Bates Newsletter - June 5, 2012
Greetings in the Name of our precious Savior, Jesus Christ! It is our hope and prayer that you are well.
The past month has been a busy one for us. I have been able to realize my desire to travel less so far during this year. There have been a couple of months, however, which have been as full as much of last year was. May was one of those months. The month started with our daughter Jessica’s graduation from the University of Central Oklahoma with her Masters Degree in Applied Mathematics (yes, we are proud of her!). Immediately afterward I began a three-day Gospel Meeting in King Ryder, Arkansas, which is a supporting congregation for our work. I always enjoy being with those brethren!
The following Sunday (May 13) I gave reports of our work to two other supporting congregations very special to us; Bagwell, Texas in the morning and Blossom, Texas in the evening.
The following Saturday I drove to Denver. On Sunday morning, May 20 it was a real joy and privilege to be present for Bear Valley’s graduation ceremony. On Monday, May 21 I began a week of teaching a class in Guatemala via the video conferencing system located here at the Denver campus. There are still some bugs to work out of the system, but it is a great tool and truly a marvel to be able to teach and interact in real time with a class of students over 2,000 miles away!
I returned home Friday evening by air, leaving my car in Denver. Over the next few days Noma and I finished the job of packing (at which she had been laboring diligently during my numerous absences) and preparing for our move. On Sunday evening, May 27, the brethren of the North MacArthur congregation in Oklahoma City, where we have worshiped for the last three years, gave us a very nice going away party. We will definitely miss the brethren of that great congregation!!
Wednesday evening, May 30, was my last time to teach the Early Bird Class at North Mac. I have come to love teaching that class and the students who attend it. I will miss them greatly and I wish them well and all of God’s blessings!
After class, we decided to hit the road and get as far as we could before the storms hit that had been forecast, as well as to make the drive on Thursday as short as possible. We made it to Blackwell, Oklahoma and got into a motel with the storm almost on top of us. The next day we made it on into Denver by about 3:00 p.m. Several good brethren were there to help us unload, for which we are eternally thankful. Our updated contact information is given below. We will be
changing our phone numbers and I will have that information in the next newsletter. For those of you viewing this online, I will send out an email notification as soon as the number is changed. Our email address will not change.
As I mentioned last month, we are still looking for additional support. I am, once again, inserting an excerpt from a newsletter of a couple of months ago.
“As you may or may not know, the cost of living in Denver is higher than in central Oklahoma. Since we have not had full support since we began this work full time, we are in need of raising more in making this move. Also, Noma has expressed a desire to become more involved in the work by traveling with me when possible and teaching ladies’ classes on the field, taking advantage of her language skills, as well. This will mean raising more support since she would not be able to work outside the home as she has done in the past. For the time being, she is looking for a teaching job in Denver until this support is raised.
Presently, the amount we are lacking to put us at full support to cover all of this is approximately $1,900.00/month. If you can help with any part of this, please contact me or our sponsoring congregation. The contact information is given below.”
Thank you all for your continued interest in our work. May God richly bless you!!
Donnie Bates
Contact Information:
4801 S. Wadsworth Blvd.
Unit #3-105
Littleton, CO 80123
(580) 326-1914
Email: dnbates1@gmail.com
Sponsoring congregation:
4th & Jackson church of Christ
P.O. Drawer 549
Hugo, OK 74743
(580) 326-3457
Bates Newsletter - May 1, 2012
May 1, 2012
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I hope this newsletter finds you well and faithfully engaged in the work of the Lord.
It is hard to believe that April has already passed us by. I am enjoying not traveling quite so much, although I have still made three trips to Latin America already this year. Nevertheless, it’s less than last year.
I was very honored to have been asked to preach a Gospel Meeting at the Calera church of Christ in Calera, Oklahoma April 15-18. It was a great blessing for me and, I hope, for the good brethren of that congregation, as well. The next week I made a very short trip to Honduras (April 23-25). I had not visited the school in Danlí since December and there were some issues that had come up that I needed to address in person, so I made that short trip. As for those issues, three of the nine students have withdrawn from the institute, each with their own reasons. While I am sorry that things developed the way they did, I think the remaining six students are in a better position to be successful in their studies. I wish the best for all nine men and pray God’s blessings on the work the six remaining students are doing.
I am very pleased to announce that the good brethren of the Sacramento Ave. church of Christ in Asunción Paraguay have decided to move forward with a school of preaching, beginning classes in March 2013. We are so very happy to work with this great congregation in training preachers in that part of the world. There will be more on this in future reports.
Upon returning from that trip, Noma and I made a quick trip to Denver continuing our search for a place to live. We believe we have found a place and I’ll give more details on that in the next newsletter. Let me say for now that we are planning, if the Lord wills, to move somewhere around June 1, so that gives us another month here. The following is an excerpt from our last newsletter concerning our move.
“As you may or may not know, the cost of living in Denver is higher than in central Oklahoma. Since we have not had full support since our move here, we are in need of raising more in making this move. Also, Noma has expressed a desire to become more involved in the work by traveling with me when possible and teaching ladies’ classes on the field, taking advantage of her language skills, as well. This will mean raising more support since she would not be able to work outside the home as she has done in the past.
Presently, the amount we are lacking to put us at full support to cover all of this is approximately $1,900.00/month. If you can help with any part of this, please contact me or our sponsoring congregation. The contact information is given below.”
God bless!!
Donnie Bates
Contact Information:
2013 Rushing Meadows
Edmond, OK 73013
(580) 326-1914
Email: dnbates1@gmail.com
Sponsoring congregation:
4th & Jackson church of Christ
P.O. Drawer 549
Hugo, OK 74743
(580) 326-3457
Short Trip to Honduras
Danlí, Honduras - April 23-25, 2012
I arrived on time in Tegucigalpa a little before 11:00 a.m. on Monday, April 23. I was met by brother Nery Irías, the director of IBH. Nery’s father and sister were both in Tegucigalpa with appointments to see the doctor, so he and I went to the clinic and waited with them. During that time we were able to discuss some of the things I had wanted to cover in this trip. All went well and I arrived at the hotel in Danlí between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. Since I was up at 3:10 this morning, I spent the rest of the evening getting some rest.
On Tuesday morning, I met Nery in the hotel lobby at 9:30 and then we walked over the institute. The students were in class with brother Cesar Tábora. When they took their break, I was able to meet with both faculty members and the students to discuss some issues that had come to my attention in the previous weeks. It was a very good meeting, even though some of the things we discussed concerned some disciplinary problems with some students who are no longer there. I left feeling that things are in good shape at the institute and will go much better now that some changes have been made. The students returned to class after their extended break and another of our teachers, Luis David Argeñal, who is also our treasurer, arrived and we were able to discuss the budget, which was also something I had wanted to accomplish on this trip. While we have struggled to make our budget for almost a year now, we are currently in pretty good shape. Nery and I had lunch together at the new Pizza Hut in Danlí (very good, I might add) and then I spent the afternoon preparing for Bible Class that evening, at which I had the blessing of preaching.
On Wednesday morning, Nery picked me up at the hotel a little before 8:00 and we headed to Tegucigalpa to catch my flight home. I arrived home safely around 9:30 that evening. This was a very short trip, but I feel a great deal was accomplished. Thank you all who were praying for me and who continue to pray for our work and the work of IBH.
God bless,
Donnie Bates
Bates Newsletter - March 25, 2012
Greetings, dear friends. I know I am late getting this report out, but I wanted to include the latest information on my trips during the months of February and March. On February 27, I flew to Guatemala to teach the short course “1, 2 Peter & Jude.” Upon my arrival I learned that I would be accompanying the entire student body and staff of ITL to a funeral of a sister who had been struck by a car driven by a drunk driver the day before. It was truly a sad occasion for the congregation, since it was their second funeral in as many days.
I was able to finish my class that week by teaching until 5:00 p.m. each day. The class did well. Brother Ty Hale from the North MacArthur congregation in Oklahoma City (which is where my family and I attend) arrived to teach Personal Evangelism on Friday, March 2. I stayed until Monday, getting the opportunity to hear two hours of Ty’s class and it was very well done. Thanks, Ty!
On Friday, March 9, I headed to Denver, a couple of days early for our annual extension staff meeting. It was a good meeting with some important items being covered that I hope to be able to share in the coming months.
I returned home on March 13 and then left again early on the morning of the 15th, traveling with Bob Turner, director of extensions for Bear Valley, to Guatemala again, this time to speak at the Third Annual ITL Seminar. I have to say that Hawatthia Jones and Byron Benitez, missionaries in Guatemala City since 2000, have done a great job putting together this lectureship every year and this year was no exception. The weekend’s activities concluded with a worship service on Sunday of approximately 500 people, representing over 20 congregations of the Lord’s people from various parts of Guatemala. Nine people were restored at the conclusion of the last lesson of the day. It was truly a great day!
On Tuesday, March 20, Bob and I traveled to Asuncion, Paraguay. Having gotten used to the relatively short distance to Central America, it was a bit of an adjustment to make in traveling that far. We left Guatemala City at 7:05 a.m. and arrived in Asunción at 11:30 p.m. (with a two-hour time difference), making for a fourteen and a half hour trip from Guatemala.
Our time in Asunción was very productive, we felt. We met the mission team which currently works there (Troy and Andrea Spradlin, Josh and Cara Blackmer, Perry and Alba Hardin and Ale and Brittnea Yegros). We also met with most of the men of the congregation on Wednesday evening about the possibility of starting a school there next year. After a good meeting, we left the decision in the hands of the men of the congregation because if they decide to go forward, it will be their school, not ours (I have more to say about that below).
Bob and I boarded the plane for our flight home at 1:30 a.m. on Friday, March 23. After a 7-hour layover in Panama City, we continued on to Houston where we parted ways and headed on home; I arrived home around 11:00 p.m. Both Bob and I felt this trip to both Guatemala and Paraguay was very productive. In comparing notes, we shared the same excitement about the future possibilities in both locations.
On a Personal Note
I mentioned above that we wanted the men of the Sacramento Avenue congregation in Asunción to know that if they decide they want to have a school to train men to preach the Gospel in their country, it will be their school and not ours. This is not a new concept, but it may seem new because of, at least in part, a failure on our part to make that clear. It seems that some have gotten the idea that the schools that are involved in the extension program of Bear Valley are our schools and the brethren involved in the day-to-day operations of each school do our bidding.
For my part, I want to apologize for contributing to a misunderstanding about this that has resulted in some feeling unappreciated and taken for granted. I have always understood that we are working in partnership with hard-working brethren on the ground who do much more to see that these schools function effectively than I, or anyone else on the BV side of this, could do. However, I realize that when I give reports that say things like, “We have a school here or there...,” such can be taken to emphasize our importance and not that of those who built the school and keep it going.
Some of you who read this may think it a trivial point, but I assure you that it is not. The schools we work with could exist just fine without Bear Valley, but we could not have our program without them and I want everyone to understand that. We provide assistance that we feel makes our partnership something positive, but that does not give us ownership of the program and we want that to be clearly understood. I do not promise never to utter the phrase “our school” again in describing one of our extensions (see there?), but it never has been meant and will never mean that we do not appreciate those who actually do the vast majority of the work in training preachers in these schools.
Future Plans
As we have begun to announce in our reports, Noma and I are planning to move to Denver in the near future. Many ask about the time frame of our move and the answer is: when we sell our house, we plan to move. The end of the school year also comes into our thought process.
We have our house on the market now and have had some looking at it, especially with nicer weather. We are also looking at houses in Denver. As you may or may not know, the cost of living in Denver is higher than in central Oklahoma. Since we have not had full support since our move here, we are in need of raising more in making this move. Also, Noma has expressed a desire to become more involved in the work by traveling with me when possible and teaching ladies’ classes on the field, taking advantage of her language skills, as well. This will mean raising more support since she would not be able to work outside the home as she has done in the past.
Presently, the amount we are lacking to put us at full support to cover all of this is approximately $1,900.00/month. If you can help with any part of this, please contact me or our sponsoring congregation. The contact information is given below.
I know this is a little longer than the usual newsletter. I promise to work harder at getting the next one out on time so that there is not so much to include. I want to thank you again for your continued interest in this work and to thank you for the prayers that continually ascend to the throne of our Father on our behalf. We love each of you!
God bless!!
Donnie Bates
Contact Information:
2013 Rushing Meadows
Edmond, OK 73013
(580) 326-1914
Email: dnbates1@gmail.com
Sponsoring congregation:
4th & Jackson church of Christ
P.O. Drawer 549
Hugo, OK 74743
(580) 326-3457
January 2012 Newsletter
January 12, 2012
Greetings in the name of the Lord! I apologize for not getting a newsletter out in December, but that happened to be a very busy month. I began the month teaching a class on Godhead to the students in Honduras. On the 11th of December, we were privileged to hear brother Hiwatthia Jones, one of the missionaries in Guatemala and president of ITL (Latin American Theological Institute) give his report to the Eastside congregation in Midwest City, Oklahoma. On the 18th, I gave my annual report in Hugo, Oklahoma. I also traveled to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to spend a couple of days with Denton Landon and his family and make plans for our work in the coming year.
My family and I got to spend Christmas with both sides of our families. On Christmas Day, we worshiped with the Azalea congregation in Muskogee, Oklahoma with family. The day after Christmas we headed to Denver for some relaxation, mixed in with some work, too. Noma and I celebrated our 30th Anniversary this year and the time we spent in the mountains was very special.
2011 was a very busy and successful year for our work. The general statistics for the year include: 55,000 air miles; 12,000 road miles giving reports and raising support for the school in Honduras; I was present for three graduations, of a total of 21 students; I taught six courses in Honduras, Guatemala and Chimala, Tanzania. In the year 2011 I traveled more than I ever have, both in and out of the country. I was gone from home a total of three and a half months spread out over the year.
Currently, we are making plans for 2012. There are fifteen new students in our schools in Guatemala (6) and Honduras (9). I intend to travel less if that is possible, but we will see how the year develops. So far, my international plans only extend as far as the middle of March, but include teaching a class in Honduras at the end of February and speaking at the 3rd Annual Lectureship of ITL in Guatemala in March. Immediately after that, Noma and I are planning to be part of a survey trip to Asunción, Paraguay. In addition to these plans, Noma and I are planning to move to Denver in the next few months. We are excited about the move and covet your prayers as we make this transition.
I want to thank you all for your continued interest in this work. Without your support, we would not be able to do it. Great things are being done in the kingdom of Christ as a result of this program and you are a big part of it.
Thank you and God bless.
Donnie Bates
2013 Rushing Meadows
Edmond, OK 73013
580-326-1914
Danlí, Honduras - December 8, 9, 2011
Thursday, December 8 - Today was the last day of classes for the material. We were able to cover it just fine. It has been a very good study. My prayer is that this material will serve these men as well as it has served me. I met with brother Nery over lunch and it ended up being about a 3-hour meeting, in which we discussed numerous things and, I believe, got some very important things settled. I so appreciate this brother! In the evening I was blessed to preach at the regular Thursday evening “culto” (worship). On Thursdays, as I have reported before, the brethren of the El Zarzal congregation worship in someone’s home. This week, we met in the home of a young lady named Paula, who has expressed a desire to be baptized. The rest of her family are not Christians and I was asked to preach an evangelistic sermon. I chose to talk about the hope that we did not have before we were Christians (Ephesians 2:1-12), but that we now have as Christians (Ephesians 2:13), having obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which we were committed (Romans 6:17), which is described in Romans 6:3-5. Hopefully, it was well received by the family. Back at the hotel, I filled out the grade sheet for the week, ready to turn in tomorrow and packed for my return home.
Friday, December 9 - I arrived at the Institute a little early this morning, finding all the students busy studying for the Final Exam. After chapel, I started them off with the exam, but then left with brother Luis David Argeñal who drove me to the airport. Brother Nery will finish administering the Final. The students have a campaign week next week, then a few weeks off before classes begin again in January. It was a very crisp morning this morning and the temperature dropped even further as Luis and I crossed over the mountains. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time; I was soon checked in and bade farewell to my brother and headed for security. The trip to Houston was without incident (an answer to prayer). After a 3-hour layover, I took the last leg of the trip to Oklahoma City, arriving home not long after 9:00 p.m. I’m so glad to be home again. Thank you all for your prayers.
Donnie Bates
Danlí, Honduras - December 2011
Friday, December, 2 - Today began early with Noma and I getting up at 3:30 in order to get to the airport in time. The flight to Houston, which had been leaving at 6:35 a.m., now leaves at 6:00. It wasn’t too bad, though and we got there in plenty of time and without difficulty. The crew working security at the airport was in a very good mood, so that made things get off to a great start. In Houston, when I checked in at the gate, I ran into John Zellar, who is working to help Christians in the El Paraíso area become self-supporting in the area of agriculture. He told me he had rented a pickup to drive to Danlí from the airport and offered me a ride. I was able to get ahold of Jesús Paguaga and ask him to call Nery Irías and save him a trip to the capital to pick me up. John and I had a good (i.e. uneventful) flight down, picked up the truck and headed to Danlí, arriving around 3:00 p.m. A group from the Hillcrest congregation in Neosho (and some from other nearby congregations) is also here conducting a two-day lectureship today and tomorrow. They will return to the states on Monday. John will be here until next Saturday. Luis Camacho is also here tonight. He’s been here the past week teaching the book of Hebrews to our students. He returns home tomorrow. Tonight, the whole group of gringos, plus Jesús went to Ovi & Ser for supper and had a good time. All in all it’s been a good day.
Saturday, December 3 - Today was a very interesting day. The brethren from the Hillcrest congregation in Neosho are here conducting a lectureship that will end today. I accompanied John Zellar to the town of El Paraíso to help him with a project. He needed a translator with his workers and I hope I helped; he said I did anyway. In the afternoon, he and I along with Jesús Paguaga and Rich Hyder, one of the elders from Neoho, went to a farm that John owns and where he employs members of the church to live and work. They raise coffee as their most important cash crop, but also corn and beans and bananas (I’ve learned that bananas play an important part in raising coffee, providing the necessary shade for the young coffee plants). This farm is a pretty impressive operation and is providing a living for a number of Christians families. The farm is located 25 miles from the town of El Paraíso, which on that road is one and a half hours. It wins the prize for the worst road I’ve ever been on. We got back sometime after 7:00 p.m. which means most of the way on that road was in the dark, but we made it back safely. John and I ate a bit of supper at the hotel restaurant and turned in. I was pleased to discover that the Bedlam football game between Oklahoma State and Oklahoma was on ESPN and I got to watch the second half.
Sunday, December 4 - This morning all the gringos went in different directions for worship. I worshipped with the El Zarzal congregation as I usually do. We had a full house and a very uplifting service. The afternoon was spent relaxing at the hotel and visiting and I was able to get some study time in to prepare for class to begin tomorrow. We are studying Godhead this week. The Neosho group will be heading home in the morning and John has checked out of the hotel today to spend a couple of days working on the farm. I expect to see him back here on Tuesday.
Monday, December 5 - Today was the first day of class. Things sure seem quiet with the departure of the contingent from Neosho and John. Even the church building seemed quiet after so many people there for the lectureship Friday and Saturday and worship yesterday. Still, the nine students and I had a good study, covering the material I had planned for today. This afternoon they worked on their essays and studied for the exam tomorrow. The weather is a little hotter today than the last couple of days. This is at the end of the rainy season here and the temperatures vary from cool, cloudy days to warm, sunshiny days.
Tuesday, December 6 - The second day of classes went well. The students did pretty well on their daily quiz this morning, although a couple of them ran out of time at the end. Their grades weren’t too bad, though. I think they were trying to hard to make it perfect. The morning started out very cool and crisp. There was not a cloud in the sky for most of the day and the air was dry enough that it got pretty warm in the afternoon, but it still wasn’t too bad. We had our Bible class this evening at the church building; the congregation is studying the book of Acts. Just before we were dismissed (the class had ended and brother Nery was making some announcements) the power went out. It turned out to be just in our building, but it seemed like every light in the whole world went out, it was so dark. Of course, we live in the age of cell phones, so, little by little, light began to be shed on the gathering. After dinner, I met up with John Zellar and we had supper together at Paseo Pupusaría close to the hotel. A Pupusaría is a small restaurant that serves traditional Honduran food. We had “tacos catrachos” (Honduran tacos), which are very much like the flautas sold in our Mexican restaurants. We enjoyed a good meal and a good visit. John will be heading back to his farm early tomorrow morning and I may not see him before I leave on Friday.
Wednesday, December 7 - My day began at 4:40 a.m.; before I could get back to sleep the fireworks started near the hotel. I guess someone is celebrating the Christmas season during the whole month because I have heard heavy fireworks every day (and night) that I’ve been here. Still, before 5:00 a.m.?? We had another good class today. We lack one day of classes and then the Final Exam on Friday. Tonight is a free night for me and I think after I get today’s quizzes graded, I’m going to relax and enjoy it.
Thank you for all your prayers,
Donnie Bates
November Newsletter
November 29, 2011
Greetings, brethren. It’s hard to believe another month has gone by (it seems like I say that a lot; perhaps the speedy passage of time is a sign of aging). It is true, however, that another month has passed by.
On October 27, Denton Landon and I began our journey to Chimala, Tanzania. While there were a few hiccups at the beginning, upon our arrival in Dar es Salaam (we arrived on Friday and were not able to finish our journey to Chimala until Monday), the two weeks there were productive. We were able to witness and participate in graduation on Friday, November 11. We began our trip home on Saturday morning, November 12, arriving home on Sunday evening. (Details of that trip are posted at: /donnie-bates-reports/).
Upcoming Plans
I have one more international trip scheduled for this year. On Friday, December 2 I travel to Danlí, Honduras. I will be teaching Godhead the next week to the students there. Luis Camacho is there this week, and two elders and the preacher for the Hillcrest congregation in Neosho, Missouri will be arriving on Wednesday, November 30 for a seminar for the area preachers on Friday and Saturday (December 2, 3). I plan to return on Friday, December 9.
For the rest of the month of December I will be traveling, making reports and planning meetings for the next year.
Thank You
I want to say again how much I appreciate your support and/or interest in this work. I could not do this without it. You are a very great part of this work and whatever I (we) are able to accomplish is due to God’s blessings and I believe with all of my heart that you are a big part of those blessings.
Thank you, again. I pray God’s richest blessings on you and I hope you have a safe and happy holiday season.
God bless,
Donnie Bates
Chimala 2011 - November 1-12, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011 - Well, I slept for about 5 hours last night. The problem is that I went to bed at 9:00 and was soon asleep. While I woke up a few times during the night, I woke up for good at 2:30 a.m. I was able to get quite a bit of study done in the pre-dawn hours. Today’s class went well and I was able to cover the material I had planned for today. My only problems were the excessive heat, which required several trips to the house for more water, and my voice, which grew weaker as the day went on. I was able to finish, but didn’t have much left at the end of the day. Hopefully, I can rest it enough each night to teach the next day.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 - I’m very happy to say that I slept almost until 5:00 a.m. last night. I repositioned my fan in the room and it was actually cool by the time I got up. Today was a good class and I felt better. I have not felt bad, or sick, just an acute awareness of a need for more sleep. The afternoons are harder because of the heat. My voice is holding up, but it feels well-used by the end of the day. We are having our lunches and dinners with Garry Hill at his house each day and evening and we are enjoying a good visit and fellowship. After we got back to the Bear Valley house and before we went to bed, our air conditioner shorted out. Hopefully, we can get this repaired, or on the road to recovery, soon.
Thursday, November 3, 2011 - I think my sleep problems are no longer due to jet lag. I think the problem is the heat. I was up before 2:00 this morning and after trying to get back to sleep for almost two hours, I gave up and got up. I had some work to do anyway, grading papers. I will say my coffee is better this morning; I think I’ve figured out the measuring process. While we were in our morning classes, the mission’s electrician came and repaired our air conditioner and we are very thankful for that. This morning was hot, just like every other day; however, after lunch the sky was cloudy, and although by the time class was over in the afternoon, the temperatures remained comfortable. By dinner time the clouds had returned and we hoped that the night would be cooler than the night before. Denton and I dined with Garry at his house again and afterward, watched “King Solomon’s Mines” from 1938; the movie was filmed entirely in Africa and the scenery is very similar to what we see here daily...minus the wildlife. I should say that Denton and Garry watched the movie; I was present in the room, but my 2:00 a.m. rising caught up with me and I missed much of it. By the way, Garry has a very comfortable couch if you ever come for a visit.
Friday, November 4, 2011 - Today is the last day of our first week of short courses and masters classes. The night was cooler as we had hoped and I was able to sleep late; almost to 5:20 a.m. I awoke feeling much better and for that I am thankful. By the way, I have not mentioned it in my daily entries, but I am extremely thankful to those who are praying for our safety, protection and effectiveness on this trip. I know that we are making it as well as we are (and we are making it just fine, in spite of whatever complaining may seep into our reports) because of those prayers. Thank you and God bless you for praying for us. I spoke in chapel again today, while Denton spoke at the chapel service over at the hospital. I was able to finish the class material on The Prison Epistles by the lunch break and the students were then given the lunch break (an extended break) to study and prepare for the final exam. The final exam began at 2:00 p.m. and all were finished by 3:00 p.m. I graded their notebooks by the time they were finished with the exam. Now all I have left is to grade their essays; that’s my project for the weekend.
Saturday, November 5, 2011 - One more week to go! I was up early again, but not too bad. I enjoy the quiet of the morning before light. Today, we enjoyed breakfast at Garry’s and then, with Boaz as our driver, Denton, Garry and I headed to Mbeya and a coffee plantation west of there, near the new international airport that will soon open (or so they say). The name of the plantation is Utengule Estate. It was a great day to relax in the comfortable surroundings of a resort, overlooking the new airport; the views from there once international flights start to arrive should be spectacular. We enjoyed a great lunch, good coffee and great fellowship. While we were there, it rained and there was thunder around. Mbeya is at a higher elevation than Chimala and is somewhat cooler and the coffee planation was higher still. With the rain, the air was quite cool. It was even cooler in Chimala when we returned. We had a later than usual night tonight, watching a movie at Garry’s and then getting back “home” around 10:30, but the cooler air promises to make sleeping better.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 - I slept for about 7 hours last night! That’s more than I usually get at home. The cooler weather did help, but you have to understand “cooler” means than although I still needed the fan right next to the bed, I didn’t wake up drenched in sweat, so cooler is relative. Today we returned to Mbeya to worship with the Airport church of Christ. There were about 30-35 people present and we had a great time with them. The singing was out of this world. Bible class got started late because we were late getting there. Denton taught the class, beginning around 9:20; I preached during the worship service and by the time everything was done, we came out the door singing at 12:40. Denton was a little under the weather in the afternoon, so Garry and I attended the Chimala Mission congregation in the evening and Garry preached. Tonight, I finished grading the Final Exams, notebooks and essays of the first year students in the Prison Epistles class. All passed.
Monday, November 7, 2011 - The new week of classes began with chapel at 7:30 a.m. This week I am teaching the book of Revelation to the second year students who will be graduating on Friday afternoon. Hopefully, we can keep our attention focused on the class. They are a good group and I have every confidence that they will do fine. Tonight, I’m printing off the first quiz for tomorrow morning. I am beginning to feel in countdown mode. In five more days we will be on our journey home. Since this is the end of the term here, all the students will be going home and Garry Hill will accompany Denton and me to Dar es Salaam, making his way back to the States, as well. Denton and I fly out Saturday night, but Garry’s flight is not until Sunday night.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011 - The second day of class has gone well with the second year students. I know they are excited about graduation Friday afternoon, but they are giving me their full attention, asking good questions on the book of Revelation. They seem to be a good group who will do well in their ministries. After class I walked down to the catfish pond (a new addition since I was here last and a great source of.....mosquitos. I was told there were some very large monitor lizards in the pond and I wanted to get a picture, but I didn’t see any. To be honest I spent more time looking for snakes than lizards, so it would not have been terribly difficult to avoid my search. I have not been able to get the wildlife shots I wanted to, this time. Maybe the next time I come we can make a weekend excursion into the new wildlife refuge that is opening up right next to us. The reason we couldn’t go this time is that the only entrance is several hours away; hopefully the government will open some access from this side.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011 - Since this is graduation week, and I am teaching the graduating class their last course, we are also having to deal with distractions as they prepare for the ceremony on Friday. Still, we managed to cover the material we needed to on this third day of classes. It hasn’t rained for the last couple of days, after giving us a tease with showers the three days previous. We do have clouds rolling through from time to time and the air is dry enough that the clouds drop the temperature to a comfortable level for a while. Sleeping has been much easier this week than last because the nights are cooling off. Just three more days until we start our journey home.
Thursday, November 10, 2011 - Day 15 of our trip! It’s hard to believe that the end of our stay is so near when, at the beginning when we were stuck in Dar es Salaam for three days, it seemed we would never even get started. The students and I were able to finish the class material for Revelation today. All they have to worry about now is the Final Exam tomorrow morning. I have every confidence that they will do a fine job. Today, after lunch, Garry let me drive his car (a Toyota Land Rover) back to our house after lunch. This was my first time to drive with the steering wheel on the right side of the car and shift with my left hand. It was easier than I thought it would be. The roads on the mission are narrow, so I didn’t have the experience of driving “on the wrong side of the road,” which was probably a good thing.
Friday, November 11, 2011 - 11/11/11!! Today is our last full day in Chimala. I was privileged to preach the last chapel sermon before the term ends. After chapel, the graduates from both the Swahili and English programs practiced for the graduation ceremony. Afterward, the two English classes and the masters class took their final exams. My students all passed, the lowest grade being a “B.” The graduation ceremony began at 1:00 p.m. and concluded just before 3:00. There were five graduates in the English program and seven in the Swahili. There were a great number of family and friends who attended. After the ceremony food was provided for everyone which consisted of roast pig, roast chicken, rice (two types), potatoes and a dish made of cabbage that was very good. We took lots of pictures and it was a good time had by all. Tonight we packed and made ready for our departure tomorrow!
Saturday, November 12, 2011 - It took a long time to get to sleep last night and I was awake by 4:30 this morning, but that’s ok. I’m starting the long safari home today. Garry and Menard picked Denton and me up about 7:30; we dropped by Garry’s house and picked up Don Logsdon, who lives on the mission and will be helping greatly with his farming skills once his equipment arrives from the states. Don rode along so that Menard would not have to come back alone. This was because we received word yesterday that there had been some rioting in Mbeya. This was also the reason we decided to leave early for our 11:00 a.m. flight. A sad sight greeted us as we left the mission. A nurse from the hospital crossed the drive as we were approaching the front gate carrying a baby who had died at the hospital. She was on her way to the morgue. Infant mortality is a sad, and all-too-common occurrence here. We were stuck in a huge traffic jam right outside of Mbeya for about 30 minutes and a passing driver told Menard that the riots had started again. Once into the city you could tell things were tense. The police had quelled the latest round of protests, which included burning tires in the street, but both sides were ready for trouble to start again. We had to make a stop at an ATM and while Denton and I stayed in the car, we began to hear small explosions; we kept our eyes on people around us, however, and no one reacted in panic or with much concern, so we felt safe. About the time that Menard and Garry came out of the ATM, a police truck drove by making an announcement on a loud speaker. Menard told us they were telling people to stay in their homes. We would have been happy to oblige! Menard was nervous and said we need to get to the airport quickly; that the situation was not safe. We had driven by piles of tires still on fire and dumpsters full of scorched steel belts. In the end, we made it safely to the airport and Menard and Don began their trip back to Chimala; we wished them well and told them to be careful. After checking in and getting everything ready for the plane, we waited outside on the runway side of the airport. While there, we saw smoke back at the main road where we had come into the airport. Before long we noticed a large group of people running toward the other side of the airport and not far behind was a pickup truck full of police in riot gear. We had been hearing explosions regularly for about an hour, but a few minutes after the police truck arrived, we heard a rifle shot. Looking directly across the runway to the other side of the airport, we saw the police truck, just in time to see a policeman fire another shot. Our plane arrived soon after and we loaded up and took off. One of the passengers jokingly asked the pilot if we could fly over the city and he emphatically said, “No!” We landed in Iringa about an hour later and Garry called Menard on his cell phone. We were happy to hear they had arrived home safely. The rest of our trip to Dar was uneventful until about 30 minutes out when we ran into thunderstorms. We drove around most of the worst of them, but we still had to descend through it. Our pilot did a great job and landed without any problems. We parted company with Garry at the airport (his flight home doesn’t leave until tomorrow night) and headed to an Indian restaurant where we could relax for a few hours before our flight to Zurich, which leaves at 10:10 p.m.
Chimala 2011 - October 27-30, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011 - My flight out of Oklahoma City was at 7:20 a.m., so it was an early morning start. My daughter Jessica and I left the house around 5:00 a.m. for the airport. It was a cold, rainy morning, the kind of day it would have been good to stay in bed. The flight to Newark was uneventful, which is the best kind. I arrived there around 11:30 a.m. EDT. I was not able to print out all of my boarding passes for the entire trip, so I had to find the right desk to check in and then was told they didn’t open until 1:30 p.m. Since my flight out was not until 6:35 p.m. this was not really a problem, just an aggravation; I much prefer to have everything taken care of well in advance. I finally was able to get my boarding pass, make it through security again and arrive at my departure gate. I am traveling with Denton Landon and his flight was delayed, but he arrived just in time, literally walking off his plane and boarding our flight to Zurich, Switzerland. We were delayed just a bit, but finally headed off to Europe.
Friday, October 28, 2011 - Our plane landed in Zurich a few minutes early, in spite of a short delay in Newark. This was fortunate for us because we only had a 45-minute layover in Zurich and still had to get our boarding passes and transit security one more time. I must say that our view of the Alps as the sun came up was stunning. Unfortunately, my camera was out of reach. When our flight to Tanzania took off, we flew East along the northern edge of the Alps for a while before turning South over Italy and the views of the snow-covered Alps were even more impressive. I think I slept more on the flight over from Newark than I usually do, but I still slept quite a lot on this leg. Our flight made a scheduled stop in Nairobi, Kenya, letting off about half of our passengers. The flight from there to Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania was a little over an hour in length and we arrived around 8:00 p.m. local time, 8 hours ahead of CDT. Our brother Boaz Kasanga met us at the airport and took us to the hotel. It was off to bed not long after that. It has been a long 30 hours or so of travel.
Saturday, October 29, 2011 - I woke up this morning feeling refreshed until I looked at the clock and realized it was 3:15 a.m. No chance of going back to sleep, so I decided to read for a while...for the next several hours. We are unable to continue on to Chimala today, having been told that the flight on the bush plane was full for today. That means we are here until Monday morning. This afternoon we went to the office of the airline that makes local flights to book our passage for Monday and learned that the plane that flew to Mbeya, near Chimala, left with six empty seats; we could have been in Chimala today. Well, there’s nothing we can do about that now, so we paid for our tickets on Monday and returned to the hotel. The climate here right now is warm and muggy. Our hotel is located right on the water of a bay, providing a nice view. We relaxed for the rest of the day and, after dinner, retired to our rooms. Denton and I are staying in a cabin that has 5 bedrooms, each with its own bath and we are the only tenants, which is nice. We visited until 9:00 p.m. or so and then headed to bed to try and get more sleep this time.
Sunday, October 30, 2011 - I got to sleep without too much trouble last night and woke up this morning feeling refreshed. This time when I checked the time it was 1:30 a.m. Did I mention that I hate jet-lag? I tried to go back to sleep, but it was several hours before I dozed again. The good news is that we have air conditioning in the rooms, so I was not uncomfortable. When I awake the second time it was already 6:30 and we needed to get busy to get our breakfast and get ready for worship. Boaz will be taking us to worship with the Magomeni congregation this morning. Worship was great, with a full house attending. This afternoon we separated our bags so that Boaz can take the heavier bags with him on the bus tomorrow. We are only allowed 50 lbs. each on the bush plane. We were able to get online with the hotel’s wireless network, but we have to sit in the lobby to have a signal strong enough to work. Hurray for technology!!
Until next time...
God bless,
Donnie Bates
Bates Newsletter - October 19, 2011
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! This month’s newsletter comes a little later in the month this time, partly because of all that was taking place in the last month and partly because of a trip coming up that will not end until the middle of next month.
Over the Last Month
On September 15 I traveled to visit with the students and faculty of the school in Honduras. Part of the reason for that trip was to meet brother Luis Camacho, who was to be teaching Personal Evangelism I the week of September 19-23. I had corresponded with Luis before, but had not met him personally. I might add he did a fine job and I am thankful for his help and the work he did and will do.
On September 22, I traveled to Denver to speak at the Bear Valley Homecoming Lectures. It was a great time of fellowship with old friends and of sharing in some great Bible study. On October 11 I returned to Denver for a meeting about the possibility of doing some work in training Hispanic American Christian men to preach the Gospel. Hopefully there will be more to report on this at a later date.
Upcoming Plans
I am excited to announce that I am returning to Chimala, Tanzania at the end of this month. Two years ago I was privileged to teach two courses over two weeks in the Chimala Bible College. Now, the CBC and the Chimala School of Preaching (taught in Swahili) have been combined to form the Chimala Bible Institute (although non-English speaking students are still taught in Swahili). This time I will be teaching the first-year students The Prison Epistles and the second-year students the book of Revelation. At the end of the second week, the second year students will graduate, having completed two years of study. I will be traveling with brother Denton Landon, who will be teaching two graduate courses, and co-teaching with brother Garry Hill, who lives most of the year in Chimala. I am very much looking forward to my time with these good men, brethren and friends. I ask you to keep all of us in your prayers as we travel and do this work. I am scheduled to return on Sunday, November 13.
Update on Honduras
In last month’s newsletter I shared with you the financial need, even crisis, we have with the school in Danlí, Honduras. I am happy to say that we have gained somewhat on our budgetary needs, but not as much as we need. We are now receiving approximately $2,375 per month, which is an increase of $525 over where we were a month ago. We are still looking for around 30 more individuals or congregations who would be willing to add $25 per month to their giving for this work. As we stated before, this will get us very close to meeting our budget. If you can help in this way, please let me know using the contact information below, or you can send your check directly to the Hillcrest church of Christ in Neosho, Missouri. Their address is:
1037 West South Street, Neosho, MO 64850
(Please indicate on your check that the money is for the Bible Institute of Honduras)
Again, I am so thankful for each of you and for your interest in our work. I hope to have more exciting news in coming months about our plans and work. As I try to say every time, we could not do this work without God’s blessings and your interest in this work we consider to be a great part of those blessings. We love and appreciate each of you so much.
May God bless each one of you. If you would like to contact me, you may reach me at:
2013 Rushing Meadows
Edmond, OK 73013
Cell Phone: (580) 326-1914
Email: dnbates1@gmail.com*
*Please note the change of email address!
Thank you again and God bless,
Donnie Bates
First Short Courses for Beta Class in Honduras
Danlí, Honduras - The Beta Class of the Instituto Bíblico de Honduras (IBH) began their first short course on Monday, September 12 with brother Lindell Mitchell teaching Christian Evidences. Brother Cesar Tábora, one of the regular instructors for IBH, served as translator.
On Friday, September 16 Luis Camacho and I arrived at IBH. Brother Luis will be teaching Personal Evangelism I the following week (September 19-23). This is his first trip to Danlí and IBH and he is very excited to be here.
Brother Lindell returned home today (September 17) and I will return on Tuesday, September 20. Brother Luis will remain until the following Monday, September 26, using his extra time to learn more about the area and get to know the brethren better and how he may be more effective in his teaching at IBH. We are so appreciative of men like Luis who have the love for God, His Word, His people and the lost, that motivates them to do this kind of work. And we are greatful to you for taking an interest in this work, as well.
God bless,
Donnie Bates
Bates Newsletter - September 13, 2011
September 13, 2011
Greetings, dear friends, in the Name of our Lord!
It’s hard to believe that another month has gone by. The last four weeks have been busy, as usual. On August 20th, I joined Dan Fredman and Phil Sanders and spoke on the Holding to the Traditions program at the Inola church of Christ in Inola, Oklahoma. It was a great day with brethren from many congregations in Northeast Oklahoma in attendance. On August 28th, I was blessed to speak to and worship with the brethren of the Odessa church of Christ in Odessa, Missouri. I appreciated very much the opportunity to share with those good brethren the work of the Bear Valley extension program.
On September 1, I traveled to Denver for the annual staff retreat of the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver. We met (about 40 people all together) at the Eternal Purpose Retreat Center, near Sedalia, Colorado in the foothills of the beautiful Rocky Mountains. It was a tremendous and exciting recharging of our batteries, as we heard reports from every school in the Bear Valley program from all over the world. We broke camp on Sunday afternoon and returned to Denver and I spoke to the Bear Valley congregation that evening. I appreciate so much the invitation to give that lesson.
I will be traveling to Honduras this week. I leave Thursday, September 15 for Houston where I will spend the night and then head on down Friday morning. I am scheduled to return on Tuesday night, September 20. I will then leave on Thursday, September 22 for Denver again, this time for the Bear Valley Homecoming Lectures. It is always good to return for Homecoming, but this year is especially good for me because I will be speaking on Sunday morning, September 25. The lectures this year are covering the book of Mark and I will be speaking on chapter 13.
School Reports
Guatemala - You can find new reports from ITL (the school in Guatemala at: Donnie Bates Reports
Honduras - As we reported in our last newsletter, the Beta Class has begun at IBH. I would like to share with you a need that we currently have. We were blessed to start classes with nine (9) new students. Three of those new students enrolled in the last month before classes began and that has thrown our budget into a near crisis. We are currently approximately $1,300/month under budget. Because of some surplus that was built up in the months between graduation and the new class beginning, we are able to function, but that will not last long. Our need is to find those additional funds. We are looking for individuals and/or congregations who can help us continue this great work. Of course, any amount anyone can give will help; however, we are looking for 50 individuals and/or congregations who can contribute $25/month. This will get us very close to being fully funded for the next two years. If you can help in this way, please let me know using the contact information below, or you can send your check directly to the Hillcrest church of Christ in Neosho, Missouri. Their address is:
1037 West South Street
Neosho, MO 64850
(Please indicate on your check that the money is for the Bible Institute of Honduras)
Thank you again for your interest in this work. Without good brethren like you it would be very difficult to do and I appreciate you more than I can express in a newsletter like this. May God richly bless each of you. If you would like to contact me, you may reach me at:
2013 Rushing Meadows
Edmond, OK 73013
Cell Phone: (580) 326-1914
Email: dnbates1@gmail.com*
*Please note the change of email address!
Thank you again and God bless you all!!
Donnie Bates
New Additions to the Kingdom
A report detailing the conversion of three new Christians in Guatemala City can be viewed at: Three Additions
New Work in Guatemala
A report on the mission team made up of graduates from the Alpha Class of ITL can be viewed at: New Work
New Students at ITL
A new report on the students at ITL can be viewed here: New Students
ITL Report - September 2011
The lastest report from ITL can be viewed here: ITL Report
Bates Newsletter - August 15, 2011
August 15, 2011
Greetings in the Name of our Lord!
First, I apologize for this month’s report being just a little later. I wanted to include my trip to Guatemala in this newsletter, so I waited an extra week to get it out. That trip ended this past Saturday. I traveled to Guatemala City on Saturday August 6 for my class on Job at ITL (Instituto Teológico Latinoamerican) which began on Monday, August 8 and concluded on Friday, August 12. While things began a little rocky with respect to grades on the daily quizzes, by the time the week concluded the students had made the adjustments necessary and finished up just fine. This was my first short course with this new class. We have 5 men in the new class, one of whom is married and his wife is also a student at ITL. The names of the students are: 
Manuel David Avila Chuc, Walter Wildredo Dardón Carrillo, his wife Nohelis de Dardón, Ángel Gabriel Gonzalez Morales, Eliezer Perez and Alejandro Tot Peláez. This week they are studying Intertestamental History with Gary Fallis and next week will be studying How to Study the Bible with Dan Owen via the video conferencing system.
At the end of July Noma and I traveled to Honduras to be present for the beginning of classes for the second class (Beta Class) on August 1. I was very happy that Noma could go with me. This was her first trip with me to one of our schools. There are 9 men who make up this new class. We are extremely pleased to have this number of students. I’m sorry that I do not have all their names to put in this report, but I will have them soon. Some of the students I have known already, but some are new, and I’d like to wait and post all 
their names at the same time. I will also continue to be searching for funding for this school. Currently, in part because the number of students has grown, we are operating on a shortfall of approximately $1,400/month. We are able to do this for a short time because of a surplus that was built up by a long recess between graduation and the new classes beginning. However, this situation will not last long. I would appreciate any help in meeting this budgetary need. I have a complete and detail account of our budget that I would be more than happy to send anyone who interest in helping us.
My plans this month are to speak at the Inola, Oklahoma congregation at a Holding to the Truth seminar on August 20. On August 28 I will be presenting our work to the congregation in Odessa, Missouri. On August 31 I will be giving a report of our work to the congregation in Wapanucka, Oklahoma. Then, on September 1 I leave for Colorado for our annual staff retreat.
Thank you again for your interest in this work. Without good brethren like you it would be very difficult to do and I appreciate you more than I can express in a newsletter like this. May God richly bless each of you. If you would like to contact me, you may reach me at:
2013 Rushing Meadows, Edmond, OK 73013
Cell Phone: (580) 326-1914
Email: dnbates1@gmail.com*
*Please note the change of email address!
Thank you again and God bless you all!!
Donnie Bates
Report from Danlí, Honduras - July 29 - August 3, 2011
July 29, 2011 - We left home around 3:00 p.m. I say “we” because my wife Noma got to accompany me on this trip for her first visit to Honduras. On this trip it was cheaper for us to break up our journey by spending a night in Houston on the way down and also on the way back. So, as I was saying, we left home around 3:00 p.m. Our flight out of OKC was scheduled to leave at 5:53. It was no surprise that the plane was delayed. That seems to be a regular occurrence for me lately. This time, however, it was understandable; weather in Houston from tropical storm Don caused Continental to delay flights headed in. We left approximately 40 minutes late. It occurred to me that this was another reason for breaking the flight up so that I had more than an hour to make my connection. We finally made it to our hotel in Houston around 9:30. We didn’t stay up too late; we have an early day tomorrow. By the way, the temperature in Houston was about 10 degrees cooler than OKC, but the humidity was really high with the rainy weather.
July 30, 2011 - Up at 4:50 in order to get to the airport in plenty of time. Our flight leaves at 9:05 a.m. and that may sound like overkill, but the Houston Intercontinental Airport was extremely busy all the time, so we had good reason. Everything went well and our flight left on time. We were very happy to receive a last minute upgrade to first class at the gate, so the three hour flight was made more comfortable than it would have been. When we arrived in Tegucigalpa (around 11:05 a.m., local time), for some reason the jetway was not extended and we had to walk from the tarmac some distance into the building. I will tell you though, it was an enjoyable walk. The temperature in Tegucigalpa when we landed was 73℉; that’s approximately 30 degrees cooler than what it was in OKC when we left yesterday. Nice!
We were met at the airport by three of our brethren, Luis David Argeñal, Jairo Irías and another brother I had never met before and I am sorry I did not catch his name. Jairo and the other brother are both new students so I’m sure I will have it in this report later.
We arrived at the Hotel Granada in Danlí around 2:15 p.m. We checked in and spent the next few hours relaxing. Worship is at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday’s at the El Zarzal congregation. This evening brother Jairo Irías preached. As I stated above, he is one of our new students. He is also the brother of our director, Nery Irías. Brother Jairo did an outstanding job. The whole congregation made us feel very welcome. They always make me feel like one of the family, but I was very appreciative of the way Noma was welcomed. They were extremely glad she was there. After worship we returned to the hotel for a late supper and then to the room. Tomorrow we meet for worship and Bible class. It has been a good day.
July 31, 2011 - And the band played on! In the large conference room that we used for the graduation for IBH last February, there was a party last night. Our hotel room is right across the way. The music was loud enough to make conversation and television watching difficult in our room. Finally, however, the music died down and the party ended and we were able to get some sleep.....at 2:00 a.m.! Well, we didn’t have to get up early, so it wasn’t as bad is we might have thought it would be. We did not have worship until 10:00 a.m., so we were fine. The afternoon was free for us, and basically we got to enjoy watching the rain outside. Tomorrow, classes begin!
August 1, 2011 - Chapel began at 7:30 this morning; actually, Noma and I arrived a few minutes early and the students were already in their seats and brother Nery Irías was going over some of the orientation material. After everyone having a chance to introduce themselves, including the teachers, I gave the “first chapel” address. We have nine students beginning our two-year program. Three of these men are married and six are single; they come from various parts of Honduras. All students and all the teachers were present today.
After chapel and a break, we took some pictures of everyone and then Noma and I left to do some sightseeing around town. We walked to several places and she got to see some of the beauty of the city.
In the evening, three of the teachers and their families joined us for dinner at our traditional Monday evening spot, the restaurant Ovi & Ser, for some good food and fellowship. Afterward, we returned to the hotel for one last night before heading home.
August 2, 2011 - Jesús Paguaga picked us up at the hotel a little before 8:00 a.m. and we started the two-hour drive into Tegucigalpa. It has been much cooler here in Honduras than in the central U.S. In fact, as we crossed over one mountain pass, I noticed the dashboard thermometer drop to 19℃, which works out to about 56℉ (nice).
We had a good (uneventful) flight to Houston, where we spent the night at our hotel, just one flight leg away from home.
August 3, 2011 - The last leg of our journey took just a little over an hour once we were airborne. We arrived home around 2:00 p.m., safe and sound. We want to thank everyone for their faithful and thoughtful prayers.
God bless,
Donnie Bates