Thursday, September 24, 2009

September 2009 - Roatan


We just got back from Roatan where we spent the better part of a week building a walkway for the children's home. It goes from the entry gate where the kids are picked up and delivered from school and other activities, up to the front door. Since the yard is mostly dust and dirt, this will allow the opportunity for the kids to get in and out of the house without tracking mud and dirt in everytime they go somewhere - especially during the rainy season. Here are some 'before' pictures.



We couldn't have picked a hotter time to work outside, but it was fun working with the children. They did a lot of the manual labor themselves and we hope they'll take pride and ownership in their accomplishement.


Through no fault of the kids, we broke the water pipe three times! But by the end we had become experts at it and used it as an opportunity to teach the kids how to do some repairs.



In the end, it turned out great! And what a way to bond with the children. They are all wonderful and beautiful and we look forward to our next visit with them. Our next project will be putting a new roof on the house as it has many bad leaks.


Also during our stay we visited a school in Coxen Hole. There were no classes while we were there as it was Independence Day and school was out for the week, but two of the teachers met us there and gave us a tour.



The 2-room school doesn't currently have enough space for their K-6th grade classes, so 2 classes are meeting outside until a new addition is completed. We were so impressed with the passion and dedication this young teacher has for her students and we look forward to returning on a day when we can meet the children.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

August 2009 - Discovery! Austin Update

The August training was great and we saw many people make significant breakthroughs in their life. Here's just some of what we're hearing back from the August class:

"I've got my fire back!" ~ Tiffany Paynter

"The lights are back on!" ~ Lynn Clark

"I am not scared to be loved anymore." ~ Anon.

"I realized and have left behind the #1 thing that has been holding me back from being the man God made me to be. My last fear is now gone. I can now walk forward in humility and confidence, making bold and important decisions that it is my place to make and be responsible for. ~ Jeff Washington

"Instead of viewing myself as worthless, I am now priceless." ~ Jan Sibly

"I am always in my head. Now I have learned to let my heart show. I received BOLDNESS! I learned to give my heart a voice." ~ Hope

"I've reclaimed my life, found my heart and discovered God again." ~ Candace Duvall

"I don't have the guilt that I had when I walked in the room. I have so much self-confidence now that I can not believe I have come this far in such a short period of time." ~ Alma Trujillo

"Discovery helped me forgive myself, overcome guilt from the past and regain passion that had been missing from my life for way too long." ~ Jay Hanley