Three Weeks Back in USA

Three weeks ago we flew from Honduras back to the US. It has been a busy, but restful time so far. We have spent a lot of time with family and been able to share about the work in Honduras multiple times. 

We were blessed with tickets to see Penn State play Nebraska (unfortunately we lost) and spend our first weekend back in State College with my brother, Josh, and his family. We were also invited to speak at Oakwood Presbyterian Church to share about what the Lord is doing in Honduras. It was great for me to get back to this church and see some familiar people since it is where I attended for part of my time as a student at Penn State. 

Outside Beaver Stadium

We have been splitting time between my parent's house and Ashley's parents house for most of the time we have been here and will continue to as we stay in PA until the end of January. We are thankful they live near each other (about an hour apart) and have space to house us. My parents even came to Ashley's parents house to eat Thanksgiving dinner together! 

Quality time with family

In addition to Oakwood Pres., we have been able to worship with two of our supporting churches, Zeltenreich Reformed Church and Trinity Presbyterian Church, since we have been here. We are realizing how special it is to worship through song and the preached Word with larger bodies of believers (in English). We really missed this blessing while we were in Honduras. It has been so encouraging to talk with people who have been praying for us and the ministry in Honduras and to see and hear their excitement as we share what the Lord is doing. 

Ashley sharing at Trinity Pres.

Trip to the Capital

About a week and a half ago we found out that we would not be able to do the paperwork necessary to keep our residency up to date here in La Ceiba. We would have to make a trip to Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, in order to renew our residency card because the machine here in La Ceiba is broken. This was not exactly what we wanted to hear, because the trip to Teguc is about 6 hours in a car each way.

Dixi did not have school last Thursday and Friday because her school was being fumigated, so we decided to make the trip over these two days. It turned out to be a fun time as a family and Dixi got to experience some new things!

Thursday morning we got up early and made the drive. We arrived in Teguc with enough time to get to the immigration office and complete the paperwork necessary and we walked away with brand new, shiny cards that are good for another year!

Then we drove across the city to our hotel. We weren't sure what is was going to be like since we just booked it online.. It turned out to be fine and Dixi was beyond excited because she had never stayed in a hotel before. Also, she went into the bathroom and found a bathtub (not common at all in houses here). She could hardly wait until the evening to take her first ever bath in a bathtub.

Dixi w/ characters from Hotel Transylvania in mall food court

We found that there was a mall close to our hotel, so we drove there and it was like being in a mall in the US. It was three stories and had tons of stores that we hadn't seen in a long time. It was fun just to walk around for all three of us! After dinner we made our way back to the hotel, where Dixi was able to enjoy her bath, and went to bed on the early side because we had another long day of travel ahead of us.

On the drive back we stopped at Joya Grande, a zoo about halfway between Teguc and La Ceiba. It was about a half hour drive on a dirt road from the highway, but turned out to be totally worth it. We were able to see lions and tigers (no bears...) and monkeys and so many other cool things. Dixi and I were most impressed by the two hippopotami. They were enormous. We also got to feed the giraffe and Ashley even reached out and petted his nose.

Dixi timidly feeding the giraffe

After the zoo, we finished our drive back to La Ceiba and were happy to be home again. All in all it was a great trip. We got our paperwork done and we were able to spend some quality, fun time with Dixi and we all got to experience some new things! The Lord knew better than us that it would be worth it for us to make the trip when we didn't really want to do it.

Hey, what are you looking at?

napping tigers

Pastor Ovidio

We have very exciting news to share with you all! The Lord has brought into our ministry a man to start a church in La Fe!

Mike and Ovidio

Ovidio is from La Fe and has lived there with his family for the last few years. He is a single man (his wife died years ago) who lives with one of his daughters and her family. Ovidio has helped pastor a church before and so obviously loves Jesus and loves the community of La Fe. We are so excited to welcome him as our team's newest national partner!

We have gone through a process over the last six months or so looking for a man to lead a church-plant in La Fe. We were especially hoping to find someone from the community. In the last few weeks, the Lord made it clear that Ovidio was that man.

Please join in praying with us for Ovidio and for the process of starting a church. Also, pray for us as this is all very new to us. my main job, in the few weeks we are here before our furlough starts, will be to mentor and disciple and help out Ovidio in any way I can.

This is very exciting for us because this is what we came here to do - plant churches. The job is by no means finished, but this step of finding a Honduran leader is a big one. Praise the Lord!

Summer Teams

Each summer our team in Honduras hosts short-term teams from various churches across the US. This summer 10 teams are scheduled to come. A week ago the first two teams finished their week in La Ceiba. One team from Mobile, AL and the other from Harrisburg, PA. Trinity Pres. from PA is a supporting church of ours and generally comes to visit and work alongside of us twice every year. This was the 4th time that members from Trinity came and worked with Ashley and I in La Fe.

We hosted a large medical clinic and were able to see many people from La Fe as well as some from surrounding communities. It was a great event that allowed us to get to know some people a little deeper and help meet physical needs in a place that has a lot of physical needs. We also used some of the not-so-medical people to do some cleanup and trash pickup around where we hold our events in La Fe.

We are looking forward to the teams that are coming in July and August. Friends of ours from Wellington, FL will be coming in a week and with them will come our future teammates Adam & Michelle Cain (coming from Costa Rica where they are studying Spanish). We are thankful for those who give their time and resources to come and spend time with the Hondurans we have come to know and love.

Short-termers reading to kids in La Fe

Marla

We got to know Marla and her family very early in our time in La Fe. For about seven months we held a medical clinic in her family's house every other Monday. They graciously opened their house and gave up the use of half of it so that we could serve the medical needs of the community. Marla and her family attend a local church and have for most of her life.

Marla

Marla is 18 and is in her second year of high school. This year we are helping her attend school by providing school supplies, books, and the occasional help on homework. Marla often comes to our Ninos de La Fe weekly program for kids and has begun helping Ashley teach the lesson. Is it so awesome to see her want to serve the younger kids in her community by helping out this way! Marla is also the most faithful student for our weekly English class.

Gotta love hammocks!

Please pray that Marla's relationship with Jesus would grow and that she would embrace God's free gift of salvation in spite of the legalistic views of many in this culture. Also pray that Marla would continue to have the desire to serve others in her community.

Medical Clinic & Update on Brayan

Today we had our bi-weekly medical clinic in La Fe. Doctor Roger came and saw patients like normal and also went on two house calls. First, we went to see Brayan to check on his burns. Dr. Roger was VERY happy that Brayan is improving a ton and also that Brayan would talk. The other times Dr. Roger saw him, Brayan was in a lot of pain and what Roger was doing to him hurt (and helped). Now that he has improved so much, Brayan is in a much better mood and actually laughed with Dr. Roger.

Later in the day, we went to see how Abuelita was doing. She is not improving, but her body is continuing to shut down. She was having trouble breathing and was in a lot of pain. We were able to give her medicine to help those symptoms, but the reality is that she will most likely not be around too much longer. We are SO thankful that she says she knows Jesus and that she is ready to go "home to see Him!"

Dr. Roger seeing patients

These were just two of the patients we saw today. We also had the opportunity to see a few new faces as well as see some who have come many times before. We are so glad that the Lord has blessed our ministry with the ability to help meet some of the physical needs in La Fe by having medical clinics. These help us to get to know people on a deeper level and build relationships. We also know that our Savior cares about our physical bodies and calls us to care for those in need.

Brayan

Brayan lives in the house behind where we hold our regular events in La Fe. He lives with his grandmother, aunt and uncle, and some cousins and is 8 years old. Since we starting holding events in the area behind his house, he has been a regular. He has a precious smile and loves playing (soccer mostly) with his cousins and other friends that are close to his same age. 

Brayan

About two weeks ago, Brayan was in a horrible accident in a fire (they burn their trash). He was burned very severely in both of his feet and his left hand. He spent most of the last two weeks in a hospital in San Pedro, but when he returned he was not healing well. We were able to take him to see Doctor Roger (the doctor our team hired to run the medical clinic in Armenia Bonito) and he has cared for him and treated his burns. It seems as though Brayan is improving, but the burn on his left hand still has Dr. Roger a little concerned.

Brayan with Tino and Christian Manuel

Please pray that Brayan's body would be healed and that as we help with his physical needs, we would point him to his true need of Jesus. Pray that Brayan would be able to walk on his own again soon and that he would be able to be the fun, energetic kid that he always has been.

Visitors

Lyssa's family came to visit her this past week. We got to hang out with them and they were able to serve the people in La Fe. It was great to have new faces around and they were great with everyone they came in contact with. Here are a few pictures of them sharing Christ's love with others:

Michael & Riquel

Kelly with Dixiana & Ariani

Cheryl reading

Lyssa's parents in action

Kathleen with Michelle

Lyssa & Maria

Riquel

Riquel is by far the most imaginative kid I have met in Honduras. He is 4 years old and lives with his mom, dad, baby sister, two uncles, aunt, and grandma (and maybe a few more). Riquel is always playing and is all boy. He loves saving himself and others from "sharks" and "bad guys" and seems to never run out of energy. He also enjoys reading books with us and coloring and of course wrestling with those around him.

Riquel coloring with Lyssa

Please pray that Riquel would come to know Jesus and would use the charisma God has given him to share that faith with those around him. 

Hiding from the "sharks"

Abuelita

Abuelita (which means little old grandma in Spanish) is a special woman. She is unsure of her exact age, but thinks she is 76 years old. She is currently living in La Fe with her oldest son. Abuelita is weak from living a long, hard life. She still works hard at what she has energy for and cares deeply for her family. We have been meeting with her regularly to help her out around the house, read the Bible to her, or just sit and talk with her.

She has come to our clinics a few times and her body is starting to slow down. We can help her by giving her pain meds, but we know her true need is Jesus Christ. Please pray that she would come to know Jesus as her personal Savior and that she would seek to glorify him with all the rest of her life!

New Look & New Format

So, it has been a long time (2 months) since I blogged. There are a lot of things that just happen to jump in front of blogging on the to-do list. Well, I am back at it. However, I have to decided to change the format and content of this blog. As you can see, I updated the look of the site. I also am going to be changing what I blog about. Instead of just blogging about what I have seen or heard or done, I am going to write mostly about people.

People are really why we do what we do. Ashley and I came to Honduras to share the love of Jesus Christ with people. So, I want you to get to know some of the people who are especially important or special to our ministry here. That may be an individual one of us mentors, a cute kids that comes to an event we hold, a teammate, a neighbor, or even someone who comes to visit us here in La Ceiba.

This is the idea:

Alison is three years old and lives in La Fe. She lives in the house next to where we have been holding most or our events as of late, so we see her a lot. She is shy around new people, but thankfully we are not new people any more! She loves to be held and is as cute as can be. Alison lives with her mom and step-dad along with her older sister and brand new baby brother. It is always refreshing and encouraging to see her beautiful smile. Please pray that Alison, and all of her family, would come to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and that she would grow into a healthy young woman.

GCA 2013 Church Planting Conference

This week I am in Orlando, Fl. attending the Global Church Advancement (GCA) church planting conference. I am one of about 300 church planters, from more than 30 different denominations and 10 different countries, being trained on concepts and practical methods to successfully plant churches.

The trainers are mostly pastors, many of whom have decades of experience in planting churches in different types of settings. I have heard about topics such as: why we plant churches, the importance of prayer, preaching, evangelism, discipleship, and mercy ministry. It has been helpful to study each of these topics by looking at what the Bible says about them.

Mike & Pastor Darcy

Another great aspect of an event like this is making contacts and hearing about awesome things the Lord is doing through His people all over the world. I have been able to talk with different church planters about their passions and strategies to reach the world with the great news of Jesus Christ. I even got the chance to talk with Pastor Darcy, a pastor of Astoria Community Church, in Queens, NY. During our month-long training in NYC in the summer of 2010, we worked alongside Pastor Darcy at Astoria Church. It was a fun treat to catch up with him and hear about the exciting things that are going on with their church in Queens.

I am grateful to have this opportunity to learn about how to be a church planter and to get to ask questions of men who have been there and done that. I believe that it will help me and Ashley as we continue in the process of planting a church in La Fe!

Ministry in La Fe

As we begin this new year, I would like to give you a short update of what is happening in the ministry in La Fe.

Most of the things we have been doing, we are continuing. We have also, in the last six weeks or so, begun to branch out and minister in slightly different ways.

Medical Clinics
We continue to provide medical clinics every other week in La Fe. Our teammates have hired a doctor to run their clinic in Armenia Bonito and this doctor comes to serve the people of La Fe as well! Our next clinic is Monday January, 21. At this clinic we will start to charge 20 Lempira (about a dollar) to see the doctor, and 20 Lempira to receive medicine. This will provide a little money to cover some of the costs of medicine and the doctor, but this is not the reason we are charging the patients. We want them to invest in their own health and see the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Doctor Roger seeing patients.

Niños de La Fe
Every Tuesday morning we hold a VBS-like time for the kids in La Fe. We sing songs, play games, memorize scripture, and are learning through the use of children's catechism questions like "Who made you?" and "Why did God make you and all things?" We love sharing these truths with the children and this is a great way to get to know many of the little ones of La Fe.

Ashley teaching the memory verse.

English
Lyssa, the awesome intern who spends a majority of her time serving with us in La Fe, has begun to study English with individuals or small groups. These 'classes' have given her the opportunity to talk and dig in deep with the individuals as well as some of their families.

Lyssa with two of her English students.

One-on-one time
Both Ashley and I have been able to continue to deepen relationships with some of the young adults, teens, and elderly of La Fe and Lyssa has begun to do the same. Sometimes this time is used to practice English, to dig into gospel truths, or even just to read the Bible to older people who have bad vision. We feel this aspect of the ministry is the most important because it focuses on the individual and is when we truly get to know people and are able to speak God's Word into the specifics of their lives.