Monday - Stories and Letters from the Front

Tonight’s posting is a set of letters and notes and stories from several of the team. Enjoy…

Good evening family and friends.

We've completed our first day at the brigade. It is amazing to see the team that God has put together come together. I worked in the area with the dentists and had a wonderful day supporting them.

I’m truly blessed to be a part of this mission team and I am wonderfully blessed to share this experience with my daughter Crystal. Our God is an awesome God!!

In Christ I remain, His servant and yours,

Barry Booker

Hello, Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, Persian Gulf Family and Friends,

The compassion and joy of the Honduran people has impressed me on this first day.  A young man (probably in high school) visited the optical area four times today.  First he came for himself, then back again for a brother, mother or aunt (not sure which) and finally with his friends (amigos).  He gently and playfully guided them each time.  I am truly blessed to be here and part of this mission.

Blessings and Love to you,

Joellen

Hey Mom and Dad- a special shout-out to y’all because I don’t want to spend 2 dollars to call you, ha ha.

I just want to say that I am only 16 years old and I can truly say that today has truly changed my life for the better and forever. Today I was blessed with the amazing opportunity to serve the children of Tegucigalpa by washing their hair, treating lice, preaching about the Word of God, and most importantly in my eyes, putting ear-to-ear smiles on children’s faces. Before arriving to Honduras, my cousin Sarah and I purchased a plethora of bracelets and rings. Today I handed only HALF of these bracelets out and the kid’s smiles just melted my heart. I don’t even know how to describe how I feel right now. It was extremely humbling for these children to be excited by only a single bracelet! Also, my three beautiful “groupies” flipped out when I brought out my camera towards the end of the day. They were posing for so many pictures….more diva-like than me! (if possible). I said this earlier to the people in my group and I think this is the most accurate description of my day: I know many words in Spanish but I cannot speak a full sentence…but I believe that I connected to these kids emotionally and mentally. I know not all of this makes sense, but you have to experience it to believe it. It’s only been one day and I’m forever changed. God has blessed me. He brought me here for a reason: one for humbling me, and the other I believe is to do what I love most: to serve others. God bless and Gloria a Dios!

Emma Kleker

Greetings from Honduras!

We had a great first day of ministry!  Thanks to all of you who are praying for us.  I spent the day in evangelism.  My translator’s name was Karen.  She was only 14 years old but Godly wise way beyond her years.  I spent time getting to know each person that came through and then shared appropriate verses with them.  I actually had the Hondurans read each of the passages from a New Testament.  Being a teacher I then told them I was going to quiz them on the passage on their understanding. Many had just received the glasses and could now read the verses (many from the Roman road). God used me to share the gospel message and had several re-dedications and four first time decisions to accept Christ.  With these individuals I walked them over to an information desk where another worker took down all their information (name, address and phone number) and then there would be follow up by the church and initiate discipleship!    I used as much Spanish as I could remember (my translator was impressed). In fact one time I asked a question in Spanish and she was translating back in English to the Honduran!  Very funny!  When time allowed I peaked my head out side and was very proud of Jill.  She was patiently washing children’s hair and at other times she had a following of at least 6 – 8 kids.  Jill was like the energizer bunny.  She just kept going and going and going.  Even at the end of the day she was playing tag and giving piggy back rides.  Looking forward to see how God is going to use our team the rest of the week.

                                                                                          Love in Christ,

                  

                                                                                          Todd Sikora

Dear Family and friends,

"Open the eyes of my heart Lord, open the eyes of my heart Lord, I want to see you, I want to see you". Although many of us know and have sung this song many times, nothing is more real to see these words come true in Honduras. In “the States” as they say here in Honduras, our lives are so filled with work, schedules to meet, places to be, and things to buy, that I rarely see God working. Not that He isn’t, the eyes of my heart are just not looking for it. As Americans, we tend to believe that we are better, smarter, and stronger than those that that are poor, a different skin color, or don’t speak English. Although I work and pride myself in not being prejudice, today God open my heart and revealed that I am. That in subtle ways we evaluate people based on their wealth, materials, skin color, and education level. Thank you Claudia, my translator today in evangelism (she is only 17) for teaching me this valuable lesson through the life you live and the heart you have for God and his people. So proud of my daughter Sarah and my niece Emma! God is doing some amazing things in them and through them. One of the first songs we sang in the Honduran Church on Sunday was Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord (in Spanish of course). This is also Pastor Don’s focus this week for devotion. Not a coincidence… God’s plan (you are right Barb).

Love you all.

Brian

Good Evening Family and Friends in CT, MA, VA and UT!!!

I have such a new appreciation for the love of God and his precious Son, Jesus!  I thank the Lord for all that He has already taught me and shown me in my first few days here in Honduras.  I was blessed today to work in the Optical area.  To meet people that could no longer read because they could not see due to no finances available to afford glasses or the exam, was very moving.   When their eyes were tested by one of the team, and then examined by an optometrist I had the privilege of assisting them in selecting glasses.   I even learned four sentences in Spanish so I could help them!  (I will demonstrate them when I come home!) When I then handed them a Spanish Bible to view to see if their vision was clear – their faces just lighted up SO brightly because they could read again.  It really brought tears to your eyes to see their happiness.    They also are SO grateful that we from North America have come to help them.   They are such warm, loving, grateful people!    I am SOOOO happy that I am here.  I look forward to all that the Lord will show me this week.   He has truly blessed me so much already and I am grateful that I am part of this spectacular team, who together we are blessing others – and these dear people of Honduras are blessing us!!!    Love you all,    SueAnn

Adventures in Concrete (or Unintentional Exposure to Wildlife)

Today I worked concrete.  I’ve done this before, and I truly enjoy the opportunity to serve a family in a tangible way as well as get a chance to talk with them (using my growing Spanish vocabulary).  This morning as we were making introductions, we were standing in the room (that now has a concrete floor), and it felt like I had pins pricking up my legs.  I looked down and saw a swarm of ants crawling over my shoes.  Evidently I was standing on their nest, and they had decided to retaliate the only way they knew how.  I quickly moved and did my best to brush down my legs to dislodge them. [I got many, but a couple made it up to my neck.]  After a while the itching/burning went away, and it occurred to me that the nest had probably been there for a while.  It seemed to contain many ants.  I couldn't imagine living in a room that had a nest of fire ants.  I truly hope the concrete floor we put in their today will help eliminate the ants from the house, and I was blessed to be able to help in that effort.   – Bethany Tollberg

Finally...

Please continue to remember to pray for us and if you want to see pictures from today (or any of the other days)  Click Here