There and back again

It’s good to have friends in high places.

And by high places I mean Siguatepeque, the location of our recent pastoral conference on the Word of God.  Siguatepeque is close to two hours south of us and much higher in elevation.  And by friends we mean our growing relationship with Evangelical Ministries of the Americas (MEDA), our hosts for the conference.

This past weekend we brought close to 20 pastors from our area to a Biblical conference on the indispensable Word of God for salvation and sanctification.  The speaker was Henry Tolopilo otherwise known as the “Latin John MacArthur”.  He is the Spanish voice for Grace to You and an esteemed pastor in his own right.  Pastor Tolopilo’s teaching was a blessing, simultaneously confrontational and encouraging. We all really enjoyed ourselves over the weekend.

To see more pictures of the conference click here.  You have to check out their reactions upon receiving a gift from us: MacArthur’s commentary on 1 Corinthians.  I have to tell you what one of the guys said when I handed him his copy of the commentary.

Honduran Pastor: Pastor Luke, what is this book about?
Me: Well, it’s a commentary on 1 Corinthians.
HP: Okay, but what is the rest of the book about?
Me: The whole thing is about 1 Corinthians.
HP: This entire book is about 1 Corinthians?

Enough about the conference, though.  I know all of you are really just interested in the baby.  Lynn and Frijole are both healthy.  As of now our little Frijolito (or Frijolita) is just past 17 weeks.  Lord willing, we’ll be going for another ultrasound in 3 weeks or so to have a check up and discover the baby’s gender.  Oh, and just the other week Lynn was able to feel Frijole moving.  I can’t wait to feel him/her dancing around for myself.

Thanks again for all your prayers.  Keep in mind that Pastor Alden and Nancy Stephens will be traveling down here October 8.  Nancy will be teaching at a one-day followup to our Ladies Conference from July.    And check back soon for more photos of some events from the end of our Summer.

My side of the story

You got Lynn’s write-up the other week.  Today I want to give you a look into the events of the last month.  In other words, what’s been happening up until where we are now, pregnant and celebrating with all of you.

The morning of June 31: I’m reading in our chair and Lynn come’s out of the bathroom saying, “Luke, I’ve got bad news and good news.”
Being someone who likes to look forward to things, I asked for the bad news first.  To which I hear, “I don’t know if this is an ovulation test or a pregnancy test.”  Well that got my attention.
In order to save space while bringing necessary toiletries with us to Honduras, we unwisely discarded the original packaging for the aforementioned test.  “Alright.  What’s the good news?”
“It’s positive.”  A few moments of silence pass.  This is good news.  You see, without going into details, Lynn has had a problem with ovulation.  Which makes the ‘good news’ either very good or great.

So there we are unsure what kind of test with a positive reading she has in her hand.  If I would have been forced to guess, I would have chosen pregnancy test.  But we just were not certain.  Therefore, though it was difficult, we had to suppress any feelings of celebration over a pregnancy.  That is, we had to suppress it until we could apprehend a pregnancy test.

Which we did at the earliest possible moment…. the next day.  But you already know what that test said.

July 1: The day we first revealed our secret to the family.  God was quite nice in prearranging for both sets of our parents to be in the same location during lunch.  And guess where that place was?  The little Honduran restaurant on the corner of Mason and Center.  Here’s the picture my Dad sent from his iPhone after we called them.

July 6: Living above a clinic has its perks.  Like, for instance, the common occurrence of coming into contact with teams of visiting physicians from the States.  A group of Korean doctors from New York made a trip down during this week.  And an ultrasound technician accompanied them named Lola.  Lola was very kind.  She offered to take some time to go over to the hospital with us and perform a sonogram.  We were ecstatic.  If this were a longer story I would tell you about how we waited 40 minutes in a hallway at the hospital for the person with keys to the ultrasound equipment to get there in the “next five minutes.”  Meanwhile, Lynn has the recommended full bladder.  The keys arrive, Lynn lays down, jelly is applied, Lola places the probe on her abdomen, and…….. the power goes out.

We had a nice conversation with Lola for the next half hour before the electricity returned.  Well, at least she and I had a nice conversation.  Lynn couldn’t join in because she was gargling.  Anyways, Lynn and Lola soldiered on once the lights were back up.  Here is a snapshot.

If you can’t tell from the picture the equipment is a little old.  Regardless, we were able to see a little embryonic sack that was immediately garnered with the name, “Frijolito” or little-bean.

July 22: A couple weeks later Dr. David Yoon happened to be in town and agreed to go along with us and Dr. Gloria (the physician from the clinic below our home) for a more thorough ultrasound.  We were in for quite a day.  A local clinic has a fairly nice ultrasound machine which finally allowed us to hear and see a heart beat.  We got these stats even though the doctor clammed up once we let her know we were only novice Spanish-speakers – 158 bpm, 1.5cm in length, 8wks 2 days, estimated delivery date: March 1, 2011.  We were beaming.

In our jubilation we bounced over to the hospital thinking we were about to be introduced to a local OBGYN, Dr. Rodriguez.  Come to find out, there are three OB’s with the name Rodriguez and the one known to Dr. Yoon was out.  The Directora, hoping to make up for her colleague’s absence, wrote up a little note for us to visit the maternity wing anyways.

There we went expecting to have a little chat with the attending physician and be on our way.  Not so.  The note from the Directora directed whoever present to allow Lynn to bypass any waiting line and undergo a few tests.  So, the conversation went something like this,

“Hi, here’s a note from the Directora, is the doctor in?”

“Yes. [To Lynn] Change into scrubs. [To everyone else] Wait in the lobby.”

For the next three hours we wait in a room full of unhappy women while Lynn got a taste of what she’ll go through at the end of all this.  Waiting aside, I was rewarded with two things: the knowledge that Mother and Baby Davis are well and this photo.

At the time of writing this post the baby is almost 10 weeks.  Lynn is looking forward to the first trimester being over and done with.  Her symptoms have not been debilitating, but they haven’t been fun either.  Please continue to pray for the ongoing health of Momma and baby.

There’s a bun in the oven and a tortilla in my hand

For a year and a half Luke and I have been “waiting on the Lord.” There were times when patience came easily. And times when it fled from us. We have always known that there would be physical challenges lessening our chances for biological children, but we also knew that if the Lord desired for us to have a child naturally He would make a way.

Well, in His perfect timing He has chosen to bless us. It is with great joy (and a bit of nausea) that I can tell you we are expecting! I am approximately 8 weeks along and in the full throws of all the symptoms that come along with this blessed event. It is amazing that even in the midst of a beautiful gift from the Lord He reminds us just how all encompassing the effects of sin are.

Luke has always been a kind and patient husband and friend, but never more so than now. He has shown just how much he loves serving our Lord and me through these past several weeks. Compared to many women I know I have had it easy, but I have still had bouts of fatigue, nausea, and flu-like symptoms. Every need or request I have had Luke has met quickly and with compassion. I am thankful to God for such a sweet husband.

We will be making a quick trip home to reset our visas in late August. That will also be the perfect time for a Doctor’s visit. I’m also planning on visiting several of my favorite restaurants that I have missed dearly while being out of the country! It is a mild form of torture to crave things that are no where to be found. One of my first stops: Chick-fil-A for a number 1 with sweet tea. Oh, the simple things in life that make me happy.

Being pregnant in a third world country has definitely had its ups and downs. For example most of the roads we use to get to friends and churches are poorly maintained dirt tracks. Not very conducive for a queasy woman. On the other hand being in a country where women have an average of five babies each has its advantages. Have a question or concern? Who better to ask than the women who have been there and done that. Even if you don’t have a question, they may give you their input anyways. Like, for example, not walking in high-heels. Because, you know, now that you are pregnant, you have to protect your baby against clumsy falls.

Please join us in celebrating this new life by praying to our Lord and asking Him for health, protection, and salvation for the little one. We love you all. And thanks to each one of you who have been praying with us for this day.

One year later…

Today marks the one-year anniversary of one of the most important political moments in Honduran history.

On June 28, 2009 current President Mel Zelaya was forcefully ousted from public office for legitimate constitutional reasons.  The rest of the world called it a coup d’etat.

Dr.’s David and Florence Yoon were in route to Honduras on this day last year.  At their layover in Miami they received a call telling them all the airports were shut down in the country.  That day they learned about the ousting.

Even now the effects are still being felt.  A missions-group would be here at the clinic right now were there not picketers and protesters blocking the bridge into El Progreso from the airport.  Hopefully we’ll see them by dinner-time.

If you would like to read an opinionated (but largely, I feel, correct) piece summarizing the events, go here.  The article is helpful in summarizing the events and lends an insider view on people in the country.

MEDA and back again

We don’t want you all to feel left out.

So here is an update.  In the span of four days we have had the privilege of attending a conference on the book of Ephesians and celebrating two birthdays.

MEDA, the conference center and seminary, is located in Siguatepeque halfway to the capital, Tegucigalpa.  We have visited the complex twice before to see our friends, the Patterson’s.  You can read more about our prior visit here.  But this was our first conference at MEDA.  The theme was the book of Ephesians which was wonderfully expounded upon by Pastor David Diez from Miami.

Our reasons for attending the conference are varied.  For one, it’s always nice to see the Patterson’s.  Mark and his family have become welcome friends here in Honduras.  We were fortunate enough for our visit to coincide with the Patterson’s foster daughter’s, Iris’, birthday.  Nine years old.

Second, if we are going to serve our local pastors well here through conferences and the like, then we should make a study of an institution like MEDA that has been hosting quality conferences for years.  We learned a great deal during our short time there.  Third, it was a pleasure devotionally and linguistically to listen to Pastor David plow through my favorite epistle, in Spanish.

Finally, Siguatepeque feels like paradise compared to where we are living right now.  The evenings at the conference were in the high 60′s and the temperature during the day never rose above the high 80′s.  The heat index here yesterday was 113.  Need I say more?

And to top off the terrific conference we returned home to the news that a close friend of ours was celebrating her birthday as well.  So, no sooner did we unpack our rental car before we dashed to the store for cake and ice-cream.  The party felt very Baptist – devotional first and sweets to follow.

If you would like to see some more photos of the past few days, follow this link for a slide-show.

It’s raining… Puppies!

It may not be the rainy season yet, but it sure does feel like it is.  Every day for about the past 10 days we have had morning, afternoon, and evening storms.  Normally people try to stay in out of this weather, but not Luke and I.  We are braving the weather at least three times every day.  Why?  We have been asked to help care for and train two German Shepherd puppies.  They were purchased by the clinic that we live above to be guard dogs.  The only obstacle was no one from the clinic knew how to train puppies.  Luke and I both had dogs growing up so we were chosen for the job.  The puppies arrived two weeks before our trip to Florida.  They were malnourished and plagued with parasites, but after some medicine and extra helpings at dinner, they have come around well.

At 7 weeks

In the beginning they were identical brothers, so to tell them apart we got two different collars for them.  One had pictures of bones on it and the other had ducks.  Naturally this meant calling them Ducks and Bones until more suitable names could be decided on.  When we returned from Florida we were pleased to hear that they had been named: Ducks and Rosco.  We have a suspicion that Rosco might be the runt because Ducks is growing at about double the speed, but they are healthy and full of energy.  We have started leash training them and teaching them basic commands.  All of their training will be in English, so after we are done, it will be time to train the clinic staff!

Ducks and Rosco at 12 Weeks

Back on the ground

We’re back.

Although it took us a day longer than expected.  Due to stormy weather in both Orlando and Miami we ended up spending the night at a Doubletree in Miami thanks to the generosity of American Airlines.

We are here now, though.  And we are excited.  There is much before us and we will cherish your prayers.  Specifically, be praying toward our future Pastor’s conferences.  The previous one was so successful that we want to put an emphasis on them during the rest of the year.

Ask the Lord to strengthen our relationship with local pastors, to give us well-executed preparation, and to edify the godly men who will come to speak during our sessions.

To change gears, Lynn and I want to thank all of you who were so encouraging during our short stay back at home.  The time whizzed by and much of it is like a blur.  What does stand out, though, are the faces and kind words many of you shared with us.

We love our church family and thank God for the blessing you all are in our lives.  Please continue to keep us and this work in prayer.

P.S. If you haven’t yet visited High Five Frozen Yogurt at the new Pavilion shopping center in Port Orange, we highly recommend it.

Looking Back at the Pastor’s Conference

¡Gracias a Dios!

Now that Pastor Kenny and Joe Torres have made it safely back home, Lynn and I have had a chance to reflect on the past week.  Thanks to all of you who have been praying for our first conference.

In all, we had about 21 attendees.  Some came from as far as an hour away.  Most, however, have churches within 15-20 minutes driving distance.  Several of those men also happened to be “pastors-in-training”.  Those young men were incredibly attentive throughout all of our sessions.  The men ranged in age from 16 – 70.

We gave the men Sed de Dios (Desiring God) as a conference gift.  Pastor Kenny utilized the book quite a bit in his sessions.  In all, we had 7 teaching sessions.  One was taught by me on the high calling of ministry.  The rest were taught by Pastor Kenny.  Pastor Kenny’s spontaneity and eagerness to engage people made for a terrific combination while speaking with the conference attendees.

The men asked questions throughout the conference as they quickly came to respect Pastor Kenny.  Wisely, Pastor Kenny began the conference by reaffirming the Bible as our only sure ground in the midst of experiences.  From there, God’s sovereignty behind all that is dominated much of the time.  This theme threaded through Satan’s involvement in our lives, God’s involvement in suffering, how to appropriate emotions, and God’s ultimate aim to bring glory to Himself.

The men left well-fed (thanks to Nelly, Olga, Cristina, and Dania), refreshed, and eager to return.  Pray with me that God will continue to be glorified through the ongoing effects of this conference on these men as they return to their churches.

Click on the picture above or follow this link to see a slide-show of photos from the conference.

Prayers are already being answered

There’s power in prayer.

Pastor Kenny and Joe Torres arrived safely last night.  Thanks to all of you who prayed for their good travel over land, water, and borders.  The conference itself is set to begin at lunchtime this afternoon.  Last I heard we have around 15 pastors coming.  Praise God!

Upcoming Pastor’s Conference

A passion for equipping men to minister the Gospel burns in my heart.

You may have already seen in the most recent Riverbend newsletter that we will be hosting a pastor’s conference.  The conference begins a week from tomorrow and will last for three days.  Early last week we went out and invited 30 pastors to the conference.  Some of those men promised to pass on the invitation to other pastor-friends that they have.

Pastor Kenny St. John will be the primary speaker for the conference.  Our topic is a little broad: the Gospel and a thirst for God.  I am thrilled that Pastor Kenny will be coming to encourage these men.  Plus, God has answered our prayer for a skilled translator in the person of Joe Torres.  Joe is a native Spanish-speaker with a heart for the doctrines that we teach.  I believe Pastor Kenny and Joe will be a potent combination.

As the conference approaches, I want to ask you readers to be in prayer.  Many pastors in Honduras have a second job in order to cover all their expenses.  Therefore, it may be difficult for certain men to attend.  Please pray that a way will be made for the pastors to attend.  Ask God to safely deliver P. Kenny and Joe to Honduras and then back again to their families.  Petition the Lord to encourage and strengthen the pastors in His word through our conference.  And please pray that all the little things to prepare our time together would fall into place.

Thanks for the commitment many of you have made to pray for our ministry here in Honduras.  Continue on in lifting us up before the throne of grace.