The Micah Project

Prayer Requests: January 31

2012-01-31T07:37:00.000-06:00

Good morning friends and family of the Micah Project!
This week we ask that you join us in praying for the following:

-Jarvin and Danilo are looking for jobs, which are hard to find in a city with a very high unemployment rate. Pray for open doors for them and that they may trust in God's faithfulness. May God give them the wisdom, direction, and confidence that they need to find the right job.

-Many of our Timothy House boys that are in college are in their first round of exams this week. Pray that they may be able to focus, study, and recall all that they have learned.

-Marvin Soto, who is in St. Louis, is suffering from Bronchitis. Please pray that God may heal him soon and restore him to full health. Also keep him in your prayers as he is studying and busy with school.

-We are considering taking in a new Micah boy, Emerson, a 13-year-old who has lived in Covenant House. Please pray for direction in his life as well as ours and that God will reveal to us if Micah is the right fit for him. We ask for wisdom and discernment in this process.

-We are very thankful to MDPC in Houston who provided us with enough money to build our water well for Micah 2.0! We will begin construction on that soon. Our plans for the house are in the final steps as well. Also, pray that our building permits will come through soon!

-We praise God that all of our staff has returned safely from holiday travels and we are excited to see what God is going to do in us and through us in this new year.

Thanks for your constant supply of love, encouragement, and prayers!
Grace and Peace.

Prayer Requests: January 3

2012-01-03T09:42:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year from all of us at The Micah Project!! It was a loud and crazy New Years Eve here, lots of fun was had by all.

Join us this week in praying for the following:

-The majority of our North American staff members are traveling this week, whether to the United States or to Honduras. Pray for safe travels for all of them. Pray that those traveling home to the states may have a relaxing and refreshing time with family and friends. Pray that those coming in are rested and ready to jump right back into the swing of things here. We pray for rest, strength, and guidance for all of them.

-This week one of our grads, Darwin Pavon is traveling to California to begin part of his new job. He will be living on Long Beach for the next few months working with a produce company. Pray that he will adjust well to life there, especially being away from family, friends, and his girlfriend. May the Lord calm any nervousness that he has and may Darwin trust in His plans.

-One more month of vacation left for the boys! We are thankful that the time off of school has gone well so far. The boys had a great time last week working in VLM on the new land and they will return there this week to continue working on Roger`s new house. We are thankful for Olvin Funez and his willingness to help us out last week with driving, as well as Oscar Amaya who helped us out as well. It`s great to have the older generation of boys around!

-We give all the praise and glory to God for a great 2011! It was a very stable year for all of the boys in the house, no one has returned to the streets since October 2010! It´s awesome to see the work the Lord is doing in the hearts and lives of our boys. We look forward to all that the Lord has in store for us in 2012!

Once again we are so grateful for your support, love, and prayers. God`s blessings to you and your families in 2012!
Grace and Peace.

Prayer Requests: December 27

2011-12-27T09:02:00.000-06:00

We want to wish you all a (late) Merry Christmas! It has been a busy week here at Micah, with traveling and Christmas. We pause and take a few moments to share our prayer requests with you:

*Jeremy, Marlon, and most of the Timothy House boys left yesterday for a few days vacation in El Salvador. They are going to visit Jenna and Israel and spend some time at the beach. Pray for safe travels for them and that a good time will be had by all.

*As our staff numbers are low these next few days we pray for lots of patience, rest, strength and encouragement. May we be able to find joy in little moments with the boys. May we be creative in our plans and finding activities for the boys.

* Yolanda, Arle and Jarvin's mom, has been in the hospital for 2 weeks now. She had surgery last week on her kidney. Keep her in your prayers as she recovers and regains her strength. Hopefully she will be able to leave the hospital soon.

*We are very thankful for all of you who "adopted" one of the Micah boys or friends for Christmas. We appreciate all the time and effort you spent in choosing presents for them, they were all happy with their presents. Many of them were sporting their new clothes the next day! Thanks!

*As most of you know we traveled to the north coast of Honduras last week. We had a great time and loved spending time with our friends the Herbolds. We praise God for safe travels and that no one was injured in all of the crazy adventures that we participated in.

*Oscar Amaya is home from Wheaton and Jose is home from Costa Rica. We are thankful that they were able to come home for Christmas and visit for awhile. We are proud of them and the hard work they are doing in school.

Thank you so much for your outpourings of love, prayers, and support.
We are excited to see what God has in store for us in 2012!

Grace and Peace.

Prayer Requests: December 13

2011-12-13T07:17:00.000-06:00

This week we ask you to join us in lifting up the following requests before our Heavenly Father:

*Continue to keep Yolanda in your prayers as she has undergone several tests recently and it was discovered that she has a large tumor on her liver. She will have surgery this week to remove the tumor. Pray for guidance and steady hands for the doctors, that all will go well, and that she will recover quickly.

*As we mentioned recently on our photo of the day, Axel and Erick continue to thrive in their rehab program at Free the Oppressed Ministries. Pray that they will choose to give their hearts and lives completely to God, that He may guide their way. Pray for strength, motivation, and encouragement for them. Marvincito has also been there for the past week but will be coming to Micah this weekend to spend Christmas with us. May God bless the rest of his time there as well as here with us at Micah.

*Daniel Benitez is officially a college graduate, and that means it's time to find a job! He has made a few contacts here and there, pray for discernment and guidance for him. May his transition into "adult" life at the Timothy House continue to go smoothly.

*John and Becca Bell are traveling to the states this week. Pray for safe travels for them. May they be able to rest, relax, and enjoy time with family and friends.

*We are looking forward to the arrivals of Oscar Amaya and the Herbold family this weekend! It has been awhile since Oscar has been home and we are excited to have him with us and to hear all about college at Wheaton. The Herbolds are great friends and we will be heading to La Ceiba with them on Sunday. Thank God for visitors!

Thanks so very much for your constant love, support, and prayers!!

Grace and Peace to you.

Prayer Requests: December 6

2011-12-06T07:00:00.001-06:00

Good morning friends and family of the Micah Project!
We ask that you join us in praying for the following things this week:

*Arle and Jarvin's mom Yolanda was in San Pedro Sula for several months for medical reasons. She came back to Tegucigalpa this weekend. Her sugar levels have gone down, but she still is suffering from kidney stones and diabetes. Pray that doctors can figure out how to heal her quickly. Also keep their whole family in your prayers as they are dealing with some issues.

*John and Roger worked hard to find jobs for all of the boys. Many of the boys accepted their jobs and have been working hard even if they don't love the work they are doing. This is a first job experience for a few of our boys; pray that they would learn the lessons of discipline and hard work through these experiences!

*As we are in the Christmas season things start to get busy and we can get caught up in the materialism of the season. Pray that we may get everything done that needs to be done and also not lose focus of the real meaning of Christmas...the coming of the light of Jesus Christ to a dark world!

*We give thanks for friends, family, our health, a safe and secure home, food on the table, clothes to wear, games to play, and the many blessings that God pours out to us daily. We often take such things for granted; pray that we may remember to give thanks for all that God graciously gives us.

*We are thankful for a great weekend of accomplishments and celebrations- Junior's high school graduation, Daniel's college graduation, and Simon Kafie's birthday party fundraiser. We are proud of Junior and Daniel and all the hard work and hours of studying they put in to come this far. We pray for God's guidance as they begin new chapters in life. Many funds were raised at Simon's party and we are very thankful for that, as well as new friendships and connections that were made.

We are grateful for your outpouring of love, prayers, and support!
Grace and Peace.

Prayer Requests: November 29

2011-11-29T07:05:00.000-06:00

Dear family and friends,
Join us in praying for the following things this week:
*Several boys and staff members are still sick. Pray that they may rest and be restored to full health soon!

*Keep Juan Carlos Ortiz in your prayers as he continues to discern where the Lord is leading him. He recently took the admission exam at El Sembrador (where Arle just graduated from) in hopes of starting there next February. Pray that he may have peace of mind and trust in the Lord and His timing.

*This week Marvincito will be moving from Casa Crea (where he has been for the last month and a half) back to Jimmy Hughes ministries, where he was earlier this year. He has grown a lot in the past few months and continues to move forward with his life. Pray that he will continue to make wise decisions and seek after the Lord. Pray also that the transition back to JH will go smoothly and that he will feel comfortable there again.

*Brayan Chavez graduated from his YWAM program in Costa Rica a few weeks ago. He is spending some time in CR with Jose and some other friends. He will be returning to Honduras in early December. He is not quite sure what the next chapter of his life looks like. Pray for discernment and open doors for him. May his transition back to the Timothy house go well and may he be welcomed with open arms. We are looking forward to having his joyful presence back soon!

*We had a great visit from MDPC! We are thankful for the time they spent with us and in getting to know the different aspects of Micah. We are grateful for such great friends!

*Simon Kafie, a Honduran friend, is hosting a birthday party/fundraiser for Micah this weekend. We pray that many eyes and ears will be opened to the great need here in Honduras. May people feel called to join the Micah family and support our ministry.

*Daniel Benitez is graduating from Zamorano Agricultural University this weekend with a degree in Agricultural Engineering. Keep him in your prayers as he moves back to Tegucigalpa and figures out what the next step in his life is. Pray that God will guide his steps and lead him where He wants him to be. We are very proud of Daniel and all that he has accomplished.

Many thanks for your constant love and support!

Grace and Peace.

Prayer Requests: November 22

2011-11-22T06:52:00.001-06:00

Good morning family and friends of Micah!
This week we ask you to join us in prayer for the following:

*Many of the boys and several of the staff members have been sick with colds and sore throats. May they get some much needed rest. Pray that they may all feel better soon and be restored to full health.

*Continue to keep Arle in your prayers as we figure out what his future plans look like. May God open doors and pave the way for him. We trust in our Heavenly Father and the great plans He has for Arle's life, "plans to prosper him and not to harm him, plans to give him hope and a future."

*Sanity, hope, patience, rest, and strength for the staff.

*Thanks to the hard work of Roger and John all of the boys have jobs for the vacation period! The boys have a variety of jobs from working in VLM, to bagging groceries, to washing cars. We are very thankful for all of the opened doors and opportunities the boys have been given. As they go about their different jobs may they be lights to those around them. May others see Christ in them by their hard work and actions.

*This week we have a vision trip visiting from Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston, TX. We are excited to have them here and pray that their eyes may be opened to all that You want them to see here Lord. May they feel welcomed and enjoy their time here in Honduras.

*We are privileged to have the ambassador of Spain and the Honduran Minister of Youth visit the Micah House this week. They both have many scholarships available and other opportunities to help Honduran youth move ahead in their lives. Pray that there may be many opportunities for our boys to partner with them in the future.

Thank you in advance for the prayers that you will lift up this week to our awesome God.
Grace and Peace to you.

Prayer Requests: November 15

2011-11-15T06:45:00.000-06:00

Wow, what a busy but awesome weekend! We have so much to be thankful for! Please join us in praising God for all of his many blessings and also in lifting up our needs to Him.

*We had many visitors here this past week and we praise God that all went well with their travels. It was great to have family and friends and first time visitors here with us for a few days. They were such an encouragement to all of us. We are so blessed to have such a big extended family that comes to love on us.

*As many of you may know Miguel, Wilmer, David, Junior, Arle, and Daniel graduated this weekend. We are so proud of them and all of their accomplishments. God has brought them so far and we look forward to what He has in store for their futures. The theme of graduation was "I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light" and it is our prayer that the graduates and also the rest of the Micah boys will continue to be lights to those around them. May they use the talents and gifts God has given them to share His love with others.

*A few of the younger Micah boys will be working out in VLM helping Santiago a few days a week during vacations. A couple boys will be working at a car wash and one at a restaurant. Some of the boys are still looking for jobs and are going out this week to other locales. Pray that they would be successful in their job hunts and find something that they like to do. Pray also that they may learn good work habits, what it means to work hard, and how hard work pays off.

*The elementary students will have reinforcement classes a few days a week starting this week. They will be focusing on reading, math, and Spanish. Pray that this may be a time of growth, development, and preparation for all of them. May they stay focused and motivated in the next month of classes.

We here at the Micah Project are so thankful for your love, encouragement, and prayers.
Grace and Peace to you.

Prayer Requests: November 8

2011-11-08T06:39:00.000-06:00

Hello dear family and friends of the Micah Project! We made it to the end of another school year-wow how time flies! Amongst the busyness at Micah this week we stop for a few moments to share our prayer requests with you:

*This week Arle finished up his high school career at El Sembrador and moved into the Timothy House. We are excited to have him back in town! Pray that his transition into the house goes well and that he will find his place there among the other guys. He will begin working out in VLM next week. Pray also for discernment as we begin to discuss and plan for his future.

*We pray for patience and rest for all of the staff as we are all busy getting things done for graduation and starting to prepare for Christmas. There is a lot to get done! May we be able to pause and get the rest we need to continue to minister in the best way possible.

*The big day is almost here! Jenna and Israel's wedding will take place this Friday. Keep them and their families in your prayers as they finish up things and prepare for the big celebration. May God bless them and their new life together.

*Miguel, Wilmer, and David will be graduating from sixth grade this weekend. As well, Junior and Arle will be graduating from high school. We are so proud of these guys and all that they have accomplished. Pray that all will go well with the ceremony on Saturday. May they all continue to seek God with all their hearts and walk as children of the light.

*We have lots of visitors from all over the states and El Salvador coming this week to participate in the wedding and graduation celebrations. We pray for safe travels for all of them, both to and from Honduras. Bless their time here with us.

We want to thank all of you for your prayers for this past week and for all the prayers that we know that you will offer up on our behalf over the course of this next week. Thank you all very much!

Grace and Peace to you.

Prayer Requests: November 1

2011-11-01T07:18:00.000-06:00

Good morning from a cool and crisp Tegucigalpa! The rain has finally stopped, for the most part, and we are entering the cool season here. It's a nice change from the heat.

This week please join us in praying for the following:

*Jenna's residency papers came together and she was able to make it into El Salvador! Pray for her and Izzy as they make final preparations for the civil wedding in El Salvador this coming weekend. May they accomplish all that they need to do but may they keep the focus on You. Pray also for safe travels for them and for Jenna's family members that will be flying to El Salvador this weekend. We are so excited for the two of them and the new life they will soon be starting together!

*This week we met with the architect and engineer to go over final plans for Micah 2.0 Many great thoughts and ideas were discussed. Pray for discernment as we figure out the best design and set-up for the new house and property.

*Brayan Chavez will be finishing up his time with YWAM in Costa Rica this month. Pray that he may finish his time there well and that God will provide guidance and direction for him as to what his next steps in life will be.

*Hectorcito celebrated his three year anniversary with Micah this week! He spent many years on the streets and it truly is a miracle that he is with us today and has been able to put his street life behind him. We praise God for all that He has done in Hectors life. We are so thankful to have this happy, goofy, smiley kid in our lives. We are very proud of Hector and all that he has accomplished in his three years at Micah and we look forward to where God will take him in the future.

Thank you for your faithful prayers, support, and encouragement. We greatly appreciate all that you do for us.
Grace and Peace to you.

Prayer Requests: October 25

2011-10-25T07:09:00.000-06:00

Hello dear friends and family, please join us this week in lifting the following things up to our Heavenly Father:

*Micah 2.0- We will be meeting with an architect today to go over the plans for the new property. Pray that he is the right one and that he will be on board with our vision for Micah 2.0. We pray for discernment on the final plans and that we may not get distracted by all the little details but stay focused on the ministry and the boys.

*Erik continues to thrive in his rehab program at Jimmy Hughes. Axel Lopez has decided that he needs to make some changes in his life and will be joining Erik there this week. Pray that both of them will be able to put their pasts behind them and move forward with their lives. May the Holy Spirit continue to work in their hearts and may they see light at the end of the path. Marvincito is also doing well at his new ministry. Pray that he may continue to thrive and that we may be able to figure out a long-term plan for him.

*Several of the older Micah boys have moved out of the Timothy house and into their own apartments (and are paying their own rent!) . Jarvin, being one of them, and Danilo the other. We are proud of them and the steps they are taking towards independence. Pray that they may flourish in their new settings and not feel lonely.

*It's the last week of classes! Hooray! May the boys stay focused and finish the school year strong.

*God continues to work in the lives of our boys. We praise God that the boys are growing and moving forward. We are thankful that He has brought them this far.

We are grateful to all of our faithful friends and 'family' who have stood by us and encouraged us through all the highs and lows of this ministry. We thank you for your abundance of prayers and support.
Grace and peace to you.

Prayer Requests: October 18

2011-10-18T06:43:00.000-06:00

Good morning friends and family of The Micah Project This week we ask that you join us in praying to our Heavenly Father for the following:

*Micah 2.0- We are finalizing plans with the architect here but are still waiting on things with the building permits to go through. Please pray that everything would come together soon so that we may start building!

*Keep Jenna and Israel in your prayers as they finish up final wedding preparations. Pray that they would not get distracted or caught up in all the details but that they would focus on each other and the commitment they will be making together. Also Jenna's residency expires now and she has been working on renewing it for awhile but things haven't come together yet. She needs to go to El Salvador at the end of this month but if her residency isn't ready by then she will be denied entry into the country. Pray that her residency will be renewed in time to get to El Salvador and that she will not face further complications.

*Rainy season continues here in Central America. There has been some flooding here in Honduras, but El Salvador, which has been declared a state of emergency, has been hit pretty hard with flooding and mudslides. Pray for all the people affected by the rains, especially those that have lost homes, loved ones, and belongings. As more rain is predicted to fall here pray that we would stay safe and that those less fortunate would be able to seek shelter.

*Our school year is coming to a close and we are grateful for all of the academic successes the boys have had this year. They have all worked hard and learned a lot. We pray that the boys may remain focused and motivated in these last two weeks of classes and then exams.

*The boys continue to be in great mental and emotional states. They have been stable for many months now and we praise God for that! There have been minor conflicts here and there but the boys have matured and are learning to control their actions and emotions.

We thank you so much for your prayers and really appreciate the support and love you pour out for us. Our God is bigger and stronger than what we can imagine and we trust in the great plans He has for all of us.
Grace and Peace.

Prayer Requests: October 11

2011-10-11T06:47:00.000-06:00

Dear friends and family of the Micah Project, take a few minutes and join us in praying for the following:

*Last week Erick Cruz began rehab at Jimmy Hughes ministries-he has made it 5 days so far! He finally realized that he needed to change his life and start making some good decisions. Pray that God will continue to work in his heart and give him the strength and motivation he needs to move forward with his life. Marvincito was at the same ministry but is now moving to another ministry. Keep him in your prayers as he transitions and as we continue to discern future plans for him. We are trusting in God and his promise from Jeremiah 29:11 that says "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

*Micah 2.0- The fence surrounding the property is complete! Please pray that things with the capital campaign will fall into place and that we can begin to raise the necessary funds to turn our dreams into a reality.

*We are thankful that Stephen's transition into Micah life has gone well. He survived his first month! He has done some music lessons, covered classes for absent teachers, and shown off his great culinary skills. He is a great addition to the Micah family.

* We praise God for a great week with the Bridgetown team! They worked hard and accomplished a lot in their time here, including 2 house in a day projects and finishing the wall surrounding Ana's house. We truly felt blessed having them here with us. (The boys also loved all the wrestling matches that took place!) It's always great to have our extended family here to join in the craziness for awhile.
We are grateful for your continuous love, prayers, and encouragement that you pour out on us. Thank you!
Grace and peace to you.

Prayer Requests: October 4

2011-10-04T07:08:00.000-06:00

Hello from a rainy and wet Tegucigalpa. Please join us this week in praying for the following:
*Yolanda, Jarvin and Arle's mom, is suffering from kidney stones. She is also diabetic, but thankfully she has been able to lower her sugar levels some. She has been seeing a doctor and is on medication. Pray that she may pass the stones quickly and will not suffer too much pain.

*This week Edwin Fugon is taking his first round of exams at school. Pray that he may prepare well for the exams and that he may recall all that he has learned. May he stay focused and motivated in all of his studying.

*Continue to keep Micah 2.0 in your prayers as we move forward and are anxious to start building. We pray for discernment as we look for the right architect who can help us make our dreams a reality. We also pray for our capital campaign as we begin to raise funds to build on the new property.

*This week we are blessed to have a group from Oregon with us. They are from Bridgetown ministries, where the Wiggs family was involved before coming to Honduras. They will be working out in VLM on building a watchyman house for our property as well as helping with Ana's house. We are thankful for their visit and pray that this week they may step out of their comfort zones and seek to show Jesus' love in all they do.

*The first ever dog walk for Micah was a big success this past weekend! Thanks to Ruth Marshall and all the other Houston folks that helped to make it possible. The grand total raised for Micah was $2300! Way to go dog walkers!

We thank you for your continued love, prayers, and encouragement.
Grace and peace to you.

Prayer Requests: September 27

2011-09-27T07:03:00.000-06:00

Greetings from Tegucigalpa! We ask that you join us this week in praying for the following:

*This past weekend Michael, Stephen, and the boys spent some time out on our new land building a fence around the property. It's great to begin the process of constructing the home of the future Micah Project. As things move forward we ask that you continue to keep Micah 2.0 in your prayers. We are still seeking discernment and direction as we look for an Honduran architect to help us with our plans.

*John and Becca Bell are on vacation in the states this week. Also Brian Wiggs will be traveling to the states later this week to speak at a church in St. Louis, MO. We ask for safe travels for all of them and that they may be able to rest, relax and enjoy time with family and friends.

*Jeferson continues to work as a carpenter's apprentice. He has come a long way since he started a few months ago. He would like to find a carpentry or trade school where he can take some classes as well as continue to work. Please pray that we may find the right school and fit for him. We also pray for drive and motivation for him.

*Also this past week the teachers from Micah took a trip to El Salvador. We are very thankful for Israel's family who opened their home to us for the weekend. We had a great time visiting a volcano, eating pupusas, and playing in the waves on the beach. We praise God for safe travels there and back, for the chance to visit a new country (for some of the teachers) and just a great time with one another.

*We give thanks to God that the boys have been in a pretty good spot lately (minus a few squabbles here and there.) We can see some maturity in them and that they are learning to control their actions and words.

Thank you so much for your continuous support, love, and prayers that you pour out for all of us here at Micah. We couldn't do it without such a great extended family.
Grace and Peace to you.

Prayer Requests: September 20

2011-09-20T07:21:00.000-06:00

Hola! This week we ask that you join us in praying for the following:

*God is faithful and does answer our prayers- the new land in VLM is officially ours! We are excited to begin the process of developing Micah 2.0. However, we are still in need of an architect. Pray that God will lead the right one to us and we can begin discussing our plans. The next step is to get the building permit. Pray that that process will go smoothly and quickly.

*After spending some time on the streets and at home Axel Lopez came to Micah today to discuss his future and see what options are available. He has realized that he can't keep living the way he is and that he needs to somehow change his life. Pray for discernment and wisdom as we look at what options are available for him.

*This week one of the older Micah guys, Jarvin, will be moving into his own apartment. Pray that the transition to life on his own will go well and that he may follow the path that God has for him. He continues to work as a teacher for a program that helps adults complete their primary and secondary education.

*This past weekend we had a vision trip group from Central Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, MO. We praise God for the new friendships that were developed and the fun times that were had by all. Their visit was a great encouragement to all of us. We pray that eyes were opened and that lives were changed by this visit.

*We celebrate the excellent performance of the men in the technical school as they all passed the written exam with flying colors! Soon they will have the practical exam and we pray that they will do well on that exam too.

We are so blessed to have a huge extended family in the states that loves us, encourages us, and prays for us. Thank you so much for all that you do for us!
Grace and Peace.

Prayer Requests: September 13

2011-09-13T07:20:00.000-06:00

Greetings family and friends of the Micah Project! Please join us in praying for the following things this week:

*There are still a few things to get in order before the new land at VLM can officially be ours. Pray that things will fall into place soon. We are still looking for a Honduran architect to help us with our plans. Pray that the right one will be found soon.

*Marvincito is almost done with his fourth month of rehab. Thankfully the directors are letting him stay for two more months. Pray that he may continue to grow and follow the path that God has for his life. We are unsure of what he will do when the two months are up, but we trust that God will provide a great opportunity for him.

*Our school year is winding down, only a few weeks are left. Pray that the boys will continue to give their best efforts and do well in their classes. We celebrate the efforts of Pedro Luis, Joel, and Miguelito as they earned the highest grades this grading period.

*David Hawthorne, who worked with us at Micah for the past two years, headed back to the states last week. We are very thankful for the sacrifices he made and all the work he did in his two years with the project. Keep him in your prayers as he adjusts to life in the United States and looks for a job.

*This week we have a group visiting from St. Louis. We are excited to have them here and to welcome the new-comers into the Micah family. Pray that their trip will go smoothly, without any problems, and that they may be blessed by their time at Micah.

*Keep the Micah staff in your prayers as many of us are feeling tired and stressed with all that needs to be done, especially with Micah 2.0. We are working on dividing up tasks in order to give everyone the rest that they need so that we may all do our jobs well.

As Proverbs 3:5 says "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." We trust that God is in control of the plans for Micah 2.0. There is lots to be done and at times it may seem overwhelming and like we are making no progress, but we are confident that God's plans are great and things will happen on His time.
Grace and Peace to you.

Prayer Requests: September 6

2011-09-06T07:35:00.000-06:00

Good day to all of you!

Sorry for the short break in our prayer updates, we are now back in action. Life continues to be busy at Micah; school, soccer, Facebook, trips to the park, and more soccer. This week we ask that you join us in praying for the following:

*The land for Micah 2.0 is almost ours! As most of you know from our photo of the day, we are days away from being in possession of the new land. Please pray that all the bank transactions will go smoothly. We are eager to begin building on the new land. Also pray that we may find a Honduran architect to help us with our plans.

*Axel Lopez, who had been studying with us and living at Casa Alianza was recently kicked out of C.A. He had been under some type of lockdown at C.A. because of a crime he witnessed. Now he is living at home, which isn't a good situation. Pray for his safety and that God may continue to work in his heart.

*Several of our staff members are still sick. Pray that they may get the rest they need to recover quickly and return to good health.

*Continue to keep Brayan Chavez in your prayers as he studies and ministers in Costa Rica. Pray that he may continue to learn, grow, and make new friendships. May God give him they strength he needs to press on.

*The Wiggs family is back! They arrived this weekend and we are very happy to have them in Honduras again. Pray that their family may continue to work through their issues and that they may remain close as a family. Also keep the technical school and Grupo Mama Jo's bakery in your prayers as things move forward with both of those ministries now that Brian and Natasha are back.

*We welcome Stephen Kusmer, a Wheaton grad from Indiana, to the Micah family. He arrived this weekend and will be with us for the next year as an intern helping John with chaplain things. We are excited that he is here and look forward to getting to know him. Keep him in your prayers as he begins his time at Micah.

We are forever grateful for your continued support, prayers, love, and encouragement. God's blessings to each one of you!
Peace.

Prayer Requests: August 16

2011-08-16T07:42:00.000-06:00

Buenos dias a todos! Please join us this week in praying for the following:

*Lots of new beginnings and transitions will be happening this week for several of our older boys. Oscar Amaya will be moving to Wheaton to start college, David Almendarez will be moving from Costa Rica to Tegucigalpa to work and take his last class, Jeferson will begin carpentry school at a local university, and Marvin Morazon will start his second year teaching Bible at International School. Please pray for smooth transitions for all of these boys. May God guide their every step and may they not feel overwhelmed by their new surroundings and tasks.

*Several of the boys in the house are sick, as well as several staff members (Becca and Izzy), and one of the dogs (Zorro). Pray for rest and healing for all of them and that they may recovery quickly from their sicknesses. Once someone is sick in the house it tends to get passed around to everyone, so we also pray that that doesn't happen and the rest of the house stays healthy.

* Continue to keep Micah 2.0 in your prayers. We are still in the process of getting all of the legal documentation together. Hopefully, God willing, the land will be ours soon!

*Thank you for your prayers regarding Hector Licona because he just got a job at the International School. Thanks to a connection with Eduardo Barahona, Hector started working last Friday in the bookstore/snack shop at International School. Pray that this job goes well for him and that he really enjoys his work.

*We continue to praise God for the precious lives He has given us to work with and be a family with. Just thinking about where some of our boys have come from and where they are now, it's a miracle! We are so thankful for all that He has done in their lives and for all that He will do in the future. We know that He has great plans for all of them.

Thanks from the Micah Project for your love and support! We couldn't do it without all of you behind us, supporting us and praying for us. Blessings to all of you!
Peace.

Good News!

2011-08-09T22:11:00.000-06:00

Davidcito is back at Micah! He came back this evening and we talked to him for a little while. He spent the night at home and did not use any drugs. Praise God that he is home and back to his happy goofy self!

Prayer Requests: August 9

2011-08-09T08:18:00.000-06:00

Good morning dear friends and family of the Micah Project! This past week has been a very busy one for us here at Micah. Lots of people coming and going. We take a few moments to share with you our prayer requests for the week:

*This past Sunday night Joel, the seminary student from Georgia who has been with us for a few weeks, spoke on the topic of community. It was a good reminder for all of the boys and staff that we are all in this together, we can't survive without a community of people around us supporting us. These past few weeks there have been lots of fights, disrespect, and bad attitudes in our community. Please pray for stability in the house and that one of the boys will step up and be a leader for the rest of the boys to follow.

*Davidcito got frustrated and mad last night and took off. We aren't exactly sure what set him off and several people tried to talk to him but he wanted nothing to do with them. Please pray that he may realize that this one decision to go back to the streets could affect the rest of his life. Pray that he may humble himself and come back home.

*Continue to keep the Wiggs family in your prayers. Brian headed back to Oregon yesterday to be with his family. Pray that God may provide direction, peace, and healing for their family as they work thru their issues.

*Here at Micah birthdays are a big deal. This week we are celebrating three birthdays- Joel Rivera (17), Marvincito (17), and Axel Lopez (15)! We praise God that He is faithful, that He working in and transforming these boys lives. He has done incredible things in their lives thus far. We pray for another year of growth and life for all of them. Happy birthday Joel, Marvin, and Axel!

*Visitors! Yesterday Michael's parents, David and Linda Miller, came to Honduras to visit for a few days. Today Hannah and Jonathan Rogers are coming to visit as well. We are thankful for their visits and pray that they will have a great time with us.

*Erika Cruz, the older sister of Erik and Cristofer, finally gave birth to an adorable little baby boy Sunday evening (he doesn't have a name yet)! These past few weeks have been challenging for her, as she was due late July and was passed around from place to place to stay. We praise God for this new life and that mom and baby are doing well.

Amidst all the chaos and uncertainty of the world, we are thankful that we have a God who is in control. As Psalm 28: 7 says "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped." Thank you for your continued support, prayers, and encouragement.
Peace.

Prayer Requests: August 2

2011-08-02T06:56:00.001-06:00

Dear friends and family,
It has been a busy, fun, and productive week at the Micah Project. We thank you for your continuous support and encouragement, we couldn't do it without you. Please join us this week in praying for:

*Gloria Fugon, who is the Manuel, Miguel, and Edwin's grandmother, just found out she has cervical cancer. "Abuela" (grandma) as we like to call her, is a fantastic, loving, and hardworking women. Pray that despite the news she may feel the peace of God in her life. May she continue to stay positive and feel the love of those around her.

*Plans for Micah 2.0 are moving along. A member of our board was here this past weekend and he and Michael spent some time looking at the architectural plans and the land. Pray that all the legal documents and necessary steps will be completed so the land can officially be ours soon!

*Goofy Nelson, whom we all love, broke his wrist and is now sporting a nice purple cast. He was hard at work in Villa Linda Miller and a rock fell on his arm. Pray that he won't suffer too much pain and that his wrist will heal quickly so he can return to playing basketball!

*Hector Licona, who graduated from high school last November, is in need of a job. With Jeremy and Marlon's help he has gone all over the city looking for work and hasn't had any success. Pray that he may be confident of his talents and abilities and find a job that is perfect for him. May he remain faithful and trust in God that he will provide a job when the time is right.

*Praise God that Danilo has recovered from Dengue and is feeling a lot better!

*This week we have a group here from Brian Wiggs' church, Gracepoint in Portland, Oregon. They are working on building a house for Ana, leading vacation bible school in Villa Linda Miller, visiting the streets, AFE, the dump, and just hanging out with the boys. It has been great to get to know them and have them around this week. Pray that the rest of their time here will go smoothly, that all will remain healthy, and that they may learn and grow as you would have them do.

Thanks again for your prayers and encouragement. God's blessings to you!
Peace.

Prayer Requests: July 26

2011-07-26T07:44:00.000-06:00

Good morning to all! We thank all of you for your continued prayer, support, and encouragement. This week we ask that you join us in lifting up the following areas to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:

*Wednesday evening the Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa will be meeting and The Micah Project will be the main focus. Brian Wiggs will be presenting The Micah Project to this group of upper class business people, many of whom have probably never interacted with street kids before. Several of the older graduates will be there as well. Pray that the Holy Spirit may speak through Brian and that more people may become aware of The Micah Project and what we are all about.

*Brian Wiggs will be returning to Honduras today, but the rest of his family, Natasha, Brian James, and Michael will remain in Oregon for a while longer. After being home for awhile it became evident that the boys are struggling far more than they were aware of. As a family they will begin intensive counseling this week. When everyone feels that it is okay they will return to Honduras. Pray that they may find healing and that they may be able to see God's path thru the fogginess they are in right now.

*Danilo was recently diagnosed with Dengue Fever. He has had to go to the hospital a few times for IVs. He has a fever, muscle and joint pain, and feels very tired. Pray that he may recover quickly and return to his job with Proyecto Manuelito.

*Maycol Meza has been back in Tegucigalpa for a few weeks now. Last Monday he started university and is taking 3 classes. So far he seems to really enjoy it. Pray that his transition back and into the Timothy House would continue to go smoothly, that he would do well in his classes, and that he would continue to apply all that he learned in Guatemala to his life here.

Praises!
*Hauner is feeling a lot better! He is back to his normal funny, goofy self.

*Despite past conflicts and struggles Axel Lopez continues to move forward in the right direction. He has had a better attitude and has been more focused in classes.

*During our Sunday night meeting we were able to skype with Brayan Chavez, who is in Costa Rica. The little guys (or "Los Pequeños Gigantes" as they call themselves) loved being able to "see" him and chat with him for awhile. It was a great encouragement to all to hear from him. He has made some new friends and is enjoying life with YWAM in CR.

We thank the Lord for the precious lives that he has given us and the work that he has called us to do. Even when the going gets tough we know that He is right there beside us, every step of the way.

Peace.

Prayer Requests: July 19

2011-07-19T07:19:00.000-06:00

Buenos dias! This week we ask you to join us in prayer for the following:

*Hauner Amaya has been sick since for about a month now with a sore throat and achy body. He has been to the doctor several times and may need to have his tonsils removed. Pray for healing and that the doctors may figure out what is wrong with him so he may feel better soon and return to his normal self.

*Marvincito is almost done with his second month of rehab. However, lately he has been struggling with things of his past. He has come very far from where he was a few months ago, living on the streets and involved with gangs. Pray that he may be strong, that he may feel loved by God and others, and that he may continue his path of healing and restoration.

Praises!
*Joel Oliver arrived to Micah on Saturday. He is from Georgia and is working on his masters degree. He will be with us for a few weeks giving the boys guitar lessons and getting to know the project. We are thankful he is here and willing to share his talents with us.

*Ginny, Becca's mom, also arrived this past weekend. She will be spending a few weeks with us. We are always thankful when family comes to visit!

*Wendy, one of our Honduran teachers, gave birth to a healthy baby boy last week! Praise God for new life and that mom and baby are doing well. (Hopefully soon we will have a picture of the new little one!)

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers, support and love. They are greatly appreciated!! Our God has greatly blessed us and we are very thankful!
Peace!

Prayer Requests: June 28

2011-06-28T06:44:00.000-06:00

Hello friends and family of the Micah Project! This week we ask you to join us in praying for the following:

Requests:
*Brayan Chavez
John Bell and Brayan are traveling to San Jose, Costa Rica to get Brayan all set up and settled in with his YWAM program. Pray for safe travels for them. Pray for strength, wisdom, and peace for Brayan. May this be a time for growth and learning for him. May God reveal His great and glorious plan for his life.

*Oscar Amaya
Oscar is currently working a camp called Honey Rock, which is located in Wisconsin and is associated with Wheaton College. Pray for energy and strength as he puts in lots of hours at camp. May God be preparing him for his transition to Wheaton in the fall.

*Micah 2.0
Today Michael and Marlon are meeting with a lawyer to discuss the plans and process of the new land. Pray for guidance and that God's will may be done. We are excited to begin the building process soon!

Praises:
* For the smiles, laughter, and joy that the boys bring to our lives and to the lives of those around them.

*That the boys who went to church camp this weekend had a fun and safe experience while learning more about our wonderful Savior. May they continue to put into practice all that they learned.

We praise and thank our Heavenly Father that He is always there for us. He was, He is, and He always will be. We are thankful for all of your prayers and support! God's blessings!

2011-06-21T07:07:00.000-06:00

Dear friends and family,

Greetings from a hot, humid, and rainy Tegucigalpa! We have had a few busy months here, but our weekly prayer requests and praises are up and running again! We ask that you join us in praying for the following areas:

*The elementary students

They are finishing up their second quarter of school this week and have exams every day. Pray that they may focus, study hard, and do their best.

*Micah 2.0

Continued prayers on the plans and development for the new land. Last week we were able to show our visitors the new land and it was great to envision what the place will look like.

*Safe travels for the staff

Several of the Micah staff members will be traveling during the next few weeks. Pray for safety and protection in their travels, as well as rest and relaxation and quality time with family and friends.

We also ask that you join us in giving thanks to God for He is good!

*Visitors!

We were blessed to have a small group from FPC in Houston, TX visit us this past weekend. We have also had 4 girls from West Virginia visiting us since last week. It's great to have old friends visit, as well as to make new ones. We are thankful for the joy and encouragement they brought.

*Stability!

We have had many months of stability in the house. The boys are working hard to move forward and make positive steps in their lives. We pray that the boys may continue to grow and mature into the young men God has called them to be.

*Successes!

Brayan Chavez was accepted into a YWAM program in Costa Rica and will be leaving at the end of this month.

Juan Carlos Ortiz started a new job this week at a car wash (where Brayan Chavez put in lots of hours of hard work.)

Continued praise for Olvin and Jarvin's graduations and the encouragement they have been to the younger guys.

Thank you for all of your continued support, love, and prayers for the project! God's blessings to you!

Micah Project Prayer Requests

2011-04-08T14:58:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Blessings and best wishes from the Micah Project! For us, the summer season has definitely set in, with sweat-inducing high temperatures every day for the past week, and extremely dusty/smoggy conditions. These days, when we aren't running around or playing, you can find us huddled in the air-conditioned computer lab or near a running fan! Despite the heat, we are staying active and doing our best to keep our guys busy. We have been reminded again of the growing crime in Tegucigalpa, as several staff members were involved in robberies on the streets near Micah in the last few weeks, but we are thankful that any losses were only material. Thank you for your prayers for us as we seek to minister to the guys and our neighbors in the midst of so much darkness. This week, please especially be praying for us in these areas:

* Axel Lopez
Axel has continued to struggle over the past week. Please be praying for this young man as he works to stay on a forward path and fight against the darkness of his past. Please also pray that instead of running, that Axel would turn to the Lord for healing.

* Safety in our neighborhood
After the robberies of the past week, we have been extra careful in our neighborhood. Please be praying for safety for the Micah staff as we travel between our homes and the Micah Project, as well as throughout the city. Also, please be praying for peace of mind for us as we continue to live our lives here in Barrio Buenos Aires.

* Safety in the city
Last week saw large and sometimes violent political demonstrations in Tegucigalpa. Several of the main streets in Tegus were shut down on a daily basis and regular activities have been disrupted. Please be praying for peace in the city, and that those who have been protesting (mainly teachers who have been on strike and members of la resistencia, a radical political movement) would be able to reconcile and settle peacefully with the government. It is the students of the public school system who are mainly being affected, as their classes are continually canceled.

* Peace in the Micah Project
Michael has been in the United States this past week and will be gone until next Thursday. We are grateful that he is able to find some time to visit friends and family! While Michael is the US, please pray for peace here in the Micah Project. We are so thankful for the stability of the boys right now, and are enjoying a good period of routine and activities.

* And, of course, PRAISES!!
- For Oscar Amaya's acceptance at Wheaton College for fall of 2011 and for the full-ride scholarship that he has received. Wheaton is a very academically challenging Christian university - and one that rarely gives out large scholarships. Praise the Lord for providing so bountifully for Oscar!! He has proven himself ready for the challenge, as he has done amazingly well at Houston Community College for the past year and a half.
- Despite several robberies of staff members, no one has been physically harmed. Praise the Lord for keeping us safe!
- For fun times with the Micah guys. We praise the Lord for giving a wonderful (although often challenging) and joyful ministry!!
- For "Paco," the new Micah van. It is so much easier to move about the city now that we actually have enough seats for everyone, with two vans!!
- For wonderful friends!! Thank you to all of you who so consistently support and encourage us!

This has been a challenging week for our city, but we are thankful to have been protected by the Lord and always encouraged to see the guys continuing to grow. Thank all of you for your prayers and we will be continuing to update all of you on our lives here in Tegucigalpa!!

Peace,
David Hawthorne (on behalf of the Micah Project)

Micah Prayer Requests

2011-03-25T09:04:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Our best wishes from Tegucigalpa! The Micah Project has continued to flourish and thrive this past week, and we want to thank all of you for your prayers and encouragements. They really do help us and mean a lot to all of us! However, each new week brings a new challenge and each new challenge leads us before the Lord in prayer. This week, please pray with us for:

* Negotiations for Land for Micah 2.0
This week, we have a meeting with the people who own the plot of land by the Villa Linda Miller that we want to buy for Micah 2.0. Please be praying for this meeting and that this stage of the process would be smooth and quick. Also, please be praying for the lawyers as they sort out the various titles and paperwork that we need in order to move forward.

*Axel Lopez
Axel has continued to settle back down into a normal routine in Micah. However, his forward progress was checked this past week by a conflict that ended with him being sent home for the weekend. Now that he is back with us after the weekend at home, please be praying for him. Pray that he is able to learn and grow and continue to work hard at thriving in Micah.

* Jenna and Megan

Jenna and Megan have made the decision to help out Axelito's family by taking in his younger sister and cousin and giving them a home for a few months until they have the chance to apply for admission to a new group home for girls. Please be praying for Jenna and Megan as they seek to balance their desire to help these girls with their responsibilities and duties with the Micah Project. Also please pray for calmness and peace within their household as these two girls are coming from a very poor, disorganized home and are having to learn what it means to live in a more "normal" home.

* Jobs for the young men from the Timothy House
Hector Licona and Jarvin are currently looking for jobs here in Tegucigalpa, but have not met with much success so far. Please be praying for these young men, as it is exceedingly difficult to find steady work here. Also, please be praying for Juan Carlos Ortiz as he was recently downsized from his job at the Tegu Toys factory and has had little success in finding a new job.

* For Safety
Three members of the Micah staff were mugged in two separate incidents within the past three days while walking between their apartments and Micah. While no one was hurt, each time that someone is mugged, it takes away part of our peace of mind, not to mention that there is always the possbility that something will go wrong and someone will be injured. Please be praying for safety for us and for wisdom as we revise how we move about in our neighborhood.

* And, let us PRAISE!!!!!
- For Daniel Benitez. Daniel has continued to flourish and grow during his internship in England. Praise the Lord for giving Daniel such an amazing chance and for working in his life through it!
- For Danilo's new job. Danilo recently was hired by Proyecto Manuelito (another street kid organization here in Teigucigalpa) to run a new group home that they are opening. Praise the Lord for giving Danilo this wonderful job!!
- For Miguelito and Axelito! This week, the two "little guys" are celebrating completing a full year in Micah! Praise the Lord for bringing us these two to us and for steadily working in their lives!!

We are happy to see the Lord working in the lives of the Micah guys and in our own hearts as well this week. We want to thank all of you for your prayers for this past week and for all the prayers that we know that you will offer up on our behalf over the course of this next week. Thank you all very much and God Bless!!

Peace,
David Hawthorne (on behalf of the Micah Project)

Micah Prayer Requests

2011-03-18T16:17:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Blessing and best wishes from the Micah Project! We are happy to tell you all that we are doing well and flourishing here in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The guys have finished almost a month and a half of classes and the long grind of the school year has set in - however, they are in high spirits and putting all their efforts into their studies (for the most part - everyone has an 'off day' at times!). We pleased with the growth in the lives of the Micah guys that we have seen, yet we are continually laying them and their futures before the Lord in prayer. This week, we would like to ask you to pray with us for the following requests:

* Cristofer Cruz
Cristofer struggled a great deal in the end of 2010 and even left Micah for a few months at the end of the year. However, we were able to get in him a place in a school called El Sembrador, which is located about 5 hours from Tegucigalpa and all his old habits and friends. Those of you who have known Micah for a few years probably recognize El Sembrador as the school that Arle attends and which played such a large role in helping him turn his life around. Sadly, El Sembrador was unable to help Cristofer, as he quickly made friends that once again led him into old habits. After he was found smoking pot with his friends, he was expelled from El Sembrador and sent home. As this time, we are unable to help Cristofer, but we are still holding him in our prayers. Please be praying for this troubled young man and that he would repent and genuinely seek help in turning him life around and leaving the downward path that he is currently on.

* Axel Lopez
Axel is another young man in Micah who struggled greatly in the end of 2010. However, unlike Cristofer, he has made great strides towards rejoining the Micah Project this year - he just successfully finished a month-long probation period and moved back into Micah last week! However, please be praying for this young man, as he still has a long road left to walk. Please pray that he finds peace in Christ and that he continues to work with us in finding a path forward out of the darkness that consumed him last year.

* Maycol Meza
''Little Maycol,'' as we sometimes call him, is currently with Youth with a Mission in Guatemala. The Lord is doing a great work in his life at the moment, and we are proud of the growth that we are seeing in his life. However, we would like to ask you all to be praying for Maycol, as this is his first time being so far from home and he is continually challenged by being in a new place, far from family and friends.

* Our neighborhood/Micah 2.0
Negotiations are underway for the land for Micah 2.0! We are very excited about actually starting down the path to building a new home for our guys! However, even as we rejoice (and ask for your prayers covering this whole process), we would like to ask you to be praying for our current neighborhood. With two more recent deaths and the dumping of a body in the dumpster by the Bells' apartment, our barrio is increasingly becoming more and more dangerous. Please be praying for safety for the Micah guys and the Micah staff (some of whom have been troubled by dreams of violence and death in recent nights) and that we would have the courage to continue to reach out to people in the midst of so much darkness.

* And, regardless of the darkness, let's PRAISE!!!
- For the great work that the Lord is doing in the life of Maycol!! We are so thrilled to see this young man learning a new passion for his faith and his Lord!!
- For the safety that we have had in Micah! Despite hearing gunshots many nights and news of new outbreaks of violence on a daily basis, we have been blessed with a supernatural protection. Praise the Lord for taking such good care of us!!
- For the lives of our older guys! Many 'First Generation' Micah guys, such as Olvin Funez, Danilo, Marvin Soto and many, many others, have continued to flourish and push ahead in pursuit of the Lord and a path forward and away from the streets and their painful beginnings. Praise the Lord for raising up such faithful and mature young men!
- For Danial Benitez! Daniel has been doing an internship in England for the past few weeks - and he is flourishing there! Let's praise the Lord for providing such a wonderful opportunity to Daniel!!

This has been a time of growing strength and maturity in the hearts of the Micah guys, even as the neighborhood and city around us grows darker and darker. We are thrilled to see the Lord working so powerfully in the lives of our guys, even as we continue to try to stand faithfully as lights against the encroaching darkness all around us. In these times, we are especially grateful to all of our faithful friends and 'family' who have stood by us and encouraged us through all the highs and lows of this ministry. Thank you all very much and God bless!!

Peace,
David Hawthorne (on behalf on the Micah Project)

Micah Project Prayer Requests

2011-02-24T22:01:00.001-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from the new (Honduran) school year! Uniforms have been purchased, school supplies are lined up, lessons planned and the Micah Project has rung in our school year! We are excited about the return to classes and the routine that it brings with it. The guys are also excited about their new classes, school supplies and books (of course, everyone knows just how fast that feeling wears off!). Still, we are grateful for the fun that we had during vacations and happy about being in classes once again. As we start classes and settle into a normal and regular routine, we ask that you be praying for:

* Hector Mendez and his family
Hector received the news last Sunday that his older (and only) brother Osman had been stabbed to death. He has been grieving the loss of his brother as the two were close and we ask for your prayers for him and his father in this difficult time.

* Axel Lopez
Axel has returned to Micah with a month-long probation period. During this time, Axel will be studying with us and at Micah in the mornings, but will not be living in Micah House. Our hope and prayer is that he able to demonstrate a renewed willingness to work hard at being in Micah. Please hold this troubled young man in your prayers - especially pray that he is able to surrender his heart to the Lord and receive His supernatural aid in succeeding during this trail phase.

* Arle and Cristofer
Arle has started classes once again at El Sembrador (the boarding that he attends in Eastern Honduras), and he has been joined this year by Cristofer Cruz. Please be praying for both of these young men, as their school, while excellent, is very strict and full of hard work. Please pray that Arle will continue to thrive there and that Cristofer will experience some of the live- and heart-changing aspects of El Sembrador that Arle has experienced.

* Maycol Meza
Maycol, one of our 2009 graduates, left two weeks ago for Guatemala in order to spend three months in a Discipleship Training School with Youth with a Mission (YWAM). In 2009, Micah graduate Oscar Amaya passed a life-transforming 6 months with YWAM, and our prayer is that Maycol is able to experience the same work of the Lord in his life. Please especially be praying for him as he will be spending a long time away from family, friends and home.

* For scheduling for the Micah Staff
Many members of the Micah Staff, especially Michael Miller and Rebecca and John Bell, have been working long hours and are need of some rest. Please pray that we are able to have a season of calm here at Micah and wisdom in scheduling so that we can give them the time off that they need.

*And, let us always PRAISE!!
- For the start of a life-impacting adventure in Maycol Meza's life. We are excited for him and for the work that the Lord is doing in his life!!
- For the start of classes! We are excited about what this new school year holds for our guys and how they will grow and learn. Praise the Lord for bringing our guys into another year of life and growth!!
- For our guys current mental state. Almost all of the Micah guys are currently (mentally) far from the streets and are fighting hard to move forward. Let us praise the Lord for having worked in the guys' lives so mightily!!

This is an exciting time in the Micah House! We are enjoying the return to classes, the maturing process that is happening in the guys' lives, and we are looking forward to continuing to work on Micah 2.0 and developing the future of the Micah Project. Thank you all for praying us faithfully!! God bless you all!!

Peace,
David Hawthorne (on behalf of the Micah Project)

Weekly Prayer Requests

2011-01-20T15:25:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Those of us who went to Copan and Tela are back in Tegucigalpa! This week, the older Micah guys and most of the Micah staff are in Copan assisting a medical brigade while Michael and I just returned from a road trip around Honduras with the younger guys. We appreciate all your prayers for safe and fun travels, and we are happy to say that the guys loved getting to know even more of Honduras! The rest of the guys and the staff will return late Saturday and next week we will host a small, four-person group. As we rest over this weekend and prepare for next week, we would like to ask you all to be praying for a few brief items. Namely, please be praying for:

* Safe Travels for the rest of the Micah guys and staff
Copan to Tegucigalpa is a long drive over narrow mountains roads. Please be praying for safety in the travels of the rest of the Micah Project and that those who are struggling with stomach issues, both from the brigade and from Micah, will be able to rest and heal quickly.

* Axel Lopez
As we try to discern how to best help Axel in 2011, we ask for your prayers. Please be praying that the Lord works in Axel's heart and that we receive His divine wisdom as we make a complicated decision.

* For the last few weeks for vacation
Please be praying for the end of our school vacation time. Please pray that we are able to use this time to plan for the next year and that the guys are able to enjoy this time to the fullest.

* And PRAISES!!
- That we were able to meet with Erik and Cristofer Cruz last week and set down a productive and workable plan with them for 2011. Praise the Lord for giving us wisdom in this meeting!!
- For a wonderful weekend on the road! The guys (and to be honest, neither Michael nor I) didn't want to come back to Tegus! Praise the Lord for giving us a fun and safe time!!

We are grateful for a fun trip and for the big smiles that everyone is wearing after our return. Once again, many thanks to all of you for your prayers and support!! God Bless!!

Peace,
David Hawthorne (on behalf of the Micah Project)

Weekly Prayer Requests

2011-01-14T22:59:00.000-06:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Greetings and Blessings from the Micah Project! We had a relaxing weekend last weekend and a smooth week so far - however, we are gearing up for a slightly more intense weekend tomorrow! This weekend, a group from the U.S. arrives in Honduras and will take over half the guys and staff with them to Western Honduras. The rest of the project is also planning to go with them for the weekend before heading up to Northern Honduras and then the beach for a couple of nights. We are very excited about the trips this weekend and the chance to break out of our normal routine! However, even as we plan a bit of fun, we have several items that we wish to lay before the Lord. We are praying for, and would like to ask you to be praying for:

* Violence in our neighborhood
Violence in the neighborhood surrounding Micah has continued to grow worse in the past few weeks. As threats and rumors of potential violence continually swirl, we ask you to please be praying for safety for the Micah guys and for Micah staff. We also want to ask you to please continue to pray that we can somehow be a beacon of light and Christ's love in the midst of so much darkness and violence. Please also be praying for a cessation of violence and that peace would rule.

* For Axel Lopez and Cristofer Cruz
Both Axel and Cristofer struggled in 2010 and finished the year living outside of Micah. Please be praying for them in this coming year; that the Lord would be working in their hearts and that they would both begin to seriously fight against their personal vices. Also, we ask you to be praying for wisdom for us as we seek the Lord's guidance in how to best help these two young men in 2011.

*For safe travels this weekend
As we all travel to Western Honduras this weekend, we would ask you to please keep our safety in your prayers. We look forward to having a fun weekend, and we hope to also have a safe one!!

* And, regardless of our circumstances, let us always remember to PRAISE!!!
- For the successful Board of Directors meeting this past weekend. Michael and the Board had a successful time discussing the future and planning for this coming year. Praise the Lord for blessing them with His wisdom and patience throughout their long meetings!!
- For several birthdays this past week! It is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the lives of each of these young men and to joyfully wish them another year filled with growth and life!!
- For the Lord's current work in the hearts of the Micah guys! We've seen the Micah guys growing emotionally and spiritually in the past month, and we wish to praise the Lord for working so mightily in their hearts and minds!!

"This God - His way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him. For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?" (Psalms 18:30-31)
Our God has proven mighty to save, protect, heal and grow time and time again in the ten years that the Micah Project has sought to carry out His work in Tegucigalpa. We praise and thank Him for being so faithful and generous with us, and we thank you for your continued support. God bless!!

Peace,
David Hawthorne (on behalf of the Micah Project)

Weekly Prayer Requests

2011-01-07T09:43:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Happy New Year from the Micah Project! We here at Micah have had a busy and exciting holiday season with Christmas, a visiting missions team from Meridian, Mississippi and, of course, celebrating the New Year!! Now, on the other side of the holidays, the staff is working on giving everyone some much-needed time off and (although life is a little calmer) we are all now working on playing catch-up with work from before the holidays. Despite post-holidays tiredness and long lists of work, we are excited about this upcoming new year; we have many things to look forward to: working hard on Micah 2.0, finishing Roger's new house in the Villa Linda Miller community, welcoming old friends back to Micah as the missions teams visit, meeting new friends both in Honduras and from the U.S. and watching the Micah guys grow. We are praying, and we ask you all to be praying, for this new year and for all of the joys and challenges that it will bring. In particular, we ask you to be praying for:

* Micah 2.0
As 2011 begins and we look ahead to the future, our largest and most exciting dream is start work on Micah 2.0 - a new home for our guys with LOTS of space for them to run and play, located in a small community just outside of Tegucigalpa - and we might have our first phase completed as soon as the end of the year! Still, even as the pieces continue to slowly fall into place and the details are resolved we continue to place Micah 2.0 in the hands of the Lord. Please be praying for wisdom for the Micah staff and the board of directors concerning this future dream, that the Lord provides the necessary resources so that this exciting vision becomes a reality in 2011!

* For the Micah Guys
2010 was a hard year for many of our guys, as they struggled with glue addictions, the false promises of "fun" and "liberty" on the streets and other issues. The Lord has won many powerful and amazing victories in the lives of these young men, but there are many more battles than need to be won. Please be holding the growth and the futures of each of these young men in your prayers. We also ask you to please be especially praying for Axel Lopez and Cristofer Cruz in this coming year, as these two young men struggled in 2010 and are currently living outside of Micah.

* The Upcoming Board of Directors Meeting
Micah's board of directors is meeting at the end of this week. They and Michael Miller hope to set an agenda and an operational plan for this upcoming year - not an easy or simple task!! Please be praying for wisdom and that God's guiding hand would be on this meeting.

* For Spiritual Growth in the Hearts of the Micah Guys
As we have stated before, we do not win the battles for the hearts of these young men - it is the Lord, and Him alone!! Please be praying that he would work mightily in the hearts of the Micah guys and continue to make them more and more into His own image!!

* And, let us never forget to PRAISE!!
- For some VERY Happy Holidays in Micah! The Micah guys were excited about Christmas - and they definitely celebrated enthusiastically (enough fireworks were set off in front of Micah to completely cover the street in burned bits of paper)! A week later, we once again covered the street in firework debris as we celebrated the arrival of 2011. Praise the Lord for fun (and safe) holidays!!
- For a visit from First Presbyterian Church of Meridian, Mississippi! FPC Meridian brought down a large group to work with us in raising Roger's new home during the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve. We got a lot of work done - and we were also able to make many new friends and enjoy a very fun week!!
- The Lord's constantly moving hand in our lives! Our God has continued to protect, guide and grow us! Praise Him for being so faith to us as we seek to carry out His will!!

2010 was a wild year, with many highlights, many battles and many victories in the lives of our young men. However, despite the battles and struggles of 2010, we are excited about the future of these young men in 2011 and we look forward to seeing what the Lord has planned for their lives. We also look forward to walking through 2011 with all of you, our dear family members and friends. Thank you for all of your support and prayers in 2010, and we look forward to another year of ministry alongside of all of you!!

Peace,
David Hawthorne (on behalf of the Micah Project)

Micah Project Prayer Requests

2010-12-10T10:39:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Blessings from Tegucigalpa, Honduras! My deepest apologies about not posting any prayer requests in the last three weeks! However, things here at the project have been very joyful - last month, our graduation was well worth the time and energy spent on it as we celebrated the graduation of Jeferson, Maycol, Brayan Chavez, Hector Licona and Hauner Amaya from high school. Several of our friends from the U.S. were able to fly down in order to spend the weekend with us and the graduates. The next weekend, the Micah guys celebrated the beginning of school vacation by going on a trip to the Northern coast with Roger. After returning from the Northern coast, the Micah guys have started a construction project out in the Villa Linda Miller. In short, these have been a busy few weeks! As we start a new month, we would like to ask you to please be holding the graduates, the Micah guys and us (the staff) in your prayers. Please be praying for:

* The New Micah Graduates
As our graduates look ahead to the future, we would like to ask you to please keep them in your prayers. Please be praying for wisdom and for the hand of the Lord to be on them and their lives. Even though they have graduated from high school, their journeys are far from over. Please continue to hold Chavez, Jeferson, Maycol, Hector and Hauner in your prayers.

* Safety
Last week, the local newspaper named (for the second time this year) our barrio as one of the "hot zones" for crime in the city of Tegucigalpa. This claim has been born out in reality with several murders in our neighborhood during the past two weeks. Additionally, Wilmer and Arle were unlawfully detained and threatened by corrupt police officers last week. Our neighborhood is truly becoming a "hot zone" of crime. Please continue to hold all the Micah staff and guys in your prayers. Please continue to pray that we can be Christ-like influences in the midst of so much darkness and that the Lord will complete a great work in this city and stop the violence.

*The Micah Staff
As we labor to bring these young men off of the street and strive to be God's agents in transforming them into future Christian leaders, we face a long and hard fight. Often, we are called upon to work long hours and deal with stressful situations day after day. We ask you to please be holding us in your prayers this week! Please pray for patience, for wisdom, for grace and for the love of Christ to flow through us every moment as we work to raise up each of the Micah guys.

* And, let us always remember to PRAISE!!!
- For the Micah graduates! These five young men have completed the long road to graduation, and we are extremely proud of their hard work!! Praise the Lord for all the change that He has brought about in their lives and for strengthening their hands to do the work that they needed to do!
- For a smooth graduation weekend! This weekend was a wonderful time of praise and fellowship with friends from the U.S. - praise the Lord that everything went well and that we were able to have a joyous time celebrating our graduates!!
- For encouragement when it's needed! Praise the Lord for giving us all that we need to do everything that He has called us to do - including giving us wonderful friends who lift us up when necessary!!

On graduation weekend, as the new graduates worked their way through all of the staff and Micah board members, giving hugs to each one, I remarked to David Miller (Michael's father), "These are the moments that make it all worthwhile." It is moments like those that remind us why we fight so hard for these young men; these moments remind us of our goals for each of them in their long journeys. We pray, and we also ask you to pray, that each young man who enters our doors is able to also arrive at the same moment of triumph. God bless you all and thank you for your prayers!

Peace,
David Hawthorne (on behalf of the Micah Project)

Weekly Prayer Requests

2010-11-03T10:52:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

This has been a busy and encouraging two weeks here at Micah Project. At the end of the last week, we were blessed to attend an informational event about street kids hosted by local bilingual private school. The school's aim was to teach their upper-class students about the realities of street life while looking to break through some of the class barriers that exist here in Honduras. It was a wonderful time of sharing and learning. The weekend just got better, as on Sunday we celebrated the baptisms of six of our guys! It was wonderful and encouraging to witness so many of our young men take an important and publicly proclaim their devotion to Jesus Christ!! Sadly, just a few days ago, we were reminded of the reality of death in this fallen world when we received news that our beloved friend Jo Bewley had passed away after a long and valiant battle with cancer.

* Bob Bewley and their family
We are blessed to have known Jo Bewley and inspired to see how she was at peace with the Lord's will for her in these past few weeks. We are grateful that Micah college student Olvin Funez was able to be with Bob and Jo throughout her final day and that both Olvin and Oscar Amaya stayed with Bob that night. Micah Project director Michael Miller left for the U.S. on Monday in order attend Jo's funeral and to be with Bob. Please hold Bob and their children and grandchildren in your prayers this week.

* The six baptized Micah guys
Miguelito, Axelito, Nelson, Miguel Fugon, Joel, and Yeison were all baptized two Sundays ago - and we had a large celebratory party that evening in the Micah house!! However, we also realize that our enemy will try to destroy these young men after they have much such a bold proclamation of their faith in Christ. Please hold each of them and their faith in prayer over the course of these next few weeks. We have already seen a large change in their lives! Also, please pray that us of the Micah staff have the wisdom to wisely guide and mentor each of them as they seek to become more like Christ!

* Axel Lopez and Cristofer
Both of these young men have had a very difficult year and are currently living outside of Micah House. Please lift both of them up in prayer as they struggle with myriad voices and influences telling them how they should live their lives. Please pray they will experience broken repentance that drives them to Christ and we will see the kind of change in their lives that allows us to bring them back into Micah and once again start their journeys forward.

* Our Barrio
Crime continues to be an issue here in Barrio Buenos Aires, even to the point of forcing us to change our approach to personal security as we move about our neighborhood. Please pray for safety for us and the other residents of our neighborhood. Please also pray that we can be good witnesses of Christ in the midst of this darkness, that plans for Micah 2.0 would continue to move ahead smoothly and that our guys would remain safe in the meantime.

* And from the darkest depths, let us remember to PRAISE!
- For Jo Bewley's life! Jo blessed so many people over the course of her life and we are blessed to be part of her legacy. Several mothers of Micah guys are part of the sewing group "Grupo Mama Jo" that Jo founded and are especially grateful to her for all that she did for them. Let us thank the Lord for this amazing woman of God!
- For the baptized Micah guys! It is a large step forward for each of these young men, and we are thrilled about the progress that baptism symbolizes. Praise the Lord for these young men!!
- For Marvin Morazan's new job! Marvin is back in Honduras and just got a job teaching Bible at the International School of Tegucigalpa - one of the best schools in the city!! Praise the Lord!!
- Three of our graduating seniors (Jeferson Baysa, Hector Licona, and Brayan Chavez) have also begun working this past week, with great jobs at Tegu Toys, a wooden toy company founded and run by a friend of the Micah Project, Chris Haughey. We are so thankful for this opportunity for them to be working full-time when there is so much economic instability!
- For the Lord's hand of blessing on our ministry. We have been blessed with dear friends and many ministry opportunities. Praise the Lord for allowing us to be used by Him!!

Life can be sad, it can be challenging and it can present us with sudden joys and sudden sorrows. Life in this fallen world is unpredictable and all too often presents us with obstacles and pain. However, we serve a God who is greater than all challenges, who heals the pains, carries us through the rough times and rejoices with us in the moments of joy. It our privilege to be serving this God here in Honduras, and we hope that He will allow us to continue to serve here for many, many more years! Thank you for your prayers and God bless!!

Peace,
David Hawthorne (on behalf of the Micah Project

Mama Jo

2010-10-29T18:46:00.000-06:00

I wanted to let you all know that our dear, dear friend Jo Bewley (around the Micah Project, everyone knows her as Mama Jo) passed away this afternoon after a long battle with cancer. Jo has been coming to Honduras with her husband Bob every year since we founded the project. Her favorite topic of conversation was missions...she loved to be a part of what God's people are doing around the world. Specifically though, she loved the Micah Project! She seemed perfectly at home here, whether she was under the bridge ministering to the street kids, out in Villa Linda Miller chatting with the families or at the Micah House surrounded by the boys.

A few years ago, Jo Bewley founded a program called The Micah Moms. The idea stemmed from a group of Jos' friends in Houston called the Crafty Ladies. Jo decided that if she and her friends could meet together and sew, make crafts, and fellowship, then that model would work in Honduras too! She had a much bigger vision though: she would teach the Micah Moms sewing skills so that they could earn some income for their families. Our boys' moms are some of the poorest women in Tegucigalpa, and most have never had the opportunity to get an education. On several subsequent trips after founding the Micah Moms, Jo brought down sewing "yo-yos"...and taught the moms how to make pillows, table runners and other things!

Thanks to Jo's inspiration, the Micah Moms group has taken off! Six to eight ladies gather in the Micah House every afternoon. A sewing teacher comes in twice a week to teach them various sewing skills. There is a plan in place to make needlepoints belts to sell in various university bookstores around the country. Even more important than the microenterprise development, the moms also meet every Thursday for a Bible study. They have suffered much, and their lives as single moms in very poor neighborhoods are never easy. The time of fellowship, prayer and support that they have each week has been transformative for each one of them. One of the moms told us recently that she never felt that her life had any worth at all until she joined the Micah moms group. Now, she looks forward to one o'clock in the afternoon every day so that she can come to the Micah Project for the Micah Moms time!

A couple of months ago, the moms even decided to rename their group "Grupo Mama Jo" in honor of their dear friend. When they found out that she passed away today, they all came rushing into my office in the Micah House. They spent some time talking about HOW MUCH they love Mama Jo and how much she meant to their lives.

Jo will be missed, terribly missed, by all the lives she touched. But she will also be celebrated, because she poured out to others all the blessings God that gave to her ...and in the process, she blessed many, many lives. We know that there is a celebration in heaven as this daughter of God receives her crown tonight!

We love you, Mama Jo!

Michael, (for the boys, the staff and Grupo Mama Jo)

Weekly Prayer Requests

2010-10-21T10:42:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Many thanks for your prayers from last week! With John and Becca in the U.S., we have all been just a little bit busier trying to fill their shoes, but we have at least succeeded in temporarily in filling the gap. Still, we are very excited about their return on Tuesday! We look forward to another week of ministry with them and, as always, we want to cover all of our endeavors in this ministry with prayer. This week, we ask to to please pray with us for:

* Our neighborhood
Barrio Buenos Aires continues to be a increasingly dangerous place. The threat of danger continues to hang in the air and linger the back of our minds. We ask for safety for us and our guys as well as for peace to fill our barrio. Please continue to pray that there is revival in this barrio and that Christ would change people's lives on a large scale. Also please that we have the necessary compassion, courage, and wisdom to be effective lights for Christ in this very dark place.

* The Bewley Family
Jo Bewley is continuing to grow weaker as time marches onward in her slow battle against cancer. Bob and Jo are very dear members of our family and we deeply hurt for them. Please hold both of them and their family in prayer in the midst of this time.

* Micah 2.0
The vision for Micah 2.0 continues its long journey towards reality! We are very excited about the opportunity to move just outside of the city and gain space and a house intentionally planned around the needs of the guys. Please continue to lift this process up in prayer and ask the Lord that He give us wisdom. Also, please pray that He guides us as we seek to set the tone for the next ten years of ministry (or more)!

* The Micah Staff
Discouragement and frustration are constant enemies of ours, and they have the ability to cripple us in our work. It is incredibly easy to simply become angry or feel defeated when one of our guys takes a step backwards. Please lift us up in prayer for strength, for patience, for supernatural perseverance, and more. We know that we are nothing, but that He is strong!!

* And, of course, let us PRAISE!!
- For the continued progress in the lives of many of our guys! While they have moments of struggle, our guys are growing and moving forward in their lives. Praise the Lord for continuing to bring them them this far!!
- For this opportunity. We are grateful to the Lord for giving us several years of exciting ministry to the street youth of Tegucigalpa and we pray that He gives us many more!
-Six of our young our planning to be baptized this Sunday at their church. We are so excited that they are taking this step in their Christian walk! Pray for continued growth and maturity in their faith.

Working with teenagers is never easy, and working with drug-addicted teens is even harder, but the Lord has blessed our ministry and brought us many wonderful young men. We are also grateful for all of our "extended family" in the U.S. - God bless you and we hope that you all have a wonderful week!!

Peace,
David Hawthorne (on behalf of the Micah Project)

Weekly Prayer Requests

2010-10-13T20:34:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Miguelito raises a praising rap to the Lord!

It's fall here! For a few days, a cold front has moved in over the city and we are actually experiencing fall-like weather. We know that this is only temporary and we will soon be back into the 80s...still, the weather makes for a nice change in our normal routine - and every little thing helps in the daily challenges of raising our boys. Thankfully, many of them are doing well and are growing. However, we continue to worry about and pray for these young men and their futures. This week, please join us in praying for:

* Axel Lopez
Axel once again left for the streets almost a week ago. He had a long and difficult summer, but had returned to Micah and seemed to be settling into a healthy routine. However, eventually, the same troubling issues from his past that led him from Micah in the first place once again destabilized Axel and caused him to walk out of Micah. Please be praying for Axel, especially for safety, for healing, and for surrender in his heart that will allow him to turn to others and ask for help.

* Jo Bewley
Jo Bewley, the founder of Grupo Mama Jo (the Micah Moms sewing ministry) is in the final stages of her long fight against cancer. Jo and her husband Bob have been dear friends to the Micah Project over the last ten years. Please be raising Jo and Bob and their family up in prayer.

* Our neighborhood

Our barrio has continued its long decline into the horrors of an area controlled by the drug trade. Violence and crime are on the rise and continue to spiral out of control. This past week, we have heard stories of at least five deaths, many of them carried out by professional hit men. The local newspaper even recently listed our barrio as one of the sources of "delinquent behavior" in the city! Please hold Barrio Buenos Aires and the people living here in your prayers. Please especially pray for safety, for an end to the drugs and the violence, and for revival in this barrio. Please pray that Christ would become known to many here in this neighborhood and that His peace would be evident here. Also, please pray that we of the Micah Project would be lights in the midst of this darkness and epicenters of God's moving hand here in Barrio Buenos Aires.

* Micah 2.0
Partly as a reaction to the violence in our neighborhood, we are looking to purchase a large plot of land in a small community just outside of Tegucigalpa. Our dream is to give our guys safety, tranquility, and a large space far from the temptations of the streets - a space where they would run, play, and burn off their endless amounts of energy. We have several likely pieces of property in mind, and people have already begun donating to our Micah 2.0 fund! Please pray that the Lord continues to have His hand on this entire process and that His divine wisdom would guide each and every one of our decisions.

A potential site for Micah 2.0

* And, in spite of the darkness, let us Praise our Awesome God!!
- For bringing Micah 2.0 from a dream into reality! Less than a year ago, we were discussing how wonderful it would be it we had more space, etc., etc. Today the Lord has taken some small dreams and is making them into reality!! Thank you, Lord!!
- For protection. In the midst of a dangerous neighborhood, no one from Micah has been hurt. Praise the Lord for keeping us safe!!
- For the growth in the Micah Technical School. Brian Wiggs spends all day, most days of the week, on the terrace on the Micah House giving classes to the dozens of young men looking to learn a trade and turn their lives around. Praise God for blessing this ministry!!
- For people who lift us up when we are tired. Thank the Lord for, well, you! Let us praise Him for bringing people into our lives who pray for us and lift us up with encouraging words. It means more to us than you can ever know!!
-For Grupo Mama Jo! This group of women comes to the Micah House every day to pratice their sewing skills and to find support and comfort in each other's presence. One of them told us last week that she felt self-worth and a sense of purpose for the first time in her life through this ministry.

This year at Micah as seem some amazing blessings (David, Axelito, and Miguelito all leaving the streets - for starters) and has brought some difficult challenges. However, we are hopeful and excited about the future and we look forward to strongly finishing this year and, in the words of the Apostle Paul, "fighting the good fight" well past the start of the next year. Many thanks to all of you for your constant love and support!! God Bless!

Peace,
David Hawthorne (on behalf of the Micah Project)

Weekly Prayer Requests

2010-09-28T13:09:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from Tegucigalpa, Honduras! We find ourselves at the start of another week here at Micah Project, with all the joys and pains of raising these young men. This past month has been a hard battle over the lives of these young men, and all of us are feeling the strain of constant spiritual warfare. However, our God is greater than any attackers, and we know that He will be victorious in the end. As we press on in this fight, we continue to bring our prayers and praises before our God. Please join us this week in prayer for:

* Northern Honduras
This past week, Hurricane Matthew passed through Honduras. While damage in Tegucigalpa was minimal, the Northern part of the country suffered the brunt of the storm's hit. There are few resources or government agencies to help those who have been hard-hit by the storm and damaged infrastructure will likely take some time to repair. Please be holding the people of this country, and especially of the North in your prayers.

* Hector, David, Miguelito, y Axelito
Our four youngest guys have been struggling in their fights against addiction and the urge to return to the streets. Each of these young men is very precious, and we love each one very dearly. Please hold them in constant prayer as they struggle and sometimes fail against strong foes.

* Axel Lopez
Axel is back home! However, he is still vulnerable to the same temptations that took him to the streets in the first place. Please be holding him in your prayers over the next week. Please especially pray that he is able to confront and defeat the pain of his past and find rest in God's healing.

* The Micah Staff
The past month has been filled with intense spiritual warfare, and we on the Micah staff are feeling the strain of constant spiritual attack. Please lifting us up in prayer while you also lift our guys up in prayer. We are confident that our God will win this battle, but it is a hard fight!!

* Also, let us turn to God and PRAISE!!
- For Axel Lopez's return! After many prayers and a lot of heartache, Axel is back home and once again moving forward is his journey from darkness in the light!
- The Bells are back! Rebecca and John Bell took some well-earned personal time and went to a friends wedding in Spain - and they're back with us! We're very excited about having them back!!
- For each of the lives in Micah Project! Yeison, Maycol, Axel, Pedro Luis, Wilmer, Yoel, Junior, Axelito, Nelson, Miguelito, Miguel Fugon...each one of these young men is a precious gift to us from God and we are grateful for them!!

- For God's strength. "You are stronger, much stronger...." says the worship song, and we rejoice in its truth. Our God is much, much stronger than any foe that wishes to attack our guys. Let us rejoice in and give praise over that fact!!

As a closing thought to our prayer request blog, let me leave you with Ephesians 3:20-21(ESV):
"Now to him who able to do far more abundantly more than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Jesus Christ throughout all generations, forever and ever, amen." Let us never cease to praise and rely on Him, brothers and sisters!

Peace,
David Hawthorne (on behalf of the entire Micah Project)

Weekly Prayer Requests

2010-09-07T18:45:00.001-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from yet another wet week here in Tegus! The missions teams have left, but the rains have decided to stay. Beside torrential tropical rains most days of the past week, we here at Micah have also been enduring waves of spiritual attack over the past month. Still, the Lord is giving us the strength to fight alongside of our guys in their battle for life. We continue to lift up the young men in our charge and are committed to fighting this battle with them. As we encourage them, please work with us and lift the following in prayer:

* Strength to continue to fight and humility to ask for help
Many of our guys have been struggling recently in their war against their old selves and past lives. Please be praying that they turn to us, and, more importantly, to the Lord for help in their battles. Please also pray that those who have stumbled would find healing in confession. Lastly, we ask you to be lifting us, the staff of Micah Project, up in prayer as we seek to safeguard and guide these young men.

* Bob and Jo Bewley

Long-time Micah friend and Micah Moms Ministry founder Jo Bewley has entered the final stages of her battle against terminal cancer. Please be lifting her and Bob up in prayer in this time. Bob and "Mama Jo" have been a part of our family for a long time and they are in our constant thoughts and prayers.

* For the Micah Moms ministry

Even as Jo Bewley approaches the end of her time here on earth, the ministry founded by her is flourishing. The Micah Moms meet several times a week in Micah House in order to learn new sewing techniques and practice their new skills. Please be covering the future of this ministry in prayer as we look to expand it into a full-fledged micro-enterprise organization. Also, two of the moms, Maria and Telma, have been suffering from severe illnesses; please pray for strength and healing in their lives.

* Axel Lopez
In a week of hard prayer requests and sad news, some of the hardest and saddest is the fact that Axel Lopez is still living outside of Micah House. We have received news that he has entered Covenant House, a large center for street youth, but it is unclear how long he plans to stay there. Please be fervently praying for this young man as he is clearly in the midst of an intense spiritual battle.

* And, even in the midst of battle, let us remember to Praise our Lord!!
- For the arrival of Megan Scheumann! Megan, a long-time friend of Micah Project, has just joined Micah staff full-time!! Megan will be working with the Micah Moms sewing ministry and seeking to expand and grow this vibrant ministry.
- For victories in this spiritual battle. Every smile, every good day, every step forward is a victory in the lives of our young men. Praise the Lord for bringing out the victory in their lives!!
- For allies! The Lord has brought many faithful allies and friends into the lives of everyone here at Micah. Praise the Lord for bringing them (and all of you) to us - and thank you all very much!!

These past two weeks in Micah House have been hard and have seen several dark and intense battles over the lives of our young men. However, we know that we have the Lord God Almighty on our side in this battle and we know that He will prevail. Rise up, O Lord!!

Peace,
David Hawthorne (on behalf of the Micah Project)

Axel should not be on the streets right now

2010-08-22T08:09:00.000-06:00

Axel should not be on the streets right now. He should not be sleeping in a stall in the outdoor market that sells shoes by the putrid river that runs through Tegucigalpa. He shouldn't be crossing the bridge every day at lunch to beg food from the lunchtime crowd downtown. He should not be running with dangerous people, who make their living by the gun that they hide in their clothes. He should not be back on the streets.

He shouldn't, but he is.

Many of you have met Axel and have fallen in love with him since he joined the Micah Project in September of 2008. The Axel that you know is a lanky, goofy kid who is always quick with a joke or a prank. His chosen method of showing affection toward someone is through an insult... "Hey Michael, why are you so ugly today?" ...always delivered with a lopsided grin and an awkward hug from someone whose 14-year-old body is growing too quickly for him to get a handle on it. The Axel that you meet on a trip to Tegucigalpa is a funny, charming, easy-going young boy.

But that's not all there is to Axel. The reasons why he is back on the streets after two good years speak to a traumatized, angry soul. Earlier this summer, a psychologist from the juvenile prison came to visit the Micah Project. He recognized Axel and they spent some time chatting on the patio of the Micah House. Afterwards, the psychologist expressed shock as he spoke to me about Axel. This well-spoken young man was one of the most violent kids they had in juvenile detention. He couldn't believe it was the same boy. We got the same response when we talked to another street kid organization that he had lived in: they would no longer accept him into their program because of his violent tendencies.

That is not the Axel that we know! We know a loving, caring Axel who has a great thirst for justice and is always looking for ways to help the downtrodden. But wait...the reality is that both of these boys are the same Axel. The Apostle Paul says in Romans: "When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members." (Romans 7: 21-23). Axel's childhood was full of incredible, degraded evil, more evil than a young child should ever have to bear. His dad is in prison for gang-related violence, and Axel himself was a part of that violence while living on the streets.

Why is Axel back on the streets? That is a question that many people have asked me in the last month. The answer is complex. It could be the drugs that dig their pleasure-inducing claws into these young boys' addicted brains and just won't let go. It could be the hormones raging through his 14-year-old body, calling him back to the danger and excitement of street life, so much more interesting than his second grade classes at Micah. It could be the incredibly complex relationship he has with his mom and dad: hating them for what he had to live through as a child but loving them with a desperate love because...well, because they are his parents, after all. It could be spiritual warfare, with Satan redoubling his efforts to drag this child of God back into the slimy pit.

Every day that our boys are at Micah is a miracle. Choosing life is so much harder than accepting the alternative. It is so easy to slip back into the things of our past. Choosing the Micah Project is hard work for a street boy...they have to go to class, obey rules and continually delay the gratification that came so easily to them on the streets every time they inhaled a puff of yellow glue. Indeed, how crazy it is to ask a street boy to shut down those pleasure centers and to keep delaying gratification for ten years or so until they can graduate from high school! Moving forward in life is hard, hard work: it is so much easier on the streets to just get through the day.

But over and over again, boys come off the streets into the Micah House and make the choice to begin a new life. Their reasons why are diverse. Micah has an incredible staff that has made a commitment to be family for these boys, showing them what it means to be loved unconditionally. We disciple them daily, teaching them about a God who loves them and wants to save them from sin and death. We have an incredibly dedicated group of supporters that helps us provide for their needs on a daily basis, so that they lack nothing. We even make the effort to help their families, which is so important to them, even the ones that have a complicated relationship with their parents. We help them prepare for the future, providing all of the education and training necessary for them to become successful adults.

Even so, every day comes down to a choice between life and death. And not one of our incredibly dedicated staff members can make that choice for our boys. Each and every one of them has a daily choice to make. And, as we all know, sometimes it is easier, more fun and more exciting to choose old habits that lead to death.

So...Axel should not be on the streets today, but he is. He has left the Micah House twice in the last month. The longer he stays on the streets, the more he becomes like the old Axel: unable to control the anger that is just below the surface. Last week, when he came back to the house for a few days after three weeks on the streets, was very, very difficult. The happy, joking, goofy kid had been replaced by a rebellious, on-edge youth that always seemed ready to blow. And, since Monday, he is back on the streets.

All of our dedication, love and hope cannot save Axel. Why? Because no human being is capable of saving another human being. We'd love to have a magic formula to be able to automatically remove the street from our boys. Because we don't, we cry (to paraphrase Paul), "Who will rescue them from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24). Thankfully, Paul answers his own wrenching cry: "Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

And that is what it all boils down to. We can provide the best environment, with the best structure and the best people at the Micah Project, but none of that will save our boys. Only God saves. We strive for best practice day-to-day, but only God saves. We are getting ready to buy new land to provide a better environment for our boys in the years to come, but that will not save them either.

Only God saves.

That is a terrifying, but incredibly joyous truth. And it is a truth that we claim for Axel. Over the past few weeks, I spent many hours in the market district looking for Axel, and as I walked through that dangerous, impoverished section of this city I continually prayed, "Lord show your mighty hand in this young boy's life."

Will you join us in praying this prayer for Axel in the days to come? Not only for Axel, but for Hector, David, Miguel Angel, and Axelito...all of whom have to make a daily choice to leave the addiction of street life behind them. Your prayers are powerful and effective in their lives.

Over the last ten years, God has shown His mighty hand through the Micah Project in some miraculous ways. We are convinced that those miracles have as much to do with your prayers as with our daily actions in their lives. So... please continue to pray and to enlist other prayer warriors on behalf of these boys!

Su hermano en Cristo,

Michael Miller

Weekly Prayer Requests

2010-08-16T18:06:00.010-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from another busy week here in Tegus! On Monday we said goodbye to the group from Randolph Street Church in West Virginia and are now back on a more normal schedule. We always love the time spent with our summer visitors, but now we'll be pushing toward the end of the Honduran school year in October, and it's good to be back in classes full-time. This week, we ask you to join us in praying for:

* Michael

We were able to convince Michael to take some time away to decompress after a long summer, and we are now attempting to fill his shoes for this week. Pray that he will have time to reflect and recharge, and that the rest of us will survive his absence!

* Miguelito

This young man has grown so much since coming into Micah in March. Even the loss of his mother to cancer two months ago didn't send him back to the streets. Still, he has his moments of struggle and he is walking through the natural grieving process. Please be praying particularly that he will be motivated and cooperative in his classes every morning as he is quickly learning to read and write, and that he will sleep better at night, as these seem to be two battles for him right now.

* Wisdom and Compassion

Life at Micah is a whirlwind of young men laughing, living, struggling, and growing up together. In the midst of so much craziness (although most of it is pretty funny and enjoyable), it can be easy to slip into a routine instead of striving to be Christ to all people. Please pray for the Micah staff so that we can continue to love well in the midst of all that happens here. Please also pray for our guys that they can continue to grow and show Christ's love to each other.

* And, of course, let us PRAISE!!

- For the lives of each of these young men. The Lord has lovingly brought each one of them to the Micah Project for a reason. Let us praise Him for moving and working so wondrously!!

- For the continuing impact of each of Micah's ministries. Ten years after a single house opened its doors to a handful of young men, Micah has two homes, a street ministry, a Micah moms group, a thriving group of college students and graduates, and a technical school! Praise the Lord for working so mightily!!!

- For the continued financial support of our donors -- none of this could happen without their partnership with us in this ministry. Praise God for raising up so many faithful people to support us!

The road forward for each of these guys is long and has many hills and valleys. Still, the Lord has continually shown Himself faithful. His mercy has sustained us, and He has taken street children and grown them into inspiring God-loving young men. As we move through the coming week, let us not cease to praise Him for all of these things!!

Peace,

David Hawthorne (on behalf of the entire Micah Project

Weekly Prayer Requests

2010-08-05T09:19:00.000-06:00

Buenos Dias!

Greetings from Tegucigalpa! It has been a busy summer for the Micah Project, as we have hosted several teams. Despite the busy-ness, though, we remember that our most important daily job is covering our boys and staff in prayer. This week, please pray for:

* Axel Lopez
Despite several conversations with Axel on the streets, this young man continues to live outside of Micah. Please pray that the Lord changes his heart and that we are able to reach out to him once again.

* The three youngest Micah guys

David, Axelito, and Miguelito are all continuing to show signs of drug urges. Miguelito actually ran away last Wednesday for the morning in order to use drugs. Although he returned to Micah after just a few hours, we are continuing to watch and pray over our three newest guys. Please pray that they are able to fight against the powerful urges to return to using yellow glue and continue pressing on ahead.

*Health for Micah staff
Becca and Jenna are sick this week; please pray that the Lord would protect them and restore them to health!

* A New Micah House
With violence and drug abuse rising in the neighborhood, we are looking for some property outside of the city for a new group home. We've decided on a community into which we can move, and are looking at various pieces of property. Please be praying for this exciting process, for the planning of a capital campaign, and for God's hand to be on the entire process.

*And, we want to take time to Praise!!
- For the continued growth in the three newest Micah guys. Although they are struggling, David, Miguelito, and Axelito are continuing to grow! Praise God for each of these young lives!!
- For the growth in all our guys. From Wilmer telling his testimony to the rapping of Brian Chavez, we are grateful to see God working in the hearts of our guys.
- For God's strength. This has been an intense and tiring summer, but we have been able to survive and thrive by the grace of our God. Thank you, Lord!!

Our God is merciful and gives us everything that we need to do everything that He has called us to do. We are grateful to Him for providing so bountifully and to you for walking this trying and exciting path with us. Until next week!

Peace,
David Hawthorne

New logo for a new decade

2010-07-29T09:35:00.002-06:00

In January, the Micah Project celebrated our tenth anniversary. This has given us the opportunity to reflect on the amazing ways that God has worked through this ministry over the years…and to be THANKFUL to Him! But this milestone has also caused us to look forward and to seek His will for the next decade of ministry. 2010 has seen the inauguration of the Micah Project technical school, which is led by Brian Wiggs. We have also begun plans for Micah 2.0…a new-and-improved Micah House that will provide the space to take boys off the streets and raise them in a more intentional way.

Above: First group of Micah boys in 2000. Top row: Miguel (currently working in Tegucigalpa), Danilo (currently studying in a Honduran seminary), Marvin (2009 graduate from Missouri Baptist University), Jarvin (studying psychology in Costa Rica); Bottom row: David (studying psychology in Costa Rica), Olvin (will graduate from the University of Houston in December) and Tino (graduated from MBU in 2009).

With these exciting new directions in ministry, we felt that we needed a new logo to express in a fresh way the vision of the Micah Project. While we have lovingly retired our first logo which was created by Aminah (Al-Attas) Bradford, we are very excited by the new logo created by Jenna Miller. This is what Jenna has to say about the new logo:

When thinking about the design for the new Micah Project logo, a hundred different ideas ran through my head. The final design, however, I feel best captures the ideals and goals of the Micah Project and thus symbolizes what we represent.

Most importantly, the cross is in the center as the base of the tree, reminding everyone that looks at it that Christ is the center and the reason the Micah Project exists. The cross symbolizes Christ’s ultimate sacrifice of love for us, and inspires us to love others in the same sacrificial way. But this cross, as you can see, has new branches growing out of it, reminding us that Jesus did not stay dead on that cross. His death on the cross gave way to the most excellent miracle of all time – the Resurrection! At the Micah Project, our purpose is to see the truth of “life-out-of-death” in each and every person we minister to. We see Christ’s resurrecting power each time He calls a young man to come off of the streets and out of addiction into a new life of hope and purpose. We see it every time a child who was doomed to be a “nothing” graduates from college. The Micah Project is a place of new beginnings, of second chances, of “resurrections” if you will. And each leaf on the tree represents one of the many miracles we have had the privilege to be a part of. And, just like a tree, the Micah Project is always growing and changing. The project has several branches of ministry all working together as one whole as we seek to live out our mission of forming Christian leaders in Honduras.

We thank you all for helping to nurture and grow this tree as it continues to flourish in this new decade of ministry! Please pray for discernment as we seek God’s will for the new Micah House. And, please keep praying for our young men by name as they begin to produce great fruit in God’s kingdom!

Muchas gracias,

Michael Miller
Executive Director

Weekly Prayer Requests

2010-07-20T06:56:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from yet another rainy week in Tegucigalpa! I (David Hawthorne) have just returned from a trip alongside of several older Micah guys and participants in the Micah technical school into the Honduran mountains. There, we were blessed enough to accompany the Gracepoint Church from Portland, Oregon and to minister to our brothers and sisters in Christ by helping construct a small church in a remote mountain village. However, life in Teguz wasn't any less stressful, even with over half the guys gone. Little Hector contracted a bad case of hemorrhagic dengue fever, which put him in serious condition and left him in the hospital for several days. Thankfully, though, Hector has been released from the hospital and has returned to his normal goofy self! Additionally, we are grateful for our safe return to Tegucigalpa and are looking forward to having a good week here at home! Please join us this week in praising God for a safe trip and Hector's return home and in praying the following requests:

* Safety and tranquility in the neighborhood
In the aftermath of the fatal shooting in front of John and Rebecca Bell's apartment last week, rumors and threats have been swirling in our barrio. Several of the most prominent gangs members have temporarily left the area for their own safety and there is a great deal of uncertainty hovering in the air. Please be praying that there are no further killings and that peace will come to our barrio. Also, please be praying that we, as Christians, are able to be lights and peacemakers in this troubled barrio.

* Planning for the new Micah House
Even as we seek to be lights in the darkness of a crime-filled neighborhood, we are continuing to seek a safer area were we can raise the Micah guys while retaining our current house as an outreach center. Please be praying for this exciting process as we look for land and begin envisioning a capital campaign!

* The visiting missions team from Gracepoint Church
After spending last week in Gracias, Honduras (about nine hours outside of Tegus) with several Micah guys and Micah Technical School students, the Gracepoint missions team is now here in Tegus! They'll be continuing the repainting of the Micah House interior as well as putting a new roof on the Timothy House. Please be praying that the Gracepoint group has a blessed week of ministry, that we are able to teach them about life here in Tegus, and that they have safe travels here in Honduras!

* Future Plans for older Micah graduates
Daniel, who is currently attending Central America's leading agricultural engineering school, is looking to start a six-month internship, possibly as far away as England! Please be praying for wisdom as he starts the planning process. Also, please be praying for Olvin Funez, Marvin Morazan and Danilo Guevara as they start looking into their futures beyond school and graduation!

* And, let us not forget to PRAISE!!

- For Marvin Morazan's and Olvin Funez's visits to home. As Marvin heads to Costa Rica and Olvin to Houston, Texas, we want to express our gratitude to both of these young men for being marvelous examples of God's love for our younger guys. Praise God for bringing them this far and praise Him for using them to minister to the newest generations of Micah guys!
- For God's faithfulness in providing for us here at Micah. Even though sometimes finances can be tight, our God has always provided for us and we have never gone hungry! Praise and thank for Him for being so generous with His blessings!!

As always, it is my privilege to bring to you the prayer request of the Micah Project and to share just a small glimpse into our weekly lives. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers, support and love. They are greatly appreciated!!

Peace,
David Hawthorne (on behalf of the Micah Project)

Weekly prayer requests

2010-07-13T13:56:00.001-06:00

Dear friends,

Greetings from rainy Tegucigalpa. We had a wonderful week last week with the youth group from the Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church of Houston! We were able to continue to build the retaining wall around the Villa Linda Miller school, repaint the Micah House and participate in street ministry with the group.

This week, we have a few prayer requests that we'd like to share with you:

1. 14 year-old Hector (right) has contracted dengue fever and has been in bed with a high fever for four days. Dengue has reached epidemic proportions in Honduras this rainy season. It is a mosquito-borne disease similar to Malaria, and can be dangerous if not treated. We're keeping a close eye on him!

2. Most of our older boys are in western Honduras with Brian Wiggs and a group from his church in Portland, Oregon. They are helping a Honduran pastor named Victor Almendares build a church that he planted in an indigenous village. Pray for safety, health and unity as the group and our boys work to advance God's kingdom!

3. A young man in our neighborhood was shot and killed on the steps of our missionary apartment building last Thursday, just three minutes after Becca and John entered the building. Please pray for the continued safety of our staff and boys in a situation of increasing violence and instability in our area.

4. We have begun a process of searching for a property to build a new Micah House, in part because of the situation above. After ten years in our current home, we have initiated a plan to build a new facility that would promote our boys' success in a more intentional way. For our new generation of boys, which has come from harder backgrounds and more time on the streets, we firstly need some outdoor space, where they can kick a soccer ball around and burn off their boundless energy. Our new house also needs a better kitchen, appropriate living space for group home parents, more storage, and a larger communal space for meetings and worship times. We have been looking at a property out by the Villa Linda Miller neighborhood...a twenty minute drive from our current location. Please pray for wisdom and discernment as we begin this huge transition in our ministry!

(Above: this burro stands guard on a piece of property that we are looking at for the new Micah House!)

We have posted our summer letter and a new photo album on our website, which you can access at www.micahcentral.org. We are so thankful for your continued prayers and support in our eleventh year of ministry!

Su hermano en Cristo,

Michael Miller

Weekly Prayer Requests

2010-06-29T06:58:00.000-06:00

Dear family and friends,

Summertime is officially upon us! Here in Honduras, the summer months bring a lot of rain and guests. However, we are happy to be getting some needed rain and are even happier about hosting our friends from the U.S.! Still, this week will be a week of preparation and finalizing details for an upcoming month packed with visiting groups. While we are gearing up for the busy month ahead of us (and trying to stay dry at the same time), please be praying for us in the following ways:

* Marvin
Last week, we were very saddened to hear that this young man had run away from the drug rehabilitation center where he was about to complete the first month of a six-month program. We have just heard from Marvin, who is living with a family next to the market district of Tegucigalpa. Please be praying that the Lord breaks down the barriers that this young man has placed in his heart and that he comes to a place of true brokenness. Only the Lord can break through the layers of anger and addiction that Marvin uses to protect himself and only the Lord can save him from the dark road that he is choosing.

*Miguel Angel
This young man continues to mourn the harsh loss of his mother to cancer. Please hold him and his family in your prayers and please continue to pray that we are able to comfort him in his time of grieving.

* The upcoming missions teams visits
Micah will be hosting three groups in the month of July. Please be praying that these trips will be a time of blessing for our guests and for us as well! Please pray that the Lord empowers the teams in their work and they have wonderful visits. Please also pray for us as we seek to teach the teams and be good hosts.

* The new Micah house
We are starting the initial phase of our five-year strategic plan! The decision has been made to start looking for a piece of property in a community next to the Villa Linda Miller, about six miles from our current house. We have spoken with the community leaders and are starting to visit various properties in the Rio Abajo community. Please pray that Lord has His hand on this whole process and that we would have His wisdom as we seek to expand into the Micah Project's future!

* And, in the midst of many activities and concerns, we must always PRAISE!
- For the return of Marvin Morazan. Marvin is out of school for the next two weeks, and we are very, very glad to have him here with us!! He is a wonderful role model for the younger guys and always brings a happy energy into the home!!
- For David, Axelito, and Miguelito. These three young men have come off of the streets within the past three months and have yet to look back! Praise God for the progress in the lives of each of these young men!!
- For the continued growth of Brian Wiggs' technical school! Brian is training almost 20 young men in a technical education.
- For safe travels for the guys this past weekend. Roger and two of our college graduates (Darwin and Oscar) took the guys to the Honduran countryside for a weekend outside the city. Praise God that the guys had a good trip and safety on the road.

Many thanks to the many of you who support and pray for us! Also, thank you for your continued interest in our lives and ministry. Our God has greatly blessed us, and we are grateful!!

Peace,
David Hawthorne

Weekly Prayer Requests

2010-06-22T21:14:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

After a busy and fun week hosting the First Presbyterian Church missions team from Houston, we are once again heading into a week of classes and "normal" life. As we transition from the activity of a group into our class schedule, please be praying for us in the following ways:

* Miguel Angel
Please continue to hold this young man in your prayers this week as he mourns the loss of his mother last week. This has been an incredibly trying time for 12-year-old Miguel Angel and will most likely continue to be so for a while. Please pray for him and for us as we journey with him through his grieving process.

* Hector and Marvin

Both of these young men are continuing to do well and are pushing ahead in their fights to leave drugs and the streets behind them. Still, they are vulnerable to falling into temptation. Please pray that Hector continues to grow and fight temptation and that Marvin continues to thrive during his six-month-long treatment in drug rehabilitation.

* For our college graduates
Pray for Oscar and Tino as they look for jobs here in Tegucigalpa. Tino has been looking for work since he moved back to Tegucigalpa in 2009 and Oscar since moving back this month after graduating from Missouri Baptist University. We are very thankful for some businessmen in Tegucigalpa who have expressed interest in mentoring these young men!

* For strength, energy, and wisdom for the Micah staff
Yes, we are human! Please hold us in your prayers as we pour ourselves out for these young men. It is not always easy and we are often tired, but we all know that this is the ministry that God has placed before each one of us. Please especially pray for energy and patience. Thank you!!

* And, of course, no blog would be complete without PRAISE! Praise God:
- For Marvincito. This young man is flourishing in drug rehab. Praise God for changing his heart and making this step possible and for continuing to work in Marvin's heart. Also, praise God that Marvin has already complete three weeks at Proyecto Victoria!!
- For a wonderful visit from First Presbyterian. The FPC missions trip was a fun blessing for all of us here at Micah. Praise God that they had a good trip and praise Him for giving us such wonderful friends!
- For a wonderful group of supporters. Every time that we here in Micah feel dry, someone comes alongside of us and encourages us. Praise God for providing us with people who will support us in the tough times!

Muchas gracias,

David Hawthorne

Prayer Request

2010-06-15T21:57:00.000-06:00

   Dear Friends and Family,

Rather than posting a long blog this week, I would simply like to ask you to please be praying for little Miguel Angel, whose mother (far right) passed away today. This is a horrible blow for any 12-year-old, and especially so for one already wounded by life on the streets. Please lift him and his family up in prayer this week. Thank you.

   Lord Have Mercy,
   David Hawthorne

Weekly Prayer Requests

2010-06-09T16:25:00.000-06:00

Dear Family and Friends,

This week's prayer requests:

* John Bell's Sunday night devotional series.
Micah missionary and chaplain John Bell has just started a new teaching series on grace and salvation for our Sunday night devotional meetings. Please be praying that the powerful message of God's grace will touch the hearts of the Micah guys and bring about spiritual revival here in Micah house.

* Marvin and Hector
Marvin has already made it through his first week of drug rehab while Hector has successfully re-integrated into Micah life after spending weeks on the streets. Please continue to pray for both of these boys; especially that they would both continue to leave their old lives far behind as they press forward.

* Miguel Angel's mother
Kenia Gonzalez continues to be very ill and Miguel Angel is continuing to visit her on a regular basis. Please be praying for healing, and for wisdom on our part as we prepare to walk the paths of grief with Miguel. Please also be praying that Kenia will come to faith as she battles her cancer and that she and Miguel will both come to share an eternal bond of faith in Jesus Christ through this trying experience.

* Upcoming visits
As we enter summer, please be praying for the several upcoming visits from various supporting churches. Please be praying for blessed visits; especially that the Lord would use the missions teams, teach them through their experiences here in Honduras, and empower them to minister here at the Micah Project.

*Transitions
- For Oscar Izaguirre's transition back to Honduras after having successfully completed four years of college in the U.S. Please pray that he will able to to quickly and relatively painlessly transition back into life in his home country and to find a good job!
- For the Wiggs family as they come back to Honduras after some well-earned rest. Please simply pray for a smooth transition back into Micah life for their entire family.

* And, of course, PRAISES!!!
- Marvin and Hector. We are incredibly grateful for the positive decisions made by these two young men! Praise God that Marvin has stuck with drug rehab for the rough first week and that Hector is once again his normal goofy self as he plays soccer in the patio of Micah House.

- For the steady growth in the lives of the Micah guys. Although raising these young men can be difficult at times, we are always willing to rejoice in the progress that we see in their lives. Praise God for bringing each one to us and for growing them into men who have the potential to impact Honduras!

Peace be with you,
David Hawthorne

Weekly Prayer Requests

2010-06-01T19:32:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from a soggy Tegucigalpa! Tropical Storm Agatha has just passed by, leaving behind mudslides, some flooding, and a lot of clean-up to do. Thankfully, it appears that relatively few lives were lost to the storm here in Honduras. Today, in the Micah House, we are grateful for the opportunity to get outside without getting soaked by the rain and for the slowly clearing streets. As we dry out, we would like to take this time to ask you to join us in praying for the following:

* Kenia Gonzalez
Miguel Angel's mother has shown some slight improvement over the course of the past week, but still remains gravely ill. The doctors have decided to treat the secondary issues related to the cancer (such as kidney failure), but to not pursue any course of anti-cancer treatment. Please be praying for Miguel Angel, for Kenia, and for Micah staffers Rebecca Bell and Ana Herman as they walk this difficult road with Kenia, Miguel Angel, and the rest of their family. We would also like to give thanks to Jan Parks for her advice in how to help Miguel Angel through this trying time and ask for prayers for wisdom.

* Marvin and Hector
Tuesday morning, Marvin is starting a six-month drug rehab program in order to confront his drug issues while Hector is moving back into Micah House. Hector will be facing several conditions upon his return while Marvin will be confronted with the tough course of rehabilitation from drug addiction. Please be praying for both of this young men as they start, once again, their long journeys away from drugs and the streets and into life.

* For all those affected by the rains
The recent heavy rainfall has caused flooded and road closures. While we are grateful that the damage was not worse, we ask you to be praying for those who are being affected by the storm and its aftermath. We also ask you to be praying for Guatemala and for the families who lost loved ones in the storm (the official death toll stands at 115 for Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras).

* And, time to PRAISE!!
- For Marvin and Hector. The Lord is working in the hearts of these two boys! Let us praise Him for working even as we pray that they continue in their forward journeys.
- For Mary Floye's visit. Mary Floye, a dear friend of the Micah Project, has spent the last few days visiting us and encouraging us! We give thanks and praise for Mary Floye and for our other many friends!
- For signs of God's hand moving in the hearts of the Micah guys. From one young man's prayer to another's question about future college studies, we are seeing signs of the Lord moving these boys from the street and into the next generation of leaders!

Despite the hustle and bustle and the constant challenges, it is truly our pleasure to be serving here in Honduras and with Micah Project. We praise God for the many of you who support us financially and with prayers. Thank you!!

Peace be with you,
David Hawthorne

Weekly Prayer Requests

2010-05-27T12:57:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

What a journey these past few weeks have been for us!! Both Michael and I (David Hawthorne) have returned from our trips to the U.S. in the past couple of weeks. The Wiggs family finished their first stretch at Micah strongly as they hosted a missions team and then left for some well-earned rest until returning to Honduras on June 8. As we head into another week here at Micah, we ask you to be praying for us in the following areas:

* Marvin and Hector
Both of our young prodigals have continued to struggle over the past week. However, we are now beginning to see a few glimmers of hope for them. Hector has been staying with father and letting his system cleanse himself of the glue while deciding what to do with his future. Marvin came to Micah today and has agreed to enter the Proyecto Victoria drug rehab facility next Tuesday. Please be praying for both of these boys and that they continue their journey from the streets back into life.

* Miguel Angel's Mother
Kenia, the mother of Miguel Angel (one of the newest Micah guys), was recently diagnosed with advanced cancer. Because she lacked the financial resources to be tested before we got to know her a few weeks ago, the cancer is very advanced and she is in critical condition. Please be praying for her and for Miguel Angel as well as for us we walk through this time with them.

* Spiritual growth in the lives of the Micah guys
As we work with the Micah guys, we are aware it is the Lord working in their hearts that produces real change. We ask you to please be praying that the Lord continues working here at Micah and changing our guys' hearts into those of the future leaders of Honduras.

*And, my favorite part to write, the PRAISES!!
- For safe travels for both Michael and myself. We are also grateful that the Wiggs are enjoying their time in the U.S.
-For the technical school! The second phase of our technical school, a carpentry workshop, is almost completed on the terrace of the Micah House.
- For Marvin and Hector. Although the glimmers are small, we are seeing hope for these young men. Praise God for working in their hardened hearts!
- For the rest of the Micah guys. Although their process toward healing and adulthood can be long and include setbacks, we are incredibly grateful for each of the young lives that God has brought under our care!
- For friends and family who continually encourage us and urge us onward in our fight for the souls of these young men.

Another week is passing, and we are in the midst of this ever-continuing battle. Still, we are grateful for the support of all of you, and for the power of our God as He works here at Micah Project. Our God is mighty to save and we are confident that He will keep doing so in the hearts of every single Micah guy!!

Peace be with you,
David Hawthorne

Micah Project Charles Alford Memorial Golf Tournament

2010-04-28T20:12:00.002-06:00

On April 23, 114 golfers and many volunteers gathered at the Kingwood Country Club north of Houston for the Second Annual Charles Alford Memorial Golf Tournament to support the Micah Project. The day started out with threatening, low-lying clouds and rain, but by tee-time, the course was awash in Spring sunshine! Thanks to our volunteers, sponsors and golfers, the day was a huge success! Click on the pictures below to see the larger version.

Below: Micah boy Oscar Amaya takes a swing at the ball.

The Alford family has been an important part of the Micah family for many years. Their son Charles, who passed away in February 2009 in an automobile accident, was practically a Micah boy, as he joined his family every summer in Honduras on a weeklong mission's trip. It is so appropriate--and such an honor--that a tournament dedicated to supporting the work of the Micah Project be named after such a compassionate and dear young man.

Below: Mary, Gene and John Alford pose at the clubhouse before the tournament begins.

Below: Tina and Jeremy Summers pose with a friend during lunch before the tournament. Tina and Jeremy spent months planning the tournament, and their attention to detail made for an incredible day!

Below: I pose in the clubhouse with Micah boys Olvin Funez and Oscar Amaya. Olvin is a senior at the University of Houston and Oscar is beginning his college career at the Houston Community College.

Above: the golfers get ready to go after a great lunch! Below: Micah Project board member Chris Herbold gets ready for a long drive. Not sure if he needed a mulligan for this one!

Above: John Alford brought some friends with him for the tournament. Below: Pastors and friends from the First Presbyterian Church of Houston also joined us for the event.

We are so grateful to all of those who spent the day with us! Your support helps us to take kids off the streets of Honduras and help them men that God wants them to be.

Both lunch and dinner were proved by the Lighthouse Charity Team, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing meals for charity events. They do incredible work! Both lunch and dinner were delicious. Above: the Lighthouse team serves dinner. Below: we enjoyed that dinner!

After dinner, we gathered together in the clubhouse for an awards ceremony, an auction, some words about the Micah Project and some great music. Above: Jeremy Summers hands out the trophies to the best team. Below: some items are displayed for the silent auction. Thanks to all who donated items for the auction!

Above: Micah board members Carol and Bill Marshall, and Mary Floye Federer volunteered at the golf tournament. Below: Becca and Chris Herbold played a huge role in planning the golf tournament.

Below: we are so grateful to our sponsors and volunteers for making the golf tournament possible. Each and every one of the Micah boys is blessed by your efforts! We hope to see all of you in Honduras so that you can see for yourself what God is doing through the Micah Project!

Sometimes, you just can't say no

2010-04-06T18:20:00.004-06:00

After several weeks, two new Micah guys, the return of a prodigal son, and a visiting group, we are once again returning to posting our weekly prayer requests. As always, while it is a challenge to be in this fight, it is also a rewarding and amazing process to see these young lives grow. For this week's prayer requests, we have written a photo update which beautifully captures the struggle between light and dark that each of our young men faces. We ask you to pray for these young lives and us as we seek to minister to them. Thank you!!

Peace,
David Hawthorne (for the Micah Project)

Sometimes, you just can't say no...

We have known little Axel (above) for over a year. His dad passed away when he was a little boy, and when his mom was shot by gang members when she was just 19, it doomed this little boy to a life on the streets. He grew up in a shack under a bridge in the market area with his alcoholic grandfather, but soon, the streets became his real home.

...when children are choosing between darkness and light...

11 year old Axel inhales his yellow glue down by the river that runs through Tegucigalpa. ~March 2010.

...we pray for them and love on them...

John Bell loves on Edwin and little Axel down in the market area during a street outreach. ~March 2010

...until light wins...

Axel joined the Micah Project on March 24, 2010. The following day he went with the whole project and the youth group from the Central Presbyterian Church to Amapala Island (above).

...but sometimes God's numbers aren't our numbers...

Axel wasn't the only child to leave the streets in March. Miguel Angel (above) also moved into the Micah House! He and little Axel were partners in crime (literally) on the streets and both showed up at the Micah House many times with their bottles of yellow glue.

...and we just can't say no.

This 12 year-old suffered mightily while on the streets and is just beginning his healing process. It is a joy to see him change day-by-day at the Micah House! Above, he also joined the Micah Project on our trip to Amapala Island on March 25.

But when they keep choosing darkness...

Marvincito left the Micah Project in February, chased out onto the streets once again by the demons of his past. Above: Marvin showed up to our street kid soccer with his bottle of yellow glue on March 19. To read Becca's account of what happened next, click here.

...we strive to keep hope alive for them...

Brian and Natasha Wiggs made a huge decision after seeing Marvin with his bottle of yellow glue: they invited him into their home to begin his healing process over again. On March 20, we picked him up off the streets and took him to their home. For the time being, the Micah House is not the best place for him, but for now, we are so thankful that the Wiggs are providing a safe place for him. Above: his old smile is back as he watches TV at the Wiggs.

...even so, others choose to keep saying no to us...

For over two years, we have tried to convince Jose Daniel (left) to leave the streets and join the Micah Project. The answer has always been no. He still happily participates in our weekly street ministry, but he is unwilling to make the decision to leave his addiction behind him.

...despite the love we lavish upon them.

Brian Wiggs loves on Jose Daniel during a street outreach on March 23.

But when light wins...

These five are part of the new generation of Micah boys! From left to right: David, Miguel Angel, Miguel Angel (yes, there are two with the same name!), Hector and Nelson. They might be short in stature, but they are strong in hope! ~March 2010

...and love conquers evil...

Jeferson hugs a toddler while serving food at our Friday night street kid soccer ministry. Jeferson is living at the Leadership House and will graduate from high school this November! ~March 2010

...it brings us joy and laughter in the midst of the battle...

Micah Project friend Bob Bewley bought new mattresses for the Micah House to replace our worn old ones. Before we gave the old ones away to their families, the guys incorporated them into their soccer games on the patio of the Micah House! Here, Hector dives for a soccer ball and prepares for a soft landing! ~March 2010

...and it sure is good to have friends join us on the journey...

22 members of the Central Presbyterian Church youth group joined the Micah Project for a week of service in March. Here, they pose with Tegucigalpa in the background.

...to help us build hope, block by block...

Central's youth group raised funds to continue the construction of the school in the Villa Linda Miller community. Here, some of the group members work on the perimeter wall of the school while others paint the new second floor classrooms!

...and to spread the good news that only God saves...

Our current generation of rappers, the Lil Micahs, was interviewed by the "MTV" of Honduras, a show called Zona Musical, for their spring break special on March 26. They are planning to produce a music video of the guys' song, La Calle de Dolor. Here, Brian, Wilmer and Cristofer were able to be witnesses to the truth that saved them while interviewed by the host of the show!

...and He is mighty in battle!