Emmanuel Orphanage!

As many of you know, Emmanuel Orphanage in Honduras has been sending 2 students a year to Portantorchas. Portantorchas provides a full scholarship, but this in no way means that there aren't costs associated with these students for Emmanuel. With travel expenses, insurance, immigration procedures, health issues (insurance is for emergencies), etc., we recommend that these students bring $450 additionally. This is an added burden for Emmanuel as they already have over 400 kids that they are trusting the Lord for on a daily basis.

Personally, I would like to relieve Emmanuel of this burden, and would like some of our Alumni to consider giving toward this specific need. I usually don't like asking for money for Portantorchas' needs (although I've been breaking with tradition lately), but I have no problem asking for money for others. You can follow the link at the top of the page to www.portantorchas.org to donate through paypal. If we have a high response, we will simply put that money in the bank for future students from Emmanuel.

Take this opportunity as well to remember to keep Portantorchas in your prayers. We are always longing for them.

Capital Fundraiser Update!

On December 8th I began the official capital campaign fundraiser for Portantorchas. Obviously, there is a little bit of jesting here, as I am obviously not expecting to raise $65 million dollars for the school. But there are some very real needs that we could use donations for.

Recently, somebody asked me how the capital campaign fundraiser was going. After two months, we have managed to raise $320 total on this attempt (I see Development Job offers lining up). These donations come from two sources, total. One of those donations was of particular encouragement to me. One alumnus sent a $10 donation through pay pal (check the link on the right column).

When I wrote her to thank her, this is what I received.
"Thank you for your Email! I am thinking very often about Port - and my aim is to come back one day as student, visitor or something else, we will see.
I am going to support you regularly. I don't know why that only occcured to me now, but better late than never ;-)"

Yesterday, I received the second $10 donation, and felt that I needed to publicly recognize that gift. Obviously I won't mention names, but I do want to say "Thank you."

Anna Jimenez (Strom)

In the Fall of 2000, Anna Strom came as a student to Portantorchas from Estes Park, Colorado. With excellent Spanish, a servant's heart and attitude, and great leadership, we were happy to have her as a part of our family. As is the case with many of our students, we never heard from Anna again, until a few years back I heard again (I can't quite recall the reason or occasion).

Anna had moved to Honduras to work in the slums through a ministry called Servant Partners. Anna has been serving the urban poor through multiple means (you can check out her blog at http://annajstrom.blogspot.com/ or http://annadejimenez.wordpress.com/), from sharing the gospel with children, to partnering with churches to send missionaries into the harvest field.

In August of 2008, Anna married Guillermo Jimenez, a Honduran who shares Anna's passion for reaching out to those around him with the Gospel. Guillermo has a MA in Economic Development from Eastern University. Pray for Anna and Guillermo as they are finding ways in which the Lord will use their gifts and talents for His glory and honor.

His Protection Exemplified!

As many of you are aware, Portantorchas is on a beautiful campus filled by the grandeur of God's creation. On a very small campus, we have beautiful fields, beautiful trees, beautiful plants, flowers, and even fish. On Thursday, I was commenting to our students how much I love admiring God's creation, as a way of seeing God's glory.

That same Thursday, I both got to see the truth of God's fallen creation, as well as another reminder of his constant and continuous protection. For some reason, that I will never understand, God has used the trees at Portantorchas as a sign of His protection. We have had too many close events with trees, that have never amounted to more than that... close events.

Years back, while sitting in the office, I heard an incredibly loud crash. Running to the back, from where the noise originated, I saw Morris, one of our former staff members standing next to the lawn tractor, and right behind a branch the size of a tree. His story is fascinating. Seconds before the crash, as he was mowing the lawn right under the tree, the tractor just stopped for no reason. When he got down to check it, this huge branch, fell less than a couple of feet in front of him. Clearly, the Lord's hand was over him.

We have been cutting many trees, for safety reasons in the last week. Some of our huge pines (over 100 feet high) are being cut. On Wednesday a cold front entered Costa Rica which forced us to stop cutting trees, although there was only one more tree left in that area to cut. Thursday the wind picked up to speeds of about 85km per hour reeking havoc all over the country but pounding on that one tree. The tree did not hold against the wind and literally snapped in half, something that I didn't know was possible, and that is really amazing to see, were it not so dangerous. Most of the tree landed in empty space, but the end of the branches reached out to our neighbors' home, and did about $600 worth of damage to their roof. Had the tree snapped one or two feet lower, we would be telling a different story as it would have done significant damage.

I often wonder why $600 worth of damage, and not simply no damage at all. One more day, and the tree guys would have eliminated that danger altogether. Perhaps the neighbors got to see our responsibility in covering the damage immediately (we got to work on it right away, and were done by Saturday morning, even making improvements on their roof), which I believe is part of our Christian testimony. But, why did Morris have to be right next to the branch, and not watch it fall from a distance? I don't know. Some people don't even get the privilege of close calls. But I can say that when I walked over there, it was very clear, as it has been in my many years of working here, that God's hand is on this place. Sure... I'll keep cutting down old and dangerous trees, and replanting new and healthy ones... but that only means that as we continue to try to make this place safer, He will show us through other ways that He is still protecting us.

(the picture is not the actual tree. I'll post a picture of the actual one, when I get one.)

¡Un Nuevo Inicio!

El lunes, 2 de febrero empezamos con un nuevo grupo de estudiantes de Portantorchas. Presentemente tenemos 25 de los 35 que se supone que han de venir. Le damos Gracias a Dios por la oportunidad que nos brinda cada año de recibir a estos hombres y mujeres para que crezcan en su conocimiento de Jesucristo como Señor, Salvador y Vida.

Por favor recuerde orar por nosotros. Recuerde orar por los muchachos, porque el Unico capaz de traer un cambio a las vidas de ellos es nuestro Dios. Oren para que todos (estudiantes y staff) podamos experimentar la Vida Abundante que sólo Cristo puede dar.