The Gospel is Revolutionary

Sept. 8 2009-

I have written this blog in my head several times but the creation of the Jericho calendar has taken precedence to anything written. I just finished the calendar so here we go…..blog time! Hurray! I’ll start by sharing what has pushed us most to pray in the last days……namely the political situation. Both sides are hanging tough and there are protests almost every day by one of the political groups. I belong first and foremost to the Jesus group but one cannot help but take sides at some point. And that I have. I am thankful for the de facto government. Despite all kinds of disciplinary action on the part of the US and other countries, they are standing up for what they believe is right and best for democracy to survive in Honduras. And they have done it in a very wise and nonviolent way. They have counted the cost and decided to stand firm. “The little country that could” is what I saw on a poster held up by a supporter of the present government on one of their peace marches. I like that. Mel’s supporters (Mel is the ex-President who tried to extend his presidential stay), on the other hand have been violent and difficult, to say the least. This past week his supporters marched in front of Jericho House. Several of the leaders wore masks and defaced the walls of all the buildings they passed. It was a very tense couple of minutes as they passed by. I prayed that they wouldn’t spray our building or at least that they wouldn’t paint anything vulgar. I prayed for protection of our children. When we went out to check after the march had passed, this is what we found:

The Gospel is Revolutionary!

I had to laugh. At least they wrote something that is absolutely true! The Gospel does turn everything upside down….but perhaps not in the way they were thinking! One thing I love about the Gospel is that it is life changing and revolutionary, from the inside out! If God really gets a hold of us, our thinking is turned upside down and instead of living for ourselves, we seek the lost and the hurting, the poor and the destitute, the marginalized and the needy whether spiritually or physically or both.

That’s what Honduras needs…..the true Gospel of Jesus Christ who calls us to become less so that He can become more. I am asking Him, these days, to make me less, to help me to decrease so that He might increase. I need to be downwardly mobile….desperate for God and aware of my need for Him at every moment of the day.

After the march passed, we prayed for protection for the ministry and actually went outside and anointed the building with oil. The next morning one of our staff members arrived early only to find the black metal door to the ministry wide open. When she and her son went inside the building, they found that nothing had been disturbed. This is truly a miracle in our neighborhood. I knew God was trying to emphasize that He really is listening to our prayers. Honestly, when we were praying over the building, I kind of felt like we were just going through the motions. But God was totally paying attention. If you have moments like that where you think your prayers are just kind of “prayer-babble”, I want to encourage you. God is listening.

Sept. 22 afternoon-
Before we lose electricity, I thought I better get this to you. Since I wrote the above, Mel has returned to Tegucigalpa and has been given asylum in the Brazilian embassy. He continues to paint untrue pictures to the rest of the world about what truly is going on here. It is saddens me. We are not in any danger, per se, but life as we know it has been interrupted and it’s unclear how long the curfew will last. As a result of Mel’s return, we are under a 24 hour curfew and once again praying for God to show up in a Big way. We are so thankful that there really has been very little bloodshed considering all that is going on. Pray that this will be a time for us to be a witness to the stability and joy that knowing God brings in the midst of circumstances that seem out of control.


Under His Wings,
Betsy

I am missing you all tonight ...

Dear beautiful family in the North,

I am missing you all tonight. It is hard to explain but I feel it deeply. It’s not that I am unhappy to be back home. I was so ready to come home to my family in Honduras and to join them in the spiritual battle during this time of political unrest. It was time to get back into daily routines. But I miss you all. You treated my children as if they were your own, you loved us up and spoiled us and were used by God to lavish us with blessing after blessing. We cherished our time with each of you and have memories of beautiful long summer days that will be with us long into the cold nights of the rainy season. Some days the distance between us seems greater than others … like tonight.

We arrived safe and sound and the political situation, while unresolved, has not caused us any real difficulties other than living with uncertainty. It’s hard not to interpret everything as being related to the unrest. For example, this past Saturday we lost electricity at noon and heard planes overhead that sounded like fighter jets so we hunkered down and stayed inside and spent the day cleaning the house. The ex-president had been making noises about returning so we assumed that was the reason for the lack of power. Finally late in the evening, Marlyn and I ventured out to the grocery since the fridge was empty and the kids had eaten as many peanut butter sandwiches as they could stand. On our way back from the grocery we encountered the reason for our electricity problem. A truck accident had somehow snagged all the power lines to our neighborhood!

It is not easy, this standing alone business. No one likes to be the odd man out but that seems to be our position in the world right now. It has been very disappointing to receive condemnation rather than support from other nations. Honduras is being pressured to allow the ex-president back into the country which could spell disaster on many levels. We are praying that the interim president will stand firm until elections in November so that the country can truly continue to be a democracy. We are also praying that the truth about Zelaya’s (the ex-pres) plans for himself and Honduras will come out into the light. He makes much noise about how he is a defender of the poor. It’s not really so much about the poor as it is about power…..doing anything to stay in power long after you are supposed to (think dictator). Pray with us.

Speaking of dictators, Isabella has kind of taken on that role in our household! I am so happy to report that Isabella remembered that I am her Mama. The mother/daughter bond that occurred before our journey North was thick enough to endure the 5 weeks we were away. Isa made the transition from Elvia’s household back into ours without any major glitches. I am amazed at how much she has changed in just 5 weeks. Not only does she not fit into her size 18 month clothes, but she is definitely wanting to do as much on her own as possible. She says, “Yo, Mama, Yo” while taking the spoon out of my hand to let me know she wants to feed herself. And she loves to sit in her high chair and direct the rest of us……kind of barking out semi-coherent orders to anyone within shouting distance. She makes me laugh often and much and I am so thankful for this little jewel. It was so good to be reunited with Helen, too. She turned 10 while we were gone and she is happy that we are all back under one roof.

The pictures below are from our trip. In the car we would take turns talking about the ways God blessed us and how He made Himself real to us. There were far too many ways to account for them all here but hopefully the pictures will give you a glimpse of His goodness and mercy to us. I was so thankful to be able to share the healing adventure with all of you and to thank you for your prayers, especially during that time. We serve an awesome God, there is not doubt about that!



I love you all so much and…
….am missing you tonight.

         Betsy and the traveling buddies
      (Marlyn, Noe, Juanca, and Susana)

Jericho House of Jewels

Dear Beloved Praying Friends,

So sorry to barrage you with Betsy blogs….there is just so much to share and so I thought I would send several blogs rather than hit you with one very long blog! This month, oddly enough in the midst of several difficulties, God gave us a vision for a new outreach of Jericho Ministries.

JERICHO HOUSE OF JEWELS

Nancy called and asked if she could meet with us. You might remember Nancy. She was the first woman to come to Christ in our ministry and she and her children have grown up at Jericho. Unfortunately Nancy has made some very poor decisions lately and it has affected her relationship with her oldest daughter Julissa (Julie) who is almost 12 years old. Nancy came to ask if we would consider taking Julissa into our fold. We have been praying for Julissa for quite some time now, and we sensed this was a direct answer to prayer. The problem was figuring out which part of the fold to put her in. This past year four members of our staff took in 10 children whose Moms are involved in prostitution so that was not an option. As we prayed and brainstormed, we remembered an idea that the Lord had put on our hearts several years ago. Photo: Julissa

We had pondered the idea of having a home here in the city for teenage girls who are at high risk for entering prostitution but who have not actually been on the streets. Julissa fits this description to a tee and there are many more like her. This would be another prevention wing of the ministry. We have asked two of our single Jericho Staff members to consider being the “house Moms” for these young girls and they seem very excited about it. We have a house picked out right across the street from my house. The girls would be at Jericho House during the day for their schooling and then return to the House of Jewels in the evening. We could reach out to 8 to 10 girls at a time in this home. Would you join us in praying for the purchase of this home? We already have two pledges of 1K each and our goal is to offer 100K for the home. The location is perfect, it is just the right size, and it is very safe.

TESTIMONY

These past few weeks the Lord has opened many doors to share the healing miracle that God performed in my life because of the body of Christ crying out to Him. After sharing in a remote village in the mountains of Honduras, the Lord allowed me to share with Seoul Baptist Church (SBC) in Houston. Photo: SBC church members.

Hae Young and I spent one week enjoying the lavish hospitality of these beautiful believers who prayed faithfully for us when I was going through the valley of the shadow of death. Because I visited them both before and after I was in New York City, they witnessed firsthand the immense changes that had occurred because of God’s healing power.

SBC is a church made up of cell groups (“mokjang” in Korean) and each cell group supports a missionary. They have around 170 cell groups and support that same number of missionaries. Photo: mokjang worship

One of these cell groups had adopted Hae Young and while I was in NYC, another group decided to adopt me as their missionary even though they were not sure it would be for very long! Many of the Mokjang members invited us to their homes, showered us with gifts and delicious food, and allowed us to pray for them. It was truly a wild and wonderful week! Back in Honduras a group of women called, “Mujeres de Victoria” (Women of Victory which is kind of the female counterpart to the men’s group called The Full Gospel Business Men’s International Fellowship) contacted me and asked me to speak at several of their chapters and at their television program. Each time I get up to speak, I beg God to give me the anointed words to explain what He did so that others will be encouraged to believe in His awesome power.

There is more but I will save it for the next blog! I am looking forward to seeing many of you when we journey to the Midwest this summer. I wish we could travel to visit all of you this trip but since flights are more reasonable I am praying about visiting again before the year is out to share with those of you who do not live in the middle of the country.

Always with love in Him,
Betsy

Journey

Dear Beautiful Family and Friends,

Our itinerary for our journey so far is as follows:

June 9-12     Pewaukee, WI (Vicky and Dale Schaechterle)
June 12-14   DePauw University, Greencastle, IN
June 16-22   London, Ontario CANADA (Bob and Ann Dekraker)
June 22-23   Pittsburgh, PA (Fred and Fran Fetterolf)
June 24        Lancaster, OH (Ivan and Jesse Smith)
June 25        Grafton, WI (Marty Hake)
June 26-30  Appleton, WI (Ron and Beth Pagel; Marie and Roger Lackore)
J. 30-July 9  Grafton, WI (Marty Hake)
July 9-12     Chicago area (Gail Mellish, Claudia Nalven)
July 13-15   Indianapolis, IN (Betty Root)
July 15-16   Chicago area

Attached are photos of the crew who will be traveling this summer and several photos of our newest addition, Emma Isabella. I couldn’t resist showing you the cute photos of this precious child. She is a wild one, for sure, but little by little she is adjusting to life with our family. I often forget her past of living on the streets with her Mom until she does something like she did last night, which jolts me back to reality. While she was eating a drumstick, I turned my head away for one second and when I looked back, she had eaten the top part off which included part of the bone! All of our eyebrows rose up at that one! Fortunately she was ok. I think she has definitely done that before!

If you are interested in having us come to share about the ministry and God’s healing miracle, please contact me. The children are preparing some special things to share with you and they are very excited about doing all the gringo things that their Mama has told them about. I learned a great lesson the first time I brought Mari and Noe to the States. I had taken them to Six Flags etc etc and when I asked Noe what his favorite thing about the States was, he calmly replied, “I loved putting the coins in the vending machines and having a coke come flying out at the rest stops!” We will get to do that a lot since we will be doing all the traveling by car.

There are many new things brewing in the ministry. Please pray especially hard for us as we discern God’s voice in this time of expansion!

Warmly and with much love in Christ,

Betsy

Resurrection Day 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

This comes full of belated wishes for a blessed Easter. I pray you sensed the wonder of being close to the Almighty God who made heaven and earth and left the comforts of the heavenly realm to become one of us and to die in our place. Truly, that is the biggest miracle and so worth celebrating. Our Holy Week was full of celebrations…..Easter egg hunts at the Villa, Susana’s birthday, special services, baking with the children, playing in the pool….but there is one event that stands out, and that’s the one I want to share with you.

Saira, our administrator, hails from a small village called Manzaragua. It’s a tiny pueblo way up in the mountains halfway between Tegucigalpa and the Villa. During my illness, the members of Saira’s church prayed and fasted for my healing. One of the women who prayed fervently had several visions, which confirmed that I would be healed, and Saira faithfully shared them with me by phone while I was in New York City. It blessed me tremendously to know that people I didn’t even know were standing in the gap for me, praying for complete healing. Therefore, it only made sense that we should go and share the story of how God had miraculously healed me with this faithful group of believers. We agreed that 2pm Good Friday we would all meet at their church.

We were halfway up the dusty mountain road with a van filled with “now-not-smelling-so-nice children” when it occurred to me that maybe this idea of taking all 18 children plus 5 adults in one busito to “help” tell the story was perhaps not one of my best ideas. Not easily accused of being time or space savvy, once again my enthusiasm got the better of me. By God’s grace, we arrived unharmed, just in time to sit down to a wonderful chicken soup lunch that Saira’s family had prepared for us with funds from the church. They did not seem overwhelmed by our numbers or odors! They just welcomed us with open arms and lots of yummy food. The whitewashed walls of their home and the wood burning stove made of clay only added to the warmth of this loving family.

At the agreed upon time, we arrived at the church. I was shocked to find the church packed with over two hundred people seated and waiting. Others were still arriving and trying to find some standing room in the back. Even some of the local dogs had arrived for the event! Electricity had come to the village several years ago so they were ready for the PowerPoint presentation and had dutifully blocked the windows with plywood to better view the photos of the gringa who had been miraculously healed. Only then did it occur to me that in the JM entourage there was not one single person who knew how to work the multimedia projector that we had borrowed from my home church. So there I was, standing up in front with what felt like hundreds of pairs of eyes clapped upon me as I tried miserably to punch the right buttons to get the projector to work with the computer. The paper fans were moving more and more furiously now as it became obvious that the breezes from the windows had been blocked off for nothing. Suddenly it occurred to me that if this group of believers had had the faith to believe that God could heal me, surely they could believe for a techno miracle. So I turned off the machines and greeted the congregation as humbly as possible and asked them to pray with me for the projector to work. As we finished praying I turned the computer and projector back on and the pictures were now up on the wall! Praise God who is sovereign over all!

The sharing went well, by God’s grace, and many came forward for prayer, asking Jesus to increase their faith and heal their bodies. I could not hold back the tears when I was finally introduced to the woman whom God used to increase my faith through the visions God had given her. She was obviously of little worldly wealth but oh so rich in the things of God. Tears were streaming down both of our faces as we embraced to thank God for His amazing work. The sun was beginning to fade and we knew we needed to get back down the mountain before dark but there was one more visit to be made.

A family member of Saira’s had been having epileptic fits for days which seemed like months to the family. She was only 9 years old and the doctors could not find a medical reason for the seizures. We prayed for her in the service and then spent time with her parents in their home. It became clear that just as God had used my illness for good, He was doing the same thing with this sweet family. The desperation of not being able to control their daughter’s health caused them to seek Jesus as never before. He was bringing not only physical healing, but relational and spiritual healing as well. After praying for these dear souls, there was just enough sunlight to get everyone back down the dirt road and onto the paved road to the Villa. The children’s spontaneous praising filled the vehicle as we wove down the mountainous curves and we were overwhelmed by joy. Suddenly the idea of bringing all the children to Manzaragua didn’t seem half-baked after all. Celebrating God with the beautiful family of believers in that far away village had blessed each one of us beyond measure.

Please keep us all in your prayers as we keep you in ours!

Because He Arose,
Betsy

P.S. another blog will follow shortly with our traveling schedule for the US trip in June/July

Mama Mia

“Mama, I think you could really be a good mom to her!” That is what came out of my seven year old Susana’s mouth last week when I brought home an 18-month-old child whose aunt had dropped her off at Jericho. The aunt explained that the child’s mother was trapped in drugs and prostitution and that she had been dragging this little pumpkin around with her on the streets. Her birth had never been registered. It only took one look at this little beauty for me to fall in love with her and Susana’s declaration quickly became my prayer. “Oh Lord, if it’s Your will, please let me be a really good mom to this little angel.” Every member of our patched-together family (I think of us as a “divinely-inspired” quilt) was in total agreement that this little one needed to be a part of us. Even Juan Carlos, who at 13 years of age is extremely unemotional about these things, could not keep from trying to hold her and bounce her around on his knees. It was unanimous. And I sensed God’s peace. So at an age when most women are becoming empty nesters, I am learning to be Mom to a very needy toddler! Noe and I found two names online that when put together mean “God’s whole promise”. We christened her Emma Isabella. We were all so enthralled with her that we did not notice the tiny head lice traveling through her cropped locks or the aggressive hitting that are obvious after-effects of living on the streets. However, it doesn’t matter…..we all share the belief that Emma Isabella has a wonderful future in God and we are excited to be a part of it!


It is hard to believe that last year at this time, unbeknownst to all of us, there was a terrible disease lurking beneath the surface, just waiting to rear its ugly death-threatening head. Praise God that His healing hand struck down that disease! I cannot thank Him enough for letting me live. Like Isabella, I have some after-effects but they are lessoning as the days go by. My hair eventually fell out at different stages leaving me with a very interesting “do.” Those of you who remember Phyllis Diller will get the picture. The only thing I can use to keep it from sticking straight up is a thing we call a “do-rag.” I am wearing it in the picture with Isabella. Jesus knew that Helen, Isabella, and many more were waiting in the wings. Many of you wrote and said that God had much more for me to do here on earth. And so it is.

Which brings me to Ruth. Last week a couple who work with a ministry called “The Micah Project” (they minister to street boys) called to let us know that they had met a fifteen year old who was a candidate for our ministry. We interviewed Ruth and had the sweetest time watching her become reconciled with The Holy One of Israel. She had known Him as a child and had wandered far from Him due to abuse and subsequent poor choices. This week Dwight is busily getting the women’s apartments ready so that we can better accommodate our rapidly growing Jericho family. Please pray for Ruth as she prepares to enter the ministry and as we prepare to receive her.

And the other news I have is that we are coming north this summer for 5 weeks! I had been praying about traveling with the kids to share the details of how God answered all of our prayers for healing. I also was wondering if God wanted me to go to my 30th University reunion in June. I had saved a little towards the trip but last week someone came to my office with a need, that was greater than the travel, and so I gave away most of what I had saved. The very next day I got an e-mail from a sorority sister saying that she and some of the other sisters had pooled some money together to buy me a ticket to fly to our reunion at DePauw. I was amazed! What they raised is about what I gave away! I love the way God works, don’t you?

Keep praying…there isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t need your prayers!

In His forever love,
Betsy

A Day in the Life

Dear Beloved Friends and Family,

Many of you have asked me at different times what a day typical day looks like for us. Therefore, I wrote this in February, having picked a random day.

2:00am Awoke and sensed a need to pray but instead of actually getting up, I scrunch up into a kneeling-under-the-covers position because it is cold. This is never a good idea because I end up sleeping in this very uncomfortable position instead of praying as I had planned.

5:15am Awoke again with a very stiff neck from the above. This time I get up, go downstairs, and praise and pray without falling asleep, thanks be to God. The reading for the day is John 17…. Jesus’ prayer for his disciples to be one as He and the Father are One.

6:30am The children are all scurrying around the house getting themselves ready for school. I am continually amazed by how independent they are. This works well since I am not exactly a morning Mom. I get a cup of coffee and make sure I hug each one of their necks.

7:30am Elvia and I head out to the Villa where she will supervise our local schoolteacher who now has 10 children in four different grades under her care. I am going to lead the staff in a Bible study and see what needs they might have.

8:40am Traffic is thick so it’s taken twice as long to get to the agricultural school where I buy flowers and shrubs for our first “informed” attempt at landscaping. Dorothy Washington, her daughter Addie, and her sister-in-law Christine (a landscape architect) were all here last week to help us learn about decorating with plants. I have just enough knowledge now to be dangerous. I’m thinking it would be good to invite Ely and some of the children in on this since I am perhaps a bit too far on the wild side when it comes to plants. My idea of a healing garden is a jungle…..I love the idea of things growing up walls and hanging overhead. I’m not sure that the majority of those living in the Villa share my ideas in this area!

10:00am On the way up to the Villa, we somehow miss getting onto the cement tracks at a very important juncture in the road, and the truck becomes stuck in two very deep ruts. We try to rock it out. No dice.

10:15am We walk the rest of the way up to the Villa which I am happy to do since I love hiking, even if it involves managing packages and odd items needed at the Villa. Elvia is not so keen on this outdoor experience but she doesn’t complain since she was the one to get the truck stuck.

10:30am The children are all in school so we miss the wonderful way that they all come running out to hug our necks, waists, or legs….depending on how tall they are! Ely and Hae Young are happy to see us even though they don’t come running. Photo at top: being greeted by the children at Jericho Villa.

11:00am Hae and I share coffee and she fills me in on the newest child’s adaptation. Her name is Jasmine and she was motherless due to a tragic suicide. I am not unacquainted with that pain and make a mental note to try to spend some time with her. I am thankful that she is no longer without a mother here at the Villa. Photo: Jamine (left) and Susana on family visiting day.

1:00pm Lunch is served. Its meatball soup made with boiled green bananas and corn flour. Never had this before but it’s delicious and even better with Kim Chee that Hae Young brings to the table.

2:00pm We gather for the staff Bible study. The study is called “Experiencing God” and I have taught this many times. I love this course because the Holy Spirit speaks to me afresh each time I teach it. I am excited to see what God will speak to us as we study His Word together. There are six of us: Ely and Dwight, Rosa, Patty, Hae Young, and me. We talk a bit about the importance of being united in Him.

3:30pm Dwight wants to meet to go over some of the plans for making the Villa self-sustaining. We need to focus on getting the apartments ready for more children. We are growing rapidly…..every week it seems that God sends us a child who is in great need of a loving family. We are trusting that God will provide what we need as we step out in faith to minister to these wounded children.

4:00pm The office calls to tell me that a woman from the streets wants us to take her 18-month-old daughter. The staff have quickly fallen in love with this little girl who has already spent half her life on the streets with her mentally unstable Mom.

5:00pm We are back on the road to Tegucigalpa. This time I drive to give Elvia a rest. During the healing adventure (which we call “the situation”), I couldn’t drive so everyone else drove me around like a princess. Princess days are over which we are ALL happy about!

6:30pm Helen and Susana come running to hug me as I walk in the door. I love these two little girls…they are two peas in a pod. It seems like we have known Helen her whole life and yet she has only been with us for a little over a month. Funny how God knits our hearts together so fast.

7:30pm Marlyn goes to the supermarket with Helen and Susana in tow. I am thinking to myself that I just might possibly have a few moments alone, since the boys are at Elvia’s house. A moment alone is a rarity for me. I am imagining making something yummy (think chocolate) when the doorbell rings. A neighbor needs a listening ear. The chocolaty something is forgotten.Photo: Susana, Isabella, and Helen (right).

8:50pm We all help put things away that the girls have brought home from the supermarket. Helen turns to me in the midst of it all and says, “Thank you, Mom, for letting me help.” I cannot even imagine what Helen has been through to make her so thankful for being a part of what so many of us take for granted. Thank You, Jesus, for bringing Helen to us. Thank You for showing us how an attitude of gratitude warms Your heart.

9:10pm Susana and I read from the wonderful Children’s Bible called The Jesus Storybook Bible published by Zonderkids that she just loves. My dear friend Helen Davis gave it to me when I was in the middle of “the situation” and it blessed me so. Now it is blessing my children.

9:30pm Juan Carlos says, “Mom, can you help me with my homework?” I say, “Sure, honey, what subject is it?” “Math,” he says. Panic strikes my heart. Juanca does not seek my help often so I really want to be able to help him and Math hasn’t been my strong subject since I had a Math teacher in 10th grade who I rubbed the wrong way. It’s only 7th grade Math but I start to pray fervently and silently, “Oh God, let it be something I remember and can explain to this sweet child of mine.” God answers that prayer. It all comes back quickly and I let out a sigh of relief. Photo: Noe (left back) and Juanca (far right) with their buddies at Jericho

10:00pm The little ones are in bed but Juan Carlos, Marlyn and I find Noe writing something on Facebook. We discover that he is writing someone we all know so we decide to help him wish Laura Tyler a Happy Birthday. Noe is good-natured about his Facebook time suddenly becoming a family event and we all end up laughing together.

10:30pm I am in bed but unable to sleep. I get up to write this hoping that it might be of interest to those of you who so faithfully pray for us, that it might encourage you to keep us in prayer. As I think over the events of the day, I continue to be so filled with gratitude not only for the gift of being alive but also for the privilege of being in this place at this time for His glory.

Isabella, 18months

Bringing Helen Home

I guess you could call me a seasoned missionary which is why what happened on Wednesday of this week took me totally by surprise. I have seen many, many children who are living lives that are beyond my imagination and I don’t mean in a good sense. After awhile you become less affected by the horrors which is not exactly a good thing … it’s just the way one survives. Elvia peeked around the door and said I would not believe what had just happened. I could tell she was emotional about something and I thought perhaps she had just smashed up one of our vehicles. I was not even close. She told me that while she was at INHFA (a governmental holding tank for abused and abandoned children) getting some paperwork for a couple of our children, one of the placement officers asked her if we had room for a 10 year old child named Helen. Her mother had addiction problems including prostitution and Helen had been in INHFA for almost a year, waiting to be placed in a center. When Elvia asked why they hadn’t placed her, the officer said there was no room in any of the orphanages. No room in the inn, so to speak. Elvia asked the placement officer if she could bring Helen to my office so that I could meet her. It only took one look at Helen for the tears to start flowing down my cheeks. I can’t really explain it fully ... it was like two strong emotions came colliding together in my heart and then came rushing through my tear ducts. The first was an overwhelming sadness. Whatever had happened to Helen in her days at INHFA must have caused her much pain. Her face was covered in it. The other emotion was pure joy that God had sent Helen to us. I hugged Helen in my weepy state and she also began to cry. It was a reunion of sorts. A mother who has never actually given physical birth to anyone welcoming home a lost child whose mother abandoned her emotionally and physically a long, long ago. We are all so thrilled to welcome Helen into our home and into our hearts and into Jesus, the One who gives her a future and a hope that does not disappoint.

Friday also brought more unexpected blessings. Our dear missionary friend Evelyn Klinger had stored her possessions out at the Villa while she was on furlough and due to some unexpected changes in her life, she needed to come back and deal with those stored goods. While she was with us, she told us of two little boys she had met through another missionary friend who were practically living on the streets. “Could we take them in at the Villa?” she asked. Frankly there is no way that I can tell you that these two little boys fit into our main mission statement … to reach out to prostitutes and their children. Their Mom was a police officer who was killed in the line of duty and their Dad was a deceased gang member. Their grandmother was their only caretaker and she was barely able to do that. They were begging on the streets and (we would learn later) doing many other things too heartbreaking to speak of to earn money for their daily bread. Daniel was 8 and his brother Noe was 7. Perhaps they didn’t fit into our main mission but it certainly seemed that they fit into God’s main mission of rescuing the lost and brokenhearted. We agreed to a meeting with the boys and their grandmamma so that we could pray about how to help. The whole meeting challenged our Jericho House staff. The boys were like wild little monkeys, running to and fro, stuffing anything they could get their hands on into their dirty pants pockets. They were small and smelly and reckless and so in need of love. The grandmother agreed that she could not control them and that they spent most of their days on the streets but she did not want to give them up. I discovered why pretty quickly. Noe kept asking me for money and food. It occurred to me that she needed the money they brought in daily. So we prayed like this: “Lord, if you want us to have Daniel and Noe, please change the grandmother’s heart and open the doors at the court so that we can get custody.” God totally moved. On Friday morning the grandmother brought both boys to us and gave her permission for us to raise them. Elvia took them all to the court to get legal custody. The judge initially told her it would take some time since they wanted to do a home study to see if everyone was telling the truth. It was lunchtime and both boys exhibited the same behavior in the court setting as they had at Jericho and when one of them started to try and climb up one of the windows, the judge said in desperation, “Ok, just take them!” So, we did!

That afternoon found us on our way to the Villa in the van with Helen, Daniel and Noe. Elvia sat in the back to try and keep the boys calm. I’ll never forget seeing Noe melt into complete peace as Elvia cradled him in her arms and sang a song over him. I could just make out his little hand gently holding onto the clip in her hair as I caught a glimpse of them in the rear view mirror. At the Villa, Ely and Dwight were the epitome of the word welcome. They embraced all three children and led them to the dining area where a special tort awaited them. It had been prepared by Ely and our Jericho children. Each child took turns sharing words of welcome and shared their testimonies about how God had touched them. One little one shared how he had been locked in a room by his mother. He remembered exactly what his grandmother had brought him to eat when she opened the door two days later. He completed the story by sharing how he now slept with Jesus and was no longer afraid. Ely and Dwight spent the weekend praying for deliverance for these three new family members. God used Ely to help them divulge the many atrocities that had been committed against them so that healing could begin. We thank God for the way He is using Ely and Dwight to deliver these treasures of God and to help them grow into strong citizens of the Kingdom. It is truly a work of the Holy Spirit.

And there is more but I think that’s enough for now. I can barely keep up with all that God is speaking and teaching me right now. It’s like trying to catch all the seeds from a dried dandelion after someone blows it into the wind. Please do keep Helen (now part of the JM family in my household) and Noe and Daniel (part of the JM family at the Villa) in your prayers.

I love each of you!                                         Helen and Susannah new best friends

Betsy

 
 
 
 

Happy New Year 2009

Happy New Year to you all!

What a blessing to know that each year, each day, each hour, each moment, we can begin afresh in Jesus. That comforts me….even if I had a bad morning, or a bad day or a bad week or even a bad year…..I can begin again in Him with a fresh slate, sins forgiven. We can begin again. He truly makes all things new.

We prayed in the New Year with the same plan we used last year (Hermano Roque, a general in the Honduran military, would lead us in prayer for several hours). Last year there were four of us, including Roque, and we prayed for three hours. This year 17 people showed up including my little Susana who begged me to be a part of it [see photo above]. We prayed for 5 hours! To be very honest, I really was lagging in the latter part of the prayer time … everything in me wanted to bolt for home (think warm bed) but I have learned that God most often reserves the best wine for last and so I asked God for strength to stay the course. And sure enough, there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that was totally worth the wait. We danced and laughed and heard from God in a powerful way. These are some of the things God spoke to our hearts.

We sense His specific mandate to Jericho to continue to reach out to those trapped in prostitution but to focus specifically on their children (the second generation) this year. He told us this would be a year of much harvest, both in the spiritual and physical realm. We also need to move forward with making the Jericho Villa self-sustainable and the Lord once again sent Christopher Miller (back right in photo) from St. Mark’s in Geneva, Illinois on Dec. 31st to help us make a master plan for the placement of buildings, reservoirs, crops, and animal pens. The Lord spoke to me personally and challenged me to share about His miracle healing in my life in whatever way possible. I think this means traveling to visit many of you and getting the “healing adventure” written down on paper!

Chris stayed out at the Villa with the precious children God has placed in our care. I was able to join them for most of Chris’s visit and do the hiking required to make decisions for the master plan. As we were working on the master plan, it became evident that we also needed the help of a landscape architect. I went home one evening during Chris’s visit to find an e-mail from my dear friend Dorothy Washington asking if I still needed the help of her sister-in-law who is a landscape architect! We had talked about that possibility over a year ago and she was wondering if we still needed help! God’s timing is so perfect. She and Christine will be coming in February, God willing. We are so thankful for God’s provision! Chris also drew the sketches for the chapel that will be built on a bluff that has an amazing view of God’s workmanship. We praise God for the way that He has given us an architect with such a heart to serve Him. Chris comes and works tirelessly, sharing our dreams for and the burdens of caring for these young lives being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

And finally I wanted to share with you about the lastest test results! Elvia and I went to the lab to see how my liver enzymes were doing. The lab technicians have been following this miracle with great interest and when they took my blood this time, both of them were touched by the Holy Spirit and decided to accept Christ into their lives! In the afternoon we picked up the lab results. The total bilirubin, for the first time in over 10 months, was NORMAL! You may remember how it went down by halves … 20 then 9 then 4.5 then 2.2 and now it is under 1! Praise God who keeps His promises! Please continue to pray for total healing as my feet are still quite painful to walk on and there is still a bulge where no bulge should be.

Betsy

Merry Christmas

Dear Beloved Friends and Family,

Merry Christmas from all of us at Jericho! I pray that you will sense His presence and love in a unique way this Christmas! He is so Awesome! The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Him!

This is how He met the hopes of one of our little girls this Christmas (see photo above). Leslie is 12 years old and like all the children in Honduras, she was hoping to receive a new outfit (dress in her case) to wear on Christmas eve. This is tradition here……and even the poorest families make the greatest effort to buy a new outfit for each of their children so that they can wear it for the first time on Christmas eve. Leslie’s Mom is trapped in the vicious cycle of alcohol, drugs, and prostitution and she does not know her Dad, so there was not much hope in receiving a new dress from them. Leslie is now part of the Jericho Family and lives at the Villa. We have tried to teach our children to go to their Heavenly Father for their needs so when Leslie asked one of our staff members about her need for a new dress for Christmas, she told her to pray about it. Her response was, “Really Miss, do you think that the dress will just fall from heaven tomorrow morning?” You can imagine Leslie’s surprise the next morning when another staff member, who knew nothing about this request, showed up with three dresses for Leslie, Vanessa, and Genesis. Perhaps in the larger scheme of things, having a princess dress to wear on Christmas eve isn’t that important, but Jesus is teaching these little ones about trusting Him. Nothing escapes Him. He truly is a Loving Father.

Which brings me to our Christmas outreach this year. The children did a special drama for their families (many of whom are in involved in prostitution, drugs etc.) and then handed out apples and grapes (a big treat here). It was wonderful to see how God is using the children to reach their relatives. In the photos: Ana and Juan Carlos take part in the makeshift Christmas pageant (above) / Leslie and her brother Ariel talk with their Mom who initially would not come to the scene since she was hung-over (below). God’s love through her children won out, and she ended up listening to the Christmas story and receiving the presents that her children had lovingly made for her. I continue to be truly thankful for your love and support which enables us to be here to reach out to those whose hopes and fears can only be met in Him. Have a blessed Christmas and remember that He loves you tremendously and wants you to trust Him fully.

With much love in our dear Savior,
Betsy

P.S.. I forgot to tell you that the itching totally disappeared when I went to NYC. Thank you for praying!

Believe

Believe... that’s what we saw on all the Macy’s bags while we hiked up and down the NYC streets. Elvia right away asked me what it meant. We quickly discovered that it was about believing in Santa Claus based on the movie “Miracle on 34th Street” which was part of their marketing strategy. We wanted to buy something (which we didn’t, due to missionary economics) just to get the bag because for us it meant something else….the whole journey to New York City had been one of believing God for healing against all odds. God had come through in shining colors and Elvia and I were in NYC from Dec. 3-11 at the Lord’s urging to share about His power to heal.

The days were quickly filled with visits from beloved friends and family(too many to mention here) from near (NYC and Fairhaven, NJ) and far (Houston, Philly, and New Haven, CT). And of course, we visited the hospital. It was such a blessing to be able to witness to His handiwork just by showing up! Here are just some of the gifts God bestowed upon us.

Visiting Dr. Ruben Niesvizky who did not use the word “miracle” but said that this definitely was a lesson to the medical community. His secretary, Patty, was very excited and thanked God with us for this miracle healing.

My dear friend Helen Davis came from Philly for the day and we went skating at the ice rink at the Rockefeller Center. She and I love skating and I was thrilled to be out on the ice, even if I was a bit slower……and fell down at the start!

Miriam, Elvia’s sister, flew in from Houston to spend a day with us. She works for Continental airlines and had helped us in various ways during my illness, including taking care of me in her home on one occasion!

My cousin Kevin and his wife Robin and their pastor were such a blessing to us during the time we were on this healing adventure. We can laugh now about that night Kevin showed up when I was in the emergency room hanging onto life by a thread and trying to evangelize him at the same time! They took us out to a great restaurant and then we took the ferry to stay with them in Fair haven, NJ the second to last night of our visit.

God graciously allowed us to have lunch with Maria Elia. I shared a room with her Mother when I was hospitalized and you may remember the story of how God allowed me to pray with her during the final hours of her Mom’s life. What a blessing it was to get to know her a little better and to encourage her in her walk with Jesus.

There were so many more blessings, including the kind hospitality of my friend Tim and his wife Andrea and their son Matt who once again graciously allowed us to stay in their apartment in the city. Our first night back, Tim was at the hotel for a meeting so he came to see us and he was so excited to see the changes that God had wrought that he practically jumped up and down. He had definitely seen me at my worst so he rejoiced with us over this miracle of healing.

My sister Mindy’s friend Tanya and her husband sent us tickets to the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. You can imagine our surprise when the usher led us to the third row. Only in church do I ever get that close to the front! We especially enjoyed the manger scene at the end with live camels and donkeys and the singing of “Joy to the World”!

The three months spent there initially were so intense. I didn’t realize until much later that I didn’t laugh much during those days. It was so good of God to allow us to create new memories in NYC that were full of laughter and joy. People felt much freer to tell me how scary I looked now that I am through that phase of healing which made for great laughter!

I continue to be so thankful to God for this amazing miracle that all of you participated in. Thank you so much for standing in the gap for me. Please continue to pray that I will be a faithful witness to the amazing power of God available to those who Believe.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” -Hebrews 11:6

“For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.’ ” -Romans 10:10-11

With so much love in Jesus,
Betsy