April/May 2011 Newsletter

When I think that June and July are going to be busy with brigades coming and going I get overwhelmed. We’ve been busy without any brigades here. Brigades are great though. We look forward to working with the folks that come down from the USA to help the people here by providing medical and dental services and providing eyeglasses for those who need them.

Some of you have heard of Let’s Start Talking. We had two retired couples who came in March /April to teach English classes using the Bible. That’s what LST does. There were 29 students who graduated from the classes and we are continuing to follow up with them. I (Lowell) called each of them this past week-end to invite them to a Bible study we’ll be having on Monday nights. It will be in English and will help them with the language and since we’ll be using the Bible we’ll be teaching them the gospel as well. Several of them had some nice comments for the LST teachers that they really enjoyed studying the Bible and learning English at the same time. We’re hoping they will find our Monday night classes helpful, too. There are two or three more groups of LST teachers coming in the next three months so hopefully this will continue to grow.

LST graduates show off their certificates

I had an opportunity to preach in April. I gave the lesson in English and René Rosa translated. This also is an encouragement for the folks who are learning English as it gives them more practice listening and then the translation helps them. I’m scheduled to preach again in June. I hope several of them will come.

Robin, Jacob and I traveled out of the country in mid May. It was a lot easier than our trip to Belize last year. We just got on a bus here in Santa Rosa de Copán, rode for two hours to the border, walked across into El Salvador, hopped on another bus for ten minutes and arrived in San Ignacio. Then we walked ten minutes to a hotel/resort and stayed for two days. When we returned we had another 90 days permission to stay in Honduras. Doesn’t that sound easy? You can read more and see some pictures later on this blog.

Watching the sunset in San Ignacio, El Salvador

The congregation had a retreat planned for the week of Semana Santa (Easter week). Robin and I didn’t go because we were asked to help with a couple who had come from a S.C. church to visit some preachers they were supporting. Bob and Leah Davis were a joy to be around as was Nathaniel, who was with them. We were able to visit three families with them in three different locations close to San Pedro Sula, the largest city in our area. We also met the new couple who just started working with one of the congregations. These families are committed to the cause of Christ even though they live in some pretty difficult situations. One congregation has lost three church members recently from violent crime. One of the daughter’s of one of the preachers was accosted on her way home from school but escaped. Another of the preachers runs a bus ministry and picks up 40 – 50 neighborhood kids and brings them to church. They bring problems with them but he and his family are committed to changing their lives for the better.  Click here to read more.

Our team held a two-day seminar for the leaders of the Occidente region in which we live. We were also asked to teach two classes at the lectureship at Baxter Institute in Tegucigalpa. Both were well attended and there were great comments during and after the classes. René and Josúe did most of the teaching. Their teamwork is incredible to watch. There is always a lot of action going on in their classes. No one has an opportunity to get sleepy. And the way they include everyone in discussion makes for a much better class than just hearing a lecture.

Lowell directs Zacchaeus as he climbs the "tree" to see Jesus

Another of my opportunities I’d like to mention is going with Angie and Karol to one of the elementary schools where I started the school day with a devotional. Angie and Karol teach a program called DESEO at four different schools. Their goal is to teach the children to grow physically, mentally and spiritually. We men on the team take turns teaching a devotional before the children start classes. I was given the character Zacchaeus. I had a script and got the children to act out the story. We had fun with it. I made the point that Jesus can change our lives as he did Zacchaeus’. The secondary point was that he may have been a “wee, little man” because he didn’t eat right when he was a child. Angie and Karol then used that to teach their classes on nutrition. I’m not sure how much the kids learned though. I noticed when they had recess a lot of them went and bought chips and pop (Coke for you southerners). Angie and Karol do a great job. Parents are asking the teachers at school why their kids are now praying at home before meals. Little by little they are learning.

I have been put in charge of Tuesday night Bible study for the children. Our goal is to get the men of the congregation involved in teaching the kids as we usually leave this to the women. We’ve had some training sessions so far and the first group of men will start this Tuesday night. We are using the same curriculum as the DESEO program uses. We figure these kids at church need to learn the same things. The other thing we are trying to accomplish is to get positive, Christian male figures into the lives of the children. Many of them live in families where the dad has abandoned them.

Notes from Robin –

I stay busy with the regular activities in our home and with Jacob finishing up his Junior year of high school. We continue with the Friday and Saturday evening Bible studies and the random group of young people, also, different ones come over for meals. I am on the May schedule to teach in our Sunday school – I work as co-teacher with the 5 – 7^th grades. Last Sunday there were 24 students in this class!

We’ve added a Thursday afternoon activity. For the month of May Liliana Molina and I are teaching sewing classes to neighborhood girls. The course is called “Sewing For Christ” and the time begins with a lesson from the Bible and moves into how to sew. We meet from 2 until 5 in the afternoon. The sewing class will continue after this course (designed with 4 classes) but with older girls next time. Also, May 7^thsaw 18 ladies from the congregation gathered at our home for an evening of study, fellowship, and fun. This was the initiation of a new program that will carry the ladies through the year with a quarterly class to touch base – something like “Secret Sisters” but there are no secrets … just new buddies. I am also working on a series of Bible lessons for women and the children in our sewing class. A young lady from the congregation, Dineth, helps me with translation and Zonia Rosa helps me with the final editing. This is proving to be quite a job but very rewarding. You can read more about these activities in our blog later as Robin posts them.

Lili and Cecilia help Diana cut out a dress pattern

– Lowell, Robin and Jacob White

Our phone number: 011-504-9491-6485 (Lowell’s cell) 615-752-2986 (MagicJack number)

Remember to send any contributions to:

Wilkesboro Church of Christ

P.O. Box 81

Wilkesboro, NC 28697-0081

Make the check out to Wilkesboro Church of Christ, put Honduras on the “for” line on your check and enclose a note that it’s for the Lowell White family. Also, tell us if its for something particular.

P.S. If you would like to help Jacob attend Carolina Bible Camp this June please contribute as above. If there is enough money, Robin will go with him to visit our grandchildren and children.

Jacob under a tree in El Salvador

Just a Little Note

I want to write a newsy note – our lives have been so full the last few weeks. In fact all of April just flew by and I guess it was because life was so busy. I can tell already it probably won’t get done today but here’s a summary …

Lowell preached on the 10th then we had our whirlwind, wonderful trip to Entre Pinos, El Salvador, then the next week was  the Father’s Day celebration, Lowell’s birthday  (it was a full day coming and going), then we headed to San Pedro Sula for 3 amazing days (during which the church had their Campamento which Jake enjoyed), the final week found us in preparation  for the beginning of May (preparation takes on a different significance when your writing in one language and translating to another). Of course the usual times of praise and worship, discipleship, Small Group and Young Marrieds happened on schedule the last week.

And here we are in May already! Our first week found Lowell in a preachers seminar, and teaching a devotional at a local school and our regular small group on Friday. Robin is back on schedule for helping with Sunday School,  she and Lili started the sewing class in our home on Thursday and there was a Ladies Night on Saturday – full attendance at each activity!

All has been a success and we know it is because so many have lifted us in prayer. We thank you and don’t take your love and support for granted.

Details on the above activities to come soon!

Life As We Know It

Life as we know it has gone from being pretty regular in its daily activities to topsy-turvy.

• Mondays begin with Lowell in the regular team meeting, a day of work for all of us and the nights normally were evenings here at home (ah, so sweet…) – Jacob pretty routinely goes and plays soccer (futbol) with the other men from the church. But from attending a couple of English-speaking gatherings with the “Let’s Start Talking” folks and then all 3 of us choosing to ‘be still’ this last week, we haven’t had a ‘normal’ Monday in weeks.

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  Let's Start Talking Graduation - over 25 students!

• Tuesdays are filled with the usual work/school day (Lowell and me with our ‘projects’, etc. and Jacob has created a somewhat grueling work schedule to get his 11^th grade over before the end of May) and we have our Praise and Worship night – and one recent one saw us celebrating the Fathers in our congregation! The children put on a great program and the cake was delicious. And then, this past week  found us traveling to El Salvador from Tuesday – Thursday.
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  Some of our Dads!

  

• Wednesdays now are completely different than Wednesdays just last month – we have the regular work/school days but also I am getting ready for a ‘sewing for Christ’ project and have Lili over several times as we prepare for that.  Also, the mens’ business meeting has moved from every other Wednesday evening to every other Sunday afternoon – why? Because the congregation has adopted Wed. as our one and only night at home where each family is encouraged to have their own devotional time. So, we kind of backed off from having the Youth over on those ‘other’ Wed. evenings – however, a group did decide to come over anyway (had their family devos before time)

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  A Crazy Group of Kids!

• Thursdays are pretty much the same – work/school/discipleship class in the evening. We got in late in the day this week so, didn’t go – that was weird – but a ‘necessary’ absence.

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  We a part of the 2nd level group on Thursdays.

• Fridays – well, week before last our small group was invited to be a part of the LST graduation so, we and a couple of other groups went to that. But normally we are here at our house  …. we’ve had some really good attendance in our small group and excellent lessons/discussions!

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  We sing, open the Bible, discuss and eat ... great small group-time!

• Saturdays we try and get chores done around the house and then, in the evening, Jake goes to youth meeting and we have the newly marrieds over. The latter has been spasmodic in attendance – one week there was no electricity so only Julie and Selvin came, the next week Selvin was very sick (severe reaction to parasite meds) but 2 other couples came and this week a number of us were involved in a workshop for ushers at the church building so we canceled (the workshop was great but lasted from 1 – 6 so we were all tired.)

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  It was a dynamic workshop!

• Sundays have found us being a part of the cleaning crew (today I stayed home because of upset tummy) and Lowell preached again last week – a fantastic, challenging lesson on Joshua. Jacob works in the sound booth for almost all our ‘gatherings’. BTW – we had 189 people at our Sunday evening service the other week!  Praise God!

• 

  This isn't an actual Sunday evening ... but we gather 'here'. :o)

This next week is “Semana Santa”. The kids of the city are out of school, businesses close down and even our team has a break with several ‘hitting the road’ to visit family. There are lots of changes in the schedule – among which the congregation will be traveling to a retreat center for two days to gather with people from other churches in neighboring towns/cities. Jacob will go to that but Lowell and I will be traveling for a few days with a couple from the States who are coming to Honduras to visit some churches around Occidente (the West).

Street paintings will be happening all over Honduras this week.

Unique, beautiful - honoring "Holy Week".

The week after Easter might find us back home to try and establish some sort of routine … I hope!

Our lives are busy and full and we thank God for each and every opportunity to learn, grow, and share His grace and mercy.

March 2011 Newsletter

The newsletter is a little different this month. In order to let you see what we are working on, I am including the latest work that we’ve done with Joshúa here in Santa Rosa de Copán. This is a draft of the kinds of ideas we are coming up with to accomplish what God desires of the families in Honduras.

Construjendo Familias Fuertes (CFF)

Building Strong Families

Goal: Build strong families by preparing young people for future marriage and strengthen existing marriages by helping couples be successful marriage partners and great parents.

Results:

Teach youth to prepare for a successful future marriage by abstaining from sexual relations until marriage and teaching them to search for a godly spouse.

Rescue troubled marriages, make good marriages even better and teach new couples how to build a strong marriage.

Develop strong families by teaching parenting skills in order to raise up children who follow God’s way and by developing relational skills to model the life of Jesus for each other.

Products:

1. Youth
   1. Youth who maintain their chastity and purity before God.
   2. Youth who are prepared integrally for their future marriage before God.
2. Marriage
   1. Couples who are sufficiently prepared emotionally and spiritually for a legal marriage.
   2. Couples who continually better their marriage.
   3. Couples with broken marriages who will commit again to their marriage vows.
3. Families
   1. Families who model what a Christ-centered family should be.

      Parents who have the skills to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

      Children who obey their parents in the Lord, respect their elders and honor God.

Activities:

1. Youth
   1. Video series on sexual abstinence.
   2. Classes in church gatherings
      1. Chastity
      2. Preparation for marriage
   3. Classes during youth rallies.
   4. Classes for parents to help youth say “no” to sexual pressure.
2. Marriage
   1. Pre-marital counseling for couples.
   2. Wedding arrangements for couples to wed.
      1. Legal documents
      2. Place for wedding
      3. Reception
   3. Marriage retreats for (legally) married couples.
   4. Marriage conferences to strengthen marriages.
   5. Classes for specific areas of marriage.
      1. Finances
      2. Communication
      3. Parenting
      4. Extended family
      5. Sex – a Gift From God
      6. Following Jesus
      7. Male Spritual Leadership
   6. Retrouvaille program
   7. Divorce Busters (Michelle Weiner Davis program)
3. Families
   1. S.T.E.P. (for parents of children 6-12 years old.)
      1. For church members
      2. Use as outreach
   2. Family retreats with classes
   3. Sermons
   4. Conferences
   5. Classes

Basic necesities:

1. Place for private counseling

2. Place for public teaching

3. Projector

4. Drama team

5. Couples trained to lead or participate in conferences and retreats

6. Place to hold retreats

7. Place to hold conferences

Pray for us as we continue to work out the details of each of these and other programs to further the cause of Christ in this country.

– Lowell, Robin and Jacob White

Our phone number: 011-504-9491-6485 (Lowell’s cell) 615-752-2986 (MagicJack number)

Remember to send any contributions to:

Wilkesboro Church of Christ

P.O. Box 81

Wilkesboro, NC 28697-0081

Make the check out to Wilkesboro Church of Christ, put Honduras on the “for” line on your check and enclose a note that it’s for the Lowell White family. Also, tell us if its for something particular.

Another couple who attend Saturday nights newly-marrieds group.

One of the couples who attend Saturday nights newly-marrieds group.

Some of the teens on Wednesday night in our backyard.

 

Whites Honduras Newsletter February 2011

One year and counting!

We arrived in Honduras a year ago in February. What have we accomplished and what does the future hold? Let’s look back on the year and see. Let me mention, first of all, that nothing would have been accomplished had you not partnered with us in the work here. Thank you for the sacrifices you made to make our stay here possible.

We began our work in Santa Ana not really knowing what we would be doing particularly especially when short-term mission groups weren’t around. This pretty much continued the whole time we were there as we rarely knew what the next day would involve until it arrived. Robin made a place for herself at the children’s home and helped out there until the arrival of another worker from the States and then she was needed less and found other things to do. Jacob and I showed up where we were asked to go and did what we could to help. Once the missions groups started arriving we were on the go seven days a week helping them. Throughout our time in Santa Ana we helped build over forty wood “houses” and three block ones. We mixed lots of concrete for the little soccer field at the children’s home and more for those block houses I mentioned. We were at the city dump feeding people almost every Wednesday whether there were mission groups there or not. We helped distribute food, clothing and assisted during medical clinics. Robin was involved in most of this as well (except for mixing concrete) despite the fact that she was sick for several weeks. She also led most of the groups to the children’s hospital. Which may have been where she picked up the bug that made her lose thirty pounds.

We met some great people during the summer. One of the sad things about moving to Santa Rosa de Copán was knowing that we would not likely see any of those folks again. We also hated saying goodbye to the children at Casa de Esperanza and other friends we had made in the church in Santa Ana. But we just weren’t satisfied with what we were doing there and so, we moved west.

Since we’ve moved here we have made more friends. We continue to have a Bible study in our home each Friday night. Last Friday we had two new young ladies who attended. I struggle through the lesson with my Spanish and they all continue to be patient with me. Selvin helps a lot and there is always good discussion during the lessons. Saturday nights have been a little harder to get cranked up again. All the newly married couples have work, kids and family to keep them busy and sometimes its hard to get them to break away and come. Hopefully, we’ll get everyone coming soon. Selvin, Julie, Elder and Brenda were there last Saturday night and all of us had a good study and time of fellowship.

One of the brigades the team will host this year was here in February. Thirty-seven people from Longview, Texas held a four-day medical/dental/eyeglass clinic. We saw 781 people from four or five villages, lots of teeth were pulled and a whole lot of people can now see more clearly. Plus, a bunch of kids are happier because there were sunglasses to be given away. The entire team worked well together. The military loaned us a troop carrier vehicle to use plus five soldiers were with us the entire time just to make sure there were no problems. I noticed that each of the soldiers gathered around as we began each day with songs and prayers. It was exhausting work but very satisfying that so many were helped. The evangelism team (made up our Honduran team members and CREO men) worked both with those who came to the clinic and in the village where the clinic was set up. There was another part of the team working on construction on a church building as well. They were able to build the foundation and erect some of the support columns. There is still lots of work to be done on that but it will progress through the year. There are at least three more brigades scheduled to come in the summer.

Our project for the youth dealing with sexual abstinence/lives of purity is coming along and is so needed. One of the things that continues to bother Robin and me is the realization that, at any time, one of our young girls who is in the church or is attending our Bible studies could show up pregnant. We had a long conversation last night with one of the couples on the team and it lays heavy on their hearts as well. I know this is the same concern every youth minister, elder, preacher and their wives has and all I can do is ask that you continue to pray for us that we are able to change lives before this happens. And if anyone has any ideas that will help us reach them, please share.

We are still working on planning different things to do to strengthen families. We want to build strong families by preparing young people for future marriage and strengthen present marriages by helping couples be successful marriage partners and great parents. That’s our theme. We’ll soon begin a series of sermons about elders/shepherds and deacons. It doesn’t take much thought to realize that what I discussed above and finding men to serve as deacons and shepherds ties in closely with one another. Shepherds can’t be chosen to shepherd a church if they haven’t shown the ability to shepherd their own family.

Jacob continues to be busy with the young people. There is a small group of them who come over every other Wednesday night. Although by the noise they make one wouldn’t think it was small. He plays soccer on a minifield every Monday night with church members. He’s even scored some goals lately. He is trying to catch up on his homeschooling and his Spanish continues to improve at a rapid pace.

Robin is working on her blogs again. You ladies need to follow her writings. She does a great job and is very uplifting in her musings. Here’s one of them: http://roadtoabundance.net/

Our wish list (I thought I would include this here so you would know our needs): $900.00 to pay for Jacob’s trip to the ER when we were in the States (his temp was 105).

May God continue to bless each of you as you seek for and find the will of God for your life – Lowell, Robin and Jacob White

Our phone number: 011-504-9491-6485 (Lowell’s cell) 615-752-2986 (MagicJack number)

Remember to send any contributions to:

Wilkesboro Church of Christ P.O. Box 81 Wilkesboro, NC 28697-0081 Make the check out to Wilkesboro Church of Christ, put Honduras on the “for” line on your check and enclose a note that it’s for the Lowell White family. Also, tell us if its for something particular.

I preached last Sunday and used as my opening text this verse: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1 ESV)

P.S. There were over twenty visitors at the most recent Sunday worship. Most were from the Friday night studies.