Dear friends and family,
Hello! We hope each of you (spread across the country and world) have had a wonderful summer and autumn and are enjoying celebrating the holidays. We write to you as we are once again preparing to leave for Honduras! Our family is set to travel to Orphanage Emmanuel in a few weeks. We will be staying there for just under three months as we volunteer as a family, serving and working with the people of Honduras. We are very excited about this trip and Joey, Guy and Elena are also looking forward to their time there once again.
When we returned home last February we were so relieved to be back home and focused on getting Elena back to her healthy self. Before we had even left Honduras however, both Joe and I knew that we would be returning. There are so many children who need love, care and attention, and we saw how every small act of love and care added up. Some people have been surprised that we are going back to Honduras. Even after Elena’s bout with Dengue? Even with our young boys who are getting more involved with school and friends? Yes. We are pro-life and pro- ABUNDANT life. Pro- children being cared for and young adults being valued. We truly believe that every life is valuable just because God has deemed it so. As we move forward in our own lives we desire to express the inclusive, radical love of Jesus by serving others. We are unbelievably grateful to be able to teach our children these truths as we live and learn as a family. We feel extremely blessed that we have the opportunity to volunteer once again with Orphanage Emmanuel and learn more about the culture and people of Honduras, while helping to take care of the smallest and most vulnerable little ones.
This year we will be helping in similar ways as we did last year, but also working more with the special needs children at the orphanage. Instead of staying in a house our family will all be squeezing into one bedroom (eek!). We will be homeschooling Joey Guy and Elena and learning more Spanish and eating lots of beans and rice!
We can’t begin to tell you how blessed we were by your interest, support and prayers last year. Knowing that we had a community behind us helped us to go forward and walk in this way. We honestly thank God for you. We tell our children that community is important, that people and the connections between us matter and we have been so blessed to be able to show them tangible ways in which they can see evidence of this. This year I will be posting updates once again on this blog...If you would like to receive updates then PLEASE sign up over here on the top right where it says "follow by email". You will be emailed by the blog every time we post! That way with our limited internet we can update and post in one place!
Many of you have asked how you can support our family. Thank you! This year we have two ways:
***If you would like a tax deductible way to support our family and Orphanage Emmanuel, you are able to write a check made out to our church: THIRD WAY and in the memo line write Mission Honduras. All the money will go to help support our family’s time in Honduras and can be mailed directly to:
Third Way Church
1536 W. Minnehaha Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55104
1536 W. Minnehaha Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55104
***Another way to give is directly to us; as we will be collecting funds to help with the cost of our travels as well to donate to cover needs that we are made aware of while we are there!
Spadino . 245 Red Pine Circle, Hudson, WI 54016
Thank you so much for your generosity!
As always, your prayers are the most valuable to us. And we mean that sincerely. We believe that our Creator God hears us, responds to us and deeply cares for us. Praying for wisdom, safety and good health would bless us tremendously. Please also pray for the children and people of Orphanage Emmanuel. As we celebrate this Christmas season we sing Oh come Oh come Emmanuel. We know He has. So that we may have life, and life abundant. Our prayer is that these children (and our children!) will know the love of Jesus deep in their hearts, and that He would sustain them all of their days.
Thank you dear friends!
Peace and love to you,
Kate and Joe
