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Christmas 2002 With the Griggs
Merry Christmas and Happy
New Year from Meghan, Zachary, Laurie, and Ray Griggs in Puerto Lempira,
Gracias a Dios, Honduras. Another year is coming to a close and God
continues to show us that he is at work in La Mosquitia and in the lives
that we are fortunate enough to become involved in.
Our children’s health continues to be good with a few of the typical
coughs and colds. Zachary had stitches twice this year, the first in
January after getting caught in barbed wire and the latest was when a
friend got a little wild with a machete. Luckily it was not deep and the
friend didn’t intentionally swing at him, Zachary was walking by at the
wrong time.
We have been able to help start many new, small private businesses this
year, in fact the number is over 30. It is literally amazing to see how
the Lord continues to open doors and bring the right entrepreneurs
forward. We are able to work through several of the Moravian ministers
even though politically they were blocked from working with us. This has a
real multiplier effect because each of these ministers is training a
younger pastor so the stewardship that Ray is able to impart is being
shared with many more pastors and Christians than Ray would have time or
ability to share with individually.
Three additional Moravian Churches started businesses this year and two of
them were those receiving stewardship training through their minister and
local pastor. We are helping the members to give of their time in addition
to the crops and money. For example, the church in Kuri on the Kruta River
has two women operate the church store and restaurant every day. 12 people
per week tithe time so that their local church can be more
self-sufficient. It is working. The church has bought and almost paid off
a gasoline generator and is now paying on a freezer that is part of the
church store. This is the first generator and freezer ever in this
village. Ray spent a couple of days with the church elders in early
December teaching them to operate and maintain the generator, as well as
wiring the church, parsonage, and church |
multipurpose building for
lights, the freezer, and a future electric piano. These are the first
electric lights to ever be in the village and they were operating just in
time for the second Sunday in Advent. It was truly amazing to see the
dedication service of the new lights and generator.
The people thanked God and
each other for making the dream a reality. They had been talking about and
planning this for over 2 years. I was proud that they did not make a big
deal about my part of the happening. They are already planning how they
will be expanding the church business next year. I am fortunate to be
helping Christians to realize more of the potential and confidence that
they can have with just a little bit of encouragement.
Some of the other businesses that we helped to start this past year were
loggers (they use chainsaws) and wood sawers that are now using a bandsaw
instead of chainsaws to rip boards. This has doubled their yield due to
fewer losses. Alfred Tillema from Wisconsin and a member of the Reformed
Church in America made the difference in this area with a two week
training course that took a bandsaw that had been donated a couple of
years ago from being idle to actually being used. A sewing cooperative is
making sheets and mosquito nets locally. Another church group is baking
bread and pastries to sell. Additionally, we have helped to start a
lobster diving boat, seafood marketing and a watermelon farm, a teak tree
plantation, and African palm plantation businesses this year.
We wish to thank everyone for all of the love, prayer support,
communication, financial support and guidance that we have received in the
past year. It has been wonderful and greatly appreciated.
Joyfully in the love of Jesus Christ, the reason for the season,
The Griggs
(Edited for
space needs. I will be glad to email the whole letter if you desire. JHG)
Bethsalem@aol.com |