We are excited to share some news about what has been happening!
All the computers have been ordered and arrived or are on their way to us! We hope the monitors will arrive this week so we can start repacking the towers and monitors and ship them to Honduras! Since Ale received her Green Card, she can go back to visit her family this summer and may be able to be there when the computers arrive at the school! We expect that the school will be able to use their new computers at the beginning of next school year!
We wanted to give an update on the gym and roof project. We are still working with the school's bank in Honduras to wire the money so they can begin. There have been many factors that have slowed this down, from Semana Santa, a school wide competition among all seven ALCS schools, to different banking systems and customs, the progress has been slower than we had hoped. However, we are anticipating the process of picking up again by the end of this week so progress can be made on the gym renovations and building the roof.
As part of our mentoring program with students, we have worked with two high school seniors from La Union who are applying to various universities in the US. Their dreams are to use what they learn and the connections they make during their time in the US to help develop and impact their communities and country. Both of these students are remarkable young adults, both of whom want to glorify God through their lives. Each one lacked a large sum of money to attend Calvin University and was discouraged. One student needed a host family in order to attend, and the other was lacking funds. Well, God makes the impossible possible. Through God's opening doors, we were able to help find a host family for one student, and the other student caught the attention of generous donors through a performance at the schoolwide competitions in speech. Be praying for these two students, as it looks like their dreams are unfolding! We will share more updates with them and their names as they allow us!
One last update that is a newer development for us. We have been brainstorming ways to do what we are doing in Honduras here in Iowa since we moved back to the US. At the beginning of 2024, I was helping run audio and visuals for a class at our church called The Missions Course. During one of the last sessions, Todd Ahrend (the founder of The Traveling Team) shared a story about a student he met with once. As the semester was closing, the student heard Todd's talk about the need international students have on campus and how to share the Gospel with them. So this student met a student from China in a group, and they became fast friends! The student from China needed a ride to the airport and he was more than willing to help him, however the student from China warned him he had four LARGE bags he is taking back to China with him. The US student said it wouldn't be a problem. As they were driving to the airport, the US student asked what was in the four bags. The student from China said they were souvenirs. The US student said, "Oh! Souvenirs for your family back in China?" The Chinese student replied, "No. I brought these souvenirs with me four years ago when I arrived. I brought them for friends I would make while studying. After four years, I didn't make a single friend, so I am bringing them back home." The US student didn't know how to respond and was at a loss for words... This story impacted Ale and I, but especially Ale since she was an international student herself and knows how hard it is to adjust to studying in the US and the culture differences. Since then, we have been wondering how we can help support international students here in the metro area and eventually get people on board with us to deepen and widen our impact. We have been in contact with Grandview University and Drake University to see if there is a way we at Sembrando Esperanza can help support international students by mentoring, hosting/sharing meals and transportation when able, and helping them come to know Christ through our relationships with them. We have a meeting next week with someone at Grandview University, so please pray for that meeting so that God makes it clear how and if we can start this new piece of SE.
We are so grateful for you and your prayers. Seriously, it is the one email, message, or phone call that reminds us that what we are doing matters and makes a difference. We cannot do what we do without you and your prayers, so thank you so much!
Go well,
Ale + Austin Hudson Reyes
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