Monday, October 1, 2007

September 2007


Greetings to our dear friends and family and welcome to our new “blogspot” method of getting our newsletter to you. (ichospice.blogspot.com) We are excited about this way of being able to keep you all informed on a regular basis. We are also providing our newsletter by regular mail. There is much news to share because God has been faithful to continue His work through International Christian Hospice.

We traveled to Central America in early August with our agenda full for the coming weeks. Our 2001 Ford Escape was being kept by friends for us and our first challenge was to obtain a Central American license tag. As you probably remember we drove from N.C to Central America last January and we applied for permanent tags last March in Honduras. We were disappointed to learn that new tags are still not available this fall. So we continue to pray and wait. This caused our plans to change somewhat limiting our driving exclusively to the country of Honduras with paper permit in the glove box. But God’s plan was still in place despite the normal inconveniences of working in developing countries.

The first two weeks we spent time with our Central American directors, Pastor Moreno and Pastor Francisco, who live in the northeast area of Honduras. Together we visited several sick people in their homes and provided Hospice support to some churches in this area. Our first opportunity to appear on a Christian T.V. station was a great experience. Pastor Francisco interviewed us live on the air explaining the unique ministry we are offering the Honduran people. A few days later we had an enjoyable visit from a couple from the U.S. who traveled with us to the more remote eastern area where the Garifuna people live. In one home, while visiting an elderly, sick lady, Ron was able to share the Gospel with a neighbor who decided to place his faith in Jesus that day. We never know who will be listening when we arrive in someone’s home. A seemingly simple event can turn into a divine appointment with God leading us each day.

In mid-August we traveled across the country to the capitol city of Tegucigalpa. Preparations were being made for the first ICH team to arrive and work with us in the field for two weeks. God delighted us with a special blessing of bringing Chris and Rachel Embler across our path again (Chris is Susan’s cousin) in Tegucigalpa. Our paths last crossed in January in Alabama but God had now brought them all the way to Honduras on their walk from N.C. to Peru. Yes, they are walking by faith and ministering along the way. Check out their blogspot for their amazing story of God’s provision and protection in a year of travel on foot. (http://www.ourwalkoffaith.blogspot.com/) We were so blessed that God lead them to us for this time. God used their faith and testimonies to inspire us in areas of our lives in which we have been trusting in ourselves, our abilities and our possessions rather than trusting God.

The team of eight people, lead by Chuck McCurry, arrived in Tegucigalpa from Lexington Baptist Church and we began the field training phase of our new ICH team. What a huge blessing and encouragement to have them working with us! We know that many at home have been praying for us and this group because we experienced God’s hand going before us in powerful ways.






In the first 3 days we had opportunities to present ICH training in two churches and also to the staff and parents of a Christian school. This opened the door also for the special talents of two team members who do clown ministry. God surprised us again with His unique plan of bringing these special talented “clowns”. They added much joy, especially at an Old Folks Home and as we visited a very sick boy in his home. This boy’s mother, along with many others responded to the message of Christ’s love and decided to follow Him.

We must share a story of the power of our loving Father in an experience Ron, Chuck and Don had doing a home visit with a Pastor. On Saturday morning we presented ICH training to a group of people in a church on the outskirts of the city. We discovered that two of the women in this church had been in our seminar two years ago in another church and had since been doing Hospice ministry in their community. Now 23 others wanted to learn how to minister to the sick and grieving also. In the afternoon we planned to make home visits so divided up into groups. Ron, Chuck, Don and our translator Lourdes went with the Pastor to visit Fabian who lived in a very small home on top of a steep ridge. They climbed to his home and found him in bed with only his 8 year old grandson to care for him. His wife was working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week which is the normal work schedule, to provide a small income for their needs. Fabian had suffered a stroke, had a lung and kidney infection. He was very weak, uncomfortable and in respiratory distress. The men were able to reposition him and get some food and drink for him. They had prayer with him and made plans for the Pastor and ICH volunteers from the church to return and assist him and his family. The men shared with the team that evening the helplessness they felt. Fabian’s location and physical situation presented the impossibility of getting him out to the hospital or to a place where he could receive treatment and care. The situation seemed hopeless. So we prayed for Fabian and for the church who would be continuing to minister to him. On the next afternoon, Sunday, we presented our ICH training at another church a few miles away. The small group gathered slowly and we began teaching. We often tell stories and give examples of people we have met who need Christian Hospice ministry and Ron told the group about Fabian. One of the men in the group began to ask questions and was very interested in him. During the break he introduced himself as Dr. Fu, a Chinese/Honduran physician. He provides medical care for the poor by making house calls and usually receives payment in eggs or tortillas. Dr. Fu eagerly offered to visit Fabian with the men the next morning. On Monday morning the men met Dr. Fu at the church at 7:30 and hiked up to his house. This morning his son and grandson were with him and his wife had already left for work. Dr. Fu gently examined him and also drew blood. He began asking questions and the story unfolded. Fabian had become a believer a few months earlier. His condition had worsened and he was too weak to make the trip down the mountain to the hospital for an appointment. He had begun to pray for God to send help to him. He

told the men that they were God’s answer to his prayer. What a testimony of God’s great love for each individual! The powerful faith that this man displayed to his family also had eternal significance. Ron and Dr. Fu shared the Gospel with the two boys who were watching everything and they decided to give their lives to Jesus that day. Dr. Fu promised he would cover the cost of the lab work and would return with medication and there would be no charge. The entire team witnessed the great love that our Shepherd Jesus has for the one lost sheep. We were all reminded that everyone, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is precious to God who gave His life for them.

We left the city and spent one day ministering in the village of Alubarin. From there we spent two days in the hot, southern town of Choluteca near the borders of El Salvador and Nicaragua offering hospice training in two churches. By now the rainy season had begun and the road out of Choluteca was flooded beneath two feet of rushing river current. We learned this as we sat in a long line of traffic and the authorities predicted 6 hours until anyone could cross. But we serve the God who is in control! We were expected at our next place of ministry so our team sang praise songs and prayed to our God who can do anything. Within 45 minutes the water level had dropped to below the crossing and we were allowed to travel on. Each day the team grew in faith as we saw the hand of God at work around every bend. We serve an awesome, powerful God and nothing is too big or too small for Him.

Chris and Rachel stayed on with us for a week after the team left for the U.S. God gave us the perfect window of time just before hurricane Felix hit to purchase and deliver Bibles to the north east coast of Honduras. Chris, Rachel, friends and family had donated money to provide Bibles in the newly translated Garifuna language. These people of African descent live in secluded, remote villages. We had the privilege to place 236 Bibles in the hands of Christians who work and live among these people. We were able to go to the village of Corazal and present a Bible to Sulma. She is a Garifuna leader in her small church of 15 believers. We were thrilled as we listened to her read John 3:16 in her heart language for the first time. We are witnesses as God is pouring out His Spirit and sending His Word to places that have been closed to the Gospel in the past.

We were sad to say goodbye to Chris and Rachel but we parted on buses going in opposite directions. They headed south to Nicaragua and we headed northwest to Guatemala City. Our car had to remain in Honduras in storage awaiting tags but our flight back to the U.S. was scheduled out of Guatemala City. The results of the hurricane in the area we traveled was minimal with only a few mud slides and the bus was able to pass through them. Our flight connections were delayed so our trip from Guatemala City to N.C. lasted 2 days. Thank you to those who pray for our safe travel!

We are honored to be involved in two Global Missions conferences this fall, one at Biltmore Baptist Church and one at Lexington Baptist Church. It will be good also to spend some time with our family especially the new grandbaby expected in October.



Please pray for our next ministry work in November. We will be traveling to Dominican Republic and Haiti to work with churches and clinics presenting ICH training. It will be a privilege to work with the Radio Bible Hour missionaries in Jimani at a Pastor’s conference. This is another new area of work that God is opening up.

We cannot tell you how we appreciate your prayers and your financial gifts. It is all to the Glory of God and to enable His plan for the work of International Christian Hospice.
If you would like to receive our newsletters by email or our blogspot rather than by regular mail please email us at ronnaish@bellsouth.net and let us know.

God bless you and we pray that you will experience His love and power in your life each day!


Serving Him together,




Ron and Susan Naish