Summer Teams: Week Four

Let me start this post by saying, we are biased.  Wellington Presbyterian Church in Wellington, Florida came alongside of us just before we left for language school.  They not only support us financially but have provided us with spiritual and emotional support that is so necessary on the field.  They have become near and dear to our hearts and our ministry.  We were so excited for them to come down and join us in Las Delicias for the first time!  They went through 2 months of training and it showed in their selfless attitudes and service the whole week.  They were a joy to be with.

Baby love

 Digging a septic pit

Our pastor trainer came to join in the fun 

Slinging sludge

Reading to some kids

A former missionary kid talking to some locals

Hondurans soak up the colorful books

Movin wood for the roof

River time with the Honduran kiddos

Making friends by sharing tricks

DAY TWO IN LAS DELICIAS

Jacob helping raise the roof on the Kindergarten building

The ladies learn how to make tamales from the very beginning...cutting the corn off the cob

Getting situated to put the rafters up

Sue reads The Jesus Storybook Bible in Spanish during Kids Club

More roofing work

Prayer walk through the community

River time

Life happens at the river: washing clothes, dishes, bathing, and coolin off!

When People Break Your Heart

“If through a broken heart God can bring His purposes to pass in the world, then thank Him for breaking your heart.”  ― Oswald Chambers

Can we take a second to be honest.  My heart is broken.  It is just a natural product of living in a fallen world.  I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on it, however.  I don't think we spend enough time talking about the harsh realities of disappointment.  Don't get us wrong.  We love our God and Savior, His ministry in Las Delicias, our team, Hondurans, Honduras, and hosting short term teams.  But people and circumstances are sticky...and sinful.

People are going to say things they don't mean.  People are going to say things they do mean.  People are going to steal from me.  People are going to steal from our ministry.  People are going to think they know how to run the Lord's ministry in our community better than us because they have read some recent book on missions.  People will be products of their own culture and not adapt well to the culture they are visiting.  Me included. People will be selfish.  People will be sinful. People are going to break your heart. Guaranteed.

The common denominator is in how we respond.  We choose to respond with grace.  We may weep and have our feelings hurt.  We may long for our heavenly home full of perfection and void of sin.  We may want to call it quits, throw in the towel, send up the white flag but the Lord calls us to persevere, to give grace, and to follow Him.  We don't bite back when words cause us pain.  We don't stop serving with our time, our efforts, and physical gifts because something has been taken from us.

When I say we respond with grace, I mean the Gospel message.  I mean Christ.  We look to Christ. We look to the good news.  We are sinners.  All of us.  Adam sinned. We all sin. EVERY. DAY.  God is holy and perfect.  We can't be in His presence and neither can any other person that we deal with on a daily basis regardless of our upbringing, race, culture, or language.  We can only look to Christ to bridge the gap.  All of us.  Christ is the only person who can provide intercession between us, sinners, and a holy God.  Christ.  That's it.  I have to look to Him for my answers.

So when my feelings are hurt, I can only look to Christ to give me the righteous response to that person.  As a sinner who has been forgiven much, I can forgive.  As a sinner who has been given Christ, I can share Christ in response by giving the same grace that has been extended to me.  I can move on from being discouraged by Americans and Hondurans, teammates and short term missionaries, family and friends, WHOMEVER because I know that I get up daily and trust in the greatest Hope that has been given to me, Jesus Christ.  I can be encouraged that Christ has saved me and will give me the strength and power to show all I come across His message, His grace.  I can be encouraged that people and circumstances are messy here but it's because we don't belong here.  We are not home yet.  Perfection is but round the corner though! Heaven awaits.          

Short Term Teams: Week 3

Week three of short term teams brought us a little taste of our old home.  A group of 19 from Catalina Foothills Presbyterian in Tucson, Arizona joined us for ministry.  One of our friends taught us how to make baleadas (the national dish of Honduras) in her house, we continued construction on the Kindergarten building, had a small Kid's club, played soccer, and hung out at the river.

Fixin' to go make some baleadas at a local's house with these ladies 

Making friends

These cute little "pillowcase" dresses were handed out to the neediest in our community

The sweet instant gratification of seeing your photo

Further construction on the Kindergarten building

Should be ready by the next school year in February 

Little by little! 

Soccer with the US and local teens 

Soccer is a great way to make new friends in this culture 

Life happens at the river...dishes, laundry, bathing, and collecting water for home use

Learning what life is like in Las Delicias/Honduras

Short Term Teams: Week Two

Week two, our team hosted 23 short-term missionaries from all over the U.S. The missionaries came from two very different teams: one team of nine missionaries from various churches in the Northern California Presbytery and another team of 14 medical missionaries.

All 23 served in Las Delicias.  The 14 medical missionaries put on a brigade and provided services for 203 patients.  The other 9 continued construction on the Kindergarten building for the community.  

 Medical professionals receiving instruction

Cardiologist seeing patients with translator and med student in tow

Make-shift exam tables and flexible doctors!

Physical therapy outside

Our very own construction genius, John Clow, helping the therapist

manufacture better crutches for  jungle use for our friend, Dionisio

Med professionals in the triage part of clinic

Pediatrician hard at work

Nurses bandaging up our epileptic friend, Berto.

The crowd waiting 

The pharmacy with Michelle translating 

(I promise this isn't a judgey-face)

My favorite story of the day:

Boy comes legally blind and leaves after seeing the visiting ophthalmologist able to see.

(We're working on getting this sweet boy some pediatric frames!)

 This little lady (the blondie in the Honduras jersey) from the California team made quick friends in Las Delicias when the kids found out she was 10 years old.  She spent time reading and loving on some of our smallest friends.

 Local boys assisting our team in the construction of the Kinder...

I seriously think it is a little taste of heaven when I see everybody working together.

Short Term Teams: Week One

We have entered a new season of missionary life this week.  Summer means short term teams in our world.  23 missionaries from two different churches joined our team last week to serve the people of Honduras alongside of the long term missionaries.  They aided in advancing our ministries and the kingdom of God.

 Learning how to bend the forms to make pillars

 Kids Club participants

 The team from South Carolina showing of their music leading skills

 Proof they were awesome!

Rebar form for the middle pillar in the Kinder

Loving some baby time

The classic cement mixing photo.  

You're not really on a mission trip until you have done this.

Cement poured

Community time aka soccer and time at the river

We were blessed to have this team in Las Delicias and are blessed to see how the Lord uses these teams to help us continue to build relationships and change in this community.  Will you keep praying for the people in Las Delicias?   Pray that Christ will be known and His love nothing but obvious through construction, relationships, learning how to make the local cuisine in someone's home, playing soccer, VBS, or clinics.

What You've Been Missin: March

In March, we fell into our groove and we are enjoying building relationships in Las Delicias!  We more or less have a "schedule" now and it looks a little something like this:

Monday:  Every other Monday we host a mobile medical clinic.  We have met 389 people since December through these medical clinics.  We've made some friends, shared the Gospel, and already seen health improve in the lives of many.

Adam doing patient intake

Michelle filling prescriptions from Dr. Roger

Tuesday: Since the day I (Michelle) met Adam, he has had a heart for fatherless children and discipleship of young men.  On Tuesdays, Adam meets with a small group of boys for a Bible study.  They are currently learning about the parables of Jesus.

Wednesday:  Wednesdays are for relationships!  We have been invited into a number of homes and are getting to know the community.  Pictured below is a sweet family who lives off of the income of the donuts this Mom makes and sells everyday.  She taught Michelle how to make donuts and we enjoy them from time to time when we find ourselves close to her house!  

Thursday:  This day is devoted to what our boss calls "the sexy side of missions."  We are responsible for the team finances as well as other administrative tasks.  It is as fun as this picture looks.

 

Friday: Friday starts with a team meeting.  We have a Bible study, discuss what has happened in the last week in ministry, and pray together for ministry as well as personal prayer requests.  Next come the pastor meetings with the 5 Honduran pastors that are being trained by our team.

Theology books in Spanish are shared with these pastors as well as some teaching and discipleship. Our boss, another church planting teammate, and Adam share this responsibility.  We are praying for the addition of a pastor from Las Delicias to shepherd the people there.  And then finally comes soccer with a bunch of boys in the community!  

Team meeting

Pastor meetings

Soccer with the guys