What a glorious day from God it has been. We started off with VBS and it was a great time. I just love getting to work with the kids here. They are all so very sweet and just want to be loved. They are all open to what we have to say also. We then got to feed the kids that attended VBS. As I sit here typing this, tears just come to my eyes. Hearing them say serve the littler kids first just in case we run out of food. Then later learning that this is the last month of the feeding of these kids because of money problems. I, as a spoiled North American, can’t imagine not getting 3 meals plus snacks every day. We then visited a hospital which was really upsetting to see all the needs which help for most isn’t possible here. We went straight from there to a community feeding and clothing drive. Just seeing all these people getting so happy and grateful over little things that would make us North Americans mad because it is not enough. This trip has really changed my life. I have realized how ungrateful and rude I really am. I have had quite the experience this trip and can’t wait to see what else God has in plan for me.
107…
- 107 is the 28th prime number.
- 107 as “one hundred and seven”, it is the smallest positive integer requiring six syllables in English.
- 107 is the atomic number of bohrium.
- 107 is the emergency telephone number in Argentina and Cape Town.
- 107 is the telephone of the police in Hungary.
- 107 is the current number of Nobel Prize in Literature laureates.
- 107 is a common designation for the fair use exception in copyright law (from 17 U.S.C. 107).
- 107 is also the number of lethal acupuncture points.
However, 107 is also the number of professions of faith our team has witnessed in these last few days. 107 souls, if they truly were sincere were added to the kingdom. That number alone is greater than the attendance of many of our churches on any given Sunday. 107 people, who I may never lay my physical eyes on, I will be able to once again see in heaven one day, where we will no longer need an interpreter to speak for us.
I thought it was fitting as I looked for things on the internet that represented 107 and Psalm 107 appeared. I was in awe by what it said…
Psalm 107:1-3 says:
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary and gathered from the lands, from the east and from the west, From the north and from the south.
As we gather here in the South, I challenge you to do the same.
The Importance of a Meal
My heart broke today as we were told that there was not enough food to feed all of the children who showed up for our Mini-VBS and Feeding Ministry. We sang with the children, we divided them into groups and did crafts with them and played games with them. We then had the opportunity to act out the parable of the Lost Sheep and use it as a way to share the gospel. We were amazed once again as God added 18 more to HIS Kingdom. As this was happening, Brother Wes Hahn took a translator and went to talk to a group of teenagers who had gathered outside, who the locals described as members of the local gang. By God’s power and to the amazement of us all, and literally through much trembling and fear, 7 of the teenage boys prayed to receive Christ. But then came the announcement about the food.
It was decided that only the smallest children would get food, which for us meant passing by children who were begging and pleading with us for food in order to deliver a plate to a younger child. Plate after plate I watched these sad faces grow more and more sad as they were passed by, and then…the plates just kept coming…and they kept coming…and they kept coming. Though the portions may have decreased, and though I am sure that they did not eat their fill and have 12 baskets of leftovers, I am sure that God extended the depth of the serving pot in order to feed those who came. Everyone ate!
Many of us, especially those of us in the States, take for granted the importance of a meal. For us, skipping a mean is not something we do often but we also know that we will have 2 others throughout our day. For these children, skipping this meal would have meant not eating at all that day. Open Eyes Ministries (openeyes.org) which is the ministry we are here serving with, currently feeds around 100 children lunch every week day throughout the month at an expense of $500 a month. Many of us spend more than that on a monthly basis for a family of 4, let alone 120. And without trying to sound like an advertisement, I want you to pray about what you can do to help. The reason I say this is because I was told today that when January ends, so does this feeding ministry as the money has run out.
Will we, who easily drop $30 or more at a fast food restaurant, allow this to happen? I pray not, just as I pray that the commitment of these 49 people, the 49 who we have witnessed make a profession of faith, will grow into full discipleship with Christ as their Lord.
Day 4 – Adam
Woke up and got ready and had a great breakfast and devotional before heading out. We went to a small village and had a fiesta with the kids. We came back to the house and had lunch. Then we went back to the village and went door-to-door sharing God’s word. This was the first time I ever did this and I was very blessed with being able to share the gospel and God worked through me to lead a woman to Christ. This was so exciting for me I was nervous at first but God gave me peace and gave me the words to share with her. I was in a group with my mom, Cassie, Isaiah, and Natalie, our interpreter Jennifer and two people from the local church that will stay in contact with her. It was a great day.
Day 4
Today was a day full of opportunity’s to serve. We started off with a fiesta at a church with about 60 kids. It was such a blessing to see them so happy over things that I tend to take for granted. Their faces light up at the slightest gifts you give to them. It could be a piece of candy and they are so thankful and happy. We then got to go visit what will one day be a church camp. It was out there with really nothing around so you just stood out there peering at the beautiful scene God has created. Later in the afternoon we got to go door-to-door evangelizing. It was such a blessing to get to share my faith with these people that know who God is but don’t know much about him and the life he lived. I was definitely scared but it calmed me when I realized how grateful and open then people were to what we were doing for them. They would give everything they had to us just to show us how much they really do appreciate us. It might just be a chair but they will stand just so we can sit. My view on life has been changed already and we are just now half way through our trip. God is good!
More Pics and the Other Half
The other half of the totes have arrived and just in time. Tomorrow is our first VBS and the tote with the supplies was in the missing half but a short 4-hour round trip car ride to Tegucigalpa and back and we now have all 14 Totes. I missed out on our first door-to-door experience, but we had a good grouping of our teams and I am confident all is going well. We had 12 children pray to receive Christ at this morning’s fiesta. There were 60 children in attendance in all and for that we praise God and I look forward to hearing their experiences this afternoon at tonight’s share time.
We are doing some souvenir shopping and some sight seeing tonight. Comayagua is home to the second oldest clock tower in the Americas and so we will take the team to see it.
I will try to get some of the others to post tonight and if there is someone that you want to hear from specifically, comment and let us know and I will pass the word.
We do have one sad thing to report…it’s already Thursday and I would bet there will be a few that will not want to leave.
And now for the stuff you want to see:
Picture Overload of the Day
Day 3
Today was another wonderful day. We went back to the orphanage to finish up painting. I was painting outside all afternoon so I got to see many neighborhood people. They were all very friendly and anytime you looked at them their faces light up with a smile from ear to ear. It was very hard to leave the girls at the orphanage. I know I will come in contact with other cute kids throughout the week which is what I had to keep telling myself. We didn’t have a church service tonight because of it being New Years Day which is a major holiday here. Instead a group of us took a walk around the community in which we are staying. It was so nice to look around at all the natural beauty that God created in such a poverty struck country. I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for me and the rest of the team the rest of the week.