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Spotlight on: Mission Honduras
Update for March 21…
Today was our hardest day yet physically and emotionally. We worked in Tres de Mayo where we were able to complete homes for 3 families. Of the places we’ve worked over the past 4 years, this was definitely the most desperate situation we have experienced. These families are living literally on the side of an old stone/sand mine (as they call it) and have nothing. The best way to describe it is that they are living on the outskirts of the poor part of town. Children of all ages, ladies & men – most barefoot, dirty and clothed only with the basics were walking/climbing all over this hillside that they call home – just doing the best they can to survive.
These families have absolutely nothing – but now they have some hope. When Ryan and John went to check out these sights, one of the ladies we were going to build for, a member of the church at Mateo, asked if we could help a neighboring family that was in desperate shape. After visiting with the neighbor in her house made of tarps and fencing material, she was added to the list. Santo is 32 years old, has 3 children and is 5 months pregnant with another child. A home was built for them today, but the great news is that she and her husband took on Christ through Baptism on Sunday! This is just one very real example of how God’s love is showing through your efforts and drawing others to know him.
The houses were completed and hope was given. I can also say that I think all of us were changed by the people we met today, which is another way God was at work today. God blessed us again with safety and by allowing us to meet and interact with other brothers and sisters. These families may be in very different situations, but when all of that is erased, they are God’s creation and our family.
Until tomorrow – May God Bless You!
Update for March 20…
What a day! Today we were working a little closer together and were able to complete 3 more houses. God continues to bless us much more than we could ever imagine. We enjoyed cloud cover for most of the morning, which made it easier to work. Tomorrow, we head out to Las Tapias to build 3 more homes – all within sight distance of each other. It will be a hard day, but we look forward to working together. We’re tired and are going to get some sleep. We hope to be able to give you more detail tomorrow night – and with pictures.
Please keep praying for us and for God’s blessings on this effort!
Update for March 19…
Today was a great day! We worked today in three different areas, each with challenging sites, but families that were thankful for their blessing and eager to have us there. All of the houses were completed. Everyone here is doing well; a few blisters and splinters, but healthy and enthusiastic about our work.
All but one of our bags arrived this afternoon, so tomorrow will be our first day with all of our supplies and clothing, and the first day on a normal schedule.
We’ll head out in the morning to 3 more sites, hoping to finish by mid-afternoon. Our plan is to run by an internet cafe tomorrow afternoon/evening and let everyone call home before returning to Villa Gracia for our devotional.
Your continued prayers are very appreciated by all of our group. We truly feel the love and support of everyone back home. We’ll post more tomorrow, so check back for more news from Honduras.
Update from March 18
Our group worshiped this morning with the church at Mateo. It’s always a joy to be with the wonderful Christians here. We had a great morning and an uplifting time of worship.
After worship, we headed out to Jocomico and started work on four houses whose sites had been prepared for Saturday. Construction went with smoothly with all houses completed by late afternoon. The families we were building for understood that these homes were blessings from God and that we were simply the tools for his work.
Our bags have yet to arrive, but hopefully will arrive tomorrow. In the meantime, we’ll head back to the mall and try to get enough supplies for those who haven’t received their bags.
Please continue to pray for our trip and that we make it through the adversity of lost luggage, but more importantly, that God be served by our being in this place.
Update from March 17
Our team arrived safely yesterday with everyone present and accounted for. Unfortunately, none of our 56 team and personal bags arrived with us. They were sent to Washington DC, which was not our intended mission point.
Needless to say, our plans have been adjusted to account for this delay. 26 of our bags arrived today with enough supplies and tools to begin house construction tomorrow. We were able to purchase other essentials for several of our students that will allow them to go an additional day without luggage. Our plan for tomorrow is to worship with the church in Mateo and then head to Jocomico, a small village outside of Tegucigalpa, to build four houses for that community. These families are some of the many church members who walk up to four miles down rugged country roads to attend at Mateo. These homes will be a considerable blessing to their families and their community.
After what promises to be a long and challenging day tomorrow, we should be back on our building schedule by Monday. We’ll continue building houses through Thursday in the communities of Las Tapias, Mateo, San Francisco and Tres de Mayo.
Please continue to pray for our team as we move forward with this mission effort. Check back tomorrow for an update and pictures from our first day of construction.