Blog Posts

By Team Blogger: Carrie Gaxiola

Day 1 (technically yesterday was Day 1 but long travel hours makes one too tired to compile 2 complete thoughts ) Buenos Dias from this beautiful city of San Pedro Sula. Today is the first day of on site work in the precious community of El Belen (which means Little Bethlehem in Spanish) We will bring food, oversee the building of a house for a member of the community and build a swing set/playground for the children that live in this village. Things we take for granted. A house can be built here for $1200 and the joy it brings is insurmountable. Every time I come here, I am awestruck at the simplicity in living and the gratitude for living each day that comes from the people we care for. It’s humbling to me to know how much I have and often how much I think I need. My heart wants to be purged of anything that means it will take away from worship of and devotion to my God and the work He calls me to do. How about you? What can you lay before Him and say, if you take it, God, I will still praise you? Set your mind on Jesus today! Love Him and do all the good you can in His strength. More tonight!

Honduras-end of Day One. Just when I think God has outdone Himself, He surprises us and does even greater things than He did just 5 minutes ago! We started the day with team devotions, then headed to the community of El Belen. I was there in 2019 and recognized some of the faces but this visit was different. This day was full of community and watching each person on our team flow in their giftings. Some designed and built a swing set, others pounded the walls of a new house up in record time, some picked up 6,000 pounds of food and bagged it up for the families and others held babies or played soccer with the children. What we all did do together as one body of people striving to accomplish the same purpose-connect people to Jesus and bring joy-is work in community with the people of this village. No one cared what the color of our skin was, what our financial or social status was, what we wore or what our politics were. We just came together, alongside a community of people that live and hope for better lives, and we accomplished a purpose in unity. In love. It was hot, humid and we all left with a layer of dirt that could have filled their new playground, but we left with a sense of knowing that, maybe we helped the people of El Belen as we worked alongside them, but even more so, they helped us. In a troubled country such as ours, they left an imprint on our hearts. Just love, just work alongside each other for a common purpose. And as a momma who is so thankful to have her daughter on the trip, to hear these words, “Mom, I don’t want to leave, but since we have to, I want to come back on the next trip!” that is the music I think reaches God’s ears. Today I learned that we can talk about love and being the hands and feet of Jesus, but when we walk that out as an action word in whatever realm of influence God has us, we are truly being world changers! As my pastor often says, “Goodnight world! We’ll try it again tomorrow.”
Honduras Day 2 – This is the time of night when I try and get quiet and, as the team blogger, put into words what I perceive God has done. So, let me tell you all. I’m in a room with a young adult and my teen. I started this an hour ago but we have had the best time talking so I deleted everything I had written because I had a blast spending time with them. Here’s what sums up the day:
-We love our bus driver, Jose’. He drives the American missionaries in the crazy Honduran traffic, pastors a local church and works hard to feed 50 children at least 2 meals a day in his community. He’s the one with the ukelele.
-We have an awesome team of people that care about the mission and each other. No drama, let’s just get the job done and make sure we are all okay! These people are a gift to me in ways that have an impact that is beyond what I prayed for. Thank you, Right Turn Ministries, NFP for creating the atmosphere for the Holy Spirit to move.
-We bagged food supplies for those in need. I think we would do this every day. The people are so very grateful to get beans, rice, sugar and flour.
-We hosted a one night revival and saw 4 people give their lives to Jesus, 11 people get baptized and numerous people get prayed for, hugged and loved on. Our Christ Church Women’s Prayer Shawl ministry was once again a comfort and blessing to all who came to be covered with prayer and God‘s love. Martha Lane-Bevineau, please let the ladies know what an impact they are making!
-We danced with little children that didn’t have the trappings of peer pressure or social media to keep them from worshipping the Jesus that loves them more than anything.
-Pastor Zack Dunlap brought a message of love and hope to the world the people of Choluma live in. He shared of losing his grandparents to Covid but brought it back to Jesus and everything we need being in Him. His compassion and vulnerability gave way to many hearts being touched by the Holy Spirit.
-We helped a local pastor, Pastor Oscar, pour love into the community God has called him to.
-We came back to our lodging dirty, tired and sweaty but with hearts full because we know it’s not about us. It’s not about a competition to see who can do the most in ministry. It’s not about entitlement. It’s about the sacrifice Jesus made for us all and then doing what He says to do.
-Those of you that pray for us, thank you! God is using you. Don’t discount your role in the mission. It is a joy and comfort to know we are covered and the spirit of revival is moving because of your love and faithfulness.

Honduras Day 3
A lot of thoughts running through my mind tonight. First, it’s been a bittersweet day in that we worshipped with our Honduran pastor, Wilmer Godoy’s, church but pastor could not attend. His father was taken to the hospital and his prognosis is not good. While we missed him, we were able to pray for him and his dad, worship with his congregation, minister to them in prayer and experience their wonderful hospitality.
I personally had a day of doing warfare for a situation at home that brought some fear and despair. I almost stayed back at the hotel but God clearly said no, and I am so thankful I obeyed. I would have missed God pouring into me and so many others as His Spirit moved in the same park we went to in 2019. I would have missed my little friend Brian who I met and prayed for two years ago. He was there tonight and immediately recognized me! What a gift! Lives were changed at the park in the neighborhood. Eleven were baptized and at least one gave their heart to Jesus. Our team was busy and active with playing and dancing with the children, praying for many people and creating new friendships.
Here is my take away for today. For those of us on the team that don’t know Spanish, there is a barrier. We don’t just walk up to someone and start talking or praying with them because we don’t understand each other. We have to find an available interpreter to help. When we worship with the band at one or the local churches or at the revival nights, we don’t know the words to the songs in Spanish, so it makes it more challenging to sing and worship. But it struck me, we still come. The people still come. God understands. God’s Spirit knows no boundaries. He hears our cries whether those cries are in Spanish, English or those deep groanings of warfare or burden that come from the depths of the heart. It doesn’t matter to God. He has no barriers but just bids us to come. He is an amazing Father that brings love and comfort no matter our frail limitations. Again, I am so grateful for my teammates that care for others so deeply and those that have cared for me today and my daughter this whole trip. And I am so grateful for Jesus, our Advocate, our “interpreter” that advocates for us to the Father and calls people to come and follow Him. I love Jesus so. He has no barriers, no limitations. He just says come.
Right Turn Ministries, NFP

Honduras Day 4
We work hard, we play hard. Today was a rest and refresh day so that we can hit the remainder of the week with strength! Hey, even Jesus rested from His labors and encouraged us to do so as well!
We went to the beach in Tela. Most of our team went on a boat ride to see some coral reefs and a pirate island. A half hour boat ride turned into a 3 hour tour… (I know, you’re humming the Gilligan’s Island tune right now ) The food and fun was just what we needed.
One thing about being on mission: you learn to be in unity and take care of each other or you drain the strength and focus you have. This team has been an example of what a team should be. We’ve had fun, prayed for each other, looked out for one another and made some real long lasting bonds. We’re going to finish this race with joy! My blog is short tonight because a few of us forgot the Honduran sun is a little brutal. Aloe Vera to the rescue!

Honduras Day 5
We had another full on ministry day with a visit (actually reunion) at Jeremiah 29:11 Mission House. RTM got to buy pigs for the house and fill the aquaphonic tank with tilapia. Because of the covid lockdown, food had been scarce and this was a great blessing to bring in a new food supply. We are hoping for the Three Little Pigs to have more little pigs so the pork can keep on coming . Our bus driver, Jose’, shared his testimony with the children and young people. He was a child of the streets, used and abused, left to fend for himself over and over before he was 14, but God had other plans. Nine children gave their hearts to Jesus as so many of these kids can relate to his story and today chose Jesus’ love and freedom as Jose’ did. We played in the blistering heat (literally) and as tradition goes, Uncle Doug hung the piñata for a grand old time! Sadly we had to say our goodbyes but for good reason to head down the road back to Belén for a children’s lesson with Señora Lisa, a dedication of the new swing set and a house blessing for the 7th house built by RTM. After Lisa told the kids of the story of Adam and Eve, the Fall and the rules God makes for us to follow in His word for our good, we had a prayer of blessing for safety and all around fun for this new Village addition. Once done, a new piñata was hung and treats abounded for all! The children lined up 20 deep just to swing and the joy was palpable! We then went to the house that was built for a member of the community. We prayed a blessing over this new home and for all that enter in to receive God’s blessing. Again, pure joy! My take away for today: we have so much yet are often unhappy. I would venture to guess that most all of us haven’t lived alone on the streets at 6 years old, been abused in multiple ways before age 14 and had multiple other traumas. We don’t have to live in homes made of roofing tin and whatever materials will give some semblance of shelter, and our children have every toy and gadget available to them. Today all these things were a gift to the children and people of Belén and the Mission House. And what we witnessed was sheer joy. Jesus joy. The kind that nothing in this world can give us. We experienced gratitude that is beyond comprehension because God delivered a life from death and destruction and made it new again. And we experienced His love because He is good, a Redeemer that lives and gives life. We got the bigger gift again today: the squeals of children breaking piñatas and receiving the goodies inside, swinging on a swing for the first time and a momma that cried tears of joy because God gave her a home to love and serve Him with. Joy that you can feel. His name is Jesus and we certainly felt Him today!

Honduras Day 6
Final full ministry day and packed as ever. We shared lunch with the children from one of our feeding programs in Choluma. Pastor Jose’, our week long bus driver, is the pastor of this community and we were greeted by cheers, clapping and singing as the bus drove up. We were able to visit several houses and deliver food and prayers. These precious people had concerns like we all do, prayers for health, healing, loved ones that aren’t serving Jesus. It was an honor to pray for them and share their tears but share the hope that Jesus can bring.
From there we headed to the next river community where the poverty is profound. Pastor Wilmer has planted a church in this community where we probably saw hundreds of people in a small church building looking for some hope and help. The need is so great and many of our team members were overcome with the enormity of the need and amount of people in this small community. But God… we were able to bear witness to the power of the Holy Spirit and hearts that turned to Jesus for salvation. After handing out food, toys and candy, we took the long trek to the river where 34 were baptized. Even a sweet elderly lady that Linda Lynch Belvin and I met 3 years ago. Once again there was that recognition when we made eye contact and we both lit up with the joy of remembering each other. She giggled like a young girl when I showed her the photo of us 3 years ago. I love this part of the mission work. Building relationships that last. Knowing that not only is Jesus making an impact in their lives, but they are making an impact on ours. Today was hard. I’m not going to lie. Each time I come to this community I have a range of emotions because the need is so great. It is overwhelming and it is a helpless feeling to know that you can’t fix all the needs or problems, but we can offer hope a little at a time. I have to remember that God is in control. It’s not about fixing the whole world but being available to do exactly what God calls us to do. Go, give, or remain as our dear Mandy Haffer de Ramírez has done. She and her husband Carlos Ramirez and their children hosted us for dessert this evening and we were all able to decompress a bit from the day, share some fellowship and talk over our experiences. We were all grateful for their hospitality. And isn’t that what life is about? Being grateful for what we are able to do, for what we have, for each other. Without gratitude, we cannot magnify the Lord and all He is and can do. I am spent. I have to sort through the things I experienced today and the needs of the people I was privileged to pray for. I know that I have a place to run and that is to the feet of Jesus where I can lay all my burdens and the burdens for others. For that I am grateful
Right Turn Ministries, NFP

Honduras Day 7. I’m ready to see my dear husband. He has covered this whole trip in his prayers and has helped keep me grounded when I wasn’t so sure of myself at times. I think we’re all ready to return home but we’re coming home with a different view of the world we live in, renewed purpose and changed hearts. God has a given us all such an incredible team to love, work and serve alongside. We ended the week with covid testing. Then off to be a tourist for a little. It’s been an awesome week, and we’ve formed bonds that won’t easily be broken. Thank you, Jesus, for allowing us to do Your work in Honduras

TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF OUR TRIP, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AT: https://www.facebook.com/RightTurnMinistriesNFP

TO DONATE TO OUR MINISTRY:

www.RightTurnMinistries.com/donate

Twila Paris sang a song titled The Warrior is a Child. I can’t say that I ever heard it on the radio, I don’t think it was top 100 hit, in fact, I can honestly say that I really never gave that song much thought…until I became that child warrior.

Then it all became so clear. That song nailed it….it was my life unfolding in song.

I wanted to unpack this song so it made sense to me, made sense in my head. I needed to understand why, if God had called me to serve Him, why did it have to be so hard? Why are there so many battles? Why couldn’t this be easy?

I am not really sure what I was thinking when I said “yes” to God. I think deep down in my mind, I thought: “Well God, You wanted me, so here I am, lets DO THIS” and then it would be easy. I mean, after all, HE is the one who asked me to serve, right?? So why would God ask me to do something that He KNEW would stretch me in ways I didn’t know I could be stretched? Why would He ask me to do something when He knew I would have to go in to battle? I guess the simple answer is simply He thought I could be useful and He needed to teach me that I had to be dependent on Him. Not dependent on myself, not dependent on my husband, not the Church, not the World. Just HIM!

“Lately, I’ve been winning battles left and right”

Oh, yeah, this Warrior is on FIRE!!! Watch out world, here I come…I felt like jumping up and down screaming: “Yes!! I made the team!!! God thinks I am ready…He has asked me to do some BIG stuff…He must really think I am ready for the Big Leagues”

Yeeeeah……then reality shot up and slapped me in the face. Then it was like “Really God, THIS is what you have for me?? I was all of sudden not feeling so Big League material.

“But even winners can get wounded in the fight”

YUP! The wounds kept coming: Trials, Tribulations, Pain, Heartache, Lost Friendships, Sadness, Despair, Desperation, Backlash, Untruths., Sickness, Death.

I was wounded. I was beat up. But I tried so hard to never show it…..

“People say that I’m amazing, strong beyond my years,

but they don’t see inside of me, hiding all my tears”

That was me….hiding all my tears..

Until I couldn’t hide them anymore. I started to cry. I mean, really cry. Ugly cry. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. This serving Jesus stuff was supposed to be easy. Only it wasn’t easy. It was hard. Really, really hard.

“They don’t know that I come running home when I fall down,

they don’t know, who picks me up when no one is around.

I drop my sword for just a while….cuz deep inside this armor, this Warrior is a Child”

I remember sharing one of my “ugly cry” moments with my husband, Jim. I lamented to him the same old thing I had been sniveling about for months: “this isn’t supposed to be hard…serving Jesus is supposed to be EASY…I shouldn’t have to work this hard to serve Jesus!!”

He, with all the love in heart, simply drew me near, wrapped his arms around me, held me tight, kissed the top of my head and softly said “Well, then obviously you haven’t read the Bible”

OUCH!

He was right! I mean he was spot on dead right. Did I mention that I hate when he is right?

He reminded me of all the great warriors that went before me: King David, Saul, Paul, Peter, Deborah, Sampson, Elijah….the list went on and on. He reminded me of the battles they faced in the name of serving Jesus, then he reminded me not only of the battles they won, but also how they DIED serving Jesus. (Did I mention that I HATE it when he is right??) He reminded me that it’s ok for warriors to get wounded in the fight and that even the best of fighters get knocked down at times. It is what they do when they are down that matters. They can choose to stay down, or they can grab on to something and pull themselves back up.

“Unafraid because His armor is the best…but even soldiers need a quiet place to rest”

I had a choice to make. I could stay knocked down and let my wounds define me, or I could, after a short rest, get back up, put on the armor of Christ and get back in the game and charge on. I chose the latter.

I want you to know that no matter what battle you are facing today, it’s ok to drop your sword and cry for just a while….you just can’t leave it there. You have to pick it back up and charge one.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you are the product of an amazing God who made you…well….you! You are amazing, you are stronger than you think you are. Yes, you will have battles, you will get wounded in those battles, but those wounds are not fatal wounds. Sure, some of them may just need a bandaid, while others wounds may require some stitches, but no matter what, you will heal. Oh you might have a scar or two, but hey, we were never promised perfect, flawless skin.

Pick up your sword, mighty warrior, and charge on!

ELECTION TIME THOUGHTS

from guest writer, Jim Shoffstall

Originally Posted by: Jim Shoffstall

November 3, 2008

I spent a small chunk of this beautiful day at the Circuit Clerk’s Office of St. Clair County.  I was there to vote early due to my work schedule prohibiting me from participating in the election process tomorrow.  Not too long ago I would have simply passed on an opportunity to cast my ballot.

I couldn’t vote because I had to work.

I even pulled this excuse out of the hat once in awhile:

My vote won’t make one bit of difference in this election.  Besides, all politicians are crooks.

Yep, I confess that there have been elections which were tossed aside by me.  I saw no reason to participate in a process when the only choices I had were corruptible politicians seeking to advance their own agendas.  I am even more disappointed in my choices for President this year.  OH MY GOSH!

Anyway, tomorrow will see millions of American’s casting their votes which will establish new leaders and new policies.  We will not know what the outcome of this election will be for a couple of days, however I believe from the deepest areas of my heart that God is “privy” to the outcome.  In fact, I believe he orchestrated it from the very beginning.

“Praise be the name of God forever and ever; wisdom and power are his.  He changes the times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them.”  (Daniel 2:20-21)

During Old Testament times when God selected a King for the Israelites he would send a prophet or priest to inform the nation of the winning candidate.  I have no doubt that God has already made plans for our next President.  At some point over the next couple of days the world will discover who that chosen person is.  And we will be a part of the voice which makes the announcement.

Regardless of what our next leader is like or what his administration does, God will someday send us His chosen one.  The King of kings and Lord of lords will take his place as ruler of all.  And for those who are invited to be a part of his kingdom, crooked and deceitful politicians will become a thing of the past.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.  He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.  The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:6-8)

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a branch will bear fruit.  The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him-the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord- and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.  He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.  He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.  Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. (Isaiah 11:1-5)

Men and women of God, stand fast in the present times.  Though our election process may give us the illusion that we are in control, make no mistake; God is very much in control of all that is happening in our society.  I no longer fret over who our next President will be or what our next President will or will not do.  In know that in the end the rulers of this earth will one day be overthrown by Jesus Christ.  His term of office will never end.

To God be all glory!

JS

DISAPPOINTMENT

dis·ap·point·ment

noun: disappointment

“sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations”

Disappointment…..

That is a word I am sure we can all relate to these days. I bet if I asked each of you if you have experienced ANY disappointment in the last 3 months, the answers would overwhelmingly be “yes”.

I bet if I asked each of you what was your #1 disappointment, you would all have a very different answer.

COVID…….. CORONA VIRUS……MITIGATION………SHELTER IN PLACE

Who would have ever dreamed that those 4 phrase words could change the life as we knew it and turn it totally upside down and spit it out into a slurry of disappointments, fear, anger, and maybe, if we are honest, a little bit of anxiety.

For me, deep down, I think I secretly thought that if my heart was right with Christ, if I was living right, doing the right things for the right reasons in the right time, I would never fall victim to such words. I mean, after all, if I am living for Jesus what is there to be disappointed about, right?  Let’s be real, being a Christian means we get a free pass from such things, right? Life should be perfect…. because if Jesus casts out all fears, then I should never be afraid, right?

Yeah…..NO! That’s not exactly how it goes.

Why? 

Because I am human…made of flesh and blood. I am an imperfect person living in an imperfect world.

I am living in a world full of overwhelming disappointment and discouragement right now. I am surrounded it by it every day. I see it on the news, I hear it on the radio, I find it in the closed businesses, I read it on the prayer request pages, and I hear the stories from my friends who are suffering.  

I am Surrounded.

Totally Surrounded.

There is no escape.

I find myself now being worried about things I have ZERO control over. Why do I do that? If I KNOW I have ZERO control over a situation, then why do I waste on minute of my life worrying about it? 

I don’t know why I do it….habit, perhaps. Or maybe it’s just the flesh fighting against my spirit because my spirit KNOWS who is in control of this very out of control situation we live in these days. The struggle is real….the battle between good and evil….flesh and spirit….control and surrender.

Some days are harder than others. Some days it is easy to curl up on the couch, pop on Netflix and tune the whole world out, other days, not so much.

This is one of those days…..

Of all the things going on with the COVID crisis, and the shelter in place, and the mandatory masks, and the cancellations of well…just about everything, this week has been especially hard on me.

This week was to be an EPIC week in the life of our Ministry.  We had made arrangements to bring our Honduran Pastor, his family and The Freedom Band to the United States and we were set to embark on a 2 state, 4 city fundraising Evangelism Tour.  We spent months and months planning, arranging for Churches to host the band, make travel plans from Honduras to the USA for a team of 6 people.  Hours and hours were spent on the plans this week.  This was to be an EPIC week of sharing Jesus, sharing our ministry, as well as serving as one of our biggest fundraising events that would have brought in enough funding to see us through to the end of 2020.

Gone.

In an instant.

One Virus.

Game Over!

Or is it?

I had to look no further than Gods Word to see what God had to say about how I was feeling and what His thoughts were.  I was immediately taken to the story of Mary and Martha, who, in the book of John 11:1-6, you can read, sent for Jesus when their brother Lazarus was dying.

Lazarus was getting worse. Jesus still hadn’t shown up. I know they had to be asking themselves: “did He get my message??” “why isn’t He here, yet?”

 Lazarus lay dying.

 And they waited for Jesus to come.  He didn’t show up.

What the??  He didn’t show upt??  Who does that?? What kind of friend is that?? 

Disappointment!  Major Disappointment!!

He finally showed up…4 days later! Can you imagine the look on Martha’s face?  I can see it now…I bet she was fire hot red in the face, arms flailing, ready to beat him senseless.

You know the story from here, Jesus spoke Lazarus back to life….a MIRACLE occurred…people saw with their own eyes. Here is the cool thing, it was in HIS time. Not Martha’s time,  not Mary’s time, and certainly not Lazarus’ time.

HIS time.

Jesus knew what he was doing. It wasn’t Game Over.

If Jesus had come when Martha called for Him, there would’ve been no stretching of their faith. There would’ve been no crowd of mourners to witness the great miracle. There would’ve been no resurrection to astound the Jewish community.

If Jesus had responded when the sisters first called, the greater would’ve been sacrificed for what they thought was best.

I think it is ok to have a moment(s) of disappointment. I just don’t think we can live there forever.

I think it’s ok to tell God how you feel. He can handle it.  

I told God I was disappointed. I shared with him my concerns. He listened. He understood. Then He spoke to my heart, assuring me that He had not forgotten, nor forsaken me, and even in this time of great disappointment, He is still at work and that I just need to TRUST.

The key my friends, to keeping the faith in the face of our disappointments, is simply trusting that despite our situation, that God is still at work. When it all seems lost, or life seems unfair, God still has a plan—and the power to fulfill that plan in ways we could have never imagined.

I do not know why God has allowed this virus to invade every inch of our life, nor do I know how it has affected your life or what your personal disappointment is. But this is what I do know….God still sits on the throne, He still calls the shots, and He is still in control.

On behalf of all of here at Right Turn Ministries, it is our prayer that if you too, are in a season of disappointment, whatever that may look like, we pray that God will bring to you soul restoration, healing, peace, provision, and hope where there was nothing but disappointment and despair.

As a ministry, we still face mountains too big for us to climb and valleys too deep for the light to reach, but we know that our God is a good, All the time. He is faithful and true, He will come through—maybe not the way we expect or hope, but always in a way that allows His glory and power to shine through.

In January, 2020, we are excited to be sending down a mens work team to build 4 homes for families who are active members of our In-Home Bible Studies. We want to take a moment to introduce you (with their permission, of course) and share a little of their story.

As you read about each family, we pray that you will not only hold each one of them personally in prayer, but consider making them a part of your family as well. While we are providing them the structure that will be called home, there is a need for ongoing support in their community as well. It will cost us approx $1,000 to build each home. If you would like to be a part of this amazing project, please see below how you can help!!

Family #1

THE HERNANDEZ FAMILY

There are 7 family members in this house. Gladis (37) and Santos Hernandez (64) live with their 4 children, Verceli (5), Diyani (11), Nora (14) and Dania (18). Dania is the one in the photo above. Dania is a single mom and has now since had her baby (a precious baby boy) since the above photo was taken. Verceli (pictured above with Dania) suffers from convulsions and is in kindergarten. Diyani is in 6^th grade, and Nora is in high school. The head of the household, Santos Hernandez, passes large parts of the year away from the family in whatever agriculture work he can find. Gladis also works part of the year when coffee is in production. Usually at least one family member is at every Bible study we do.

FAMILY #2

THE ORELLANA FAMILY

There are 5 people living in this house. Bienvenida and Carlos Orellana, have three children, Luz (14), Jon (8), and a newborn (who I do not have details on yet). Carlos works in agriculture or in what ever work he is able to find. Luz is no longer able to attend school due to inability to pay, while her brother Jon is in Second grade now. Jon wants to be involved in every house we build and every project we do. He is a very curious and friendly boy. His mom is a regular at our Bible studies and Sunday services.

FAMILY # 3

THE DIAZ FAMILY

There are only 3 members in this family. Anabel and Jose Diaz live with their son Hector (11). Jose works odd jobs and in agriculture, while Anabel has started a small neighborhood store since this photo was taken. She and Hector are regulars at our Bible studies. The drinks we buy for the Bible study come from their family store, which we try to support. There are several neighborhood stores in the community, but theirs is the smallest. They are also the only family with a store that come to our Bible studies, so we make sure to support them with that weekly business. Jose is also Dona Isabel’s son, the lady where we have been holding our Bible studies. Often times Anabel and Hector help Dona Isabel clean up the area for the Bible studies, as well as to help stack and unstack chairs. Hector is currently in 6th grade.

FAMILY # 4

THE MANZANO FAMILY

Four people live on this property. Reyna Manzano (61) is a regular at our Bible studies. She is one of the few community members that have been involved in a church before. Several of her children live in the community, but only two of her sons currently live with her Jose (23) and Salvador (19). Their property is filled with makeshift structures that her sons have built. Both of her sons work at the nearby fish factory, mostly caring for the fish in the fish ponds. Jose recently married (since this photo was taken), and his wife lives with him.

Bible Study Pictures showing families 1 through 4 attending

How You Can Help….

Did you wake up today with a roof over you head? Were you able to grab a bite to eat? If so, then that is twice as much as these 4 families got to do today. We have a unique opportunity to provide them with a home…a real house…something to call their very own.

We also have been blessed with the opportunity to provide them with a meal each week during our weekly Bible Studies.

We would like to invite you on this journey with us. Be a part of this life changing event by helping provide the funding we need to get the job done.

We need $1,000 per home, but not only that, when we leave, we want to leave the community with a food supply to hold them over until we return in July.

To make tax deductible donation, simply use the DONATE HERE

http://rightturnministries.com/donate-here/tab on this website, or you can mail to: Right Turn Ministries, FNP, 315 Las Olas Drive, Belleville, IL 62221