Counting Our Blessings...

At Thanksgiving here thinking back over this fading year, we stand in awe at God’s ability to preserve, protect, and provide.

Just a few of the blessings we are thankful for:

Andrews University School of Architecture and Design’s 15 graduate students who are working on a Master Plan for our 100+ acre campus that will strengthen our mission: “Breaking the cycle of poverty and ignorance through nutritional rehabilitation and education.” For 40 years our village has been pressing in on one side and in the last 5 years it has engulfed us. Praise God for creative expertise!

Bountiful bean crops – 3 crops this year!

Children’s ward, nearly ready for up to 48 malnourished 1 to 8 year-olds, after 6 years of being in the playhouse while we rebuilt on the old foundation. Tropical winter storm bring bone-chilling humid 50 degree temperatures that can cause respiratory distress among little ones recovering from malnutrition.

Diane Ward, long-term volunteer whose work for 4 years has improved the quality of care for the children (usually between 15 to 32 little patients) in nutritional rehabilitation. She has helped implement procedures and protocols, so her influence will continue to be felt.

Eco-tourist accommodations in the rain forests near the top of 9000 foot Mount Santa Barbara that rises near our campus. Courses to train young people to be guides through the forest and provide services for tourists will be given at USAID-built Stephen Youngberg Vocational School.

Finding land in the hills for agricultural, forestry, and hydro-power that is now under option for us to buy to generate sustainable income and expand the agricultural course at the vocational school

Graduates from the PAHS Family this year include: Arturo, Kevin, Miguel, Sam, Emily, Jansen, Daisy, Elias & Alejandro.

Honduras’ nutritional crisis having finally been recognized by World’s health organizations… They state it has the highest percentage of malnutrition in Latin America among children under the age of 5. Dr Stephen Youngberg suspected this back in 1960, but there were no statistics to confirm it.

Investments you have made in the lives of these undernourished children that provide evidence that childhood deprivation does not permanently relegate these children to poor performance academically, or failure in adult life, nor inferior progeny. Among the PAHS family there are many with excellent grades, and a growing community of professionals providing services to their fellowmen with merit.

Jesus – who is coming back soon to put an end to the suffering and misery that selfishness and self-serving has brought to this hijacked planet.

Kindnesses we see the children offer to one another, especially to the weak and handicapped

Loma Linda University’s SIMS (Students in International Mission Service) outreach team who is planning its annual New Year’s trip to celebrate with the children and meet dental and other health needs.

Medical Mission groups from Central Texas Medical Center and Helping Hands as well as other individuals who give of their professional skills to helps us bring health and healing to our community.

Nourishing food – though low at times, never ran out!

Our Father God, who reminds us that He regards all members of the human race as One Family.

Prayer that sustains our hope and re-affirms our faith in our mission to God’s less fortunate children even in tough times. Staff members’ united prayer continues each morning steadily yielding answers.

Quality care, which you help us provide to malnourished children, that has been acknowledged by visiting health care workers who report: “We were told that your center is able to recover children from malnutrition in half the time of any other rehab center” – Praise God!

Regulation by new Honduran government entities that provide both challenges and new opportunities.

Scripture memorization, with its re-creative power, which is to be implemented into our educational scholarships program at every level, from kindergarten to university; we are very excited about this new program!

Teach A Man To Fish, who recently completed a 2-year in-residence consulting period with PAHS. The vocational school advanced from 30% sustainability of operating costs to now covering 57% of expenses while serving 201 students from our community studying auto mechanics, carpentry, elementary and high school for adults, sewing and woodcarving.

Universidad Cristiana Nuevo Milenio which has opened a branch campus half-a-mile from our front gate, making it possible for many more of our students and staff to attain higher education.

Volunteers who are very important to our under-staffed mission; they are a great support and encouragement!

Willing hands, so vital to all campus activities – the willing hands of volunteers hauled cement and laid blocks for our new buildings; willing hands bathe, diaper, give water, food, and medicine to the children; children’s willing hands sweep, mop and loving care for each other; the willing hands and hearts of staff in the offices, on the farm, and in the classrooms and study halls make this family possible.

“Xceeding great and precious promises” (II Peter 2:4) which are our most valuable asset. Our Almighty Provider is anxious to answer our request for “daily bread.” He chides and goads our faith by telling us, even when our hands are empty, that the hungry “need not depart; Give ye them to eat.” (Matt 14:16)

Your help, which has been essential! Thank you for joining the effort to offer nourishing food and a loving spirit to perishing little ones, and to help satisfy the thirst for knowledge among the poor.

Zeal of the many helping do this work!