A Foundation Formed

3 1/2 years ago Mike, Madison and I arrived in La Ceiba, Honduras, with the idea that we were here to do God's work. Little did we realize what HE had in store for us!  First we applied and received our residency, while at the same time establishing a recognized church by the government.  The church couldn't be recognized until it's board members (Mike and I) were residents.  Once we received our residency, the church was officially recognized by the government of Honduras.  In the meantime we started building.  Building structures, and building an amazing team!  Two High Schools, two medical clinics, a seminary, Street Children (run by Kate DeFuniak.) and a single mom's house run by our team mate Shannon Innes, and the  construction and short-team hospitality overseen by our team mates the Clow's our team has been running non-stop.  We have more coming...The Troxell's will be working in another area of La Ceiba, The McLaughlin's will be joining us and the Cain's will be coming also.  And then...we needed a Foundation.  The Foundation has become Puerta de Esperanza (the door of hope).  This was inspired by Shannon and her women's house for high-risk pregnant and/or single mom's.  The Foundation's name and legal standing will oversee all of our other ministries that we start.  It's been a long time in coming...and little did Shannon know that when she chose the name, she would be choosing the name for our future Foundation.  But what a great message. Shannon chose this name because she was inspired from Hosea 2:14-20 (verse 15 refers to the Door of Hope)

The LORD’s Mercy on Israel

 ¹⁴"Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
   and bring her into the wilderness,
   and speak tenderly to her.
¹⁵And there I will give her her vineyards
   and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,
   as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.

 ¹⁶"And in that day, declares the LORD, you will call me 'My Husband,' and no longer will you call me 'My Baal.' ¹⁷For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. ¹⁸And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. ¹⁹And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. ²⁰ I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD.

To be consistent, there is a likelihood (although we shall see as time passes) to use "Puerta de Esperanza" and attach what the ministry is - "casa" - for the women's house, "hogar" - for the children's house - "clinica de salud" for the medical clinic...who knows...we shall see as the Lord leads where this will go.