Honduras

The Country / The People / Our 2006 Mission

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Marcy and I went to Honduras for the first time in 2000 and were awestruck by its beauty, culture, and people.  We worked in Comayagua, a city Northwest of the nation's capital, Tegucigalpa.  We taught and preached in churches, as well as walked the dirt streets of the barrios (neighborhoods) and told people the good news about Jesus Christ.  Marcy and I also went to a small school and gave a bible lesson on Samuel's calling as a little boy (see I Samuel 3). We recently revisited Honduras in June of 2006 with a different mind set than at the first.  Number one, we were now ordained ministers with a ministry.  Number two, we brought our two oldest daughters, and number three, we were looking at this trip with the lens of our own personal calling, specifically if God wanted us to move to this beautiful country. We are currently living in Zambrano, about 40 kilometers outside Tegucigalpa toward Comayagua.  Zambrano is a small town of about a few thousand people plus many small neighborhoods in the mountains, each with 50-500 people. The roads in Zambrano are either dirt or rock, like cobblestone.  The roads to the mountain areas are often times very difficult requiring a truck.  The roads to Comayagua and Tegucigalpa are paved. The Country Honduras is in Central America, bordering Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.  It is a little bigger in land mass than Tennessee with large, sharp mountains jutting into the blue sky.  It's difficult to put into words what a different place looks like.  In order to provide a glimpse, we have a few pictures below of the land. A map of Central America with Honduras circled Danli is a small city East of the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa. Notice Comayagua (red letters) north of Tegucigalpa. A well outside of a church in Danli A typical view of the mountains. Top of Page The People Honduras has a population of over 7.3 million with a very limited, almost nonexistent middle class.  The people are generally very poor or wealthy. [Wealthy is a relative term.]  In general, we found the people and the culture itself to be very generous, hospitable, and open.  They tend to be happy and smiling, even in the midst of poverty.  They openly accept and, at times, expect, aid, especially from white Americans.  They tend to live simply without a lot of amenities.  This can be a hindrance to them because they may not see themselves doing or being anything more than what they see - and what their family has always been.  The people of Honduras are beautiful and loving.  When we would talk to them in broken Spanish, they were gracious and tried to understand.  There are a few who can speak a little English and so we would practice our Spanish and they would practice their English!  It was great. Top of Page Our 2006 Mission Trip Our mission in the 2006 trip had various aspects and objectives.  We had two main objectives: 1. To spread the good news about Jesus Christ and His redeeming work on the cross 2. To show the love of God in action Spreading the Gospel One way we spread the gospel was through talking to families or individuals as we walked to certain parts of the city in small groups.  We would ask, usually through an interpreter, if the family or person wanted to talk.  We rarely - if ever - had someone say no.  Then, we would give them and/or their children some toys and candy while one of us presented the gospel, showing the people the scriptures in a Spanish bible, which we would give them if they could read. A family receiving gifts (toys, hygiene items, and candy) and the proclamation of Jesus' redemption After asking if we could talk to the people, which we were rarely ever refused, we would tell them about Jesus. Another way we proclaimed God's goodness, was through crusades held at night.  A Christian praise and worship band would play - with passion and might.  One of the members of our combined team (there were two different missions teams - ours and one from Texas) would preach.  Many people in the crowd gave their lives to Christ and many were healed by God through the prayers of the saints. A praise and worship band at the crusade Joe (from the Texas team) preaching to the crowd Love in Action Showing God's love is not hard, it just takes work and a little ingenuity.  We set up a medical clinic that consisted of 6 stations.  Our objective was to show people that God is real and practical and that healing is from God.  This means any kind of healing - whether through medicine, surgery, divine intervention, or miracle. Telling people that God wants them to be made well The first station was counseling where we would present the gospel to the people.  Many received Christ as Lord and others received Him as their healer, while others received both. Kjell spent most of the day here.  In the picture to the right, Kjell is explaining what the bible says about healing and sickness - that God wants people to be well, not sick.  Pedro (in the cap) was interpreting and doing very well.   The next station was involved acquiring people's names and addresses and where they attended church.  This was for follow-up reasons.  We wanted a way to make sure that the people were understanding the directions regarding the medicine they received, and the directions regarding God's love toward them. Obtaining names and addresses A child getting a check-up After providing us with their names and where they lived, they went to the doctors.  These were local doctors who gave their time and expertise to see people receive medical attention. People would wait for hours to see a doctor because there is no insurance like we have in the States, and many of these people are too poor to pay for a doctor's visit.  Having doctors and medicine was a real blessing in many ways.  Following the diagnosis from the doctor, people went to get their "prescription", which was filled by a member of our team (from New Hampshire) who is a very skilled nurse. We had brought with us suitcases full of medicines (i.e., pain relievers, antibiotics, etc.). The people were instructed as to how to take the medicine, when to take it, and how often. Team members dispensing medicines People getting new clothes Once they had their medicine and prescription, they picked out some clothing, which consisted of shirts, pants, shorts, shoes, flip flops, etc. All of these clothes were donated from our partners, friends, family, and co-workers in the great USA.  Just think, someone in Honduras is wearing a shirt you gave! Many of the children were barefoot.  It was apparent that this was not a decision, but a detail of poverty.   Finally, the people received hygiene items.  These included soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and skin lotion. After this station, the people - very happy and excited from the gifts - would exit the church.  Kids are kids!  They tried to sneak back in or ask for more stuff through the windows.  They are so wonderful. Handing out hygiene items Top of Page

A Ministry Devoted to Helping People Answer God's Call on Their Lives   Ephesians 1:18 - ". . .that you may know the hope of His calling. . ."