chats with the spratts 4th qtr 2012

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Forwarding Agent:Normanda Christian Churchc/o Mrs. Larry AlderferP.O. Box 8Tipton, IN 46072

Phone: 765-947-5237

Field Address:John & Madonna Spratt

P.O. Box 89Puerto Cortes

Honduras, Central America

Cell Phone: 011-504-98596475E-mail: [email protected]

Books, Books and More BooksMadonna finally finished the book about her 50

years as a missionary. One day while we were on fur-lough, this big truck came to deliver over 3,000 books. I think we ordered too many. If you are interested in hav-ing one of her books, you can write to her sister, Mari-lyn Nash, 9251 W. 150 N., Tipton, IN 46072-8324 and enclose a check for $24.96 and she will send it to you.

John with boxes and boxes of books.

Merry Christmas from the Spratts

The big truck that brought the books toDanny and Marilyn’s home.

Centro de Salud,Las Brisas de Chamelecon

It has been almost 20 years since Madonna started seeing patients in Las Brisas. “Centro de Salud” means health care center. Since that time we have seen 51,153 patients from 89 different towns and villages. I say “we” as Madonna has had three different Honduran nurses who have helped, plus doctors and nurses who have come for a short time from the States who have seen patients as well.

After morning devotions, the patients wait outside to be called in. One day a lady was talking on her cell phone as she waited. Nearly everyone has a cell phone now and often you see someone talking as they ride their bicycle. Since 2008 I have had a full time nurse working with me. Gil-ma Avilez de Sandoval is one of the young people we helped with her education. After she finished high school, she did a year of Auxiliary Nursing in Puerto Cortés and the government allowed her to do her service year with me at Las Brisas. She is very capable and sees all the patients now in the morning. I only go over for an hour in the af-

ternoons. It shows how patients have confidence in her. If they didn’t, they could come see me in the after-noons -- but they don’t.

Gilma re-cently bought a motorcycle to use in getting to the Patients waiting to be seen at the clinic.

A patient talking on her cell phone.

clinic. She lives up a hill and it took her about 20 to 25 min-utes to walk to the clinic. She also brings her mother who has been Madonna’s clinic helper for over 10 years.

Many of the patients who come to the clinic are Black peo-ple from Bajamar and Travesia and other villages. Many of the Madonna and her nurse, Gilma.

children come with many beads in their fancy hairdos.

Hermana Eva helps by find-ing the patient record if they have been in the clinic before and writing out a new record if they come for the first time. She also counts out tablets and fills bottles with cough syrup and keeps the clinic clean.

Bessie, another daughter of Hermana Eva, helped out when

Gilma on her motorcycle.Gilma and her mother Eva head-ing home after work in the Clinic.

A mother who brought her two children. The one smiling holds a toy from McDonalds.

Hermana Eva, looking for apatient record.

Bessie, typing patient records into the computer.

Madonna was on furlough by putting records of new pa-tients on the computer. She also comes sometimes in the afternoon to work for her mother and weighs patients and does the other things her mother would do.

We are thankful we can help many people with their health needs.

Bessie, weighing a patient.

Madonna checking the blood pressure of Dinora, one of our

faithful Christian women.

Gilma getting ready to examine a mother and her son.

Gilma checking a sick little girl.

Faithful WomenWe are thankful for the faithful Christian women in our con-

gregation. They meet every Thursday and often have their meet-ing in the home of a woman who has been sick or perhaps hasn’t been coming to church or in the home of someone who has had a new baby. Soon after Madonna returned from furlough we met in the home of Gilma’s mother-in-law, Chila. She had been sick with gallbladder trouble. She attends the Catholic Church, but we don’t limit our visits to just the women in our congregation. Sometimes someone gives a lesson, but most of the time, each woman who desires shares a Scripture with an explanation. It is a blessing to see the different Scriptures chosen.

Above: Our Christian women

at the home of Chila. Chila sits at the very back

with a red blouse.

Right: More of our Christian

women.

EstudiantesFor several years now we have helped many of the young

people continue their education after 6th grade or after Primary School. Some of them study at Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School in Puerto Cortés, but some cycle to Bajamar to the high school there. This year we have helped a total of 24 students. Pictured are 17 of the 24 we helped this year.

Dina Hernan-dez, studying to be an auxiliary

nurse. She is the daughter of our minister, Reyno.

L to R: Ersi Velasquez, Dennis Escobar and Tania Hernandez. These young people study

at Bajamar.

L to R: Brayan Alvarenga, Limbert Alvarenga, Griselda Bonilla, Norma Hernandez, Keiri Neal, Evelin Alvarenga, Marion Lara

and Nolvia Alvarenga. These young people all study at Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School in Puerto Cortez.

Angy Caro-lina Jimenez

AndresBonilla

YaritzaVelasquez

OlvinValladares

StephanyCorea

New ChristiansThe past few months we have rejoiced as five more people

have given their lives to Christ and have been baptized. First was Mario Lopes from the village across the river of La Sabana. He is engaged to Hermana Mirna whose husband was shot and killed a

People gathered for the baptism of Mario Lopez.

few years ago. He has a boat and a pick-up, so from La Sabana he crosses the river and then drives his pick-up to church. Next was Sonja Pavon, the granddaughter of our neighbors, Tomás and Mirian. She was the first one to be baptized in our new baptis-try. The last three baptisms were An-drés Bonilla, Den-nis Escobar, and Keiri Neal. They all come from Christian families and they are three of the young people we are helping in school.

Mario Lopez and our minister, ReynoHernandez, just before his baptism.

Mario getting ready to take some of the people back to Las Brisas from the lagoon

where he was baptized.

Toys fromMcDonaldsJust before we returned

to Honduras, we mailed three boxes of toys from McDonalds given to us by Lucille DeBarr from the East Union Christian Church, At-lanta, Indiana. Madonna

Reyno Hernandez and Sonja Pavon, just after herbaptism in the new baptistry.

Dennis Escobar and Keiri Neal,two more new Christians.

Andrés Bonilla, one of our new Christians.

Madonna giving the school chil-dren toys from McDonalds.

Mission Services2004 E. Magnolia Ave.Knoxville, TN 37917

Return Service Requested

Non Profit Org.U.S. Postage Paid

Knoxville, TNPermit #374

Thanksgiving1. Thanks that Madonna finally finished her book.2. That we can serve people from many places having the

centro de salud at Las Brisas.3. That Madonna has a nurse so that she doesn’t have to

work as much and thanks for Gilma’s mother, Hermana Eva, who is such a great help in the clinic.

4. For the faithful women in our congregation.5. That we can help the young people in Las Brisas to

continue their education after Primary School (6th grade).

6. For the five new Christians -- Mario, Sonja, Dennis, Keiri, and Andrés.

7. For Lucille giving us the toys to share with the children here.

Prayer Requests1. Please continue to pray for the salvation of Marco Ale-

jandro, Fredi, Ismael, Lorena, David, Azucena, Japhet, Marilyn, Eliphat, Edwin, Ariel, Fani, Darwin, Ersi, Edil, Marta, Dilcia, Jose Angel, Marlen, and Reynaldo.

2. Please continue to pray for those who need to return to the Lord. Ruth, Juan, Jose Elias, Gustavo, Antonio, Anibal, Leslie, Dayana, and Yolani.

3. Pray for the new Christians -- Mario, Sonja, Dennis, Andrés, and Keiri.

4. Pray that Madonna, Gilma, and Eva will be a blessing to the patients who come to the Centro de Salud, Las Brisas de Chamelecon.

5. Pray that the students will do well in their education.6. Pray that our Christian women will continue to grow in

Christ.

took the boxes to the primary school at Las Bri-sas and gave each child a toy. How happy the children were to receive them. We have used the rest to give to children who come to the clinic and as rewards for children who learn Bible verses at Church. Thank you, Lucille!!

Some of the school children holding up their toys.

How About Some

Fresh Beef?It is not uncom-

mon for us to pass by a tree from which hangs a skinned ani-mal and then it is cut up and people buy the meat. This is one way a family can earn money in the village.

Not Snakes, But

Green BeansNot too long ago,

Elena Neal gave us some green beans. When Ma-donna took the film to be developed, the young man who was doing the work thought Madonna was holding snakes. She had a good laugh as he actually jumped back when he saw the picture on the computer screen. They are different from the green bean you grow in the States, but deli-cious.

A cow being butchered.

Not snakes, but long green beans.

chats with the spratts 4th qtr 2012

Spiritual