Casa Hogar – Handicrafts

Great ideas start always little, but you can see the brightness in them. A couple of months ago, Loren Fawcett (18 year old missionary in Choluteca) started a small project, which consisted of training the women of Casa Hogar to create handicrafts which could be sold locally and to the mission teams that visited Choluteca.

It didn’t take long for the couple of workers to multiply, and for the orders to come in. They are creating aprons, mittens, table cloths, dresses and other sewing items. Very soon they will begin producing school uniforms, not only for the Casa Hogar children but also for the Limon Day Care children, and any others who can buy them.

The idea behind is to provide a decent pay job, but at the same time in an environment close to their homes, and with love and care to improve self steem and dedication.

Let us know what you think, what can sell in your place, we will adapt, create, and improve in order to continue with this project and to hire more workers. Please send your ideas to fawcettplus3@aol.com

Almost, almost, almost, in Choluteca

The new auditorium for the church is almost ready. Some of you have seen this church come from 25 people to 350 in a few years. The promise of the Lord on Psalms 41:1-3 has been made a reality in this place.

There was only a problem, the auditorium could only seat 250 people, so it was usual to see 100 people standing in the back; but problem resolved!!! the new auditorium will seat 490 people easily.

Now we have a new set of problems, such as transportation, parking, leaders for small groups. But again we are expecting that the Hand of God will show again and we will once more rejoice to see His marvelous works.

Great Rejoicing in La Libertad

The church church in La Libertad, El Salvador, has a great reason to rejoice once more. The dedicated a few days ago their new temple, or gathering place.

Pastor Ivo tells us that for about 12 years the church met in house, with very little accommodations for a large crowd, still they grew up to 75 people who gathered every week.

The new location has a capacity of 250 and for Mother’s Day the capacity was reached, and they hope that it will overfilled very soon. “God rejoices and so do we” said Geovanny, one of the church leaders.

This accomplishment was achieved thanks to the support of the Great Commission Foundation, Great Commission Latin America, individual donors, church members, and the participation of U.S. Churches who partnered not only financially but also physically by coming to work for a week.

One remarkable event was that 20 men from our GCLA churches in Choluteca and Managua came for some days to work alongside the church members and workers to finish setting the roof.

Pastor Ivo says, thanks to God and to all of you who made this project a finished reality.

Five new homes under construction

Now we are building five new homes, which will be soon finished and inhabitated. Throughout this year we will build a high-rise water tank to serve the community, a sewer system, some of the gray water will be recycled to be used as irrigation in the green areas of the park.

Gates to home

These gates will lead many HIV infected children to a new place called home. Over the next months children will move in, more homes will be built, a chapel and logistic center to serve the homes, store goods, and do laundry.

Our Projects

Fencing Casa Hogar Vida

One of the last requirements to receive the orphan HIV/AIDS children in Casa Hogar Vida was the fence, we are building it and it should be finished within a month. The Honduran children agency has already assigned 4-6 children that could come and live here. Also other organizations who have had children with no place to settle them will be contacted to be able to serve these children.

When you come to Casa Hogar you will be able to play, teach, help these children. This can be the best therapy to stress and to forget about crisis.

Praise the Lord, we will keep you posted.

Basic Utility Vehicle in Casa Hogar

A US college student designed a type of cheap, hard working, efficient, utility vehicle that could be used for heavy tasks in places of community service such as Casa Hogar. These vehicle is made in Honduras.

Now we are using it to move rocks, materials, re-bar, blocks, cement, trash, posts, anything. And the best of all is that it uses one gallon of gasoline every 3 days.

If you want to read more about this vehicle visit this site:

http://www.drivebuv.org

Expansion in Choluteca

The Choluteca church has been growing in attendance and in services to their community. Some weekends the church receives 300 or more people, but it fits only 250. The church is building an expansion to the Auditorium where now 550 people will seat comfortably.

We are very thankful to God for His provision, in local people, with friends in the US who support us in our ministry. We pray for you, and hope to see you here soon to rejoice together on God’s plentiful giving.

Luz moved in her new home

The community “Esperanza” has new kids in the block. Luz moved with her children, and Ramon moved with his family. We were delayed due to water and sewer but now the systems are in, and soon more families will move.

Many of you know Luz and Ramon, and we know it was your prayer that they could be in their home. Many more things are happening. Thanks to God!!!

GCLA Missions 2009 Video

Shoes can bring healthy pride, a smile and Salvation

Let there be light!!!

Electricity is on at Casa Hogar Vida, water and sewer is next. Luz, Ramon and another 2 families will move by Christmas time.

Slideshow of Micro Loans in Choluteca

A Learning Experience

Rosita died in Limon, Choluteca – Nutrition Program

in dear memory of Rosita (2004-2007)

 

Sorry I didn’t get to stay

To laugh and run and play.

To be there by your side

I’m sorry I had to die.

God sent me down to be with you,

to make your loving heart anew,

to help you look up and see

Both God and little me.

 

One can never imagine the difference between writing and planning and actually executing. Perhaps the most struggling part is the human pain, the health loss and death.

The team in Choluteca has been experiencing in their own flesh the pain of walking, working and becoming friends with the people they are serving. Most stories bring success, joy, good news, but there are also sickness and death.

We want to reflect on this particular area because in the following months we will be receiving orphans, some of them infected with HIV/AIDS, and the staff, the volunteers and the local church is trying to prepare themselves to face death of some of them.

Rosita Story

Rosita was not infected, she was malnourished, she was one of the first patients to come to our program. We identified the cause of malnourishment: her mom is mentally challenged, perhaps by early life malnourishment. We used all resources available, love, food, money (to the mom) and she would not bring her. 

We contacted the police, the Health Department and the Honduras Children Agency. Nothing worked. We took Rosita to the hospital many times. We tended her with our nutrition program at her home for 10 months. It was all in vain, the mom did nothing to help Rosita, the little girls died on October 21st, 2008.

What the future holds

Please pray for us, for the local team working at Casa Hogar, every component of the program will bring success stories and sad stories, stories of loss. We try to prepare them for that reality, but when reality strikes is harder than thought.

Great start towards 2009 Mission Trips

We are all excited about your enthusiasm about mission trips for 2009. It has been a great response. At a point we were worried about the possible recesion, the fear over the stock market, but some of you have encouraged us to be faithful doing what we do, and that your commitment to the churches and leaders in the field will remain. Thank you. here we list some of the confirmed mission trips:

 

Jan. 3-10    Choluteca, Honduras    IlliniLife Church, Champaign, IL

Jan 10-18    Choluteca, Honduras    The Rock, Missouri

Jan. 11-18      Monterrey, Mexico        Fellowship BCS; College Station, TX

Jan 16-25       Choluteca, Honduras    Maple Grove E-Free Church; MN

Feb. 14-22      Choluteca, Honduras    Findlay E-Free Church; Findlay, OH

Feb 21-28       Choluteca, Honduras    Campus Crusade For Christ; OH

Feb28-Mar 8   Choluteca, Honduras    CedarCreek Church; Toledo, OH

Mar. 6-9         Choluteca, Honduras     CedarCreek Church; Toledo, OH

March 7-14     La Ceiba, Honduras      Gatorlife Christian Life; Gainesville, FL

March 7-15     La Ceiba, Honduras      CedarCreek Church; Toledo, OH

March 14-21   Guapiles, Costa Rica     Cottonwood CC; Grand Forks, ND

March 20-29   Choluteca, Honduras     The Rock, Missouri

April 18-26     La Ceiba, Honduras       CedarCreek Church; Toledo, OH

June 13-21     Choluteca, Honduras     CedarCreek Church; Toledo, OH

June 13-21     Sn Salvador, El Salv.     CedarCreek Church; Toledo, OH

Jul25-Aug 2    Monterrey, Mexico         CedarCreek Church; Toledo, OH

August 8-16    Choluteca, Honduras     CedarCreek Church; Toledo, OH

Sept. 5-13      La Ceiba, Honduras       CedarCreek Church; Toledo, OH

Sept. 5-13      Choluteca, Honduras     Whitehouse Church; Toledo, OH

Oct. 17-25      Choluteca, Honduras     CedarCreek Church; Toledo, OH 

Nutrition Center in La Ceiba

After Hurricane Mitch in 1998, Great Commission Church La Ceiba, began the process of rebuilding.  We listed the priorities as follow:

1.     Housing

2.     Health

3.     Children Nutrition

 As part of the partnership with Samaritan’s Purse 912 homes were built in the Atlantida, East Yoro and Colon region. Our church leadership was fully involved in the management, execution of the construction and the evangelism of those victims of the tragedy. Also as a result two churches were started: Tocoa and Olanchito.

The second response was Salud Total, a free medical clinic which was built in order to help the people of La Ceiba. Currently, Salud Total serves over 10,000 people per year. With the ministry of the health clinic, many people not only found physical healing but also found spiritual healing through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The church began to grow and so did the construction on the new church building. Today approximately 400 adults and 200 children attend the church.

Because La Ceiba has so much poverty, the church saw the need for better housing for many of its neighbors. Consequently, Total Home was created. A program much like Habitat for Humanity in the United States, Total Home provides small homes for individual families living in shacks and huts with dirt floors, no running water, and minimal protection from the elements.

Through Total Home, the church saw that many of the children in the La Ceiba community were undernourished and lacked basic needs. In responses to this need, the church is embarking on yet another great project, Centro de Nutricion Infantil, The Children’s Nutrition Center.

Imagine living in homes such as these. Imagine not having enough food to eat or knowing about basic life skills. This is the reality of life for over 200 children within a mile from the church. The Children’s Nutrition Center opened its doors February of 2008. Children receive a hot, nutrition balanced meal, school supplies, academic tutoring, and physical and psychological assessment. Currently, 30 children are being served at CNI.

CNI needs your help. For only thirty three dollars a month, you can sponsor a child and open the door of hope for his or her future. You can make a difference in the life of a child.

For more information please go to www.childrensnutritioncenter.org

Thank you and may God Bless You as you bless the lives of these children.

 

Update – New Orphans home almost finished

The first home where orphan children victims of HIV/AIDS is almost finished at Casa Hogar Vida in Choluteca.

We expect that children will move sometime in November. Once the house is finished we need to set up the electricity grid, the water system, the fence around the Casa Hogar compound, and finally, furnish the house, hire and train the nanas.

Please pray that the Lord will bless every step that follows. As I write a lot of work is going on related to the electricity and water.

Also 4 new homes for the community will be built soon, and 2 new Orphans homes.

GCLA Tolupanes relief on CNN iReport

 

In July there was an article on CNN where a picture was shown of a Tolupan indian child playing soccer with a homemade ball. The news was about famine in the Tolupan hamlet of Rincon Quemado in Montaña de la Flor, Honduras.

GCLA responded, we contacted Kids Against Hunger who operate from Urban Refuge Minneapolis, who immediately offered food supply, the San Pedro Sula church offered the people support to deliver the food, ENCAR Trading delivered the food from Miami to Honduras, IMFERRA helped with the customs transactions, and Samaritan’s Purse provided the trucks for delivery. The food was delivered, the Gospel was presented to all the tribe members, and a good relationship was formed. One of the greatest tools used was the Facebook causes, through which we raised almost $500 for delivery expenses. In total 3,000 pounds of food were delivered to more than 160 families.

GCLA posted an article on CNN iReport, and we want to make a big push to see if it can be portrayed on CNN Headline News and CNN iReport section.

We need your help. We need you to visit the article, read it, email it to friends, post comments, rate it and Diggit. That way much interest will be shown and CNN may portray it.

Here is the link if you want to check it up:  http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-65502

Thank you for your help

HOPE – by Carlos Gomez

 

 I found this picture in the Casa Hogar Vida Facebook page. It is about a mission trip coming to help a family who live in that shack. When I saw the rainbow in the back of the home, and it seem as landing in the roof, I remembered the covenant God made with men after the flood. God said: ”This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.  Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

When we visit a home like this, it is good news, it will make a difference, children will be fed and clothed, house will be fixed, the Good News of Jesus Christ shared, and we as a local church continue visiting the families.

We are glad so many of you have decided to take the step of faith to bring a little piece of God’s Kingdom to Earth. That is hope!!!