Dear Friends, 12 August 2007

Greetings in the awesome and powerful name of the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s been a few months since our last news-letter as our hands have been set to the plow in work and preparation for the new planting and harvest of souls, our work continues in the remote mountains and the Mosquito Coast areas of Central America. Many and grateful thanks are extended once again to our faithful family of believers who gave generously to the cause of world missions. We are and continue to accomplish the vision and mission laid at our feet by the Lord for this area of the world and all those who share in our work through material means, prayer, intercession and even hands-on mission work, who will also share in the abundant rewards given out at the marriage supper of the Lamb one day soon!!! Every member of the “body of Christ” is needed and important to the building and completion of God’s kingdom. Thank You so very much! Selah.

Our summer mission team arrived in country the last week of July thru the first week of August to participate in outreach as well as Bible, clothing, medicine, hygiene and food distribution. It was a very hectic trip due to the logistics of travel in and out of the Mosquitia. The day after arrival the team headed for an open air crusade in front of the prison at La Cebia, Colon, Honduras (3 hours to the East) where several street people and sinners came forth to accept Christ and change their lives. The next two days were given to ministry in the area of eastern Honduras near Irionia where the team ministered in the churches and homes of this area along with distribution of goods. Our team of six then loaded a boat and headed into the Mosquitia which involved a 1.5 hour trip over the open ocean to Palacious where we changed from our boat to a pilpante (hollowed out log), which maneuvers the shallow rivers more efficiently this time of year and made the five hour journey up the Banana River (Rio Platano) to the village of Las Marias. During the journey I injured my knee and it swelled up the size of a grapefruit for the next five days; However the team members which included pastors, evangelists and missionaries were able to hold services, distribute Bibles, medicine, clothing and goods to the village people and visit house to house. Pastor Javier went into the upper village of the Pech Indians where he led three families to receive Christ and gave hope of our future return to this area in much need of evangelism. Half of the team members experienced their first excursion into the rugged and difficult region of the Mosquitia - to sleep with roaches, spiders and scorpions, eat rice and beans as a regular staple meal, while taking showers in an open roof bath house using a pail of hand carried water. These times often help us to be even more grateful for the simple things of life we often take for granted - such as running water, lights and toilet facilities. Upon returning home to Puerto Cortes part of the team went into the mountains of San Martin (three hours journey up the back side) to minister for two additional days prior to departing Honduras. I salute and thank the mission team for their sacrifice and hard work for the Lord! Continue to lift in prayer all those who were touched by the Holy Spirit that the regeneration of their lives might remain eternal!

On another note: we are attempting to down size our conventional letter mailing with stamps and ask all who receive our newsletters and have an email to please go to  "Shekinah missions” . net and leave us your email address that we may be able to save money and thus be better stewards of God’s time and money. For those individuals who do not have email we will continue to keep you informed through the regular mail service. Feel free to make copies of our newsletter and share our vision and needs with others - after all - the believer’s purpose and work on this earth is to save souls and build HIS kingdom, not ours by serving in one mind, one spirit and one accord. Please continue to pray for desperately needed vehicles in Honduras (4x4 pickup and a 16-21 passenger van)

Our compassionate love and prayers cease not to be offered for all saints around the world and for those back home who continue to labor so diligently in the Lord’s service for the lives of others. May His grace abound in all your lives!

Pastor Marty

Dear Family and Friends in Christ, February 2007

May the grace, mercy and peace of the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ abound in your lives. Our sincere thanks and deep gratitude go out to everyone who holds us up in prayer and intercession. We saw many great and miraculous things take place both physically and spiritually while we completed our mission journey’s to the mountains and the Mosquito Coast. I recall the story of a woman who once asked G. Campbell Morgan this question, “Do you think we ought to pray about even the little things in life?” and Dr. Morgan simply replied, “Madam, can you think of anything in your life that is big to God?” Blessed are those who faithfully petition the Father on behalf of others and call upon the Lord Jesus Christ to intercede for them - great will your reward be in heaven.

The mission trailer from New Hampshire was received out of Port in late December after the enemy tried the patience of all involved. We began the distribution of its contents after the first of the year and sent some supplies to Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras to two missionary brothers living there. The first week of January we headed into the mountains of Las Delicias (The Delicious) with Bibles, teaching materials, cloths, hygiene items and dozens of back packs filled with school supplies for the school children of different mountain villages. Most of these children enter school each year with inadequate materials for basic school studies as the parents can not afford them. Thank You to all the children, youth and adults who purchased, sorted, and filled these back packs with loving care - we will be presenting a slide show when we return home so you can enjoy the smiles and laughter of the children and also share in the tears of the parents who were overwhelmed by the compassion shown by others.

The second week of January we loaded the car and trailer with bibles, materials, cloths, hygiene and baby care needs and departed for the Mosquito Coast (La Mosquitia). We laid hands and offered much prayer over the transmission in the van as it is very tired, as well as the overall journey. The trip from Puerto Cortes to Iriona (the door to the Mosquitia) is 7.5 to 8 hours driving on less than perfect roads that host everything from pedestrians to cows and horses. In Iriona we ministered two nights before departing into the Mosquitia by boat (pilpante) to the next village. In 35 days we visited more than 10 villages along the Patuca River (second largest and longest in Honduras). The journey up river took more than 24 hours to complete and covered several miles in baking sun and mosquito infested areas. I slept two nights on wooden planks with no mat because there weren’t any. Praise God for mosquito nets!!! Several local Indians have contracted malaria due to open septic and less than sanitary practices. I thank the Lord that watches over us and the saint’s that keep us covered in prayer! You will never know the full extent of my words while on this earth. There are only two major hospitals in the Mosquitia and the cost and logistics to get to either one is difficult to say the least. There are clinics in most villages but they have very limited supplies and are well under staffed with only basic medical personnel (usually one). Over all we witnessed several dozen people receive the Lord into their lives and many more repent. Spiritually the people are very hungry for the Word of God and “solid” bible teaching. Two women with an issue of blood were healed by Jesus and the issue stopped along with several more that were experiencing high fever and severe headaches. Shekinah Missions will be sending Bro. Eligio (Mexican Missionary working with Shekinah) back into the Mosquito Coast area in March for two months to continue the planting of seeds and prepare for the future vision God has laid on my heart for this area. We are grateful for the obedience of Brother Eligio during the past two years.

Upon returning home to Cortes I rested two days and headed back into the other areas of the mountains with Brother Eligio to Buena Vista, San Martin, and Los Menjavia; 4, 5 and 6 hours respectively to complete the back pack, bible and cloths distribution along with hygiene items and some medicines. There is much work ahead of us in the following months and God is moving Shekinah Missions forward this year for a greater impact to all people of Central America for Christ. We need your continual support (physical and spiritual) to accomplish all God has called us to complete on the field of world missions.

I personally seek your continued prayers and supplications as my family is under extreme pressure and attack from the enemy on several fronts in our lives. To those who are close to the family , you know to some extent the weight of my words and the need for prayer during these times. I will be returning home next month to confront some pressing issues and give love and spiritual support to my wife and children. Our family rests with confidence in the loving arms of Him who has the keys to hell and the grave. Understand that even when I am home from the mission field our work and purpose for the Lord continues 12 months a year with the other members who serve and faithfully work along side us here in-country. Our missionaries and pastors will continue the work laid before them and complete the good work God has started in each and every one of them. My love and prayers cease not to be offered up for all the saints and family of God. May the abundance of His grace surround you through all your endeavors.

His humble servant and yours,

Pastor Marty