The Next Step is on the Way - Heart of the King Ministries

It has been a while since you have heard from us but we haven’t forgotten you. We missed sending our July newsletter and our August newsletter is a little late because there has been so much going on. Read on to see what has been happening with us in the states and back in Honduras. I cannot wait to spill the beans (so to speak), so here is some big news; praise the Lord, We Have a Truck! …More details and a photo to follow below.

After ten months of studying Spanish, we were ready for a break. We are far from being fluent Spanish speakers but with about 5 more years of practice we will have a good start! We’re not giving up, language is a priority.

On June 13, we arrived in the States. We visited with family in Alabama and Georgia. Also, we attended services at Free Chapel in Georgia (our East coast home church) and saw a lot of our friends in the area. Then, we traveled cross country to Colorado. While in Colorado, we had many things to accomplish which made a busy schedule for the two weeks there. The first week, we stayed with friends in Manitou Springs and our focus was to empty a storage unit in which we had left everything from our apartment in Colorado. We had a great time with our hosts that week and were completely successful in emptying the unit. Our daughter had moved to Denver the week before, so we rented a U-Haul and carried most of the furniture and a few household items to her. We sorted through what was left and realized we could not get it all back to Alabama so we were able to bless a few friends there with some items. We were left with an SUV full of boxes loaded with items to carry back to Alabama. We packed some of these items to bring down with us and have a little more to bring down next trip. The second week in Colorado, we stayed with friends ‘up the pass’ closer to Charis Bible College. We had a wonderful time resting, relaxing and reminiscing with both of our host families! A big plus for us was they were great cooks! The focus the second week was to attend the Charis Summer Family Bible Conference. We attended the conference, heard the word from our previous teachers and saw many friends who came to the conference or still live in the area. Also, while in Colorado we attended Joyland (our Rocky Mountain home church). We saw many friends there and really enjoyed our time with them. All of our time on this US trip had a lot of accomplishments and some relaxation but mostly we saw a lot of friends and family. We always leave these trips with some sadness because we never get to see everyone we would like to see, but, maybe next time. A big thanks to everyone who shared a meal and their time with us! Time spent with friends builds wonderful memories.

On July 12, we returned to Honduras. Our luggage was full of the treasured items we recovered from Colorado. It was exciting to bring down our own things from the states but we decided to take a day to rest before unpacking But, before we could get anything unloaded at the apartment, a great opportunity came up. Our friends in La Ceiba were hosting their last teams of the summer and asked if we could help out. We love these guys and their ministry is a blessing to many so we jumped on the bus and went to La Ceiba, a four-and-a-half-hour bus ride on the north side of Honduras. We spent three weeks there and had a great time with the teams as they ministered to the kids and the elderly; the missionaries and their interns were wonderful to be around also. While there we met up with some missionary friends that had attended language school with us in Siguatepeque. They live in the La Ceiba area, it was good to see them and spend a little time together.

Also, while we were in La Ceiba, the Lord moved large in our lives and ministry. The truck the Lord had promised us was delivered on this trip. Back in February the Lord told me that there is a truck for us in Honduras, the truck would be owned by a missionary that did not want to, but must sell his truck. That is exactly what we found in La Ceiba. We got a 2018 Nissan Frontier, 4×4, double cab (4-door), diesel, manual transmission with slightly over 10,000 miles. We had been expecting to buy a 2014 or 2015 truck as described above but our God wanted to bless us with a newer model. The Lord is good and He is faithful, we are learning to praise the Lord at all times, especially when we do not see our miracle in our time. Praise strengthens faith! We could have, but we did not push to get a truck. Waiting and walking or bumming a ride was not fun but we knew God would be faithful to His word. It has been since February that we have wanted and needed this truck. God’s timing is not the same as ours, but His timing is perfect.

Now that we have wheels, we plan to connect with fellow missionaries and find the place He provides for our future permanent (until He moves us) location. We are planning to spend time with missionaries in different areas to experience their ministry and geographical area. We are open to where the Lord leads us and what He has for us in His plans. There will also be more language school along the way. The Lord has told us that we must be able to communicate His word effectively and that is our desire. We praise God that He has the right connections and the right plan for us in His time.

Thanks to each of you for your prayers! We hope you are encouraged to keep the faith in whatever situation you are facing. Whether the answer is yes, no or wait, trust your Father God. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Gene & Robin Willis

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