The Binzel Family · Church Planting in Honduras
March 20, 2008
March 20, 2008
Dear Friends in Christ,
"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable." Psalm 145:3. Wow! These last two months have really flown by for us. We have much for which to be truly thankful, and to share with you who have been praying for us.
Shortly before our return to the field, we visited Johnny’s Dad and presented the Gospel to him. Praise God, he made his decision for Christ. What a happy day it will be in the not-too-distant future when we’ll be gathered around in glory with believers of past, present, and future generations.
What a blessed furlough we had visiting friends both new and old, and in churches where we’ve been before as well as some new to us. It was tough saying good-bye to our sons and daughters, but we are encouraged when they’re going forward for the Lord. Please pray for Dale and Donita and their children. A man with no insurance plowed into the back of their car and totaled it. They have found another vehicle, but it takes a lot of gasoline; pray that Dale will find a better job closer to home. We’re so thankful Donita was not injured seriously in the accident. Please also pray for Melody and Melissa, who are finishing up their first year at PCC, that they'll continue to do well.
We arrived back in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on January 16. We are glad to be back in the place of service where the Lord has called us. God has provided for us in so many ways. A family in our mission church very graciously loaned us their car to use while we looked for one to buy. As we drove, we found we liked it and decided to buy as it was for sale. The price for the 1999 Toyota Corolla was the same as for the Hyundai Accent which we left behind and sold to our son, Tim.
Our residence permits were about to expire, so we contacted the government office for renewing them. We learned that the letter of permission had already expired in November, so we needed to get a lawyer to arrange the papers for extending our stay here. The paperwork was filed, and we’re now waiting for the government to issue the new permits, which take about 3 to 4 months. Please pray that these will come soon. They will extend our permission for another two years, at which time we will be able to apply for a different, more permanent kind of permit.
On January 25 we received news that Carol’s mom, Grace Fischer, had gone Home to Heaven. Her health had been failing and she was ready to be with her Lord and Savior. Carol flew that same day out to Colorado and was with the family for the funeral. The service was a great testimony of God’s grace in Grace’s life. We would appreciate your prayers for unsaved family members, that they would soon come to know Christ personally.
We have been busy in the work here, and Johnny has seen several ask Christ to save them. Most recently, our church had planned a three-day spiritual retreat on one of the keys of Utila Island, where our co-worker, Martin Howell, has relatives. Our stay there was extended due to a northern front which arrived and the ferry was unable to come from the mainland. During the extra two days, two brothers accepted Christ as Savior. Pray for Julio and Mario Acevedo to grow in their new faith, and that their dad, Mario, would also get saved.
We praise God for souls saved since we’ve been back. Johnny has ample opportunities to witness as he goes about doing errands or visiting in the community. Please pray for these people, that they will grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. They are: ToZo and Manuel, house painters who accepted Christ while waiting to start work one morning; Lupita, a homeowner in the community, and Doris, her houseworker; ToZo and Antoni, guards, and Pedina, who cleans new houses. Several have also accepted Christ in the hospital where Johnny visits, as well as a man at the car repair shop. Four gardener workers on one of the keys of Utila also prayed to accept the Lord. They are: Marvin, Cristobal, Carlos, and Ramon.
We’ve started up with our discipleship classes. Johnny is teaching a basic Christianity course entitled Won by One and another course on personal evangelism. Pray that our students will be growing in the grace of God. Pray for Mario Donado, who is being trained for the pastorate.
Thanks so much for your faithful prayers and gifts for the work here. We are indeed grateful for each of you!
Yours truly in Christ,
Johnny and Carol Binzel
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