A few 2013 goals

It is difficult for me to keep up with everything God is doing through the mission sometimes, I would imagine for those that try to keep up from afar...even harder.

For those that might wonder...what do we think 2013 will bring to His Eyes, I decided to put out a list of what we are prayerfully hoping to accomplish, not a top ten per se, just happens to be ten in general:

1. Begin second floor of the clinic construction. This is a roughly 4,500 square feet project, and we think we have some techniques that will help us do it inexpensively, but at this point we do not know if we will finish it. The second floor will house a souvenir store, expanded space for the sewing ministry, and expanding of course the clinic operations. We hope we can get donated X-ray and Ultrasound equipment to expand into those areas, possibly others in the future as well.

2. Continue to expand the Hill Climber coffee farms...more planting, more nursery work, as well as planting on fence rows other cash crops if we can find the right plants/trees at the right prices. Mostly this will be in Sampedrana, but will be looking to make improvements to San Juancito's property as well. Some of this money will come from sales from Hill Climber coffee, but we also have a donor that will be helping with that, as the profits from the coffee/chocolate/jewelry sales are just now about to pay off the property purchased in San Juancito a few years ago.

3. Put in long term development into the farm in Cantaranas...instead of short term cash crops that have proved volatile in pricing and production, shifting to planting longer term development crops that are more stable in prices (like avocados, papayas, coconuts, mangos, even some low altitude coffee) We will not be able to develop the entire farm in 2013, but do have a donor helping us to get in and do quite a bit of this work.

4. Help the Church in Cantaranas continue the work on their Church building. They are doing all of the work to date, generating funds to continue the wall building, we will hope to take a few groups to work with them, and if we are financially able...to match some funds for some of the bigger steps they are trying to take.

5. Host 15 groups...you probably already know all of what groups bring to the table...a huge contribution to the mission in so many ways, such as construction, help with outreach for the Churches (with food, clothing, VBS activities) hospital visits, helping with the milk project, medical and eye brigades, ministering to us, the clinic staff, pastors and others...and so much more than can just fit in words on a page. As you might imagine...hosting that many groups with a staff so small means quite a life/time/emotional commitment. One we feel continually blessed to be able to make.

6. Continue to improve the ministry of Channel 15, the TV station in Talanga we administer that is in conjunction with the Church there. The improvements made in 2012 are huge, but there is more to be done to reach the level of professionalism we are seeking, as well as to help them get closer to a level of profitability where the station can not only cover its own costs, but also start to provide for pastoral support. These improvements are not only physical construction or improvements on the building, but also in administration and promotion.

7. Working with the newer Church plant in Danli and cell group in Villa de San Francisco...to see how the clothing ministry can continue to help these Churches and possibly ways in the future we might be able to help more in their development than we are currently able. These are Churches where we have taken brigades and groups, smaller bodies that need spiritual, pastoral, and physical support. Spiritually Oscar is providing quite a bit of support and the clothing ministry provides an outreach and some funding for the pastor, but beyond that we are financially limited to do much more for likely the next few years.

8. The clothing ministry is doing very well, we would love to expand and increase the number of containers that come every year, but our ministry partner in the US (Master Provisions) is currently having trouble finding enough Churches and other avenues to get summer clothing. We are hoping to spread the word more to increase the number of drives and clothes donated to keep the ministry at 2012 levels, perhaps even be able to increase Lord willing.

9. Personally we have been praying about a home purchase in 2013. We have seen a few homes, seen a few empty lots, have a little money saved, but really asking God’s direction on this throughout the year.

10. Other misc. construction projects...not limited to: possible garage at the clinic, further landscaping, terracing the land near the container wall, further improvements to the container wall itself, road work in Sampedrana, finishing work on the parsonage in Talanga, exterior painting (mission house), road work at the clinic, and possibly even some preliminary work on remodeling the mission house and man cave, depending on the groups that come and what we have time to do (otherwise it would be a 2014-2015 goal)

Goal 11 would be....Everything else I have forgotten or that God has in store that we are not even aware of yet!