News from Honduras
Family Outreach Newsletter
May/June 2003
Dear Friends,
We greet you in the name of Christ. We miss seeing everyone. October through December 2002 we were very occupied with the family camp which we had the first week in January 2003. It was a wonderful experience.
Our family has been ministering to a church family in El Progreso near the North coast (about 2 hours from Siguatepeque). Once a month Chuck goes to El Progreso to give ministry to this family. Brother Juan and his family also come to Siguatepeque once a month to go to church with us and we help them with their transportation costs. They stay in our home for the weekend. It is very enjoyable having them visit us every month.
The Homes Visited
There are three families here in Siguatepeque that Chuck has been visiting regularly. The first family is Ismael and Maruja Bevilacqua. This is the couple from Peru that attended the 2nd Central Missouri reunion of 2002. Ismael is very open to hearing God´s word. He is meeting with resistance from some of his family members though. Please pray for them.
Javier and Doris Inestroza are another couple with whom we have been sharing. Javier is the brother of Sonia Robinson who lives in Independence. They are both reading the Book of Mormon. Javier and his wife have just left for the States. We pray that they will be witnessed to while they are there.
Les and Pat Wilson are the third couple. They are from the US and we have been sharing with them for 8 years. They have come a long way. Once atheists, they have now accepted Christ as their Savior. There have been a lot of trials for them in the last few years. Les just returned from the States after his second open heart surgery. Les has read "In Quest of the White God", and "He Walked the Americas”. He believes that Jesus Christ probably did come here to preach to the people after His resurrection.
We ask you to keep these three couples in your prayers. Pray that the Holy Spirit will minister to them and that they will accept the gospel. At times we don't see the results of our missionary work, but like Paul wrote, one plants, one waters and another reaps, but the increase is the Lord's.
Family Outreach may now be contacted by e-mail and via our Web site. Come visit us on the Internet to find out more about Family Outreach, missions opportunities in Honduras, and to read testimonies from past newsletters.
E-mail : familyoutreach@earthlink.net
Web : http/home.earthlink.net/~familyoutreach
The Gospel Preached
We had a few visitors during February and March of 2003. Jim Noland was one of those who came. Chuck and Jim went to Subirana where brother Chema Manzanares' family lives. They drove through mud that was sometimes up to the bumper of the truck. Chema had invited over 100 people to his birthday party that night, but not everyone was able to show up because of the mud caused by the heavy rains.
Brother Chema asked Chuck to preach at his party about Christ restoring His gospel and the Book of Mormon to the earth. The Spirit was present and that was the first time many of them had ever heard the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will convict many of them of the truthfulness of His gospel and of the efficacy of His sacrifice. Chuck and Jim were able to visit many of the congregations here.
We appreciate the ministry which Jim gave during his stay and his help in finishing the visitors' house and goat barn. Thanks Jim. Chuck´s mother also came from the States to visit us for two months. It was so nice to have her here. The people really enjoyed visiting with her too!
We would like to invite others to come and share in the work here. Please ask the Lord if He wants you to help in the mission field. Two new missions have opened since Jan. 2003.
Beginning in May, Elder Antonio Orellana and Chuck will be working together in the newest of these missions.
A Miracle of Healing
Our middle son, Timothy started complaining in February about abdominal pains, but we thought that it was probably amoebas and so dosed him for a few days with vinegar. When the pain went away we figured that had solved the problem. The pain returned though and then we noticed that he had a protrusion on his lower left side that was approximately 3˝ inches long, 1 inch wide, with ˝ inch protruding. We then realized that it was an inguinal hernia.
One night during a church service Timothy suddenly bent over in pain and turned white. Chuck asked him if he would like to have a laying on of hands for a healing, and he said he would. Chuck and elder Gerardo Tinoco laid hands on his head and the hernia immediately went back in. We thought that he had been healed and so let him run around, mix concrete, lift rocks etc. After about 3 days he began complaining again about pain in his abdomen. We checked and found a very slight protrusion about the size of a dime. We decided that it would be best for him to go to the States with Chuck for an examination and if necessary an operation.
When they arrived in the States, they called Children's Mercy Hospital to make a doctor's appointment. They were told that it would be three weeks before he could see a doctor.A week later, they visited some friends and the visit turned into a prayer and praise service. During the service, a lady who did not know them spoke under the influence of the Spirit to Timothy. She said that God had called him to share His word with many people.
This agrees with the experience which we had when God told us before he was even born that his name was "Eliad" or God's witness. Also, the elders who blessed him when he was a baby said that he would be called to share the gospel with many people. After this sister had spoken, she then went over and laid her hands on Timothy and asked the Lord to heal him. The Spirit was there in power and he was healed.
During the next two weeks he ran and jumped and did whatever he wanted to with no problems.He had not been able to do this before, but had to "take it easy". When Timothy saw the doctor a couple of weeks later, the doctor could not find the hernia. Thank you Father! Thanks also to all of you who prayed for him. The Lord sure is good!
For those who are interested, the Scriptural precedent for a believer to lay on hands for the healing of the sick (without anointing with oil) is found in Mark 16:16-19, Mormon 4:87-88, D & C 34:3c, D & C 83:10c-11g. Only elders have the right to anoint with oil while laying on hands. The difference between the two is the spiritual healing (forgiveness) which can come with the elders laying on hands (James 5:16-17). With believers laying on hands for healing the sick, there is only a promise of a physical healing that comes through the exercise of faith.
As most of you know, we homeschool our six children. During the past 5 months we have also had a young lady by the name of Kathleen Castillo homeschooling with us. Her mother, Reina Castillo, is from Honduras. Kathleen was born and raised in the States. She and her family came to Honduras to live for a year. Many of her relatives are church members. Kathleen was baptized here in November 2002. She will be returning to Independence at the end of April. It has been a joy to share with her. I pray that they get involved in a branch in the Independence area.
The month of April has been long for some of us. Chuck and Timothy have been in the States. You women know how it is when the man of the house is gone. Things just seem to happen. The shower got stopped up, the truck broke down, 2 baby goats were born, as well as 12 puppies and 8 chicks. The Lord sure has been good to us.
Thanks to each one of you for your prayers and your help.
May God bless each of you,
The Sperrys
Many Thanks
We would like to extend our thanks to all those who have contributed to make this ministry successful. We would also like to specifically thank Sionita School for their donation of craft materials that were used during the family camp that was held last January.
Honduran Missions
Have you considered going to Honduras for an extended period of time to assist in mission work?
For those who have the desire, there are many opportunities to serve the Lord and bear your testimony of Jesus Christ. Teaching Sunday School classes, teaching English or sign language, and priesthood work (including going "without purse or scrip", for those who hold priesthood) are some of the possible ministries in which you might be able to assist. Several of the youth in the Centerplace have recently expressed a desire to go to Honduras. We would encourage all to make this a matter of prayer, to see what the Lord would have you do (whether in Honduras or elsewhere), and then act on the Lord's leadings. Anyone who is interested in missions to Honduras may contact Jon & Tammy Tandy for more details.
The Family Outreach mission board is incorporated as a Missouri not-for-profit religious organization, with its primary purpose being to support and sustain missionaries and their families.
Please contact us if you or your family are interested in participating in a similar missionary endeavor.
Financial Report
As mentioned in the last few newsletters, we have incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation under the name "Family Outreach". This allows tax-deductible contributions to be made to the organization. Charitable contribution letters and thank you letters were sent to those who donated during the year. Please be aware that large donations cannot be counted as deductions on personal income tax if they are made directly to the Sperry's. Donations should be written payable to "Family Outreach".
One of the purposes of Family Outreach, besides supporting missionary families, is to be a means of accountability for them. The Sperry's have kept a good financial record during their years in Honduras, and they have always maintained openness as to their finances. As their support team, we make sure they have adequate funds and consult with them regularly on the financial situation.
As a support team we are also accountable to the generous donors who contribute to this work. Following is a financial summary for Family Outreach and the Sperry family ministry in Honduras for the year 2002.
Income from contributions: $18,382.53
Total expenses: $12,294.50
Account status as of 12/02: $7,946.31
The expenses last year were a bit higher than normal due to some large repair bills on their truck. Donations were also a bit higher, due to a few large donations which were thankfully received during 2002. This has helped us get through the first several months of this year, when donations were lower than usual. The Lord continues to provide according to His gracious blessing!
Family Outreach
P.O. Box 22
Independence, MO 64051
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