Family Outreach

Newsletter- August 2007

Dear Friends,

We greet you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, praying that His hand is upon each of you.  For many months Chuck has been sharing the gospel with several individuals.  In October there will be some baptisms.  In el Progreso several families are participating in the church services held there.  Three people have asked for baptism.  There will also be two baby blessings.  There are several others in el Progreso that are receiving classes.  Some of these individuals want to continue classes before they are baptized.

Chuck gives each person who wants to be baptized, classes over the fundamental doctrines of the church.  We use a program very similar to “I will build my Church”.  The candidates must also realize and understand subjects such as:  authority, Zion, sanctification, and why the church uses the Book of Mormon.  These subjects are taught over a period of several months.  After the baptism in water, classes continue to be taught until each person understands priesthood and church member responsibilities.

In Siguatepeque there are several families that are also receiving classes.  There are four who have asked to be baptized, but only two are ready at this time.  We ask that you continue to pray for these individuals that are receiving classes. 

Twenty-two members of the Siguatepeque branch went to visit a village called las Delicias on Aug 26th.  There is a family there that asked us to go and have church services.  The drive took about two hours.  There were approximately twenty-four people from las Delicias present that Sunday morning.  We had a church service and Sunday school classes for adults, youth, and children.  The individuals from las Delicas provided lunch for everyone.  Sharing with this group was enjoyable.  Please pray for the village of las Delicias.  We will continue to visit there from time to time in hopes that a mission will be established.

***

My name is Elizabeth Sperry.  I am 17 years old and I would like to share with you the wonderful things that the Lord is doing.  Since I was very young, God has given me the opportunity and desire to share the gospel with children.  When I was nine years old, I was asked to teach a Sunday school class in a village where my dad was giving church services.  I was pleased to be able to teach a class of 20-25 children.  A young lady from the congregation would sit in on the classes.  She learned how to give the classes and was given the responsibility to teach the children when my family made a trip to the United States. 

A few years later I was asked again to teach a Sunday school class in a town near Lake Yojoa.  This time reaching out to the children was rather difficult.  Many of the children in the town were not interested in receiving classes. There were other things that attracted their attention, so my class was small.  There were about 15 children who came.  After two years my family and I visited the States for about 3 months.  My father asked a couple of the ministers that live about a half an hour from there to visit the mission once a week.  They said that they would, but only one of them visited there during the entire time that we were gone and he only visited it once.  Another minister that lives only fifteen minutes from there volunteered to visit them on a regular basis also, but he never visited them at all.  When we got back, the mission was dead.  The people felt that if no one really cared enough to visit them then why continue to have classes.

Two months ago a neighbor girl came to visit us.  She had attended previous church school classes that my Mom had given in our home on Sunday afternoons several years ago.  One day while she was visiting she asked us if we could give Sunday school classes again.  She said that she would be willing to go with me and invite the children of the neighborhood.  We agreed on a day and went together inviting children to come to Sunday afternoon classes.  This time it would be myself and Tikva, my sister who would be teaching the classes.   We have anywhere from 15-25 children come to class.  They all seem to be so eager to learn new stories and songs.  We have a scripture story, an art page, sing songs, and then we go outside and play.  Everyone has a good time. I hope that one day some of these children will accept Christ and want to be baptized.

Recently I began to pray to the Lord and ask Him to provide work for me.  I wanted to save money for college and help my family financially.  The very next day a neighbor lady came and asked me if I could tutor her son who was in second grade during summer break.  When he began school I no longer tutored him.  A week passed and I heard that there was position open at a bilingual school.  The teacher that they had lined up to come from the United States was not able to come.  I interviewed for the job and am now teaching English to preschool and kindergarten children weekday mornings.  Afternoons, because I am home-schooled, I spend doing my own schoolwork.  The job does not pay very much.  I get $250.00 a month, but it helps the family and I will be able to save some money in order to go to the States to study. 

I would like to get a degree in teaching English as a second language.  God is our provider.  I am grateful that he not only heard my prayers, but has answered them also.  God bless each of you as you serve Him.

***

Prayer Requests:

Pray for the mission in El Progreso

Pray for the people in las Delicias

Pray for the church here in Siguatepeque

Pray for the church body here in Honduras

Pray for Elizabeth and Charles as they prepare and plan for what the Lord wants them to do in the near future.

Pray for the Sperry vehicle as it needs repairs so they can continue to use it.

Financial report from the Sperry Family May-August 2008

                        May                             June                             July                  August

Income                        $2040.81                     2000.00                      304.72            2213.23

Shelter             $   22.24                         138.22                       115.66              154.28

Food                $ 545.75                         572.69                      507.86             521.08

Clothing          $   51.16                             0.00                           0.00               47.67

Pers./school     $ 306.32                           11.36                         82.06               63.52

Medical           $ 111.50                           20.43                         13.22               42.35

Transp.            $ 395.57                         271.10                      298.43             687.96

Taxes               $     0.00                             31.1                           0.00                 0.00

Misc. Nec.       $   33.18                           54.57                         43.94                  9.85

Tithe                $ 204.28                         204.81                         26.67             221.32

Misc. Unnec.  $   11.14                              4.50                         96.21                  6.89

TOTALS:       $ 359.67                          691.22                      -879.33              458.31

FOUR MONTH TOTAL:   $ 629.87

This $629.87 is what we are using to live on for the month of September.  Thank you.