Listening to the news and looking around our world it would be difficult to make such a statement. The pandemic is ongoing and seemingly without end. There are sicknesses and health struggles other than COVID to deal with. Inflation is taking a bigger and bigger bite out of our budgets. There is political change, strife and uncertainty almost everywhere. There is famine in places, ongoing wars and rumors of wars in other places.

But when we look up instead we see differently.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.-Psalm 121:1-2

This verse has been at the top of nearly every newsletter for the last year or more and it is painted above the front door of La Casa De Rubén. The Lord who made heaven and earth has been faithful to help us, and because of His abundant grace and provision it truly has been an incredible year for FHD Missions Honduras.

Because of your giving 11 families moved into new homes replacing those that were destroyed in the back to back hurricanes that hit Honduras at the end of 2020. We have plans and resources to build 3 more now that the rainy season has ended and we can send a crew and materials up the mountain.
We stepped out in faith while lacking the funds and added three more outstanding students to our scholarship program giving them a chance to study and earn an opportunity for a better life.
Our first two short term mission teams returned this year to minister with us in several communities and to finish the room addition at La Casa De Rubén.
We celebrated the baptism of three new followers of Jesus in September at LCDR.
In addition to Rubén and Rosalina, Bayron (12 years old) and Yovin (15 months old) began receiving care regularly through the ministry of La Casa De Rubén. Bayron is now taking his first steps in almost 6 years and Yovin is moving his previously paralyzed right arm.
La Casa De Rubén received a donation of exercise equipment greatly improving our in-house physical therapy capabilities.
Through a generous donation received from Mission of Harmony we were able to purchase four brand new wheelchairs, one of which was a pediatric wheelchair and two were reclining wheelchairs.
In October we launched a matching grant fundraising campaign with a God-sized goal of raising $100,000 to purchase the house we have been renting for La Casa De Rubén and begin construction for much needed expansion. We are happy to report that we have reached 96.8% of our goal only needing $3,200 more in donations to reach the finish line.

You have been a blessing to us and a blessing to so many others you may never meet in a place you may never get to visit. But through your prayers and financial support you are as big of a part of what God is doing in these mountains of Honduras as anyone else. A simple thank you does not seem sufficient but Jean and I don’t know what else to say, so thank you so very much. We are grateful for your friendship and your service to God’s kingdom through the ministry He has entrusted to us. Happy New Year!

-With our love in Christ, Greg & Jean

Shortly after opening La Casa De Rubén last April, during a meeting with community leaders we were having at the house, we heard about a young woman named Rosalina. The person telling us about her said that his organization had helped her several years ago while she was still a student in school. While many years had passed and he lost track of her she had made a lasting impression on him. He couldn’t remember exactly where she lived, only that she was in a smaller community located somewhere near Caiquin.

Since we work with Pastor Jorge in that area I called him. He did not know Rosalina personally so we started to investigate. We learned the name of her community so we drove there and started asking around. It took a few roadside conversations but we finally found Rosalina.

We had to park on the side of the road and take a walk down a narrow, uneven trail, that was mostly dirt but with some rocks scattered here and there, to get to the modest home where she lived with her mom. But they weren’t alone as there were also some other little children, dogs and chickens running around. After finding her community, experiencing the trail to her house and seeing Rosalina in her wheelchair it became more clear why she was not getting the physical therapy she obviously needed.

When we met her she was sitting in her wheelchair outside working on an embroidery project. It was amazing to see the detailed work she was doing with her delicate hands despite the pain and the way they had become deformed due to the crippling arthritis. She told us that she sews mostly to keep her mind busy and pass the time, but also to have something to sell so that she can earn some money to live.

Sadly we were unable to bring anyone else into the house at that time but we promised that as soon as we were that we would contact her. By mid December we knew that we would be ready to bring others into the house in early 2020. The house was never intended to only be about one person but it took us a while to get everything organized and working well enough to be able to care properly for more people. The closer we got to being ready the more we talked and prayed about Rosalina.

For the followers of God there are no such things as coincidences.

At that same time as we were talking and praying about Rosalina we received a call from a doctor at the hospital in Gracias. The doctor wanted to know if Rosalina could come and stay at the house. At the time of the call Rosalina was in the hospital for the second time in just a few months being treated for a respiratory infection that was bordering on pneumonia.

Her doctor told us that the arthritis had so affected her posture that her chest cavity was compressed to the point that she could no longer breathe adequately. However, he also said that with physical therapy her posture would improve enough to significantly improve her breathing.

Before today it had been six years since Rosalina’s last therapy session at CRILE. However, because of La Casa de Rubén she will be able to stay in Gracias to get the care that she has gone without for so long. One of Rosalina’s sisters is staying at the house with her. Her sister will help care for her while staying at the house as preparation to care for her better when they return to their home near Caiquin.

During her session today at CRILE Rosalina began to learn and practice new breathing exercises. She also began to experience just how difficult the physical therapy is going to be because during the consultation and evaluation her limbs were moved in ways they have not moved in over six years. Despite the physical pain we believe that she began to experience the love of God in a new and practical way today.

So please pray for Rosalina as you join us in welcoming her to La Casa De Rubén!

Please contact us if you would like to learn more about how you can be a part of helping Rosalina and others like her.

You can make a one-time or monthly on-line donation here to support La Casa De Rubén. With your generous donations we can continue to improve lives for people like Rubén and Rosalina.

Please text FHDTeam to 66599 to subscribe and receive weekly text updates about the work that is being done by FHD Honduras through La Casa De Rubén and our other programs and ministries.

Please consider joining us in prayer daily by setting an alarm on your phone for 12:11 p.m. daily. But why 12:11?

2021 Has Been An Incredible Year

Expanding Our Impact-Meet Rosalina

“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.”-Psalm 121:1-2