Overdue and I am not even pregnant....

To the millions and millions that wait anxiously for our updates, here you go. Actually its more like 10 people that we owe money to that actually read this...lol.

Sorry for the delay, I am still having health issues that seem to be better for a couple of days and I think all is well, then right back to feeling bad. It has not been fun to say the least.

---Still getting into my expanded and new role overseeing the entire medical brigade and the operation of the mission house. There certainly has been a learning curve and I am learning to prioritize my time, because I still am doing interviews, recruiting and orientation for new missionaries also.

---God has been wonderful in providing additional workers here in Honduras. We have a 3 new missionaries coming at the first of November, a teacher due at the beginning of January, another couple in the final stages of fundraising, a retired couple here presently interning and helping us out, another intern scheduled for the beginning of the year and a couple of more in the process of applications, interviews, etc. God has worked wonders.

---Dana and I are both participating in Bible studies during the week and have grown through them.

---The kids are doing well with their homeschooling and are adapting well to the culture and life here.

---When we were back in NC at Fairview we were asked by the mission committee what we needed and how they could help. We said that the best thing would be for you to "come". We can tell you what it is like, but to actually see Honduras is powerful. And it is such a blessing to have someone come down, not necessarily on a team, but just to visit our family. Our home is always open to anyone who wants to visit. Well a friend from SC and her two young daughters have taken us up on the offer and will be arriving in Honduras on Monday the 5th for a 6 week stay. She said that she is coming to minister to us, but we pray that she will be blessed by her time here and see what our ministry with WGO is about.

---If you get the WGO newsletters you have read recently about a couple of our kids that have left the bridge house to start their lives away from WGO. What a blessing to see these young adults and the transformation in their lives and the way they have been impacted through the prayers and support of WGO. These are examples of the long term seeds planted many years ago at Centro de Vida and Rancho Ebenezer. It is so neat to see the results of years of hard work, prayers, laughter, and tears. To God goes all the glory.

---We have 2 more teams in November to finish up the year. Including ranch teams we will have had over 40 teams come down this year. As busy as it was, we would love to see more teams. If you or your church are considering a mission trip, please let us know and consider coming down to Honduras. We would love to see you.

---As most know we now have a van to replace the one that burned up last year. With that we had to deplete all of our reserve. So please keep our finances in your prayers. We are confident of God's provision and care.

---We hope to have a newsletter out with the next team, next week. If you do not receive one and would like one, let us know. To be better stewards we would prefer to send it via email, but will mail a hard copy to you if you would like. Also we send out regular email updates and more importantly prayer requests (for example the recent health problems) so if you are not receiving them, please email us and we will add you. The email is mgrathome at yahoo dot com.

Thanks for your patience with the updates. I am sorry that I am not as diligent as I should be. But always remember that we love you and are incredibily grateful for your love, prayers and support. You will never know how special and humbling that is to our family. Thank you for joining with us in God's work in Honduras.

--Alan

Dana, AJ and Jordan on Staff Brigade Day

About a month ago we were not able to do one of our brigade days with a church because of strikes in the city. We definitely wanted to honor our commitment to the church, so this last Wednesday we had a staff brigade day. This was a wonderful opportunity for our staff, both North American and Honduran to bless this church and the community around it. Dana, AJ and Jordan joined in the brigade also. Dana was in evangelism, AJ helped in the pharmacy and Jordan worked in the kid's area. It was a great day and everyone enjoyed it.







Here are some of the faces of the brigade. Once again you see the beauty of the Honduran people.

































Here are some pictures of our staff working on the brigade that day. We had everyone from the mission house, the cooks, cleaners, maintenance, drivers, etc. participate. It was great to see them give back to their communities. We also had a couple of teachers and 7 of the kids from Rancho Ebenezer. This was the first time that they have seen or participated in a medical brigade and it was great to hear the excitement in their voices as they retold their experiences.

God had the perfect plan for making up the missed day and He was Glorified.