Dear Friends and Family,
It’s been a while since I’ve written a newsletter. Life has been a little different lately and I think I’ll be writing newsletters quarterly now instead.
In my last update, I wrote about the roof project at Mario’s mom, Rosa’s, house. That project ended up leading basically to an entire renovation on the house because taking off the original roof led to having to change the electricity (it was a miracle it was still functioning up till then and hadn’t started a fire!) and all the plaster coming off of the adobe bricks that the house is made of and seeing just how rotted the doors and windows were. So Mario has been busy with that project up until just a couple of weeks ago. It’s such a blessing to his mom, aunt (Conchi), and cousin who all live in that house. Since Rosa and Conchi were kids, they helped their mom make and sell tortillas and it is what they still do now. They survive off of that business, but they wouldn’t ever have had enough to do the projects on their house with their income, and for that reason this renovation has been such a blessing for them. Also, in November, we were able to use some special FSI (Friendship Sports International) funds to paint the local health clinic and do some major clean-up both inside and outside. It’s the only health clinic in the area, so it not only serves the people of La Venta, but also many surrounding communities. It has been a desire of ours to paint it since we started doing ministry, so it was just as much a blessing for us as it was for those who work at the clinic and the rest of the community.
To clarify, I was not actually able to be a part of the construction at Rosa’s house, nor was I able to be there in person to help paint the health clinic as I would’ve liked— I came up to Wyoming mid-September in preparation for the newest arrival, Vivienne Skye Velasquez King. Yes, it’s a mouthful. In Latin American cultures, people have the last names of both parents. And Vivienne is just an alternative spelling of Bibian, the name of Mario’s sister who passed away in March. I found out I was pregnant during her last week of life and immediately knew the baby would be a girl and we would name her after Bibian. Vienne for short, though! Our decision for me to come to Wyoming to have the baby, even though it meant to be without Mario, was so hard. Mario still doesn’t have his visa, and without it isn’t even allowed to enter the United States for a short period of time. But for reasons including the healthcare system (I wanted to do a natural home birth with a trained and certified midwife and that wouldn’t have been an option in Honduras) and wanting Vienne to be guaranteed U.S. citizenship, we decided it would be the best decision. Vienne was born on November 19th, which was also our second wedding anniversary— we got the best gift! I chose to have her at home with my mom, my sisters, and a midwife. Mario got to FaceTime in, so although it wasn’t ideal, it was still good. The distance is so hard, especially for him to not be able to meet his daughter yet, so we ask for prayers for strength to get through the rest of our time apart, and also for prayers that Vienne would get her passport soon so we can get back to Honduras and to Mario.
As I reflect on the last year, I see God’s hand in so many ways. In the midst of pain, wrestling with doubt and heartbreak, and dealing with some bitterness and discouragement, He once again showed Himself faithful and good and trustworthy. He proved Himself to be the One Who heals and redeems and restores. And, as always, He is our source of strength and contentment. I hope that He has shown Himself to each of you in the ways that your heart needed in your unique circumstances. And as I look forward to this next year, it’s hard to even imagine what it might hold. In a world gone crazy, with things often changing drastically from one day to the next, the only constant is Him. I don’t need to know exactly what’s going to happen because I know that in Whom my faith is anchored is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He’s not surprised by any of what is happening. He is sovereign over it all, and He has the ultimate victory.
Like I said, I don’t know what this next year will be like, and even the hopes and plans that we do have are things we need to be open-handed with. But I do want to share with you 1) some of our goals for ministry that we have for the year ahead, 2) a pretty major answer to prayer that also entails more prayer, and 3) a request for more financial support.
Let’s start with the major answer to prayer. Ever since Mario and I were engaged, there was a house in La Venta that we were hoping to rent. Time and again the family that was renting was going to move out… and didn’t. We were hoping to rent it due to its good location and decent sized yard to have our café and do ministry. The family never ended up moving out, though, so that door never opened. Because of this, we decided to look for property to buy. However, property in La Venta costs more than we were expecting, and all of the options were out of town (not ideal for a café or ministry) and/or very small (so not enough land for both a café and a house, even if both were small). Then, out of the blue, we were told that there was a house for sale that we could look at if we were interested. It’s a good location, about half an acre of land, and the house is adequate for our family, as well as in good condition. So, overall, a good option! And the price is better than we could’ve hoped for considering how much most of the property in La Venta is costing. We hope to seal the deal as soon as I get back to Honduras. We’ll have room for visitors, too, so if anyone is interested… 😉
We do not have the money to buy this house, so we’re getting a loan that we’ll be paying off for a very long time. Between paying the mortgage and now having a baby, our monthly expenses have gone up. Our monthly budget is now going to be around $1,000. Our hope is to eventually get our café running again (now at our new home where we’ll start just from the house and sometime in the future have an official café building separate from the house) and be able to make enough through that business to pay for all our expenses and that way all FSI funding can go directly to different ministry projects and materials, but we’re still not there yet. I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with us in ministry. Occasional large donations are fantastic for us, and so encouraging, but ideally we need a solid, consistent support base, even if it’s smaller amounts. Each donation makes a difference, and with a monthly budget of $1,000, gifts of even $10-$25 a month are so helpful and needed! Checks can be sent to Friendship Sports International at P.O. Box 2446 Cody, WY 82414, or online donations at friendshipsports.net, and just specify to Mario and Katie. To all of you who have supported us financially, whether it’s been on a monthly basis or in occasional gifts, thank you so much. We have been able to do the ministry we’ve done up till now thanks to your support. God always provides and comes through for us, and we are so grateful for the people who have been His hands in that provision.
*Another opportunity to support is for some good friends of ours that pastor a church in Tegucigalpa, Roger, Liliana, and their two young sons, Sariel and Samuel. Roger also works with INSTE, the discipleship/Bible college program that we’ve been doing for the last year. Between INSTE and the church, they receive some financial provision monthly, but it’s not a lot. And with INSTE, Roger often has to travel to various churches who are involved in it, and he doesn’t have a car so has to take public transportation, which can be expensive and dangerous. So they need prayers, too! Please pray about whether this could be something God places on your heart to help support. If it is, you can donate through FSI as you would for me and Mario, just specify Roger and Liliana Casco. I also have more details about the ministry that they do if anyone would be interested to learn more.
This huge blessing of a house plays into our hopes for the year, one of them being, as I’ve already mentioned, getting our café up and running. We hope that it will be the neutral ground that is warm and inviting to anyone and everyone in the village, and that people will encounter the love of Jesus there. We want to use it for movie and game nights, Bible studies, and nights of worship, as well as just a way to interact with people outside of who we typically would share with so as to reach more people for the Kingdom. We want it to be a space where we can disciple and pour into and love as many people as possible, and eventually, as the business grows, be able to provide employment. We are so excited to have the space to pursue this more. And having our own home with the freedom to open it and have activities and host as many people and as often as we like is something we haven’t had before, and I’m so excited for that too. Pretty much all of what we want to do in our day-to-day ministry has to do with having an open home and I can’t wait to host more and do more of the discipleship we love to do, both in one-on-one settings and in small groups. Having Vienne will impact how we do ministry, so being able to do it just right within our own house will help me to be able to continue to minister and serve, and I’m so thankful for that. I look forward to what God has in store for us this next year, and, as always, my prayer is that He would use us to establish His Kingdom. We ask for your prayers in that, too, and that He would equip us and strengthen us and help us to be faithful and obedient to Him. We pray the same for you!
May the Lord bless you and keep you as you enter into this new year. May He show you His favor and grace. May you know the depth of His love and goodness in new ways as you walk with Him.
Katie and Mario
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