tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90781387446061687352024-03-13T20:51:57.143-07:00Troxells in HondurasMike and Ashley Troxell are missionaries to La Ceiba, Honduras
with Mission to the World.Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-56490050825155642192015-01-18T14:03:00.000-07:002015-01-18T14:03:32.847-07:00Hard DecisionIn October of 2013, we hired Ovidio to help us begin a church in La Fe. Unfortunately, this past week, we came to the decision to discontinue working with him.<br />
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Over the past several months, we have seen some negative things in Ovidio that were impacting both himself and the community of La Fe. We spoke with him, prayed with him, discipled him and pushed him to seek the Lord in those areas, but we have not observed change or desire to change on his part. This decision has be especially hard for Mike as the one who has spent the most time with him: <i>Ovidio is a person and has family in La Fe. I can see in my mind the negative domino effect that comes from Ovidio not having a steady job. </i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike with Ovidio in La Fe</td></tr>
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Ashley and I struggled as to what to do and tried many methods of support, but it finally became clear that we had worked to down to our last choice. I, Mike, shared with him that I hope and pray that he will grow as a person and in his relationship with the Lord in the midst of this difficult time.<br />
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Working with people is hard - especially in this type of ministry setting. We are all broken and have all kinds of dirty baggage that we carry with us. It is only through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we have any ability to love and serve others truly.<br />
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I have been, and will continue to, pray this for Ovidio and would ask for you to please do the same:<br />
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Ephesians 3:14-19<br />
<b><i>For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.</i></b>Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-11444075231285903872014-03-14T04:53:00.000-07:002014-03-14T04:53:55.357-07:00Long Term!This morning we were officially accepted by MTW to serve as 'career' missionaries in Honduras!<br />
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After a whirlwind of travel in the last few weeks (we put almost 1300 miles on our rental car in just over a week), we have been in Atlanta all of this week. We, along with about 15 other missionaries, are attending a training helps to prepare us to get to the mission field. We have received a ton of information this week in topics such as developing a support team, storytelling, child protection, and more.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got to see teammates!</td></tr>
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One of the fun parts of the week has been reconnecting with some of our teammates! Our team leader, Mike Pettengill, led some of the seminars and has been helping new missionaries in the office all week. On Wednesday, Mandy Marcone came to have lunch with us - she is currently in the US raising support in order to return to Honduras this summer. On Thursday afternoon, Aaron, Rachel, and Ford Halbert stopped by the office as they were passing through the area. They are also raising support to join our team and start a new ministry in the capital of Honduras.<br />
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We have learned a lot and are excited to be official long-term missionaries to Honduras! Tomorrow we will fly to Arizona and will be there for about 2 months raising finances in order to return to Honduras!Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-35581708797907669002014-02-27T14:43:00.001-07:002014-02-27T14:43:46.634-07:00Training & TravelThis week I attended a 3-day leadership foundations course with Global Training & Development, the training branch of MTW. We have looked into topics such as group dynamics, what it a Christian leader?, listening, setting goals, and much more. We interacted and worked through various situations ministry often face in cross-cultural settings.<br />
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I feel blessed to have been able to receive this information and also to have had the time to meet and study alongside other leaders - most of which are currently leading teams in Latin America. This training will help me in our current ministry in Honduras and also in the future as we are a part of other projects and ministries.<br />
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While I was sitting in the classroom, Ashley took a trip to Tupelo, Mississippi. During her three days there, she was able to spend a bunch of time with some family, meet with some current supporters, and even share the ministry with a new church body.<br />
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While we don't like being apart from each other, we were able to both get things done and build relationships. We are thankful for the opportunities we each had and how the Lord used them to grow us and His kingdom!Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-60361885165891617512014-02-16T09:31:00.000-07:002014-02-16T09:31:32.011-07:00Update on La FeJust under 5 months ago, we hired a pastor to begin planting a church in La Fe. Pastor Ovidio began to meet with me regularly to discuss thoughts and plans and theology. Three months ago, we left Honduras to come back to the US for a six-month 'home missionary assignment'. Since we left, the church planting process has continued and is seeing growth! Praise the Lord!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pastor Ovidio with his Bible</td></tr>
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My teammate has been meeting weekly with Ovidio to continue mentoring and discipling and training him on what it means to be a pastor and how to shepherd the Lord's flock. The Lord is growing Ovidio's understanding of who He is and how to love Him and the Lord is using Ovidio to reach the community of La Fe! Ovidio has been leading worship services once or twice a week and just last week there were 40 people at one of the services! (We know that numbers do not mean everything, but we can praise the Lord that at least 40 people in La Fe heard God's truth!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the new building where the church meets</td></tr>
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Since we left, Ovidio and the church body have been able to build this meager shelter so they have a place to meet and be out of the hot sun and heavy rains. Please pray with me for a deepened relationship with the Lord for Ovidio and wisdom as he leads the body of believers in La Fe. Pray also for Ashley and I as we miss this place and the people so much and that we can trust the Lord to build His church in His timing with His truth!Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-4873218873297723932014-01-27T19:07:00.001-07:002014-01-27T19:07:27.860-07:00Re-connectA little over 4 years ago, Ashley and I got accepted by <a href="http://www.mtw.org/SitePages/Main.aspx">Mission to the World</a> to become missionaries in Honduras. Today we got back to the home office (in Atlanta, GA) for the first time since we were accepted. We are here for a 3-day conference for missionaries who are back on the US after having served somewhere on the field.<br />
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There are about 25 others at the conference who have (and mostly are continuing) to serve all over the world - some of them have been missionaries with MTW for more than 25 years. It was great to meet other missionaries and hear about how the Lord has used them and worked in them over the last few years.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Processing kindergarten style</td></tr>
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We are together to reconnect with each other and with the people in the home office. Today we talked a little about raising finances and child protection. We also spent time processing our last few years on the field with all kinds of art supplies. Tomorrow we will share our story using what we made today. It will be great to hear about the ups and downs of others and that some of the things we have felt and thought and seen are similar to the experiences of others.Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-87259215254178528432013-12-11T10:09:00.000-07:002013-12-11T10:09:03.769-07:00Three Weeks Back in USAThree weeks ago we flew from Honduras back to the US. It has been a busy, but restful time so far. We have spent a lot of time with family and been able to share about the work in Honduras multiple times. <div>
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We were blessed with tickets to see Penn State play Nebraska (unfortunately we lost) and spend our first weekend back in State College with my brother, Josh, and his family. We were also invited to speak at <a href="http://www.oakwoodpca.org/">Oakwood Presbyterian Church</a> to share about what the Lord is doing in Honduras. It was great for me to get back to this church and see some familiar people since it is where I attended for part of my time as a student at Penn State. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside Beaver Stadium</td></tr>
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We have been splitting time between my parent's house and Ashley's parents house for most of the time we have been here and will continue to as we stay in PA until the end of January. We are thankful they live near each other (about an hour apart) and have space to house us. My parents even came to Ashley's parents house to eat Thanksgiving dinner together! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quality time with family</td></tr>
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In addition to Oakwood Pres., we have been able to worship with two of our supporting churches, <a href="http://www.covreformedchurch.com/">Zeltenreich Reformed Church</a> and <a href="http://www.trinityhbg.com/cms/">Trinity Presbyterian Church</a>, since we have been here. We are realizing how special it is to worship through song and the preached Word with larger bodies of believers (in English). We really missed this blessing while we were in Honduras. It has been so encouraging to talk with people who have been praying for us and the ministry in Honduras and to see and hear their excitement as we share what the Lord is doing. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ashley sharing at Trinity Pres.</td></tr>
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Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-13013057263533963372013-10-28T08:25:00.001-07:002013-10-28T08:25:49.469-07:00Trip to the CapitalAbout a week and a half ago we found out that we would not be able to do the paperwork necessary to keep our residency up to date here in La Ceiba. We would have to make a trip to Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, in order to renew our residency card because the machine here in La Ceiba is broken. This was not exactly what we wanted to hear, because the trip to Teguc is about 6 hours in a car each way.<br />
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Dixi did not have school last Thursday and Friday because her school was being fumigated, so we decided to make the trip over these two days. It turned out to be a fun time as a family and Dixi got to experience some new things!<br />
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Thursday morning we got up early and made the drive. We arrived in Teguc with enough time to get to the immigration office and complete the paperwork necessary and we walked away with brand new, shiny cards that are good for another year!<br />
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Then we drove across the city to our hotel. We weren't sure what is was going to be like since we just booked it online.. It turned out to be fine and Dixi was beyond excited because she had never stayed in a hotel before. Also, she went into the bathroom and found a bathtub (not common at all in houses here). She could hardly wait until the evening to take her first ever bath in a bathtub.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dixi w/ characters from Hotel Transylvania in mall food court</td></tr>
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We found that there was a mall close to our hotel, so we drove there and it was like being in a mall in the US. It was three stories and had tons of stores that we hadn't seen in a long time. It was fun just to walk around for all three of us! After dinner we made our way back to the hotel, where Dixi was able to enjoy her bath, and went to bed on the early side because we had another long day of travel ahead of us.<br />
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On the drive back we stopped at <a href="http://www.zoojoyagrande.com/">Joya Grande</a>, a zoo about halfway between Teguc and La Ceiba. It was about a half hour drive on a dirt road from the highway, but turned out to be totally worth it. We were able to see lions and tigers (no bears...) and monkeys and so many other cool things. Dixi and I were most impressed by the two hippopotami. They were enormous. We also got to feed the giraffe and Ashley even reached out and petted his nose.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dixi timidly feeding the giraffe</td></tr>
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After the zoo, we finished our drive back to La Ceiba and were happy to be home again. All in all it was a great trip. We got our paperwork done and we were able to spend some quality, fun time with Dixi and we all got to experience some new things! The Lord knew better than us that it would be worth it for us to make the trip when we didn't really want to do it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDGQHgTEq_Hil6VnoTzp2zzstu_8cTG7ixXmB8NvdkrfCBDgVmxpdmfWQA0vD_KNKx7BZ9Ri3LnzheGThSswsZ0gyqFkBmrLTRYgHXBDFHxqIV6fvy2pbaBh0Rx9n0T-p_Ip8Fk6Ddw0/s1600/176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDGQHgTEq_Hil6VnoTzp2zzstu_8cTG7ixXmB8NvdkrfCBDgVmxpdmfWQA0vD_KNKx7BZ9Ri3LnzheGThSswsZ0gyqFkBmrLTRYgHXBDFHxqIV6fvy2pbaBh0Rx9n0T-p_Ip8Fk6Ddw0/s320/176.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey, what are you looking at?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9W0JV-Ynt9QZi-eB-wC0xnC3UMNykfeUZpFLtdMN-Zb6oyAwOGu9usqafBLD7dUDvyKZWiQ2yO7sO-Se5fJc65MhUqSAQB43KgHgMKZxQiT_jUd60jvKwkUBmz1NcUM_8ktG4_lZR5Y/s1600/133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9W0JV-Ynt9QZi-eB-wC0xnC3UMNykfeUZpFLtdMN-Zb6oyAwOGu9usqafBLD7dUDvyKZWiQ2yO7sO-Se5fJc65MhUqSAQB43KgHgMKZxQiT_jUd60jvKwkUBmz1NcUM_8ktG4_lZR5Y/s320/133.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">napping tigers</td></tr>
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<br />Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-1281045041124649492013-10-04T20:12:00.000-07:002013-10-04T20:12:04.013-07:00Pastor OvidioWe have very exciting news to share with you all! The Lord has brought into our ministry a man to start a church in La Fe!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGyaofgu8h7raS-NDbwnhQ7TJduBUNdETwdIaHFEi6OrBTVuspIFEx8PWFpVqych2LdKwuzjV32ZAMdctFQYUzRaMIVHnC_bjntzI95B6ZTballJWG8JUCjk8c62nhQN3pthysN_9XFw/s1600/Ovidio+Day+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGyaofgu8h7raS-NDbwnhQ7TJduBUNdETwdIaHFEi6OrBTVuspIFEx8PWFpVqych2LdKwuzjV32ZAMdctFQYUzRaMIVHnC_bjntzI95B6ZTballJWG8JUCjk8c62nhQN3pthysN_9XFw/s320/Ovidio+Day+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike and Ovidio</td></tr>
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Ovidio is from La Fe and has lived there with his family for the last few years. He is a single man (his wife died years ago) who lives with one of his daughters and her family. Ovidio has helped pastor a church before and so obviously loves Jesus and loves the community of La Fe. We are so excited to welcome him as our team's newest national partner!<br />
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We have gone through a process over the last six months or so looking for a man to lead a church-plant in La Fe. We were especially hoping to find someone from the community. In the last few weeks, the Lord made it clear that Ovidio was that man.<br />
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Please join in praying with us for Ovidio and for the process of starting a church. Also, pray for us as this is all very new to us. my main job, in the few weeks we are here before our furlough starts, will be to mentor and disciple and help out Ovidio in any way I can.<br />
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This is very exciting for us because this is what we came here to do - plant churches. The job is by no means finished, but this step of finding a Honduran leader is a big one. Praise the Lord!Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-66546902123472769562013-06-29T14:11:00.000-07:002013-06-29T14:11:11.666-07:00Summer TeamsEach summer our team in Honduras hosts short-term teams from various churches across the US. This summer 10 teams are scheduled to come. A week ago the first two teams finished their week in La Ceiba. One team from Mobile, AL and the other from Harrisburg, PA. <a href="http://www.trinityhbg.com/cms/">Trinity Pres</a>. from PA is a supporting church of ours and generally comes to visit and work alongside of us twice every year. This was the 4th time that members from Trinity came and worked with Ashley and I in La Fe.<br />
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We hosted a large medical clinic and were able to see many people from La Fe as well as some from surrounding communities. It was a great event that allowed us to get to know some people a little deeper and help meet physical needs in a place that has a lot of physical needs. We also used some of the not-so-medical people to do some cleanup and trash pickup around where we hold our events in La Fe.<br />
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We are looking forward to the teams that are coming in July and August. Friends of ours from Wellington, FL will be coming in a week and with them will come our future teammates Adam & Michelle Cain (coming from Costa Rica where they are studying Spanish). We are thankful for those who give their time and resources to come and spend time with the Hondurans we have come to know and love.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVS_ksFoVQnW4qeTwv7dddDMs-tUX58Sip7q5Bw5vdvvronH4lTE9lPO2oqg2UYU1X6MGXTOo0ZlXXSmOz7dGpxiOJisARQN3Pjm5wLxpeGX7BsQhaSTB58A6bjNy1h-Oz0tDnBNQOCE/s1024/134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVS_ksFoVQnW4qeTwv7dddDMs-tUX58Sip7q5Bw5vdvvronH4lTE9lPO2oqg2UYU1X6MGXTOo0ZlXXSmOz7dGpxiOJisARQN3Pjm5wLxpeGX7BsQhaSTB58A6bjNy1h-Oz0tDnBNQOCE/s320/134.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Short-termers reading to kids in La Fe</td></tr>
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Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-75651475324482935562013-05-27T16:16:00.001-07:002013-05-27T16:16:36.344-07:00MarlaWe got to know Marla and her family very early in our time in La Fe. For about seven months we held a medical clinic in her family's house every other Monday. They graciously opened their house and gave up the use of half of it so that we could serve the medical needs of the community. Marla and her family attend a local church and have for most of her life.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAnTh3JG2iAHsG3cqSeMfwCkNd6P-D35E0NeXwMuWItP_HZDd8bP_pT9pwQ3i-MCmC03W5HlY2hSOcTBQCTH-x2Cxe7P62ErKDr84rL6vVTIs8exVUbP7U52KK-KKI3VyHwaBJvd3K3s/s1600/2013-03-07+10.13.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAnTh3JG2iAHsG3cqSeMfwCkNd6P-D35E0NeXwMuWItP_HZDd8bP_pT9pwQ3i-MCmC03W5HlY2hSOcTBQCTH-x2Cxe7P62ErKDr84rL6vVTIs8exVUbP7U52KK-KKI3VyHwaBJvd3K3s/s320/2013-03-07+10.13.29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marla</td></tr>
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Marla is 18 and is in her second year of high school. This year we are helping her attend school by providing school supplies, books, and the occasional help on homework. Marla often comes to our Ninos de La Fe weekly program for kids and has begun helping Ashley teach the lesson. Is it so awesome to see her want to serve the younger kids in her community by helping out this way! Marla is also the most faithful student for our weekly English class.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dC9ZkSoKKadhTAdCTdlhXzyCzclai_ecQ_kEyS-9ZGppPn5BO0p_-JgFG6NBtbQzv3fqviMM81FHJgdYB6JZmm2JqgaQhvoxRa5gbXJprESS8b3l7m8C8lssq64oV5njWA1M1gP_h4s/s1600/074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dC9ZkSoKKadhTAdCTdlhXzyCzclai_ecQ_kEyS-9ZGppPn5BO0p_-JgFG6NBtbQzv3fqviMM81FHJgdYB6JZmm2JqgaQhvoxRa5gbXJprESS8b3l7m8C8lssq64oV5njWA1M1gP_h4s/s320/074.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotta love hammocks!</td></tr>
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Please pray that Marla's relationship with Jesus would grow and that she would embrace God's free gift of salvation in spite of the legalistic views of many in this culture. Also pray that Marla would continue to have the desire to serve others in her community.<br />
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Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-86596052099382510112013-05-13T14:00:00.000-07:002013-05-13T14:00:23.834-07:00Medical Clinic & Update on BrayanToday we had our bi-weekly medical clinic in La Fe. Doctor Roger came and saw patients like normal and also went on two house calls. First, we went to see <a href="http://troxellmissionaries.blogspot.com/2013/05/brayan.html">Brayan</a> to check on his burns. Dr. Roger was VERY happy that Brayan is improving a ton and also that Brayan would talk. The other times Dr. Roger saw him, Brayan was in a lot of pain and what Roger was doing to him hurt (and helped). Now that he has improved so much, Brayan is in a much better mood and actually laughed with Dr. Roger.<br />
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Later in the day, we went to see how <a href="http://troxellmissionaries.blogspot.com/2013/04/abuelita.html">Abuelita</a> was doing. She is not improving, but her body is continuing to shut down. She was having trouble breathing and was in a lot of pain. We were able to give her medicine to help those symptoms, but the reality is that she will most likely not be around too much longer. We are SO thankful that she says she knows Jesus and that she is ready to go "home to see Him!"<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKX262bemYLpVzdhZ0mP8yz5FUaSDkBL1TH39_pEA12uvoyqx6LpCLGyhbUmFmhxDT3ZLLsd88iMIknt962ypIwuDTr05u-0PZ3v7vaUdHqKBTGATqwxDOnegeDFRZwv6CVpMrXgs9YY/s1600/2013-04-15+12.17.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKX262bemYLpVzdhZ0mP8yz5FUaSDkBL1TH39_pEA12uvoyqx6LpCLGyhbUmFmhxDT3ZLLsd88iMIknt962ypIwuDTr05u-0PZ3v7vaUdHqKBTGATqwxDOnegeDFRZwv6CVpMrXgs9YY/s320/2013-04-15+12.17.37.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Roger seeing patients</td></tr>
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These were just two of the patients we saw today. We also had the opportunity to see a few new faces as well as see some who have come many times before. We are so glad that the Lord has blessed our ministry with the ability to help meet some of the physical needs in La Fe by having medical clinics. These help us to get to know people on a deeper level and build relationships. We also know that our Savior cares about our physical bodies and calls us to care for those in need.Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-65736980260950649582013-05-03T19:37:00.000-07:002013-05-03T19:37:01.731-07:00Brayan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Brayan lives in the house behind where we hold our regular events in La Fe. He lives with his grandmother, aunt and uncle, and some cousins and is 8 years old. Since we starting holding events in the area behind his house, he has been a regular. He has a precious smile and loves playing (soccer mostly) with his cousins and other friends that are close to his same age. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazOBP1btYjJBs03Ro5JZXgjcYvz3GfhnsvuhyphenhyphenuOsn9wVr8-3M76GJSfOpIzernb8nkqq7xEZY-K6OTHd8l5aZ27mF06f79Q7bDxQTiW4nNM19fzn9_ZXc5vzgUc7KpKIyZ6a8vRew99U/s1600/2013-03-07+10.16.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazOBP1btYjJBs03Ro5JZXgjcYvz3GfhnsvuhyphenhyphenuOsn9wVr8-3M76GJSfOpIzernb8nkqq7xEZY-K6OTHd8l5aZ27mF06f79Q7bDxQTiW4nNM19fzn9_ZXc5vzgUc7KpKIyZ6a8vRew99U/s320/2013-03-07+10.16.28.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brayan</td></tr>
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About two weeks ago, Brayan was in a horrible accident in a fire (they burn their trash). He was burned very severely in both of his feet and his left hand. He spent most of the last two weeks in a hospital in San Pedro, but when he returned he was not healing well. We were able to take him to see <a href="http://docrogerguillen.blogspot.com/">Doctor Roger</a> (the doctor our team hired to run the medical clinic in Armenia Bonito) and he has cared for him and treated his burns. It seems as though Brayan is improving, but the burn on his left hand still has Dr. Roger a little concerned.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIh5Vza2gBO_y2y6uhqdnRkex8ZqwOVszw7nICW6iexXiPTn_Oh5tTcW7GuoxFAcTHqiuEjNl11Hib3P61_uhqGwdD4okn8WCLQrooKylV-NNVRw6fNVHUQmtDkilhzsE077weVcUkRrc/s1600/2013-03-07+10.25.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIh5Vza2gBO_y2y6uhqdnRkex8ZqwOVszw7nICW6iexXiPTn_Oh5tTcW7GuoxFAcTHqiuEjNl11Hib3P61_uhqGwdD4okn8WCLQrooKylV-NNVRw6fNVHUQmtDkilhzsE077weVcUkRrc/s320/2013-03-07+10.25.01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brayan with Tino and Christian Manuel</td></tr>
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Please pray that Brayan's body would be healed and that as we help with his physical needs, we would point him to his true need of Jesus. Pray that Brayan would be able to walk on his own again soon and that he would be able to be the fun, energetic kid that he always has been.Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-84817607829103789632013-04-20T20:02:00.001-07:002013-04-20T20:02:51.570-07:00VisitorsLyssa's family came to visit her this past week. We got to hang out with them and they were able to serve the people in La Fe. It was great to have new faces around and they were great with everyone they came in contact with. Here are a few pictures of them sharing Christ's love with others:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcN6bW4eFY1NnsODeL0ffETZzt4NwfeQNqCF9u9H6hyphenhyphen5SiJvNaOyoRqf8yVSWt-WxwHqxtFhzXNzU_u-FCdfOC-iAihY3TXDLLw4RJOPlTSN8TqoWuKyTaU3-e23VhYm_GCqeclToVg0/s1600/2013-04-18+14.49.00+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcN6bW4eFY1NnsODeL0ffETZzt4NwfeQNqCF9u9H6hyphenhyphen5SiJvNaOyoRqf8yVSWt-WxwHqxtFhzXNzU_u-FCdfOC-iAihY3TXDLLw4RJOPlTSN8TqoWuKyTaU3-e23VhYm_GCqeclToVg0/s1600/2013-04-18+14.49.00+small.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael & Riquel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DadKXQ-pJ0wqcygH73wyc80NmszagsccTPvEKJVPXYJFK2XL1pw4nH5hMjKrNn4xglRMyUdm9Edqd2LCUoWup7vNCLz7Kueiw0JiRA3RZe3osfgxethsoV50A4tX3Nzsl4emjB0br70/s1600/2013-04-16+14.34.52+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DadKXQ-pJ0wqcygH73wyc80NmszagsccTPvEKJVPXYJFK2XL1pw4nH5hMjKrNn4xglRMyUdm9Edqd2LCUoWup7vNCLz7Kueiw0JiRA3RZe3osfgxethsoV50A4tX3Nzsl4emjB0br70/s1600/2013-04-16+14.34.52+small.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly with Dixiana & Ariani</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSI0VwVeOJUOeQOnKmTZ4voYjK0WtRUkuPIgIDXk7VGiMcCkvuTXuuajIHaaWp_f3U5P-GHi1F00EP-xIsAO7QBCGjgI8qP21YrQ9NsncL9U-wKk7DCwCvw2hb68OhzZmhL07TIB9tSKg/s1600/2013-04-16+14.37.52+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSI0VwVeOJUOeQOnKmTZ4voYjK0WtRUkuPIgIDXk7VGiMcCkvuTXuuajIHaaWp_f3U5P-GHi1F00EP-xIsAO7QBCGjgI8qP21YrQ9NsncL9U-wKk7DCwCvw2hb68OhzZmhL07TIB9tSKg/s1600/2013-04-16+14.37.52+small.jpg" height="252" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheryl reading</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiy7ZOOuPQdYHevamTk68LTKuyEOdDQyrB4pBejIjOSYqa72XHSdLx7B3bK3bCnBxlEthgxS993SyMf66GByPQSZeIw38vAKQcfboHOl5RL8ee2z3zZwkTYb2ZG-1dMCAj35kr6bQD_x8/s1600/2013-04-16+14.37.22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiy7ZOOuPQdYHevamTk68LTKuyEOdDQyrB4pBejIjOSYqa72XHSdLx7B3bK3bCnBxlEthgxS993SyMf66GByPQSZeIw38vAKQcfboHOl5RL8ee2z3zZwkTYb2ZG-1dMCAj35kr6bQD_x8/s1600/2013-04-16+14.37.22.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lyssa's parents in action</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kathleen with Michelle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lyssa & Maria</td></tr>
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<br />Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-90847531174794678872013-04-10T14:25:00.001-07:002013-04-10T14:25:46.147-07:00RiquelRiquel is by far the most imaginative kid I have met in Honduras. He is 4 years old and lives with his mom, dad, baby sister, two uncles, aunt, and grandma (and maybe a few more). Riquel is always playing and is all boy. He loves saving himself and others from "sharks" and "bad guys" and seems to never run out of energy. He also enjoys reading books with us and coloring and of course wrestling with those around him.<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riquel coloring with Lyssa</td></tr>
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Please pray that Riquel would come to know Jesus and would use the charisma God has given him to share that faith with those around him. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiding from the "sharks"</td></tr>
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Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-75059645160833528662013-04-01T13:59:00.000-07:002013-04-01T13:59:14.163-07:00AbuelitaAbuelita (which means little old grandma in Spanish) is a special woman. She is unsure of her exact age, but thinks she is 76 years old. She is currently living in La Fe with her oldest son. Abuelita is weak from living a long, hard life. She still works hard at what she has energy for and cares deeply for her family. We have been meeting with her regularly to help her out around the house, read the Bible to her, or just sit and talk with her.<br />
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She has come to our clinics a few times and her body is starting to slow down. We can help her by giving her pain meds, but we know her true need is Jesus Christ. Please pray that she would come to know Jesus as her personal Savior and that she would seek to glorify him with all the rest of her life!Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-10382456398310319162013-03-24T20:00:00.001-07:002013-03-24T20:00:59.192-07:00New Look & New Format So, it has been a long time (2 months) since I blogged. There are a lot of things that just happen to jump in front of blogging on the to-do list. Well, I am back at it. However, I have to decided to change the format and content of this blog. As you can see, I updated the look of the site. I also am going to be changing what I blog about. Instead of just blogging about what I have seen or heard or done, I am going to write mostly about people.<br />
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People are really why we do what we do. Ashley and I came to Honduras to share the love of Jesus Christ with people. So, I want you to get to know some of the people who are especially important or special to our ministry here. That may be an individual one of us mentors, a cute kids that comes to an event we hold, a teammate, a neighbor, or even someone who comes to visit us here in La Ceiba.<br />
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This is the idea:<br />
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Alison is three years old and lives in La Fe. She lives in the house next to where we have been holding most or our events as of late, so we see her a lot. She is shy around new people, but thankfully we are not new people any more! She loves to be held and is as cute as can be. Alison lives with her mom and step-dad along with her older sister and brand new baby brother. It is always refreshing and encouraging to see her beautiful smile. Please pray that Alison, and all of her family, would come to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and that she would grow into a healthy young woman.Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-69984615523636441202013-01-24T17:58:00.001-07:002013-01-24T17:58:36.948-07:00GCA 2013 Church Planting ConferenceThis week I am in Orlando, Fl. attending the <a href="http://www.gca.cc/">Global Church Advancement</a> (GCA) church planting conference. I am one of about 300 church planters, from more than 30 different denominations and 10 different countries, being trained on concepts and practical methods to successfully plant churches.<br />
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The trainers are mostly pastors, many of whom have decades of experience in planting churches in different types of settings. I have heard about topics such as: why we plant churches, the importance of prayer, preaching, evangelism, discipleship, and mercy ministry. It has been helpful to study each of these topics by looking at what the Bible says about them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike & Pastor Darcy</td></tr>
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Another great aspect of an event like this is making contacts and hearing about awesome things the Lord is doing through His people all over the world. I have been able to talk with different church planters about their passions and strategies to reach the world with the great news of Jesus Christ. I even got the chance to talk with Pastor Darcy, a pastor of <a href="http://www.astoriachurch.org/">Astoria Community Church</a>, in Queens, NY. During our month-long training in NYC in the summer of 2010, we worked alongside Pastor Darcy at Astoria Church. It was a fun treat to catch up with him and hear about the exciting things that are going on with their church in Queens.<br />
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I am grateful to have this opportunity to learn about how to be a church planter and to get to ask questions of men who have been there and done that. I believe that it will help me and Ashley as we continue in the process of planting a church in La Fe!Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-45174507351355551272013-01-15T15:54:00.000-07:002013-01-15T15:54:19.482-07:00Ministry in La FeAs we begin this new year, I would like to give you a short update of what is happening in the ministry in La Fe.<br />
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Most of the things we have been doing, we are continuing. We have also, in the last six weeks or so, begun to branch out and minister in slightly different ways.<br />
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<b>Medical Clinics</b><br />
We continue to provide medical clinics every other week in La Fe. Our teammates have hired a doctor to run their clinic in Armenia Bonito and this doctor comes to serve the people of La Fe as well! Our next clinic is Monday January, 21. At this clinic we will start to charge 20 Lempira (about a dollar) to see the doctor, and 20 Lempira to receive medicine. This will provide a little money to cover some of the costs of medicine and the doctor, but this is not the reason we are charging the patients. We want them to invest in their own health and see the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doctor Roger seeing patients.</td></tr>
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<b>Ni<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ñ</span>os de La Fe</b><br />
Every Tuesday morning we hold a VBS-like time for the kids in La Fe. We sing songs, play games, memorize scripture, and are learning through the use of children's catechism questions like "Who made you?" and "Why did God make you and all things?" We love sharing these truths with the children and this is a great way to get to know many of the little ones of La Fe.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ashley teaching the memory verse.</td></tr>
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<b>English</b><br />
Lyssa, the awesome intern who spends a majority of her time serving with us in La Fe, has begun to study English with individuals or small groups. These 'classes' have given her the opportunity to talk and dig in deep with the individuals as well as some of their families.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lyssa with two of her English students.</td></tr>
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<b>One-on-one time</b><br />
Both Ashley and I have been able to continue to deepen relationships with some of the young adults, teens, and elderly of La Fe and Lyssa has begun to do the same. Sometimes this time is used to practice English, to dig into gospel truths, or even just to read the Bible to older people who have bad vision. We feel this aspect of the ministry is the most important because it focuses on the individual and is when we truly get to know people and are able to speak God's Word into the specifics of their lives. </div>
Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-7858932815449710362012-12-26T13:18:00.000-07:002012-12-26T13:18:32.620-07:00ChristmasJesus came! To save us!<br />
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These last few weeks thinking about the coming birth of Jesus have been great! I have enjoyed putting more into thinking about His birth and what that meant/means to me in my life. Ashley and I read through an advent book by John Piper, <i>Good News of Great Joy</i>, each day since December 2. This helped us start off our days thinking about Jesus and His coming. We really enjoyed the readings and doing them together as a family. This year was the first time we, as a couple, have done an advent something each day leading up to Christmas. I felt it was a great way to 'force' us to think about Jesus and not allow ourselves to get caught up in ourselves and parties and gifts.<br />
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Yesterday was a pretty quiet day (except for the fireworks - a tradition in Honduras). It was very nice. We were able to sleep in and spend quality time together (this included Lyssa, the intern who is currently living with us). We opened some presents and made a delicious meal - all together. It was a good time.<br />
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We really missed being with our families, but we know that our home is now here in Honduras and that the Lord has a plan for us here. We did get a chance to talk or skype with much of our family in the past few days.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our 'fireplace'</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ritmo & his Christmas futbol</td></tr>
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<i>"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6 </i>Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-71922518145800568512012-12-13T14:40:00.000-07:002012-12-13T14:40:37.274-07:00One YearOn December 13, 2011, we arrived in La Ceiba, Honduras to begin the next phase of our life. About two and a half years after our first trip here, God had brought us back to live and serve full-time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWMPjFogSJCWoH_kTJ0c_rym1dmH89AQbv4mj3W1a3DQj5FaR-d6c8sUL7R15R8FaehalRidENOQwXA0ht01rXNJnE_mZYZNDv03t6NrfsGcHgXtmWaWDYa_fsrnk2E4B4DVi8scpdMQ/s1600/IMG_0362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWMPjFogSJCWoH_kTJ0c_rym1dmH89AQbv4mj3W1a3DQj5FaR-d6c8sUL7R15R8FaehalRidENOQwXA0ht01rXNJnE_mZYZNDv03t6NrfsGcHgXtmWaWDYa_fsrnk2E4B4DVi8scpdMQ/s320/IMG_0362.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ashley with our bags outside of the airport the day we arrived</td></tr>
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One year later we are still here and loving it! Wow, this past year has flown by. Below are a few thoughts and some pictures from this past year.<br />
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God will always provide what we need (and often more than we could ask for or imagine). We have seen our Lord provide in so many ways this past year - in relationships, financially, a place to live, an awesome team, time with friends and family when we needed it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZzQ0Y0u-yVHY7IpE5BfZUJbwOPnM97cUzwNxfMHAulzqeYEQ-So9Kgfo4gDk_OUn6TEFli8pPhFSpUDsHUynojq9_q8lA9Et1Q6IUiMnfaPeBpvV2Sv8eUxp7a9kK23yqPy_XsFQ8hU/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZzQ0Y0u-yVHY7IpE5BfZUJbwOPnM97cUzwNxfMHAulzqeYEQ-So9Kgfo4gDk_OUn6TEFli8pPhFSpUDsHUynojq9_q8lA9Et1Q6IUiMnfaPeBpvV2Sv8eUxp7a9kK23yqPy_XsFQ8hU/s320/014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first medical clinic in La Fe</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MyfQOGhE9W3yX1Cl1ssj5ZbI4B2UNvC8DjQrUPurco2xt9iby_Jlq2rjUukrhSF_dCqhMIO5nxyoKU8MX_QBQyTQDxr0oKRzmz1OMbbC-iU5N7gteNycV4HFy3nyhaQ_DnJoHbAqnOM/s1600/043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MyfQOGhE9W3yX1Cl1ssj5ZbI4B2UNvC8DjQrUPurco2xt9iby_Jlq2rjUukrhSF_dCqhMIO5nxyoKU8MX_QBQyTQDxr0oKRzmz1OMbbC-iU5N7gteNycV4HFy3nyhaQ_DnJoHbAqnOM/s320/043.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our puppy, Ritmo</td></tr>
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God is good!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3mJol835pSrUchh3Ta9s4uT3xBRG5pWgauNC_db4FaPOoawU9dibua1Sa6sU2CpBQ_yEHMEUS6Op59UFkIH0y9NpW_Q29s0XE14G3MDLdMYbquCAJ2_5ZNqcmxjdpf1jLJa0XLuFVXI/s1600/064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3mJol835pSrUchh3Ta9s4uT3xBRG5pWgauNC_db4FaPOoawU9dibua1Sa6sU2CpBQ_yEHMEUS6Op59UFkIH0y9NpW_Q29s0XE14G3MDLdMYbquCAJ2_5ZNqcmxjdpf1jLJa0XLuFVXI/s320/064.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJMzh_JdF5TUAtrCKemW18-8gXsXtbhFKSWgp-SMvNOcschOIow1TtBlGOFsIfRXMKXP5E44UkVJCVdqbvVh2LWiNyQqX_4vhUOOlOXskO30bo0FjEMEpDNV8b5kqEsql-P_tlUcQXog/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJMzh_JdF5TUAtrCKemW18-8gXsXtbhFKSWgp-SMvNOcschOIow1TtBlGOFsIfRXMKXP5E44UkVJCVdqbvVh2LWiNyQqX_4vhUOOlOXskO30bo0FjEMEpDNV8b5kqEsql-P_tlUcQXog/s320/015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We live in a beautiful place! The area surrounding La Ceiba is filled with amazing places. The beach is just a few minutes away, as are waterfalls in the mountains.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNreiuk9boVpbKtIfFmXeFM3QKizNYiJq111gq4gr4V4Da1-3Vj23BC0vU2y2XqWyVVQOeOQTX48KlaOCdNLBFpZSB9GN9wkNbvkYSrLei9sH0xVt7_NGUe7nA2HNosJJNEVzVFlSzvj8/s1600/032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNreiuk9boVpbKtIfFmXeFM3QKizNYiJq111gq4gr4V4Da1-3Vj23BC0vU2y2XqWyVVQOeOQTX48KlaOCdNLBFpZSB9GN9wkNbvkYSrLei9sH0xVt7_NGUe7nA2HNosJJNEVzVFlSzvj8/s320/032.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ashley's brother Chris was loved and is missed.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLecdg26Sn_tgNKHAFY1BM7dZnUYiVj8e1nj_viTZ_w7aICXTVvvhqa7_j1JDZduIBe2ogJgPZMbNZnGUHvXnxjLhU_CviX3MjdHvFwP4KYTLlVRDUJbwSVZTER2yXFKcWRyzIdsv4USY/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLecdg26Sn_tgNKHAFY1BM7dZnUYiVj8e1nj_viTZ_w7aICXTVvvhqa7_j1JDZduIBe2ogJgPZMbNZnGUHvXnxjLhU_CviX3MjdHvFwP4KYTLlVRDUJbwSVZTER2yXFKcWRyzIdsv4USY/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FUTBOL!</td></tr>
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Both Ashley and I absolutely love living and serving in Honduras. We miss so many friends and family, but are certain that we are exactly where the Lord wants us to be.<br />
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Thank you for you love and support over this past year!Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-60103591480621725732012-12-03T15:50:00.000-07:002012-12-03T15:50:15.271-07:00Teaching at Gringo ChurchEvery Sunday our team gets together for a worship service in English. We feel it is important to have the opportunity to worship our Savior in our heart language.<br />
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We sing, pray, and study God's Word. For the last month or so I have been teaching through Philippians. It has been such a great opportunity for me to dig into this letter and study what Paul was writing and how it applies to us. I have enjoyed the preparation because it 'forces' me to study hard, read what others have written, and listen to sermons so that I can articulate what the passage is saying.<br />
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As I prepare to teach each week I am thankful that it is not my skill or intelligence or way with words that will cause anyone to learn, but that it is the work of the Holy Spirit. So far, we have looked at the first chapter and about half of the second.<br />
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I have always heard from pastors that they learn WAY more than anyone in the congregation when they preach because of all the work it takes to prepare a sermon. Now I understand this a little bit.Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-68998831536004484472012-11-11T20:31:00.000-07:002012-11-11T20:31:41.449-07:00School Supplies<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">It is that time of year again. The school year here in Honduras starts in February and ends in November. So, we are looking to get school supplies to give out before the start of the 2013 school year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Our whole team is working together to gather supplies for all of the ministries that we are involved in. We would like you to prayerfully consider providing school supplies for the kids in La Ceiba. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Please purchase school supplies and mail them to this address by December 31, 2012:</span></div>
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Mike & Erin Pettengill<u></u><u></u></div>
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P.O. Box 1090<u></u><u></u></div>
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La Ceiba, Atlantida<u></u><u></u></div>
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Honduras<u></u><u></u></div>
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Central America<u></u><u></u></div>
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Let us know if you would rather send money and our team can purchase the supplies in Honduras.</div>
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Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-1108239163387230272012-10-31T18:15:00.000-07:002012-10-31T18:15:25.820-07:00Prayer<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="text Phil-4-6" id="en-ESV-29432">do not be anxious about anything, <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29432B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup>but in everything by prayer and supplication <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29432C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></sup>with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. </span><span class="text Phil-4-7" id="en-ESV-29433">And <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29433D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></sup>the peace of God, <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29433E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></sup>which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7</span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="text Phil-4-7" id="en-ESV-29433"><br /></span></i></span>
This is just one occasion in the Bible where we are called to pray to our Father. Our sending organization, Mission to the World, is emphasizing prayer for world missions this month. They have created a prayer calendar (<a href="http://www.mtw.org/Pages/RESOURCE_Devotionals.aspx">here</a>) to help people pray for ministries and missionaries all over the world! We think this is an incredible idea, so we have decided to share with you ways in which you can pray for God's work through us in Honduras.<br />
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Mike will be tweeting out (it also goes to facebook) a praise or prayer request each day. We ask you to take a few minutes when you see these messages to lift up the work the Lord is doing in La Ceiba, Honduras.<br />
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Follow Mike on <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelTroxell">Twitter</a> - @MichaelTroxell or friend him on Facebook<br />
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<br />Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-69417885559567627452012-10-25T16:13:00.001-07:002012-10-25T17:09:14.916-07:00Residents of HondurasYesterday Ashley and I officially became residents of Honduras!<br />
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About 3 months ago, we started the process to become residents. We weren't sure what to expect and how long it would take. Our lawyer told us it would not be too difficult and shouldn't take much time, but we were not very optimistic about this because we have seen how things work here in Honduras, especially with the government. We were pleasantly surprised with the ease and speed of the whole process. We should receive our carnets in about a month.<br />
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Yesterday we took a LONG trip to Tegucigalpa (the capital of Honduras) in order to sign papers. We left at 3 am and got back home at about 10 pm. It was a long day in the car, but we did what we needed to do. <br />
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Being residents will help us in a few ways in our ministry and regular life here. We have many more rights and we do not have to leave the country every three months in order to obtain a new visa. This will help from having the interruptions in ministries that came in the past when we had to leave in order to remain legal.<br />
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We are so thankful to the Lord for opening these doors to us! We have now been in Honduras for a little over 10 months and are excited about what the Lord is doing here. It is amazing that He gives us a front-row seat to His ministry to the people of Honduras!<br />
<br />Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078138744606168735.post-60229677365091248342012-10-12T16:24:00.000-07:002012-10-12T16:24:01.606-07:00Time with GersonYesterday I was able to spend some time with Gerson, as I have been able to a lot in the last two months. He is 14 years old. I was talking with him yesterday and he told me he goes to church every Saturday and Sunday evening - by himself. He says he enjoys church and reading the Bible and talking about Jesus. So, I asked if we could meet regularly and study the Bible. He said that he would love it! So, I was able to set up a time that should work for both of us each week to read the Bible and talk about what God is saying.<br />
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I have been able to talk with Gerson a bunch in the last few months about life and God and soccer (of course), but this is what I was really hoping and praying for! God is awesome!Mike and Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160489477334625817noreply@blogger.com0