Last year we experienced many challenges, struggles, changes and victories. Overall, I would say that 2015 was a successful year. We expanded our businesses substantially, and saw continued growth in the Spanish Institute of Honduras and in our family's personal ministries.
One of our greatest successes was to finally see the adoption of Luis completed. Luis came to live with us near the beginning of March 2013. One year and 9 months later his adoption was finalized and he now lives with his forever family in North Carolina. His adoptive parents came and stayed with us two and a half months as they waited for the final papers to be done. They were so patient and on Dec. 23rd, they flew home just in time to spend their first Christmas together as a new family. We saw a recent picture of Luis playing in the snow, a first for him. Our house seems much emptier without him.
Mark, after more than half a year spent in the USA and three months traveling through Europe and Africa, returned to Honduras in November to become the Administrator at the Spanish Institute of Honduras. Not only am I very happy to have him working with me again, but he is a huge help as I have gotten busier and busier with my other businesses. He is doing a great job running the school, and as he is interested in studying international business in college, he is gaining real life experience in this field as we truly are a multi-national business.
Ben, Thomas and I, after much discussion and research, decided to expand Inversiones Wolfe Honduras beyond the distributorship of Sawyer filters and open a separate branch of the business called Pozos para Todos. With the help of some generous friends we were able to obtain a flexible loan through the Camino Foundation in order to purchase a used Bucyrus Erie cable tool rig and the necessary equipment and tools to open a well drilling business. We successfully completed two wells with the "new" rig, one for a church and one at Sparrow Missions' new children's home near Tela. It feels so good to be back working with machinery, getting dirty and making a living with my hands. And it feels really, really good to be working with my boys again. All three of them!
You can visit us at www.pozosparatodos.com or on Facebook. Below is a short video of the rig at work.
One my passions has been to bring jobs to Honduras. As the Institute has grown, we have nearly tripled the size of our teaching staff and now through the school and the other three businesses we, directly and indirectly, provide jobs for over twenty people. We have also added substantially to the local economy by renting numerous houses or contracting with Honduran families to house students, to the neighborhood pulperia (corner store) and other businesses, and through local and national taxes as we are a legally registered Honduran company. Seeing this growth develop has been extremely satisfying.
Some of the challenges and struggles we faced last year were; the importation of the drill rig, a very ugly and discouraging experience for me, and a review of our vision for the Spanish Institute of Honduras (fb link) and what it's Kingdom purpose is which ended in a complete overhaul of how we "do language school". Change is always difficult, especially when it affects many people, but I believe we have come through it stronger and more focused than ever before. Thanks to all of our students and their missions agencies who worked with us to implement the changes. A big thank you to our new chaplain/counselor, Gordon and his wife Anna who came on staff part time in January, for being willing to travel from Tegucigalpa each month to spend time with our students. And a very special thank you to our incredible staff of teachers. This past year, with the help of our three senior teachers, we have grown into a unified team who shares the same vision and commitment to helping missionaries not only learn Spanish, but succeed in life here in Honduras. Each day I watch with pride as our teachers, despite their own life struggles, pour their hearts and souls into each of our students as they struggle through learning how to live in a new country and learn a new language and a new culture. Our staff has been one of our greatest blessings here and I know that feeling is shared by the vast majority of our students past and present.
We have seen victories in many areas as well. Our Bible study in Cerro Azul is bearing much fruit. (That's Christianese for seeing a lot of personal growth and spiritual development happen). Barbe and I have now been traveling the two hour round trip every other Sunday for over two years. Our relationships there have deepened tremendously this past year. It has been a privilege to watch God at work in the lives of those who faithfully meet with us and to share with each other the joys and struggles of life. It is humbling to watch the mighty power of God at work changing lives. BAM, our missionary kids youth group that David Guevara and I teach, is maturing. Pastor Steve visits from Florida about every six months and spends time with Barbe and me. While he is here, we do a lot of visitation, often traveling deep into the mountains on nearly impassable roads to visit, preach and pray with the sick. Thanks Steve for all the encouragement you have been to us.
I am often asked by Hondurans and Americans alike how long we plan on living in Honduras. I always say (with the understanding that life is uncertain and the future unpredictable) that we are here to stay. With each passing year, and we are now in our third year, we are more and more deeply connected to Honduras. Of course we miss family immensely and we occasionally have a hankering for Taco Bell or Waffle House, but I can honestly say that I no longer feel as though I am a foreigner living in a foreign country. This is home. It has absolutely been a challenge to do business here, but business has also opened incredible opportunities for me to meet people and to do things I would never have been able to do otherwise. These past three years have been a grand adventure and one I am grateful to have been able to participate in.
I want to thank my wife Barbe for supporting me in all I have attempted here. For being patient with me when I take on too much and for being willing to ride the ups and downs of life with me. Thanks also to our three incredible sons. They are competent and confident young men at ease living in a foreign country. I am glad you are here doing life different with me.
 |
| Last goodbye at the airport |
One of our greatest successes was to finally see the adoption of Luis completed. Luis came to live with us near the beginning of March 2013. One year and 9 months later his adoption was finalized and he now lives with his forever family in North Carolina. His adoptive parents came and stayed with us two and a half months as they waited for the final papers to be done. They were so patient and on Dec. 23rd, they flew home just in time to spend their first Christmas together as a new family. We saw a recent picture of Luis playing in the snow, a first for him. Our house seems much emptier without him.
Mark, after more than half a year spent in the USA and three months traveling through Europe and Africa, returned to Honduras in November to become the Administrator at the Spanish Institute of Honduras. Not only am I very happy to have him working with me again, but he is a huge help as I have gotten busier and busier with my other businesses. He is doing a great job running the school, and as he is interested in studying international business in college, he is gaining real life experience in this field as we truly are a multi-national business.
 |
| Ben and Thomas learning to run the new rig. |
You can visit us at www.pozosparatodos.com or on Facebook. Below is a short video of the rig at work.
One my passions has been to bring jobs to Honduras. As the Institute has grown, we have nearly tripled the size of our teaching staff and now through the school and the other three businesses we, directly and indirectly, provide jobs for over twenty people. We have also added substantially to the local economy by renting numerous houses or contracting with Honduran families to house students, to the neighborhood pulperia (corner store) and other businesses, and through local and national taxes as we are a legally registered Honduran company. Seeing this growth develop has been extremely satisfying.
Some of the challenges and struggles we faced last year were; the importation of the drill rig, a very ugly and discouraging experience for me, and a review of our vision for the Spanish Institute of Honduras (fb link) and what it's Kingdom purpose is which ended in a complete overhaul of how we "do language school". Change is always difficult, especially when it affects many people, but I believe we have come through it stronger and more focused than ever before. Thanks to all of our students and their missions agencies who worked with us to implement the changes. A big thank you to our new chaplain/counselor, Gordon and his wife Anna who came on staff part time in January, for being willing to travel from Tegucigalpa each month to spend time with our students. And a very special thank you to our incredible staff of teachers. This past year, with the help of our three senior teachers, we have grown into a unified team who shares the same vision and commitment to helping missionaries not only learn Spanish, but succeed in life here in Honduras. Each day I watch with pride as our teachers, despite their own life struggles, pour their hearts and souls into each of our students as they struggle through learning how to live in a new country and learn a new language and a new culture. Our staff has been one of our greatest blessings here and I know that feeling is shared by the vast majority of our students past and present.
 |
| Our wonder, crazy beautiful bunch of teachers, but where is Jose Luis? (photo by Sarah Larson) |
We have seen victories in many areas as well. Our Bible study in Cerro Azul is bearing much fruit. (That's Christianese for seeing a lot of personal growth and spiritual development happen). Barbe and I have now been traveling the two hour round trip every other Sunday for over two years. Our relationships there have deepened tremendously this past year. It has been a privilege to watch God at work in the lives of those who faithfully meet with us and to share with each other the joys and struggles of life. It is humbling to watch the mighty power of God at work changing lives. BAM, our missionary kids youth group that David Guevara and I teach, is maturing. Pastor Steve visits from Florida about every six months and spends time with Barbe and me. While he is here, we do a lot of visitation, often traveling deep into the mountains on nearly impassable roads to visit, preach and pray with the sick. Thanks Steve for all the encouragement you have been to us.
I am often asked by Hondurans and Americans alike how long we plan on living in Honduras. I always say (with the understanding that life is uncertain and the future unpredictable) that we are here to stay. With each passing year, and we are now in our third year, we are more and more deeply connected to Honduras. Of course we miss family immensely and we occasionally have a hankering for Taco Bell or Waffle House, but I can honestly say that I no longer feel as though I am a foreigner living in a foreign country. This is home. It has absolutely been a challenge to do business here, but business has also opened incredible opportunities for me to meet people and to do things I would never have been able to do otherwise. These past three years have been a grand adventure and one I am grateful to have been able to participate in.
I want to thank my wife Barbe for supporting me in all I have attempted here. For being patient with me when I take on too much and for being willing to ride the ups and downs of life with me. Thanks also to our three incredible sons. They are competent and confident young men at ease living in a foreign country. I am glad you are here doing life different with me.
No comments:
Post a Comment