Preparing for our next step...

We hope you & your families all had a wonderful Christmas! It's hard to believe that 2012 is just around the corner and that at this time last year, our family was in the middle of learning a new language. We pray God will bless each of you in the upcoming new year!
Since the end of August, our boys have been attending Grace Academy twice a week, as well as, being homeschooled in our home. Gordon was able to return to his job at Visionworks. We continue with our language learning through a tutor via skype, and our boys have a tutor that comes to our home twice a week for conversational Spanish. We also have been doing some fundraising as God has opened doors. This time back in the States has been wonderful visiting with family, friends, & supporters but we are anxious now to move forward to do the work that God has placed on our hearts.  To be able to participate in such a wonderful ministry is a blessing. God is doing an amazing work with the children of FCM & the people in the surrounding communities.

In just about 6-8 weeks, we will finally be on our way to Tegucigalpa, Honduras to live and serve alongside Forgotten Children Ministries. As most of you know, this path hasn't been without it's trials & spiritual warfare, especially during our time in Costa Rica. Times that brought us to our knees in prayer, many tears, and even made us question our call, especially as we watched the difficult adjustment of our own boys. We continued to seek the Lord and He was faithful to strengthen our resolve.
However, we recognize that another adjustment phase is coming. We ask that you pray for us daily as God prepares our hearts. This move will be even more challenging knowing the permanence of this home and because we are expected to use our new language skills for everyday life. Pray for a new circle of friends for our family in Honduras.  Pray for us as a new missionary family, that we will be received well by the Honduran staff & children of FCM. Please also pray for the Womacks, the missionary couple that we will be working with, as they help our family get acclimated to Tegu and to the ministry as well.

Next month we will be traveling back to Honduras to find a rental home and start the process of setting up house keeping.  Pray for God's guidance as we look for a home in a safe neighborhood & make preparations for the upcoming move. Our plans are to move in mid February (Lord willing!).  As independent missionaries there will always be the need to raise support. We will continue to work on raising funds here in N.C. until we leave. Please pray that God will continue to raise up more people to come alongside us as monthly partners. No contribution is too small, God will bless any commitment that He places on your heart!  He has already graciously brought more supporters to join our team since we have been home. We praise Him for His provision and we trust that He will still send more!

Thank you for your continued prayers & support!! We are finally ready for the final step to the mission field, which is due in part, to the many ways each of you have stood with us.  We appreciate you all more than you know!  Your commitment to our family will be making an eternal difference in the lives of many children and people in Honduras. God bless you!

Because He first loved us,
Gordon, Christy, Jared, Zac, & Wil

Psalm 9:18 ~ "But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish."

*For those of you who have asked about giving a monetary gift or contribution, we are registered at both Target & Walmart for items needed in our home.

Need of MONTHLY partners!!

"For the harvest is great, but the workers are few."


We just wanted to take a few minutes to explain what being a monthly partner means, because it's monthly partners that enable our family to work alongside FCM to minister to the 75 children that are housed by FCM and to the people in the impoverished communities in & around Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

A partner is someone who faithfully contributes to our support on a monthly basis, regardless of the amount of the contribution.
Each month the partner mails in a check (or you can contribute on-line) to Forgotten Children Ministries and they keep all of the contributions in an account for our family. From this account FCM allots us a budget to enable our family to live.
But remember...as independent missionaries on staff with Forgotten Children Ministries, we are required to raise 100% of our funds in order to serve. And even though we are members of a Southern Baptist Church, we are not with the International Mission Board nor any other mission board, therefore, we are not given a salary.  ALL of our support must come from individuals, like yourselves, or churches in order for us to do the work God is calling us to do.

With that in mind, please prayerfully consider becoming a MONTHLY partner!  It doesn't have to be a large amount; it can be $5, $10, $25 month or as much as you believe the Lord is leading you to do, but if every one gave just a little, then we would have the support needed for our family to do God's work in Honduras.

THANKS so much for considering to partner with us! Just think, your contributions to our family will enable you to have an active role in changing the life of many street children, & people who otherwise would have no hope apart from Christ. We pray God will bless our efforts and the efforts of this ministry so these children & the people of Honduras in turn can make a difference in their own country for Christ.

A long awaited trip back to Honduras...

  We  recently  returned from an amazing, Spirit filled week in Honduras! Again we needed to give all the praise & glory to God for how He allowed our team to be His hands & feet during our time in Tegucigalpa. We were privileged to work alongside a wonderful team of North Americans from Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi too.
Our week started out with nine of the boys from the ministry being baptized in a river on Sunday after church. Each one of us felt blessed to be a part of such a special time in these boys lives. We see the result of God's hand in this ministry as we witness their baptisms and by the active role many of the boys are taking in the church services where one of the boys shelters is located. The Experiencing God Bible study, which many of the FCM boys are a part of, is also being led by one of the older boys of the ministry. I stand in awe of how God is working here within the ministry walls!












We were also very excited to finally meet 11 of the girls that are a part of the ministry now, which is called Grace girls. Each one is beautiful in their own unique way. We look forward to getting to know them better in the coming years. The women of the team did VBS, devotions, crafts, and we even got to teach the girls a dance, which they performed at team time that
evening. What a fun week with the FCM girls!

Gordon and Christy with a few of the boys at Grace Farm, the shelter where the older boys (ages 12 & up) live.

The feeding ministry during the week is one of our favorite aspects of the ministry. We bring food & clothing to meet their physical needs and we share the Gospel/talk to them about the Lord to take care of their spiritual needs. There are about 60 families or more that FCM has adopted & these familes are often visited to keep them enouraged.

This elderly woman is now one of our sisters in the Lord! Gordon had the privilege of leading her to the Lord during our time in Honduras. Please pray for her as she grows in her relationship with the Lord.

These precious siblings were often seen outside of the doors to one of our shelters in Tegucigalpa during our week in Honduras. In this photo, you see them holding a bag of clothes and a few toys that the team shared with them. At other times, we saw them sitting at this stoop enjoying a nice meal. But on this one particular day, as we were returning from a day of ministry, I felt the Lord impress upon my heart to share the Gospel with them...but this time in Spanish.  I was excited because this was an answer to my prayer & God made it happen! (Don't worry, I had an interpreter close by to ensure that they understood. :) That day they accepted Christ, please be praying for these precious children's spiritual/physical growth & protection.

More pictures of the precious people God put in our path during our time in Honduras. These are some sweet faces from one of the impoverished communities that our team visited.

A few boys watching as we ministered to the people in their community.

Gordon with a little buddy from a day of VBS in Monte Redondo.

Natalie & Christy

Gordon sharing the Gospel with a crowd that had gathered for beans & rice, but what they heard that day was how to receive eternal life. Many accepted Christ that day ~ to God be the glory!

It was great to finally be back in Honduras again working with the ministry.  There were many days while in language school that we longed to see the kids of FCM again, but the year in Costa Rica was a good transition year for our family.  It enabled us to start getting accustomed to the Latin American culture and at least have a basis of the spanish language. It was a tough year, but a year we are thankful for. 

During our year in Costa Rica, we discovered that our support level was not adequate for a family of five to live on. Therefore, during our time on furlough, we are focusing on raising more support to enable our family to not only get on the mission field, but to remain as long as God wants to use us there. And for this reason, we are home in N.C. until we reach our support level. 

*We are just about $1,500-$2,000 away from our goal. Our biggest need is monthly support, and even the smallest gift will help us reach our goal. So we ask that you prayerfully consider becoming a part of our team. And if you are unable to support us financially, then please support us through your prayers.

Thank you for your earnest prayers & support!!

Because He first loved us,

Gordon, Christy, Jared, Zac, & Wil

Psalm 82:3 "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed."

Prayer Requests:

Preparation of our hearts to move to Honduras

Monthly support

Finding a home in Honduras

New friends in Honduras

Spiritual growth of the FCM boys & girls

God's anointing on the FCM staff in Honduras & in the States

More pictures of the kids of FCM...

Christian & Delmer

Carlos & Edwin

Duglas

Rossel (in College now!)

Gordon w/Deby, Nicolas, & several other boys in the ministry

Joel & Christy

Christian, Caesar, & Luis

Anny, Julie, & Estefani

More FCM girls :)

Back in the States ~ more fundraising!

"Lord make us like Thee. Mould us into Thy likeness."

The purpose of this past year in language school was for us to learn the Spanish language in preparation for the work God has for us in Honduras, but during this time, it was just as much about God moulding us...which at times, felt more like pruning. As we left the comforts of home and all that entails, we were launched into a new culture & a new way of "doing life." The challenge was greater because this new way of life, included not only Gordon & I, but our children as well. The change was big but this transition period proved fruitful as we witnessed how the Lord has worked on our hearts.
God says in His word that He will never give us more than we can handle, yet at times this change, felt like more than we could handle! There were days we thought how nice it would be to go back to the comforts of home and life as we once knew it. But we were convinced that we were exactly where God had lead us, which brings peace in spite of the difficult days. We imagine as we move forward onto Honduras that the most difficult of days have yet to come. Although Costa Rica is considered a third world country, it's the nicest one, where as, Honduras is much more depressive. This is due to the extreme poverty, unemployment, and gang activity. The only light we recognize is located within the walls of the FCM shelters that house the boys & girls of the ministry. And it is for them that God continues to draw us to Honduras.

We returned to the States about 4 weeks ago, and we all were anxious to exchange the sounds of motorcycles & car horns of the city for grass hoppers & lighting bugs :) And to be able to just hop in a car again to drive wherever we wanted rather than hailing a taxi was just as exciting! One of our boys first requests when we arrived was to eat at a Chick-fil-a followed by Dairy Queen, so those where some of our first stops shortly after we returned. (It's the little things you miss!)  Since then the boys & I have started another school year so we are getting back to our old routine. Now as we look back it doesn't seem as though we have been away for an entire year, time just continues to race forward.
Gordon has already been practicing his spanish with his co-workers at work (free tutoring!) and I started back with one of my former teachers in Costa Rica a few weeks ago via skype. Technology is a great thing! We also hope to tutor one on one while we are here since we will not be moving to Honduras until after the New Year.  Between home study & meeting with a tutor on a weekly basis we can continue our language study. Please pray for us as we fit this in to an already busy schedule!

In just 2 days, Gordon & I will finally be returning to Honduras to work with the ministry alongside a team from Florida. We are excited about getting to see all the boys again, meet the new boys who have arrived since our last visit, and finally meet/get acquainted with the FCM girls. Please be praying for us & the team during the week of September 24-30th ~ pray for God's annointing on each one of us, preparation of the hearts of the FCM boys & girls and all those whom God places in our path, Gospel sharing opportunities, traveling mercies, protection, and good health. Please also pray for all our families & caregivers while we are away as well!

Thank you for your continued support & faithful prayers!!

Because He first loved us,
Gordon, Christy, Jared, Zac, & Wil

Prayer Needs:
Increase in monthly support/partners *
Mission trip ~ Sept. 24-30th
Finding a future home & purchase of vehicles in Honduras
Boys & girls of FCM - spiritual growth & protection from spiritual warfare
FCM staff Stateside and in Honduras

*People have asked how they can help and we know at times people want to give a monetary gift so we have registered at both Walmart & Target for things we will need to furnish our rental home in Honduras.

Graduation quickly approaching! Saying our good-byes...





Graduation is quickly approaching and we are just about 2 1/2 weeks (& 11 days :) away from finishing a year of language study. We have already been saying good-bye as several families are either heading back to the States for a short time or they are going to their prospective country to start the mission work they have been training for.

Although this year has been extremely challenging, we are so thankful for this time in our lives. The community of believers that God has encircled around us and the new friendships we have made, have truly enriched our lives. We could not imagine not having known these wonderful people! It will be difficult over the next weeks as we continue saying our farewells. For some of these friends/fellow classmates, this will be the last time we see them on this side of heaven, which is hard to imagine after all the time we have spent together this past school year. What a blessing each of them have been to the lives of our family! God has encouraged us tremendously through this community of brothers & sisters in Christ.

Please be in pray for continued perseverance as we finish out our language training over the next few weeks, and for each family as they start the work God has placed before them. Please also be in prayer as each family once again adjusts to a new home & for new friendships to be made. 

THANK YOU for your earnest prayers & support!!

In His grip,

Gordon, Christy, Jared, Zac, & Wil

* People have asked how they can help our family and one way is to purchase an item(s) from our registry, these are things we will need in Honduras. We are registered both at www.target.com and www.walmart. com *









                    





Language school coming to a close...

Graduation day!

Last week was an exciting week as our boys have finally completed the school year and are now attending Summer camp. We were thrilled to also celebrate Jared's sixth grade graduation. Each of our boys had a great academic year and we were thankful as they finished the year strong in spite of living in a new home and culture. Although they no longer have to tackle homework and studying each day, we still have about 7 weeks of language learning to go! So please pray for us as we continue to learn the Spanish language. Our boys will also have an opportunity to continue learning the language as well. They will be taking a Spanish intensive course as part of their Summer camp, as well as, one on one tutoring with a teacher from their school.      

Excited class of 2017!

This time in Costa Rica is rapidly passing, and soon we will have completed a year of language training ~ wow! We are marking off the days as our graduation quickly approaches. However, we are thankful for this year because we recognize that this time was extremely important to learn the language and as a time of transition to prepare us for Honduras.  Our new friends in Costa Rica have enriched our lives tremendously and we will be forever grateful for the people that God has placed before us during this past year. Yet we do look forward to returning to the States to visit with family and friends and to our long awaited arrival to Honduras. We anxiously await the day to start the work that God has placed before us with the boys & girls of FCM. Therefore, we ask that you pray along with us for new monthly partners, for God to continue working on our hearts/minds as He prepares us for Honduras, and for protection against spiritual warfare. This is a huge move and it has been evident that this decision to go with God frustrates the devil, so we ask for your earnest prayers for God's mighty hand to be upon each of us (& our families) and always for the courage to heed this call.
We are thankful for the new monthly partners that God has recently blessed us with! However, we continue to remain short of the goal set by the FCM board for our family to live in Honduras. Our plans are to return to the States immediately following graduation so we can continue raising more support. If you know of a church or anyone that would like to partner with us, please let us know and we can set aside time to meet with the church staff or individuals.
We recognize that these are tough economic times, yet we also know that God is greater and He often chooses to work through people like yourself to make a difference on this side of Heaven. We ask that you prayerfully consider becoming a partner with us so we can help share the love of Christ with the children of FCM & the people of Honduras.  Without you we cannot go forward!

Prayer Requests:
Our family's (& the children of FCM) spiritual growth
Protection from spiritual warfare
Monthly support
Good health/safety
Staff of FCM & growth of this ministry
New home, vehicle, & friends in Honduras


THANK YOU for your continued support & prayers!!
In His Grip,

Gordon, Christy, Jared, Zac, & Wil

Life in Costa Rica

Currently our family has been living in San Jose, Costa Rica attending language school for the past 8 months.  Our first trimester was a roller coaster of emotions as we attempted to adjust to a new culture, home, and in just leaving family/friends behind.  Yet God remained faithful in spite of the tears at times and feelings of being overwhelmed. We have always recognized the fact that this call is much bigger than we are and we have felt the pressures of answering such a call, but we recognize GOD is able, so we continue to rest in Him!
In just 2 1/2 weeks we will have completed our second trimester of language school...time is passing quickly! This trimester has been focused more on improving our conversational skills and we have had to write devotionals, our testimony, read newspaper articles (& explain the article) and/or stories from the Bible ~all in Spanish of coarse! Some days it seems like we are treading water, yet other days we surprise ourselves by using words we didn't even realize we knew in Spanish.  During this time here, we have sensed your faithful prayers and we have witnessed the provision of our Lord through the wonderful community of believers that God has encircled around each one of us to encourage us.

Each day starts at 7:30 am for several hours of class time followed by homework and hours of study. One of the biggest challenges has just been getting used to being back in school after so many years!   Our boys day is like an average school day, including the 45 minutes of Spanish each day. The lack of language learning has led us to start a tutor for each of our boys because we believe a huge part of their ability to adjust in Honduras will be the ability to speak the language of the FCM boys/girls. (They are enjoying this aspect of their time here!)

When we are quick to complain of our struggle to learn a new language, God reminds us of the blessing it is to be here in school especially as we hear of other fellow missionaries struggling to raise support in this fallen economy. Truly we can say that there is no other place we would rather be than right where God has currently placed us, we are thankful ~ most days :-)  While after a year we will by no means have mastered the language, we recognize that we are off to a great start. Our best training will be once we are living full-time in Honduras.

Presently we are set to graduate on August 12th and then head back to the States shortly after our graduation. We will have to remain in the States until our monthly support has reached the goal set by the board of Forgotten Children Ministries. We are about $1,500 a month short of our monthly goal set by the FCM board,  due in part to a decrease in our monthly support. We also hope to raise additional monies for our family to fly home each year on furlough & for vehicles in Honduras.  If you are not currently supporting us, then we ask that you prayerfully consider becoming a partner. Without your support, we would not be where we are today nor would we be able to get on the mission field. If you have a church or know of a church that would be interested in joining our team, please contact us. 

Thank you all so much for your continued support & earnest prayers! Your prayers are our safety net and each prayer unleashs the power of God to work in our lives. We would surely fail without you! So thanks again for standing with us. Please know that as members of our team, we will also be praying for each one of you.


Just as God calls people to go out, He also calls people to send...prayerfully consider being a sender today!   Matthew 9:37-38 ~ "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field."

*Prayer Requests:

*Need for monthly partners

*Our own spiritual growth

*Good health/safety

*Supernatural ability to learn the language

*Pray to find a home in a safe area of Honduras

*Fundraising for future vehicles/home furnishings

*Prayer for the FCM staff, boys & girls of FCM

THANK YOU once again for your faithful support & prayers!!

Con mucho amor,

Gordon, Christy, Jared, Zac, & Wil Diegelman

*People have asked how they can help, so we have made a wish list both at www.target.com and www.walmart.com ~ these are much needed items for our future home.

* Please take a few minutes to watch our video ~ the pictures tell a story of our time here in San Jose and the numerous amount of ministry opportunities for us in Honduras. We hope you will enjoy it! God bless you all!