With another summer full of activity over and fall in the air, it is with profound joy that I able to tell you of the happenings at the Mama Tara Orphanage. There are so many wonderful stories and praises to share along with a few frustrating circumstances that still need to be taken care of. With so much to talk about, I have no trouble knowing where to start.

Thank you Heavenly Father for Your goodness and Your faithfulness and your love that gives us everything we need to carry out the work you have called us to do!

I am so thankful to be surrounded by such dedicated board members and a group of talented ”behind-the-scenes people” who help make our website incredible, have designed new and improved business cards and brochures, and are creating videos and newsletters to get the cry of our hearts out to more people. I give thanks to God for the many people who gave of themselves to serve at Mama Tara Orphanage this summer. When the Honduran president fled the country, our mission team trips were disrupted causing some volunteers to go home early and others to heroically navigate their way around Honduras to avoid street riots. But even with these distractions, the children were visited, loved on, and prayed for by teams of people who were called to make the trip. We hope to post their mission trip stories on our website very soon. Thanks to all of the sponsors who financially and prayerfully support their children and to those generous people who donated to the Mama Tara building fund. May God bless you!

We would like to welcome Bobby Jo Ryan to our team. I cannot wait for you all to see the brochures and business cards she has created for us. She is also taking on the job of checking the mailbox and making the donation deposits. This is such a big job, and we really appreciate her taking it on! Though we do a lot for the children of Mama Tara here in the states, in Puerto Lempira, Honduras even more has taken place.

After Gustavo and his men finished their work on Casita B in the summer of 2008, he agreed to complete Casita A this summer. Of course the board was thrilled because we were so pleased with the excellent and honest work he did on Casita B. We contacted Gustavo in February of 2009, and although we did not have all of the funds for the job, he agreed to begin the work knowing from past experience that God would provide the money. Once again, Gustavo did an amazing job on Casita A. As always, he went far beyond his duties as Project Manager and gave to the kids spiritually, sharing Christ in word and action while he was there. Now the two casitas are completed, but we still owe Gustavo close to $4000. He has been so very gracious to us and is very grounded in his trust in the Lord because he knows that God will provide, but we hurt because we owe him. With the economy what it is, I understand people giving less, but for the love of these orphans and debt to Gustavo, we must raise these funds. Please search your heart and ask the Lord if helping the children of Mama Tara Orphanage is something you should be doing. If He says, “no,” then be at peace, but if he says, “yes,” please be obedient. There is so much that still needs to be done to make Mama Tara Orphanage a haven of safety and love.

Our focus is now directed to acquiring the deed to the land which was donated to Mama Tara when the plans for the current orphanage were in the baby stage. We hired a lawyer four years ago and have not seen progress in acquiring this document. We were told to be patient and that things would work out. The board believes that we have waited long enough and is prayfully taking another course. Lisa Bradley, a missionary nurse and a Mama Tara board member, has been a huge help. She plans to fly to Puerto Lempira to see what is needed for this deed and then will help us locate a new lawyer. This deed is very important as Honduras is having political problems, and we do not want the property to be taken away or given to anyone who is not an advocate for these precious children because of paperwork.

We are also searching for house parents who will love and nurture the children. We know God has a perfect plan, and we want to do things His way. Puerto Lempira is a remote village, and it will take someone called by God to live there and embrace the culture, while also introducing some new ideas and ways of doing things to Mama Tara.