Honduran Mission Report 2005
On January 29th a group of thirty-five people embarked on a week-long mission trip to Tegucigalpa Honduras. This group included nurses, doctors, evangelists, and their support personnel. Paul Darr and Don Stewart of Starfish Enterprises coordinated the trip through World Gospel Outreach in Humble Texas.
Over the course of this trip the group ministered to the basic medical needs
of these people who live in grinding poverty. Once the door to their hearts had
been opened by these acts of kindness, evangelists ministered to their spiritual
needs. The goal was the goal of every Christian - to win as many souls for
Heaven as possible by attempting to live out the example set by
Christ.
This is the story of that mission trip, in the words and pictures
of those who were there. (Play
background music)
Saturday January 29th -
We all arrived safely at the Mission House at 2:30 pm. Much of the checked luggage did not make it however, but we hope and pray it arrives by Monday so we'll have the medical, as well as evangelism supplies in time for the first brigade.
During after dinner devotions we spent time getting to know each other and finding out how each person was called to be here on this mission. Those of us who have been coming here for several years continue to be amazed by the varied and wonderful ways God calls people to this place to serve His people.
Tomorrow we'll attend a local church and then head to the Valley of the Angels, a nearby village just outside of Tegucigalpa.
Sunday January 30th -
From Holy Cross Team Members, Gary, Jeff, Matt, Tim, Ryan, and Cheryl.
Today was a day of becoming aware of the Honduran culture through Church( Matt and Gary chose the group that went to the all Spanish service and in spite of knowing no Spanish actually think they understood the sermon), travel, authentic Honduran cuisine ( rice, beans and chicken) and shopping in the Valley of the Angels (a Honduran village about 45 minutes from Tegucigalpa).
We realize that today is the day that we saw the beauty of this country and got our first look at the kindness that rests in the hearts of these people. This is truly our preparation for the remainder of the week when we will see the deep spiritual and physical needs of this nation. We've packed the bus, we've prepared our hearts and are becoming a close-knit team. May God guide us to lead the Hondurans to a spiritual awakening through our medical, dental, & optometry ministries.
P.S. Tim had Happy Birthday sung to him twice today. Ryan only got it once yesterday by the group and one wonderful solo by Cheryl. Ryan says hi to Dustan and Sean and Tim says he hopes they're being good boys. Tim really misses Norma. Gary wants Diane to know he is taking care of Matt and has not lost him. Matt wants to say hi to mom, Shell, Mike, and Sarah.
Honduras (video)
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Monday January 31st -
Today was our first brigade of this mission trip and for many team members their very first ever experience as a missionary. It's is always such a treat for the veterans to watch the new people experience the people of Honduras. There is simply no way we can give you the complete story in words and pictures, you have to be here and experience it to really feel the full impact of what this country and its people are like.
We thought today of the many people who made this trip possible, those who donated their time and resources and who walk with us every step of the way as we move among these precious people. We were especially blessed this year to have many children help us, from those students at Trinity Edwardsville who are praying for individual team members to those at Good Shepherd in Collinsville who made the hundreds of Salvation Bracelets we use in the children's ministry.
There are so many stories from today. There was the five year old girl who had to have a tooth cut out and cried so loudly the entire brigade heard her. Chris held her hand during the procedure and then consoled her afterwards. I'm not sure who touched whose heart more.
There was a lady with sixteen children, and an 84 and then a 100 year old woman who both walked there to see us today to ask us to pray for her children and grandchildren. Optical had its usual wonderful stories of huge smiles from both young and old patients who could see clearly again for the first time in many years. Medical was able to give comfort to most everyone they saw, this despite the fact that much of our medicines have still not arrived from our flight last Saturday. The pharmacy did an incredible job of making do with what we have on hand. This was also a problem in the children's ministry where we ran out of lice shampoo in early afternoon.
Please pray that Continental Airlines is able to get this luggage to us soon so we can do more to ease the suffering here.
Tomorrow we return to the same brigade site to help the many we left standing in line when we had to leave today. Whether we get our medical supplies or not, one thing is very certain, that God will bless our work abundantly. One team member who could not attend this year put it best when she reminded us that God's work is not so much done by us, but done despite us.
Chris and the child he comforted
Placing the salvation bracelets on the children
Grace (video)
Reach Out and Touch (video)
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Tuesday February 1st -
From Friendship Lutheran Church, Taylorsville, NC.
Here we are Lord!
Today brought about many highs and lows for us. We arrived at
the site this morning early to see several hundred people already waiting on us
to receive much needed care. What we have to offer the people of the Honduras is
medical care, optometry, dental, pharmacy, evangelism and children's ministries.
Mary Ann and Lynette worked in optometry and pharmacy today.
One of the things that they witnessed today from the Hondurans is they always
said God bless you. The children loved the sunglasses so much that they would
constantly try to break line to get a pair. While these sunglasses are a small
token for us it is a special treat for them.
Barb worked medical all day and had some wonderful
experiences she would like to share. She took 32 stitches out of a man's hand
that had been in so long the skin had grown over the stitches. Getting any type
of medical treatment here is a luxury that we take for granted. Another thirteen
year old girl came to medical today just to receive vitamins.
During her medical examination Barb noticed she had what
looked like a small mole on the white of her eye. This young girl didn’t even
know about this. Barb and Dr. Boeren looked at her and took her to optometry and
where they determined it was probably a malignant melanoma, which would be a
fatal cancer if untreated. The optometrist referred her to a local hospital for
follow up care.
Larry has had two hectic days in pharmacy. He estimates there
have been probably 500 prescriptions filled each day. This has been an unusual
experience for Larry since he had to rely on Spanish speaking translators to
counsel each patient on his or her prescriptions. He has had a rotating staff of
five technicians that change every three or four hours to assist in the
pharmacy. Larry is getting thinner by the minute trying to keep up with all
these women and teens bossing him around in pharmacy. His hair is now gray.
Today Meg started out in evangelism and finished the day in
pharmacy. In between praying with the Honduran people she learned two Spanish
jokes from the interpreters. Some of the stories of the women trying to support
their families are really heart wrenching. However, she was glad she had the
opportunity to pray with them. And what can we say about pharmacy, never a dull
moment!
Well this only leaves Chris. Paul Darr and Don Stewart our
team leaders for this trip have used him as a floater both days to work at all
the treatment stations. This has enabled him to experience all aspects of this
Christian ministry in hopes that it will help train him to better understand how
the World Gospel Outreach medical mission operates and ministers to these
people. He continues to be amazed that while we are here to care for and witness
to these people, they have ministered and been a blessing to us in ways we
cannot begin to describe.
Late in the afternoon we packed up the vehicles and
headed back to the mission house. Upon our return some of us grabbed a beverage
to sit back, relax, and reflect back on our day. On a lighter note the ride into
and out of the barrios and dealing with the traffic is a hair raising
experience!
Prior to dinner, Meg decided to call Pastor Phil, her
husband, to check in to see how her kids and our church family back home were
doing. Chris overheard Meg beginning to cry. As he listened he soon realized
that something very tragic had happened back home. Tim Windsor, one of our
church members, was called unexpectedly to the church triumphant today. Tim
leaves behind a wife and two young children, a brother and his parents.
The six of us gathered in the garden below the mission house
to share scripture and prayer. We felt we needed to be together to pray for Amy,
Ethan, Katlyn, and Tim's family. While we are thousands of miles away our hearts
and prayers are with the entire Windsor family and our Friendship family. All
thirty seven mission team members are praying for the Windsors and our
Friendship family.
While we are here to minister, care for, and witness to the
people of Honduras we continually find they are blessing and witnessing to us.
We look forward to the rest of the week to continue our ministry here, however,
we also will be anxious to get home to our loved ones.
We also want to say a very special thanks to our Friendship
family and community who worked so hard to allow us this opportunity to be
blessed in this special way by serving God's people in Honduras.
Love,
Friendship Adult Mission Team
Barb Hollo, Mary Ann Icenhour, Lynette Johnson, Meg Thorsen, Larry Nichols and
Chris Jolly
Wednesday February 2nd -
From the St. Louis, Missouri group, Ascension, St. Lucas and Timothy Lutheran
Churches…
Last night we finally received the remaining trunks full of medical supplies. We
had run out of parasite and lice treatment, two things that were greatly needed.
Today was a sunny day of rest, restocking and recharging. But we realize that
even in our day of rest that the people of Tegucigalpa do not get a day off.
Their struggles are constant.
We started the day leading devotions for the brigade before taking a tour of the
Bridge house which is a transition house from the Ranch to the outside world.
The children learn to budget their money, buy groceries and basic survival
skills. The children can stay at this house as long as they are continuing their
education.
Next we went to Rancho Ebenezer which is located about an hour outside the city.
We toured the school and living quarters for the house parents and children.
Energetic members of our brigade played soccer with the children of the Ranch
and found out how thin the air really is up this high.
The evening was capped off with a wonderful dinner in the city at El Patio, the
first time we had been out in the city after dark.
We’re looking forward to our second brigade site which begins tomorrow. We feel
very blessed to go there and serve and proclaim the salvation of Christ.
God’s blessings and thank you to all of our family, church family and friends
for your prayers and support to make this opportunity possible for us.
Pat & Gina (the rookies), Marcia, Jody, Rick & Marla (the old-timers)
P.S.
Love to Elizabeth and family and friends, from Gina.
Love to Kim, Carisa, Paul, Mom, family and friends from Pat.
Love to Amanda, Megan, Billy, family and friends, from Marcia.
Love to Mom and Dad, Bill, Cunninghams, and friends from church, from Jody.
Love to Cortni, Jonah, Herman, Mom, Dad, family and friends, from Rick & Marla.
Getting There (low bandwidth video)
Getting There (high bandwidth video)
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Thursday February 3rd -
After a nice day off and sleeping in, we woke up without the sun once again. We started our day with a rendition of Good Morning Jesus (we miss you Stan). We were informed that we were going to a new site with a wee bit of a hill. Little did we know, it would be more like a mountain. The team loaded the bus for the trip to the brigade site.
During the ride we found out that we were going to our bus driver Manuel's church. Upon arrival we had to climb the roughly one hundred yards of the mini-mountain up to the brigade site. We nearly lost a few of the old-timers on the journey up. We formed a chain to lug the heavy trunks up the path.
At the brigade site we had to do a little bit of reconstruction to the facility to accommodate our large operation. We set up our respective areas and then joined hands for our singing and prayer. We presented a banner that illustrates our faith with the words Sola Scriptura, Sola Fe, Sola Gracia, and Sola Cristo to the congregation. The team then went to work at their stations and were blessed to find that the congregation was eager to serve and help our team in any way they could.
The faith of the area was incredible. Many of us who served in the evangelism found that we were being ministered to by the people with their eagerness to share their faith and love. As always the children were beautiful. Their huge eyes and cheerful smiles melted the hearts of more than one team member.
The day wound down and we found ourselves exhausted but incredibly
thankful for the time we were given to spend with these people. We slowly made
our way down the hill, again avoiding injury, loaded the bus for the bumpy
voyage home. We had dinner, devotions and prepared what was needed for our work
tomorrow. All of us are looking forward to our last day with both excitement and
sadness. We can only pray that tomorrow will be as joyful and productive as
today was.
Tyler, Krista, Kelly, Aaron, Kayli, Kristina,
Meaghan, Ryan, and Matt
(The Youth of the team that keeps things
interesting)
Faith Like a Child (video)
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Friday February 4th -
We awoke to a crisp cool morning here in Honduras. We were all excited to be returning to the brigade site today to work with the energetic church members who were helping us care for their people. We were also dreading the trek back up the rocky dirt path and dreading even more loading up the trunks at the end of the day for the trek back down. A heavy rope was located to aid us in lowering the trunks without having to carry them, so we felt prepared. Little did we know that God had other plans for us!! Manuel, our bus driver whose church we were working at, knew a few back “streets” that allowed us to get Pablo’s truck up to the back door of the church for loading of the very heavy generator and compressors and several other bulky pieces of equipment. God Bless You Manuel!!
As the last Honduran patients left and the trunks were all packed, we gathered in the church for a word of prayer thanking God for bringing us together and allowing us to be His servants this day. The church had a few surprises for us in addition to the heartfelt thanks to all. Each of the women on our team traveling to Honduras for the first time received a small hand made gift. It was a decorated seashell with a pearl inside. A note inside said, “You are a special treasure.” It was a very touching gift for those of us who received one and even for those who did not.
And then another surprise!! They had prepared a small service for us and we worshipped with them as a teenage rock band played and songs were sung. We knew that this was a special group of people after working with them the past two days and we soon found out first hand why that was. The joy and delight that they had for worshipping God was tremendous!! Indeed, even contagious as we all joined in! There was no language barrier, we were all worshipping the same God as one people and it was an experience that no one on this mission team will ever forget. When the last song was sung there were hugs for everyone and many tears as well. No one wanted this special moment to end.
We were then faced with the dreaded trek down the hill with the trunks. The church members treated us again by insisting on carrying all the trunks for us!! Needless to say no one argued with them! As we gingerly made our way down the hill, their agile feet flew down the hill with all our trunks!! God had sent us His Honduran angels to care for us and our rope was left unused!
We arrived back at the mission house to a delightful dinner and our final night of devotions followed by packing for the trip home. Devotions tonight were very special as we were energized by the work we were able to accomplish this week for our Lord as a team here in Honduras. We agreed that we had received much, much more than we had given. Even in their devastating poverty, the Hondurans’ faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior is strong. In their strength, we also found strength. We realized our team had quickly become a very cohesive group and even more than that, a family. As it was when we all left our families back in the States, we were now faced with saying good bye to our family here. Many shared that they treasured this new family as much as the opportunity to serve the Honduran people. We will always have a special place in our heart for these new relationships. Again, there were many hugs, smiles and tears all around the room.
Tomorrow we will have a long day of travel back to our homes in the States. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve the Lord here in Honduras.
Trinity Lutheran Church Edwardsville Honduras Mission 2005 Team
Saturday February 5th -
Our last day in Tegucigalpa. We left the mission house at 10:30 am and got home at 11 pm. Yes we are all physically and mentally exhausted, as is usual but also as usual, spiritually we are overflowing. Be patient with us over the next several days when we try to express to you the incredible sights, sounds, and feelings we have been immersed in the last seven days.
The St. Louis group landed safely at 8:30 pm and then spent two hours at the airport looking for the many trunks and suitcases that did not make it. Hopefully they will show up Sunday. We've also heard that CA from Minnesota has made it home as well.
Those of you from Denver, North Carolina, and points between please send me an email and let us know that you arrived home safely. Also please send as many digital pictures as you wish. I promise I will post them all though I don't know how I will get by without my incredible picture editing staff !
Remember to pray for next week's ranch team and then the next medical team the week after.
While this week was about people, not numbers, here are some numbers to help everyone grasp what happened this week more fully. There are six categories of statistics kept by World Gospel Outreach to help them measure the impact and effectiveness of the brigades, medical, dental, optical, first time decisions for Christ, recommitments to Christ, and Children who hear the Jesus story and get their hair washed.
Last year (2004) numbers for this group during our week.
Medical - 1,482
Dental - 202
Optical - 947
First Time Decisions - 78
Recommitments - 65
Children's - 555
Total - 3,329
This year's (2005) numbers for this last week.
Medical - 1,855
Dental - 186
Optical - 949 (with one doctor sick 1/2 day!)
First Time Decisions - 104
Recommitments - 52
Children's - 714
Total - 3,860
Since this web site is also a ministry in itself, here's a stat that we keep, visits to our web site during this week - 2,385 (on 73,663 hits!). During one five day span we recorded more hits than we usually do in an entire month. We pray that everyone of these visits represents a person who has come closer to Christ as a result of their time spent here.
The following is a message from our mission leader.
Matthew 16:24 (NIV)
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny
himself and take up his cross and follow me".
During the past week, loved ones have watched from home as our team worked
together in Honduras. The internet site managed by Steve and his "staff", as
well as the incredible videos from Rick, have given many glimpses of the events
of the week. Glimmers of the emotions experienced of the team participants
crossed the miles from Honduras to home, bringing some of those images, sounds
and impressions we all had. The one realization I came to when visiting the
website is that we hadn't provided a description of the miracle that took place
this week. With this offering, I hope to somehow attempt to share that with
those who stayed home.
Thirty-seven individuals from Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, Colorado and
Minnesota flew to Tegucigalpa, Honduras on Saturday, January 29th. Of those
individuals arriving at the Mission House on that afternoon, some explained they
came seeking adventure, others felt compelled to come in an inexplicable way,
others to serve, heal or recharge. Many were unable to specify why they came. We
came to from an Evangelism Team offering medical, optometry, dental and
pediatric lice shampooing. The concept was that by providing this comfort to the
poor of Honduras we could “soften” their hearts and thereby be able to share the
good news of Jesus Christ.
On Monday evening, following the first brigade day, as the team shared their
thoughts and feelings for the day, an over-riding theme began to emerge. We
began to realize that even as we were there to serve we also shared many of the
same pains. Some came with the pain of difficult families or broken
relationships, others with the pain of loss of loved ones, some with sickness,
age related issues, physical and emotional pains. In essence, we came bearing
the crosses of life, which I believe Christ explained to his disciples in the
verses above.
We came to share the love and grace of Jesus Christ to our Honduran brothers and
sisters. What we discovered, I believe, was these people describing to us, their
pain of difficult families or broken relationships, their pain at the loss of
loved ones, their difficulties with sickness, age related issues, physical and
emotional pains. They came bearing the exact same crosses we bear. What a
revelation!
Then a miracle began to unfold. As we worked beside, cared for and began to
share with both our patients and hosts, we realized that we were also being
ministered to, cared for, comforted, prayed for, and having the good news shared
with us. We found that we were helped by the very people we came to help! We
were also blessed by being participants to and witness of a microcosmic glimpse
of what praise and worship will be like with all the “Church of Christ” when we
get to Heaven.
We left Honduras yesterday and arrived back in our respective states. But
instead of 37 different individuals, we came back a family. As I sat in church
this morning, I realized that we will never be the same. We all know we
experienced something this past week that will always be somewhat inexpressible.
But, we were there, we saw and felt it. Many of our crosses were made lighter
and more bearable.
Maybe that is what Christ meant, to simply have faith, pick up our crosses and
follow him, and to leave both the management and ultimate removal of our
personal crosses to him.
Paul A. Darr
More pictures and videos will be posted throughout the coming days and weeks so please back here often.
All Pictures Not Posted Elsewhere
Even as the first brigade was leaving the second group, this one a construction team rather than a medical team, was on their way to Tegucigalpa to spend a week at Rancho Ebeneezer, the WGO facility located in the mountains outside of the city where the children are raised in home-like settings to be the future of Honduras.
The following is a brief run down of one very young man's first mission experience, in his own words.
My First Mission Experience
This was the best thing that has ever happened to me. Helping the people of
Honduras made me feel really good, and it felt like I got closer to God.
When you are getting ready to land at Tegucigalpa, you have to fly around the
area and you can see how much poverty that country is in. When we were leaving
the airport we had to drive through the city and it just gets worse and worse as
we got closer to where we were going up the mountain. But what surprised me was
that the people looked so happy when we drove by their houses with their family
just sitting on their porches with nothing to do.
When we were finally got to the ranch it looked so beautiful. It is high in the
mountains outside of the city, surrounded by a dense cloud forest (it’s usually
in the clouds). That night we took a tour of the grounds and had dinner with all
of the ranch families. The night was full of interacting with the kids, and
talking with the families. If that’s not an awesome experience I don’t know what
you consider an awesome experience. Well that was a long first day.
On the second day we woke up and went down to the city for church. Before church
we went to Bible study and that was the best bible study that I’d ever been to.
After church we went to this place called El Patio for lunch, the best place I’d
ever eaten. Then we went back to the ranch and played soccer with the kids. That
was the time that I had to bond with them. Monday was the first day of work and
I was ready to get started and do this work for the glory of God.
Monday we worked from 8 am to 5 pm and had so much fun. After the workday ended
I went to play soccer with the kids once again, and to build a stronger
relationship with those children. That night we read 1 John 1 for the devotion
and it talked about the Word of Life and walking in the light.
Tuesday was another day of helping WGO. We got closer and closer to getting a
family to move into the house we were helping to finish up. Of course I played
soccer with the boys again, and again I grew closer to them. For devotions that
night we read from 1 John 2 and it was about the anti-Christ’s, and the children
of God.
Wednesday was the best day of them all. We did the outreach and it felt so good
to help people in the community. The family looked so happy for us giving them
this stuff. The dad of that family looked so proud of the coffee and bananas he
had grown right there by his house. Then we headed back to the ranch and had
dinner. That night we read 1 John 3 it talked about loving one another.
Thursday was looking like another good day. Everyone was ready to get out of
there and work their tails off. We worked most of the day, and later that night
we went to church. That was awesome to see how different people worship the same
God that we do.
Friday we worked for 4 hours and we did quite a few tours of the Early Childhood
Development Center and of the school on the ranch. Then of course we had another
great dinner. Then we went and sat down at one of the houses with one of the
families. The most exciting thing on this day was when it was time for game
time. I got even closer to the boys then I did all this week. When it was time
for us to leave them it got very emotional because we knew we might never see
them again. I plan to go back next year and see how much those children have
grown up.
Saturday was the last day and knowing that I wouldn’t see the ranch for at least
a year made it very hard to leave. I guess God does have a plan for me because
if I made it this year I should be able to make it next year. So I hope more
people get involved in missions like this because it changes your life forever.
And it is not just one country that is in need, I am sure that every country is
in need for doing something.
So I hope you would join Starfish Enterprises and WGO or start your own mission
team so you can help the people in need.
Gods Blessings.
Lendon Dressler
As the ranch construction team was returning the the U.S.A a third team, another medical group, was arriving to carry on the work of the team two weeks before.
Saturday February 12th -
Today the second group from Illinois made it safely to the Mission House in Tegucigalpa. Today went as planned. The Edwardsville group and the Freeport group met up in Houston and started right away introducing ourselves and getting acquainted. When we arrived we were in customs while the Ranch group was passing us on the other side of the glass. Everybody's luggage and most of the trunks made it the first day. Amazing news, the Honduran native that is part of our team met her family at the airport ! She is so moved and happy she may not come back to the states with us.
Darla
Sunday February 13th -
Today we were able to choose between the English speaking Union International
church or the Spanish speaking CCI. After church we ate lunch at a nice
restaurant, La Florita, and then went shopping in the little stores at the
Valley of the Angels. There were so many things to choose from and we all
managed to leave a few dollars there.
Eight of the trunks arrived while we were away today.
Darla
Monday February 14th -
Today we woke up bright and early to go to our first brigade site, Suyapa. There
were many wonderful people waiting when we arrived, eager for our services and
for the love of Jesus to be shared with them.
The children's ministry was awesome and presented in a form of a puppet play.
The young people on the team stepped up to the job of choosing the puppets to
fit the characters on an audio CD program sent by one team member who could not
make the trip. The program was very effective and loved much by the children. So
many of the children were in awe of the program and our teens were happy to
share the love of Jesus with them.
Optical had a great surprise. One of our doctors met a young girl by the name of
Nadia in1996 and gave the girl her first pair of glasses. Sadly they were very
thick and she was made fun of by the other children. Nadia was 12 years old then
but only in the first grade because of her terrible eye sight.
Then about three years ago the doctor was back at the same site and saw Nadia once again and fit her with her second pair of glasses (she was still wearing the first pair). Nadia was then 18 and in the sixth grade. The glasses had helped her progress through school.
Then today the doctor was asked by a woman if she remembered Nadia. The woman was Nadia's mother. The doctor said yes of course and asked how Nadia was doing. Nadia was at work but was able to come later and meet with the doctor. Nadia still had the same glasses from three years ago. Unfortunately Nadia has lost sight in one eye and there is a high probability that she will lose sight in the the other eye as well. This time we could not help her but the doctor is going to see what she can do anyway. Please keep Nadia in your prayers.
We were all moved by the grace and love of God that brought two such special
people together three times in His perfect timing.
Evangelism was granted some money to buy about two hundred Evangel-cubes. These
cubes are about the size of a Rubik cube and flip and fold with pictures that
visually explain God's plan of salvation. The cubes were awkward at first but
the team members started using them as a bridge between them and the people
because evangelism can be so hard through an interpreter. This visual was a very
interesting and effective method to share the gospel with the adults.
Medical saw about 280 people today!
Dental had four chairs, three for the Honduran dentists and one for our American
dental hygienist. They were full all day. This was the hygienist's first time on
a brigade and she had such a wonderful experience that she plans to return
again.
We are getting up very early again tomorrow to return to Suyapa for the second
day. The Lord's work is being done through us and we pray that the Spirit is
able to grow the seeds we plant.
Darla
Tuesday February 15th
Tuesday was busy with the word going out that we were in the
village. There were many stories that were shared that night here is one that
stands out. Evangelism was interesting with the people. One particular man
sticks out for Trish. She will pray for him everyday. I think she is going to
update us with a personal account later.
Darla
Wednesday February 16th
Wednesday we heard the vision of Alan Danforth from Mike
Ferguson. We went to see all the new changes at the ranch. Great job
Construction team!! They did get the permit to remove the trees. Cleared, poured
the foundation and had started laying block by Wed. when we visited on house
number nine. The Ranch is beautiful. All the children are moved out to the ranch
except two girls in the David house. I was told that there are no teams
scheduled for several weeks, so if you know anyone who can get a team together
call and make appointments soon.
A side note Alan was running a fever for a few days and now has pneumonia in
both lungs and the doctors are postponing a procedure to implant more stem cells
into his bone marrow until he is better. Keep him and Dona in your prayers as
Alan faces this new challenge in his course of treatment. As far as we know his
children are not there in Israel with Alan and Dona and we do not know what
their plans are.
After the ranch we went to the supermarket. We browsed and bought things. Most
things were U.S. products but some of us came out with Tabasco, sugar, or unique
products from Honduras. It was a real blessing to have a day of rest and to come
together as friends. We got to know one another better and had a great time. We
headed over to El Patio for dinner. We ate appetizers, chips, bean dip, cheese
dip, some kind of vegetable spread and on and on then the main course. We all
split either the chicken kabobs or the one pound steak. Next time all the
chicken eaters vowed to order the mouth watering steak!! Yummy!. We were all so
relaxed and tired we were ready to go home. Some people bought oil paintings by
vendors that showed up and some the painting were still wet. It was a good day.
Darla
Thursday February 17th
Today we went to a three story church under construction. We
were so blessed to have room to move people through that it was enjoyable. We
had to deal with sawdust and traffic but the facility was terrific. Tomorrow we
hope to serve more people. The unofficial stats are not in but medical served
almost 500 people. Pharmacy was busy but optical and dental did great also.
Being in a more commercial area than the last site, there were more families and
fewer inquisitive children.
We all are disappointed that Friday is our last day. Everyone has had an
opportunity to try out each station. Some people found strengths in one area or
found their non strengths in one. Most people have had a wonderful life changing
experience coming to serve the people of Honduras. I hope to get pics to you
soon.
Thank you for your support and giving the people of Honduras are exceptionally
grateful for having their physical needs met but also many love to hear the
gospel of Christ Jesus and the love of the Almighty God who sent us here to
serve the spiritual needs of the people. We also get to practice what we preach.
To serve in our best capacity to spread the good news of salvation to believers
and nonbelievers alike. What a joy to know we have planted seeds or reaped the
harvest of others before us.
Darla
Friday February 18th
Saturday February 19th