Purpose & Perspective

Once again, Chris and I are long overdue for sending an update. I actually wrote most of it in August. All I can say is that Life is FULL and so is this update!

Early this year on our return to Honduras, I (Sharon) jumped right into getting our house cleaned and livable after being gone during the rainy season; think ‘spring-cleaning on steroids’. Since this is just about the only time I ever clean J, I was feeling so good about the house and ready to face the new year. I also jumped back into my routine of working on Tuesdays in the clinic in Cacao with Dr. Judy Blumhofer and on Saturdays with Dr. Ana Juarez in Las Mangas. I absolutely love both of these jobs and really feel like they help to renew my soul, even though I always come home physically worn out.

However, since the summer of 2023, my right shoulder has been bothering me. For the most part I simply ignored it. However, every now and then, I thought, “I need to have this looked at”. But life is so full…so I didn’t. Then in February of this year, the pain got so bad that I couldn’t ignore it any longer. It is quite a long story and a very complicated one. I have an external impingement, biceps tendonitis and frozen shoulder (an extremely complicating factor). And they are exacerbating one another. It being my right arm very much impedes my normal life! That’s the dark cloud, now the silver lining…In difficult circumstances that is when we are in position to see more clearly and be blessed. Trust me, I don’t like it and would not choose it, but I do believe God has a purpose in this injury. God is good, all the time. My husband: who’s schedule is already full to overflowing has been doing the dishes (and I mean ALL of them) for months now; all fruit, vegetable, and food chopping; and about 100 other little and big things I can’t or should not do; and he does it willingly and lovingly, I am so grateful! And I am getting help from complete strangers! So, I need physical therapy, but I cannot access that here. A friend of mine reached out to a physical therapist she knows in the States and asked if she would be willing to talk with me…willing? She has been amazing! Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without her willing heart and knowledgeable expertise. She is truly a Godsend. And another stranger (friend of a friend) who is an orthopedic PA saw me in Florida on very short notice. Our God is a big God, and he works through the hearts and hands of His people, and I see myself as a direct beneficiary! And financially…health problems are expensive, even in Honduras J. However, through the incredible generosity of others, God has provided for this additional expense. We are so grateful! I tell you all these things as a testimony of God’s goodness and faithfulness and to remind myself as this struggle continues. God is good, all the time! <Last minute update – I was cleared by the orthopedic PA to drive and do medical work again!!!>

All that said, one of my biggest struggles is that I am currently not able to drive or do my nurse practitioner work with Dr. Judy or Dra. Ana. This is very hard for me, as I love it and miss it. That does not mean that I sit around however! I have been doing lots of work here at Give Hope 2 Kids ministry. This year, inspired by a friend, I decided to commit every Monday to what I call “ministry Mondays” meaning a full day’s work doing whatever needs to be done that week. (Now, keep in mind that everything does take me longer to do, as I do most things with my left hand/arm.) I receive, organize, store, and distribute all the donations we receive here. Some come on a scheduled basis, but most do not. A big job, and one that I take very seriously, is being responsible for all the kids’ birthday presents. I glean most of them from donations received throughout the year. It is a very big job! Apart from donations, I also distribute certain items to the houses on a regular basis. And I am the lead person on knowing what the needs are for the kids and families when we solicit help from generous donors in the US. This year, Ben and Kelita Johnson, new missionary volunteers, often come up to Urraco and are a HUGE, HUGE help with this job. Additionally, their children often jump in and help! They have been a huge encouragement to me in this often lonely and never-ending work!

One life giving activity that I was able to participate in was a sexual health education mini seminar held in a local Jr. High and High School. I was able to ride the local bus there and back! I am proud to say that, even though I did not really do much, but I did inspire the activity! There are three Jr. highs and two high schools that serve the young people of our rural river valley. One has a very good reputation, the other two less so. One school in particular, I have heard many comments over the years (mostly from adult women) that they would never send their daughters to “that school”. “Why?” I would ask. And almost always the response would have something to do with the fact that so many girls that go there end up getting pregnant. I myself have observed this phenomenon, often seeing these young ladies on pregnancy visits. So, when Chris and I met with a missionary in our area who helps sponsor kids to go to that school, and he told us that the locals in his village say, “Send your daughter there if you want to be a grandparent,” all these facts started to come together. I talked to Dra. Ana Juarez, who runs a clinic in Las Mangas, and she immediately wanted to do something! She really took it from there! She used her connections in the valley to set up a time for education and little gifts for all the female students and teachers at the school. Though we cannot make decisions for these young women, our goal is to educate, offer options and opportunity, share love and not judgement, teach truth over rumor and superstition, and encourage these beautiful young ladies of their true value in the eyes of GOD. One of the best things offered that day were 100% confidential and free consultations with Dr. Ana at her clinic to any teenage girl with questions or seeking help. Unfortunately, in this culture, women often exclusively bear the consequences and shame of unplanned pregnancies, which can set them up for a life of dependency and poverty.

As for Chris, he tells me this letter is already too long! But he wants to say how thankful he is for such wonderful teachers. Kathryn, who started the beginning of the 4th quarter last year is extremely dedicated to her Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd graders, in sickness and in health J. Oscar, her husband, who teaches English, Art, Bible and tutors one of our special needs kids. He is so incredibly adaptable, jumping in to fill any and all needs. And Victor, who shares the other half of the 3rd, 4th, and 6th grade classes with Chris, is ever steady. Chris is so very thankful for this team, whose maturity and sense of responsibility have significantly reduced many of the last-minute emergencies that had been common in previous school years.

As we mentioned in our last letter, we continue to try to make and keep healthy lifestyle choices that will enable us to serve God here in Honduras long-term. It is a work in progress! Mark Comer’s The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry has been very impactful, and we have become intentional about taking one day a week to rest our bodies and our souls. It has been good. Not easy, but good.

Two Oswald Chamber quotes that are particularly encouraging to me right now:

“God does not give us overcoming life: He gives us life, as we OVERCOME!”

“We are not meant to be seen as God’s bright-shining examples, but to be seen as the everyday essence of ordinary life exhibiting the miracle of HIS GRACE.”

We are thankful for:

• Sharon being cleared to drive and do medical work again, which she loves! x100 🙂
• The entire Johnson family, their friendship and their hard work.
• Kathryn, Oscar, and Victor and their commitment to each student.
• The many generous donations to Give Hope 2 Kids ministry that provide for so many kids.

Please pray for:

• The continued and complete healing of Sharon’s shoulder.
• Relief from migraine headaches (Chris & Sharon both).
• The final month of the school year, that teachers and students would finish well.
• Repairs and maintenance needed on our 34-year-old vehicle. Which we love!