April 2004

Dear Friends,

The reenactment of the procession of Christ being taken to be crucified has a strong meaning in Honduras and Central America. At each of the 12 stations of the cross the procession stops to hear about its historical significance and how it speaks to us in our time.

At the first station, we are told that Jesus is condemned unjustly. He was considered dangerous by the authorities because of his constant call for conversion, his love for the poor, the way he denounced a religion that was losing direction, and by identifying with humble people. Today Jesus is present in people who are defenseless and wrongly accused. At the first station of the cross we remember injustices we witness today in a system where the majority of people have almost no chance of self-improvement due to the lack of housing, jobs, and opportunities to study.

At the third station, where Jesus falls for the first time, God shows us the way by giving his life for others. Though Jesus falls, he remains faithful to his cause. The message is that our moments of self-doubt are precisely the time to renew our commitment. Jesus teaches us that the strength of love is greater than the weakness of a fall.

Every day people here rise to the challenge of working hard to make ends meet. The people we (as a church) are in relation with in Honduras have a strong faith and an optimism that things will get better. As they pick themselves up everyday with a strength coming from their faith, Jesus is present for them.

Family news

Easter this year finds us at a time of personal change. Grace will be graduating from high school in June and has applied to colleges in the United States this fall. This will require some getting used to. We will be on home assignment in the United States from July through December. We are looking forward to visiting churches, friends, and family during this time. Pamela and Marsha, who graduated from college last May, are working part-time and pursuing career interests in inner-city community social programs and biological research, respectively. We look forward to seeing more of them during our time in the United States.

The loss of Tim’s dad right before Christmas continues to require our strong efforts to overcome grief and the vacuum he left. His values and his spirituality were inseparable from his life, which was a wonderful testimony of faith put into living action. He continues to be a guiding light for us, and for this we are very thankful.

Our prayers are for those in need, for the defenseless and downtrodden, that there may be new hope and joy in their lives. Thank you so much for holding them up in your prayers.

Yours,

Tim and Gloria Wheeler

The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 135