It was so good to see one of our dear saints Bonnie Cleaver. She has spent many years as a missionary in Haiti. Due to her health she is now residing in Hobe Sound, Florida. Her heart still beats for missions. She recently told me that her and several other ladies often pray for us and many other missionaries during their ladies prayer meeting. She is definitely one of my missionary heros. read more

Today was the annual God's Missionary Church conference. Here are some of my pastor friends enjoying some down-home country style pickin'. read more

Why has there not been much blogging? Where are the pictures of Joseph and our family? What have we been up to? Well let me explain...

A few weeks ago my uncle stopped by to see Joseph. While he was there he told me his son Mike was looking for some summer help, he thought of me and wanted to know if I was interested in doing some work for about thirty days.

My curiosity was peaked as I was told what this job would involve. My cousin Mike works for Garst seed company. They sell many lines of hybrid seeds such as corn, alfalfa etc. My job would be to travel around Pennsylvania placing advertisement signs nearby Garst fields. The job sounded interesting, so I decided to give it a try.

I have been working for two weeks now, and I have enjoyed it very much. I was supplied with a Ford 250 truck, signs, posts and a list of dealers to get in contact with. It has involved a lot of traveling, reaching fields in Lancaster, State College, Lebanon and many other towns across Pa.

So why has the blogging been so lazy? Because I have been so busy.  read more

Many of you have been wanting more and more pictures of Joseph. Well here is one of the latest. Here he is at three weeks!! He is such a good little boy. For awhile he had his night and days mixed up, often waking about 2 am starving and ready to eat. Now he is sleeping five hours straight through the night.
For our die hard blogger fans, more pictures will be on the way!! Keep looking!

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It's so hard to believe we are already in the middle of July. It seems like yesterday we were flying back to the states excited about the baby that was on the way. Now it's all said and done and Joseph is already two weeks old.

Though time has speedily been passing by, we have been enjoying every minute. Joseph has brought such a wonderful dimension to our life. He is growing stronger every day. He has already gained about a pound and a half since he was born. He is such a good boy. He makes some of the funniest faces when sleeps, I love to watch him. There is nothing like seeing him make big smiles with little dimples tucked in the corners. It just makes your heart explode with joy.

We want to say a big thank you for your many congratulations, gifts and cards for Joseph. We were just overwhelmed with kindness by so many wonderful friends and we want you to know we deeply appreciate it. read more

We have been very busy over the last few days. So far we had 18 diapers in two days since we have been home. What fun!!! read more

This is grandma Hoch's 32nd great-grandchild!! How awesome is that?! read more

We are so blessed to have such a wonderful little boy! read more

Joseph Zaid Kuhns

Born June 30, 2006 10:40 AM

Weighed 7lbs 9oz

18 inches long

June 30th will always be one of the best days of our live. There is absolutely nothing more miraculous and awe inspiring as the birth of a new little baby. It was incredible.

Hannah was scheduled for a c-section at about 9:30 AM. I was nervous and excited and just bursting with joy at everything that was taking place. I couldn't believe this day had finally come. She was prepped and ready for surgery and together we went to the operating room. I had to wait outside the door until everything was ready to begin the surgery. I was then told to come in and the procedure began. Hannah was excellent. She had been a little nauseated from the spinal but by the time the surgery began she was doing great. I held her hand and jumped my attention back and forth between her and the operation. It was amazing to watch. Then finally that special moment happened. Joseph was born. He didn't cry much at first. They quickly cleaned him up and had him under a heat lamp which seemed like seconds. Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at a beautiful little baby boy. I will never forget that moment. God had given to us such a wonderful gift. I held him in my arms and brought him for Hannah to see. She was so happy. She had done so well through everything.

I was soon out the door with the baby headed off to the nursery to get him weighed and bathed while Hannah was taken to the recovery room. Both grandma's and Hannah's brother and sisters all watched through the windows as Joseph got all cleaned up. It was such a special time.

Both Hannah and the baby came through just fine. It wasn't too long before Hannah could join all the excitement. Visitors soon started stopping by bringing gifts and baloons. Everyone wanted to hold this new little guy. What an exciting day it was!! A joyful memory burned deep on our hearts. Thank God for this special little boy!

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Joseph Kuhns holding the new Joseph Kuhns

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The two months we spent in Tegucigalpa riding bus after bus and from taxi to taxi helped us realize more than ever the need for a vehicle.

We have been warned by the nationals of the dangers of riding public buses, where thieves often lurk waiting for easy victims. There are also the hassles of talking our way into a decent price for a taxi ride when our obvious American looks and accent give us away. If there is ever a need of late night travel through the city it becomes nearly impossible. The buses become all the more dangerous and the taxi prices go even higher.

Our own personal vehicle would not only be safer and more convenient but would also be beneficial in our ministry which is most important.

It would give us easier access to traveling to San Pedro Sula, four hours away, to be with our field director Roger Ortiz and his family. Ministry opportunities are opening up for us there as well as Tegucigalpa. Trips into Nicaragua to visit our sister church would be much more convenient. We could also penetrate into nearby villages where mountainous terrain and dirt roads make it difficult.

In the near future we hope to have mission teams and friends visiting our work. We would desperately need transportation to and from the airport. Buying food and supplies or hauling people to and from our church would become much more feasible.

A vehicle project account has been opened with Hope International Missions with the approval of our mission director. Would you please pray about what you could do to help with this project. We are looking to buy a 4x4 vehicle that will handle the rough terrain of Honduras. Our goal is to raise $10,000.

If you would like to give towards this project you can make your checks payable to
Hope International Missions and clearly mark them for " Kuhns vehicle ".

You can mail your checks to:
Hope International Missions P.O. Box 1065 Hobe Sound, Fl 33475

* If you would be interested in having us come to your church for a service during our short stay please feel free to contact us at 740-442-0103. We would love to come and share what God has been doing for us. read more

I enjoy history. I also find it interesting to learn of my family history and heritage. My great grandfather, Alfred James Hale immigrated to the states with two of his brothers from England in the early 2oth century. Once the three brothers safely landed they each took different directions with Alfred heading to Western Pennsylvania. He was converted in 1911 and eventually became a Holiness preacher, criss crossing the United States preaching salvation and deliverance from the nature of sin. He pastored several churches in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. He personally knew some of the great preachers of his day such as Buddy Robbinson, Glenn Griffith, French and S.D. Herron. He attended some of the early camp meetings held at Hobe Sound, Fl. Missionary friends named a church in Papua New Guinea in honor of grandpa Hale and the sacrifice he gave in spreading the gospel. He died in 1966. Those who knew him say he was a very kind and gentle man, he truly loved God.

I am so priviliged to be part of a holiness heritage. My child, soon to be born, will be a 5th generation Christian. What a precious gift. God's blessings continue on generation after generation. read more

While we have been in Ohio we have had the privilege of staying with Hannah's grandparents. Here is her grandpa enjoying a snooze on the back porch. read more

The mystery has been broken, I have finally discovered the deep secrets of a baby shower. I had always heard about these events but was never able to see for myself due to ancient traditions that banned men from attending. But as of a few days ago I experienced my first baby shower.

It was actually really fun. We were treated to Jordanian delicacies provided by Hannah's mother and sister. It was delicious. There was a cake from Dairy Queen, and lots of fun games.

We received many wonderful gifts to aid us in raising our child in a proper way. We need all the help we can get. There must have been at least 5 packs of diapers and we were warned that we would use every single one of them in no time flat!! All of the gifts and advice has raised our level of expectations. We can hardly wait until this baby is born!! Just two weeks to go. read more

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In our short time home we have enjoyed some rich American traditions. One being hamburgers on the grill. Last night we were treated to a picnic fit for a king. My mother has been luring us home with temptations of corn on the cob and coconut cream pie. We were finally able to do more than look and dream, we could touch and taste. Every bite was delicious. The hamburgers were grilled to perfection, my brother Scott made those burgers so good he put Burger King to shame and I love Burger King. It was great to relax with family and share some of the stories from Honduras how God has been helping us. There is just no place like home. read more

It's been a safe journey back to the United States. It's hard to believe how fast the time has gone. The trip went well, although Hannah struggled with nausea most of the way. At one point we hit turbulence on the final leg of the journey to Columbus, OH. Hannah lost the struggle and surrendured the contents of her stomach to the barf bag conveniently located in front of her. We had to file a report with the stewardess, it seemed like it was almost against the law for her to even get near to Hannah. There was a red biohazard bag to be used for disposing the barf bag. Both Hannah and the stewardess had to clean their hands with sanitary wipes. There is a lot of red tape for motion sickness on a plane. It's a good thing they didn't charge her for getting sick. ( For those of you who will be flying American Airlines anytime soon, they will now be charging $5 a blanket if you get cold so you might want to bring your own ). I'm just thankful it was vomit that came out on that plane ride and not the baby. Imagine the red tape if it had!!

Besides the episode on our flight to Columbus the trip went great. It was exciting to be with family again and enjoy some time together. Thanks for your prayers. It's wonderful to know so many of you are praying for us. We really appreciate it. read more

Tomorrow, May 31st we will be flying back to the states. We plan to be home until September. With only five more weeks until the baby is due, we can hardly wait. Pray for us as we travel and pray for the remainder of Hannah's pregnancy. read more

Over the past weekend we have been busy painting and working on the house. We just finished painting the entire inside. It looks great. No more dirt and grime. It has been a lot of work but well worth it. We can turn off the light at night without the fear of being devoured by hepatitis. We really like our house. This house was an answer to prayer and God has supplied our needs in getting it cleaned up. When I first talked to our landlord about painting the house, she was really hesitant and said we should just clean the walls. I knew we just couldn't clean the walls, it needed paint bad. So we prayed about it, and asked God to help work this out. I went back to talk to her and mentioned again the need for paint. I told her if she would be willing to buy the paint, I would do the painting. She agreed, gave us the rollers, and bought us the paint. Another answer to prayer!! read more

We are finally moved. After spending a month in the apartment waiting our turn to move into the house the time has finally arrived and what a time it has been. I'm sure the house would have been marked unsanitary by any health inspector, the previous family did not make a point to keep things clean. Someone had gone on a mosquito killing spree and remnants of the war were smeered on the walls. The shower looked like it had not been cleaned in years. Dirt spots were on the walls. Ants were crawling in the sink. It was quite a sight. Our first night in the house was a little scary. Mosquitos were flying everywhere. It felt like we were sleeping in a sewer pipe surrounded by every disease known to man. But we have survived. We have been working hard to get conditions back in tip top shape. read more

In one of those miraculous ways God has provided us with some friends. Carlos ( pictured on right ) is a taxi driver. One morning I was looking for a taxi ride to school when I saw him pull up and several people got out of his car. He was glad to take me and on the way we began to talk. He asked me if I was a Christian and I said I was and he said he was to0. From then on we have been friends. He asked me if I would like to meet his friend Larry, who is a Jew that moved here from Florida. I said I would be glad to and we made arrangements. Larry is a Messianic Jew who came to Christ by studying the Bible. He is very knowledgable in the scriptures and has some very interesting things to say. It is such a blessing to have friends. Carlos has come by the house to help us move our things and has been very helpful as we make adjustments. Here are two great guys!! read more

Buenos Diaz. Things are going great here in Honduras. Yesterday was our last day of Spanish classes. We almost thought we weren´t going to make it to our classes. We were trying to get a taxi but we just couldn´t get one to take us to school. Finally someone told us that the taxi drivers were on strike, they were protesting the high cost of fuel. We did find a few guys who were doing their job but the majority were shut down.

I saw today in the front page of the paper some of the things that happened yesterday. The taxi drivers made a barrier with their cars across a major highway so nobody could get through. Some people were burning tires. Throughout the day police helicopters were flying overhead. The police force was on high alert. The military showed up to keep order as the drivers made their protest. Even though we weren´t close to where the main protest was taking place, we could feel the tension in the air. However, today things are back to normal. This kind of thing seems to be the normal routine around here. There is always political turmoil.

Last week the public school teachers went on strike because they havn´t been getting paid from the government. The other day the buses were on strike. You just never know who will be on strike next. You just learn to go with the flow. It keeps life exciting. read more

Are you receiving our newsletter? Read how God is helping us, see pictures of special people and places, keep updated on the events of our lives. There is special information that you won't find on our blog! If you would like to receive our newsletter please post your name and address to this entry or email me your name and address at kuhns@inbox.com We will be sure to add you to our mailing list. read more

Today in school Hannah preached in Spanish!! I am so proud of her. The teacher asked us to each preach this week, I preached on Wednesday and Hannah got to preach today. This was her very first time. She gave a simple gospel message that lasted about 8 minutes. When she wrote her sermon, instead of writing the english and translating to Spanish, she wrote the sermon out directly in Spanish. She was a little nervous but she was great!! This is a wonderful accomplishment and she is picking up the language really well. She will make a great assistant pastor!

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Today in Central Park there were four couples performing some of the traditional folk dances. It was very interesting. They all wore colorful clothing and the men each had a matchete by his side. It seemed to be more of a courting style of dancing. They did a very good job. read more

We have been in desperate need of rain. There were threats of rationing our water even more. We asked our friends to pray...God heard!!

Last night I began to hear the thunder roll. It was if God witnessed to me that our prayers had been answered. The story of Elijah seeing the cloud the size of a man's hand came to my mind. The showers were about to fall. And fall they did. It was like music to our ears as we heard the drops begin to fall on the tin roof. God had heard. God cared.

Today was much cooler and pleasant. The heat didn't zap all our energy, and we felt refreshed. Again this afternoon another shower passed by, God has surely supplied our need. It was such an encouragement to us that God cares about the rain and the little things in our life. He will not forsake us in the greater trials ahead. What a wonderful God we serve.

Thank you for helping us pray. Praise God his faithfulness! read more

We were privileged to have two clowns on our bus today after school. We didn´t understand everything they were saying but they were pretty funny. Bus rides can be pretty exciting. You never know who is going to get on. Children come down the aisles selling water, peanuts or candy. I have heard of preachers getting on and preaching to the crowd. Anyone can excercise their freedom of speech on public transportation. These guys did a good job. You know a clown is pretty good when he can make you laugh even when you don´t know what he is saying.

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I have probably had at least 10 heart attacks, 1 stroke, and 50 out of body experiences since we have been here in Honduras. I have seen my life pass before my eyes so many times it´s starting to get boring.

The driving here is absolutely incredible. Children crossing the street, kids on bikes in the middle of the highways, maniacs swerving in and out, it´s wild. I have seen several wrecks and it´s a wonder I haven´t been in one yet. Basically anything goes here. I took this photo out the window of the taxi on our way to school this morning. I have seen kids on bikes hang on the back of a bus to go up steep hills. It´s a wonder these kids don´t get killed.

I think the rule is, if you beep your horn first you have right of way. At least that is how it seems. Our taxi rides are never boring. It beats any roller coaster ride hands down. That is if you can keep your hands down. Usually you have a white knuckled grip to the side of the door. But hey, they get you to your destination. read more

Two people that have meant so much to us through the years have been our mothers. They have faithfully loved us, worked hard to raise us right, and have prayed many prayers in our behalf. They have been wonderful Christian examples for us to follow. We sure would love to be with them on this Mother´s Day to personally tell them how much they mean to us. They truly are the best in the world. If any of you see either one of our mothers please wish them a Happy Mother´s Day in our behalf. We love you mom!! Happy Mother´s Day!!! read more

We really appreciate our supporters being so faithful to pray for us. Many of you know we have a real battle with the water situation here. As of right now, we get running water every other day, however there is the possibility of having our water rationed even more. The water levels are low, we are in desperate need of rain. Would you please help us pray that the showers would soon fall. Recently it has looked like rain, but not much has happened. Please help us pray for this situation. read more

Isn't our fridge cute? You are probably wondering what in the world this is all about. Let me explain. The apartment where we are staying is only temporary. We are waiting to move to the downstairs. The family living there is currently building a house and won't be moving out until another two weeks.

We have a fridge, a real fridge, the problem was we couldn't fit it through the door of our apartment so it is waiting for us downstairs. So for now ice in a bucket is working just fine. haha.Hey at least we always have a full fridge.

This fridge is so awsome it has the capabilities of transforming into a dish washer. Now you won't be able to find that in the U.S.! The amazing thing is, this fridge/dishwasher only cost us $2.00 What a deal!

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Today Hannah and I made a visit to the central market. What an awsome place! I hope by these pictures you will get a feel, and smell of what this place is like. It is exciting. The place is crammed with people, vendors are yelling their prices and trying to get your attention, as cars and buses are pushing their way through the throngs of people.

You can find just about anything there that you want. They have everything from piles of shoes, vegetables, meats, clothes, school supplies, personal items, and even a few pets. It's all there. Hannah doesn't miss Wal-Mart, there are things at this market that Wal-Mart doesn't even sell.

You all need to come and experience the time of your life. Maybe you can balance your goodies on top of your head like this lady as you shop.

Someday we hope to have a prayer station or a street meeting here. It's a prime opportunity. read more

Fish!! Fish!! Get Your Fish!! This guy was happy to have his picture taken. I'm not sure who caught all these fish, but there were some big ones in there. It would have made any fisherman proud! read more

Now that is one serious hog!! Check out the fat. This was the butcher section of the market, there was blood and parts hanging everywhere. read more

Hannah just thought "thumper" was sooo cute. I'm not sure if they were to be sold as pets or food...hmmm I wonder. read more

There are all kinds of people at the market, guards posted at the doors of busineses, vendors shouting their prices, and even a guy who just needed a siesta in the middle of the day. read more

This beats Super Wal-Mart any day!! read more

Here is the view just down the street from our house. I have been doing some exploring around our community. It seems to be a hot bed for Jehovah Witnesses. There is a large Kingdom Hall just a few doors down from us. It certainly looks like we have our work cut out for us. The work looks hard, but the view looks great. read more

We would love to hear from you. At this point we are not receiving mail so the only way we can communicate with our friends back home is if you email us. Write to kuhns@inbox.com let us know what is happening in your life. read more

A lot has transpired over the last month or so that we have been here in Honduras. We are learning more and more every day. The language is slowly coming along, we are getting more familiar with the means of transportation, and we are gaining more insight into the culture. Right now I would say we are more or less in a survival mode. The biggest difficulty is the language barrier. We are ready to jump into the work, plant a church, start visiting the people, have a VBS, but the language is hindering us. I guess I'm not very patient, I want to speak Spanish now, but it will take time. Our classes are coming along great. Hannah and I both are keeping at the same level of learning. We have a great teacher and I know within another year we should be pretty well established in the language.

Hannah is doing well despite the pregnancy. The baby is due in exactly nine weeks from today. Hannah is a real trooper. For several weeks she was having morning sickness just about every morning, however this past week since we have moved to our apartment, she has been doing much better. In just another 5 weeks we will be flying home for the delivery. So far the pregnancy has been basically complication free, which we are thankful. There are the normal complications that come with a pregnacy but God is helping Hannah and the baby both and giving them strength each day.

We are encouraged, there have been a few bumps in the road but God is helping us. We appreciate hearing from our friends with your posts and emails. It is always encouraging to know you are thinking and praying for us. Our two main prayer requests right now is Hannah's pregnacy and our language studies. Pray that God would continue to strengthen Hannah and give protection to her and the baby, and pray that God would open our minds and give us understanding of the language. I truly believe the success of our ministry will be determined by how well we learn the language.

Thanks for everything you do. Thanks for your financial support as well. This month was heavy financially with buying furniture and going to school. But the future looks bright. We have many friends who are faithfully supporting us and we deeply appreciate it.

May God richly bless you and bless Honduras. read more