From MILES to TILES............

On the way to San Pedro

Well, the journey has brought us to our first complete week here in Honduras. It has been a wonderful adjustment so far. We have been very busy over the past week with just getting familiar with the area and driving in a new place. We are so grateful though that it is becoming second nature very fast.

The people here are very friendly and we love our church family. They have greeted us with open arms and hearts. I think that they are as excited as we are to see how the Lord's plan will unfold for the children's home.



Tiles for the cottage



kitchen tiles

Pastor Mike, Mark, Alexis and Al

We have already had guests here with us this week which was a blessing and help to us. Pastor Mike and Al Schaffer from the home in Tampa came to see the progress on the building as we walked room by room looking over all the details of the plans. We made some great accomplishments on Wednesday as we went out to pick out tiles for the floors, bathrooms, and kitchen. It is just like when you are buying or building your own home and you go to pick out all of the inside furnishings....it is so exciting to see how the cottage will take shape. We also went to pick out lights and ceiling fans and such for the rooms. We need ceiling fans and free standing fans because the homes here do not typically have air condition. With that said, Wednesday was about 103 degrees and that was the (temp.)not the heat index. We can not put A.C. in the cottage because when the children leave the home many will not be able to afford to have that luxury so it is best to not have them get use to something like having air in the house all the time.

Also, on Wednesday we become members of our local church here, "Iglesia Bautista  El Faro". We are so excited to see just what the Lord has done in the lives of the people here and how they are so faithful to serve and to be in the services.

Today, we had our first doctor  visit here for the baby and also got to check out the hospital where he will be born. We are eager for his arrival and the doctor informed us today that he is 6lb and 5 oz as of now and we still have 4 weeks to go. Looks like another "BIG" boy in our future. Please pray though that he will turn and even come early so that there are no complications.

We are still in need of many items on the Wal-Mart Wish List, everything from silverware sets to a good camera for pictures to keep you all updated with. The one thing that we really like about Wal-Mart is that no matter the amount of the purchase you can have it SHIPPED to the STORE in TAMPA for FREE and we will have someone pick it up for us and load it in the container. We are looking at a container and the cost is going to be around $3,000. It will only be worth it to ship if we have it FULL. Again, there are items on the list from sippy-cups, bunk beds (7 sets), to mixing bowls. We just ask that you prayerfully consider helping us. When you partner with us by helping to purchase an item, you are not just helping 6 people (the Coats family) you are helping all the children that will stay in our care over the next.....well only the Lord knows that number. Just know that we don't ask for ourselves but we are asking so that we can help those boys and girls that are here in Honduras that may be sleeping on a card-board box tonight, or ate dinner from a trash heap, or that had to bath in the local river to get clean. God will bless you for helping to reach these boys and girls no matter what or how you choose to help. Thank you to you all and we know that many of you have already helped us out greatly. Just know that we are so grateful and we can't wait to place the first few kids into a nw safe, clean, and new house, that they can CALL HOME.