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The deadline for this letter falls a few days before I again go to Honduras for a week. Besides working with CASM and their projects, I plan to visit the communities where I worked frequently. I found on the last visit there is less and less hands-on work like vaccinations and treating for parasites, and more listening to what has or hasn't worked for them. Of course this trip being just before coffee harvest time, there will be concerns about the health of the horses. If we can treat for ticks, internal parasites and put their teeth in good shape, the horses will maintain their weight so much better.

So, without much "mission" news until the next prayer letter, I will give a brief update on adjustment back to life in Spooner. Or perhaps I can answer the question, "Are your kids weird because they lived for 2+ years on mission in Honduras?" No, they are not weird. They have changed because of the experience though. The biggest change I see wasn't from living in a foreign culture, learning some Spanish, or even being uprooted for two years. The biggest change was their schooling. I think the internet and home school programs have made them more personally responsible for their education. Though they have a curriculum, teachers, and classmates, those people are not there looking over their shoulders and reminding them to get their work done. It depends on their initiative, and their mother looking over their shoulder.

They also see how the schools in Honduras struggled with even having basics like books, paper, chalkboards, sufficient desks, and compare it to what US schools have for facilities and supplies. They then wonder why people complain about the schools here. I think they are much more aware of inequalities in opportunities. When I hear them comment, "Just think how many schools they could build in Honduras for what was spent on a football field," I know they are questioning why it is so.

The recent news that Honduras tops the chart on worldwide homicide rate is concerning. The most accepted number is 86 murders per 100,000 people. Compared to the US where the rate is 3 per 100,000 it sounds terrible, and it is. Generally the murders fit into one of three categories: domestic violence/vengeance, land reform inequalities, and increase cocaine trafficking. I ask for your prayers for the Honduran people this Christmas season. 

I thank all of you who continue to support our mission work in Honduras and CVM through your prayers, encouragement and funding. 

Merry Christmas, Allen, Ann, Jennifer, Lisa, Scott and Daniel Pederson