update from a week ago

In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you, NOW is the time of God's favor, NOW is the day of salvation. 2 Cor. 6:2

"The time is NOW to pursue ALL that the Lord has for you. His ability will equip you to accomplish any task that He places before you. Move forward IN CONFIDENCE!" priscilla shirer


HEllO everyone!

i just wanted to update you all on the step of faith miranda and i took TODAY. we have been praying about renting a building in the town to use for our youth program as well as for the ministry. we have been having many problems with the mayor's office and the community center. there is a new man that works for the mayor's office who does not want us to use the community center any longer. it's just the enemy and God knows best. so miranda and i went today to speak to the owner of this building and he cut us a deal. we have to pay $260 this week with the promise that we will have the full rent by october which is $500 a month. so please be in prayer with us as we wait on God to provide. this is what faith is all about. if we don't use or test our faith it won't grow.
if you fell led to help in anyway just email me. i know times are hard now for everyone but God always has a way to provide for His work.
thank you for all your constant prayers! they work!! i feel them! :)
love you all!
His, mandy

last update-2 weeks ago

I am back in honduras after being in the states for three and half weeks. being back in honduras has been hard this time, i will not lie. as most of you know, the reason for my trip home was to take my daughter heidy to live in oklahoma and study at a university. what an answer to our prayers. God has spoken to obediant hearts to reach out and help us provide heidy with the best possible education. thank you to the Bullard family of edmond, oklahoma, for opening your home to my daughter and providing her with the opportunity to study and earn a college degree. she is adjusting well and really enjoys being with this precious family. monday, august 23rd, she will be starting classes at the university of cntral oklahoma!! thank you, Father! we see how You made this happen every step of the way. pray for Heidy, please. classes are not going to be easy and she is really going to have to work hard and stay focused. pray for her relationship with God to become more intimate as she learns to lean on Him more and more during this time of change and hard work.
as for me, the adjustment seems to be way harder. i now have an empty nest as you say and am missing having Heidy around. it has been hard but i know God has huge plans for us both in this next stage in our journey. please pray for me to continue to have peace and use the quiet times to listen better and pray more.
since being back, we have all as staff come to an agreement that we really need our own space for the youth group and ministry avtivities and office. a building i looked at before i left for the states is still available. we have all gone and looked it over and we all LOVE it. it will work perfectly for our needs right now. we are desperate for our own space for our growing youth group. the community center has been great but it's just that...a community center. we are not the only ones that use that space. we are desperate to be able to have a space where we can set up chairs and sound system and so on and not have to pack it all up the same day. we want to be able to have more activities and a place to hold meetings and so on. so please be in prayer with us as we seek our Lord to show us His will and bring us His provision. our goal is to hopefully rent the place by the end of the month.
thank you to all of you who give, who pray and encourage me along the path of this adventure and journey. it was SO good to be able to spend time with some of you while i was home. it always encourages me and helps me keep going. i love you all so much!! many blessings!

USA

I'm home! for 6 weeks. please be praying for Honduras, for my foster daughter, heidy, who is there along with everyone else in our ministry. it is a mess down there and i thought i might not be able to make it home since the airports were closed most of last week. pray for the government to resolve the problems soon with no rise in violence. pray that democracy will stay and political leader's hearts will change and eyes will be opened to the truth.
also, be in prayer for my dad who will be having hernia surgery this thursday.
i hope to see many of you while i'm here.
Blessings! His, mandy

Sponsorship for The Branch/Seeds of Change

hello everyone!!

i am sending out this email because this need has become urgent. as of april this year, The Branch(Seeds of Change transition house) received our first official transitioning teenage girl. her name is Skarleth. these past couple of months we as a staff have met and discussed exactly what is the realistic monthly support we will need for each transitioning teenager. praise the Lord we have a sponsor who pays for the rental of the apartment we use as the transition home for right now. however, the monthly cost such as food, personal supplies, and medical is still lacking as well as a sponsorship for schooling. we have added up the needs and came up with a total of $140 a month per teen. this is 4 sponsors at $35 a month per teen. now this does not include school/university. with skarleth as our first, we are still researching universities and are as of right now not exactly sure what all this will cost. we do know it is not going be anything near what we pay for universities in the states. as soon as we know more details about the university, i will be sending out another email. skarleth should be starting next month or september, so by next month, we should know more info.

i guess what needs to be said is that WE NEED SPONSORS. the truth is that we cannot have a ministry without money. i know many people are struggling right now to get by....believe me, i know...the economy in the states effects us here too. however, if God lays it on your heart to help our teens please know that they will receive every penny. i am working on a Branch ministry bank account being set up stateside. hopefully this will be available within the next month or so. as of right now, if you feel led to start giving, let me know and we will work out all the details about where to send it and so on.

thank you so much for all your prayers!! i miss you all and am forever grateful for your love and support.
God bless in abundance!! His, mandy perkins

summer 2009 update

“if My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land”. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Hello to ALL my Family,
I am alive. I know some of you think I have gone into hiding but I have Not forgotten you. These past couple months have been challenging and it’s been hard to find the time to sit down, focus and write what all has been going on in our ministry and in life. I know I am not forgotten because I feel your prayers and many of you have contacted me and reminded me that I am prayed for and loved. Thank you.
Here’s what’s been going on……
*On April 4th, The Branch received our first official transitioning teenager, Skarleth. She is 18, grew up from age one in an orphanage, has some health issues we have been dealing with, and also left behind a twin sister at the orphanage. She has struggles, but we can see in just 2 short months, how God is healing her, giving her a new self-confidence, and helping her overcome her past.

Here are some specific prayer request for Skarleth:
Continued healing physically, emotionally and mentally…no more bad dreams; joy and peace
Spiritual growth/relationship with the Lord- she received Christ in April!!
Studies- hopefully she will be starting at a university here in Honduras by the fall
Finances/supporters for Skarleth
*In May, our ministry received our first transitioning child, Siguel. He will stay with our house parents, Beth and Tristan, until his adoption is completed. Siguel is 11 and comes from extreme poverty. A close family to our ministry is adopting Siguel and the process should be completed by the end of the year.
Pray…..
For Beth and Tristan as they transition and prepare Siguel in their home
For Siguel emotionally
For Siguel’s studies- he is in the 3rd grade and we are homeschooling him
For his new family in the states
For a smooth, easy and quick completion of the adoption
*Just this past week, Heidy came home from studying in a Bible program in El Salvador. I am so happy to have her home after 5 months. I can already see some of the areas God has changed her and grown her. I am so thankful. She was also able to travel around much of Central America with this program, which she loved. We both are excited to see what God has next.
Pray….
For Heidy to receive a scholarship to study at a university in the States. We will be applying for one in November.
For Heidy to seek the Lord’s will for her life/continual maturing and growth in her relationship with God
For personal struggles she is having
For finances, renewed visa, an exam she needs to take to receive her high school diploma….and for me to have the wisdom I need to be the mother God called me to be in her life
*We started a girl’s soccer team a couple weeks ago as a way to reach out to more of the girls in the community. Pray for more girls to come, more consistency on their part, for a hunger from them to hear God’s Word, grow and change, and for Miranda and me to lead by example and just love them.
*Pray for Seeds of Change as we wait for our NGO status. We also are praying over a specific piece of land we would like to build our ministry on…the location is perfect. Continue to pray for us as staff….Leonie, Miranda, Mario, Me, Beth, and Tristan. Also, continue to pray for our woman’s Bible study group, our children’s Bible study, youth Bible study, our English classes and our feeding project. And please remember Santos, Miranda’s foster son. We have faced many challenges with him these past few months. He greatly needs your prayers.
*Last, but not least, please pray for Honduras. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is our prayer for this nation. The president at this time is fighting for communism and dictatorship. We will know more details after June 28th. Pray for this day when decisions will be made that could greatly impact this country and our ministry. It is time for the Church in Honduras to rise up. Enough! This country has been under the oppression of Satan for too long. It is healing time! Amen!
These past couple months have been a true growing process for me. It has not been easy and there were some days when I just wanted to quit and go home. Honestly. But I know Greater things are yet to come. I know God has placed me here for just a time as this. Please never cease to pray for me. I am weak and need your prayers covering me everyday. I am thankful for I am blessed to have you ALL holding my arms up, supporting me financially, and believing in my call. Please know that I LOOOOVE hearing from you too!
Have a blessed day!! Love you all!! His, mandy perkins

seedsofchangehonduras.shutterfly.com teote.org

another seed

heidyskarleth(left)

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, IF we do not give up." Gal. 6:9

i am seeing this verse come to pass in my life. God is so faithful.

Two weeks ago, we received another seed, one we have been trying to get now for over a year. her name is Skarleth and she is 18. God has been with us every step of this process.
Skarleth has a long way to go. she was raised her entire life inside an orphanage. we are going to need much wisdom on how to help her with her healing process. please pray.

this monday heidy leaves for almost two months for Belize. she has been receiving discipleship training classes for 4 months and now it is time for her to put it into practice. her time in Belize is called an outreach. i had to buy her a huge hikers pack that is almost as big as her:), so she could carry all of her clothes and belongings with her as they trek across Belize. i am nervous for her but i know God is about to take her to another level in their relationship. that makes me excited. please cover her with prayer. she will be in Belize(and also parts of el salvador) april 27th-june 17th.

there is so much more going on, but i will have to update you all another day. thanks again for ALL your prayers. Be strong in the Lord. He makes NO mistakes.
i'm off to teach english...... His, mandy

April update-Seeds of Change Honduras

I serve a Risen Savior!! AMEN!!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow!!

Thanks again to all my family of supporters!!

I don’t know about where you are but spring is here!! Maybe even summer…it is HOT in Honduras!!
Right now, both Miranda and Leonie, my mission’s partners, are gone, so I am trying to keep things going, taking care of Santos(Miranda’s foster son), surviving the heat, and anticipating ALL God is about to do.
Heidy is doing very well. She and her classmates just spent 2 weeks in Guatemala. I am SO thankful to see how she is growing and maturing, SO thankful. Please keep praying for her. She has a few weeks of classes left. Then, at the end of April, all the students will be leaving to do an outreach in Belize for a month. Heidy is excited and nervous but I know God is stretching her in new ways and teaching her exactly what she needs to learn.
This month we will be receiving 1 or 2 new teenage girls into the transition house. This is exciting but pleeeeeeease pray for me to be able to handle everything without Miranda or Leonie being here.
Also, I talked with our adoption lawyer this week, and this month could be the month for 3 children/siblings to finally be adopted by a Christian couple from Canada. These are the same 3 kids we have been looking and praying for parents to adopt and rescue them. I am so excited!
Please pray for the funds to come in for a family who are waiting to adopt another little boy who is living in extreme poverty. They have already adopted from Honduras and are just waiting for the Lord to provide for this one as well.
Also, we are finally moving along in the legal stuff for the ministry. We should be able to submit papers next month to become an official Foundation. Please pray that this process moves quickly because they say it COULD take up to 2 years to complete. Nothing happens fast in Honduras,
Please pray for Leonie as she fund raises in England and Europe, as well as Miranda who is visiting family in the states. Pray for the new couple who has joined us, Tristan and Beth, from California. Pray for them as they settle and pray about exactly where and how God wants to use them within the ministry.
Pray for our Bible studies and for the growth of our youth group. Pray for walls to be broken. Some of these kids are hard and closed off, but I see little by little, God is moving. Pray for us as we lead them. Pray for us to rightly divide the Word of Truth.
I think that is all for now. I know each of you will bathe ALL of this in prayer. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! For Everything! Please email me with any comments or concerns:)
love you all!
His, mandy Joshua 1:9

Seeds of Change update-March 2009

Hello EVERYONE!!!!
Sorry I have not updated you all in a while, and this blogging thing is new to me. I really want to be better at this :/

Here is what’s been going on….

At the end of January, Heidy and I made a trip to San Salvador, El Salvador where Heidy will be studying at a YWAM (youth with a mission) for 5 months. Please keep her in your prayers as this transition has been difficult but she is enjoying her classes and growing and maturing in ways that only God can do when someone allows Him to have His way in their life. I am so proud of her. Please pray for Heidy as she leaves this Sunday with ywam to spend 2 weeks in Guatemala studying and also doing evangelism and outreach. Also, in April she will head to Belize with ywam for one and half months. Pray for finances for this trip, protection, health, and for God to just blow her away in what He has planned to teach her during this time away.

As for me, I am staying busy, missing Heidy, moving forward, watching God do what He does and standing in amazement at how He works in my life, this ministry and in the lives of others. Please pray for Leonie as she is in England for 2 months fundraising. Pray for Miranda as she prepares to go home for a month at the end of March. Please pray for me as I will be here trying to keep things going while they are both gone. We have a new couple who are moving to the Valley this weekend…yay! Just in time! They have been in Honduras for a couple months and feel God leading them to come join our team. Their names are Tristan and Beth, a young couple from California who are great musicians and youth leaders, and share our passion for helping the youth and children of Honduras. I am excited to see how God places them into the roles He has for them in this ministry. They are going to be a HUGE asset to us, especially Tristan since we are in great need of men to help us out with what we as women cannot do.

Also, please remember a young girl named Scarleth. She has been in contact with me and very much wants to be in our transition house. She is 17 and desperate. Things are complicated and it looks like we will have to wait until she turns 18. This is only a month away but the sooner she is out of her situation the better. We have a room all ready for her, but we have to be careful not to run ahead of what God is doing.

Plus, be in prayer for the youth in our Bible study group. Many are struggling and satan is really trying to destroy all that God has been doing in their lives. It’s hard because we are not the ones to change them, God is, but they have to be willing to let go of their junk and allow Him to heal and change them. It can be discouraging and sometimes seem hopeless, but God called us to obedience and the rest is up to Him.

One area I am really struggling is with loneliness. I know He is all I need but God does not want man to be alone (Gen.5). I am praying for a helpmeet, companion, a husband who will help lead this ministry and reach the ones we as women often struggle to reach(men and teenage boys). Please pray that I will just rest in Him, knowing that I am doing my part and God will bring him in His time. I just want to be open and transparent and this is a Huge struggle for me right now.

I thank each of you for all your love and support. Praise the Lord!! I was able to get 2 new tires for my car!! A great answer to prayers!! Now I feel so much safer driving especially when I have a car full of kids. I am so blessed to have the support and prayers of so many who I know believe in this ministry and what God has called me to here in Honduras. I love you all and will be in touch. God bless!! His, mandy
Joshua 1:9

a new year

Happy New Year….A little late.
Hello from Honduras! It has been a very busy time since we returned to Honduras a week ago. The Lord blessed us with a long 2 months in the good ‘ol USA. Heidy had a blast and we were able to spend some much needed time with family and friends.
Since returning to Honduras and back to reality, we have been busy catching up with my mission’s partners as well as preparing Heidy for 5 months of Bible school in El Salvador.
Yesterday, I returned from El Salvador alone. This is the hardest time I have faced in a long time. Heidy started classes yesterday at Youth with a Mission: Discipleship Training School in San Salvador, EL Salvador. Letting her go is extremely difficult, but I know she is exactly where the Lord wants her. I can’t wait to see how the Lord grows her. Pray for her as she is away for the next 5 months. Pray for me too.
God is at work teaching me that ALL I need is Him. I am not alone because He is with me in the crazy times and in the quiet times. I am so thankful for the time I had in the states, but I am excited to see all He has to do through us this New Year.
I was so blessed to be able to see many of you during my visit. I only wish I could have been able to spend more time with some of you. I was so encouraged by many of you while home and I know that without your prayers and support, I would more than likely not be able to carry on in the work God has called me to do here Honduras. God uses you all in my life more than you know. Thank you.
Please be in prayer for this country. The president at this time is determined to take over the country as a dictator and is seeking any excuse to grab at to do so. We all know the Lord is in control but it still is scary at times to think of this country being communist. Pray.
Please continue to pray for our woman’s Bible study group and our youth group. I was so excited to see how they are growing since I’ve been gone. However, please keep praying for one of our youth who has chosen to go back to drugs and is dealing with the consequences of this lifestyle.
I love and miss you all! I will be in touch again soon. God Bless! His, mandy perkins
Joshua 1:9