Friday, May 17, 2013

Does Anyone Have Lowe's Or Home Depot Gift Cards Which They Would Like To Donate To The Children's Home?



Electrical supplies update!  



I have asked people and asked God for help for all the electrical parts and pieces which were stolen from the new orphanage/farm which was donated to the ministry. 

Money, electrical parts and gift cards from Lowe's, Home Depot and Wal Mart 
will also be accepted and appreciated.  

We need several churches to help us raise money and to make missions trips to help us fix up and clean up the children's farm and get everything ready to move in. 

Anyone know how to get a JAMMED pump out of a 325 foot deep well?
We think it is jammed at about 65 feet deep.  Seems someone was trying to steal it and it fell in on them and jammed part way down... Hoping we don't have to replace tube.

We hope to be moved in by June with the 10 children plus more.
We are now 15 days away from the date which we wanted to move in and we have been unable to raise all of the funds needed, but we are not discouraged!
We are on our way!
Keith and Vickie Crowder and I are on our way to the USA to raise funds for the farm.

Ten children and their house parents ready and willing to move to the farm. Vickie and Keith Crowder are the missionaries who will run the children's home.
You can see their blog here.
http://www.acall2remember-ringring.org/

As you can see from their BLOG they do a lot of community ministry.
They are a wonderful Spirit filled couple who are GREAT with kids.

We do not have electricity yet and cannot get electricity until we have all of the supplies. 

$260 has been donated. 
Then another $520 was donated and then today another $250 was donated.
SO WE ARE ON OUR WAY!

The $260 plus the $520 was used to buy Romex in the USA which is being shipped down on a container. Why? Because it saves us a lot of money to buy the Romex in the USA verses here in Honduras where it is not available and we have to buy several different wires which cost more.   We were able to purchase 1,000 feet of Romex for $260 or $.26 a foot.
The wire to do the same job is $1.96 per foot in Honduras! 
And a friend is shipping it down for free.  
That saved us $1,700 per roll.
With last week's donation of $520 we were able to purchase another two of the 1,000 foot rolls, That donation knocked out the most expensive part of the electrical job at the children's home.  In all that got rid of $5,586.00 worth of Honduran expenses for a mere $780.00 and I am guessing that the other wire which is needed is also much less expensive in the USA.  

We need 450 feet of 2 gauge wire x 3 which in Honduras is $5.10 a foot for a total of $2,293.20.  In trying to look this wire up on the Lowe's web page I am confused as to what we need.  Anyone with electrical sense out there who wants to help me figure it out? 




This is one of the homes on the property which was donated.

Everything electrical was stolen out of this house, including all the wire.


This is the other house on the donated property.

Everything electrical was stolen out of this house also.

The electrical lines between the homes and the transformer were also stolen.

I originally asked for the $14,250 for the electrical supplies for the new orphanage and along with the money He is also sending supplies! Thank you Lord! Thank you donors!

List of things still needed and prices if purchased in Honduras!

Price sheet on electrical supplies in TegucigalpaNumber of items needednet cost per unit in $Total Dollars   Needed
double light switch   11$2.41$26.49
single light switch       55$1.20$66.22
double light switch cover 11$0.84$9.24
single light switch cover       55$0.42$23.10
recepticals                    48$1.04$49.73
receptical covers     48$0.42$20.16
waterproof  single gang box 3$4.48$13.44
waterproof double gang box 15$10.08$151.20
waterproof covers 18$1.96$35.28
220 volt receptical2$4.76$9.52
220 cover                 2$2.30$4.59
Ceiling fans 5 blade 52"9$140.00$1,260.00
wall fans18$112.00$2,016.00
Breakers 240 volt 40 amp2$22.40$44.80
Breakers 120 volt 20 amp16$10.08$161.28
breaker box 20 hole for 125 main2$84.00$84.00
125 main1$67.20$67.20
10 gauge wire 49 L. per foot100 feet$2.74$274.40
12/3   wire 35 per foot2850 feet$1.96$5,586.00
Inter net wire 19 L. per foot200 feet$1.06$212.80
Light bulbs  large round20 bulbs$4.54$90.72
Light bulbs reg.  100 watt100 bulbs $4.48$448.00
6 foot ground rod1$19.60$19.60
Bulb change stick1$29.68$29.68
Motion sensor lights15$33.60$504.00
Flood lights30 bulbs$7.00$210.00
Light recepticals45$2.41$108.36
Light receptical boxes20$0.90$17.92
Wire snake1$23.52$23.52
Conduit elbows16$0.36$5.82
Conduit connectors30$0.22$6.72
Out side junction boxes15$2.52$37.80
Conduit clamps75$0.34$25.20
¾’ -10'   conduit31  pieces$1.20$37.32
2 gauge wire x 3450 feet$5.10$2,293.20
Entrance alarms9$22.40$201.60
$14,258.92
                                                                               - $5,586.00 already purchased
                                            __________                                                                                              so if we do not buy anything else in the USA we will still need $8,672.92                      
If you have any questions, email me at teresa   @   smartteams   . org
   

Monday, April 22, 2013

April 21, 2013 What Does A Missionary Do?

Someone asked me... "So what exactly does a missionary do?"
I think the answer is more like, "What doesn't a missionary do?"
In the last few years I have: 
planted fruit trees and vegetables, 
taught the Bible in the prison, 



baked cakes for two weddings, 



bought a prosthetic leg, 
watched as a friend slowly died of cancer, 
wrote a book on being Falsely Accused 
For Sale On Amazon.com



been a wonderful hostess even when I was too tired to move,
been invited to the Ambassador's house for an afternoon party,
been hugged by the president of Honduras who was later ousted,



sorted pills for medical brigades, 
broke my leg, 



played taxi driver to other missionaries, 
gone to junkyards to find replacement mirrors for a car after they were stolen,



held a dying baby, 
given away 2,200 wheelchairs,



done without a washing machine for 2 weeks, 
broken my arm, 
failed miserably in my war against cockroaches,

hosted open air crusades, 
hosted missionaries for the night, the weekend, the week and more
had a Bible study in my home for almost a year,
bought chicken food, 
missed my mom and dad, 
taken human rights people to the scene of killings, 
saw the look on people's faces when I ordered 50 roasted chickens at once, 
made guava jelly, 
been a comfort to a survivor, 
changed a car battery, 
done without electricity for days at a time, 
returned a kidnapped baby to her mom, photo below



finally learned to squat to pee and not get myself wet, 
stayed up with people all night at the hospital, 
dried tomatoes, 
watched a baby be born, 
hugged a policewoman as she cried about her family,
learned how to tell whether my upset stomach is amoebas or worms or just an upset stomach, 
dug 4 wells, 
preached at a funeral, 
watched a pastor give his adulterous wife chance after chance to make it right, 
collected rain, 
closed down an orphanage because they abused children, 
been cursed for having done that,
reaped a harvest of guava at my farm, 



learned to cut above the knot (helping in surgery), 
learned that bees like perfume, 
learned that I do not like raw clams, 
sorted used eyeglasses, 



learned to carry my own toilet paper all the time
had a telephone stolen, 
wasted nothing, 
hauled a coffin to a small town, 
bought building supplies, 
jump started a car, 
had a car battery stolen out of a locked car,
made some wonderful new friends,

 

 


balanced check books, 
delivered flyers door to door, 
driven a horse trailer, 
made 200 cupcakes for the gang, 



faithfully gone for a manicure and pedicure every 3 weeks,
missed my children and grandchildren, 




learned how to put together adoption dossiers, 

lost a friend of many years, Joan Anderson,


left to right Billy Anderson, Joan Anderson, Teresa Andrews Searcy, Michael Searcy

caught a bad guy trying to sell rocket propelled grenade launchers to me of all people and had him deported back to the USA where he was from, 
studied my Bible and then studied it some more,
designed a home, 
hosted 48 eyeglass teams,
lost a camera, 
taught two dogs who were trained to kill to be submissive to me,
gave advice to an Army general, 
taught a Honduran mother how to make cinnamon toast, 
built a church, 
hosted medical teams, 
made 10 gallons of coleslaw at once, 
broke my toe, 



bought eyeglasses for the needy, 
taken friends to get their hair dyed, 
rescued children who had been sexually trafficked, 
stayed healthy except for a few breaks, 
broke the news to a mother and sister that their son and brother was killed,
written a sermon on why Christians should get involved politically, 
missed my parents 60th wedding anniversary, 
filed charges against a corrupt police officer, 
am on a first name basis with the pharmacist because I buy so many meds all the time for people who are in dire need,
learned how to get rid of planters warts and would you believe it is with superglue and prayer? you just smother them to death, no surgery needed
rescued children from gangs, 
had Christmas with no Christmas tree for the second time in my life,
rescued a kid from suicide,
took almost a million people to the doctor, (evangelistic-ly speaking)
taught someone to drive,
lived well, 
served well, 
aimed high, 
loved better, longer, stronger and even when people don't deserve to be loved I have loved them anyway,
forgiven even when it was hard, 
and followed Jesus.

What do I still want to do? (not in any order)

I want to:

learn to make pine needle baskets
like these shown in a photo by Mercy International


have more revelation of the Word of God,
learn to make the lady fingers, 


Lady Finger photo credit

get to the point that I experience the presence of God all the time,
take a painting class, 
go to Greece,

 


finish my book on the Grace of God,
build a small cottage at the beach and decorate it English cottage style, 
learn to make a crazy quilt,



Crazy Quilt photo link

host a television and radio Bible teaching program once or twice a week,
fall in love with someone who loves me as much as I love them,
get a fish farm up and operational, 
receive the gift from God to be able to have His healing power flow to cure cancer, 
learn to bake 50 different kinds of bread, 



find Christian homes for 2,000 orphans,
learn to churn butter, 


How To Churn Butter Link
see India (especially the Taj Mahal),
make 5 kinds of cheese, 
make a wood fired oven for artisan bread, 



live to be 120 years old,
build a windmill, 
visit Israel and stay for a while,
owe no man anything,
take beautiful photographs,
ride an ostrich,
complete my home, 
visit Egypt,
learn to fly a helicopter,

I live an interesting life and look forward to new experiences every day!
The only thing which would make me happier is if my parents, children and grandchildren were close to me for me to love on all the time.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

April 6, 2013 A Nice Surprise Electrical Supplies!

                                                    Today I had a wonderful surprise! 


Now some people might not think of this as a wonderful surprise but I do. 

Look at the picture then allow me to explain.


Today Kathy and Jerry Guise donated all of the above supplies. 

22 light switches
23 plug ins
2 ground fault plug ins
a 220 plug in for the stove we are praying will be donated
3 three in a row light switch plates
8 light switch plates
5 square receptical plates
8 plug in plates
8 cable and telephone plates

Kathy and Jerry Guise have been friends of Honduras and friends of children for years.

They have a heart for children and they come to Honduras regularly to help with building teams for a children's home. They read about our needs and when they came down this time they threw together a few electrical things which will be a huge blessing for us.

I have asked people and asked God for help for all the electrical parts and pieces which were stolen from the farm which was donated to the ministry.

We also need several churches to raise money and to make a missions trip to help us fix up and clean up the children's farm and get everything ready to move in. 

We hope to be moved in by June with the 10 children plus more.

We now have 10 children and the house parents ready and willing to move to the farm, BUT we do not have electricity yet and cannot get electricity until we have $14,250 worth of supplies. 

$260 has been donated. This money was used to buy Romex in the USA which is being shipped down on a container. Why? Because it saves us a lot of money to buy the Romex in the USA verses here in Honduras where it is not available and we have to buy several different wires which cost more.  
We just purchased 1,000 feet of Romex for $260. 
The wire to do the same job is $1.96 per foot in Honduras! 
A friend is shipping it down for free.  
That saved us $1,700.
If we had enough money to purchase another two of the 1,000 foot rolls, it would knock out the most expensive part of the electrical for the orphanage.  $520 plus tax and all the 12/3 wire would be purchased and that would get rid of the $5,586.00 worth of Honduran expenses for a mere $780.00 and I am guessing that the other wire which is needed is also much less expensive in the USA.  

We need 450 feet of 2 guage wire x 3 which in Honduras is $5.10 a foot for a total of $2,293.20.  In trying to look this wire up on the Lowe's web page I am confused as to what we need.  Anyone with electrical sense out there who wants to help me figure it out? 



This is one of the homes on the property which was donated.

Everything electrical was stolen out of this house, including all the wire.


This is the other house on the donated property.

Everything electrical was stolen out of this house also.

The electrical lines between the homes and the transformer were also stolen.

I have asked for the $14,250 for the electrical supplies for the new orphanage and along with the money He is also sending supplies! Thank you Lord! Thank you donors!

List of things still needed and prices in Honduras!

Price sheet on electrical supplies in Tegucigalpa Number of items needed net cost per unit in $ Total Dollars Needed
double light switch    11 $2.41 $26.49
single light switch        55 $1.20 $66.22
double light switch cover  11 $0.84 $9.24
single light switch cover        55 $0.42 $23.10
recepticals                     48 $1.04 $49.73
receptical covers      48 $0.42 $20.16
waterproof  single gang box  3 $4.48 $13.44
waterproof double gang box  15 $10.08 $151.20
waterproof covers  18 $1.96 $35.28
220 volt receptical 2 $4.76 $9.52
220 cover                  2 $2.30 $4.59
Ceiling fans   5 blade 9 $140.00 $1,260.00
wall fans 18 $112.00 $2,016.00
Breakers 240 volt 40 amp 2 $22.40 $44.80
Breakers 120 volt 20 amp 16 $10.08 $161.28
breaker box 20 hole for 125 main 1 $84.00 $84.00
125 main 1 $67.20 $67.20
10 gauge wire 49 per foot 100 $2.74 $274.40
12/3   wire 35 per foot 2850 $1.96 $5,586.00
Inter net wire 19 per foot 200 $1.06 $212.80
Light bulbs  large round 20 $4.54 $90.72
Light bulbs reg.  100 watt 100 $4.48 $448.00
6 foot ground rod 1 $19.60 $19.60
Bulb change stick 1 $29.68 $29.68
Motion sensor light 15 $33.60 $504.00
Flood light 30 $7.00 $210.00
Light recepticals 45 $2.41 $108.36
Light receptical boxes 20 $0.90 $17.92
20 hole breaker box  125 amp 1 $84.00 $84.00
Wire snake 1 $23.52 $23.52
Conduit elbows 16 $0.36 $5.82
Conduit connectors 30 $0.22 $6.72
Out side junction boxes 15 $2.52 $37.80
Conduit clamps 75 $0.34 $25.20
¾’ -10”   conduit 31 $1.20 $37.32
2 gauge wire x 3 450 $5.10 $2,293.20
Entrance alarms 9 $22.40 $201.60
$14,258.92

If you have any questions, email me at teresa.searcy   @   smartteams   . org
   

Sunday, March 31, 2013

March 27-31, 2013 Easter Week Relaxing With Some of My Adopted Children and Grandchildren Near the Beach


April Sky and Dylan with all the gifts which the gringo friends gave to their family.


A closeup shows some of the things which they were given.
The envelope holds money for their new beds, one for each of them.
  

 Mom and dad along with Dylan and April, everyone is proud of the blessings which God
is pouring out on them.
  

Since I love to cook, I made a special breakfast for the grandchildren even though I am on vacation!
Fried eggs inside of red pepper rings with kiwi ears and a tomato nose and bacon mouth with carrot tongue and carrot eyelashes... The kids loved it!
  

One of my adopted sons enjoying the outlook over the ranch, what the photo didn't show is the beautiful view of the Pacific from the mountains.  Nicaragua is beautiful!



Sunday, March 24, 2013

March 24, 2013 Fish, Fish and More Fish

In 1992 I saw a piece of property on a mountaintop and knew it was to be mine. I write the following (with the yellow background) about that property in a soon to be published book...

"When I first encountered what was to become my farm, I was out on a Sunday afternoon ride with my friends Tyanne Jurka and Catherine Garza McCardel.  We had taken an afternoon to go to Valle de Angeles and were wandering around the countryside, driving on dreadfully deeply rutted mud/clay roads recently washed out from the forceful Honduran spring rains.  After some quality “shop-til-you drop” time in Valle de Angeles, the handicraft packed tourist trap of Honduras, we decided to drive up the mountain and see what was on top.  I don’t think Tyanne, a former Pennsylvania girl, who continues to live in Honduras and at that time had already lived in Honduras for over ten years, ever had been to the top of the mountain.  We headed out, the oversized van creaking and the running boards scrapping as we crossed the washed out, pothole after pothole, road. At times we drove on the wrong side of the road as we searched for the smoothest places winding up the steep mountain towards the top. The van wildly moved from side to side, as we held on to the grab bars on the ceiling.  It was hard to believe that we were barely crawling, yet the van jerked so wildly.  Twenty minutes later we arrived at the top. We took a right onto a small, smoother, dirt lane and then we saw it. The view!"


"It was breathtaking! It was incredible!  It was pulchritudinous!  It was a totally clear afternoon and we could see for miles and miles.  The Valle de Cantaranas was below, the mountains in the distance, the cabbage fields and corn fields on the sides of the mountains closest to the left.  Each distinct crop looking like a different colored postage stamp, carefully pasted to the side of the pine tree covered mountain. A river snaked its way through the cane fields, fifteen miles below us in the valley.  Not that we were fifteen miles high in altitude, we were at five thousand two hundred feet, but the river was below us, in the valley and fifteen miles away from us.  I asked Tyanne to stop the car and we all stepped out into another world." 

  
"The air, the smell of the air, was so fresh and so crisp, so alive, so full of...  I savored the soft smell of pine trees as I took in deep breaths and suddenly the smell brought back old, very kind memories of my grandparent’s homestead farm in Buckner, Arkansas.  How long had it been since I had smelled pine trees?  Years, I think.  What a wonderful smell.  For a split second, I remembered grandpa Yancy.  I remembered the mornings that he would take me hunting when I was a small child.  Grandpa Wallace set traps and every morning he would go to check on the traps and see what was there.  I remembered the soft, slightly damp smell of pine needles, as our feet crossed over them, while we headed to check out the latest capture.  I remembered how when I was stung by a wasp one day as I was climbing over a split rail fence with him at my side.  I quickly remembered that he took already chewed tobacco out of his mouth and carefully placed the saliva filled glob of “chewin’ ta-back-er” on the sting.  I remembered the instant relief as the moist tobacco touched where I had been stung.  I remembered his love for me.  I remembered as he scooped me up in his arms and told me everything would be alright.  All of this I remembered in a split second.  The memory passed too quickly to define the exact length of time, but the recollection of that the precious thought lingers on in my mind, imprinted like it was yesterday."

"The temperature between Valle de Angeles, were we had been shopping below, and the temperature on top of this lovely mountaintop where I was standing, were worlds apart.  In the late afternoon breeze, I almost needed a sweater, but the temperature didn’t matter.  I was in another world oblivious to everything but the exquisite view surrounding me.  Suddenly I was startled, from somewhere behind me came a man that looked like a harmless older gentleman, but carrying a machete.  I was talking to Tyanne and Catherine when he snuck up on me from behind.  At that moment, I met for the first time one of my future neighbors, the man that I was to latter find out was actually a pedophile."  end of quote from book.

I fought for two years to purchase this property from a land owner who did not want to sell it but finally I wore him down.  I am tenacious when I know I am right and have a purpose.  This property has a purpose.  I have planted hundreds of fruit trees on the property and now the fish pond which I have dreamed about as a ministry to feed the poor is coming into fruition.  


The property currently has almond, lemon, lime, Japanese plum, peach, anona, avocado, pear, mango, Mandarin orange, guava and 6 varieties of banana trees.

Oscar my farm worker showing off some of the fruit producing trees.  


Mandarin oranges fresh and organic.


Hundreds of bananas on hundreds of banana trees fill the farm.

Slowly but surely since I purchased the farm in 1994 it has began to produce more and more.  The farm has had no chemicals used on it since 1994.  So it is an organic farm.  

Now it is time to get the tilapia fish pond finished and up and running.


The land had to be moved around and some hills cropped off and a valley filled in order to make this happen.  The vision started years ago and now is almost complete.  All we need is $2,500 to finish the job. The dam is built but we need cement, rebar, gravel and sand to finish the dam and we need baby fish to stock the pond and food to feed them.  Soon we will be able to share the fish with local orphanages like we have shared the fruit with the poor.  If you would like to help finish this project, please hit the donate button below.  The pond will hold about 10,000 fish and will generate money and food for the ministry.  I will be a fisher of men and a fisher woman...