After returning to Lydia's on Saturday afternoon the team went to Comunion Church for a visit with the sponsored kids from Comunion, Aqua Blanca and Santa Rosa. It was a wonderful experience for all and the kids were all so appreciative of their gifts. Many wanted to thank their sponsors in person and wish that someday that they could meet them.
Sunday, July 25th
The mission team attended church at Comunion where our own Tim Snyder preached another awesome service. His focus was on the family and that "all things are possible with God". A surprise visitor came with his son to the service....Mr. Ruiz (the government minister for persons with disabilities). Pastor Cesar met with the team after church to discuss all the mission opportunities for Comunion church...where they've been and where they want to go. After church, the team enjoyed lunch at Pizza Hut and the famed "Extremo" for dessert! We went back to Lydia's to change and go to the Valley of Angels for a little shopping. While at the Valley of Angels the bottom dropped out and some of us got soaking wet! On the way back to Tegucigalpa, we stopped to see where Julio's house was being built. He and Sarah are getting married on August 14th...finally!
The day concluded with a wonderful dinner at El Patio enjoyed by the team, translators and Pastor Cesar's family. It is hard to believe our time in Honduras is coming to an end.
Monday, July 26th
The team left Honduras with mixed emotions...sad to leave our friends in Honduras but anxiously excited to be back with our friends and family at home. I know one team member that sure did miss his two girls...in Honduras and at home! Our Honduran friends gathered at the airport for one last goodbye and the team traveled home safely even after a long,long delay in Atlanta. Don't worry friends, we will be back....
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Our Thursday and Friday Missions
Our group split up as some headed to San Ignacio and some stayed in Tegucigalpa.
While the others were packing to go to San Ignacio Thursday morning, Tim and Suzanne Snyder were leaving bright and early for a meeting with a government minister for persons with disabilities. He, who himself is blind, received us warmly and expressed appreciation for the work we are doing amoung the blind people of Honduras. Following this meeting with Mr. Ruiz, we discussed teaching blind students computer skills as we demonstrated to the computer instructer at Comunion church a special program that blind people use to operate the computer. We were so busy that we ended up having to order pizza at the church. After this meal, we traveled to the Blind Athletes Federation where we received a warm welcome. We observed blind people playing chess, and enjoying fellowship with one another. We then returned to our guest house for a brief respite and meal followed by participating in a worship service at Cataluna. Tim preached on the subject "With God All Things Are Possible".
We continued our efforts to encourage computer training for the blind as we traveled to the INFOP educational institution where we met with the director. He responded to our suggestions with much enthusiasm and showed great excitement about our ideas for training the blind. We then traveled to a Christian radio station for about an hour where we talked about the work of Fishers of Men. Of course we had to go to Burger King during our stay in Honduras because it is one of Pastor Pena's favorite restraunts. He ordered his favorite-the Chicken Whopper Jr. Our afternoon ended with a visit to Santa Lucia where we toured a school for blind youth and adults. Words cannot express how amazed we were at the types of things that are accomplished at the school. We were especially impressed by the carpentry shop.
Our Saturday in Tegucigalpa consisted of making home visits. We visited Elena, a woman who is chairbound but doesn't let her limitations stop her. In fact every Saturday she teaches a Bible school in her home. We also visited Byron, the young man whom Fishers of Men has helped with the expenses of medical bills and medicines. We enjoyed visiting the home of one of our tranlators, Nelson. He brought out his guitar and we sang "Amazing Grace", "Breathe" and Tim shared with them an old country song by Little Jimmy Dickens, "Take an Old Cold Tater and Wait".
In short, we were incredibly blessed by the welcoming people we met during our stay in Tegucigalpa. When you meet extradinary people who live in less than great situations, it inspires you to desire become an extrordinary person yourself. Especially since most of us live very comfortable lives. I do not believe God has ever shown His presence to me in such a great way than He did these past few days. He proved that He really lives inside of those who will accept Him.
Meanwhile the rest of the group took a long and bumpy ride through rural Honduras along bumpy country roads. We passed cows grazing in pastures and chickens running through the road. Along the last seven miles it was dirt roads and men riding horses and walking to the fields.
When we got to San Ignacio we met with Chris and Donna Keeter and Alex and Delmy Goya. Chris and Donna are missionaries from Kings Mountain, NC and Alex is the pastor of First Baptist Church of San Ignacio. Delmy is his wife and plays a key role in directing the programs of the church which include a feeding center and pre-school. As we had a bite of lunch one of the couples of the church gave us their testimony of how they had come to the church. Ada's neighbor was a member of the church and asked her as she passed Ada's house to come to services with her every time passed. Ada said that she would but never quite made it. One day her neighbor didn't ask her and Ada decided to go and find out why. She started going to the church and eventually was saved. Henry, Ada's husband saw the changes in Ada's life and came to the church with her. Shortly after attending the church had a woodworking workshop and he became interested. His life changed and he joined the church with his wife Ada and was saved. Alex and Chris were both very complimentary on the work that Henry and Ada do for the church.
After lunch, we set up another eye clinic for 3 hours and were amazed at how much the people there needed our help. One elderly man that lived beside the church came into the eye clinic struggling to walk because he could not see. After being fitted with a very strong pair of glasses, he had the biggest toothless grin you have ever seen. In fact, he was sitting in his doorway waving to us wearing his new glasses the next morning. Augustine prayed with everyone as they left the clinic.
Dale Overman, Doug Jones and Raymond Overman anxiously got over to the wood shop which has helped the church in their building processes. We had brought parts to repair a lathe that was broken. Unfortunately, as we repaired it we realized that the parts we brought were not correct. As we discussed the problem a new plan was made. We would go back to Tegucigalpa early in the morning and purchase a new smaller midi-lathe so that we could have the woodturning program after all. When Raymond gets back to Charlotte he's going to have a long discussion with the Delta tools representative and see if we can get the other one running too. The men in San Ignacio will have two lathes to gather around and work with for fellowship and creating items for fund raising. Look for some pens from Honduras. They were very excited.
On Friday, everyone in San Ignacio woke up to the "ki ki ki dee" of roosters at "La Finca" or "The Farm" which is what Chris and Donna Keeter call their guest house. Honduran roosters don't say "cockle doodle doo" of course. They speak spanish.
As the sun rose, Chris, Dale, Doug and Raymond headed back to Tegucigalpa for a scouting expedition. They were hoping to bring back a new piece of equipment for the woodworking shop. As they were heading down the dirt road leaving San Ignacio one of the chickens in the road didn't quite make it. Chris commented that he would stop on the way back and pay the lady for the chicken which was a big loss for a Honduran at about $6 or $7.
Our last eye clinic was held and the blessings continued as we fitted a couple of children with glasses. These kids were struggling in school and could not read the blackboard. It was rewarding to see how excited they were to be able to see better.
As much anxiety as we had about these eye clinics, God proved he was in control!
Augustine shared with us that 14 people had made a profession of faith during these eye clinics this week.
As we finished the eye clinics other members of our team went on a prayer walk and distributed food in the San Ignacio community. The group prayed with people at their homes and shared the message of the church with those who would listen.
We returned to La Finca for lunch and we listened to another testimony. Lencho confessed that as a young man he liked to go to parties and didn't follow the Lord. His father, who was saved, was sick with cancer and Pastor Alex visited him regularly. With the cancer, Lencho's father couldn't help build the church, he couldn't minister to other people and wasn't instrumental in bringing new members to the church. Pastor Alex was glad to have him as a member and was happy that he was saved but he needed strong men and women to help him build his church. Lencho's father prayed that Lencho and his wife would come to see the forgiveness and life that Jesus could bring to their family. As Lencho's father's cancer progressed, Pastor Alex saw Lencho one afternoon with an old bible reading to his family in his yard. Pastor Alex though, "What is a non-believer doing reading from the bible to his family?" He made a note to bring a new bible to Lencho and invite him to the church. Lencho's father passed away within a month of Pastor Alex seeing Lencho reading to his family. Within that time Lencho and his family had started coming to the church. They had been saved and became strong members that were active and willing to spread the word. Lencho's father was able to help build the church.
After lunch we headed back to the church. The group that went to Tegucigalpa had returned and got everything set up. We shared in a program and bible school with the children. Observed and helped with the feeding center and gave out a lot of hugs.
At supper, the sponsored children and families joined us at La Finca for a meal. The grill we sent last year was in full swing with beef and sausage, potatoes and plantains. Refried beans and vegetables were added to complete the meal. The kids really enjoyed the letters and gifts that were sent and we worked with them to write return letters to their sponsors.
We finished the evening with a service at the church by Pastor Alex.
On Saturday morning we had another bible school with the children and the men enjoyed a woodturning session where we taught Henry, Lencho and others how to make a pen. They were very excited.
After lunch we returned to Tegucigalpa and Lydia's guest house.
While the others were packing to go to San Ignacio Thursday morning, Tim and Suzanne Snyder were leaving bright and early for a meeting with a government minister for persons with disabilities. He, who himself is blind, received us warmly and expressed appreciation for the work we are doing amoung the blind people of Honduras. Following this meeting with Mr. Ruiz, we discussed teaching blind students computer skills as we demonstrated to the computer instructer at Comunion church a special program that blind people use to operate the computer. We were so busy that we ended up having to order pizza at the church. After this meal, we traveled to the Blind Athletes Federation where we received a warm welcome. We observed blind people playing chess, and enjoying fellowship with one another. We then returned to our guest house for a brief respite and meal followed by participating in a worship service at Cataluna. Tim preached on the subject "With God All Things Are Possible".
We continued our efforts to encourage computer training for the blind as we traveled to the INFOP educational institution where we met with the director. He responded to our suggestions with much enthusiasm and showed great excitement about our ideas for training the blind. We then traveled to a Christian radio station for about an hour where we talked about the work of Fishers of Men. Of course we had to go to Burger King during our stay in Honduras because it is one of Pastor Pena's favorite restraunts. He ordered his favorite-the Chicken Whopper Jr. Our afternoon ended with a visit to Santa Lucia where we toured a school for blind youth and adults. Words cannot express how amazed we were at the types of things that are accomplished at the school. We were especially impressed by the carpentry shop.
Our Saturday in Tegucigalpa consisted of making home visits. We visited Elena, a woman who is chairbound but doesn't let her limitations stop her. In fact every Saturday she teaches a Bible school in her home. We also visited Byron, the young man whom Fishers of Men has helped with the expenses of medical bills and medicines. We enjoyed visiting the home of one of our tranlators, Nelson. He brought out his guitar and we sang "Amazing Grace", "Breathe" and Tim shared with them an old country song by Little Jimmy Dickens, "Take an Old Cold Tater and Wait".
In short, we were incredibly blessed by the welcoming people we met during our stay in Tegucigalpa. When you meet extradinary people who live in less than great situations, it inspires you to desire become an extrordinary person yourself. Especially since most of us live very comfortable lives. I do not believe God has ever shown His presence to me in such a great way than He did these past few days. He proved that He really lives inside of those who will accept Him.
Meanwhile the rest of the group took a long and bumpy ride through rural Honduras along bumpy country roads. We passed cows grazing in pastures and chickens running through the road. Along the last seven miles it was dirt roads and men riding horses and walking to the fields.
When we got to San Ignacio we met with Chris and Donna Keeter and Alex and Delmy Goya. Chris and Donna are missionaries from Kings Mountain, NC and Alex is the pastor of First Baptist Church of San Ignacio. Delmy is his wife and plays a key role in directing the programs of the church which include a feeding center and pre-school. As we had a bite of lunch one of the couples of the church gave us their testimony of how they had come to the church. Ada's neighbor was a member of the church and asked her as she passed Ada's house to come to services with her every time passed. Ada said that she would but never quite made it. One day her neighbor didn't ask her and Ada decided to go and find out why. She started going to the church and eventually was saved. Henry, Ada's husband saw the changes in Ada's life and came to the church with her. Shortly after attending the church had a woodworking workshop and he became interested. His life changed and he joined the church with his wife Ada and was saved. Alex and Chris were both very complimentary on the work that Henry and Ada do for the church.
After lunch, we set up another eye clinic for 3 hours and were amazed at how much the people there needed our help. One elderly man that lived beside the church came into the eye clinic struggling to walk because he could not see. After being fitted with a very strong pair of glasses, he had the biggest toothless grin you have ever seen. In fact, he was sitting in his doorway waving to us wearing his new glasses the next morning. Augustine prayed with everyone as they left the clinic.
Dale Overman, Doug Jones and Raymond Overman anxiously got over to the wood shop which has helped the church in their building processes. We had brought parts to repair a lathe that was broken. Unfortunately, as we repaired it we realized that the parts we brought were not correct. As we discussed the problem a new plan was made. We would go back to Tegucigalpa early in the morning and purchase a new smaller midi-lathe so that we could have the woodturning program after all. When Raymond gets back to Charlotte he's going to have a long discussion with the Delta tools representative and see if we can get the other one running too. The men in San Ignacio will have two lathes to gather around and work with for fellowship and creating items for fund raising. Look for some pens from Honduras. They were very excited.
On Friday, everyone in San Ignacio woke up to the "ki ki ki dee" of roosters at "La Finca" or "The Farm" which is what Chris and Donna Keeter call their guest house. Honduran roosters don't say "cockle doodle doo" of course. They speak spanish.
As the sun rose, Chris, Dale, Doug and Raymond headed back to Tegucigalpa for a scouting expedition. They were hoping to bring back a new piece of equipment for the woodworking shop. As they were heading down the dirt road leaving San Ignacio one of the chickens in the road didn't quite make it. Chris commented that he would stop on the way back and pay the lady for the chicken which was a big loss for a Honduran at about $6 or $7.
Our last eye clinic was held and the blessings continued as we fitted a couple of children with glasses. These kids were struggling in school and could not read the blackboard. It was rewarding to see how excited they were to be able to see better.
As much anxiety as we had about these eye clinics, God proved he was in control!
Augustine shared with us that 14 people had made a profession of faith during these eye clinics this week.
As we finished the eye clinics other members of our team went on a prayer walk and distributed food in the San Ignacio community. The group prayed with people at their homes and shared the message of the church with those who would listen.
We returned to La Finca for lunch and we listened to another testimony. Lencho confessed that as a young man he liked to go to parties and didn't follow the Lord. His father, who was saved, was sick with cancer and Pastor Alex visited him regularly. With the cancer, Lencho's father couldn't help build the church, he couldn't minister to other people and wasn't instrumental in bringing new members to the church. Pastor Alex was glad to have him as a member and was happy that he was saved but he needed strong men and women to help him build his church. Lencho's father prayed that Lencho and his wife would come to see the forgiveness and life that Jesus could bring to their family. As Lencho's father's cancer progressed, Pastor Alex saw Lencho one afternoon with an old bible reading to his family in his yard. Pastor Alex though, "What is a non-believer doing reading from the bible to his family?" He made a note to bring a new bible to Lencho and invite him to the church. Lencho's father passed away within a month of Pastor Alex seeing Lencho reading to his family. Within that time Lencho and his family had started coming to the church. They had been saved and became strong members that were active and willing to spread the word. Lencho's father was able to help build the church.
After lunch we headed back to the church. The group that went to Tegucigalpa had returned and got everything set up. We shared in a program and bible school with the children. Observed and helped with the feeding center and gave out a lot of hugs.
At supper, the sponsored children and families joined us at La Finca for a meal. The grill we sent last year was in full swing with beef and sausage, potatoes and plantains. Refried beans and vegetables were added to complete the meal. The kids really enjoyed the letters and gifts that were sent and we worked with them to write return letters to their sponsors.
We finished the evening with a service at the church by Pastor Alex.
On Saturday morning we had another bible school with the children and the men enjoyed a woodturning session where we taught Henry, Lencho and others how to make a pen. They were very excited.
After lunch we returned to Tegucigalpa and Lydia's guest house.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
We're heading to San Ignacia
We are heading out of town for the next few days so we'll be out of touch. Let us know what you think of what we've been doing by commenting on the last few days of posts.
Keep us in your prayers.
Keep us in your prayers.
A Mission To Agua Blanca
Wednesday we ate breakfast and had a devotion that furthered our discussion of miracles. We planned to go to Agua Blanca today and continue our mission there. As we arrived at the church in Agua Blanca many of the team members reminisced about helping build the building.
This year, we once again journeyed to Ciudad Espana and visited our friends at Agua Blanca. This is the church that the team has helped build over the years. Upon arrival, we divided into three teams for our prayer walk and to distribute food. The houses in Agua Blanca are larger and better built than the typical homes in Cataluna, yet the needs are still great. We prayed for health and jobs for the people, but there seemed to be more urgent needs as well.
In one house, we prayed for an old widower who is raising an autistic child alone. The love and devotion this father showed for his son was inspirational to us, so we also prayed that he would inspire his neighbors. We prayed for a lady with edema, we prayed for a man recovering from abdominal surgery, we prayed for a family with 15 children in the home, we prayed for an elderly matron who has generously opened her home for an older lady with cerebral palsy, and we prayed for the healing of many sick babies.
The children were invited to come to Bible School in the afternoon, and the ladies were invited to come to make some crafts. Eye clinics were held in the bottom of the church and some joyful reunions with old friends made us smile. One of the most touching moments happened when Denora, a blind lady from the village, came to sing for us. We first met Denora two years ago when Pastor Tim Snyder took his blind ministry into the community. Denora was reclusive and shy, but genuinely overcome with emotion when she discovered people were actively seeking out the blind in the community to help out.
So, in appreciation for the work that Spoken Word Ministries has done for the blind in her village, and in appreciation for the work that Fishers of Men continues to do, Denora cast her timidity aside, grabbed a microphone, and sang “The Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion…in English. God has blessed her with a voice that angels surely envy.
We were also excited for the opportunity to see some of the sponsor kids, even though our official visit is later in the trip. Chip was able to see the sisters Angie and Martha again, and marveled at how much they have grown. In celebration of his birthday, the girls performed a dance routine to a popular Spanish Christian song. Meg and Ashley were able to visit with Ricardo. We visited with Darwin’s family (a man who received a welding machine thanks to the FOM Lend-a-Hand program). Yet the most special reunion of all came when we saw Jenny again.
Jenny is the young lady we helped get an operation for a severe infection some years ago. The infection in her foot almost resulted in the loss of her leg, but we were able to provide help for her. Since then, Jenny has grown into a beautiful young woman, and we were pleasantly surprised to meet her infant son, Steven. Like so many other Honduran women, Jenny’s is a story of heartache and worry…little Steven’s father has disappeared, leaving Jenny to raise the son on her own. Even though she has trouble seeing it sometimes, God has blessed Jenny’s life and we believe that God is not through with her yet. We wrapped our arms around Jenny and our tears mingled and fell to the grey Honduran soil as we assured her that we still love her, but more importantly that God still loves her.
The time slipped quickly, and as we drove away from Agua Blanca for another year, we silently offered prayers of protection and hope for our friends in the village. Every year, we see spiritual and physical growth in the church there, and we thank our great God for the opportunity to serve and love the people there.
The eye clinic was in full swing again at Agua Blanca. Each eye clinic has seen many older patients that need very strong corrective lenses. We have also helped many women with their near vision so that they can read and sew. We feel very blessed to be able to help so many. We are even getting faster too! We saw 78 patients and could have reached 100 if we had as much time as in other communities.
Tonight, we went back to Comunion church after dinner and finished seeing the people we could not see on Tuesday night. In a little over an hour, we saw approximately 30 more people! It is a wonderful blessing to see so many people excited about new glasses and improved vision. God is good!
We returned from Agua Blanca and ate supper at Lydia’s. Chip Phillips birthday was today so we sang Happy Birthday to him and had cake and ice cream! We all agreed that Chip needed to have many more birthdays. The sooner the better.
We then returned to Comunion for more programs. We continued the karate program with the children, the woodturning with the men, the crafts with the ladies and Tim continued his Servants Academy discussions. It seemed that the people of Comunion could not get enough.
This year, we once again journeyed to Ciudad Espana and visited our friends at Agua Blanca. This is the church that the team has helped build over the years. Upon arrival, we divided into three teams for our prayer walk and to distribute food. The houses in Agua Blanca are larger and better built than the typical homes in Cataluna, yet the needs are still great. We prayed for health and jobs for the people, but there seemed to be more urgent needs as well.
In one house, we prayed for an old widower who is raising an autistic child alone. The love and devotion this father showed for his son was inspirational to us, so we also prayed that he would inspire his neighbors. We prayed for a lady with edema, we prayed for a man recovering from abdominal surgery, we prayed for a family with 15 children in the home, we prayed for an elderly matron who has generously opened her home for an older lady with cerebral palsy, and we prayed for the healing of many sick babies.
The children were invited to come to Bible School in the afternoon, and the ladies were invited to come to make some crafts. Eye clinics were held in the bottom of the church and some joyful reunions with old friends made us smile. One of the most touching moments happened when Denora, a blind lady from the village, came to sing for us. We first met Denora two years ago when Pastor Tim Snyder took his blind ministry into the community. Denora was reclusive and shy, but genuinely overcome with emotion when she discovered people were actively seeking out the blind in the community to help out.
So, in appreciation for the work that Spoken Word Ministries has done for the blind in her village, and in appreciation for the work that Fishers of Men continues to do, Denora cast her timidity aside, grabbed a microphone, and sang “The Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion…in English. God has blessed her with a voice that angels surely envy.
We were also excited for the opportunity to see some of the sponsor kids, even though our official visit is later in the trip. Chip was able to see the sisters Angie and Martha again, and marveled at how much they have grown. In celebration of his birthday, the girls performed a dance routine to a popular Spanish Christian song. Meg and Ashley were able to visit with Ricardo. We visited with Darwin’s family (a man who received a welding machine thanks to the FOM Lend-a-Hand program). Yet the most special reunion of all came when we saw Jenny again.
Jenny is the young lady we helped get an operation for a severe infection some years ago. The infection in her foot almost resulted in the loss of her leg, but we were able to provide help for her. Since then, Jenny has grown into a beautiful young woman, and we were pleasantly surprised to meet her infant son, Steven. Like so many other Honduran women, Jenny’s is a story of heartache and worry…little Steven’s father has disappeared, leaving Jenny to raise the son on her own. Even though she has trouble seeing it sometimes, God has blessed Jenny’s life and we believe that God is not through with her yet. We wrapped our arms around Jenny and our tears mingled and fell to the grey Honduran soil as we assured her that we still love her, but more importantly that God still loves her.
The time slipped quickly, and as we drove away from Agua Blanca for another year, we silently offered prayers of protection and hope for our friends in the village. Every year, we see spiritual and physical growth in the church there, and we thank our great God for the opportunity to serve and love the people there.
The eye clinic was in full swing again at Agua Blanca. Each eye clinic has seen many older patients that need very strong corrective lenses. We have also helped many women with their near vision so that they can read and sew. We feel very blessed to be able to help so many. We are even getting faster too! We saw 78 patients and could have reached 100 if we had as much time as in other communities.
Tonight, we went back to Comunion church after dinner and finished seeing the people we could not see on Tuesday night. In a little over an hour, we saw approximately 30 more people! It is a wonderful blessing to see so many people excited about new glasses and improved vision. God is good!
We returned from Agua Blanca and ate supper at Lydia’s. Chip Phillips birthday was today so we sang Happy Birthday to him and had cake and ice cream! We all agreed that Chip needed to have many more birthdays. The sooner the better.
We then returned to Comunion for more programs. We continued the karate program with the children, the woodturning with the men, the crafts with the ladies and Tim continued his Servants Academy discussions. It seemed that the people of Comunion could not get enough.
A Mission to Cataluna
Tuesday we started the day as usual with breakfast and a devotion. We discussed our plans in the village of Cataluna that morning.
During the 2008 mission trip to Honduras, we visited the village of Cataluna for the very first time. Cataluna is a poor community on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa. The town does not have a source of clean water and on our first visit, we distributed bags of water to villagers. There was not a church building in the village either, so a few ladies began holding services in their homes.
This year, we found quite a change. Instead of water bags, we drove through the community with 1500 gallons of water in large tanks. The people would come from their homes with buckets, barrels, bowls, and bottles. We tried to equitably provide around five gallons per home, but the swarm of the thirsty probably resulted in a few families getting more than their share, but as Dale Overman remarked "We didn't bring it to take it back with us!"
Earlier, that day, some of the team divided into three smaller teams, charged with prayer walking and distributing food bags allocated from “Stop Hunger Now” based in Raleigh, NC. Each bag, when prepared according to the instructions, can provide a meal for six people. The instructions are simple; add 6 cups of water and boil for 20 minutes. The food is a good source of protein and essential vitamins and each recipient seemed genuinely grateful.
We asked each family we met if there were specific needs that we could pray for. Many asked for prayers for health or for other members of their family. For some, we prayed that they could find a good job. Some people were curious why we gave them food and didn’t ask for anything in return so we explained that we were not wanting money or anything else, we are just trying to share the love of Jesus. A few of the villagers accepted Jesus as Lord because of that love. All were invited to the center of town later for Bible School and eye clinics.
Those of us that have been to Cataluna before found ourselves smiling at the new church building. 2 years ago, the church met in homes and Bible School was conducted under a shed. Today, there is a church building where the people can worship and we were able to hold Bible School. The physical thirst is still evident in Cataluna, and thanks to some generous donations, the spiritual thirst is being met in the growing church.
Our second eye clinic in Cataluna was a huge success too! Ray and Jennifer tested away in this very poor community and the people were so appreciative! Ashley helped with the testing for distance and enjoyed seeing all of the people file by. God sent us little blessings as we got to witness some “Ah ha” moments. No translator was needed to know when one young man could see the letters on Suzanne’s shirt! His distance vision was so poor that he did not even know there were any letters there until Jennifer put the right prescription in front of him. God is so good! Susan and Meg stayed busy too cleaning and handing out glasses while Edward (11 year old translator) helped ensure the people’s vision was clear. 86 people were helped and our team was elated!
After dinner, we set up an eye clinic for people at Comunion Church. For 2 hours we saw friends from Comunion as well as new faces. The time passed quickly as Ray, Jennifer, Susan and Meg worked hard. Stephanie and Suzanne helped us test for distance vision by holding up letters or letting the people look into their eyes from 10 feet away. The eye clinic saw 47 people and there were more to be seen. We decided to come back on Wednesday night to try and finish seeing all the people. Our bodies are tired but it is a good tired. We know God is sending us many people that need help to improve their vision.
We continued our ladies crafts program Tuesday night with making hair bows. The children continued to learn karate from Sam and the men continued making pens with Dale, Raymond and Doug.
During the 2008 mission trip to Honduras, we visited the village of Cataluna for the very first time. Cataluna is a poor community on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa. The town does not have a source of clean water and on our first visit, we distributed bags of water to villagers. There was not a church building in the village either, so a few ladies began holding services in their homes.
This year, we found quite a change. Instead of water bags, we drove through the community with 1500 gallons of water in large tanks. The people would come from their homes with buckets, barrels, bowls, and bottles. We tried to equitably provide around five gallons per home, but the swarm of the thirsty probably resulted in a few families getting more than their share, but as Dale Overman remarked "We didn't bring it to take it back with us!"
Earlier, that day, some of the team divided into three smaller teams, charged with prayer walking and distributing food bags allocated from “Stop Hunger Now” based in Raleigh, NC. Each bag, when prepared according to the instructions, can provide a meal for six people. The instructions are simple; add 6 cups of water and boil for 20 minutes. The food is a good source of protein and essential vitamins and each recipient seemed genuinely grateful.
We asked each family we met if there were specific needs that we could pray for. Many asked for prayers for health or for other members of their family. For some, we prayed that they could find a good job. Some people were curious why we gave them food and didn’t ask for anything in return so we explained that we were not wanting money or anything else, we are just trying to share the love of Jesus. A few of the villagers accepted Jesus as Lord because of that love. All were invited to the center of town later for Bible School and eye clinics.
Those of us that have been to Cataluna before found ourselves smiling at the new church building. 2 years ago, the church met in homes and Bible School was conducted under a shed. Today, there is a church building where the people can worship and we were able to hold Bible School. The physical thirst is still evident in Cataluna, and thanks to some generous donations, the spiritual thirst is being met in the growing church.
Our second eye clinic in Cataluna was a huge success too! Ray and Jennifer tested away in this very poor community and the people were so appreciative! Ashley helped with the testing for distance and enjoyed seeing all of the people file by. God sent us little blessings as we got to witness some “Ah ha” moments. No translator was needed to know when one young man could see the letters on Suzanne’s shirt! His distance vision was so poor that he did not even know there were any letters there until Jennifer put the right prescription in front of him. God is so good! Susan and Meg stayed busy too cleaning and handing out glasses while Edward (11 year old translator) helped ensure the people’s vision was clear. 86 people were helped and our team was elated!
After dinner, we set up an eye clinic for people at Comunion Church. For 2 hours we saw friends from Comunion as well as new faces. The time passed quickly as Ray, Jennifer, Susan and Meg worked hard. Stephanie and Suzanne helped us test for distance vision by holding up letters or letting the people look into their eyes from 10 feet away. The eye clinic saw 47 people and there were more to be seen. We decided to come back on Wednesday night to try and finish seeing all the people. Our bodies are tired but it is a good tired. We know God is sending us many people that need help to improve their vision.
We continued our ladies crafts program Tuesday night with making hair bows. The children continued to learn karate from Sam and the men continued making pens with Dale, Raymond and Doug.
Monday's Programs and Mission
Monday we ate breakfast and had devotion. We split into two groups and some of us headed to Sacramento for eye clinics and some of us went to a Catholic school for the blind.
Those that went to Sacramento didn’t know exactly what to expect but knew that God was in control. Ray and Jennifer sat with a translator and patiently tested each person. Kent, Sarah, Pat and Paul helped with testing for distance. The people were very patient and waited outside in the sun as we slowly progressed. Susan and Meg handed out the right strength glasses and retested the people once they tried on their glasses to make sure it was the right prescription. The majority of people only needed reading glasses but a few people really needed a huge vision correction. With our first eye clinic under our belt, everyone felt better about our abilities and we knew that God was sending us people that really benefited from this clinic. Each person not only improved their vision but they also improved their spiritual life by being prayed with before leaving by the church’s pastor. In about 4 hours, we had seen 81 people!
At the school for the blind Tim Snyder met with the principal and discussed our plans. We were a little worried that they wouldn’t be as receptive to our programs since there are problems between the Catholic and Protestant churches here. We shouldn’t have been worried though because they were very excited about our visit and welcomed us with open arms. Again, God was in control.
We were greeted by singing from 33 blind children. They sang beautifully and as a soloist’s part came they would stand and sing loud and clear.
Roxy, one of our interpreters then told a Bible story to the children.
Many of their instructors joined us when we distributed faith bracelet kits with beads. Each of us helped the children make the bracelets and they were very proud of them. The beads on the bracelet represented different aspects of faith.
Yellow – God created light
Green – God created the Earth and trees
Blue – God created the oceans, water and seas
White – God’s purity
Red – God’s shed blood
Black – Death and the darkest day
Clear – God’s crystal clear vision of how we should live our life
As we finished making bracelets the children and the blind instructors were fitted for canes. When we came to the school, 33 children shared 8 canes. When we finished they each had a new cane of their own. Their smiles and laughter expressed how excited they were to have the gifts.
That evening we met back at Comunion where Tim started his discussions with the Servants Academy group. The ladies met and did a colorful craft made out of plastic canvas. It resembled a seashell and could be hung to twirl in the wind. Sam started teaching karate to the children and Dale, Raymond and Doug started teaching a group of men to make pens on the lathe at woodturning.
Those that went to Sacramento didn’t know exactly what to expect but knew that God was in control. Ray and Jennifer sat with a translator and patiently tested each person. Kent, Sarah, Pat and Paul helped with testing for distance. The people were very patient and waited outside in the sun as we slowly progressed. Susan and Meg handed out the right strength glasses and retested the people once they tried on their glasses to make sure it was the right prescription. The majority of people only needed reading glasses but a few people really needed a huge vision correction. With our first eye clinic under our belt, everyone felt better about our abilities and we knew that God was sending us people that really benefited from this clinic. Each person not only improved their vision but they also improved their spiritual life by being prayed with before leaving by the church’s pastor. In about 4 hours, we had seen 81 people!
At the school for the blind Tim Snyder met with the principal and discussed our plans. We were a little worried that they wouldn’t be as receptive to our programs since there are problems between the Catholic and Protestant churches here. We shouldn’t have been worried though because they were very excited about our visit and welcomed us with open arms. Again, God was in control.
We were greeted by singing from 33 blind children. They sang beautifully and as a soloist’s part came they would stand and sing loud and clear.
Roxy, one of our interpreters then told a Bible story to the children.
Many of their instructors joined us when we distributed faith bracelet kits with beads. Each of us helped the children make the bracelets and they were very proud of them. The beads on the bracelet represented different aspects of faith.
Yellow – God created light
Green – God created the Earth and trees
Blue – God created the oceans, water and seas
White – God’s purity
Red – God’s shed blood
Black – Death and the darkest day
Clear – God’s crystal clear vision of how we should live our life
As we finished making bracelets the children and the blind instructors were fitted for canes. When we came to the school, 33 children shared 8 canes. When we finished they each had a new cane of their own. Their smiles and laughter expressed how excited they were to have the gifts.
That evening we met back at Comunion where Tim started his discussions with the Servants Academy group. The ladies met and did a colorful craft made out of plastic canvas. It resembled a seashell and could be hung to twirl in the wind. Sam started teaching karate to the children and Dale, Raymond and Doug started teaching a group of men to make pens on the lathe at woodturning.
Sunday Services and Programs
Sunday in Honduras started with some French toast, fresh bananas and cereal at Lydia’s guesthouse. After breakfast we dressed and readied for church at Comunion.
Chip Phillips started our morning devotional with a message from Julio, a seminary student and treasurer of Comunion. His email from the night before was exciting and he expressed that he couldn’t wait to tell us his good news.
Of the fifty people that approached the altar at the Banquet last night, twenty-one accepted counseling from the leaders of the church. Five of the twenty-one accepted Jesus and twelve more rededicated their lives to Christ.
Chip went on to share the miracle and dedication of Dick and Rick Hoyt who is a father son team that runs marathons. You can read more about their miracle at http://www.teamhoyt.com
After devotion we traveled back to Comunion for church.
The service at Comunion starts with music as a call to worship. Everyday when we arrive at the church the doors are wide open since there is no air conditioning. Today the music could be heard from the street and brought people into the sanctuary.
Today was Pastor Cesar’s birthday and the congregation honored him by singing happy birthday. Tim Snyder gave the sermon and discussed supporting your pastor.
After the service at Comunion we went to a restaurant, Por Cal for Sunday lunch. When we returned from lunch we split up and headed in different directions for the different programs planned for the day.
A handful of the men accompanied Pastor Tim Snyder to the Honduras Olympic Village, where the Olympic hopefuls train each year. The facility also serves as a center of physical fitness and recreation. Although we were amazed by the Olympic pool and the various arenas, we were not sight-seeing.
As it turns out, each of the five Central American nations are represented by male and female teams that play a sport called
Goalball. A combination of soccer, bowling, volleyball, tennis, and “Marco Polo”, goalball is a sport for the blind. Blindness does not diminish competitiveness, as we soon learned.
Teams of three face-off on a volleyball court. Even though the sport is for the blind, each athlete is given a blindfold to assure complete blindness. Strings are taped to the floor and the athletes find their positions by feeling for the strings. A center and two guards are tasked with preventing the ball to roll past them. If the ball leaves the back of the court, that is a point for the other team. The balls are similar to basketballs, but do not bounce. Bells inside the ball jingle to provide an audible reference point for the athletes to locate the ball and block it. Accomplished “goalballers” have a technique whereby they put a special spin on the ball, minimizing the jingling and the ball stealthily passes the other team.
Pastor Tim was invited to play and joyfully accepted the challenge. Within a few moments he soon realized how demanding the sport is. Knee pads and elbow pads are a must, as you must extend your body on a hardwood floor to properly block and catch the ball. The Honduran team does not have enough protective equipment to go around, so both the men’s team and the women’s team share equipment.
That evening the youth of Comunion met with part of our group for a devotion and fellowship. They played games with Frisbees, a soccer ball and some played UNO.
We returned to Lydia’s that evening and had a devotion. After discussing the days events and our plans for Monday we all headed to bed. It had been a long day.
Chip Phillips started our morning devotional with a message from Julio, a seminary student and treasurer of Comunion. His email from the night before was exciting and he expressed that he couldn’t wait to tell us his good news.
Of the fifty people that approached the altar at the Banquet last night, twenty-one accepted counseling from the leaders of the church. Five of the twenty-one accepted Jesus and twelve more rededicated their lives to Christ.
Chip went on to share the miracle and dedication of Dick and Rick Hoyt who is a father son team that runs marathons. You can read more about their miracle at http://www.teamhoyt.com
After devotion we traveled back to Comunion for church.
The service at Comunion starts with music as a call to worship. Everyday when we arrive at the church the doors are wide open since there is no air conditioning. Today the music could be heard from the street and brought people into the sanctuary.
Today was Pastor Cesar’s birthday and the congregation honored him by singing happy birthday. Tim Snyder gave the sermon and discussed supporting your pastor.
After the service at Comunion we went to a restaurant, Por Cal for Sunday lunch. When we returned from lunch we split up and headed in different directions for the different programs planned for the day.
A handful of the men accompanied Pastor Tim Snyder to the Honduras Olympic Village, where the Olympic hopefuls train each year. The facility also serves as a center of physical fitness and recreation. Although we were amazed by the Olympic pool and the various arenas, we were not sight-seeing.
As it turns out, each of the five Central American nations are represented by male and female teams that play a sport called
Goalball. A combination of soccer, bowling, volleyball, tennis, and “Marco Polo”, goalball is a sport for the blind. Blindness does not diminish competitiveness, as we soon learned.
Teams of three face-off on a volleyball court. Even though the sport is for the blind, each athlete is given a blindfold to assure complete blindness. Strings are taped to the floor and the athletes find their positions by feeling for the strings. A center and two guards are tasked with preventing the ball to roll past them. If the ball leaves the back of the court, that is a point for the other team. The balls are similar to basketballs, but do not bounce. Bells inside the ball jingle to provide an audible reference point for the athletes to locate the ball and block it. Accomplished “goalballers” have a technique whereby they put a special spin on the ball, minimizing the jingling and the ball stealthily passes the other team.
Pastor Tim was invited to play and joyfully accepted the challenge. Within a few moments he soon realized how demanding the sport is. Knee pads and elbow pads are a must, as you must extend your body on a hardwood floor to properly block and catch the ball. The Honduran team does not have enough protective equipment to go around, so both the men’s team and the women’s team share equipment.
That evening the youth of Comunion met with part of our group for a devotion and fellowship. They played games with Frisbees, a soccer ball and some played UNO.
We returned to Lydia’s that evening and had a devotion. After discussing the days events and our plans for Monday we all headed to bed. It had been a long day.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
A banquet for the blind - our second day in Honduras
Lydia’s guesthouse has many rooms. The rooms have essentials, bunk beds, pillows, bathrooms and showers. We all were thankful to God last night for providing us with a safe and comfortable place to sleep and we awoke to a new day full of lending a helping hand to the people of Comunion Iglesia Bautista, better known to our American friends as Comunion Baptist Church in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
After a delicious and bountiful breakfast of oatmeal cake, milk, fresh bananas and Honduran coffee we got together our supplies and headed to Comunion for a program with the children. Saturdays are busy at the church and the children had gathered in excited groups and were practicing programs that they had put together for us.
As they finished we arranged more of the supplies that had been delivered to the church. The packages of food that we are distributing, water filtration systems and devotional books had to be unpacked and there was some business to attend to in finding some wood for the woodworking program tomorrow evening.
Pastor Cesar had spoken to a neighbor of the church who said that he had part of a tree down in his yard that we could have for the woodturning class. This man has a house next door to the church with access through an alleyway behind the church. Pastor Cesar said that the man has never had interest in the church or any affiliation but his interest in things made of wood has given us an opportunity. He is planning to come to tomorrow evening’s program. We ask that you pray that this man, this neighbor of the church, is reached through our mission and that a new relationship is created between him and Comunion, a relationship that leads him to the church and through the church, to Jesus Christ.
Meanwhile, the children of the church finished their practicing and we joined them for their program. A group of young girls sang a song proclaiming that with your love of Jesus you have to open your heart. The girls were dressed as mimes and their message was to not pay attention to them but to give the attention and love to Jesus. Filling your heart with the love of Jesus is what is important, not who you are or where you are from.
A group of boys followed the girls with a short play depicting David slaying Goliath. They were dressed in robes and carried cardboard swords and spears. As David brought down Goliath with his sling they cheered and laughed as they took a bow. You could tell they enjoyed putting on the performance and showing what they had learned from the bible story.
After the performances the children washed and readied for a meal. Part of the feeding center program is to teach the children about hygiene and manners. After washing they gathered around some tables and the women of Comunion fed them a meal of pork, beans, fried plantains and a cup of milk. You could see that the children were very thankful.
Please pray for the continuing commitment and patience of the ladies at Comunion. They are providing a healthy meal and a good foundation for children that otherwise wouldn’t have it.
After working with the children at Comunion we returned to Lydia’s for lunch and preparation for the banquet we were providing the blind in the evening. All of the gift bags we put together last night were packed up and ready.
Luke 14:12
“Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Tim Synder is blind. He’s a member of our mission team and he had a vision. His vision was straight out of Luke 14:12 and this evening his vision became a reality. Over 200 people were brought to Comunion from churches at Agua Blanca, Sacramento, Cataluna and other mission churches and they were treated to a banquet. This included people that were part of the mission churches and those that were not part of the church.
Fresh tablecloths, cloth napkins and silverware adorned the tables. Again, the women of Comunion prepared food for those less fortunate. The bounty of our table was provided to the guests and they enjoyed a first course of soup, an entrée of chicken or beef with rice and a fresh salad, and finally a scoop of ice cream and cookie for desert. This was something that you’ve seen time and time again at Wednesday night suppers or Sunday afternoon meals in American churches but you could see by the looks on some of the peoples faces, this was something new for them.
The mission team served everyone each course. Before and during the meal two Honduran gentlemen provided musical entertainment. One gentleman was blind and sang some beautiful songs praising Jesus and thanking God. The other entertainer was in a wheel chair and played a number of songs on a handmade pan flute. What is amazing is that he has limited use of his hands due to an accident but used to play the guitar. He started making these instruments when he was searching for something to replace his guitar that he was now unable to play. His presentation and slide show on how he made these instruments was and inspirational and uplifting experience.
As the meal came to a close each guest was given a gift bag with personal hygiene items. Also the blind guests were fitted and given a new cane.
In one case there was a man holding an old and worn cane. He explained that it was almost broken. It was bent and there were dents and dings where the finish once was. As he stood there with a brand new cane he tapped it on the floor listening intently to the sound that it made. He ran his hands up and down the handle feeling the new grip and “seeing” what it looked like. It was truly moving to see how much it meant to him to be provided such a gift. A big smile was across his face as he expressed his thanks to Tim and other members of the team.
As the crowd finished and left we helped the people of Comunion clean up and set up their sanctuary for tomorrows services. We then headed back to Lydia’s to our own supper. A pot of chili with corn chips, fresh guacamole, cheese and lettuce waited for us.
Chip Phillips held a devotional after supper and discussed the miracle that Jesus performed in Mark 2, curing a man of palsy. We each discussed the miracles we had seen today and in previous missions and prayed for our continuing mission before heading to bed.
Continue to pray for us please. Tomorrow we will worship with the people of Comunion and more programs are planned. Thank you for supporting us in your thoughts and prayer. God bless you as well.
Tomorrow, I promise we’ll catch up with some pictures!
After a delicious and bountiful breakfast of oatmeal cake, milk, fresh bananas and Honduran coffee we got together our supplies and headed to Comunion for a program with the children. Saturdays are busy at the church and the children had gathered in excited groups and were practicing programs that they had put together for us.
As they finished we arranged more of the supplies that had been delivered to the church. The packages of food that we are distributing, water filtration systems and devotional books had to be unpacked and there was some business to attend to in finding some wood for the woodworking program tomorrow evening.
Pastor Cesar had spoken to a neighbor of the church who said that he had part of a tree down in his yard that we could have for the woodturning class. This man has a house next door to the church with access through an alleyway behind the church. Pastor Cesar said that the man has never had interest in the church or any affiliation but his interest in things made of wood has given us an opportunity. He is planning to come to tomorrow evening’s program. We ask that you pray that this man, this neighbor of the church, is reached through our mission and that a new relationship is created between him and Comunion, a relationship that leads him to the church and through the church, to Jesus Christ.
Meanwhile, the children of the church finished their practicing and we joined them for their program. A group of young girls sang a song proclaiming that with your love of Jesus you have to open your heart. The girls were dressed as mimes and their message was to not pay attention to them but to give the attention and love to Jesus. Filling your heart with the love of Jesus is what is important, not who you are or where you are from.
A group of boys followed the girls with a short play depicting David slaying Goliath. They were dressed in robes and carried cardboard swords and spears. As David brought down Goliath with his sling they cheered and laughed as they took a bow. You could tell they enjoyed putting on the performance and showing what they had learned from the bible story.
After the performances the children washed and readied for a meal. Part of the feeding center program is to teach the children about hygiene and manners. After washing they gathered around some tables and the women of Comunion fed them a meal of pork, beans, fried plantains and a cup of milk. You could see that the children were very thankful.
Please pray for the continuing commitment and patience of the ladies at Comunion. They are providing a healthy meal and a good foundation for children that otherwise wouldn’t have it.
After working with the children at Comunion we returned to Lydia’s for lunch and preparation for the banquet we were providing the blind in the evening. All of the gift bags we put together last night were packed up and ready.
Luke 14:12
“Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Tim Synder is blind. He’s a member of our mission team and he had a vision. His vision was straight out of Luke 14:12 and this evening his vision became a reality. Over 200 people were brought to Comunion from churches at Agua Blanca, Sacramento, Cataluna and other mission churches and they were treated to a banquet. This included people that were part of the mission churches and those that were not part of the church.
Fresh tablecloths, cloth napkins and silverware adorned the tables. Again, the women of Comunion prepared food for those less fortunate. The bounty of our table was provided to the guests and they enjoyed a first course of soup, an entrée of chicken or beef with rice and a fresh salad, and finally a scoop of ice cream and cookie for desert. This was something that you’ve seen time and time again at Wednesday night suppers or Sunday afternoon meals in American churches but you could see by the looks on some of the peoples faces, this was something new for them.
The mission team served everyone each course. Before and during the meal two Honduran gentlemen provided musical entertainment. One gentleman was blind and sang some beautiful songs praising Jesus and thanking God. The other entertainer was in a wheel chair and played a number of songs on a handmade pan flute. What is amazing is that he has limited use of his hands due to an accident but used to play the guitar. He started making these instruments when he was searching for something to replace his guitar that he was now unable to play. His presentation and slide show on how he made these instruments was and inspirational and uplifting experience.
As the meal came to a close each guest was given a gift bag with personal hygiene items. Also the blind guests were fitted and given a new cane.
In one case there was a man holding an old and worn cane. He explained that it was almost broken. It was bent and there were dents and dings where the finish once was. As he stood there with a brand new cane he tapped it on the floor listening intently to the sound that it made. He ran his hands up and down the handle feeling the new grip and “seeing” what it looked like. It was truly moving to see how much it meant to him to be provided such a gift. A big smile was across his face as he expressed his thanks to Tim and other members of the team.
As the crowd finished and left we helped the people of Comunion clean up and set up their sanctuary for tomorrows services. We then headed back to Lydia’s to our own supper. A pot of chili with corn chips, fresh guacamole, cheese and lettuce waited for us.
Chip Phillips held a devotional after supper and discussed the miracle that Jesus performed in Mark 2, curing a man of palsy. We each discussed the miracles we had seen today and in previous missions and prayed for our continuing mission before heading to bed.
Continue to pray for us please. Tomorrow we will worship with the people of Comunion and more programs are planned. Thank you for supporting us in your thoughts and prayer. God bless you as well.
Tomorrow, I promise we’ll catch up with some pictures!
Friday, July 16, 2010
The Journey Into Honduras
We made it to Honduras after delays in Raleigh had all of us rushing through Atlanta’s airport. The guy at the check in desk said, “I was giving you six more minutes,” as Jennifer Sykes and a couple of other stragglers approached to board but we all made it!
Once aboard we all settled in for a nice flight across the Gulf and the Caribbean ending in an abrupt stop as we touched down in Tegucigalpa. That’s the shortest runway I’ve ever landed on and I think each of us had a silent moment of praise for the safe landing and thanks to God for providing us a capable pilot.
After landing we navigated immigration, baggage claim and customs and found a large group of Honduran friends waiting for us as we exited into the airport. There were lots of hellos and hugging and introductions for old friends and new.
From the airport we made our way to Lydia’s guest house where we were greeted with a lunch of sandwiches, fresh watermelon, pineapple and delicious homemade lemonade. After a prayer blessing the meal and thanking God for our safe journey we all enjoyed the fellowship of a good meal.
After lunch there was a lot of preparing and arranging of the various projects we brought with us. There were boxes of baby blankets, canes for the blind, soap, toothbrushes, shampoo, craft items and the list goes on and on. As Jennifer Sykes directed everyone, the different projects took shape. We’re going to have a busy week of bringing God’s word to the people of Honduras through various programs and fellowship.
As the afternoon finished we enjoyed a supper of lasagna, fresh salad, and bread followed by some chocolate cake. After supper we found out what all of the soap, toothbrushes and shampoo was for. We put together over 250 care bags with various personal hygiene items which will be given out to the guests at the banquet for the blind tomorrow night at Communion Church.
We finished the day with a devotional by Chip Phillips that included an inspirational presentation with pictures from the 2008 mission. The group touched so many lives and we hope to reach out to even more people this year.
Thank you for keeping us and the people of Honduras in your prayers during our mission.
Once aboard we all settled in for a nice flight across the Gulf and the Caribbean ending in an abrupt stop as we touched down in Tegucigalpa. That’s the shortest runway I’ve ever landed on and I think each of us had a silent moment of praise for the safe landing and thanks to God for providing us a capable pilot.
After landing we navigated immigration, baggage claim and customs and found a large group of Honduran friends waiting for us as we exited into the airport. There were lots of hellos and hugging and introductions for old friends and new.
From the airport we made our way to Lydia’s guest house where we were greeted with a lunch of sandwiches, fresh watermelon, pineapple and delicious homemade lemonade. After a prayer blessing the meal and thanking God for our safe journey we all enjoyed the fellowship of a good meal.
After lunch there was a lot of preparing and arranging of the various projects we brought with us. There were boxes of baby blankets, canes for the blind, soap, toothbrushes, shampoo, craft items and the list goes on and on. As Jennifer Sykes directed everyone, the different projects took shape. We’re going to have a busy week of bringing God’s word to the people of Honduras through various programs and fellowship.
As the afternoon finished we enjoyed a supper of lasagna, fresh salad, and bread followed by some chocolate cake. After supper we found out what all of the soap, toothbrushes and shampoo was for. We put together over 250 care bags with various personal hygiene items which will be given out to the guests at the banquet for the blind tomorrow night at Communion Church.
We finished the day with a devotional by Chip Phillips that included an inspirational presentation with pictures from the 2008 mission. The group touched so many lives and we hope to reach out to even more people this year.
Thank you for keeping us and the people of Honduras in your prayers during our mission.
Underway!
The team met this morning at 4:15 and boarded the bus to RDU. We're in the air to Atlanta and will be sprinting through the airport to catch our flight to Tegucigalpa. Everyone's excited and talking about past trips and plans as well as getting to know each other for those of us from out of town.
More to come about our mission soon.
More to come about our mission soon.
Monday, July 12, 2010
The Fishers of Men group for 2010 had a commissioning service at Peace Baptist Church last night. Peace Baptist is the home church to 4 of our 2010 team members! Their pastor, Russ Evans, has been a long time friend to Fishers Of Men. We were honored to have him lead this special time of music and prayer as well as to share God’s word with our team. We were reminded that our mission is to go tell the good news of John 3:16!
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Monday, July 28, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Yesterday the FOM team, along with several people from Comunion, delivered water bags to the community of Cataluna. Many of us were surprised to see that this area is just outside the city of Tegucigalpa and located right next door to a government built housing development. The government of Honduras has built these fully equipped houses with water, electricity, sewer and phone service and will be sold for approximately $20,000. However, just on the other side of the concrete wall are the people of Cataluna. They have just recently received electricity but still do not have access to water. Most of the people collect rainwater or go to a nearby creek to gather water after a good rain. There is no school available for the children and many of them have never attended church.
While we were there we went door to door handing out 2- gallon water bags. Many of the people were very appreciative and the children were very excited to take the water to their homes. While handing out the water we were able to invite the children to join us for a time of songs and Bible story at a nearby field. We could tell that most of the children had never been exposed to songs or stories. At the end we handed out toys to the children and even then many of them did not seem to realize what they were given.
There are currently 7 homes where Bible study is being held. Members from Comunion Church go weekly and lead in these homes.
Plans are being discussed to drill a well in this much needed community as well as plans to help build concrete houses to replace the wooden shacks that most of the people live in. We learned that $3,000 would be all that is needed to provide a family with a better place to live. By our standards what they would be receiving seems minimal but to them it would mean a lot.
For many on the FOM team, it was hard for us to comprehend the way the people lived and we know that there is much work that is needed there. We are praying along with the leaders at Comunion Church on how this can be accomplished. Please pray especially for this new work and that God would show all of us how to go about helping these people.
We enjoyed worshipping with our friends at Comunion on Sunday morning and it was a sweet day of fellowship and saying our farewell until we see them again. Please pray that God would continue to provide the resources for FOM to continue the work that has been started in Honduras. We have accomplished much over the past few years but there is still much work to be done. All praise and honor to our Lord for his mighty hand watching over this week and for helping to do His work. Pray for us as we travel home tomorrow. It will be a long ride home!!!!!
Yesterday the FOM team, along with several people from Comunion, delivered water bags to the community of Cataluna. Many of us were surprised to see that this area is just outside the city of Tegucigalpa and located right next door to a government built housing development. The government of Honduras has built these fully equipped houses with water, electricity, sewer and phone service and will be sold for approximately $20,000. However, just on the other side of the concrete wall are the people of Cataluna. They have just recently received electricity but still do not have access to water. Most of the people collect rainwater or go to a nearby creek to gather water after a good rain. There is no school available for the children and many of them have never attended church.
While we were there we went door to door handing out 2- gallon water bags. Many of the people were very appreciative and the children were very excited to take the water to their homes. While handing out the water we were able to invite the children to join us for a time of songs and Bible story at a nearby field. We could tell that most of the children had never been exposed to songs or stories. At the end we handed out toys to the children and even then many of them did not seem to realize what they were given.
There are currently 7 homes where Bible study is being held. Members from Comunion Church go weekly and lead in these homes.
Plans are being discussed to drill a well in this much needed community as well as plans to help build concrete houses to replace the wooden shacks that most of the people live in. We learned that $3,000 would be all that is needed to provide a family with a better place to live. By our standards what they would be receiving seems minimal but to them it would mean a lot.
For many on the FOM team, it was hard for us to comprehend the way the people lived and we know that there is much work that is needed there. We are praying along with the leaders at Comunion Church on how this can be accomplished. Please pray especially for this new work and that God would show all of us how to go about helping these people.
We enjoyed worshipping with our friends at Comunion on Sunday morning and it was a sweet day of fellowship and saying our farewell until we see them again. Please pray that God would continue to provide the resources for FOM to continue the work that has been started in Honduras. We have accomplished much over the past few years but there is still much work to be done. All praise and honor to our Lord for his mighty hand watching over this week and for helping to do His work. Pray for us as we travel home tomorrow. It will be a long ride home!!!!!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
FRIDAY JULY 25, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
In the Wed. and Thurs. devotions Chip continued in his series on “What the World Needs Most”. Wed. we discussed the need for love and we were challenged by the message in the song “Love them like Jesus” by Casting Crowns. Thurs. morning we looked at the world’s need for you and me-all of us believers to be the arms, hands and feet of Jesus. Fri. we were encouraged to cast away our worry, doubt and fear and to trust fully in Jesus and to consider what we to do if Jesus were to say to us, “I dare you to be a Christian”. All of the scriptures that we looked at encouraged us and gave us strength as we embarked on three days of ministry at three different locations.
Wed. thru Fri. the men traveled to Aqua Blanca to work on the final walls of the church that was begun there a few years ago. Together with leaders from other churches they worked beside each other to accomplish the work. Although the project was not completed they managed to take it further than it was and God provided safety as they worked in somewhat
challenging situations. While most of the men were working on construction, Sam was holding Karate classes for the children and Dale, Doug and Kent worked with several men on woodworking. On Friday there was one special visitor. While the women were prayer walking in the community on Fri. one elderly gentleman that they visited explained that he could no longer find work due to an injury a few months ago. They told him about the woodworking ministry at the church and the potential there for him to learn a trade that he could use and in just a little while he appeared at the church in his “Sunday best” to see what it was all about. Hopefully this has opened the door for the church to minister to this man in need.
While the men spent three days in Agua Blanca the women traveled Wed. and Thurs. to Santa Rosa and Sacramento, respectively and then joined the men in Agua Blanca on Fri. In each of these locations we conducted prayer walks, going with women and children from the churches to visit families in need physically and spiritually. We handed out prayer bracelets and cards explaining the plan of salvation. With the help of our faithful translators we offered prayer for special needs and were able to witness the salvation of several people in all three locations. Many of the people welcomed us willingly into their homes.
After prayer walking each day we worked with several ladies in the churches on learning to sew. In all of the locations the women caught on quickly and hopefully they will be able to continue learning as they practice and use the supply of material and other sewing items that we left for them. In Agua Blanca two ladies were able to complete valances for the 4 windows in the Feeding Center. It will brighten up the room and hopefully give them the desire to make more curtains for other rooms. During the week Julio, one of our translators and a member from Comunion, took some of us to the store to buy thread for the machines. While we were there, Pat bought the supplies for hair bows and the young girls and women at Agua Blanca where able to make bows. It was amazing to see how quickly they caught on without the use of words. Once one would watch Pat and learn the skill they would teach each other. This was such a popular thing that we determined that this might be a future project with all of the churches.
Carol continued teaching the ladies at all of these churches how to make salt scrubs and lotion bars. This was exciting for the ladies and hopefully will encourage the ladies in a project that they can continue in the future.
We also conducted Bible school in all of these locations offering games, songs, Bible stories and snacks for all of the children. We were also able to give out homemade dresses in some of the locations as well as baby items that we brought with us from home. One special treat was getting to see some young girls from one church participate in their first G.A. tea party. They all came dressed up in hats and party dresses and it was a very special and fun time.
Each evening we were busy at Comunion with our continued sewing and soap making with the ladies. The children enjoyed Karate with Sam Wilson while Dale was in his woodshop with some of the men.
Needless to say after our very busy days we all were glad to lay our heads down at night and thanked God each evening in our devotions for the mighty hand of God in all of the ways that we had witnessed his power.
In the Wed. and Thurs. devotions Chip continued in his series on “What the World Needs Most”. Wed. we discussed the need for love and we were challenged by the message in the song “Love them like Jesus” by Casting Crowns. Thurs. morning we looked at the world’s need for you and me-all of us believers to be the arms, hands and feet of Jesus. Fri. we were encouraged to cast away our worry, doubt and fear and to trust fully in Jesus and to consider what we to do if Jesus were to say to us, “I dare you to be a Christian”. All of the scriptures that we looked at encouraged us and gave us strength as we embarked on three days of ministry at three different locations.
Wed. thru Fri. the men traveled to Aqua Blanca to work on the final walls of the church that was begun there a few years ago. Together with leaders from other churches they worked beside each other to accomplish the work. Although the project was not completed they managed to take it further than it was and God provided safety as they worked in somewhat
challenging situations. While most of the men were working on construction, Sam was holding Karate classes for the children and Dale, Doug and Kent worked with several men on woodworking. On Friday there was one special visitor. While the women were prayer walking in the community on Fri. one elderly gentleman that they visited explained that he could no longer find work due to an injury a few months ago. They told him about the woodworking ministry at the church and the potential there for him to learn a trade that he could use and in just a little while he appeared at the church in his “Sunday best” to see what it was all about. Hopefully this has opened the door for the church to minister to this man in need.
While the men spent three days in Agua Blanca the women traveled Wed. and Thurs. to Santa Rosa and Sacramento, respectively and then joined the men in Agua Blanca on Fri. In each of these locations we conducted prayer walks, going with women and children from the churches to visit families in need physically and spiritually. We handed out prayer bracelets and cards explaining the plan of salvation. With the help of our faithful translators we offered prayer for special needs and were able to witness the salvation of several people in all three locations. Many of the people welcomed us willingly into their homes.
After prayer walking each day we worked with several ladies in the churches on learning to sew. In all of the locations the women caught on quickly and hopefully they will be able to continue learning as they practice and use the supply of material and other sewing items that we left for them. In Agua Blanca two ladies were able to complete valances for the 4 windows in the Feeding Center. It will brighten up the room and hopefully give them the desire to make more curtains for other rooms. During the week Julio, one of our translators and a member from Comunion, took some of us to the store to buy thread for the machines. While we were there, Pat bought the supplies for hair bows and the young girls and women at Agua Blanca where able to make bows. It was amazing to see how quickly they caught on without the use of words. Once one would watch Pat and learn the skill they would teach each other. This was such a popular thing that we determined that this might be a future project with all of the churches.
Carol continued teaching the ladies at all of these churches how to make salt scrubs and lotion bars. This was exciting for the ladies and hopefully will encourage the ladies in a project that they can continue in the future.
We also conducted Bible school in all of these locations offering games, songs, Bible stories and snacks for all of the children. We were also able to give out homemade dresses in some of the locations as well as baby items that we brought with us from home. One special treat was getting to see some young girls from one church participate in their first G.A. tea party. They all came dressed up in hats and party dresses and it was a very special and fun time.
Each evening we were busy at Comunion with our continued sewing and soap making with the ladies. The children enjoyed Karate with Sam Wilson while Dale was in his woodshop with some of the men.
Needless to say after our very busy days we all were glad to lay our heads down at night and thanked God each evening in our devotions for the mighty hand of God in all of the ways that we had witnessed his power.
Wednesday July 23, 2008
REVELATION STUDIES REPORT Prepared by the Reverend Tim Snyder
From Tuesday, July 22 until Saturday, July 26, I have been and will be teaching at The Servants Academy at Communion Baptist Church for five two-hour sessions.. I was asked to give a study that covered the first three chapters of Revelation. The Servants Academy is a school within the church in which students take Bible courses as a part of and in preparation for ministry.
As I began to present the detailed lessons, I was deeply moved and appreciated the serious study that the students apply to the Bible. The questions were thought provoking and conveyed their serious interest. In fact, I purposely skipped some material, thinking that it would bore the listeners and provide more detail than was necessary. When I provided a time for questions, a young woman asked a question that required the very information I had skipped. As an indication of their dedication, I met one student who drove three hours to attend the classes. Frankly, it touches me to think that someone would go to such an effort in a class I am teaching. I just hope that the Lord will cover any of my weaknesses in teaching and give him what he needs through these teachings to better teach the church whom he serves as pastor. I also appreciate the diligence the translators have shown in communicating the ideas and information I am attempting to convey. What a joy it is to teach such students who are so hungry for the word of God.
BLIND MINISTRY The Reverend Tim Snyder
For the past three days, I have been visiting in the homes of blind people living in Agua Blanca. Many of the blind people living in Agua Blanca moved to the community (it is actually called Ciudad de Espanya) after Hurricane Mitch destroyed their homes. As I visited these blind people, I was delighted as several confessed their faith in Christ. They seemed to be a community that contained several Christians without a unifying purpose beyond the fact that they are blind or visually impaired. The Agua Blanca Baptist Mission wants to reach and serve this community.
As we visited the team with me and I communicated that we were their to promote their service to Christ. To further enable that service, we have been able to acquire something called a Proclaimer. The Proclaimer is a Spanish New Testament in a box with three possible power sources: electricity, solar charging and manual power provided by turning a hand crank. We have also received two donated computers, which we are placing in the Agua Blanca church so that both blind people can learn how to use the computer, which will provide a further enhancement to their lives as well as provide possibilities for employment.
As we began to share these ideas with the blind people we visited, they immediately understand that we were there to encourage and bless them. In fact, on short notice we were able to conduct the first meeting of a "listening group" for using the Proclaimer to listen to the Word of God. The text we played for this first meeting was John 1.1-14. What great fun we all enjoyed as we turned the crank to hear the Bible. While electricity was available, we all gained a new appreciation for those who have no electricity and must provide hand-crank power to hear God's Word. The blind people also appreciated the fact that folks in the church would seek them out and provide transportation to a quickly called meeting. Even after I left the church today, two blind people came to the church to learn about what was happening. God is beginning to do something great in Agua Blanca to add to the great things He has done, and what I think is so wonderful is the fact that He, our great God, is putting a bunch of blind people right in the middle of it all. Praise be to our great God! I am delighted that Spoken Word Ministries and Fishers of Men can work together to be a part of what God is doing in Honduras.
Friday, July 25, 2008
TUESDAY JULY 22, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
This was the final morning for the FOM team at SI to take our walk from the hotel to the church. Along the way we said our goodbyes to several from the church who were making their way to school. After breakfast Chip challenged us in devotion with his first message on “What does our world need most?” We discussed how many will give different answers to this question, but really there are a few things that will answer most of life’s problems. This morning we looked at the need for prayer. It is amazing to share prayer with people who do not speak our language but to know that we are praying to the same God and our hearts are in one accord. What an awesome realization of God’s existence and presence in our midst.
As we left this morning to return to the city, many of us felt that if our trip had ended then and we returned home it would have all been worth it. Never have I (Melissa) witnessed a group of people who were so easy to love. Alex had shared with us that of all the things we do just loving the people and spending time with them in fellowship is one of the greatest things we can do. This made our job easy. Many of those we met at SI will stay in our hearts and minds for years to come.
We were happy to return to Lydia’s to our comfortable beds and a place where we could all be together again. In the afternoon we held a carnival at Comunion for all of the sponsor kids from Comunion, Agua Blanca and Santa Rosa. Tim, Suzanne and Itzy especially had fun painting faces. We met personally with each sponsor child, bringing letters and gifts from the sponsors and allowing them to write letters back. In the evening Sam began a Karate class for the children and Tim Snyder began his study on the book of Revelation for about 15 students at the Servants Academy. The rest of our team spent the evening relaxing and preparing for our next location, Santa Rosa.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Monday July 21, 2008
Monday July 21, 2008
Today roosters and donkeys again awakened us. All were ready for a big day at SI. Most of us walked the dirt and broken asphalt street thru downtown SI to the church. We recognized several adults from the church service and many of the children as they made their way to school. The locals were polite retuning Ola (hello) and Buenas Dias (good day). Many were sweeping the dirt yards, feeding chickens or just watching the Greengos walk thru their town. We saw street vendors selling water, fruit and firewood. The firewood vendor drove 2 oxen with a prehistoric wagon piled high with sticks and branches. Many men had either the basic open machete or an ornate styled sheath. The machete is truly the Honduran tool of choice, from chopping wood, digging, or cutting grass it is very popular.
We arrived at the church to a breakfast of eggs, sausage, refried beans, and watermelon. Chip provided an excellent devotion from Luke 11:1-13. We were challenged to let God take control as we served him today thru soap making, woodturning, sewing, and a prayer walk and bible school at the village of Urrutia. Part of the team left for Urrutia at 9:30. They walked thru the village in groups of three knocking on doors and asking if the resident needed prayer for any concern in their life or family. They were able to lead 3 to Christ with these efforts including giving out prayer bracelets and baby clothes. Sarah, Pat, and Melissa taught 5 ladies to sew from 10 until 4. Several made aprons and Melissa made an apron with Eny a young lady from the church. Carol Crow taught 5 women to make citronella soap and lavender lotion bars. Somehow in our rush to leave for SI, we forgot to pack the coconut oil. Coconut oil solidifies and creates lather for the soap. While Carol was distraught over the missing oil, she trusted God and prayed for his power and provision with another recipe. She detailed her normal recipe and prayed over the conversions and substitution. After we finished the first batch, she exclaimed that this was the best mix she had ever made. Normally a new recipe will take 3 tries to perfect at her shop in Wilmington, but this one was beautiful on the first try. We were all praying for this event and God’s hand was evident. The ladies of SI watched 1 more batch, they took detailed notes, and finally made a third batch all by themselves. They were so proud of their accomplishment and the opportunity to learn another skill / craft that will benefit their families and community. Dale, Doug and Kent kept the woodturning teaching several men how to prepare and turn spindles, dowels, and bowls. Uriel and Henry the young Church Administrator attended most of the day.
The excitement and activity level began to grow as many of the children began arriving after school. Again soccer was the attraction with boys and girls of all ages getting in on a game. Davis, Alex and Nelson played in game after game with the children and youth. Kent, Suzanne, and Cole even blocked and kicked with the kids.
Just before dinner Melissa and I had a chance to visit 2 special families. These families are participating in the FOM “Helping Hands”. This ministry provides a no interest loan to church members who have shown dedication to the church and an entrepreneurial effort to improve their lives. We first met with Yanery Medina. Yanery had been at the soap making earlier, she had borrowed money to start a beauty shop in here home. Alex explained that Yanery has been the most successful and has paid the funds back almost immediately with her increase in business. Several loans have been made and repaid, including an addition to her home set aside for the beauty shop and store. Yanery plans to make and sell SI soap and lotion in her shop.
Next we met Nilvia at her home. We had previously met and fellowshipped with Nilvia at the church. I believe she is there every time it is open. Nilvia was saved about 3 months ago along with her 2 daughters, Sandy (16) and Paola (14). They all 3 prayed to receive Christ at a Friday night service. Nilvia has borrowed money to finance her food service. It is doing well and growing. Nilvia earns about $16 per day selling snacks and meals to school children, people waiting at a clinic and her neighbors. Nilvia takes a bus to Tegucigalpa twice a week (2 hr.s one way) to buy up to 250 lb.s of meat, fruit, and supplies to sell at her shop just outside her home and on the streets of SI. Her transportation is an old wheelbarrow with a fruit peeler attached. Alex told us that Nilvia is such a hard worker along with her daughters. She attended the sewing class and made an apron especially for her work. It broke our hearts to hear how others in the community laugh at how Nilvia and the girls work so hard. The Lord will reward her for her dedication, faith and hard work.
Nilvia’s husband Danilo accepted Christ on Friday 7/18 before we arrived. Danilo said he had seen a difference in Nilvia and the girls and that Christ had radically changed his family. He has been amazed at how the church has reached out to them and by the way the Lord is blessing his family. Danilo had been a hard drinker (as many fathers and husbands in Honduras). After his salvation, he no longer drinks. Alex shared how before Danilo’s conversion, the family was in serious trouble. They are now happy and excited about serving the Lord. Nilvia needs a new refrigerator for her expanding business ($800 in Honduras). They are praying and we prayed for them that the Lord would provide. We could see evidence of improvements to their homesite, a new “pila de lavare” (outside toilet, shower, clothes wash and water storage basin) had just been built. Please pray for Nilvia and Danilo as they grow and trust in the Lord.
For dinner we had a special Honduran dish of rice and chicken to celebrate Chip’s 36 th birthday. We also had a special cake made in his honor.
After dinner we watched the kid’s Karate demonstration. Sam and his assistant Ariana (a young SI girl that took karate last year) led the children and youth from the church in the karate exercises. Each boy or girl broke a piece of wood with their hand or foot. Afterwards each received a medal to encourage participation and obedience. We wrapped up our evening at SI with a short video on “Christ as King”. Alex, Chris, and Donna shared how thankful they were for us coming to fellowship with their church members. The ministry that FOM has provided and the love we share with the families of San Ignacio will strengthen the community and his church families in their love for Christ.
I would like to thank all of you in the US for supporting our mission and praying for us each day as we share the love of Jesus to our friends and fellow Christians in Honduras!!!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
SUNDAY JULY 20, 2008
Sunday July 20
No alarm clock needed!!!
While accommodations are basic, most got a good night’s rest. We were awakened by God’s master design, a crowing rooster. I think the rooster may need to synchronize his watch. The San Ignacio team was ready to get to church and see the children and meet the families. We were welcomed to fresh pressed pineapple juice and pancakes. Following breakfast, Chip led us in a devotion from Acts 2:1-4 and 42-47. Today we will worship with our Honduran brothers and sisters in Christ-a community of believers.
We sang familiar praise and worship songs. The words were sporadic due to Spanish but the tune and chorus praised the Lord. Pastor Alex welcomed the church family and visitors from FOM. The Reverend Tim Snyder from Mt. Olive brought God’s word as he spoke from Acts 4 regarding Christians sharing their blessings. The church was full and several indicated decisions for commitment and dedication.
Following the service, children and families attended Sunday School while our mission team visited the the “Mission Base Camp”. This beautiful facility is being constructed about 1 1/2 miles from the church at the entrance to SI. The home away from home for Donna and Chris Keeter and Alex and Delmy Godoy will also serve as the new guest house in SI. This will be a welcome site for the next teams ministering in SI as we can eat and sleep in the same facility together. The Keeter and Godoy families are very excited about the new facilities and opportunities that God will bring for the Church and families of SI.
Sunday afternoon was filled with woodworking for several interested men, sewing for the ladies and a carnival for over 150 children. Uriel, a husband and father from the church was in the Woodshop every time it was open learning more and more about wood, turning techniques, and tool sharpening. Melissa, Sarah, and Pat helped the ladies of SI cut and sew hand bags as the first project.
The carnival was so exciting. Kids from all around the town came to play games. The FOM team provided fun games such as ring toss, bean bag throw, face painting, tug-a-war, and sack racing. Tug-a-war turned from a challenge between kids to kids and adults and then to a large jump rope contest. Our church kids had a blast and the community came out to see all the fun and excitement. We wrapped up with of course Soccer and refreshments.
Just before dinner, we had a chance to meet and get to know the FOM sponsor children. These are boys and girls and young men and women that have demonstrated commitment and dedication to Christ, the Church, and their schoolwork. These young people will be the next leaders of the San Ignacio community. As a sponsored child, families in the US provide funds, gifts, and encouragement for these young developing Christians. These boys and girls were so polite and kind. I could see how the Lord has been working in them. I saw my own son changing as well. I was so excited to see Davis interact with the Honduran youth and try so hard to translate our questions and their answers. He has a new appreciation for Spanish and has been learning new words and phrases each day. He was able to develop a special relationship with Nelson, a 20 year old Honduran interpreter from the Comunion Church in Tegucigalpa. Nelson attends Dallas Baptist University in Dallas, Tx. He also has become good friends with Jesse Pena, Pastor Cesar’s son. Needless to say all of the boys and some girls have developed a special friendship and communication lingo on the soccer court.
After an excellent Honduran dish of Enchiladas, it began to rain, and it rained hard. We could barely hear for the rain pelting the tin roofs. Finally we closed the day with a special time of praise and worship from the SI youth praise team and band. The young people are very talented in both music and song. Nelson shared some of the legacy and history of the Elliott family, former missionaries to Honduras and Iraq.
While 17 of us traveled to San Ignacio, our other team members stayed in Tegucigalpa. On Saturday they visited and assisted with the Feeding Center at Comunion Church. The children presented a skit complete with “kid-made” paper costumes. The skit depicted a King focused on material things and how unimportant they became. On Sunday, our Ladies were able to attend the Comunion Church services. After lunch they visited with shut-in members of the Church and special needs men and women who had requested prayer and a visit from Pastor Cesar. Fabian a disabled man had been visited last year by the FOM team. Tim Snyder and other team members had left Fabian a cassette tape series and a tape player. Fabian who had been crippled by a stroke had come to know the Lord via his wife, the church ministry, and the tapes. Fabian has become severely crippled and drawn, but thru this entire ordeal has come to know Jesus and indicated a desire to be baptized as part of his commitment to our Lord. Our Tegucigalpa team led the Bible School at Comunion Church on Sunday afternoon.
Another great day in Central America! All are safe and sound. Please continue to pray for the people of Honduras as we meet them and share God’s love.
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