March Newsletter

The Slow, Quiet Work of the Hospital
A few months ago, I listened in while Dr. McKenney, the founder and head doctor of Hospital Loma de Luz (http://www.crstone.org/), gave a tour of the hospital to a group of visitors. As we passed by Pastor Philipe, pictured here in his office meeting with patients or family members, Dr. McKenney commented that this was where the slow, quiet work of the hospital took place. While doctors and staff often pray with and minister to patients, Philipe’s job is to be available to pray with people and answer question they have about spiritual issues. Day in and day out in the midst of the bustle of a busy hospital and clinic, 1-2 people/day are saved or rededicate their lives to Christ. Please pray for Pastor Philipe and this slow, quiet, and yet phenomenal work.

Pretty Cool Stuff
Anyone who has walked with God for any length of time has experienced seasons punctuated by God doing exceptionally cool stuff. As we have listened to others in the missionary community share what they have seen the Lord doing lately, we have been pondering anew the collective impact of all the “small” things the Lord is doing in our midst:

For years my next door neighbor, Maggie, has hosted and led Bible studies in her home for Honduran women of all ages. In recent weeks, they haven’t even been making it to the actual lesson because the Lord has been working so clearly in all of their lives that it takes the whole time just to share it all and pray for each other. Doctor Rumbaugh, who actually does a lot more ministry than medicine, has been leading a weekly Bible study for hospital workers during the half hour right after work. A couple of men who have been employees for years but have never expressed interest in Christ have been attending this study. For about the past 4 years, various Loma de Luz missionaries have worked establishing and encouraging a church in the little community of Margarita. In the past year, the number of men attending rose from 1 to 4, and two of those men have married their common law wives in obedience to God’s decrees about marriage.

About 10 days ago, Dr. McKenney repaired a severed nerve in a young man’s shoulder. Like so many patients, Wilbur had been in a machete fight about 6 weeks earlier. The fight had left his right hand missing except for 1 finger and his left arm completely useless because the nerve running down the top of the shoulder had been severed. Dr. McKenney reattached the nerve and made a couple other minor repairs, thankful that the surgery had gone well by all medical standards. The next day, when Dr. McKenney checked on Wilbur, he had regained nearly full motion in his shoulder, as well as flexion and distension in his elbow, all of which are controlled by the one repaired nerve. This type of recovery normally takes place slowly over weeks and months, if at all, and to recover overnight is impossible, save a healing miracle from God! Wilbur is a believer, and we are praying that his gift of a functional arm will be used to greatly glorify his Savior!

Construction and Teaching
With the rainy season pretty much behind us, construction projects have been going great guns. Josh has been dividing and framing the hospital’s library into several offices. One house under construction is nearly finished, and The Children’s Home, pictured below, has the first floor adobe walls up. A multipurpose space with a couple offices and bathrooms off the hospital will soon provide some much needed expansion room.

As our school year winds down, the kids are putting a great deal of energy into preparations for Living History Day in early May. All the kids, from the littlest to the high schoolers, have been studying early American history this year, so Living History Day will culminate their studies and display some of what they have learned to the rest of the missionary community in the form of speeches, skits, booths, and art work. It’s a creative and talented group!

Browning Briefs
In a nutshell, we're doing pretty spiffy, Gracias a Dios. Guildy is growing like a weed and keeping us entertained with her blossoming sentences and accompanying antics. We're enjoying our new apartment with it's wonderful view and breeze and great neighbors. More importantly, we're enjoying where God has us for this season and thankful for the opportunity to serve Him in such a great place with such great people.

Prayer Requests
Please be praying for us and the hospital ministry:
1. That hospital employees would be saved and discipled, along with patients they are serving.
2. That God would provide the resources, both financial and personnel, to keep the hospital running well.
3. That God would mightily bless the various ministries reaching out into the communities.
4. That the Holy Spirit would be changing hearts on the North Coast.

In Closing
Thank you all so much for supporting us! We couldn’t be here without you! Let us know how you’re doing and how we can be praying for you!

In Christ,

Josh, Linzy, and Guildy

Support for the Brownings
may be sent to:

CornerStone International
PO Box 192
Wilmore KY 40390

1-800-859-4578
carla@cornerstoneinternational.org
http://www.cornerstoneinternational.org/

Fun with Dad and Mom

Just for a change of pace, here are some pictures of us with Guildy.

Guildy has really been into drawing lately, and she prefers it if someone "helps" her by drawing the shapes she wants to see or writing her name or coloring in her scribbles. She's getting more and more coordinated, as indicated by the fact that the scribbles have gotten smaller and a little more controlled.
Our favorite restaurant in La Ceiba is called La Ponderosa. It has all outside seating, bathrooms with toilet paper, yummy food and a swing set. What else could you ask for in family-friendly dining? Above Guildy and Josh are enjoying the swing.

Yes, I still exist, although I don't appear in many pictures!

Guildy playing with the employees' kids before lunch on Tuesday.

La Plancha

The plancha is a man-made overflow that diverts flood water from several rivers between Jutiapa and Balfate. It has some water in it most of the winter, but is usually crossable. However, when it rains hard up in the mountains, it creates quite the flood.

Josh went to town on Monday with our lovely next door neighbors, the McKenzie's. It was raining when they left, and the plancha was a bit sketchy, but they crossed it alright. It was too high to cross that night, so they stayed in La Ceiba and tried again on Tuesday. It was still too high to drive across, so anyone wanting to get across had to walk through it or pay the kid with the short, geriatric horse 10 lempiras (about 50 cents) for a ride. Josh made several trips across with our stuff....including the kitchen sink:o)

There is a steady stream of different ministry teams coming down. The group on the picture below is a team of soccer players who are here playing games with different town teams in the area and using that as an outreach to share the gospel. They packed all their luggage across one piece at a time.

Never a dull moment in the jungle!!!

Guildy in Clothes

We went to a birthday party on Sunday, and Guildy wore clothes. We took some pictures, just so we have proof. However, if the pictures went all the way down to her feet, you'd note she's not wearing shoes. This is because we lost one. About a week ago, we got stopped by the cops on the road between Balfate and the hospital. I was driving, and Josh got out to talk to them. (They were too lazy to get out of their pickup....our opinion of Honduran cops is pretty low.) Anyway, he was holding Guildy and it was dark, and we're pretty sure that's where her shoe got lost. At any rate, the loss of her shoes has in no way affected her life. But to be good parents, we will have to get her a new pair next time we're in town.

The Deluge

Nothing like a day of steady rain to change the landscape. This was the view out over the sea this afternoon, and it's still raining hard. Keep in mind that the condo/hotel development project has houses planned for some of this area that is currently a river. Not sure how that is all going to shake out.

At any rate, I'm pretty sure this is the most rain I've ever seen at one time. It's probably rained more here in the past day than eastern Montana will get all year!

Times are Changing

This is the view of the Caribbean out our front door. It's pretty amazing as it is. Just imagine it without the road, which is only about six weeks old. The main road runs perpendicular to this road just out of the bottom of the picture, and our house is up a steep hill from the main road. I blame the disruption of the pasture below on our recent snake problem. I'm pretty sure all that digging and chopping and burning is chasing them up into our yard!

When the hospital began construction in the mid-90s, the main road was just a trail that went through rivers and somtimes followed the beach for lack of a better route. Today, there is power, cable TV, and a new cell phone tower in Balfate. The road above goes to what we hear is going to be a resort with 100 vacation houses, a hotel, a store, a restaurant, etc. Only time will tell whether this will be good or bad for the area. At any rate, it's pretty amazing what fifteen years can do to an area.

Such a Big Girl!

What better to do on a late February day than shed your duds and go skinny dipping in your wading pool.....

........with your orange dinosaur.

Grandma Susie sent Guildy a doll, and when it arrived, she took it out of the box and immediatelly started rocking and shushing it, as though she knew it had been a traumatic trip from Montana to Central America in the dark, lonely box.