the experience. We even have one of the older girls from Rancho Ebenezer living with us during her Christmas break in order to work in the city. Franklin Hernandez is working at a local Christian book store, Nilsy is creating an 8-week curriculum for an ESL program (English as a Second Language) at a local church, Miriam is working at Payless Shoes, Wilmer is working at a hardware store, and Nancy (from Rancho Ebenezer who's photo is shown to the left) is working at a men's clothing store. We are proud of them all for finding their jobs and doing so well at their work.

At the beginning of November Jennifer was able to visit her mom and try to be of assistance after Carol's double knee replacement surgery. The visit was short but it was nice to be with mom and to see some of the family as well as a great friend in Conway. Mom's surgery went really well and she is recuperating nicely. Robert held down the fort in Honduras and got to spend some good time with Rodolfo and the other Bridge residents.

During the Christmas holidays, most of the youth in our house traveled to be with family and friends while some stayed with us at the Bridge and enjoyed holiday activities in town. Rodolfo got to sing for the first time in his school choir. They practiced during the month of December and sang at 2 local malls and participated in a city-wide choir competition. He loves music and really enjoyed the experience.

September/October 2008

2008-11-05T12:38:00.006-07:00

It’s hard to believe it's been more than 3 years since Jennifer and I have returned to Honduras to serve in World Gospel Outreach’s Bridge House. It’s a good time to review the experience we’ve had during our time here.

The Bridge House is a home for the youth of WGO to transition from dependent life growing up in a ministry to independent life. That transition has not always been easy, but little by little we have been able to ask more and more of the youth in this program, and in turn, they have responded showing themselves more than capable. We have had 14 young adults live with us in more than 3 years. We currently have 6 living in the house today, the same number as when we arrived on July 18, 2005. We also love being foster parents to Rodolfo, who is now 10 years old. Of those who have moved from the house, we have seen several experience success immediately and some struggle for a time before coming around to find success. And still, for a few, we trust that God will continue to teach them the lessons that a successful life will require. But in every case, we have been faithful to encourage the God-honoring principles of hard work, responsibility, and reliance on God for the blessings of life. For those of you who have been to Honduras or heard us talk about it, you know that it is a very difficult environment for a person to get ahead. With this in mind, we have pushed the youth in our ministry to accomplish more than most Honduran families ask of their children. The Bridge House is way ahead of the curve and now serves as a model for how other ministries transition at-risk youth.

We have experienced God’s provision in all aspects of our ministry life and are so grateful for the direction that God has led the Bridge House. We’ve also been blessed with people who care for us here and at home. We depend on you all for the prayers you lift up on our behalf, and the financial support that helps us continue to serve in Honduras. Please know that we do not take it for granted and will continue to strive to be good stewards with all that God has entrusted. And please continue to keep us in your hearts and minds.

We will not be traveling to the States as we usually do during the fall. Since Rodolfo is no longer being home-schooled, his new school gives us a regular summer vacation. Because of that, we will wait and return for our furlough during the summer of 2009. We then hope to be able to stay a little longer both in Arkansas and in California before traveling back to Honduras for another year of ministry.

We love and appreciate you all. Please continue to pray for us in Honduras, that we may be constantly dependent on the Lord for all we do.

July, August 2008

2008-09-07T16:16:00.015-06:00

“The Lord will be a stronghold in times of trouble, and those who know His name will put their trust in Him; for the Lord has not forsaken those who seek Him” Psalm 9:9b-10

We are sorry to announce that Rodolfo’s mom passed away after being very sick. Her last month of life was emotional as we spent time with her and took her to the hospital frequently. Rodolfo got a chance to walk through his old neighborhood with her and visit old friends that knew him as a little boy. It was a bittersweet time for him and his mom. During the middle of sadness, however, we were blessed to meet many of Rodolfo’s biological family, which he never knew before. It was an unexpected gift for Rodolfo in the middle a difficult time. We are so proud of how Rodolfo has handled the struggle. He was strong for his mom even to the end.

On a brighter note, Jennifer’s mom and brother came to visit and were here during the most difficult times for Rodolfo. We loved having both of them with us. Mom has been here several times before but it was Isaac’s first time in Honduras. We loved having both of them here and getting to show them around. Our Bridge House youth picked up the word “dude” from Isaac and were heard saying it long after family left. Pretty funny.

At the end of the month the three of us took a long overdue vacation to the beach and were able to rest and enjoy ourselves. Rodolfo spent as much time as possible in the ocean. He's a great swimmer and loves to be in the water. We were blessed to get some time away. Honduras is such a beautiful country. Any road trip we take here serves as a great reminder of the beauty of God’s creation for us.

Please pray for the political stability of Honduras. Over the past few months we have seen a growth of restlessness in the people with many nationwide strikes, a rising amount of crime, and the government getting steadily closer to socialism. We are unsure what things will look like for the future here, so keep us all in your prayers. It is a constant source of conversation as everyone nervously watches the government to see what to do next.

June 2008

2008-07-21T14:23:00.008-06:00

We are glad to announce the high school graduation of Jessica Rodriguez. She graduated with honors from New Generation Christian School in the middle of June. She has accomplished a lot and we are proud of her for that. She has maintained outstanding grades throughout her education, and has graduated with a 97% average for high school. Her outgoing personality and leadership skills have been displayed in her participation in various school activities such as singing, public speaking, sports, Math Olympics, Spelling Bees, as well as tutoring other students when necessary.

Jessica also talked to us while preparing to graduate to let us know that she was ready to move out of the Bridge House and into independent living on her own. Jessica has now moved into one of several rooms that her aunt rents so she can be nearer to her family. She has always been really close to them, they just were unable to take care of her financially when she was young. But now as a young adult, she is ready for the challenge of life and will have them with her for any questions or concerns that arise. We are really excited for her and are praying for her best. Please pray with us that she does well, honors the Lord in everything, and makes good choices in her life. She plans to work at a local private school as a teacher while putting herself through college, studying to be a teacher.

This is what our house is all about. The youth at the Bridge have really stepped up to all the challenges we have laid before them in preparing them for their lives as adults. We are really proud of where our group is right now. They are, as a whole, more ready than ever before to step out on their own successfully. Please continue praying with us for wisdom and guidance from the Lord.

May 2008

2008-06-04T13:28:00.007-06:00

We pray this letter finds you well and richly blessed in the Lord. We are all doing great and looking forward to the summer.

Our Bridge House youth are adjusting well to some changes we have recently put in place to better prepare them for their future. The ministry has always been gracious to provide for their financial needs, including housing, education, and medical expenses. That has been a huge blessing to all of our kids, but as they move into adulthood, it becomes more important that they understand the value of those things in the real world. Therefore, we have moved into a new phase of the Bridge House where each student receives the money for their living expenses based on their performance in three important areas: academic performance, work and volunteer performance, and overall household performance. The last one includes how they handle their money, how they relate to others, and if they live well within the guidelines and boundaries of the house. For some, it has meant that they are not earning as much as they previously received. As a group, however, the result has been that residents are pushing themselves harder than ever to improve in their weakest areas. As they set their expectations for themselves higher, we are seeing them much more excited about what they’re doing. And, our house has never been as clean as it is today. Hip Hip Horay!!!

We are finally coming out of our hottest time of the year and into the rainy season. The temperature has been in the upper 80’s to lower 90’s with no air conditioning! We thank God for ceiling fans!! Even though the first rains of the season always bring swarms of flying termites, it is nice for the rain to clear out the smoky, polluted skies and bring cooler air. Unfortunately, along with our first rains came Tropical Storm Alma and a plane crash in the Tegucigalpa airport. The news says the plane couldn’t stop fast enough due to the excessive rain, and it seems the plane may have landed in the middle of this very short runway, and being unable to stop in time, slid off the runway and onto a road, killing several people. Emergency crew responded very quickly preventing what could have been an even more disastrous accident. One of our good friends lost her husband on the flight and two other friends (husband and wife) were injured but were able to walk out of the hospital a few hours after the accident. It was a horrible shock. Please pray especially for Marilyn and the loss of her husband, as she moves back to the States and tries to get on with life without him.

A special prayer request

2008-05-19T08:16:00.018-06:00

We have a special prayer request to make for ourselves and for all of Honduras. Since we live in the capitol city of Honduras, we are often made aware of political issues and sometimes feel the immediate effect on our lives. There seem to be annual strikes for the government to pay teachers and hospital staff their salaries that are long overdue, where teachers, doctors, and nurses simply walk out the door and march to the presidential offices begging for their pay. Also the huge amount of public transportation vehicles (about 5,000 of them in our city) strike for lower gas prices and for higher charges for their services, blocking off all main roads and forcing the people to walk or stay at home.

There have been many strikes over the past two months for corruption, injustice, and a general distrust of the Honduran government. Then the teachers and public transportation guys jump on the bandwagon for their causes too. The Christian population has also set to the streets demanding that the government stop stealing and lying, that the government instead really work for the people. There was recently a 38-day hunger strike for many district attorneys in our city, where groups of them took turns literally camping out on the front patio of the Congress building for 2 months without eating in order to get the congress and government's attention, letting them know that the attorneys, as well as the public, were fed up with the lack of accountability and corruption of leadership.

We mention all of that to say that we do need prayer for the country of Honduras and it's leadership. People are losing hope and are frustrated with where things are going. Along with the Honduran churches, we are asking for prayer. Please pray with us that God brings justice and integrity to Honduras. May He show His mercy to this country and raise up Godly people who can make a change. May He reign down on us all and show His power of healing and righteousness.

April 2008

2008-05-16T08:52:00.009-06:00

APRIL BIRTHDAYS
We had 4 Bridge House birthdays in April. It is always our busiest birthday month. Nilsy, Rodolfo, Jessica, and Maryury all enjoyed the celebrations. We always have dessert and a movie together as a group. Rodolfo had a surprise birthday with friends and the girls had a game night with pizza and friends. It was all a lot of fun.

SURGERY SURPRISES
April was a really busy month with lots of activity. One of our guys started off the month with a general pain in his body. After more questioning, a doctor visit with X-rays, a second opinion with more X-rays, we realized that he needed immediate surgery. He ended up in the hospital for four days. At the end of the entire ordeal, we talked to the surgeon and it appeared that our Bridge guy was healed sometime between the last X-ray and the surgery. As the doctor went in for surgery and opened everything up, he discovered that the damage revealed in the x-rays had actually healed! We were shocked by what we heard and just looked at each other wide eyed! We looked at our guy and said, “Do you realize you were just healed by God?” He simply said, “Cool!” and smiled. The impact hit us all powerfully. God is so good!

DANGERS IN THE CITY
Over the past couple of years the city of Tegucigalpa has slowly gotten more dangerous. The political leadership in the country is distracted by other issues and don’t seem to be doing much about crime. This is one of the topics we often have to talk about in the Bridge House since the youth, like all other Hondurans in the city, need to learn how to get around town safely even as there is a rise in criminal activity. We did a survey in the house and found that of 10 students, there had been 15 attempted robberies toward our youth. It didn’t seem to matter where the youth went in town and despite precautions they had taken, most robberies had happened in better neighborhoods and in the daylight. The bright side of it all is that our Bridge youth have wised up a lot and are more careful in the city now than ever before. The entire city has had to learn to “keep their heads up and walk fast”. That has become our motto in the house. Please keep us in your prayers on this topic. May God always protect us and be gracious to us, keeping us from dangers.

*Photos are (left) of Rodolfo celebrating his 10th birthday with friends from church and (right) the girls playing the game of Clue with friends during a birthday party.

March 2008

2008-05-16T08:06:00.011-06:00

The Bridge House is doing well. As we mentioned in February, everyone in the house is setting short-term and long-term goals for their future. They have several areas to look at: long-term future plans, educational goals, work/volunteer experience, and spiritual goals. Each person has to come up with his or her own individual goals and then have a plan to reach each of those. Educational goals range from setting a personal study schedule to earning a college scholarship provided by their school. Some spiritual goals are to start daily Bible reading and others are to become more involved in church and youth group. Each set of goals is unique because each resident is unique.

Giving back to the community
Since the Bridge House is designed to get our youth prepared for independent life, one of the areas the youth need to focus on is the area of work. They need to understand how to look for jobs, how to interview, and how to be committed to doing excellent work wherever they are. We want them to find part time, full time, or volunteer opportunities to provide good work experience for them so they are better prepared for life after WGO. Part time work is difficult to find in the city, but with creativity, some of our youth have found tutoring opportunities for pay. Our two seniors in high school automatically have to work with their senior class for about 4 hours weekly fixing up a local primary school. Four other Bridge youth are teaching English in a poor neighborhood. The list goes on from there.

One of our guys, Franklin Hernandez, is one of the four teaching English. The really neat thing about him being there is that his sister and her family live in that same neighborhood. Now Franklin’s 5-year-old niece and 7-year-old nephew are coming weekly to receive English classes from him and the other teachers. What a neat opportunity for him to reach back into a local community (and to his own family) to serve.

*Photos are (left) of Jessica teaching English to a class of family members and friends and (right) of Franklin teaching English to youth at a local church.

February 2008

2008-03-10T10:51:00.013-06:00

Things are going well at the Bridge. Large goals are being set by the youth and it is neat to see some of them get excited about possibilities for their futures. It is so easy to go through life without much direction when you are young but at some point reality and real-life responsibility kicks in. We want them to be proactive with their futures, learn to dream big, and get excited about all the possibilities that are available in life. We are starting to have some guest speakers come to our weekly meetings with the youth so they can hear stories from others and catch a bigger vision for themselves.

Alan Danforth, WGO’s founding father, had the hope and desire for our youth to go far in life. He wanted them to be fully bilingual in Spanish and English so that more doors could be open for their futures. Here in Honduras, if you know both languages, you do have more opportunities. So with languages behind us, we then have to work on other key skills, such as Godly character, integrity, work ethic, social skills, communication, etc. to help them be able to compete with the ever increasing number of bilingual peers here in the city.

Speaking of a future outside of the ministry, we wanted to update you on a couple of the young men who have already left WGO to start their own independent lives. Jesús moved out of the Bridge 1½ years ago and struggled for a while on his own, not making the best choices. But now he is 23 years old, married, and has a baby girl. He is working at the Marriot Hotel in town, and seems to be doing well. Keep him in your prayers. He has a lot of potential in life and will go far as he follows the Lord.

Victor is living in an apartment in the city. He is 21 years old and is putting himself through college with his own small business selling electronics. It has been good to watch Him combine creativity and business savvy in order to make it comfortably on his own.

Jubilee!!!
When we arrived back in Honduras in December we were totally surprised to see a Chili’s (Jennifer’s favorite restaurant) now in our town!! Jennifer always said, only half-jokingly, that she could serve in any country if they had a Pizza Hut.

But move over Pizza Hut… Chili’s is now in town!!

January 2008

2008-02-15T18:53:00.007-07:00

REAL-LIFE TRIALS
We normally try to let our newsletters focus on the positive side of life and the Bridge House, but we do have struggles here, as in any other home (especially with a bunch of youth around). Some of our biggest struggles are at-risk tendencies and our constant effort to try to teach healthier thinking. A strong connection to family and friends brings to life many at-risk ideas that are common to a country of extreme poverty. We spend time talking about those at-risk behaviors and how they affect them: living with and seeking out abusive relationships, dishonesty and lack of integrity, confusion as to who to trust in life, just to name a few. Little by little they are learning to make healthier decisions. Please pray with us that God continue to be gracious to them and that they learn to seek out healthier relationships as they learn to honor Him in every area of life.

NEW DIRECTION IN LIFE

Speaking of at-risk behavior, we recently had one of our girls move into the Bridge House to continue her education here in the city with us. However, she proved to not be mature enough nor ready for the independence that is involved at the Bridge. She made some mistakes that endangered her and others at the house. She therefore needed to move back to the Ranch to grow up more.

GOALS FOR THE FUTURE
As we look at the specific needs of our youth and strive to help them learn independence, we have to constantly look at where they are compared to where they need to be. We have just started to have our youth set specific long-term and short-term goals to reach their dreams and to be ready to leave our house. These goals include how far they want to go in their education, working or volunteering in areas that will prepare them for what they hope to be, and finding accountability partners to hold them to higher standards. The goals allow them to set a date of departure into the real world and to look at all details they need to know or improve in order to leave ready and with excitement. We are excited for each of the youth since these goals will help them find direction as well as think and move toward their own future beyond the ministry.

December 2007

2007-12-19T13:14:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas everyone! We hope this letter finds you well as we finish this year. We have been blessed and are encouraged as we look back over this past year. The Bridge House has gained 5 youth. We celebrated as 2 others moved out of our house and into the city. Our house studied courses on spiritual disciplines, Christian dating/courting, and finances. Our youth are learning to take on more real-life responsibilities and are gaining a better understanding of how important their decisions are in life.

Our house celebrated Christmas a week early so the youth could go visit family and friends for the holidays. We all stuffed the stockings, exchanged gifts, and had dinner together. Victor even joined us for the evening. It was a fun time with everyone. This was perhaps the best Christmas we have had here with the youth so far. Their joyful spirits were both an encouragement and a blessing to us. Pray they have a wonderful Christmas with family.

We had a wonderful time in the States with family and friends. We loved visiting with so many of you and apologize for those we were unable to see. Our time in California and Arkansas goes so fast but we love every minute of it.

We never really feel that we’re sacrificing much to be here. God has been good to bless us in so many ways, making us content to be wherever we are. But there are times when we really sense a sacrifice living in Honduras. There are significant moments when we long for our family at home. Only a week and a half after returning to Honduras we received news that Robert’s grandmother, Alice Rubalcaba, had died. It was not unexpected news, but difficult anyway. While we rejoice that she is now in the presence of the Lord, these are times when you just want to be with family and hug those you love. Please pray for God’s mercy to our entire family as we grieve, and that He will use this opportunity to draw many to Himself.

September/ October 2007

2007-10-25T01:21:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone. We (Robert, Jennifer, and Rodolfo) are in the States now for furlough and are enjoying being with family and friends again if only for a short while. We are in California until November 12th and then will be in Arkansas until December 5th. Our time goes so quickly while in the States that we must work to enjoy every moment of it while it lasts. We are doing well and enjoying some “down time”. Please feel free to call us on our cell phone while we are in the States at (559) 410-2576. We would love to visit with you.

The Bridge House is under the care of Jennifer Mayes and other teachers from WGO’s Rancho Ebenezer while we are gone. Jennifer has been with the ministry for more than two years and knows the Bridge guys well. She will be great for the task and is a huge blessing to us while we are away. Keep her and the youth in your prayers while they are together. May she be exactly what they need. May they strive to honor Christ in all they do.

Everyone at the Bridge is busy with school and enjoying life. Our girls are more social now and we are seeing lots of new guys hanging out around the house. Of course that makes us a little nervous so we find ourselves talking a lot more about relationships and how to be safe with the opposite sex physically and emotionally. Our entire house enjoyed Joshua Harris’ video series recently on relationships. It brought out some good questions and conversation.

We also just finished a Crown Ministries financial study for youth. Together we enjoyed learning how to be more financially fit as we learned the importance of working to control our spending, saving, and tithing in life. They were especially attracted to the whole idea of earning interest and how that works toward serious savings for the future. It is encouraging to see how each of them get more serious about this aspect of their lives as they move toward taking responsibility for their own lives.

Two of our students, Franklin C. and Maryury, have started college and seem to be doing really well. We enjoyed being a part of their school enrollment and talking with them about their nervousness and excitement. It brought back lots of fun memories of our own college experience almost 20 years ago. Both students have done well so far. Franklin seems to really enjoy the high expectations of his school and is ready for the challenge. He worked hard and finished his first quarter of school with a 90%. Maryury’s school is the public university of some 50, 000 students. At her school, many of her teachers didn’t show up for the first week or two. Rumor has it that they tend to do that to see which students are serious enough to keep coming back until the teacher shows up. Despite this early distraction Maryury is enjoying classes now, as well as the whole college experience of more independence and new friends. She especially enjoys her aerobics class and is looking into auditing it next semester just for the fun of it.

An update on Victor and Patricia while they are living on their own… Both seem to be doing well. Victor is living in a nearby neighborhood and still attending college with his sister Cintia, and his cousin Franklin C., both who are living with us at the Bridge. They are regularly able to spend time with him and be encouraged by his good decisions. Patricia is in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, with family and is attending the public university there. She and Maryury kept up their long-distance communication during enrollment of the university to compare classes and the experience. It was nice to see them staying connected through this new stage in their lives. Patricia is also working at one of the more popular clothing stores in the country (and I would imagine she's enjoying the benefit of discount prices as an employee of the company).

A fun photo to share...

Jennifer moved to Honduras 10 years ago to work with the children of World Gospel Outreach. She began as a teacher at Centro de Vida during the summer of 1997 and continued teaching those kids for the next 6 years.

The photo on the left was taken when Jennifer's mom came to visit during Christmas of '97. Half of these kids in this photo eventually moved into the Bridge House and two of those 6 are now living independently in Tegucigalpa. What a blessing for us to see these kids grow up and learn to live successfully on their own. Please continue to pray for them. May God do mighty things in their lives.

July/August 2007

2007-09-16T20:32:00.000-06:00

We are doing well in Honduras and are enjoying the summer and all the activities it brings. Our youth who were on vacation had a good summer of translating for medical teams. Those of the youth in the Spanish school system are excited about finishing the first half of their school year, and Rodolfo has had a fun summer although it passed very quickly. Two more Bridge youth are enrolling into college and are excited about this new step in their lives. We also have exciting news to share about two of our Bridge House youth who are ready for life on their own and all that God has in store for them in their independence.

Summer jobs
We had most of our youth working as translators throughout the summer. One of their most unforgettable experiences was when they traveled with a medical team from Memphis, TN, to a remote area of Honduras. They hiked up through some of the highest mountains of the country to minister to natives who rarely see anyone from outside their area. It was a huge adventure for our youth, hopefully one they will not soon forget. They slept in hammocks, showered with buckets of water (some didn’t shower at all), used outhouses, hiked for hours with periodic breaks by riding horseback, carried medical and visual supplies through various towns, and ate army food and other simple meals. They said the natives just stared in awe at the team of people coming from far away to tell them about Jesus. The youth were really excited about the trip and had some great stories to tell when they got back home.

Rodolfo’s summer break
This was our first summer with a little guy around the house. We finished our home-school curriculum in late May so Rodolfo had lots of time to relax. He is still going strong in his soccer academy twice a week and has learned many soccer skills. Rodolfo can now keep the ball in the air for 23 consecutive kicks. His coordination has improved greatly and he has made lots of friends. Time flew by and he was really bummed as he realized that the summer was over and we had not gotten a chance to do all we planned.

New college students
Two more Bridge youth are enrolling into college and are excited about this new step in their lives. Franklin Canales is now enrolled in a local college studying industrial engineering. He has started strong and is earning great grades. It is really encouraging to see him focused and doing so well. Maryury is enrolled in the public university and will start school soon. Their enrollment in school is fun for us to be a part of. It brings back great memories we have of when we were at that place in life and it’s fun to share in their excitement.

Successful launches into real life!!
The Bridge House is excited to announce the success stories of two of our youth who are learning as part of our vision states, “to be independent, Christ-honoring contributors to the Honduran society”. About 12 years ago, Patricia and Victor both came to WGO to live with their siblings at Centro de Vida. They were each about 9 years old at the time. Since then, the ministry has been blessed to provide each of them with a Godly foundation, a great bilingual education, many neat role models, and 3 years of preparation in the Bridge House for adult life. We as a ministry have had the excitement of knowing them, watching them grow up and mature, and being a part of the preparation for all that God has in store for their lives.

For a while, Victor has been thinking about and planning to move out and continue attending college on his own. At the end of July he had saved enough money to do just that. He moved out on his own, rented a small apartment, and still had enough to pay for the rest of this quarter of school. He doesn’t expect life to come easily but desires to do his best and work hard for his future. He is a Godly young man who seeks to honor God with his life. He is in his second year of college, making great grades, and studying International Business. He has big goals for his life and we are excited for him.

Patricia is extremely quiet but has also been making future plans. She has family living on the north coast of Honduras and really desires for her nieces and nephews to grow up knowing her. She has moved in with family and is enrolled in a university there. She is an excellent saver and has gained the confidence and knowledge to go ahead and do things on her own. She is a neat young woman and is ready for whatever life brings her.

May/June 2007

2007-09-16T15:34:00.000-06:00

RAIN, RAIN
All is well in Honduras. We are just starting the rainy season and loving the cooler weather it brings. Rain always comes in May or June and starts with millions of termites flying into the city, dropping their wings, and wiggling toward any wood available to eat. Then come heavy rains almost daily. We even had pea-sized hail in early June and one of the guys ran outside to grab some hail to look at for the first time in his life. We all laughed in the excitement but were in awe of the odd weather for Central America.

SUMMER WORK
School is out for the summer for many of our youth, giving them a chance to work full-time and save for their future. It is a great time for everyone working to meet new people, gain extra spending money, and learn a little more about work ethic first-hand. They are all translating for WGO’s medical brigades and are enjoying the experience. Their jobs vary from translating for medical and eye doctors, the pharmacy, evangelism, making cement floors for really poor families, and shampooing children’s hair.

NEW YOUTH
We have just added 2 more youth to the Bridge house. Franklin C. and Nilsy just moved from Rancho Ebenezer and are being reunited with the older youth living at the Bridge House. They have all grown up together for the past 10-11 years so it’s fun to have them together again now as adults. They have both gone through our house orientation and are ready to learn about and begin preparing for the challenges that adult life brings. We now have 11 young adults living with us at the Bridge House, as well as Rodolfo living as our son. Pray for the 14 of us living together. May God grant us lots of patience and joy in the house.

GRADUATION
Three of our young adults just graduated from high school and are planning to start college at the end of the summer. Franklin plans to study engineering and is enrolling in the same university as his cousins Victor and Cintia. They will each be a great encouragement to one another in one of the toughest schools in the city. Maryury and Patty plan to go to the public university in town. Maryury wants to study to be a customs officer. Patty is interested in computer engineering.

Pray for the next step in their lives. College is so much more challenging than high school. May God grant them the focus, friendships, and experiences that will build Godly character in them.

March/April 2007

2007-08-12T16:28:00.000-06:00

May this letter find you all doing well, seeking the Lord of Lords, and being blessed by Him. We hope you had a wonderful Easter celebrating His resurrection and forgiveness of sins. We still have 10 WGO youth in the house and it is busy between home-schooling Rodolfo, Patty and Maryury preparing for high school graduation, Wilmer still anxiously waiting to start his 2-year trade school for carpentry, and all others continuing through school.

In all the busyness of life, Semana Santa (Easter week) came as a welcome respite for all of us. Everyone got out of the house and spent time with their families. It was fun to hear the adventures when we all got back. The girls were all over the country visiting family. The three guys traveled together to the south part of Honduras and spent time fishing, relaxing, visiting friends and relatives, and even slept on the beach. Everyone came back with beaming eyes and excited about their recent adventures.

We (Robert, Jennifer, and Rodolfo) headed up to the north coast to an annual Christian Reformed World Missions retreat with fellow missionaries from all over Latin America. The retreat was a huge blessing as we were spiritually fed and got to know the missionaries better. We were encouraged as we gained a better understanding of their different ministries.

Each Monday at the Bridge House, we have a house meeting where we discuss many different topics related to our lives. It is the one time each week that we can all seem to coordinate our busy schedules and spend time as a group. We use this time to have devotionals, discuss issues of the house, and mentor in other ways in order to help the students prepare for independent life. We are currently working through a Crown Ministries financial course where we cover such topics as debt, counsel, giving, work, saving, and investing. As always in teaching, the teacher learns the most. This course has been great for Jennifer and I as we are challenged to greater levels of stewardship with what God has entrusted us. Please pray that the students are equally challenged to submit their financial lives to God’s authority.

WGO is looking for someone to help at the Bridge House.

We currently have ten students here with more on the way this summer. (Wilmer is not shown in photo to the right.) While it is a joy to work with this group, it can be exhausting at times. Please pray with us that God will provide just the right person to compliment us as we continue to build into the lives of these youth.

January/February 2007

2007-08-12T14:55:00.000-06:00

May this letter find you richly blessed and drawing nearer to the Lord daily. We are enjoying “winter time” with temperatures in the 70’s and 80’s but are already preparing for the hot season and drought we keep hearing about. Life is good here. We have 3 new youth in the house with the total of 10 WGO kids living with us in the Bridge House. We are enjoying our church involvement and feel blessed to be right where we are.

Our ten kids represent seven schools in the city and we are doing good to keep up with their schedules and ours together. Home-schooling, science fairs, midterm exams, research papers, soccer games, new school enrollment, orientation meetings, Senior work projects, church elder meetings and choir practice, just to mention a few activities going on.

Top: Franklin, Victor, Cintia, Maryury,

Rodolfo, Jennifer and Robert

Bottom: Patricia, Miriam, Isabel and Jessica

(before Wilmer arrived)

Franklin Hernandez has chosen to finish high school with a bang. He will combine his junior and senior year together in one to graduate early. His school meets every weekend for a solid year, come rain or shine. That schedule allows him to work full-time for WGO as a translator for medical teams and to do construction both with teams and at the Mission House.

Victor and Cintia are doing well in their second semester of college. Victor is enjoying studying International Business and Marketing and is doing exceptionally well. Cintia is in Tourism and is having fun dreaming of a future of travel and learning about other places.

Maryury and Patty are busy with senior class work projects. Both ladies just got back from working with medical and construction teams during Spring Break. Maryury took care of a couple of children for the week so a construction team could work undistracted during their week in Honduras. Patty helped translate for native Indians during a medical brigade for the week.

Miriam and Isabel moved to the Bridge House at the beginning of January and have both done really well. Both ladies worked for WGO just after arriving and enjoyed their time serving the medical brigades that came to work with our ministry. Miriam has just enrolled at a highly reputed Honduran high school and is preparing to work really hard there. Isabel is now going to the same school Franklin went to last year and is excited about new friendships this year.

Jessica is doing awesome at school, as always. She is top in her school and consistently works hard to do her best. Jessica also translated during her Spring Break to native Indians. She spent a lot of time with the Indian children and loved the chance to serve others in her own country. She has been a blessing to watch grow and mature and sincerely wants to please God in her life.

Rodolfo is being home-schooled with the A Beka curriculum and is doing really well. His grades are good and he is learning to work more independently. He has been living with us for 6 months now and has adjusted well. Praise God! He is still involved in soccer classes two to three times a week.

Remember that the faces of our house are always changing. We now have 3 new members of the Bridge House. Let us introduce them to you.

Miriam moved to our house in January and is starting 10th grade at a school she previously attended. She has made many new friends while translating with WGO medical teams. She is excited to be living with her sister, Patty, again while at the Bridge House.

Isabel moved to our house in January. She is in 9th grade and just started at a new school in the city. She worked a little bit at the WGO Mission House during her winter vacation. Her bright smile and eagerness to serve has been a blessing to us all.

Wilmer moved to our house at the end of February. He plans to study at a local trade school for the next two years in order to learn more about carpentry. He is extremely artistic and creative and we look forward to him working to strengthen his talents.