Latest Newsletter
¡Feliz Navidad!
Wow! A lot has been happening, both in Honduras and with our non-profit. We have some bad news, some good news, and some great news. It calls to mind Job’s pronouncement in Job 1:21: “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Regardless of the situation, we praise the Lord!
And we also thank Him for all of you who are helping to make such a difference in Honduras. Despite some trying times lately for most people here in the United States, sponsors and donors like you have continued to give. Your gifts truly do make a difference in people’s lives.
I just want to take this opportunity to remind you that all your donations go directly to help those who need it in Honduras. Everyone who works on our non-profit is a volunteer, so nothing is spent on overhead. Please know that every penny goes right into the mission field.
May you have a most blessed Christmas!
Tim Williams
Christmas Parade Fundraiser
Our hometown of Greensburg, KY, held its Christmas parade on November 28th. Hope & Help for Honduras was there with a small booth on the town square. Various handmade Christmas stockings and small, wooden rocking horses were sold to raise funds. A poster and flyers provided information about our charity. All proceeds raised at the Christmas parade will go to purchase school books for students in need. By the way, some Christmas stockings are still available for sale for $12 plus shipping. Contact us at tim@HopeHelpHonduras.org if you would like to purchase one.
Hurricanes Hit Honduras
Already devastated by the Coronavirus and the government’s reaction to it, Honduras was hit with twin hurricanes in November. Hurricane Eta hit Honduras on November 4th and Hurricane Iota hit on November 17th. The storms are estimated to have caused $5 billion in economic damages, which is about 20% of the nation’s GDP. Flooding ravaged many parts of Honduras. Fortunately for Hands for Jesus Christian School, there was only minor flooding in Guaimaca and the school wasn’t damaged.
Even in the aftermath of the hurricanes, our food ministry is going strong. Because teachers are on half pay, we are providing grocery packages to them twice a month. While that may not seem like a lot to us, it makes a huge impact on them. Thanks to our outstanding donors, the food ministry is funded until February!
On-line School
As you already know, Honduras has been on a very strict lockdown because of the Coronavirus. All schools in the country are either closed or teaching via on-line classes. While we in the United States have the technical ability to do on-line classes pretty easily, that’s not the case in Honduras. The teachers at Hands for Jesus Christian School use their personal cellphones to teach on-line class, but with their pay currently cut in half, they can’t always afford cellphone service.
To help remedy some of this, we have been trying to get a computer for each grade, so teachers can use the school’s internet to hold on-line classes. As a side benefit, when the pandemic is over, the computers can then be re-purposed for use in the school’s computer lab (which is woefully short of computers).
Thanks to very kind donors, we are very close to reaching our goal of a computer for each grade. Some donors offered to give us their used computers, while others donated funds to purchase new computers. We will send all of these computers to Honduras with our next shipment.
If you would like to donate to help purchase a computer, you can do so at our PayPal Charity link.
School Graduation
Hands for Jesus Christian School celebrated graduation in November. The Honduran school year runs from February to November. This year, two students–Wendy and Dalila–graduated from 11th grade (the top grade in Honduran high school). You may be wondering why only two students graduated. In Honduras, school is mandatory only until 6th grade, and even then, only about half of students actually graduate from 6th grade.
Shipping Time!
We plan to send a shipment of computers and classroom supplies to Honduras in January. If you sponsor a child and would like to send them something, now would be the perfect time. Also, if you would like to send any supplies, you can send them to us for shipment, or pick something from the Amazon Wish List of needed classroom supplies (be sure to have it delivered here). Our address is Hope & Help for Honduras, 2270 New Hope Rd, Greensburg KY 42743.
Closing Thoughts
Before going, we’d like to note that we’re always looking for new sponsors. Right now, there are three students who need partial sponsorships. If you know someone who would be interested in sponsoring a child, please send them this link.
If you have a friend or family member who may be interested in our organization and what we’re doing, please put them in contact with us. Also, if your church (or some other group) would be interested in what we’re doing to help the lost and suffering in Honduras, we’d love to come share our story. The easiest way to contact us is by email: tim@HopeHelpHonduras.org.
As always, we truly appreciate your prayers. Please pray for the following:
- God’s protection and guidance of the students, their families, and the teachers during these months that they are out of school.
- That just as God promised Israel in very trying times, He will even now change people’s hearts and bring them to salvation.
- The work that we do and which you contribute to will all be for the building up of His kingdom, for His glory.