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Marcy's JournalAugust 8/08/2008 8/25/2008
8/18/2008
8/25/2008 Entry Last Tuesday a team came from a combination of Texas and Pennsylvania through a ministry called Hope for Honduras. They conducted an Abundant Life Seminar (a session on worship, session on word of faith, and session on making banners), bought, bagged and handed out food, conducted a cultural exchange in the Saturday class, ministered on Sunday, and ministered to Pastors in Lepaterique (a city outside of Tegucigalpa that they had gone to years before). The team also adopted a family. What this meant was that Luis showed the team a family that was in need and how they could help. This family literally lives down the mountain, over a river, and through the woods. They have a two room home: one is the kitchen, the other is the bedroom. The family of 8 were all sleeping in one double bed. Saturday morning, the team went and cleared out the bedroom and cleaned it up while others went shopping in Comayagua. Late in the afternoon, we carried all the items the team bought for them (two bunk beds, sheets, blankets, pillows, comforters, kitchen items, chairs, etc.) across the river (walking across on two fallen logs) and through the woods. We found out that the bed they had was borrowed and it was already back to its owner by the time we got there. The family was overtaken by the blessings and goodness of God. Worship was awesome Sunday and full of banners the ladies had made at the Abundant Life seminar. We have been encouraging people during worship to raise their hands, kneel, jump, dance, shout, etc. and express worship in different ways. The words banner, ensign, and standard have different meanings such as: one is a signal exhibited on the top of a pole from a bare mountain top, the other is for a military standard for a large division of an army, another for a small division of an army. When I saw all the banners during worship, it reminded me that we worship in the throne room and presence of God, not from our situations looking up. We could not all fit in the classroom, so were able to set up chairs on the fubolito field (future church), march down the hill, and have church outside. This was great because the people usually get so hot in the small classroom and do not usually fit for special services. When groups from the US come, I usually take advantage of learning how Luis handles teams and how different teams work. We try to stay available to assist with sorting, packaging, and any other helping as well. I also try to learn as many Spanish worship songs as I can and get ahead with preparing messages for Saturdays and Sundays. We haven’t really found our place when teams come. Sometimes we are involved in everything and minister with them. Sometimes we can help by just answering questions. Some teams we just watch or do not even participate because we are not needed or they do not realize we are there to help (even when we say we are - hard spot to be in, sometimes). In those cases, sometimes we can at least meet new people in the surrounding areas of Zambrano (practicing our Spanish and strengthening relationships). We have had a couple of individuals we could share part of our Run the Race seminar with and about answering the call of God on your life. This is a neat way to help people around the US answer the call of God or give them tools to help others answer the call of God on their lives. Sometimes it is amazing to think of how many people we have met from how many different states in the US. Sometimes we have the opportunity to share our own testimony with them and our journey to becoming full-time missionaries. Some groups or individuals have been working with Luis for 4 years or more. Four years ago, all ministry with Luis was done based out of Tegucigalpa (the capital city). Some groups enjoy our company and help. Others have enough team members to handle everything and don’t want to impose on us (they are here to serve). It is not a bother to us because we are asking how we can help. I am always praying for favor with everyone we meet. Our children would spend all day and night with the teams if they could. When we have a group come down through us (as opposed to the ones who currently come with Luis), they will almost be able to do that! We’ll be able to take part of the planning, preparing, and executing. Make plans now to escape snowy winter! Come to Honduras this Christmas break, winter break, or spring break (or any other vacation break you can take).
8/18/2008 Entry Last week during the night, someone jumped our fence, went on our porch, cut the hammock down, and ran away with it! I was awoken in the night and heard something, but I hear things every night, so I did not think much of it. We live right in the center of town and the social hall (where late night parties and concerts take place) is right around the corner. It’s great to be awake half the night before Sunday morning! Anyways, we did not care so much about the hammock as we did that someone was that close to the house. This probably would not have happened if we had a dog (Patita died last month) or if we had barbed wire or razor wire around the top of our fence. The area seemed pretty safe, so we didn’t make it a priority or think we needed it. Since our rent has been going towards home improvements, we are making plans to put up wire next (the doors for the rooms and paint for inside and outside will have to wait until another month). A couple of weeks ago, when a North American team was here, they prayed over people in the congregation, including us, concerning prosperity. The next day, two business opportunities came our way (through a missionary who has been doing this for years). One was selling water at the house (easy to do since we are on a main road) and the other was a cleaning business (inside of cars, furniture, etc.). Both businesses are a great way to meet people and interact. The second, the cleaning business, would be great for getting into people’s homes. We decided to start with the water business since it requires little to no effort or conversational Spanish whereas teh cleaning business requires it because you are going into people's homes). Kjell wants to learn the language better before beginning a cleaning business. We will pick up 5-gallon water bottles in Comayagua (which we drive there to bring the girls to school anyways) and sell them from our home in Zambrano. We will be able to offer a lower price, so it should not take long for people to start coming to us. Also, Kjell is able to do educational consulting in the United States, Canada, and here in Honduras. One opportunity in Honduras, is professional development for the teachers at the girl’s bilingual school in Comayagua (Enlaces Bilingual School). There are also educational seminars Kjell will search into being a presenter at. Since there is no separation of church and state (or departamentos) in Honduras, Kjell will be free to use biblical examples here as well as present the gospel openly in his presentations. Two questions will undoubtedly arise: Why business?
Then, why do you still need financial support?
8/08/2008 Entry Las Botijas (see pictures) On Thursday, August 7th, we went with a team into Las Botijas. It was an hour or so drive up and down and around into the mountains. It was so beautiful there I thought if I ever moved to Las Botijas or the mountains I would never leave! We stopped at a school that was having their recess time. Luis asked if Castillo de Rey could share the gospel message with the kids. They were able to present the gospel (through dance, skits, puppets, and testimony) and many received Jesus and were prayed for. Some women who watched the skits, asked for prayer for their husbands to find work and for food in their house. The team was able to give some of the bags of food to these women right at the school. After, we drove further down to a central area near a catholic church. With the sound system, powered by a generator, we were able to announce our arrival and call people to come receive a gift. Luis was embarrassing people by having them answer his questions into the microphone. The people were very shy, but Luis was able to make them laugh. Luis shared that he had two gifts. One was physical food that would last a couple of days. The second was spiritual food that would last for eternity. Many received Jesus and then bags of food were handed out. Las Botijas is one of the areas we would like to plant a church. A Dream Come True (see pictures) It has always been in Luis’ heart to reach the lost by whatever means possible. That is why the future church building is also a type of stadium. It can be used for any type of sport and was designed in likeness of a stadium at a college. Now that the roof is on, the adult men have been able to play some games. This is the most men Luis has seen up at the ministry buildings. The plan Luis has is to have an informal league of sorts with futbol (soccer) teams and then present the gospel at organizational meetings and to show the love of God in our own playing and interacting. We can have soccer events for different age groups as well and present the gospel. Kjell is doing great at playing soccer along with these die-hard, life-long soccer players. He is able to connect and make relationships with the guys as well as score some goals! Of course, he is dreaming of the basketball hoops being put in, too. I think when the walls are up, we will be able to start meeting for church in the building. It will hold 1200 people or more. We will be able to set chairs up as well as have the bleachers on both sides. This would make a great gymnasium for a bilingual Christian school as well. NOTE: If a soccer game is going to be televised live, most Honduran men will wake up at any time in the morning (2 or 3 am) to watch it live. This just happened with the Olympic Games, Two games this week were at 3:00 am and 2:30 am and many people woke up to watch them. Even if the game will be taped and televised later in the morning, many men will wake up to watch it still. Luis is not even a soccer fanatic and he woke up to watch. Amazing!
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