Jesse A. Schroeder

October 2009
Till the Full Light of Day

This month I have no stories to tell of newly rescued children, no progress reports to give that will warm the soul. But what I do have is perhaps the most urgent prayer request that we have ever shared with you since the inception of this ministry. If ever there was a time to pray for the Home of Refuge—for the safety of the children AND for our personal wellbeing—it is now! Over the last number of weeks we have come under the most severe persecution we have ever faced, from corrupt government officials, corrupt child protection services and political turmoil that has destabilized the nation, to all-out attacks on both Rosa and I personally, stemming from various individuals and government institutions. We have witnessed in a very real way how Satan uses greed to rage against Truth, Justice and “Religion that God our Father calls pure and faultless.”

On Sept 1st while I was hard at work pouring cement on the farm, several boys from the local school that our children attend brought report that one of our children had been abducted. Dropping everything at once, I immediately got into my truck and rushed to the school! But without any warning, I was apprehended by police and arrested upon my arrival. This caused a great uproar in the community, to the degree that the “locals”, in my defense, blocked the road for 45 minutes so that police could not get through. It was not until special armed forces arrived that the road was opened and I was hauled off to a jail. I spent a day and a half in a jail cell, with no bathroom; my only food and water was that which the American Embassy was gracious enough to bring me. In the best interest of the Home of Refuge and because of the political instability, we cannot go into too many details concerning the persecution against us at this time. I will continue to give you the details as the opportunities arise. However, to briefly update you on the political situation in the country, I will summarize the events of the last couple of months. On June 28th, the Honduran armed forces stormed the presidential palace in the capital city and arrested President Manuel Zelaya, after months of tensions over his endeavors to revoke presidential term limits. He was then exiled to Costa Rica . Later that day the Honduran Congress voted Zelaya out of office, replacing him with Roberto Micheletti. Since that day, there has been rising tension in the country, partly due to the United States’ failure to recognize the current Honduran government as valid and the U.S.’s subsequent discontinuation of all funding to Honduras (except for Humanitarian Aid). Violence in the streets has also increased, with a severe decrease in law and order. The entire country is currently living under martial law, with civil liberties non-existent.

During a time of prayer about the persecutions we are facing, the Holy Spirit told Rosa , “I am with you! Trust Me and I will bring you out like the light of day.” Days later, she was directed to the following verse found in Proverbs 4:18: “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” As we trust our Lord during this critical time, we believe His Word, knowing that Hope does not disappoint and He who promised is Faithful!

We ask at this time that you pray for us with great fervency…and that you continue steadfast in your financial giving. Through those two avenues you can STAND with us in this hour and help speed the cause of righteousness. We know that the trials and tribulations we are undergoing at present are working for us a glory that FAR outweighs them. It is our conviction that just as the local residents who have witnessed the ministry of the Home of Refuge were unwilling to let any injustice come to me that day I was arrested, even now God is vindicating His Great Name and causing all of this to work to the Glory of His Son. As the Scriptures say, “…Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.” (2 Cor. 2:14). We love you each. Be strong in your faith, knowing that He who has called you is FAITHFUL.

For the children,

Tony and Rosa Rivera

Home of Refuge International

"Grant me, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while I am placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen"

Whatever our approach to the Bible, wemust concede that God is big enough to handle our curiosity and ourquestions. In fact, God is calling out to us to ask the toughquestions! I often wonder if He doesn’t feel like a frustrated teacher:climbing on desks, shouting through verses of Shakespeare, dying for usto be curious.

Discouraging doubt, discouragingquestions, offering a perfect formula as the answer to all of ourGod-shaped questions simply does not reflect the immensity of the I AM.In fact, I believe it stunts our spiritual growth and places our God,yes our Jesus, in a very unattractive and limited human-size box.

May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we may live deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that we may reach out our hands tocomfort them and turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done.